first fire

Ok, so it isn't October yet, and today we did this...

 

it was just too dern cold and the heater kept kicking on.

 

There are frost warnings for these parts, so a trip to the garden was in order...a few last minute clippings of Sweet Annie to dry.  Sweet Annie smells great when you dry it and arrange it in the bathroom.  That way, every time someone takes a shower-- the steam brings the fragrance back.  My Sweet Annie grew everywhere this year, there are still heaps of it to be cut.

 

 

Bunches of chocolate mint, pineapple mint, and the mainstays of peppermint and spearmint were to be harvested for tea...living in the river valley, the frost may miss us....but one can never be to sure, and I wouldn't want to miss out on a cup of tea...

 

We went over to Charlie's to get our hay for the winter.  Only seven bales this year, but it sure smelled sweet and looked great.  Charlie has the best hay....or so my rabbits tell me...

 

Repairs to the hen house were also completed.  We needed to fix the window pane that the roosters had knocked out.  It went back in without any trouble, so while I was at it I re-calked the other windows.  Next time I need to remember to lay down tarp before I start.  There were little bits of white dried calk laying around...and I had to clean up every last one of them.  Sometimes the girls are curious, and I wouldn't want them eating any of the calk.

 

 

Another sign of the season is the hens that are molting.  They drop their feathers, much like the leaves drop off of the trees.  In a matter of weeks, they will have grown all new feathers...just in time to keep them warm for the winter.  While they molt, they don't lay any eggs...their bodies use the extra protein to grow the new feathers.

 

 

They always look beautiful when their feathers are full.  The cochins are enjoying the late afternoon sun while it lasts...

enjoying the process

I think it is fun to incorporate something old when making something new.

 

I've decided to make the straps for my bag using a technique from the 14th century called fingerlooping.

 

 

The fingerlooping braid on the right was my first attempt.  I made it using 7 bowes..3 on one hand and 4 on the other.  It is a simple braid to make, however, I was having trouble getting it as large and as long as I wanted for the straps on my bag. 

 

I couldn't sleep well last night, I blame that fingernail of a moon that is currently in the sky.  At some point, when I was tossing and turning, I started to think about how I could make the straps longer.  I had the idea of making a chain link, and then fingerlooping each link separately.  Today, I tried out the idea.  It worked out well.  I can hardly see the link in the finished braid.  Once I block it, I expect it will disappear.

 

 

This picture shows how I was able to make the braid twice its original length by using the link idea.  I believe you could continue to add links to make the braid as long as you want.  I did have to tie the lengths in certain spots to keep the links in place until I wanted to braid them.  I did this in the same fashion you would use to tie a skein.  To make the braid wider, I simply used a navajo ply on a two ply, and made the same braid.

 

As for the first braid that is to small??  I decided to use it as a design element (ahem)..that is what I like about making up my own designs, I get to do whatever I decide!

 

 

Oh, that maple leaf that I had needlefelted in the corner of the bag, the experiment didn't turn out as I expected.  It lost some of the detail in the fulling process.  I guess I could have gone back into it and redefined the leaf, but the more I looked at it, the more I thought it looked to trite.

 

I like to set my projects up where I can see them as I work on them.  I move them around the house, sometimes in the living room, sometimes the dining room, or the kitchen.  I like to change the light on them, seeing how the project looks in the daylight, as well as indoor lighting.  It helps me to make decisions about what I want to do.  I have changed several things on this bag already, but I am enjoying the creativity of the process.

autumns in

This sunflower is a late bloomer in my garden.  I did not plant it, not this year anyway.  I planted a package of these a few years ago, and this one was a volunteer.  I will try and get to the seeds before the goldfinches get them, so I can save them to grow next spring.  I had forgotten how much I enjoyed the dark petals.

These tomatoes were a gift from my friend Judy.  I will be saving the seed from these as well....that is if I can resist the temptation to eat every last one them first.  They have such wonderful flavor!  They are an heirloom variety..going by the name of Riesentraube, which translates to "bunches of grapes" in German.  I am told that they are also well known in Hungary, going by the name of "goat's tit" ...well, they do have a sort of distinctive nipple on the end now, don't they?  I also read that they are used to make wine. I can imagine it would taste pretty good.

 

 

This weekend marked the fall equinox.  I was not aware of the exact moment, I didn't keep a record of it this time...but I am aware of the light, the days and nights being almost equal.  It won't stay like this for long.  The leaves were falling off the trees and tumbling over the grass today, and although the temperature was mild, autumn was blowing into town.

 

 

I made time to work on a bag that I have been weaving on the triloom.

