Ladybuglocker's Blog

Knitted Chicken Jackets - an update

2011-11-01T15:07:00.003Z

I haven't been on my blog for a while but have noticed that a lot of the "hits" are from people looking for the Knitted Chicken Jackets.

The link on my original post now takes you to a "fleece" jacket with instructions further down the page for a different knitted jacket. Here is the link again http://littlehenrescue.co.uk/jumpers.aspx

If however you would like to knit one of the "original" jackets as shown in the original post, and below, then here is a copy of the Laughing Hens Pattern. I downloaded this from Ravelry.com and hope that Laughing Hens (www.laughinghens.com) won't object.

Laughing Hens Pattern

Battery Chicken Jacket

Basic Chux Tux

Abbreviations:

k:    knit

p:    purl

k2tog:    knit two stitches together

tbl:    through back of loop

st:    stitch

rt:    right

Use up your odds and ends of wool. It probably takes about one ball in total and about six hours to knit

Using size 3.25mm-4mm needles and double knitting wool.

Cast on 100 stitches.

Work 20 rows k1p1 rib.

Start decreasing, right side of work is facing you.

Keep the continuity of the rib pattern throughout.

Rib4, k2togtbl, rib26, k2togtbl, rib31, k2tog, rib27, k2tog, rib4 (96st)

3 rows rib maintaining pattern.

Rib4, k2togtbl, rib25, k2togtbl, rib29, k2tog, rib26, k2tog, rib4 (92st)

3 rows rib

Rib4, k2togtbl, rib24, k2togtbl, rib27, k2tog, rib25, k2tog, rib4 (88st)

3 rows rib

Rib4, k2togtbl, rib23, k2togtbl, rib25, k2tog, rib24, k2tog, rib4 (84st)

3 rows rib

Continue decreasing but only in the centre of the work

Rib28, k2togtbl, rib23, k2tog, rib29 (82st)

3 rows rib

Rib28, k2togtbl, rib21, k2tog, rib29 (80st)

3 rows rib

Rib28, k2togtbl, rib19, k2tog, rib29 (78st)

1 row rib

Rib28, k2togtbl, rib17, k2tog, rib29 (76st)

1row rib

Rib28, k2togtbl, rib15, k2tog, rib29 (74st)

1 row rib

Continue decreasing like this until:

Rib 28, k2tog tbl, p1, k2tog, rib29 (60st)

1 row rib

Rib28, slip next st onto rt needle k2tog, pass slipped st back over to cast it off, rib29,

(58st)

Continue without further shaping, k1p1 rib for 15 rows

Cast off loosely, in rib, in slightly smaller needles if possible.

Adjustable neck fastening.

Cast on 11sts

k1p1 moss stitch for 5 rows

6th row (working button hole)

work 6 st in moss st, cast off the last st worked (on the rt needle slip the 5th st worked over the 6th st)

work 1 st from left needle, pass the 5th st over the 6th st as before

work 1 st from left needle, pass the 5th st over the 6th st

moss st 3 remaining st.

(4st, gap for button hole, 4st)

7th row

moss st 3 st

next st, work into front but do not cast off needle, pass wool to back of work, and make second st into

the back, do not cast off, bring wool to front, and work third st into front, do not cast off, wool to

back, work fourth st into back of original st.

With 7 st on rt needle now release it from the left needle

work remaining 4 st from left needle in moss st (11st)

k1p1 moss st for 5 rows

repeat 6th row

repeat 7th row

k1p1 moss st for 5 rows

repeat 6th row

repeat 7th row

k1 p1 moss st for 2 rows

next row k2tog tbl, moss st 7, k2tog (9st)

next row k2tog tbl, moss st 5, k2tog (7st)

cast off in moss st

To make up

The wide end of the body shape is the tail end, the narrower end is the head end.

On main body of Chux Tux, sew together the first 20 rows of rib (at the wider end of the shape) only, to form a short tube, but leave open the rest of the garment.

