phenological events 7/09

phenological events

July 2009

1st- Cage Tomatoes
harvesting broccoli
harvesting currants
3rd- lightening bugs
mushrooms everywhere!
5th- clip Angora Lakota
16th- planting carrots
18th- planting turnips
19th- weed WEEDING weedest
tick removed from arm
20th- harvesting potatoes
21st- late blight appears
26th- late blight destroys tomato
crop, lessens potato yields

a shetland saga

There is an area in my garden- where there grows a small collection of plants that have been gifts from friends of mine who are spinners. Wandering down to that section yesterday, I finally caught a glimpse of the first bloom from a daylily that Cathy gave me last fall. I had missed the first bloom, the second had fallen off in a bad storm, and this third bloom was worth waiting for. Beautiful!

Cathy has been generous in sharing other things with me... fiber type things, Shetland things...for which I am very grateful.

Over a period of a year or more, I have worked with these samples...on and off..when time allows.... It has been a wonderful education for me. There are so many nuances within this breed.. the samples show the differences of color, texture, crimp, staple length and structure...I could go on.

So, in my hands, a wealth of information passes over and between my fingertips. Knowledge for my fingers to absorb, and retain. There is much to be gained by an exercise like this.

It has also been fun to read what Cathy and Leigh have written about the same fibers. Time spent reading their archives, adds to my experience. Their notations and thoughts about a sample are always insightful. For example: in 2007, Cathy had this to say about "Korny"...and Leigh writes and photographs her notes on the same "Korny"

I'm spinning Korny now...two years later! I save a little bit of each sample lock, and a few yards of spun yarn...I tuck them together on a tag with my notes to save for future use.

The sample skeins are starting to collect. I haven't had time to organize my photographs and notes, and I'm in awe of Leigh's talent in this area.

What will become of these samples...I wonder...(the saga continues)

trying to keep current with currants

Elizabeth over at trailing yarn sent me an interesting link to an article about currants.

I was happy to read that black currants are being offered for sale in NY...and I liked the thought of the sorbet made out of my red currant harvest...(thanks for the heads up Elizabeth!)

I didn't get much of a harvest this year. This has been a very busy summer, and when the currants were prime for the picking, I was not able to get out there. Most of them were lost to the catbirds. Next year, I will be more determined, and bird netting will have to be placed over the bushes again.

As I picked currants, I noticed that the walking onions and Stella Dora Lily are competing for space. .. they need to be divided. I hear them complaining. But other tasks await, and dividing plants will not happen for several months yet. I try to ignore their whining and leave them to duke it out themselves.

Spindling silk continues...here and there..while I spindle...I spend time adoring the roses, soaking in the color of July, and listening to the sounds of the river. This natural silk will have lots of summer goodness locked into it.

who are you?

The moisture in the woods has called the toadstools up.

Some have been nibbled.

I came upon this caterpiller, near the river.

At least he wasn't sitting on a toadstool!

....but he did inspire me to pick up my old and tattered copy of Alice's Adventures...

one of my favorite books to read and reread...

Caterpillar: Who are YOU?

Alice: This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. I -- I hardly know, sir, just at present -- at least I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.

advice from a caterpiller or chapter 5

....(YOU ARE OLD FATHER WILLIAM)

...takes on new meaning for me these days....

shine

The sun has not been shining much on the riverrim, but the skies opened up over the weekend..and ....oh my...

Fresh cool breezes made time in the garden very pleasurable. The broccoli and currants are keeping me busy. In the late afternoon, the wheel is taken out to the deck and I'm glad to sit down for a few moments and ply the singles that I spun on the CPW...the bobbin turned out 196 yards of 18 wpi 2ply of Allspice alpaca. The luster is surprising!

A new project has been started for Paco Fino. Two strands of the alpaca are carried over size 11 needles...

the pattern is still under construction in my mind and I have come to a junction where I need to stop and put the pattern onto paper ~ it requires math. And while I pause to contemplate and tabulate...my fingers find a spindle and silk, and a third thread is destined to become part of this stole.

In an attempt to keep ahead of myself, I've been spinning the next batch of Allspice on the Great Wheel. I load the quills to about 100 yards so the cops are not too heavy. I've been plying off from the makeshift lazy kate and onto the Ashford...I'm pleased with the results, but have not photographed them yet.

bees eye view

The daylilies are putting on a big show with a fabulous burst of color in the garden. My kind of fireworks!

Have a safe and happy 4th of July !!!

raven

I'm mostly certain that this raven has a fairy in its mouth. What I'm not certain about is why. You don't think it is going to eat the fairy, do you? I've seen these types of fairies by the river before, usually they are kind that rides on the back of the dragonflies. You don't believe me, do you?

Moments in the morning are spent prepping Alpaca for the evening spin. I've been filling the handcards and dizzing off of them.

This basket usually takes two hours worth of spinning to empty and fills two of the CPW bobbins halfway--which is perfect because when I ply, the third bobbin is filled to the max.