three inches of snow fell

yesterday, just enough to whiten up the dirty snow that has been slowly melting. The river is starting to break up now too by the signs of this iceflow. I am ready for spring! Worked on the merino/mohair that I brought at Countrywool, and took the Targhee from Judy to the library to work on today.

growing up

it is a marvel for me to watch the growing process. so many changes can take place in a short amount of time. it is a good thing that i do not know how to take time lapse photography, i would be playing with it all the time. Jack continues to grow fast, he is loosing his baby face! and spring is on the way, a weeks worth of sunshine on the hillside and presto! i knew it was there all along!

Little Black Jack Rabbit

Well my new little bunny has been here a week now, and he seems to be adjusting to riverrim life just fine. He has a very nice personality, a little shy, but very gentle. We had a very nice day last Sat. when we went to go get him. The ride to Hudson was quite scenic. We traveled all along the Delaware for the first leg of the trip, and enjoyed seeing all of the ice jams. In some spots, it was jutting out of the water like icebergs! The ice was 3 to 4 feet thick in these spots. The view from the Hawks Nest was beautiful as always. Here is a shot that was taken last Jan.

Looking at all the ice had us thinking about the days of old, and how they used to harvest the ice for the ice boxes in the city. I have seen some wonderful pictures from around here, where the men are cutting the ice into chunks and loading it onto the sleds for the horses to cart it to the ice houses. They used to pack it in sawdust and store it until they needed it in the summer. Just amazing to think about. I have an old pair of those giant cast iron ice tongs that they used to use to handle the ice with. I use them to weight my yarn sometimes when I am setting the twist.

After about a two hour drive, we approached the Rip Van Winkle Bridge that crosses the Hudson River. Now the scenery was really getting beautiful. The Catskill mountains were so pretty with the snow all over them. They make the Pocono's Mountains look like little foothills. Finally we arrived at Countrywool. I had a chance to meet with Claudia and the other new bunny owners. We were all talking about where we lived and how far we had driven to pick up our "wee ones". I was sorry that I could not attend the shearing clinic that had been going on that morning, but perhaps another time. I had a chance to walk around the shop and see all of the beautiful yarns for sale. I brought some roving, a 50% mohair & 50% merino in a soft raspberry sherbert pink....not sure what I am going to make with it, but wanted it for Valentines Day! Then Claudia brought my little guy out, and gave me a pouch of his favorite oats blend and a bag of hay (comfort food) for the transition period. She also gave me a nice folder with papers that include his lineage on both sides, as well as instruction on feeding and caring for Angoras. All in all, it is a nice packet of information that she puts out.

On the way home we stopped to see cousins that live in the Hyde Park area. We had not seen them in a long time, so we had a wonderful visit over dinner. So nice to see everyone again..where does the time go? We drove home in the dark, and the little bunny slept in the car in his cage the first night.

And so, his full name is CW Black Jack Haslein (which means little rabbit in German). He is only 67% German, but he is a beautiful animal with a long staple. I will get pictures when I get a chance.

This week was topped off with a surprise gift of some beautiful rhomney roving and a double lucet. Judy gifted me with the roving for showing her how to weave on a tri loom...and Curt made the double lucet, just because he is such a nice guy (and talented). How blessed I am to have these kind friends. Here is a picture of the single lucet in front of the square loom sample that I made. Can hardly wait to try the double lucet....Already started spinning that rhomney!

of skunks and skunk cabbages

Both are harbingers of spring, and so it is not unusual that I would be writing about them on this icy snowy rainy day, when all I want to dream about is spring. Early this morning before the ice started falling, I trudged out into the snow that had fallen last night, to the chicken coop to look in on the girls. On my way past the rabbit hutches, I noticed little footprints in the snow. The little footprints that look like little troll toes. They can only mean one thing...a skunk has been around. I don't mind the skunk too much. After all, they were around here before we were, so I guess it is their home before ours. As long as you keep your garbage locked up, and the compost lid on tight they leave you alone. A few years ago, before I got my garden fence, I was having a feud with one because he was eating my winter sown spinach, but hey, he was hungry too.

