A Valentine

from me, to you!

seed basket

"Of all the wonderful things in the wonderful universe of God,
nothing seems to me more surprising that the planting of a seed
in the blank earth and the result thereof.  Take that Poppy seed,
for instance: it lies in your palm, the merest atom of matter, hardly
visible, a speck, a pin's point in bulk, but within it is imprisoned a
spirit of beauty ineffable, which will break its bonds and emerge
from the dark ground and blossom in a splendor so dazzling
as to baffle all powers of description."
-  Celia Thaxter

Finally getting around to going through my seed basket, and figuring out what I need to order.
I am a big seed saver, and have been growing as many OP and heirloom types as I can-- for more years than I care to admit!  As I sort through the basket, it seems a lot like sorting through old photographs or letters...because I remember when I brought the seed, or who gave it to me, or why I ordered the particular variety.  I save seed for more reasons than just to plant it.  I save seed and plant seed that has some significance to me ...either spiritually, culturally or historically...so most of my seeds are like a snapshot of my life that can only be viewed by me.

Since I am a big believer in bio diversity...I buy seed like I buy wool...checking the market for rare seed (rare breeds).  Like the breeds of sheep, types of seed are disappearing because they are not popular to the grower.  This year I  will order just a few new (old) varieties to plant alongside some tried and true favorites for my vegetable garden.

I have a few germination tests to do before I plant.  Some of my seeds have been sitting 10 years or more, and its time to see if they are still viable.  Did you know the
 record life span for seed longevity is held by a species of lupine, (Lupinus arcticus)?  Those seeds were found in the  Arctic permafrost and they germinated after 10,000 years!

 

Compare that to The seed of the Silver Maple.  That seed only lives for about a week before it looses its ability to germinate.

 

"So I sing to my seeds.  What about it?"
-   Leslie Gaydos 

I have finished spinning all of the Border Leicester.  Totals equal 1278 yards and 26.4 ounces.  The remaining basket of "waste" (or the  combings that I cleaned out of the dog slicker) were blended with the angora that I combed out of Jack recently.

snow shadow

All the trees were wearing them this morning.

staying on task

I have been plying, winding off and setting the twist on skeins of the Border Leicester P-29.  At one point, I decided to use the Jumbo Flyer attachment to ply with.  I think this changed the drive ratio, and subsequently the take up was different and inconsistent with the other bobbins that I plied with the regular flyer.  The jumbo bobbin easily held the 315 yards...but the finished yarn is different from the other skeins I have completed so far.  Not to worry, I will keep this for myself to make the shawl, and package the remaining skeins for sale.

I plied using a sort hand over hand technique...counting the number of treadles between moving my hands together and then apart.

Plying can become mesmerizing as I watch the little bumps flow past my fingers and into the bobbin.

The weather has been recorded as the second warmest January for us.  Most of the snow has melted off the mountain and the ground is showing itself once again.

The stream is rushing on its way to the river and the ground is soggy in spots....but the advantage to having raised beds that terrace down the hillside is that they drain off pretty quickly.  It helps that the garden is situated on a southerly slope!   I wandered over to the carrot bed and pulled a few for the rabbits.  Soil temperatures and drainage really influence the carotene pigment of the carrots....I think the optimum is between 60-68 degrees...these do not look half bad all things considered.

I managed to do some clean up in the broccoli and kale beds.  It was nice working out there!  The river is up and the sound of the water over the rocks is so peaceful and constant.

However, there was a steady damp breeze that finally got the best of me and sent me back indoors.  I planted the corn bed with some winter rye...I know I am taking a chance, but it's an experiment.

"C" is for....

C is for camel that's been processed to roving...

which spinners will tell you is easier than Carding

C is for chamomile, homegrown tea to drink...

my supply is dwindling..which leads me to think....

C is for Catalogue...my seed order is due..but C is for another thing that might interest you..

 

click on the link  to go and see what the mystery C could be!

 

For those of you who are wondering about the letter "C"...I have joined the ABC along........."C "olor me "C" razy..

what?? no furnishings?

When I made the change from water bottles to crocks, I noticed Jack starting to "wash" his face more often.  I tried keeping up with combing his furnishings out, but I noticed they were starting to matt.  Finally, I trimmed them off because I couldn't stand it anymore!  He does not look as distinguished as usual, but I think he is more comfortable....and I feel better about trimming those wads off!