Attach the cast on edge of the neck fastening to the side of the tux at the top.

Sew a button on the other side.

Deluxe Chux Tux

Make the basic Chux Tux and add the "Warming Flap".

Warming Flap

Cast on 25 st.

k1 p1 moss stitch, until work measures 14 cm

Next row, keeping continuity of moss st pattern

moss st 4, k2tog tbl, moss st to last 6 st , k2tog, moss st to end (23st)

next row, moss st

continue decreasing in this way (one decrease row, one moss st row) until 11 st remain

next two rows moss st

now work 6th and 7th row of adjustable neck fastening

moss st 5 rows

work 6th and 7th row of adjustable neck fastening

moss st 5 rows

cast off in moss st

To make up

Sew bottom (cast on edge) of Warming Flap to the cast on edge of the Tux placing

it centerally over the short back seam.

The Warming Flap adjusts and does up using the same

button that secures the neck fastening.

Fitting Instructions

These are fitting instructions from Brigitte who designed the jacket:

One person holds the chicken at ground level,with both hands wrapped around her body restraining her wings. The second person faces the chicken and gathers the Tux up (as if it were a sock or a leg of a pair of tights) and puts the Chux-Tux over the chicken's head and over the first person's hands, so that it is well down her body but in front of her legs. The first person, with the second person's assistance, then gently manoeuvres one wing at a time, though the opening so that both wings are outside the Tux. It is very important that whilst you are handling the chicken's wings and she feels your grip loosen to free the wing, that she does not flap and try to escape at this point, as she would easily be injured.

Once the wings are out, the second person adjusts the fastening to a comfortable fit. Carefully release the chicken. and observe her to make sure all is well. To take the Tux off, simply undo the button and slide the Tux off the back of the chicken, so as not to ruffle her feathers, making sure that her legs are not caught in the garment. Again, this is best done by two people.

I think that if the 'Chux-Tux' is used as soon as the chicken is rescued, she may get used to it. Queenie did not enjoy her new look and her companions were also alarmed. Although my design has exceeded my expectations I have taken it off Queenie and I keep all the chickens warm with the infra red lamp, she is clever enough to stay in the shed most of the time and only ventures out for short periods. Mo, one of her companions, had even fewer feathers than Queenie, when they arrived, and now you would not recognise her , she looks almost normal, so I am sure that Queenie will be fine very shortly.

After I had knitted the Basic Chux Tux I understood how the design could be adapted to produce the 'Deluxe Chux Tux' with the added back warming feature . A few of the rescued battery chickens have very few feathers indeed and are unkindly referred to as 'oven readies', they seem to have left only the larger flight feathers on the wings and a few stubbly tail feathers so as well as having a bare chest and bottom they also have a bare back and they dither and shiver in the cold, wearing what is left of their wings curled around their poor scrawny bodies. These chickens need the extra protection of the Deluxe version. When fitting the Deluxe version, simply button the Warming Flap down after the wings have been eased out, using the same button that holds the neck fastening. At first sight, the Warming Flap may appear too short but when in place, it adapts to the shape of the chicken's back.

July - in pictures - bantams, flowers and a bit of everything

2011-08-02T12:05:00.000+01:00

My little Pekin, now almost fully grown

With her "hubby" Barrie and some of the new lads

Barrie

I thought it was meant to be my swing seat!


And her 3 eggs - she started laying on 31st July. Compared to a normal bantam egg (top right) and small chicken egg, they are tiny!


A riot of colour

RSPB Reserve at Snettisham

Low flying geese

Rough seas at Salthouse, Norfolk.

I'm still waiting for the luck to kick in......

Pots by the back door

And finally my little stall.

