of broccoli and brooches

Wow, it is hot out there....but the broccoli and peas are coming in at a great rate!  Every morning I venture out to the garden, basket and knife in hand, to pick the ripe heads for packing and freezing.  I have been very happy with this years yeild.  I have been waiting for this particular variety of broccoli for several years.  It is called Windsor.

I grew it before, in  2000, but after that, I was unable to get the seed.  Each seed catalog that supplied it always contained the same footnote:  *sorry, crop failure.  I was beginning to think I would not be able to get it again, but my farmer friend called me this past spring with a "heads up" that Stokes was supplying it.  I don't ordinarily order from Stokes, mostly because they are not certified Organic, but this year was an exception.  They offered the Windsor seeds in an untreated packet, so I ordered some.  It has preformed beautifully as you can see.

I have packed over 6 gallons so far, and there are nice side shoots coming in for fresh eating (great in pasta salads).  My wasps that I raised in the greenhouse this spring, and then transfered out to the broccoli patch, have been patroling the plants with success.  I see them hovering like little black hawk helicopters, in search of the cabbage worms.  They have done a marvelous job of picking and devouring the little buggers.  Of the 6 gallons of broccoli that I have packed, I found a total of 4 worms, and 2 egg cases.  I love the fact that I do not have to spray for cabbage worms.  My kale that I grow for the rabbits and chickens, is also clean.  Nature is a marvel.  I highly recommend this form of pest control.  Now if I can just identify a predator for the cucumber beetle, I might consider growing curbits again.

I have been making some examples of needle felted jewelry for the workshop demonstration coming up at the end of the month.  Back in May, while parusing the blogosphere, I found that Claire of Little Fish Creations was making some very unusual pins, so I asked her how she was doing it.  She explained the process -and I thought it was very interesting and very creative.  They are actually little quilts that are stitched and cut and stitched again.  I liked the effect, and it inspired me to try some needle felted brooches, (or if you rather, broaches...)  I don't normally think of fiber in the same context as jewels.  It seems sort of redundant to wear textiles (clothing) with more textile (fiber)...but in an odd way it works for me!  Besides, they were really fun to make...and a nice exercise for the imagination...and yet another example of what you can make with the fabulous tool known as the felting needle.

The hardest part of this project was securing the pin to the back of the brooch to get it to hang properly.  Placement was a big factor.  I started out centering the pin on the back of the brooch, however, this proved to be a mistake because of the weight of the brooch....and it caused the brooch to pitch forward, or look like it was sagging.  So then I moved it to the top portion of the brooch, and that worked much better.  I used the little sticky back pins, and when I liked the placement, I then used a needle and thread to tack it down permantly.
The ring was an after thought, that took all of about 5 minutes to make...and is quite comfortable to wear.  There is almost no weight to the ring, and after awhile, I forgot I was even wearing it.

r&r & n&n

this past holiday weekend gave us a chance to just kick back and enjoy the summer, which is in full swing around here.  One sure sign is the new fawn which has been seen taking a daily walk through the yard on the way to the river.  I resist the temptation to get to know her and respect the fact that she should keep her distance from humans...I have made the mistake of befriending fawns before and will not do it again.

 

However, the idea of taking a walk down to the river is not a bad one...and the heat wave sent us down to the swimming hole for some R&R.  The stepping stones that my husband constructed for me to get out to the big rock had all been discombobulated due the ice and high waters of the past winter and spring...so he set to work re-arranging them (so much for his R&R).  It was very refreshing by the water, and I even took a half-dip...mountain water is not warm enough for me until the end of the month!  There were about 20 tree swallows all darting around and skimming the surface of the water...a joy to watch.  This is one of my favorite places to be at this time of year.

 

Now, onto the N&N...needlefelting and nalbinding.  I have been fooling around with both, getting ready for the workshops at the end of the month.  There is a great book that I had on loan from the library of congress.  The name of it is "Ancient Danish Textiles Bogs and Burials"   This book has some wonderful history in it, and great pictures and instructions for how to re-create some very old techniques.  Nalbinding preceded both knitting and crochet.  I learned that the word is a Scandinavian combination of the words for needle and sewing.  The technique is not complicated, but makes a very sturdy finished product that would wear well around the curved areas of the body.  I have started making something which may become a bag.  I am making it from some angora that came from one of my first rabbits...but I am not sure it is the best choice of yarn for nalbinding because you really cannot see the definition of the stitches...

 

I have also brought my felting needles out of hibernation, and tried my hand at rabbits and sheep...I am presently working with mohair, making some broaches...I was inspired by the mini quilted jewelry that Claire was working on a few weeks ago.  They still need some more finishing details, I am looking for some embellishments or found objects to spark them up a bit.  Not enough hours in the day to play with this...the currents need picking, so do the peas and broccoli...and after I pick, so starts the freezing and packing..yes indeed...summer is in full swing.

here is my little lagamorph and the sheep, who needs some shorter ears I think...

this muckle is mine

Great Wheel, High Wheel, Wool Wheel, Walking Wheel, or Muckle Wheel...call it what you will, I am now owned by one!

 

This wheel came to me in an unusual manner, which leads me to believe that the Good Lord wanted me to have it....and I am so grateful to have such a treasure.  Apparently, the former owner was moving away and did not want to take it along, and so, they took it to an antique store and left it there with the understanding that they would be paid for it when it sold.  I happen to be a relative of someone who works with the owner of the shop...and knew that it was there, I had even seen the large distinctive wheel, but was not really drawn to it....(mostly because I live in a very small log cabin).