So thoughts of the skunk (and a whiff of him) get me to thinking about the skunk cabbages that are growing below the inches of snow and ice on the ground. The sight of skunk cabbage in February can make my heart flutter. I know, a bit strange here, but until you study this fascinating plant, you may not appreciate it fully. Symplocarpus is the only plant I know of that generates it own heat, enough to melt snow around it! That is why I look for it in the Feb. snow- it is as if spring itself is pushing its way to the surface of the earth. I know from marking my calendar in years past, that the skunk cabbage is up already..only I cannot see it yet, it is still buried beneath all the snow, but it won't be long....click here to read more about skunk cabbage

I am trying to find information about the age of a spinning wheel. I believe it is a Saxony wheel. It belongs to a friend of mine. It belonged to his mother, and was purchased somewhere around the Carolinas. The treadle is not working as it was glued down and the glue has lifted off. Also, the mother of all is broken and needs repair. I do not know if I should attempt to fix it, I do not want to de-value it if it has worth. The footman is a piece of string that attaches to a bent nail. I wish it had some sort of markings to go by. I am pretty much a novice about spinning wheels, but like learning about the history of them. I told my friend that I would try to find out about how old it was, and if it can be fixed. In addition to bringing me the spinning wheel to check out, he also gifted me with a little tri-loom and a Lucet that he had made. I have finished the first neckerchief/scarf that I made on it, using the "pinecone" shetland that I spun. I used the cording that I made on the Lucet for a loop to pass the edge of the scarf through, and hold it in place while wearing it. What fun it was to make! And so fast! Only a few hours. Will be sure to make more of these.

outdoor chores

We finally got a break in the weather today, and I spent a good bit of time doing outdoor chores. It was nice to have a respite from the icy winds and I actually enjoyed the time in the sunshine. We cleaned out the coop and got down another few bales of fresh hay. The stream is starting to thaw and there was a little trickle of water going down the hillside under the ice.The river was beautiful today, and eagles are everywhere. With the eagles, are the eagle watchers. The towpath is becoming congested with tourists and their video equipment. I saw a pair of eagles flying into each other with their talons up, and wondered what the tussel was all about.
Still spinning and plying the angora. I will most likely start another triloom weaving soon.
Next weekend, I go to pick up my new bunny. I was busy getting his hutch all ready for him. We are due for another major storm mid week, so I figured today would be the day to be outside making the preparations.

square loom

I finished and popped off the first square of my new 12" loom. I have decided that I prefer the tri-loom over the square. The square does have some advantages, however, I enjoy working with the tri more than the square.
I let one of my friends borrow my small tri, and I think she is hooked! I tried to warn her that it could be addictive...she wound up finishing her first shawl in record time (footnote=she did not make dinner for the family that night!) What a bad influence I am!
Made four sets of the size 13 inch double point needles for a group that I meet with. They asked me to show them how to knit with multiple needles and make the holiday mitten pattern from Stasias page. When I told them the difficulty I had finding the dpns they agreed to pay me to make them a set. I got a blister on my thumb from the pencil sharpener! Next time I will send them with hubby to work, and use the electric shapener on them. I also used a grinder to sand them down initially. This was a great time saver.
Despite the fact that I have had a great deal of help trying to figure out the brioche stitch, it still evades me. I wish I knew what I was doing wrong. Somewhere, I am having trouble following directions.
I have been spinning angora the past few days. I started with some hand harvested, and switched over to some shorn when I ran out of the hand harvested. There is such a difference! The shorn is not nearly as easy to spin as hand plucked. I know this from past experience, but it is always a surprise to me just how much harder one is from the other. I wound up blending the shorn with some finn wool- just enough to make it easier. Approx a 25% blend. I did not pay close attention to weighing it out, as I intend to use this for myself. I am almost finished with the basket and hope to get to the rest of it later today.

Icy Creek

Check it out

november shawl

The November shawl is ready to come off the loom. So I promised myself that I would take it off and full it before I start that square loom project. It is part of my FO (finished object) resoultion I made earlier this year. (OK, I admit that I started the square loom a LITTLE just to make sure I know how to do it.
The sun is shining and the temps are in the upper twenties today. Blue skies and a heat wave! My chickens are loving it! They went for a long walk over to the wood piles and the old truck. I saw them take a dust bath and roost in the sun. As far as they are concerned, all is right with the world today!
http://riverrim.bravehost.com/november%20shawl.jpg
Hope this link works for the picture of the November Shawl. You have to copy + paste.