June in pictures

2011-06-17T10:31:00.000+01:00

The first sweet pea of the year

I love the colours of these ones

My flower bed is filling up

My summer pumpkins are growing well

Morning glory, first time I've grown them

Fox and Cubs - yes I know its a weed, but its also a wildflower and it adds colour to the lawn


I need a bigger greenhouse

The "teenage gang" run around outside now


First spot of rain and the "gang" ran into the lobby. As we had such a dry spring they hadn't seen rain before!

And finally - our first "chicks" now almost fully grown and lovely looking birds

Lunch, chickens, flowers and weeds.....

2011-05-25T16:37:00.001+01:00

Finally I've got round to updating my blog. I seem to spend every waking hour when I'm not at work in the garden. My fault - I plant everything in pots or trays and then of course they need transplanting! My greenhouse is not big enough, windowsills are still covered in trays and propagators....

The first cucumber of the year

I've given over one of my vegetable beds to flowers for the first time and I keep squeezing more plants in. Hopefully once it all starts to grow a bit, it should be a mass of colour right through to the autumn - well thats the plan, lets see what happens.

The beginnings of a flower bed


I need a bigger greenhouse

The first lot of chicks, the marans are growing well and now live outside, and my "little chick", now know as "Lit-lun" is still as friendly as ever. As soon as I pick her up she goes straight onto my shoulder. No accidents so far! She is with some of the younger birds and loves being outside.

Who needs a parrot!

Enjoying the fresh air

I've just read that I'm an "old school friend" - old..... sulk. Through Facebook I got back in contact with a few of the people I was at school with and yesterday I had lunch with one of the most talented crafty people I have met in a long time. I love her blog. http://nicksartystuff.blogspot.com/ Last week another of our "school mates" was over from New Zealand so I met him for lunch too. Strange how you don't see somebody for many.... far too many years... since leaving school and they haven't changed a bit!

I titled this post "lunch, chickens, flowers and weeds" - well now for the weeds. I have a back garden full of wild flowers - weeds to most people, which I love. We don't cut the grass at this time of the year as it looks so pretty. I have identified my favourite as "Fox and Cubs", part of the Hawkweed family, and in fact I managed to grow some from saved seed. Another cute flower has intrigued me so finally I managed to trace it on the internet.... Common Vetch... oh.... and its poisonous. And I thought it was rare! Still more "wild flower/weeds" to identify...

They are far too pretty to be just weeds

Happy Easter..... Chicks

2011-04-24T10:42:00.000+01:00

The eldest chicks are now 6 weeks old and yesterday they had their first taste of "outside". We are having unseasonably warm weather, low 70's, and in their covered outdoor run they loved it.

We are waiting for Thursday when the next batch of chicks is due to hatch, all bantams. I can't wait!

Our lemon millefleur sablepoots are settling in well, and now we have moved the Light Sussex Bantam family in - what an impressive sight they are. The cockerel is very protective to his ladies and if we give them any treats he makes sure that everyone gets some by calling them over and not eating anything himself till they have all had some. They are laying well too, not necessarily in the nest boxes - any dip in the ground under the trees is fine as far as they are concerned which involves a daily egg hunt.

My little Pekin bantam I helped hatch is growing well and is as friendly as ever.

I've been pricking out tomatoes and other seedling non-stop. I've decided to put one of my vegetable beds over to flowers this year for both cut flowers and for collecting my own seed. At least it should be colourful.

Courgettes and pumpkins are going in today, having bagged up about 15 sacks of mixed ostrich, reindeer and alpaca "manure" at the weekend - hopefully they will grow to record size!

More chicks....

2011-04-11T15:08:00.000+01:00

So much for my plans to update my blog more often - its been a month and those cute fluffy chicks on the previous post are now huge, or at least some of them are.

10 days ago

The Maran chicks are now almost too strong to hold, still not sure exactly how many are boys and girls, but think its about half a dozen of each (hopefully). Some are so big they must be cockerels, standing much taller and chunkier built, but who knows! They look scruffy now with half new feathers and half fluff.

