new lambs

We had our second series of workshops at the Hatton Farm yesterday, and these sweet little Finnsheep lambies were there to greet us in the morning.  They had been born earlier in the week, and could not be more precious.

 

We had a nice turn out for the workshops, some of the people coming from out of state to participate!  It is really fun getting together to teach new skills and share ideas with other fiber people, and even though I am the instructor for some of the classes, I always come away with a little something that I learn from the students.

 

The one drawback about being an instructor is that you don't have time to take one of the other workshops.  Since there are 4 of us teaching, the mini workshops are going on in different areas of the farm at the same time.  For instance, while I was teaching the spinning workshop in the barn, Grace was inside in the kitchen teaching the casserole dyeing workshop.  When it was time to switch, I went up to the house to teach the needlefelting, and they were having a great time and just finishing up.  What beautiful skeins of yarn they created, so colorful!  And in the living room they were ending the Tri-loom workshop that Judy had been teaching- while out on the patio Louise was completing the Alpaca Fiber workshop.  It is a little like musical chairs, with lunchtime being the only time to really visit with everyone.  It is fun being a teacher, but sometimes I would like to be the student too. 

 

Once again at the end of the day there were many inquires about when and what the next series of workshops would include, but we did not settle on anything as of yet.  It is really good to see the interest, and to have such a positive response from those who came out to join us.

 

I was so busy teaching, that I did not get time to take pictures--except for those sweet lambs in the morning...when I see new life like this, I feel like I am seeing something that only a few people have ever seen before....kind of makes it special to think of it that way.  And just so the rest of the crew would not feel like old hat, I took their picture too....

When I got home in the late afternoon, I had some time to relax and visit with the rabbits and chickens...a nice way to unwind bask in the quiet of the day.  The weather has been really beautiful... no frost in sight, but things have been still and dry.  At dusk, we checked in on the chickens before we locked them up for the night.  We always do a head count...just in case.  One of the hens did not come home last night.  It was the new aracuna pullet.  We searched all around until it was dark, could not find her and went to bed with our fingers crossed.  I was hopeful that she would come walking home in the morning as they sometimes do.  She was not that lucky.  We woke at 4:30 am to hear bagaulking, and by the time we got outside it was quiet and still...no sign of what it was that got her. It is always hard to loose a chicken, but she was a sweet one that we did not have very long.  Here is the last photo I had taken of her earlier that day...

On the fiber front, I have been spinning up some mohair that I plied with silk...and then weaving it directly onto the loom...something a little different...but every now and then I feel the need to do something different.  It is helping to keep my mind off the loss of the little pullet.  The poor roo, he looks lost today.  I walked down to the river and looked all around to see if I could see any signs of a struggle or feather or (gulp) a carcass.  Nothing anywhere.  Not sure if it was raccoon or fox.  Usually with the raccoon there are signs of a struggle, and I would find the carcass.  Fox tend to run off with their prey.  See how my mind is wandering back to the chicken?  Anyway, here is a shot of the fiber.

words about wood warblers

I wanted to make a notation about the number of wood warblers I have noticed in the past week.  There are always many spring warblers around here...I have come to know them by their markings and even their song.  It is nice to work in the garden and hear them singing, and notice the voice of a new summer arrival.  This is not so easy with the wood warblers.  They are not as colorful, and usually we do not seem to have many passing through.  However, this fall is markedly different.  I have noticed many of them feeding around the riverrim, and the air is filled with song.  I am frustrated when I hear the beautiful and sometimes complex song of a bird that I cannot identify.  It is difficult to identify a bird purely by it song.  I have read several books on the subject, and even resorted to listening to Petersons (Birding by Ear).  I think I will have to get something that deals specifically with Wood Warblers.

 

I read recently, that a Spanish version of Birds in North America has been released.  One of the problems they encountered in writing this was in the translation of the voices of the birds. For instance, in English the voice of the Barred Owl says "who cooks for you", but in Spanish it says, "quien concine para usted"...and the meter is lost.  I am sure it is the same with many other languages.

 

But being able to identify these little birds by their song is important to me.  It increases my awareness of my surroundings, and I am able to observe them without really making a visual spotting.  Face it --not every bird wants you stalking them!

 

So the fall migration is underway.  And some of the death and destruction that humans experience from Hurricanes Rita and Katrina, will also be felt by the birds that migrate. The affect of these storms is truly far reaching.  The comings and goings of these little birds make me aware of the connections of so many different things.

