Rocky & Sweetie, a love story....

So, after meeting everyone, and inspecting the extension, Rocky was "set-up" with a fair number of single ladies!!! He had great fun, but never really "clicked" with anyone.
Some of the hens he met were either too flighty, or too serious. Squawks introduced him to one of her friends, Amelia (they work together at the Soft-Feather refuge, a rehabilitation facility, for freshly released ex-battery hens). But this lady was way too career orientated (which is a good thing). She made Rocky volunteer for a day at the refuge. It really opened his eyes. He had no idea, these poor girls have such dreadful lives.
Some of them were featherless. None had ever set foot on grass, or seen sunlight. Their combs and wattles were almost colourless. They were all so scared and confused. It almost broke his heart to see this level of pain/suffering, in a fellow creature. He was amazed to see how gently and compassionately, Amelia and Squawks welcomed and helped these desolate wee souls.

Then, he met Blossom's friend, Sweetcorn Sussex! She is a trend-setter!!! That day, she had died her comb in 3 clashing shades!!!! And splashed her feathers in a "Jackson Pollock" style!!! To be honest, poor Rocky could't get a word in edgeways!!! He just listened and occasionally, blinked, in a dazed fashion. Dazzled by this feisty liberated girl.
                                   

Just when he had given up, on ever finding love, and was catching some late winter sunshine (with Frank, Opal & their chicks) in the back garden, he saw a pair of vivid red wings flapping at the viburnum bush!!! Followed by a pair deep purple legs. Intrigued, he decided to investigate further.
It turns out, the legs and wings belonged to Sweetie (little sister of Skittles (Olympic chicken) and Sparkle (sparkly chicken! LOL! Hey it's the best I can come up with) who was foraging for berries with little Teddy, Opal's little son.              
It also transpired, that as well as being a pretty wee thing (lime green & chocolate feathers, with a lilac comb) Sweetie had the most amiable disposition! She had a soft clucking voice, and laughed at all of Rocky's jokes! And she was also a good listener. She and Rocky ended up foraging in the garden for hours, and even found a juicy hibernating spider to share (well, they are chickens after all).
                                                           

 In short, Rocky and Sweetie fell in LOVE!!! As it was Christmas time, and the whole house was awash with decorations and pretty lights, there were plenty of opportunities for romantic interludes... ooh la la!
                                                   
                                                     

                                                                               

                       

Building Inspector!

The boys consulted DH's building regs book, and did a few calculations! Then, they gravely inspected the work in progress. Bricks and walls were subject to close scrutiny, via beak and eye (any one who knows chickens, knows the peck at absolutely everything). Not even the cement mixer was exempt!

                                                                   

Rocky comes to visit!

Last Christmas, a handsome, shy, gentle-rooster came to our coop (house). All the way from South Yorkshire, from my lovely friend, Diane's house! You see, he had already meet my woolly clucks via Skype (yes, believe it or not, woolly chickens chat via Skype all the time! That's modern technology for you; modern chickens too!).
Rocky has many lovely friends back home, but they are mainly teddy bears, Not much good if one wants to settle down, and fall in love...
So, he decided somewhat boldly, to come and visit us!!! My word you should have seen the eggcitement which ensued!!! A nest box was cleaned and made ready for him to sleep in, as was a perch!
The lady clucks styled their combs and put on beak-gloss!!! Well, yes, I know, they are chickens, but girls are girls, what ever their breed/biological classification ;) Cecily who is Tristan's girlfriend, phoned all the single friends, as did Blossom (currently unattached). Sparkle and Skittles did like-wise.
As it would happen, we had building work going on, regarding our extension. Rocky, being the intelligent chap that he is, cast a critical, somewhat beady eye over the work! I'm happy to say, he thought everything was fine!!! Phew! Who would think, a woolly cluck's opinion could count for so much!

Rock's welcome party

                                                                         

Chatting with Frank, who was visiting all the way from Colorado, with Opal!

                                                                         

Getting to know Tristan

Gingerbread past and present!

For the last few years, DH & I have been having great fun, making a gingerbread house, each Christmas eve. This year, we decided to make one early! So On Sunday, I baked the gingerbread. Still have to do the icing e.t.c. I just love the creative aspect of anything, to me gingerbread is simply a medium, through which I can express myself; like yarn! Plus, my gang of Woolly Clucks JUST LOVE golden syrup! (They always help in the festive baking process!).
 LOL! Not the best thing, if one has a woolly beak.....

Our wee creations over the past few yrs.

This one is from last year! LOL! I decided to make coop... complete with rickety little candy cane legs and a ramp! And no coop is complete, without a flock of chickens! Then they decided, they wanted chicks, who wanted scarves... and so on and so forth! LOL! Well, that is my excuse, any way ;)
                                                 

                                                                             

                                                                           
                                                                         

                                                           

Here are all the woollies helping with the baking! Rocky ( a handsome but shy gentle-rooster, visiting all the way from my friend's house in South Yorkshire) is manfully (roosterfully?) opening the tin of golden syrup for me!

                                                        Cecily is beating the mixture
                                                                       

                                                                       
                                                    Beady eyed inspection!
                                                                       

                                     
                                       

                                          Sharing a beater (best part of baking!)
                                                                     

                                       
                                       

                                                                             
                                                                               

                                       
                                                                             

                                                 
                                                                         

         
                                                                         

                                                         
                                                                             

                           
                                          The net result of all that hard work! (BTW, all this baking led to a romance between dear Rocky and Sweetie, the pale green/chocolate cluck, with a lilac comb and bright red wings! Their romance will be documented soon, so keep looking!)

Here is our wee cottage from 2011

                                       
                                                                             

Christmas Bauble Coaster

Hello dear pals!
As an early Christmas present, from me to you, I have decided to share my current crochet idea! It is a cute, stash-busting, great last minuet gift, fits in an envelope type of thing! In short, it is a Christmas Bauble Coaster :)

Size: about 4"
Yarn: Small amount, in colours of your choice. ( 4-5 mtrs of each colour should suffice) If you do not have any silver, to make the end fitment, use any colour you like! Just have FUN :)
Hk: 5mm

Notions: stitch markers
Tapestry needle

Dc: double crochet
Sc: single crochet
Ch: chain
St: stitch
Sl st: Slip stitch
Rnd: round

Bauble ( this is worked in rounds, that are joined. The Ch 3 at the start of each rnd counts as a stitch)

Rnd 1 : Ch 4, 13 dc in 4th ch from hk. Do not turn. Join with sl st, in top of ch 4 (14 dc)

Rnd 2:  If you are using more than one colour, break off yarn. In the Sl st, join the new colour, with a sl st. Ch 3, dc in same place, 2 dc in each st, around, Join with sl st, in top of ch 3. Do not turn. (28 dc)

Rnd 3: If using more than one colour, break off yarn. Join next colour in sl st of last rnd, with sl st. Ch 3. Dc in same place, 1 dc in next st. **(2dc in next st, 1 dc in next st)**  repeat till end. Ending dc in last st. (42 dc)

Fitment
With silver yarn/colour of your choice, attach yarn with sl st, in last st of last rnd. sc in next 3 sts. Ch 1, turn. Sc in each st across. Ch 8 attach with sl st in first st of this row, to make a loop. Fasten off. Darn in ends, and prepare to fall in love with your wee bauble coaster :)