Taken today

A couple of days old

My little brown bird I helped hatch is so friendly, probably because I pick it up a couple of times a day. When I put my hand in the box it sometimes actually jumps into my hand. Its grown a lot in a month as the two photos show.


So cute and posing for the camera!

In the past month we have hatched just over a dozen more chicks, some which hatched overnight. Three fitted into my hand with room to spare.

Hatched overnight

We have purchased a few more bantums, including cockerals. This fine gentleman keeps his ladies well
under control.

I remember when my blog used to be about knitting.... well here are a few chicks of the woolly variety complete with bantum eggs.

We have chicks...!

2011-03-16T12:19:00.001Z

After what seemed like a very long 21 days, our first chick appeared early on Saturday morning, with a second hatching just before I had to leave for work - I wanted to stay and watch! We had moved some of the eggs into the yellow hatcher which gave me a chance to take some photos before we put the lid back on.

All ready

Our first arrivals

Some eggs were already cracking open

First chicks in their new home

More chicks

We are pleased that we ended up with 3 Pekin bantums and 13 Marans. No idea as yet as to whether we have any hens - just hope we dont have 16 cockerels.....

My favourite bantum is the one I helped out of its shell, I thought it had no hope of surviving but when I got home it was running around lovely and fluffy.

My little rescued chick - just look at those fluffy feet!

I love the colours on this one

But they are all cute

Another 24 eggs due to hatch from this coming weekend, all good fun...

A new beginning....

2011-03-06T17:00:00.001Z

I was recently told that when one door closes, another opens - well I suppose that sums up the last month. I was made redundant from my garden centre job two weeks ago, and tomorrow I start a new job at another garden centre. I am so lucky to find another job so quickly, especially as its just round the corner and fits in with my morning job at the newsagents.

One of the great things about living in the countryside is the different birds which you see in the garden and locally. This black and white pied blackbird draws quite a few glances!

There was plenty of activity in the field opposite when they finally took the sugar beet up. Usually they would have taken it up months ago but I suppose the bad start to the winter delayed everything.

And finally... why does the cat always insist on sitting on the pile of neat freshly ironed clothes???

A new venture - hatching chicks in an incubator

2011-02-24T11:05:00.000Z

As I've got more time at home now that I no longer work at the Garden Centre, we have decided to finally start something we have been talking about for a while.

We have got a couple of incubators, bought some fertilized (hopefully!!) eggs and are now on day 4 out of the 21 days till they hatch. We can't wait! The garage has been partioned to make a special "chicken" area, and we are buying some new coups for them. We want to eventually breed rarer chickens ourselves and sell them as either point of lay or as fertilized eggs.

At the moment we have Pekin Bantums and Marams in the incubator. I love the really dark brown Maram eggs and look forward to rearing some hens. Lets hope they are not all boys!

I've also been busy planting seeds and so far have a couple of trays of sweetpeas, broad beans, parsley chives. My early peas went in the propagator yesterday with some french beans. I love this time of year

The end of an era

2011-02-11T13:49:00.000Z

Today I received official notice that I am being made redundant from my "dream job" at the garden centre. Its not just me, quite a few of us are going so its not been a good week. I love that job and will have to make the most of my last three shifts.

I'm lucky as for the past couple of months I have had another part time job, just a few hours a week. Its not enough but I'm lucky to have the job..... I will find something else soon, I'm confident of that.

On a brighter note - at least it will leave me more time to organise my vegetable garden! Thanks to my propagators, my sweet peas are about an inch tall, broad beans are in, salad leaves and some herbs are through. Spring is on the way (hopefully).

Knitting and a bit of this and a bit of that....

2011-01-25T11:05:00.000Z

How can it already be the third week of January? This month has flown by so far. So much to do in the garden but I am waiting for the weather to warm up/dry out a bit! I am still picking sprouts and carrots which survived the arctic blast a few weeks ago but can't wait to get started with this year's planting. My potatoes are in egg boxes "chitting".