 

I wonder if they sense all the changes going on in their flyaway zones... most of them heading for the convergence points along the Gulf in east Texas and Louisiana.  Will the destruction of food sources for them along the way make the difference in life or death for some of them?      

 

Yesterday, when I went out to open the chicken run, I noticed that an oven bird was inside with the hens.  By the time I went to get the camera, it was gone.  The only thing harder than spotting a wood warbler, is taking a picture of one....which leaves me with only words about wood warblers.

farm expo

I had a very nice time this past weekend. I joined three of my good friends and shared a booth at the Northeast Small Farm and Rural Living Expo out at the GDS Fairgrounds. What a great educational experience! There was a trade show and exhibits focused on all aspects of agriculture, not to mention all the wonderful livestock. The picture above shows the entrance to the building where we were spinning and weaving away. Grace brought several antique wheels for the public to try (and buy), and I spun and demonstrated on them from time to time. We had the great wheel set up just outside the building, and it attracted many onlookers each time we would spin. It is really nice to be able to demonstrate spinning on the great wheel, so many of the people comment that they have never seen one in action. I am glad to have given them that experience. I must admit that whenever I had the chance, I would spin on this beautiful piece of history pictured below. This is a spinning wheel that is marked "Tilden". It could be dated anywhere from about 1776 on up to 1826. Captain Calvin Tilden and his son Luther both made wheels, so it is difficult to tell which one made this one. Captain Tilden fought in the Revolutionary War. He died in 1822. His son died in 1826. I loved spinning on this wheel. Fred has made sure it is in top spinning condition, and also made several bobbins to go with it. I would love to buy this wheel, but cannot figure a way to sneak another wheel into my tiny cabin. I was content to have just had the chance to do a little spinning and dreaming about the people whose hands had crafted the wheel, and those hands who have made yarn on it. I cannot explain in words the way spinning on a wheel such as this makes me feel such a connection to the past. I met very many nice people, and was glad to see such interest in what we were doing. We made several good contacts, and had several nice invitations for future events. Since our building was right next to the livestock exhibits, we got to see wonderful animals. Just look at these magnificent horses... from the biggest to the smallest.... But the animal that caught our eye was this Highland Cattle... just look at the coat on this beast of beauty...you can spin it! We were all examining the sample handful that my friend Judy had acquired from the owner. It was a beautiful color, and the guard hair was incredibly long and coarse, but the undercoat was very soft. I was very tired when I finally got home late Sunday afternoon, and it was nice to spend some quiet time in the garden and checking in on my rabbits and chickens. Much to my surprise, I noticed that my Aracuna rooster had dropped his spurs! He is about 3 or 4 years old now, and his spurs were so big that they made him do a sorta goose step march around the yard. I have read about how to remove spurs, but we all agreed that we did not want to attempt that. I had no idea that suddenly one day they would just fall off! Now he has little stubs again. I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that he is in the middle of a molt.

maybe i'm a maized

Today I harvested the "cutie pop" popcorn that I planted this past spring when I was spinning the "indian corn" mohair. Since I recently finished weaving the mohair into a Triangle Shawl, I thought I would photograph the corn and the shawl together...since I am not sure which one inspired the other. Was it the indian corn mohair that made me think to buy the indian corn seed, or was it the other way around...I cannot remember...but the colors in both are beautiful. At one point I was struck with the idea of adding little beads (that reminded me of kernels of corn) to the ends of the fringe. I guess I am happy with the way they look, but not sure I like the way they hang off the shawl. While I was husking the popcorn, I was doing quite a bit of thinking about how beautiful the corn was. As I pulled back on each husk to reveal a different pattern and different color I did not tire of the chore, but became more engrossed in what I was doing. Each ear was a surprise..unique..a work of art! I was thinking back on when I planted it...and over the summer growing conditions...wondering what it was that made it so beautiful. Perhaps it was just the variety, or the soil that we had worked so hard to feed. Corn is a very heavy feeder, so feed the soil to feed the plant. Corn likes rabbit manure because it is so rich in nitrogen...and we did add wheel barrows full of rabbit manure to that area this past spring while the Mr. did the tilling. Was it the timing of the planting that made the difference? Could be it was the little song I sang while I planted it..."inch by inch ...row by row..God bless the seeds I sow ...please keep them safe below..till the rains come pouring down..." Then again, I guess it could be all those things together that just made these little cobs shine like gems. Some summers are good for peppers, some are good for peas...this summer was a good one for corn and tomatoes....(which btw I am upwards of 120 pounds!) This popcorn will have to dry for 6 to eight weeks before we can test it for taste. You should not pick your popcorn until it is really ready. You need to check on it...wait for the stalks to turn yellowish, and then peel back a bit of husk. Try to press a fingernail into a kernel, and if it leaves a dent, it is not ready. The kernels should be hard before you pick your corn, no fingernail marks! Husk it after picking and store it between screens for drying. It is so pretty, I won't want to eat it, but to pop it you simply twist the husk until the corn falls into a bowl. You can even microwave it! To store it, pack in an airtight jar. You can remove it from the cob before packing, but it will stay fresher if you leave it on the cob.

