Something I made recently

 Once my own life had settled down, I finished the sweater I had been knitting before taking Mary in.

In the photo of magazine, it looked a lovely cardigan, Lured by those words, "Inspiration comes from Paris." But I got the length wrong and had to re-knit the collar, there wasn't enough yarn left, so the design has changed quite a bit.  I'll wear it as workwear. I feel frustrated when my knitting don't go well..!

And then I baked and ate my own birthday cake. I can't make anything elaborate, but cream and strawberries are a truly delicious combination. You agree too. 

　We grew and harvested rye. This was just for practice. We managed to rent the field where Mary used to graze, and we want to try planting wheat there.　( Japanese rice is grown with water, the fields are divided into smaller plots; here are three of them. )

Our mentor is an elderly farmer who lives nearby; he is in his eighties and can no longer move around easily, so he wants us to make use of the land.  However, since we aren't farmers ourselves, the work is truly difficult, Weather, pests, etc. 

 At first glance, the rye crop seemed to have succeeded. However, the harvest season in Japan coincides with the rainy season. Exposed to prolonged rain, the rye began to sprout; with no dry days to follow, it succumbed to mold and was ruined. We managed to use a small amount for soup, but Our first attempt at growing rye had a disappointing outcome. When we will actually be able to bake bread with it ? I only hope now we can successfully complete that process while our uncle (gentil old farmer ) is still alive, and to bake bread using the wheat harvested from his field and give it to him.

　Mary’s fleece had become matted and felted with seeds and thorns, leaving only about 600 grams, ( Usually 3 kilograms ?) I have started spinning a little of it. The resulting yarn will likely be of poor quality, but it came from a time when Mary was suffering, I couldn't bring myself to throw it away.

Dear friend, how have your days been ? Are you okay with the heatwave !?  I'm knitting a sweater at a leisurely pace—mostly on rainy days.

Hand power

 Healing energy flows from your hands. Even as your hands age, they bring comfort to others.

11 years old, Suzuko ( Jingle bell girl)

Hako (Box)

Natsuko(summer girl ) 

and Mary 

Things to Consider Before Raising Sheep

Hello dear friend, Mary is doing very well and has gained weight. She has settled into life here, so there shouldn't be anything to worry about.

 I hope that fewer people will keep living creatures just for the fun of it—like my Mary The Abandoned Sheep—and I would like to write a little something about that, People who are not farmers raising livestock. 

 If you are keeping them on a moderately sized plot of land, goats are the better choice. Sheep are fine if you have vast acreage, but the most important thing when raising animals is whether you can properly clean up after them.(In that respect, cats are the easiest.)

Problems arise if things are kept unsanitary. Mary had scabies, a skin disease caused by mites.

Compared to goats, the sheer volume of sheep droppings is surprising. I am constantly sweeping and hosing down the small area where  kept. 

Both goats and sheep share the trait of living in herds; you cannot keep just a single, and their bleating can easily be heard up to a kilometer away. They can be quite noisy during the mating season.

Then there is the matter of whether there is enough grass to feed them properly. We regularly buy dried hay, the cost of food for our dog and cats is far lower ( Especially in winter )

For the first few months, we were able to rent a fallow field. Thanks to the soft, lush grass there, Mary was able to fully recover from malnutrition.

And right now, what troubles me is herbicides, weedkiller. Farmers here spray them frequently, so we are constantly trying to avoid them. I find myself thinking these days that the life of a shepherd—walking leisurely across vast meadows—must be a happy one.

Of course there is the matter of shearing the sheep too. If the process isn't handled properly, the sheep will never let itself be shorn again. Mary had a rather painful memory associated with it; she was so thin, her skin hung loosely, and she apparently bled during the shearing. We were inexperienced, and it took us hours to shear the terrified sheep. Mary would only let me get close to her, so I had to cut her wool little by little with the shears. Poor Mary—and poor us, too. ( My husband was knockout by Mary, with an elbow)

Even for the fleece of just one sheep, I would want to hire a professional; however, there are no sheep farms around here, and the cost of having someone come out would be substantial. Besides, realistically speaking, I don't know if Mary would be willing to forgive anyone.