Neil has been busy making bird boxes - they look very professional and hopefully we will get some birds using them this spring.

My hyacinth bulbs have now come into flower, a sure sign that we are heading towards spring. They were meant to be planted outside and I was late buying them so I thought I would try them in water and they have grown really quickly whereas my bulb designed to be grown in water is still only a shoot!

Even the chicken run from the old house has had a revamp and is now going to be the summer residence for the rabbits. They are rapidly outgrowing their existing hutch and this will give them much more room when they can't run loose in the garden.

I've been knitting hearts over the past few months. A few I have given away as presents but have now made some more ready for Valentines Day.

The small newsagents shop where I work has agreed to let me try and sell them. Fingers crossed.

I've also been knitting lots of fingerless mittens and am now working on some fluffy chicks. Small projects seem to suit me better as I no longer have the patience for knitting garments.

I'm still trying to learn to crochet but its coming on very slowly - its much easier working with two needles rather than a hook!

The last few weeks - in pictures

2010-12-30T19:32:00.000Z

We had snow early this year, we got a lot more after this photo was taken.

Here are lots of young reindeer (above) and adult (below) getting ready to help Santa !

He is very proud of his antlers...

Carlos the alpaca enjoying the snow, with Pedro just peeping out of the doorway.

And finally Christmas, the first Christmas in our new house. Still waiting for the woodburner to complete the fireplace - maybe next year!

Snow,....

2010-11-30T09:59:00.000Z

My mobile has broken and gone away for repair so I can't put any new photos on here but winter has arrived early. First snow last Wednesday, bits and pieces ever since and we still have about 2" of snow on the ground. Brr, roll on spring.

I'm hoping to get my phone back soon, miss my camera on it.

This morning I was up at 6am ready to start my second job. I'm opening up a village shop nearby, sorting out the magazines and on the till. It was cold, dark, but I enjoyed it. Think it will be better getting up in daylight though! I'm still working at the garden centre, my main job, and I have no intention of leaving.

At home we have managed to sort through some more boxes - will we ever finish?? and finally I have found all the bits I need to use my drum carder, so I've managed to do some spinning again. Knitting every evening, fingerless mittens at the moment. So useful.

A weekend away

2010-11-04T10:33:00.000Z

I spent a lovely weekend away with Mum. It was our annual "coach trip away" and this time we went to Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight for 3 days.

We went up the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth. The views were amazing even though it was grey and raining, and standing on the glass floor looking down was an odd experience!

The autumn colours were amazing, we must have gone away at just the right time
of year.

Godshill on the Isle of Wight is famous for its pretty cottages. I should think the residents get fed up with people taking photos of their homes!

The Chine at Shanklin was pretty too, though very cool and damp. There were some amazing ferns growing in there, ideal conditions for them.

Getting there...

2010-10-18T11:34:00.000+01:00

Over the weekend it was decided that if we didn't get the house painted outside then we would probably not be able to do it before the winter.... and the thought of another 6 months of the outside looking shabby was enough.

I didn't do any painting though I did seem to spend a lot of time holding the ladder.....

The chickens had the run of the entire back garden (though not my vegetable garden..) and they loved it, especially when they discovered the bird seed I had previously scattered around the bird table.

I had a good clear out of plants in the garden, the courgettes and outdoor tomatoes are finished and so my compost bins are full. I've picked the first sprouts though they really need a frost. And I dug up the last of the potatoes, leaving some which had already sprouted. Hopefully I will get another flush of potatoes during the winter.

The front of the house has now been stoned and we need to choose a "feature tree" to go in the remaining grass area. I have my eye on a couple, just need to decide. My favourite at the moment is the Cornus Contoversa Variegata. Think one would look just right and give a good colour contrast with the existing laurel hedges.