dorflinger days

Saturday was the Dorflinger-Suydam Wildlife Sanctuary Festival, and we had beautiful weather for the event.  I had gone over early the night before with Judy to set up our tables and rack to hold the shawls, as well as her tent (in case of rain).  When we arrived the next morning, we found out that we were right next to the fiddle player, Laura Kortright, so we had wonderful fiddle music to spin by!  Next to Laura was artist Joann Wells Greenbaum from Milford, PA.  She was creating beautiful watercolor paintings by the lawn along the lake.  I had the pleasure of meeting Joann at the Fiber Fest in July at the Hatton Farm. She was one of my needlefelting students, and it was nice to see her again.

 

I did have a chance to visit with an acquaintance of mine who does exquisite Pysanky (the Ukrainian egg painting)...I had met her at a previous show where we both were vending.  I was sure to take a break from my booth to go and visit the The Lost Art Lacers (who make amazing bobbin-lace creations)-The complexity of the designs, the intricate pattern blew me away!  But there was not enough time to stay for their demonstration, I had to get back to my own booth.  I was really happy to see so many old world crafts, and I think the festival next year will be even bigger.

In the afternoon, there was a special Native American event by FrankLittlebear, a member of the Cree Nation...that started out on the lake in a canoe where he was playing his flute.  This got all the children's attention, so they followed him like the pied piper.  His canoe came ashore, and the kids gathered around to watch him do dancing and drumming and story telling.  I really wanted to leave my booth and go down and watch with the children...

The Great Wheel attracted people like a magnet.  Each time I would start a demo, there was a crowd of spectators within minutes.  I was a little shy about doing demos on the Great Wheel, as I have not been spinning on it very long, and feel much more confident behind my comfortable old Ashford!

 

The down side of bringing the Great Wheel, was that some of the children that were running around did not have respect for it.  If I was busy demonstrating at the loom or elsewhere, I noticed small children just running up and giving her a "big wheel" spin!  Several times they knocked the drive band off and I had to shew them away!  I guess I needed a sign or something that said "keep your hot little hands off of my wheel!"  ...just kidding...I really like kids...

 

At the end of the day, Joann Greenbaum presented me with a signed watercolor that she had painted of me spinning away...such a nice souvenir of the day!

Next weekend I am going to be at the Northeast Small Farm and Rural Living Expo, along with several other spinners from the area....the days are just flying by!

 

We spent the rest of the weekend taking care of winterizing this old house..a big project, but one that needed doing...on account of Glaucomys sabrinus, who has decided that we have a nice warm log house to sleep in and has tried sharing it with us....that will NEVER do!   He found a place along the stone chimney, and entered the south wall of the bedroom.  We could not determine where he was getting inside from the outside of  the house, so we had to take the log wall down from the inside to find it.  Once we found the hole, we blocked it with wire mesh, and then we replaced the old insulation with new.  Now I will be nice and cozy, and the squirrels can find some other place to live!  Ah yes...country living...nothing like it......if you want to read more about the flying squirrels...here is a great link.

said I'm going down to Yasgurs Farm....

We took a little time out this past weekend and went to the Harvest Festival in Bethel Woods (near the old Woodstock gathering).  We like to take a trip out there this time of year, and shop the farmers market.  This past weekend was the Alpaca Festival, so there was wool to be had as well!

I was a beautiful day, and you could see the construction for the Center for the Arts that they are building.  The construction is going on in the area that we used to visit for the farmers markets.  It is going to be very nice once it is finished...sometime next summer.