 

So, after several years, the wheel was still sitting there taking up space, no one had bought it, and the previous owners never came to claim any shop credit.  The owner of the shop was tired of tripping over it...and said that I could have it if I wanted to come and get it!  I could not believe my ears!

 

A few weeks ago, we made time to travel and pick up the wheel.  I noticed that it did not have a bobbin or spindle to spin from, but it did have a minors head that was in pretty good shape.  I happen to have a copy of Pennington and Taylors book (also a gift from said shop owner) and scanning the pages, I decided that it looked pretty much like a Shaker style of wheel.  I looked all over for some sort of marking, but found none.

 

Once I was home, I called Grace and Fred Hatton who live nearby.  Fred is a master wood turner, and has restored a Great Wheel, as well as 7 other Saxony Wheels (He makes weaving shuttles, threading hooks and yarn gauges that
he sells on ebay...you can visit the store by clicking here.)
http://stores.ebay.com/FRED-HATTON-Spinning-and-Weaving

 

So, I packed up the wheel and took it over to their farm so they could take a good look at it.  They seemed to think it was a very nice wheel, and agreed that it was most likely Shaker.  They both think it is an older wheel because the hub is wooden, and so is the axel.  It looked like it might actually have the original capstans for the minors head.  The minors head would need repair.  Fred said that the bench looked to be made of Beech, while the rest of the wheel appeared to be Chestnut. There seemed to be a bit of a wobble when the wheel was turning, and on closer examination Fred discovered that the axel was quite worn, and would need replacing.  I would also need a spindle or bobbin to spin on.  He said he would restore the wheel for me so that I could get it spinning...and I was really excited about that prospect!  Of course he is very busy, and I will have to wait awhile for him to get to it (he is currently working on a loom for someone)...I am just so happy that it is going to spin again someday!....that is if I can figure out how to spin on it....

 

But the story gets better.  Before I left, I asked how to clean the wheel up.  The wood was very, very dry, and dirty with who knows what dust and dirt (which some refer to as patina).  He suggested that I use 1/2 turps. and 1/2 linseed oil on it.  So, this past weekend, I decided to get going on cleaning it up.  I started working on the bench and moved to the upright that holds the wheel.  I was using a luffa to rub it down with the mixture, and wiping it off with an old flannel diaper.  The wood was coming up a beautiful deep, rich, rust color, and I was admiring the grain, and noticing areas that had been worn down over the years.  Suddenly, I noticed some letters starting to appear!

YEEEEEEAHAAAAAWWW!!!  I see a stamp!  The initials look like J A and then a little something else that I cannot make out.  How very cool.
Here is a picture of where the stamp is located...and then the photo has been enhanced to see the marking better.

 

There is a JA who was a Sabbathday Lake Shaker...could this be one of his wheels?  I am now embarking on a quest to identify my wheel.  If anyone out there in the bloggersphere has any information on what JA could stand for or if you recognize this wheel...please contact me.

 

One more piece of news from life around the riverrim...my very good friend's daughter shipped out to Iraq.  Please pray for the safety of our troops.  Tomorrow we will make some cool ties to send off.  There should be a few of us working together, so I hope we get a lot accomplished.

spinning seminar

On June 11th, I had the chance to attend The Mannings 37th annual Spinning Seminar.  And I jumped at the chance, having only had the benefit of attending this event only once before, and noticing that Elaine Harvey and Susan Withnell were going to speak about Angora Rabbits, I was very happy to find myself in southern PA that very weekend.

This free seminar is a wonderful event that The Mannings host every year on the second Sat. in June.  You can check their web site by clicking here- and view the variety of demonstrations that were available that day.  The seminar really gives people an opportunity to see and learn about fiber arts that they otherwise may not, and overall, its just provides a fun day of learning and inspiration.

As soon as I arrived, I saw Sharon Peffer with the Great Wheel Exhibit.
I watched her spinning on what I learned was a Norman Hall Great Wheel Reproduction.  Apparently, Norman Hall does not make Great Wheels anymore, and to get a Norman Hall wheel, you would need to get on a waiting list (for at least 5 if not 7 years!)..so this was indeed a special wheel.  It had beautiful carvings in it too.  Sharon was nice enough to spend a little bit of time teaching me how to spin on her wheel. She explained about Minors Head's and Bats Head's and recommended some good books to read.  All of this was of great interest to me because I have recently become the proud owner of an old Great Wheel. (more on this in the next post)  I tried drafting a bit while Sharon turned the Wheel, and I realized that learning to spin with one hand while the other hand turns the wheel is going to be a challenge.  Here is a picture of the Norman Hall wheel that Sharon was spinning on.

After the Great Wheel Exhibit, I made my way back to the area where the Angora Rabbits Demo was beginning.  Elaine Harvey had her bunny (a chocolate Senior English angora buck- by the name of "GC CCR's Hershey") up on a grooming table.

She was explaining how she uses a special blower on her bunnies to maintain their coats.  I have read about this, but never saw anyone doing it, so I learned that you should use a professional groomers blower, and never a hair dryer- and that you would work from the bottom up while holding the head and ears.  Hershey was very cooperative about the whole process, and entertaining as well.  His coat was such a beautiful color, and so full and long, the pictures do not do it justice.  To read more about Elaine and her rabbits, you can click here to see her web page, or here to read her blog.

