R.I.P. Fudd

We'll miss him.

Even once you get used to the idea of raising animals for food, sometimes it's hard to let one go. In this case, Fudd was a boar we originally borrowed to breed Sassy.

We liked Fudd's personality and huge ears, and he went on to father Sassy's first litter of piglets this spring. We decided to adopt him.

At first he was an eager and patient father.

But late in the winter he hurt his back leg and never fully recovered. And then, as the piglets got bigger, he got more aggressive and (sometimes inadvertently, sometimes not) slashed them with his tusks.

A few weeks ago, when Sassy came back into heat, it became clear that with a gimpy back leg, he would not be able to get the job done. That ticked both of them off, and there was much grunting, squealing, and cursing coming from their pen.

We tried moving him into his own pen where he wouldn't hurt the other pigs, but then he got lonely and depressed. And last weekend, at a moment when he really wanted to get to Sassy, he broke down a door, causing my brother-in-law to become a rodeo clown in short order and jump to safety.

So what do you do with an 800-pound boar who is too big and old to provide good pork, can't father any more piglets, eats a lot, takes up a pen needed for other pigs,  is injured, and is getting aggressive?

Sigh. The deed was done last night while I was sitting at the spinning wheel, but unfortunately the window was open and I heard the shot.

Fudd, you were Some Pig.

Moving on to brighter topics...

I made a hat.

It's not easy to find people to model a wool ear-flap hat when it's 82 degrees and muggy out. I did force my husband to do a Holly Hobbie shot for me. Do you see any resemblance? (Well, she might have a mustache, who can tell?)

It is the Norwegian Star Earflap Hat by Tiennie at Tiennie Knits. And I did it in O-Wool on size 6 needles (though 7s are called for). I eliminated the garter stitch band above the ear flaps because I thought it made the flaps look like afterthoughts. (As usual, you can see my knit/purl tension discrepancy in the ear flaps, knit flat.)

I liked this pattern and have already started a second version of it, this time with my handspun BFL. I tried a variety of artsy shots, in an attempt to capture the yarn and the beautiful late summer weather (I take back everything rotten I said about Mother nature in June and July). Not sure any of the pictures really succeed, but the yarn is awesome.

Obviously, the next hat will lack the snowflake pattern. (One thing about the first hat: I should have held the white yarn in my dominant hand; the way I did it, the white stitches sit "behind" the maroon and the individual stitches are hard to see. I noticed it a few rows into the pattern, but I knew my nephew wouldn't care so I didn't bother ripping it out.)

I have done a few rows on my latest socks but I have to tell you, it's pretty satisfying to get away from size 0 needles and finish a hat in a matter of a few days.

I've also been spinning my sweater yarn.

I can't remember if this will become my third or fourth skein. I know one thing: With the alpaca content, each skein feels like I have a strand of lead in there. This is going to be one warm sweater.

Although my mood has not been stellar lately (lack of exercise for 5 weeks = perpetual PMS, but I've gotten back into workout mode and I no longer want to kill anyone, not even my husband), the weather has been outstanding. We have enough sweet corn to feed an army. Every couple of days I pick a dozen or two ears, husk them, blanch them, slice the kernels off the cobs, freeze meal-size baggies, and give the cobs and husks to the pigs.

So far I have 17 bags in the freezer, which is not nearly enough to see us through until next summer. I'll keep picking.

The big tomatoes have all split and rotted, but the little ones are delicious. Fudd's original owner gave us eggplant seedlings, and Monday night we had homemade eggplant parmigiana with them and our tomatoes. Yum, yum. What I love about our veggies is I bring them in, using my t-shirt as a basket, and throw them on the counter and they make a lovely little still life:

How can you not want to eat these?

We also spent a chunk of change on having our apple trees pruned and treated (sorry, but they needed it). The Macs are coming already.

Yield is going to be low this year because the trees got pruned within an inch of their life this winter, but the apples look good (and taste good, although the Macs are a bit tart at the moment).

Even though the weather is warm during the day, the nights are cold. Sophie got a severe haircut (because we let her get all matted), so she requires near-constant cuddling to keep from shivering.

It's certainly put me in the mood to knit and spin and my latest dream is to design and make an Aran vest (hoodie?) using a double strand of the Bristol Real Vermonter yarn I dyed for myself but haven't used yet. Remember this?

My increased knitting time is reflected in my reduced blog-reading time. Well, I may not have read your blog lately, but if you are going to the VT Sheep and Wool festival Saturday, I'll be wandering around fondling wool. I plan to see at least a few of you there!