 

Besides the farmers' market, there was a craft village, children's activities, corn and hay mazes, pony rides and a scarecrow exhibit by local organizations and businesses.  They also had live music throughout the day (we were there early in the day and got to hear the fiddle player).

 

We brought a nice basket and filled it with goodies.  It was fun talking to the farmers...sharing information about the growing season we had, and exchanging plant varieties and seed suppliers.  We brought a nice Jade Star watermelon (only 85 days)...that is important when you live in an area where the nights are cool.  Most melons like it hot and take over 100 days to mature.  We also got a beautiful musk melon and some green peppers, some fantastic onion bread, some beautiful dried flowers and some wonderful soap from Laurie Sickley (Gotsoap.com).  I also purchased a 4oz. bag of alpaca roving.  They were really not set up to sell fiber, most of the emphasis was on the finished articles of clothing.  However, there was a spinner and weaver there from the Woodland Spinners and Weavers Guild, so I met them and chatted a bit.  They encouraged me to join up...which I would love to do...but were to find the time??

There were several local wineries but I did not come home with a bottle...I have already spent my limit this month.  Perhaps I will get a chance to go back before the end of the harvest festivals in October.
We really had a nice day.

These dried flowers really cheered me up, there is a millet in there that is called Tapestry Millet.

I will have to grow some of this next year, it is beautiful and the birds love it -I am told!

 

Seasons are changing around here, you can feel it in the night air, see it in the leaves, and hear it in the songs of the crickets.  The cicadas have stopped, now only the crickets sing about the coming frost...it won't be long....

P29

This is P29 Border Leicester that I purchased at the MS&W festival from Betty Levin.  This is probably the nicest fleece I have ever had the pleasure of working with.  I have been slowly working with this fleece over the summer, and it has been an enjoyable process.  It is taking time because of the way I am working with it.  When I purchased it from Betty, she told me that she personally picked it over on her dining room table...and that it took her 2 hours!  She explained to me how to separate each lock for spinning in the grease.  I tried this method and did not really enjoy spinning it in the grease.  I am not a squeamish person, I just did not like the feeling it left on my hands..so I decided to wash the locks in small batches, with as little disturbance as possible so as not to destroy the structure of them.  Betty had explained to me that I should spin the locks from the end where the lock is shorn from the skin.  So it is a little tedious lining all the locks up in a pile of about 2 or 3 ounces worth, and then gently putting them into the warm water to soak, and then gently lifting them out again on to a towel.  Once I blot most of the water out, I lay them on the screen to dry.  After they dry I can easily flick the ends to fluff out the curls and spin away. Not sure what I am making with this yarn yet, but simply enjoying spinning from the locks. 

Lycopersicon Review 2005

it starts out innocently enough...the first picking of tomatoes provides enough to fill a plate for fresh eating...the second day provides the same and some to give to neighbors for fresh eating...the third day provides two baskets of 15 lbs each...after that it all becomes a blur, the tomatoes line the counter tops... and you are experiencing an avalanche of tomatoes!

This year has been a wonderful year for tomatoes.  I did not grow many different varieties....last year I had so many different heirloom types, but the growing season was bad and it was a bust.  This year I grew something called "Bellestar"...for canning.  It is a very nice plant, the tomatoes are about the size of the palm of your hand...the fruit forms in a cluster fashion on the vine, with about 4 or 5 in a cluster.  This tomato was bred in Canada, so I thought it would perform well with our cool nights.  I will grow this next year.  I was also happy with black pear...this is a very tasty tomato..and pretty to look at on the vine. The deep color is evident when sliced.

My kitchen is becoming increasing cluttered.  When I begin to harvest, the first "accessory" to appear is the hot water canner...for pickles and fruit jelly.  When the beans come in, I haul out the pressure canner.  When the tomato avalanche arrives, I bring up the squeezo food mill.

 

I would not do this job if it were not for the squeezo...tomatoes go in the top, seed and skin comes out one side, and pulped tomato out the other!   I let the pulped tomato sit for a time to let the water rise, but this year, I did not experience any water!  This is the last big push...when all the tomatoes are in the jars I can finally put it all away and start clean up in the garden as well.