 

It was starting to get crowded and I realized that Susan Withnell was starting her demonstration.  Susan brought a 2 year old, pure German, Angora doe named Gretel.  She was white, white, and had a lovely long coat that Susan was demonstrating how to clip.

Even though I have been clipping my rabbits for a few years, I learned some really good tips....the best one was on turning the scissors slightly away from the skin while clipping.  I could see how this will make a difference, and am anxious to try it out next time I clip Jack.  Susan explained about how she parts the hair down the middle of the back, and works from the top down.  She is very skilled with the scissors, and handles them like a NYC hairstylist.  Her bunny was very well behaved too, especially on such a hot day with so many people crowed around.  You can read more about Susan and her Fiber Arts by clicking here.

 

To top off my day, I went inside Mannings to make a purchase and found a book that I thought was out of print (on needle felting).  A friend had loaned it to me once, and I could not remember the title or author, only that I liked it....so when I spotted it I snatched it up.

 

So ...those are just some of my highlights of another very nice Spinning Seminar at the Mannings....see you there next year, second Sat. in June..rain or shine!

getting ready

We have been getting ready for a day of fiber arts over at the Hatton Farm. On Wednesday, instead of going to our regularly scheduled spinning session at the library, we went to see Grace, and try out the antique spinning wheels in preparation for the workshop. I fell in love with a wheel from Finland. It spins like a dream, you don't have to do anything except sit behind it. I also spun on a Hyacinth Wheel, which is a beauty. The treadle has a lovely cast iron design on it...very unusual. I am looking forward to meeting the people who are signing up. Below, is a sample of the flyer that Grace created:

fiber fest

A DAY ON THE FARM-

Home of Hatton Finnsheep

FIBER FEST!

9:30 Am to 3 PM, Saturday, July 30, 2005 in Lords Valley, PA

16 mini-workshops!

hand spinning

knitting

nalbinding

fingerloop braiding

triangle loom weaving

cardboard weaving

sheep breeds

alpaca fibers and more!

Class space is limited. Pre-registration and class selection is required.

$45 for the day. Some classes have additional materials fees. Bring your own lunch. Cookies and beverages will be supplied.

Contact us for more information:

Grace Hatton, hatton@microserve.net

Cyndy Donohue riverrim@gmail.com

Lords Valley is located off I-84 between Scranton and Milford in Northeast, PA.

indian corn

This is the mohair roving that I purchased at MS&W, from Greta Dise at Persimmon Tree Farm.  She really blends the colors nicely, and it is always a nice experience watching how the fibers spin out.  I spun a single, and used a Navajo ply to make a nice puffy 3wpi yarn.  I plan on using it to weave on the 3 foot triangle loom, and perhaps adding some beads that I found to embellish the fringe.

It is appropriate that I was finishing this yarn on the same day that I planted my corn, because it goes by the same name....Indian Corn.  I planted a total of 3 different varieties of corn this year, all of them have different harvest times, and so different pollination dates, therefore, I should be ok planting them in close proximity to each other without having trouble with cross-pollination.  I don't want a kernel of Indian corn winding up in my sweet corn, and visa versa.

First, I planted the 100 day "cutie pop" from Stokes.  It claims to be an ornamental popcorn, that looks like miniature Indian corn.  The ears are only 5 inches long.  Since I had great success with popcorn before, I decided that by popular demand (Christmas present recipients) I would try it again.

Second, I planted the 80-90 day "True Platinum" sweet corn from Seeds of Change Organic.  I have been waiting for three years to get this seed.  It sounds like a beautiful plant..."Sweet and tender, excellent flavored cobs wrapped in burgundy purple husk- 6 to 7 feet tall with 8-9 inch ears."  Who could resist?

And last but not least, an early sweet corn called "Cloud Nine" from Stokes, calling for 77 days.  I will be marking my calendar, and seeing if it clocks in on time.  We experience many cool nights around here, so if it is late, oh well.

So, now that it is finally June, and things have warmed up enough for the corn and beans to be planted, some other critters have been seen enjoying the warmer weather...

a frogger at the pond

garter snake in the garden,

and the new addition...Buttercup...who has come to live with us.  I cannot believe we are owning a cat again, but she needed a home.

working the workshops

I have recently been teaching a few workshops at a not-for-profit educational farm for children, where they can participate fully in the daily activities of maintaining and operating a small scale, organic farm.

 

I was contacted by the owner because he had seen my little advertisement in a local farm newsletter. ( My advertisement is for production spinning, but it has more often led to other inquiries. )  He was interested in adding Fibers to the list of the curriculum that the Farm provides for the kids.

 

The Farm was founded on the idea "that getting children out of the classroom and onto the farm can provide tremendous opportunities for learning and self-development." And I can say from my observations that this statement is true.

 

My first students consisted of a very polite group of young girls who were really enthusiastic about fibers.  Some of them had previous experience with knitting and crochet.  They were very interested in the many different types of fibers that one could spin, but we worked specifically on taking wool through the process it takes from the sheep to a finished article.