She sometimes helps out a little with the mowing in the garden.

Sadly for her, it doesn't fill her up..

Eat salt

And for the first time, I comprehend why sheepdogs are necessary.　She doesn't stray far from me, but when she's engrossed in eating, she doesn't notice even if I call her. "Mary! Mary!" I shout.

I run fast while calling out Mary. Then, before I know it, She is right beside me, running along too. What she fears most is likely being separated from me.

Mary walking with our dog 

From time to time, I would recall certain passages from the book I read a few years ago, along with the context in which they appeared. "The shepherd's life. by James Rebanks. Something you can fully appreciate through the pages of this book.

Goat or sheep

 It was after the snow had melted. We really couldn't believe it when "Kojiro, my brown male goat died. 　The veterinarians suspected kidney stones first, but the diagnosis was that he had apparently accidentally eaten poisonous plants. His legs were stiff. 

Oh Dear friend, I was terribly confused, because there was no grass growing in the garden.

I cried and grieved for a while, He had a very thoughtful and gentle goat. 

He was six years old

my goats snuggling me tightly often.

Japanese farmers have traditionally kept several goats, which served as emergency food ( Eating goat is rare these days ). Their milk could be used as a substitute for breast milk ( in the past ), goats are resistant to mosquitoes, and they eat Japan's tough grass well. Can be kept in the garden.

Natsuko (Summer Girl) is 9 years old

While we were still grieving his absence, a strange twist of fate occurred, We rescued a sheep and took in.

　That sheep was alone, malnourished, were in a garden full of stones, and terribly dirty. Its age is unknown, female. They had abandoned their care.  I was truly furious afterward. She had been treated terribly.

I always think that sometimes cruel people live as if they were good people. They talk normally. You need to be careful too.

Name her Mary

It's been two months since she arrived. She's gained weight. Her doctor is doing everything they can. As a member of the family, I want her to live peacefully .

Sheep are difficult to raise because they only eat soft grass and they need a certain amount of pastureland because they eat a vast amount of grass.

Anyways,  I've been spending more time gardening. Sometimes, as I sow hay seeds, I think that what I'm doing isn't gardening, but rather cultivating the soil and creating a high-quality Sweater !!

Tea for eye health

 Back when Japan was still in a period of civil war, People made tea from this tree and used it to heal eye injuries. (wash the eyes with cooled tea )　According to legend, it improves your eyesight, allowing you to see up to 400 km away.　This story takes place over 600 years ago.

I suffered from "dry eyes", so I drink it once every three days. It's more effective than the medication prescribed by doctors, but you need to continue drinking that tea.

For eye injuries,　It worked well when my dog ​​injured his eye. I used it by dropping it in like eye drops (Of course, the doctor prescribed three types of eye drops for a week, but it didn't heal well. The tea helped it heal faster.)

The tea is made from dried and crushed branches and leaves, and you boil 10g of them in about 1,5 liter of water for about 10 minutes.　The taste is extremely bitter.

I have planted one tree in my garden, but it doesn't grow big right away. Then, I buy the tea leaf. 

The leaves are characterized by being made up of three leaflets joined together, and they turn salmon pink in the autumn. 

The name of the tree is　"Megusuri no ki ", English name is Nikko maple ? (Acer maximowiczianum)

It is also effective for severe burns inside the mouth. However, for pain caused by a virus, this herb Strawberry Geranium is recommended.

If blindness is a concern, you should see an ophthalmologist immediately, but for preventative measures of Glaucoma and cataracts, I recommend learning and pressing acupressure points as well as this tea.

Second Ribbed Cardigan

 Hello, The cardigan I knitted in January and wore in February was so comfortable that I wore it almost every day. So, I knitted a second one.

 I used rustic, undyed camel yarn. I'm sure I'll wear this one every day too.

 I like to use a circular needle for the sleeves. 

And the pocket , using scrap yarn and then set aside. After knitted front body, 20 stitches are pick up and knit.

ribbed-cardigan.

↑　From Vintage Pattern . Have you already knitted one ?