Those Devious Donkeys!

Oh, you think they are cute don't you?

They gently take any and all treats from your fingers like highborn ladies at tea, they stand like fine Italian statues while you dress and undress them. They even come and rest their little shaggy heads on your shoulders if you sit a spell with them. All the books say they are very smart, but you think to yourself it doesn't look like much goes on behind those soft eyes and heavy brow.

If you think that you would be OH SO WRONG. They plot, in fact I know they likely whisper stuff as they stand three abreast in their trailer hut. Warm and dry while you lug hay through all kinds of nasty weather. So it was Friday late afternoon. The gate was getting hard to open and close with the snow, so I decided to do a stall guard with two lead ropes, one high, one lower with about 12-15" in between and some slack. I left them suspiciously eyeing my creation as hay was happily munched. At 7:30 that night Gene burst into the house after a long afternoon in town doing errands and announced that we had donkeys on the loose, all three were in the driveway. I got myself bundled up and out we went, carrots in hand. In the driveway you say? Not a donkey to be found, but so many little tracks in the snow going here and there, no way to track the little buggers either. No eye shine, no tell tale rustle of donkey coats, just snow and cold. Sneaky, quick and quiet you could add to that list of traits. So, after looking and calling we found ourselves back at the top of the driveway, when I spied a short little quick eye shine. The gang of three had taken themselves back to their paddock. Sugarfoot even put himself back in and was eating the last of the hay. The ladies were hanging by the intact lead rope stall guard, tapping their hooves and waiting for that errant doorman. I bustled them in, pulled the gate back into place, calmed the horses who were working on their own escape plan and went in and had a good stiff drink. I have new found respect for those little long ears.

So, besides the donkey incident, a flat tire on Bob the tractor ( he got a new one to replace it) snow, a cancer scare with one of the dogs (Pogo has an unusual type of infection and the fix is a long course of antibiotics..whew!), and Dennett going off and then back on his food, I have managed to put together a single new top. Sewing Workshop's Zigzag Top and it was a lot of fun.

It was a completely different collar/yoke construction than I have ever done and it kept me concentrating for most of the sewing. While tricky, the directions as always with SW patterns are first rate. This is made from pinwale corduroy and I have modified it a bit with the addition of some ribbon,

making little "cuff" tucks in the sleeves

and adding pockets. Only one has the little ribbon detail.

Casual tops always benefit from pockets and these are nicely interfaced and lined to prevent sagging. Overall I am happy although it is a bit too big. Next one I'll go down a size. This one might shrink though. I rarely prewash fabrics unless I am mixing them. Garment manufacturers don't so why should I? I build in the shrink room on the cutting table. It works for me.

Parting shots: You can take pictures of cute little me to your hearts desire,

but NO, I am not leaving this to go outside for a walk.

No way!