 

The girls (25 all together) were mainly in 7th and 8th grade, and in my opinion, this is a wonderful age to introduce the craft of handspinning.  It was really fun for me to teach them and watch them learn.  My workshops consisted of groups of 5 or 6 at a time...so I was really bouncing around when it came to the "handspindle help".  After a while, they were helping each other "catch on" and "get it".  Nobody cared about the "lumpy" yarn they were making, they were just excited to be "doing it".  I got such a kick out of watching the faces and expressions the girls would make when they would look at the drafting zone and watch the twist happen.  They were often amazed and acted like it was magic...I kept hearing them say "that is sooo COOL"...and I knew that some of them were going to become life long spinners. Well, I know for sure that at least one of them will be, because she told me so.  She stayed behind after the workshop was over, using her "free time" to keep spinning away on her spindle.  Before she left, she approached me and said, "Thank you so much for teaching me how to do this, because I really love it and I think I am going to do it for my whole life."  Priceless.  I was so touched, and happy to have been able to show her how to do something that she will get many, many happy hours out of, and produce beautiful handmade yarns to boot! 

 

The farm has several sheep (Merino/Cheviot cross), and one of the ewes gave birth to two little rams one morning during the 3 day stay that the girls were there.  This was a bonus for them, as not only did a few of them witness the live birth, but they got to help with the bottle feeding of one of the lambs.

 

One last piece of good news...if you happen to have the summer issue of Spin-Off, please have a look at the articles (Fiber Basics: Finnsheep & A Finnsheep Lambswool Lace Scarf ) written by my friend and neighbor Grace Hatton.  As usual, Grace has produced  informative and (sometimes humorous) articles...and it is great to see the pictures of her work, as well as the beautiful wooden pieces that her skilled husband crafts. Grace will be offering a day of mini-fiber-workshops at her farm this summer...more on this later.. 

 

Arisaema triphyllum

from the Species triphyllum...and the Family: Araceae...goes by many common names. Wild Turnip, Wake Robin, Bog Onion, Dragonroot, Marsh Pepper, Cuckoo Flower, Wood Pulpit and Indian Almond just to name a few.  The spadix, which is that little stick like shape inside the leaf, is the "Jack" and the cup shaped leaf that surrounds it is the "pulpit".

 

I discovered this plant growing on my hillside as I was on my way down to fetch one of my hens up the hill for the evening.  At first I was grouchy at the thought of having to walk all the way down to the bottom of the hill after "Whitey".  She has not been herself lately, and has taken to lounging in the late afternoon sun at the bottom of the hill, and after all the other hens are tucked in for the night, Whitey is still roosting in the tall grass, reluctant to come when I call her, leaving me with little choice but to go after her and carry her up to the henhouse.

 

Anyway, on my way down the hill I saw the Jack in the Pulpit and my mood changed.
I have seen Jack growing around here before, but never this type.  This one was all green, usually, we see the purple striped ones.  If I am correct, I believe this one is known as Swamp Pulpit.

 

I do not know if this is a Jack or Jill, that is, if it is a male or female plant...but I will be watching to see if gets berries in the fall.  The male plant has a small hole in the bottom of the spathe or cup, and this is the exit ramp for pollinators.  In the female plants, the pollinators are trapped and have no way to get out, and as a result they pollinate all the tiny little flowers on the spadix, and the flowers will turn into green and then bright red berries.

 

I have also read that this plant contains oxalic acid which can be toxic...however, here is another plant that contains oxalic acid...

But it made a pretty good pie...yum!   Rhubarb can be used as a mordant when dyeing wool because of the oxalic acid in the plant, but I have never tried this....yet.

 

maryland sheep and wool 2005

The MS&W Festival was very very very crowded!

I did not enjoy myself as much as I would have if there were not so many people!   Living out in the country as I do, I am not used to the crowds, and at times I felt disoriented and nauseous just looking at the sea of people swarming around!

We arrived on Sat. morning around 10:00am, and waited for approx. 20 minutes in traffic just to drive into the place and park.  By the time we made it into the festival, the lines to vendors and barn were starting to form.  I made a few purchases, one of which was the beautiful fleece from a ewe #P29 Border Leicester, that has lovely, long, wavy, soft lustrous opal locks.  I brought it from Betty Levin, who raises Border Leicester Sheep as well as working border collies.  She is a lovely woman, who spread the fleece out on a sheet for me to look over and examine before I made my decision.  She was very helpful, and taught me a few things I did not know about selecting a fleece.  She was planning on retiring the ewe this year, but all she produced were a couple of rams, so she will breed her one more year because she is so fond of the fleece that she grows.  It really is lovely.  She made sure to remind me not to let it in the sun or it would cot, and made me promise not to store it in the plastic bag after I got home.  Are you kidding?  This will not sit around for long, my fingers are having a hard time waiting for an evening to spin it out!  I mean just look at it!

I also purchased some Mohair from Greta, that goes by the name of "Indian Corn"...it is lovely as well.  For Mother's Day, the guys brought me the T-shirt, and a wonderful book titled. "The Colour Cauldron"...all about the history and use of natural dyes and plants and tartans of Scotland...a wonderful book! I don't know what I like more...the description of the plants or the pictures of the women scouring and dyeing the wool!

leno lace

I have finished with the last of the Wensleydale roving that I spun.  I used it up making a shawl on the 5 foot triangle loom.  I used a "leno lace" weaving pattern, which consists of moving a warp every now and again.  If you move a warp one nail across the top, you must move it two nails on each of the sides.  This will leave a space which you then fill by twisting the warp stitches.  Usually, I will twist the vertical "ladders" first, and when I am finished weaving, I go back and do the horizontal warps.  Here is a close up of the lace pattern, you can see how the warps are twisted.