 

This winter has been sorta weird with the warm spells, followed by freeze snaps.  I have wanted to clip Jack because it seems he is dropping coat like crazy.  I am afraid if I clip him, he will be too cold....so I have been making sure I comb, and comb, and comb some more.

Here is a basket full of combings.

I also spent some time trimming off other areas where he was starting to matt (around his back end and on top of his back feet.)  He is such a good bunny with a tender and trusting heart.

 

Jack is two years old already.  He was born on Dec 9, 2003.  My husband brought him for me for Christmas, but we didn't bring him home until February of the following year.  I searched through some old photos to find this one of him.  It was his first day living along the riverrim.

Claudia has a picture of Jack's mother (Liebchen) on her Bare Hare blog....(as well as a beautiful rabbit named Merry).  Maybe it is just me, but when I look at Liebchen, I see so much of Jack.  It is something in the eyes and face.  I never realized that rabbits could look so much like their kin...sorta like people.

 

There are many eagles along the river these days.  There are many "eagle watchers" as well.  I understand that the National Park shut work down on one of the local bridges, due to the fact that the eagles are pairing up for the breeding season.  I tried to get some good pictures today...but it started to rain, and they came out rather dark.  I noticed may immature eagles today...they do not have the white head yet.

It is interesting to me that there are several groups tracking eagles with radio telemetry.

 

There have also been lots of seagulls flying over the river this week.  I think they are ringed-billed gulls that are feeding on Alewife.

Leicester Locks

I have been finishing up what is left of the Border Leicester Fleece that I brought from Betty Levin at the MSW this past spring.  Every morning, I wash up another batch of locks for that evenings spinning.  I sort the locks as carefully as possible, arranging them neatly, and then floating them on the hot soapy water.  When the water cools, I gently lift them out and place them on terry.  They are rolled, and then placed on the screen to dry.  This fleece has wonderful luster.

When I am ready to spin, I take a handful of the locks...

I use a dog slicker to flick the ends out.  I start with the butt end, grasping the middle, and then turn the locks over and do the same to the tips.  These locks are the prettiest shade of pewter at the butt, and they turn golden blonde at the tips.

While spinning, I do a long draw, starting from the butt end (always) and the bottom of the fanned lock, and working my way up to the top right corner of the fan.  This process is very systematic...but has lately become part of my daily (and nightly) routine.  I am trying to stick with it until I have finished the fleece.

tagged

Yikes, I have been tagged by Judith!

It's a meme of fours....

 

 

Four jobs I've had

 

1. private airport secretary

2. book store

3. mortgage company

4. gallery/picture framer

 

Four movies I could watch over and over

 

1. The wizard of Oz
2. Fantasia
3. Waking Ned Devine
4. Marx Brothers Duck Soup

 

Four places I have lived

 

1. in the mountains
2. by the bay
3. in the city
4. in the suburbs

 

Four favorite t.v. shows
1. 24
2. Frontline
3. JH Stargazer
4. Modern Marvels

 

Four places I've been on Vacation
(vacation??  What's that??)

 

1. Niagara Falls
2. Kentucky (to see the moonbow's)
3. Grand Canyon
4. The Bahamian Islands

 

Four favorite foods
1. fresh picked peas
2. fresh picked corn
3. the first lettuce of the season
4. pie (any pie at all)

 

Four places I'd rather be right now

 

1. There's
2. no place
3. like
4. home

 

Four sites I visit daily

 

1. yahoo
2. google
3. weather
4. space weather

 

Four people to tag

 

1. Claire

2. Judy

3. Leslie

4. Soobie

diversion

di-ver-sion
n.

 

1.The act or an instance of diverting or turning aside; deviation.

 

2.Something that distracts the mind and relaxes or entertains

Lately I find myself being diverted from what I intend to do.  This fun yarn was a quick diversion from shawl I have been working on.

 

Even the forsythia blossom on my window sill provides diversion from the winter landscape.  They stand in stark contrast to the bush outside, still sleeping in the bud.

The melodic sounds of my son's guitar take my mind to a different time and place...and thoughts are diverted.