(Hey, don't be too sad for Fudd. He had a good life compared to the average pig and enjoyed plenty of sunshine, mud, good food, comfortable sleeping quarters, back scratches, and--until late winter--rambunctious sex. And his death was quick. We won't forget him.)

Comments

[Cookie]

Fudd had a good life for a pig.

Love the hat and you're right about Holly Hobby. There's no telling what she had under that hat.

[FiberFeverKate]

What a nice tribute to Fudd. I'm sure it wasn't easy in the end but you are right, he had a good life.

[margene]

RIP Fudd. He'll live on in your family. Love your hat and yarn. I've been in the mood to spin, too. It's the need for wool that drives us.

[Carole]

Sorry about Fudd, that's a tough one. Sounds like everything else is good, though, and you've got to take the good with the bad.

[Sonya]

Your husband's resemblance to Holly Hobby is spooky. RIP, Fudd. You were a good pig. Your produce looks yummy! Although I must admit, I'm just about corn-on-the-cobbed out.

[Carrie]

Poor ol' Fudd, he was a good pig. Love that hat. I wish I lived somewhere cold enough to wear one!

[Josiane]

Coming out of lurkdom to say that I'll be making the trip to the VT Sheep & Wool festival. If I see you, I may come and introduce myself - that is, if I successfully overcome my shyness...

[JessaLu]

ah life on the farm...it's not all rainbows and yummy corn. ;o)

Love the handspun - and the modeling. ;op

[(formerly) no-blog-rachel]

Awww..I'm sorry about Fudd. But he did lead a good pig's life and you did the right thing.

Your BFL is beautious!

[trek]

Sorry about the boar. Any way you can salvage the meat for the cats/dogs??

[--Deb]

Aww ... goodbye, Fudd.

And--Holly Hobby! I haven't seen her in ages, but I used to have her curtains and bedspread when I was little. (She said I could have them.) And my stuffed HH doll with her friend Heather is stashed away somewhere, too...

[Elisabeth]

Dear Fudd. We'll miss him. Will you be getting another boar to replace him for Sassy?

[missscurious]

Bye, Fudd. He had a good life, though- lots of sunshine,food, rambunctious sex...did you ever take him to a rock concert? I think that your husband is quite a good sport, modeling that ear flap hat and being compared to Holly Hobby. Either that or you scared the shit out of him with your five weeks of PMS and he's just happy to be alive. Hope to see you at the festival this weekend.

[Diane]

I couldn't have said it better than Missscurious. So will you be around this weekend?

[janna]

Poor old Fudd - but he certainly did have a good pig-life. Do you think Sassy misses him?

And perhaps your husband could be the prototype for Holly Hobby's dad...

[gayle]

We're teetering on the brink of sweet corn - the silks are just starting to dry out. Holding our breath that frost will hold off long enough for us to harvest it.
I'll be at Vermont Sheep & Wool - probably on Saturday. With my daughter in tow, if she can manage to get the day off. And possibly my MIL as well.
I hope it doesn't rain....
RIP, Fudd.

[CindyCindy]

Fudd, we hardly knew ye. Love the handspun and the ear flap hat.

[alltangledup]

i know that I'm supposed to think 'circle of life' and all that ..and fudd did have a good life..

nice hat and it take a strong man to be compared to Holly Hobby!

[Sylvia]

Sorry about Fudd. Wonder what he'll come back as? What's the next step up after being a virtuous pig?

Love the photo of your DH.

[Ruth]

Awesome hat....I am amazed at how well it knit up on 6's.

I am in awe of your spinning! I wish I could just get my strands to stand consistently one size...I have been spinning lately and maybe it is just that I need to do that more often...

Your veggies are looking fabulous!

[Marcia]

I love picking tomatoes with my T-shirt basket too. :) We are soldering through what's become an infestation of Sweet 100s.

[Teyani]

Farm life - it can be a bummer sometimes, but it sounds like you made a very good choice.
love the hat. and thanks for the great chuckle about the holly hobbie look-alike :-)

[Kristen]

Poor Fudd. I enjoyed reading about his exploits.
Your handspun truly is awesome.
I'm reveling in fresh corn (not mine) and tomatoes (mostly mine). Gotta enjoy it while it lasts.

[donna lee]

August was lovely, wasn't it? I never thought I would say that but this year it was the best of the summer months. Sorry to hear about Fudd. And the photos of the yarn are gorgeous. You make me want to keep spinning so someday my yarn can look that good. Now I am attempting to ply some and it's a challenge.

[Susan]

I'll never look at Holly Hobby the same way again!