 

I chose this weaving pattern for the Wensleydale because of the silky lustrous hand that the yarn has....well, that and also, I figured that an open lacy look would be nice for a summer shawl.  When I took the shawl off the loom, I was happily surprised by the drape, and I am becoming a big fan of the Wensleydale wool.  One big mistake that I made was in my decision not to knot the fringe.  It is already starting to "untwist".  I believe this is due to the fact that the Wensleydale has such a long staple.  I had spun it 'worsted', and the resulting yarn was strong and shiny, but slipped on itself when I wanted to knot the bottom of the fringe.  I should have planned to loop the fringe like I did with the smaller sample shawl, but I was impatient to get it off the loom.

 

I see by my 2005 Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival catalog, that the North American Wensleydale Sheep Association will be holding its annual meeting at the Festival.  The add states that this rare breed currently exists only in the UK and parts of mainland Europe. I have read elsewhere that at one time there were less than 200 Wensleydale sheep, so they were near extinction.  They are now being established in the US.
I hope to attend the MSW ..if I go...I will wear my shawl.

sanguinaria canadensis

or more commonly known as bloodroot, is blooming nicely in my garden right now.  I have had it for about 3 years.  It came to me by way of a gift from a good friend of mine (who I think may have purchased it from Richter's Herbs).  I learned that in the wild, it likes to grow in rich moist soil in the wood, so I planted mine in the shady area next to the stream bed.  I wanted this plant for the rhizome that is orangey red in color, and has been used by the Native Americans (and in turn the colonists) as a dye plant.  The flowers are small and dainty and white...one would not guess that the root would contain a red sap.  The flowers open each morning, and close up in the late afternoon.  Once the petals drop off, the leaves get bigger, and then disappear in the middle to late summer, not to be seen again until next spring.  I have never had the nerve to dig up this little beauty and destroy it for the dye bath it would make.  I am content that it is growing nicely for me!
While reading about it, I discover more and more interesting facts...like ...did you know researchers are studying the possibility of using the root to treat cancer?  What??!! 
No fiber content on the blog today?
Actually, I have been very busy with springtime rabbit chores.  I clipped and cleaned.  Nothing to show for that but bare hares (baskets of angora) and clean cages!  The chickens like to watch me while I work this chore, they all gather round me and act as if what I am doing is very interesting, and somehow might just have something to do with food ultimately.

 

When I clean the hutches, I use a propane torch.  There are some people that cringe when I say that, but I really feel this is the most effective way to get in all the cracks and crevice's that critters like mites like to hide.  It is also a good way to rid the wispy hair that tends to cling on the wood and wire all winter.  I find that I don't have to deal with the smell of bleach, or wait for the wood on the hutches to dry before I let the rabbits enter.  I read about this method of burning the hutches in Mother Earth Magazine.

 

I enjoy this task, even though it is time consuming to torch every square inch of the hutches with a small propane flame.  I guess I am a bit of a pyro, but I like watching the blue flame melt the hair and anything else that gets in its way.  I always make sure that the rabbits are no where around when I do this.  Otherwise, they would be very worried, I am sure, at the smell of their hair burning...they would be frightened and think that the warren was on fire! 

 

With the hutches all clean and repaired, and the weather abnormally warm for this time of year, it was time to return the buns to their regular routine.  Jack had been spending the week inside with us.  He really enjoys this.  He is very well behaved, and it is a temptation to allow him to become a house rabbit...only I really don't like having to change a litter pan daily.  We will miss his company in the evenings when he has fun playing with the paper towel rolls and running around the living room.

 

Before I put Jack back in his hutch, I moved the doe's hutch so that he could have full view of what is going on over there.  He seems to really like this, and spends most of his time gazing in that direction.
I would love to breed him again, only I do not have any homes to send the offspring to, and do not want to keep more than I can handle.  He will have to be content with this arrangement...so close, and yet sooo
far away!

 

Chance, we hardly knew ye

Dear little Chance, less than one year old, died suddenly this past weekend.  I am uncertain as to what went wrong, and will never know as I did not send her for autopsy.  We buried her by the fallen tree on the bank overlooking the river.

I first discovered that she was not feeling well when I noticed that she did not touch her food or water bowl on Friday.  This was unusual for Chance, she was the only bunny who was born alive out of a litter of 6, and she always had a big appetite from the time she would nurse without any competition.  She loved to eat and was always eager to see me at mealtime.  This day she seemed very listless and subdued.  I tried to get her to take some water through a syringe.  She perked up a little, and ate some of the fresh dandelion leaves that I offered to tempt her to eat.  She chewed very, very slowly as if it were an effort.  I watched her all day, trying to offer other bits of food.  She ate some apple, but did not want any banana.  She did eat some hay, but none of her regular food.  She stayed very still all day, and only moved occasionally.  She did not pass any urine, and the droppings she did pass were very small.  By evening I was very worried about her. She passed away during the night.  She was a little over 6 months old.

I feel so sad about Chance, even though I didn't have her very long.  She was a sweet bunny, and special because she struggled to live, despite the fact that all her litter mates were still born.  We named her Chance because we were doubtful if she would pull through those first few days.  She grew into what seemed a healthy young doe, but sadly, I suspect that something else was wrong that I could not see.
Now her hutch is empty and I miss her.  Little Chance, we hardly knew ye. 

april showers

april showers brought flood waters back to the riverrim last weekend.
High water marks were close to what they were during hurricane Ivan last fall, despite rumors that they would eclipse the flood of '55.