So far I have processed only 30 pounds of tomatoes.  Of these 30 pounds, 11 of it was skin and seed waste (well not really waste..the chickens enjoy that part of it.)  The pulped tomato measured 2 and one half gallons, which cooked down to 6 quarts...For thick sauce, an average of 46 pounds is needed per canner load of 7 quarts; an average of 28 pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints. A bushel yields 7 to 9 quarts of sauce.  ....there is a long way to go, and counter tops full of tomatoes to jar before I sleep.

hurricane Katrina

I am so sad about everything that has happened as a result of Hurricane Katrina. My thoughts and prayers are about so many different people and events that surround this catastrophe.
Words are hard to find...here is a copy of a poem about a storm that happened a long time ago, in 1903...storms are destructive...and time cannot change that.
Heppner's Sorrow By C. Franklin Sutton

Death, in madly tearing torrents
Rushed upon a peaceful town,
Sweeping everything before it,
Rooting up and tearing down.

Not a word of warning heard,
Till death held in close embrace
Fathers, mothers,
Sisters, brothers,
Terror stamped upon each face

Onward rushing maddened waters,
Can no force thy power stay…
Must grim death and desolation
Mar this peaceful Sabbath day?

Too Late! Tis done,
The setting sun hides his face in a rain of tears,
Hearts we cherished now have perished
Lost to us, through coming years.

Hearts must bleed and fingers tremble,
As we raise a lifeless form
From a grave the deluge gave
Each victim of that dreadful storm

A happy home becomes a tomb,
A dress for church becomes a shroud,
A couch of cheer becomes a blur,
And peaceful songs are wailings loud.

Heppner, peaceful mountain village,
We deplore thy awful scourge,
While the music of thy valleys
Echoes back the solemn dirge.
Love is mourning,
Yet adorning
Crowns eternal for love's sake;
Till love meets them
And love greets them
On that strand where souls awake.

sweet corn is in

I have been playing around with the lucet, and trying out different things you can do with it.  Since I will be teaching it at our next workshop, I figured that I would like to have some samples to pass around and hopefully inspire the students to use their imaginations to create unique and beautiful cords of their own.

 

I decided to try adding beads to a cord.  This is done by simply stringing a separate strand (of whatever thread you would like to use) with beads of your choice.  I used these little shell bits that were about the same shade of ecru as the cotton thread ...I wanted to make a  sort of necklace that reminded me of the sandy beaches where I recently spent my vacation. 

 

Once you have the beads on the thread, you can insert them into your design.  I started lucetting with both strands of Clarks mercerized crochet cord, for a length of 3 or 4 inches, then I pulled a bead up to the center of the lucet.  After that it was a matter of counting every twelfth turn, and inserting another bead.  This method kept the beads evenly spaced and on the outer edge of the finished cord.  I was able to make this little cord in less than an hour.

 

Out in the garden, the corn continues to grow...look at the difference a few weeks makes....

we have been harvesting it for a week or two now, and everyone is getting just a little tired of eating it for supper almost every night!

 

It is a pretty good year for corn, but not as good as last years harvest as far as development of the ears is concerned.  I cannot attribute this to the variety (as I grew several different types)...but I think it is due to the growing conditions.  The bottom of the ear is nicely developed, with the top inch or two lacking kernel.  At first I thought it might be a pollination problem, but after reading up on it, I have determined that it is due to the heat and lack of rain while the kernels were forming.  I could have avoided this problem by watering the corn, but I was on vacation...so it is the price I pay for taking some time off!  I have also noticed a small area of smut in the patch ...which I eradicated immediately.

One thing for certain is the beauty of this stalk.  This variety is called True Platinum.  It was developed by A. Kapuler   - the same fellow responsible for bringing back the Elephant Head amaranth.  I ordered it from Seeds of Change.  The stalk is a sort of purple and the husks are striped.  I am saving the husks (and some of the cobs) for use on the Great Wheel.  Sharon Peffer advised me to use corn husk soaked in lanolin on the shaft of the spindle- so that I can easily remove the spun yarn.  I read in a book on Colonial Times that you can use a corn cob on the shaft of the spindle, to serve as a bobbin.  I have been letting the chickens have the corn cobs (when we are finished) and they do a nice job of cleaning them for me!  All I need to do is dry them now.

 

Speaking of chickens....I have two new pullets around the riverrim...so now we have a total of 17.  These are a pair of aracunas that were born this past spring.  Many thanks to MaryAnne for sending them "up river"!  Right now I have them in a holding pen until they acclimate to their new location.  Chickens have to stay in a coup for several days before you can let them out to free range.  I think it takes them a while to remember where home is.