 

 

I have been piecing it together, and decided to add a leaf to it with my felting needle.  I'm not sure how it will come out after I am finished processing or fulling it.  It is an experiment.

woolly bully

Found this forecaster today, and close examination of the specimen seems to be saying that we should have a fairly mild winter, with a cold spring.  This forecast would only be for my local area.  Your mileage may vary....as do the markings of your woolly bear caterpillars.

 

Actually, it looks a lot like the woolly bear I saw last year.  However, there have been years when I have observed woolly bears looking totally black, and the winter was severe.  Maybe there is some truth to the folklore....or perhaps like some experiments indicate, the color and size of the woolly bear's stripes are due to where it lives and what it eats.

 

At any rate, I have more fun watching the woolly bear than the weather channel...and none of it will matter, come next spring when Isa Isabella will emerge.

falling leaves

 

It has been raining most of the day, a soft misty rain that is making the garden bow down to the change of the season.  The weather tempts me to put on my muckers and go for a walk.  I am not enjoying dealing with the mounds of paper that clutter my mind as well as my workspace.

 

 

I notice some wild turkeys outside my window.  I need some fresh air, and give into the urge to leave the numbers and letters for the peacefulness and freshness of the world outside my window.

 

The garden is drenched. I hear the river and the streams shushing,and the chipping of the yellow warblers that are eating the seed heads of various plants.  Each time I try to take their picture, they are gone. They are so small, and so busy all the time.

 

 

When I returned to the house, I wanted to procrastinate even more...I knew I should be working on things that needed attention, but my hands were now cold and wanted the comfort of the angora/alpaca blend that I have been knitting.  This blend is so soft and warm.

 

 

I am making the falling leaves scarf from Spindlicity.  I like the pattern, it is the second chart pattern that I have followed, and it moves quickly.  Even though the yarn has a nice halo, it still lends itself nicely to the pattern.  Maybe I'll have a cup of Earl Grey and knit a few repeats...rainy days slow me down.... 

r is for riverrim

 

HIGH or low...

 

 

fast.....

 

 

or slow....

 

 

summer heat

 

 

or ice and snow....

 

 

I work, I watch...

 

 

I write, I spin....

 

 

as time flows by the riverrim.....

 

This week marks the 4th blogiversary of the riverrim.

To help me celebrate, dear reader, I invite you to leave a comment and tell me how you happened to wander by the page, and introduce yourself if you please.  This blog was started as way to keep track of the passing of time and projects, (sometimes of no significance to anyone other than the author)...but I do appreciate your company and comments!  Thanks for stopping by and enjoying the river with me....

a word about webworm

 

Fall webworms are all over the trees this year.  I am noticing them and thinking back to last spring when the tent caterpillars were everywhere. Evidently, it has been a good year for caterpillars.

 

 

I took this picture of the Eastern Tent Caterpillar (Malacosoma americanum (Fabricius) in May.  They would come out of the tent several times a day to feed on the tree.  I decided to revisit the tree that they were feeding on to see what kind of damage they had done.  It was not very bad. I left the tent caterpillars alone this spring because I observed a Baltimore oriel coming regularly to the tent to feed on them...but I want to be rid of them for next year, as I don't want them to spread.  In order to make sure they will not be back, you need to kill off the egg mass

 

 

The egg mass was already visible on the tree when I went back to see what kind of damage they had done.  I removed it with my pruning shears.  When winter arrives, I will search surrounding trees for more egg masses which will be easier to see when the leaves are gone.

 

 

The other defoliator that hangs in the trees now is called the Fall Webworm (Hyphantria cunea (Drury).  These caterpillar larvae feed inside the protection of their tent.

 

I remember as a child, watching my father and grandfather light these tents on fire with a kero soaked rag on a stick.  It was fascinating to watch the caterpillars drop to the ground, and I remember thinking  that the tree must have been quite happy to have the ugly nest removed.  I have since read that this can be more detrimental to the tree than the caterpillars...so I decide to use the pruners on these too. 

 

 

I also read somewhere, that one could simply destroy the tent and webworms by depositing the whole mess inside the chicken run for the  hens to devour.  Wonderful idea...only my hens decided that they were not dealing with it.  They shook their heads and walked away from the branch when I offered it.  I decided to cut open the silken web, so they had a clear shot of the caterpillars inside, but still no-go.  Finally, I offered one up on the water melon rind the hens had been cleaning up, and still the worm was rejected.

 

 

hummm...ultimately I threw the nest in the fire pit.

Q is for Quills

Honey, have you seen my quills?

Noooo...not those....

feathered quills for making pens

porcupine quills (or needles)

no...they're not the ones either...hey, didn't we just use that photo for n is for needles?

Now that's what I'm talking about!
"But they look like corn husks", you say....

That's right, I roll my own quills..

september notes 12th - 1st fall warbler 14th - bear sighted 15th - maples dropping leaves 21st - woolly bears 29th - first fire