 

Thankfully, we remained dry except for a little water in the basement.
This was not a big rain, we were just saturated with snow melt and spring rain, and run off.  The Delaware River overflowed it banks, and created damage all the way down through NJ.  So many people are dealing with flood aftermath now...my heart goes out to them.

 

The riverrim has undergone a remodeling of sorts.  I am forever in awe of the powerful force that water is.  75% of the earths surface is covered with water.  70% of the human body is water. It is the fluid of life and it can take life.  It can be a blessing and a curse.  I wonder about the millions of gallons of water that pass by the riverrim and where it all goes....from time to time the river deposits little offerings on the riverrim.  Some of my favorites include a piece of broken ceramic ?? with the date Dec 21, 1897 Iron Works N.Y. and a pair of old wire rim spectacles.  Most often I find old fishing lures.  Once we found a brass bed headboard!  The high water has not receded enough for me to walk the rim and see what new treasures may be there to glean.

This week I finished working on a tie from Interweave Knits, winter '05 issue.  The pattern is very easy to work, you could do it with your eyes closed.  I used Opal Southwestern Sock Yarn.  I gave the finished tie as a birthday present.  Actually, it was the recipient's idea that I use the sock yarn to make a tie.  He had seen me working socks, and holding one up to his shirt, remarked that the pattern would make a nice looking tie.  It was at that precise moment that I remembered seeing the pattern for ties in the magazine.  The pattern repeat yarn worked out pretty well over the thirty some stitches required for the tie...however there are a few spots where it did not work evenly.  The hardest part of the project was the finishing.  Perhaps this is due mostly to the fact that I am not a "good finisher"... and need to study up on some good finishing techniques.  I will be making more of the ties, they go fast and make nice presents for guys.

happy easter

This is my Easter bunny...CW Black Jack.  He is a little over a year old now, and has a beautiful 6 inch staple!  I am so happy with his coat.  I will shear him in about a week.  Spring is still very cold around the riverrim, especially at night.  We are still dipping into the twenties, and so Jack will need his coat for a little bit longer.

 

Jack was born at Countrywool, and his blood-line can be traced back to Bay Colony and Greenberry House, and I have to say how pleased I am with this buck.  Jack not only has wonderfully long, soft, silky hair, but he has the sweetest personality.  He is always happy and playful...and very inquisitive. As you can see by the picture, he is also a patient and tolerant rabbit to allow me to pose him with the Easter flowers and eggs. 

 

I just found this "bunny along" today...I may just have to join!  So many projects...so little time....Happy Easter!

 

spring grass

The snow is starting to melt around the riverrim, and the color of the grass underneath is quite close to the color of the yarn that I just made from the Wensleydale and Silk.  The Wensleydale roving was called "Juniper".  I spun a fine single, and then I used a Navajo ply method to produce a three-ply yarn.  I then took the Silk, and core spun it over silk thread, and incorporated the seed beads at random.  Then, I plyed the silk beaded yarn loosely around the Wensleydale.  The finished product was approx. 12wraps per inch.

I was anxious to see how this would weave up, so I made a neck/scarf on the 3 foot triangle loom.  I wanted to fringe the edges, but did not want to knot every tail of the fringe....so I used a looping technique to construct the fringe.  I did not measure exactly for each loop, so the finished edge is a little bit uneven.  Next time, instead of just estimating, I should make sure each fringe is the same size. I was pretty happy with the way the seed beads worked into the piece.  They are speckled throughout the shawl, and look like little sparkles of dew on the grass.  I also finished the "cut length" shawl edge with beads.
These were a little bit bigger than the seed beads, so I used them with the fringe.  They help to give the shawl some sparkle to play off the fireflash.

chick a dee dee dee

This little chickadee was first spotted by me as I was doing chores in the afternoon hours.  When I saw him, I immediately noticed that he was not in the least bit scared of me.  He was in my path, a few feet away from me, looking for something to eat on the areas of ground where the snow had recently melted away to reveal a brown patch of grass.  As I approached, I talked to him quietly, and bent down to get a closer look at him.  He seemed to be healthy in every respect of the word, and glanced back at me a few times while continuing to go about his search for a morsel or two.  He was very puffed up, like he was cold.

 

I have gotten to know the chickadees that hang around here.  After a snow storm, they will come very close to you at the feeders.  If you are patient, and stand with a handful of seed, they will visit your hand briefly while selecting a choice sunflower seed.  But, they usually keep their distance.  No so with this little bird.  He was letting me get very close.

 

I slowly reached down to see if he would get on my hand, and when he did, I stood up, talking to him the entire time.  I walked to the window, caught my husbands eye and motioned to him to come to the door.
When he saw the chickadee, he told me to wait while he got the camera.  The chickadee seemed content to sit in my hand, looking around and occasionally looking up at me.  My husband returned with the camera, snapped the shot.  After a minute or two, the chickadee flew out of my hand and continued to look around in the grass, and then he left.  I thought it was really nice to have had a moment with him.  I think someone, somewhere spent some time hand training him.  He was very polite.

 

I have started working on a Tartan plaid shawl.  My inspiration comes from the Graham Tartan tie seen hanging on the loom.  I am not duplicating it, and need to sit down with some graph paper and chart out the color changes, and number of nails need per color if I intend to get it exact.  This is a test run, and I am using up some old stash that is not even 100% wool.