riding the thermals

We had a bit of warm air today, and the eagles were loving it. I watched them ride the thermal updrafts until they were out of sight. A beautiful spiral of flight! They have been hanging around here because the river is mostly open water and makes for good fishing. They sure are beautiful.
http://riverrim.bravehost.com/eagle.jpg
I am still working on that Brioche stitch, but I have come to admit that I'm the one that is stupid (not the stitch)! Many thanks to CW over at yarnspinners tales for patience and instructions. I will keep trying.
Spent a little bit of time pounding nails into my new 12 square loom that Mark made for me this past weekend. I will be anxious to see how it works. Snow in the forecast tonight, so tomorrow might be the day to try it out.

gaiter

I have been struggling with this stupid brioche stitch that I simply cannot understand how to do. I have the pattern for the Brioche Gaiter in Camelhair from interweave knits fall magazine. I have attempted it several times over and it keeps ending in nothing but frustration! How the heck do you yarn over the first stitch on the needle anyhow?? If anyone out there can come to my rescue-please tag me! I need help! I have some nice handspun angora in grey, that I would love to make into this gaiter....but it is not going to happen unless I get some help....sending out an s.o.s.

my basket of goodies

http://riverrim.bravehost.com/yarn.jpg

color theory in winter

This latest snowfall combined with sub zero temps, has given me new awareness to the world of color around me. This snow is very powdery and frosty. You can see the 6 sides of the snowflakes, and the sunlight (when it shows itself) makes thousands of little prism's over the surface of the snow. In the sunlight the snow is a blinding yellow white, but once the sun went behind a cloud, the snow turned a light blue white color. Although the landscape is basically white, gray and green, it inspires me to want to work with rich, vibrant and warm colors!
So, while I was outside shoveling (whining to myself about how I would rather be indoors and spinning), I started to think about what kind of yarn I would like to make. Naturally, I considered what wool I had cleaned and dyed and was waiting in the wings to be spun. I had the wool from the butternut dye-bath, and the goldenrod and the marigolds, and the hopi sunflower...but the colors were not doing it for me. Why had these colors seemed so pleasing and subtle during the month of October, and now, they seemed drab and washed out. Did the color fade? OR WAS IT ALL ABOUT LIGHT?? All these thoughts about color and light refractions etc. start to dominate my thoughts.
When I went inside I perused my bookshelves looking for my old copy of A.H. Munsell's "A Color Notation", hoping to find my answer. I am aware that I could be asking for trouble, this could lead me down the path of frustration and "over analysis". Attempts in the past to "understand color" have not always been satisfactory. Here are a few tidbits from Munsell that I have been chewing on.
On color balance or visual comfort:
"Color balance soon leads to a study of optics in one direction, to aesthetics in another, and to mathematical proportions in a third, and any attempt at an easy solution of its problems is not likely to succeed."
TRANSLATION: NO EASY ANSWER HERE.
On color Physiology:
"Back of the eye lies that function which discriminates various color sensations and proceeds to act upon them. This color judgment is swayed by several factors and is liable to deception...such as freshness or fatigue of the nervous system which may cause delusions, known as retinal fatigue."
TRANSLATION: DO ANY OF US EVER SEE THE SAME COLOR AT THE SAME TIME?
On Color Arrangement:
"A colorist is keenly alive to feelings of satisfaction or annoyance, and consciously or unconsciously he rejects certain combinations of colors and accepts others. This effort to establish pleasing proportions may be unconscious in one temperament, while it becomes a matter of definite analysis in another."
TRANSLATION: I KNOW WHAT I LIKE, BUT DO I KNOW WHY I LIKE IT?
So color remains a mystery, but it fascinates me. I might even spin up some plain white finn wool and break open a bottle of the RIT DYE!!!

pour it on Gran!

That is what you will hear everyone around here yelling to the person who is tending the stove. When my husband was a young man in his teens, whenever he had time away from school, he used to stay with a family and work on their farm. He once told me that the Grandmother used to stoke the coal stove early in the morning and late at night (when the boys were upstairs in bed). They used to yell out at her "Pour it on Gran!", whenever it was extremely cold. This was to encourage her to add MORE than the usual shovel or two of coal, and pour the bucket! So, that story stayed with us and usually surfaces when the tempatures drop. And drop they have! This morning it was 3 degrees on the "how low did it go" thermometer, and a reading of 7 degrees at the bus stop.