It also needs a few pots full of plants to soften the area, its like a huge car park at the moment! And poor Michael has trouble getting his moped through the stones - they will flatten in time.

Old, new, chickens and alpacas.....

2010-10-03T10:43:00.000+01:00

The past couple of weeks have been spent emptying and tidying up the old house. We haven't really done anything at the new house, so no new pictures to take of inside yet!

The old house is now up for sale and we had the first viewing yesterday - not heard anything back yet! We can't do anything more to make the old house more attractive to viewers, so can now concentrate on the new house again.

We got 10 more chickens who have now settled well into the orchard with the existing "ladies". They are not quite old enough to lay yet, but hopefully within the month we will have lots of eggs. We can't keep up with demand at the moment. The new ladies are 2 each of White Sussex, Silver Link, Bluebell, Speckled and Rhode Rock. Lovely assortment of colours. I got them from Anglia Poultry who were really helpful and friendly.

The chicken shed is having a revamp today - new roof and its being transformed into a chicken shed instead of a normal shed full of chickens. Lets hope they like it....

And finally..... my dream of having my own alpacas came as near to true as will ever happen - my father in law bought two rather straggly boys, now named Carlos and Pedro. They are three years old, halter trained, and getting friendlier each time I see them. I love taking them for walks on the reins, a dream come true.

They love rolling in the straw..... cant wait for next year when I can get my hands on their lovely long fleece.

Getting there, slowly!

2010-09-17T16:44:00.000+01:00

Its been nearly three weeks since we moved in and slowly, very very slowly we are getting sorted out. We still have a garage full of boxes (no idea whats in most of them), though I am still missing quite a few of my books.

I love the new kitchen/diner
- its my favourite room of the house.

We let the cats out at the weekend after keeping them indoors to get settled. They seem to love having the huge garden to explore.

Mitsy loves the long grass in the vegetable garden, and spends a lot of time chasing insects.

And I discovered a marrow which had been hidden under the foliage - 9lb 4oz, thats one hell of a marrow!

finally living in the house - but will we ever get sorted???

2010-09-06T09:58:00.000+01:00

Its been a week now since we moved into the new house. There is still much to be done, painting of the walls downstairs, tiling, kitchen cupboard doors etc, but we don't care, its fine.

Amazing how having to move clothes from one house to another can make you think again about how much "stuff" you have! I am a hoarder, always have been, and it applied to clothing too. Well not anymore, half of it has gone to the charity shop, and I have room in the wardrobe!

The cats are still being kept indoors, not that they seem to mind. They have already found the best places to sleep and sunbathe, so they seem happy. And the chickens now have the run of the whole orchard and are laying as well as ever. They love the windfall apples.... and plums.

The bedrooms are finished now, so here is a before and after of the main room. I will take more photos as the house is actually finished.

In the meantime its handy not having doors on the kitchen cupboards, as at least I can learn where I have put everything! And I love my new fridge. I was worried when I found out I needed an "under the counter" small fridge, but this one is so well designed, with sliding drawers, it actually holds more than my tall larder fridge.

A week of painting.

2010-08-26T09:45:00.000+01:00

We still hope to move over this coming weekend, but there is still so much painting left to do.

I've spent over 24 hours painting in the past 3 days, even my mum has been roped in to help. As for Neil, I have no idea where he gets his energy from!

Two weeks to go.... (maybe....)

2010-08-16T16:57:00.000+01:00

Another week, more progress! As we are hoping to move in a couple of weeks, we need to keep going.

All the door and window architraves are on and now need painting.... (my job), plus Neil has been busy laying the tiles for the lounge fireplace, and has finished tiling the bathroom.

I've been painting my new fireplace feature which will house my range cooker and extractor. Never painted anything so fiddly before! 3 undercoats and its now ready for the final "buttermilk" colour coat.

The kitchen cupboard doors are nearly finished, and once they are on, the kitchen will look much better.