 

The history of the Tartan is very interesting.
Here is a link to a great page that I found by google-ing TARTAN.

darn it!

I am back after a winter respite at my mothers house, where I relaxed and enjoyed countless hours of conversation and fiber arts.  One of the projects that I worked on was learning how to darn socks.  My mother taught this to me years ago (when I was to young to pay close attention to what she was doing), and it is a technique which I do not use often enough to remember what I did the time before.  I figured it was a good time for a refresher course.

 

My mother just happened to have a pair of socks ready for mending.  My brother had given them to her a few weeks ago.  They were a nice pair of woolen socks, in very good condition, except for the hole that he had worn in the back of the heel.

 

To darn the socks, it is helpful to have a darning tool.  The most common ones look like an egg stuck on the end of a stick, but there are some very beautiful vintage ones that can be found in antique stores, or even on e-bay!  The sock darners pictured above are my own.  I keep an eye out for them when I am shopping at yard sales, but there are not as many around as there used to be.

 

The darning tool is slipped inside the sock to provide a surface to work on.  You can easily position the tool where you are most comfortable working with it.  To begin darning, my mother first selected the thread/yarn that she wanted to use.  It was Fortissoma wooly nylon yarn made for socks.  With the help of a needle threader (another handy dandy tool), she thread a single strand of the Fortissoma.  Being careful not to knot the thread, she left the tail about 1/4 to 1/2 inch long and started to baste a stitch in the shape of a circle around the perimeter and approx. 1/4 inch from the hole in the sock.  Once the circle was complete, she stitched up and down along the inside of the circle, forming a sort of warp and working from one side to the other.  When this was accomplished, she began weaving over and under the warp she had just created.  By the time she was finished, the hole was no longer visible. 

My brother was delighted with the repair job.  He really did a double take, looking closely at the socks to see if he could find where the hole used to be.  I know he was impressed, and may be thinking of learning how to darn!  I imagine it would be fairly easy to learn for anyone who feels comfortable with a needle and thread.  In this "throw away society" that we now live in, it is fun to take a little bit of time to give an article of clothing a little more mileage.  I would never spend the time darning a sock that I brought at say, Walmart...but for the socks and gloves and mittens that we take the time to knit, it is a task that is definitely worth knowing how to do.

 

 On the weather front, we are expected to get 12+ inches of snow tonight and tomorrow.  Snow in February is quite different from snow in December, and it will not be around for long before the fog eats it up.  The subtle signs of spring are here, even in the midst of the snow.  The days are getting steadily longer, the buds on the maple are swelling just slightly and the mourning doves are starting to pair up.  You can feel the change in the air, and that change means certainty.  Sure it will snow,  but it won't last...the sun will see to that.

 

I read an interesting article about snow the other day...

Researchers keep ear to the snow

New-fallen or slushed, it offers a study in acoustics, an accumulation of sound data.

By Dawn Fallik

Inquirer Staff Writer

Freshly fallen snow is really nature's white-noise machine.

That's right. It really is quiet after a snowfall, and not just because everyone is hiding indoors.

Scientists have discovered that in the first hours after a snowfall, the flakes possess a rare acoustic quality, the ability to absorb sound waves.

To continue reading this article...click here.

 

seeds

I have got to get my seed order in!

 

This time year, while the flurries are flying outside, and the fire is warm inside, I love to curl up with my seed catalogues and dream of a summer garden.  It is this time of year when my garden looks the best.  I have high hopes of new varieties of tomatoes, spectacular flowers, huge harvests of squash and enough sweet corn to last me through the winter.  It is nice to dream of  the perfect garden, and not think about the failures of the past year.  Failures are good for learning (note to self: do not order any San Marzano), but they have no place in the dream garden.  Here I am free to plant picture perfect crops.  NO battles with insects or fusarium wilts, no anthracnose, septoria or pythium rot.  There is not even a single weed in the dream garden!  My dream garden is perfect, and it is the only time it will be perfect.  So, choices will be made, checks will be written...let the games begin!

 

I have started working on the 3 foot triloom this past week.  I have been reading about the cut length technique, and decided to give it a test run.

I am using some Romney Lamb called Plumb Raspberry that I purchased from "The Drafting Zone".  I spun some of it by itself, and then I plied some of it with some Fireflash that I had leftover.

 

The cut length technique of weaving on the triloom allows you a bit more freedom with design. The only draw back is that you must measure and cut the yarn before you weave it.  This results in a bigger investment of time when compared with the continuous weave method.  So, it is the time involved that is the trade off for the design elements.  Now that I know just how much time it is going to take to weave the shawls  it will help me to plan my projects and prices in advance.

 

seed beads

I have finally started to spin the silk that I purchased this past fall from the NY Sheep and Wool Festival.  I purchased this tussah silk from "The Copper Moth" booth.  The color I chose was called "Moth Wing".  I also purchased some beautiful Wensleydale Top roving, called Juniper, to go with it.  A few weeks ago while shopping in the craft department, I spotted some seed beads that reminded me of the tussah silk.  They were a mixed bag of copper and silver and bronze colors.  I suddenly had the impulse to spin with beads!  I had read about spinning with beads in Diane Varney's  "Spinning Designer Yarns", but never wanted to try it.  I figured I had better re-read the chapter before I attempted to spin with the seed beads.