The January thaw is over, and the snow cover returns.  Time to get things back on track.

blue sky, smiling on me

The blue sky this morning is beautiful, and the rains of yesterday have washed away all of our snow!

This little chickadee follows me around while I tend to chores.  One of my daily chores involves a trip to the coal bin, where I fill two buckets of coal for the stove.  My weather man informs me that we are 1/3 of the way through the winter now.  I am pleased with the amount of coal left in our bin at this point.  Each day when I shovel the coal into the buckets, my mind shifts to thoughts of the coal miners in WV, and the recent accident.  I still keep the families of the coalminers in my prayers, and think of how hard people have to work sometimes.

Back in the house, I kick off my old boots.  I notice the new Yak Tracks (thanks mom!) on my beat up old boots.

I have been needing new boots for some time.  I don't know what it says about me that I have not gone out to buy any...

a.  it will take time

b.  it will take money

c.  the new ones will feel "different"

d.  all of the above

I am comfortable in my old beat up boots, but it will soon be time to chuck them. I take off the new Yak Tracks, as all the ice and snow is gone, and I don't want to wear the Yak Tracks out.  My old pair broke, and I was lost without them!

Here are the finished felted footies before felting.  They are big and cushy on my feet.  The pattern calls for the fulling process to be done in the washing machine.  I always get nervous at that prospect, and may do this pair by hand so that I can keep a careful watch on the size.  The Finnsheep wool has a tendency to felt quickly, and the same may not be true of the angora.

home

It is good to be back home.  I always get very homesick whenever I go away from here.  I miss the family, but I miss the river too.  I am so very accustomed to the sounds and sights and smells of its many moods, and seasons, that I feel like a part of me is missing when I am not around it.

 

Yesterday was a very mild day.  It seems to early for a January thaw, but I will take it if that is what is happening.  The recent rainfall and high temperatures cause the snow melt on the cliffs.  Fog and mist hang on the evergreens, and make the forest smell of fresh pine.  Here and there, patches of dark earth and green grass start to show where the snow has melted off.

 

I have managed to get quite a bit of knitting done in the past days spent at my mothers side while she was on the mend in hospital.  She caught a "very, very, very bad" virus over the Holiday.  Thank goodness she is home now too.

I started on this shawl. It is a very simple rib pattern done in multiples of 3, on size 11 needles out of Mohair that I spun with purchased roving from Tintagel Farm.  I found the pattern in last years January edition of Creative Knitting.  There was a nice article about a book called "Knitting into the Mystery" which deals with the concept of contemplative knitting- and what happens to the knitter as she/he knits.  The pattern can be accomplished without focusing on it.  This allows the knitter to meditate according to her own spiritual traditions, or hold a specific loved one, (perhaps the recipient of the shawl) in mind while knitting.  I figured it was just the sort of project I needed to work on while helping my mother get better.  The finished size will be approx. 28 x 60.

 

Finally, from the "what does this mean?" department...

I have noticed that most of the eggs collected from the henhouse in the past few days, are pyriform.  When one collects eggs from a hen day after day, one recognizes these subtle changes.  I have been collecting eggs daily for more years than I care to admit, but I have come to know which eggs belong to which hen.  Therefore, I notice when there is a change in size or shape or color of the egg.  I try to note changes in food or weather that would account for these differences.

I have read that the hen determines the shape of the egg (internal structure of her organs etc.)  I have also read that if an egg is pointed the chick would be a rooster, and if it were round it would be a hen.  (credit Aristotle with that one)...but it seems to me that my hens lay these pointed shaped eggs when there is a full moon.  It has happened enough times for me to notice that, so now I will start charting the month that it happens with a full moon.

 

More reading and pretty pictures about eggs can be found at this link.

beginnings and endings

The beginning of this year marks the end of a really nice old tree that used to live outside my front door.  It was one of a pair of grand old White Spruce trees, that stood on either side of the entrance to our home.  I have often wondered if the first owners of the cabin planted them as "Man and Wife Trees", a custom that I read about in an Eric Sloane book.

 

At any rate, a few years ago a big storm came to our area, and blew over many white pine trees.  As they lay rotting, they attracted the white pine sawyer...which is an interesting looking beetle with antenna that measure three times the length of their body.  The adults feed on pine needles, but they lay their eggs under the bark.  Herein, lies the danger to the tree.  The larva and subsequent pupae, chew into the wood.  I have heard them munching away,and have seen the sawdust float down and form a pile at the base of the tree.