One last notation:  we had a bear raid on the Rubbermaid trash can this week.  I have placed the nail board near the rabbit hutches and need to get a motion detector light set up out there.  I expect the bears are starting to beef up early...one more indication that perhaps we will have an early frost this year.  The leaves are beginning to turn and some are falling already.

second clipping

I have been trying to hold off on clipping Jack, but I decided that it was time.  I noticed that he was starting to drop coat, and I really did not want to loose much of it.  Overall, I was very happy with his wool.  It was not as long as it was last time, but still is a nice staple length of approx. 4 inches.  I plan to keep better records of exactly the yield this time.  I want to keep track of how much wool this guy is producing.

 

When I clipped Jack in April, the wool had a staple length of six inches.  So  his fur grew 4 inches in as many months!  I really felt bad about leaving him in full coat throughout this summer heat.  He never showed any signs of stress, I guess I felt guilty that he was so hot just because I wanted his wool!  Now that he is clipped, he is feeling frisky, and running around the hutch kicking up his feet and wagging his head and shaking his body.  Here he is hiding from me when I wanted to take a picture.

I lured him out into the open with his favorite treat...blackberry leaves.

These black berry leaves are from a thornless black raspberry bush that goes by the name of Navaho.  I have had the three bushes for about 5 years now, and have always enjoyed beautiful and bountiful fruit.  This year, I am worried about the bushes.  They seem to have something very wrong.

See how the berries look underdeveloped?  Some of them have even turned brown and dried up completely.  It almost looks like what happens to my heirloom grapevines.  I am afraid it is orange rust, but have been having trouble diagnosing the problem for sure.  Maybe I am in denial.

I have trellised these and really enjoy them in my garden.  The advice on what to do about orange rust is destroy the plants.  I really don't want to do that.  If anyone has seen this before, please email and let me know what I can do.  This years harvest is a bust...no fresh berries, no jam...just lots of leaves for the bunnies.

One piece of good news in the garden is the honey bees I have been seeing.  Ever since the trachea mites hit a few years ago, we have not been seeing as many honey bees in the garden...lately there have been several spotted visiting the sunflowers.

red ribbons and green beans

One of the last things I did before I left on vacation was to enter the Wayne County Fair.  I have never entered anything in a county fair before, but this year, at the urging of my dear husband, I got up my nerve.  After obtaining the Premium Book...and following the directions for entry in the proper department...I decided on entering a handspun, hand-woven shawl.

 

The main requirement of entry was that the article was to have been created in the past year.  I chose the leno lace shawl that I made from the Wensleydale Top that I purchased last October at Rhinebeck, from Barneswallow Farm. It went by the name of "Juniper", and was a soft green gray color.  I had spun a fine single, then plied it with some tussah silk from the Copper Moth....called "Moth Wing", and some seed beads thrown in randomly.  Then I wove the Leno Lace pattern on my 5ft. Triangle Loom.  I was satisfied with the results, but really could have taken more time on the fringe.  I did not tie off the ends, and as a result, it has a sort of "frayed edge" which some people say that they like, but I prefer a more finished look.

 

Anyway, when I dropped the shawl off, I saw so many beautiful pieces of handwork, that I felt a bit intimidated about entering my shawl.  Self doubt was nagging at me...I should have taken more time to finish those ends.  I left the fair grounds feeling rather like a little fish in a big pond...and wishing I had not listened to my husband!  Imagine my surprise when I learned that the shawl won a red ribbon!  Second Place!

Now I am wondering why...was it the yarn?  Was it the lace pattern?  I wished I could have seen and heard the judges comments.  Anyway, it made my day...nice to have a ribbon from a county fair, and now I will enter again.  By the way, I am told first place was a crocheted piece.

So it was really nice to get out in the garden after being away from home for the week.  My garden is a constant visible reminder of the passing of time.  I don't need a calendar or a clock--I simply need to go outside and look at the green beans.  With the heat of the summer I swear you can watch them grow.

 

I had decided to get out as early in the morning as possible (just after the dew was burned off of the leaves).  It was pleasant listening to the river....always a refreshing sound with all the heat we have been having.  There was the occasional bird song, many bees buzzing about, cicadas calling, and crickets chirping.  My rooster  Buddy was happy to see me and stayed close by...hoping I would find a big grasshopper or something for him to offer to his hens.  He was clucking quietly to remind me that he was there.  The sun was starting to get high, and the sweat was starting to roll down my back as I bent over the beans. 