The first order of business was to string the beads.  I looked around in my old sewing baskets for some silk thread that would match the "Moth Wing".  Jackpot!  I found several spools of old "Coats and Clark" silk thread that still had the price tag on them.  Imagine, only 15 cents for 250 yards of silk thread.  I almost did not use them!  The next challenge was finding a needle small enough to thread the seed beads through.  I must admit, it was a bit frustrating trying different needles, only to have the seed bead get stuck when it was almost to the eye of the needle.  Finally, I was successful, and set about stringing beads that evening while watching "24" on TV.

I decided to do some more reading (as I did not feel confident enough to simply start spinning all these beads with the silk).
I pulled two back issues of Spin-Off, (Winter of 03 and Spring of 04), off my magazine shelf.  The '03 issue offers a very nice article by Judith Mackenzie McCuin, including Thread and Bead Sources.  The article covers 3 different methods of spinning with beads in a very clear description of each.  So, after reading several different accounts of several different methods, I figured I would try spinning with a core method.

I got the hang of it rather quickly, but that was the only thing that happened with any speed.  I found I really had to take my time and treadle slowly so my hands had time to maneuver the seed beads into place.  All in all, I find spinning with beads to be a very time consuming project...what with stringing them in the first place...then stringing them into place while spinning...but it will be worth it for a unique design.  I still have another bag of seed beads to string up and spin.  This time I will load about a foot of beads at a time.  

This is what I have finished so far.

 

it was a roof raker

This last storm dumped enough snow on us to require a roof raking.  There is even a special shovel to use to rake the roof.  We figured that we must have gotten a little over a foot, and with the below zero temps we have been living with, it was the perfect conditions for the ice dams to form on the roof.  I never knew what an ice dam was until I moved to the North East.

Ice dams happen when there are large amounts of snow on the roof, freezing temps and sunny days.  The snow melts on the roof, hits the overhang and causes ice to form a dam that in turn causes the water to flow into your house like someone turned the garden hose on your ceiling.  It is not a pretty sight.  The first time I saw water flowing down the walls in my house, I thought we had burst a pipe somewhere.  I never want to see that again.  Now we rake the snow off the roof.  Some people get the heat cables, but I have heard of too many fires being started by them.

So, you wonder, do I have time for any fiber work with all this snowy weather?  Well...today I opened this bag of beautiful silk that I brought at the NY Sheep and Wool Festival this past October.  I have started to spin it with beads....I will post more on this next time.

Oh, about the new template...I think I broke my old blog....that is what I get for thinking I know html!  Don't know what I did, but I guess it was time for a change anyway.

a brave chicken

I'm trying out the new link from photobucket, so I thought I would show you a brave chicken.

She was the only one who would come out to play.  The temperature is fixed in the single digits these days, so the chickens are very unhappy.  Another storm is due tomorrow, so I have been busy getting all the animals and the greenhouse ready.  Winter is in full swing.  At least the ski areas are happy.

got food?

The weather here is so cold and there is an icy crust on the ground. It makes it difficult for the wildlife to find food. The deer keep hanging around my doorway. This is because we shoveled the snow off, and it is the only area that has any green grass (well brown) showing. I saw the deer eating barberry today. They didn't seem to mind the thorns.

take a hike

Actually, it is a bit difficult to hike around here. The riverrim has seen several snow/ice storms in the past week. We have a combination of layers on the ground. They remind me of the rings that you see when you cut a tree open. Tell tale signs of the passing of time. We have a base of about 1/2 inch of ice. On top of that, about 3 inches of snow. Then, we have approx. 2 inches of ice. This most recent storm added 6 inches of snow, and then rain that turned to snow before it finished. Thank goodness for my Yaktracks.... they keep me from slipping on the ice.

The type of hike I am talking about is the IHS pattern that can be found by clicking on the button in my sidebar. The Irish Hiking Scarf knit along blog is..I believe the knit along will continue until the end of the month. I found this site while looking for a pattern for a scarf. You can click on the button in my sidebar to see my entry titled "just found it" on the IHS blog. I would recommend this pattern to anyone, it is easy to do and the cables are fun and fast!

To make this scarf, I used some nice Icelandic Wool that I had purchased at the Endless Mountain Fiber Festival in PA. The bag of wool (approx 1/2 pound) was marked "For Felting". I had never spun Icelandic Wool before, and did not know very much about it. I brought the wool with every intention of felting with it, but the temptation to spin it was overwhelming. The coat of the Icelandic Sheep is made up of 2 layers. The tog is the longer outer layer, and the thel is soft inner layer (which really reminds me of angora). The bag of wool that I purchased contained both the tog and thel mixed together. The tog is black and the thel is gray. I was told that I could separate them, or spin them together to make a lopi yarn. I decided to do the latter. I spun a single with very little twist...and let the slubs happen. Then I performed a Navajo ply, and wound up a nice ball of yarn with about 7 or 8 wraps per inch. I knit the scarf on size ten needles. The cables are chunky looking, and the finished piece has a halo in black. The scarf is more like a muffler in size. I am giving it to the previous owner of my spinning wheel.

We are in for some cold weather this coming week...temps. are not expected to climb above freezing at all. This will bring the eagles up the river for open water to hunt/fish in. I counted 8 this past week when I drove along the river to town. I am sure I will be seeing more of them each day.

Don't forget to check out the pictures coming in from the Titan probe. You can get there by clicking on my sidebar Astronomy Picture of the Day or going to NASA Cassini-Huygen web page. The pictures are breath taking. "Keep looking up!"