We now have water in the kitchen (at last......) and the old utilty room has been ripped out.

Ok, I have to admit I didn't actually do the heavy work, just gave it a quick bash with the hammer and then left the hard work to Neil.

As I write this the plumber is connecting up the gas boiler, hopefully by tomorrow we may have hot water! No more boiling the kettle to wash up!

Lots going on, no time to blog...

2010-08-11T09:13:00.000+01:00

Work at the house is progressing fast. The electrician is finished, plumber is due to put the boiler in today, should have water by the end of the day! The shower room is half tiled and the toilet and sink in.

Kitchen units are in, doors are being made and worktops on, though they will need lots of sanding and varnishing to finish them.

Doors have been hung, architrave is going on, which leaves a lot of painting to be done over the next few days. The original front door needs sanding and repainting - I love the original 1930's glass.

We are getting there, slowly.

An afternoon with the animals...... fox included....

2010-08-02T14:54:00.001+01:00

Saturday afternoon was dry and I didn't want to be stuck indoors, so whilst Neil cut the worktops for the new kitchen, I decided to go for a walk and take some pictures of the animals.

The reindeer were easy to capture when they were eating, and I actually got to touch the soft velvet like coating on Horace's antlers.

This female decided to investigate the camera!

I helped to feed the ostriches and managed to stroke one of the ladies (I'm not brave enough to be close to Cedric, the male).

A nice photo of some of the chickens was next, turned the corner and there, bold as brass, sat a fox. Just looking at me.... even stayed there long enough to get a photo. Is this the fox guilty of killing lots of chickens lately??? You can't see him clearly in the photo unless you click to zoom in, but he is just sitting there.

And then in the evening back at the house, I found this cute newt (yes it is cute, well I think so, if rather muddy).

At last..... electric....

2010-07-30T11:23:00.000+01:00

Last night when we got to the new house, the electrican Simon was still there. He has been brilliant, always turning up on time and working to a high standard. Suddenly I noticed that it was "light"..... we had electric at last..!

As we had no light bulbs at the house, only the spotlights in the kitchen and bathroom were on, but its real progress. I am really looking forward to having a light kitchen. Up till now I've always had a central light so have worked in a shadow all the time. I'm getting into the 21st Century at last, just a decade late!

The kitchen units are being fixed into their final position, just need the doors made now, but I have shortlisted two colours of paint for the doors.

Its starting to look like a kitchen! At last.

2010-07-22T10:18:00.000+01:00

At the weekend we started putting the new kitchen units together, and finally my new Rangemaster cooker could be moved into the kitchen.

Trouble is, its rather large, very heavy, and proved to be wider than the doorframe!

After taking off most of the packaging we finally got it into its new position.

I've always wanted a "range cooker", and can't wait to be able to use it once its all connected up.

The electrician comes back today to put in all the plug sockets and light switches, plumber comes next week to sort out the radiators and boiler, so we are getting there!

And finally, back in the spring when the weeping willow tree was given its brutal haircut, I was convinced it would never look good again, but I was proved wrong. Its looking wonderful, and I can see that it would be a good idea to put a bench underneath the tree, an ideal spot for reading.

A real proper summer....

2010-07-10T10:27:00.000+01:00

After the worst winter in years, we are having a real "proper" summer. Three lovely weeks of warm temperatures and sunshine, surely a record for this part of the UK...! Its too hot for working but great when you are out and about.

Yesterday Mum and I decided that housework could wait and we had lunch at Wroxham which is in the heart of the Norfolk Broads.

After a walk along the watersedge we then drove onto Ranworth and followed the boardwalk to the visitor centre at the end. It was so warm! The geese and ducks were enjoying it.
The Mississippi style paddle steamer was also out, first time I've seen it in years.
It was lovely to just sit in the sun (Mum will have a fit that her photo is on the internet!).

We were on the look out for Swallowtail butterflies which apparently can be found in the area. We didn't see any though.