The pine sawyer beetles made their way to one of our white spruce trees.  Although the beetle does not kill the tree, the holes that it leaves behind provide an environment for pathogenic fungi to develop.  This is what killed our tree.

The tree stood close enough to the house to make it necessary to take it down.  All that remains of the tree now, is a pile of mulch that will serve as pathways through the garden this summer.  Many thanks to MK and his sons for doing a remarkable job for us.

I am still working on knitting up several different types of slippers to felt.  They are great for using up leftover bits of handspun because I carry several strands of yarn at a time.  This pair is being made from a blend of Finnsheep (that I spun during demonstration this past summer)...and handspun Angora, from Jack.

They are quite cozy in my hands as I knit them.  I intend to give them to my mother, and will be taking some time away for a visit.

time

As the 2005 year draws to a close, I find myself thinking quite a bit about time.  Mostly because I have so very little of it to spend on fibery pursuits these days.  Abraham Lincoln once said that, "Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend".  Ah yes, and one should do so wisely.

One of the most interesting articles that I have read lately, was about the Leap Second that will be added to the world's clocks at midnight on the 31st of December 2005.  The original article that I read, mentioned the Tusnami of 2004, and how it had altered the rotation rate of the Earth, enough to cause an adjustment in the way the International Earth Rotation Service (IERS) determines it is required to keep Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).  Futher reading into this subject provided for a few interesting hours of research and mind boggling thoughts.  I found a bulletin that was addressed: "To authorities responsible for the measurement and distribution of time"....and thought, wow, this is serious stuff.  I was happy to have it come to my attention that I would be getting another second to spend, and pondered ways to best use it...but then realized how many minutes I had spent thinking of ways to spend my second wisely.  I came to a conclusion that underscored what a good friend of mine once observed about me in the seventh grade...and that is, that I could never determine the shortest distance between two points.  Hummm....

So, anyway, I will be sure to adjust my timepieces properly, and advise you to do the same.  Since I do not own and GPS parafanlia, and most of my clocks are wound, this should not take to much time. (heh heh).

I have been working on making these felted footies for several members of the family.  They are cozy wool slippers, knit up and then felted in the washing machine.

The pattern works up very quickly, and you can carry several strands of yarn, on some large needles.  I brought the pattern at Countrywool.  I can make one of these footies in about 2 and 1/2 hours or by my time calulations 9,000 seconds.

In closing for the year, and in all seriousness....don't forget to go outside at midnight and look for Sirius.  It will be directly overhead, wishing you a Happy New Year.

burning the candles at both ends

With the passing of the winter solstice, I can be joyful about the fact that we are past the shortest day of the year, and celebrate the few minutes of daylight we are gaining each day.  We have now entered winter officially..and around the rim, it has started off gently.  The grip of frigid weather has released it hold, temporarily...the 40 degree high feels downright balmy in comparison to the single digits of a few weeks ago. The gutters groan and clatter as the ice melts and slides off the eves of the house.

 

But the nights are still long for the most part, and I am literally burning the candle at both ends.  I find myself waking at odd hours of the night, unable to sleep, going over details and unfinished projects in my mind...trying to sort out the knots and snarls of the day.  I think this is due to the fact that I have not had much time for spinning lately...and I usually "defrag" during that pleasant task.

 

As I look out my window, I notice the beautiful clear sky full of stars.  The moon has been so bright on the icy snow, each shadow shows the detail of tree branches and evergreen needles.  "Go back to sleep", my conscious whispers, but my eyes are wide open and I feel quite awake.
The temptation to tip toe down the steps and spin is overwhelming.  There is something calming about spinning in the middle of the night when everyone else is sleeping, and the house is still...and the sky is clear and flooding the room with moonlight.

 

It is in these quite moments that I say my prayers, and think my good thoughts for those I love.  Problems are solved, plans are made, ideas are hatched, inspiration flows like the fiber through my fingers.

Morning comes all to quickly, and I regret the loss of sleep, like I knew I would.  There is just sooooo much to do these days.  I enjoyed my morning coffee, and saw these girls munching on acorns that they found in the road after the snowplow kicked them up.

May the beauty of the season be yours to behold.