 

In an effort to stay cool, I started thinking about the spring time, when I had planted the beans. This year, I chose a variety called "Feves Vertes Naines" or "Gourmet European" from Stokes.  They are a white seed, and were billed as a perfect bean for canning- freezing or Market.  I remembered that I had to wait for the roses to bloom before I planted them...we had a cold spring this year.  So 50 some days later, I am reaping the harvest, and could not be happier about the yield.  I will grow this variety again.

 

When I got back to the house, I weighed the two baskets.

I had over 14 pounds of beans...my little pints pressure cooker would not be enough.  It was time to call in the big guns.  I made a phone call and bartered some fresh blue claw crabs and broccoli for use of the CA21 Presto 7qt. capacity canner, which my friend, er, enabler, promptly delivered.  It is her mothers (vintage 1970 something) canner...and a beauty.  Check out the pressure gauge on top...makes my job much easier.

All in all it took me the course of a day to pick and jar 6 quarts of beans (and there are more waiting).  Why do I do it?  As I work at cleaning and slicing the beans, one can't help thinking how many people used to put up their own vegetables.  In the 1880's women preserved the harvest over a woodstove (I cannot imagine cranking that baby up in this heat..let alone trying to maintain a even temperature to can veggies).  During World War One... the public was encouraged to plant their victory gardens, and preserve the surplus.  Likewise during the 1930's ...the depression and WW2.  I guess things have slacked off with the current generation of young women who are more involved with working outside of the home than in it.

So yes, it is an investment of time.  But isn't that what makes the finished product valuable?  The time spent planting, and nurturing and harvesting and preserving.  I find home canning to be a lot like making my own yarns.  There is so much time invested, but when the job is finished, you have a very nice product. 

GONE FISHIN

Gone Fishin---no email--no phone--just some books and knitting projects.

See you next week.

fabulous fiber fest

Our Fiber Fest was Fabulous!  Everyone had such a great time that we have decided to have another, and we scheduled it for October 1st. There should be beautiful little Hatton Finnsheep lambies by that time! 

 

Here is a picture of the big tent that we put up the night before. It doubled as a classroom and lunchroom...the weather was very enjoyable early in the morning...

We held the spinning workshop down in the barn, where there were several antique wheels that everyone could test drive. This first one belong to our hostess, Grace Hatton. It is the Londonderry, NH wheel made by Benjamin Gregg about 1800...and it was the first wheel her husband Fred, who is a master wood turner, restored.

This next wheel is Scandinavian - and Fred made a new bobbin flyer for it. He restored the finials on the wheel supports. He also made two bobbins for it.  Isn't it just beautiful?

The great wheel is very similar to one that is documented Berks County, PA. With its wide rim and distinctive turnings it has a commanding presence - and spins like a dream. Both the Scandinavian and the Great Wheel are for sale.  Spinning on these old wheels always makes me feel a connection to the past...and makes me wonder about the people who spun on them. 

I had a very fun time with my needle felting students. What a great group of women. I really enjoyed meeting them, and teaching them what they needed to get started with a new skill. There was a workshop for the triloom and the square loom that Judy taught. All of her students enjoyed learning this new skill, some even electing to stay behind and forfeit some of the lunch hour just to keep working on the project! This is common for trilooming...it is highly addictive, especially to newbies!

Louise taught a workshop all about Alpacas and fiber preparation.  She brought some of her luscious alpaca fiber along and lectured about the process and handling of the fiber. (this is a workshop I wish I had time to sit in on myself!)

Lunchtime provided a chance to sit and chat--make new friends
---and exchange project ideas.  It also gave time to take a walk and visit the animals, or tour the gardens.

 

At the end of the day, the local press showed up, and filmed a short segment of us spinning away.  One of the women who came to the workshop was spinning on the Great Wheel (and was kind enough to share some tips with me).  She was filmed speaking about the olden days, and how much wealth a spinster could bring to a family.  She said that the spinsters were often given a position of great honor within the household, receiving the best of the food, and the best bed etc..because they could provide the family with clothing.  Quite a contrast to the derogatory way we use the word today.

 

All in all it was a lovely day of learning! Fiber people make for good company. I look forward to October and the next series of workshops.  Now I turn my thoughts to Dorflinger Days, The Endless Mountain Fiber Fest, and The Northeast Small Farm Expo (see the sidebar listing). Schweew!  Better get spinning!