If I did not have to go to town after feed for the rabbits, I would have stayed close to the stove today. And if I stayed close to the stove, I would have missed the beautiful scenery along the river on the way to town. I counted seven bald eagles and 1 pheasant. The sky was a bright blue and all the waterfalls have frozen solid to the rocks along the cliffs. The river is starting to freeze over in the calm spots, and the ski areas are busy shooting show all over the slopes. Tonight we are expected to dip below zero...good thing I put the flannels on the beds!

Finally finished plying the dark shetland with the oatmeal color. This was a good exercise for me, because the contrast shows just how consistent the plying is. I used a method in Amos' book, combined with a method from Patty Z. I plied slower than usual, but it was worth it to take my time and do it right. The finished yarn reminds me of pine cones. It is a brown and oatmeal barber pole kind of twist, that when taken off the niddy noddy and turned into a skein resembles pine cones for some reason. I got 186 yards with a wpi of approx 12. I am happy with it and have decided that I will make more of the same.

As for those size 13 dpns ...I finished them. Price of dowels=35cents, time invested to sand them down and stain and wax=45 minutes. Knowing I saved myself almost $20.00=priceless! Lesson learned, if you need some wooden needles, make them yourself! When they were finished, I dug out the mitten pattern that started the whole project in the first place, and tried it out. It was definitely worth it. They were soooo much fun to make and went sooo fast. I found the pattern on Stasias Place of Grace. I will be making more of these, you can make a pair in hour or two! I used some Alpaca that I had spun last year around this time. I had spun it loose and lopi and had never used it for anything because it was rather heavy for anything large. IT was perfect for the mittens. They are very soft and cushy....and warm!

happy distaff day!

My friend Judy sent me this little fyi in an email today: DISTAFF DAY (JANUARY 7) The day after Epiphany was traditionally the one on which women went back to work after the 12-day Christmas celebration. A distaff is the wooden rod (staff) that holds the flax or wool on a spinning wheel. The word distaff came to refer to both women's work and the female branch (distaff side) of the family. The women's husbands did not go back to work until the following Monday, so they would mischievously try to set fire to the flax on their wives' distaffs, while the women, lying in wait, would douse them with buckets of water. The English poet Robert Herrick wrote:

If the maids a-spinning goe
Burn their flax and fire their tow.
Bring the pails of water then
Let the maids bewash the men.

So I guess this gives me a good excuse to do some spinning today! It is quite cold this morning. A reading of 9 degrees when I went out to feed the rabbits and chickens at 7:30am. I am so glad that I checked in the garden day before yesterday. The rain had finally melted all the snow off of everything, so I decided to take a walk around and check things out. I wandered over to the bed where the carrots and beets had been growing. I last picked the carrots just before Thanksgiving. I left a few in the ground for the rabbits (they were small and schmeily), but they must have been happy under all of the snow! I wound up harvesting a good gallon of purple and orange nantes. Some of the nantes were as big around as a door nob! They will be good in the stew!
I am looking forward to watching the PA Farm Shownext week. The Sheep to Shawl Contest is on Wed. The pa cable network will televise it again this year. I just heard from my friend that Greta Dise of Yorktown spinners and Persimmon Tree Farm, will be in the contest again this year. They have been the first place winners for the past few years! They do beautiful work...and I hope they win again.
Bundle up in your hats, mittens, and scarves and throw another log on the home fires!

there is a porcupine in the hemlock

and he is doing damage nightly! It did not bother me too much before Christmas, as the daily chore of picking up hemlock branches and putting them in the barrel was a rather festive procedure...but now it is getting old. I have half a mind to sneak out there after o'dark hundred and shine the flashlight on old Erethizontidae, except I might shake him up and have him fall out of the tree (leaving more quills stuck in the ground to add to my collection). I suppose that I should be glad that he is not chewing on the porch door as he has done in years past.
I finished the November Triloom except for the fringe. I am happy with the finished product. I plan to start a new weaving as soon as I take this one off the loom. I am going to start a tartan plaid, so I will be researching the design. I think I will use the Graham Tartan if possible.
I have also finished the shetland hat and was not happy with the finished size. I had Mark bring home some dowels from work, so I will make some bigger needles to use. I had tried to purchase some size 13 dbl points at the Walmart, but they do not stock anything larger than a size 8....so ....if you want something around here, you best make it yourself. That is what I get for moving to the boonies.
I purchased my bunny yesterday. I have decided to call him Jack. He is black ...so ...black Jack rabbit seemed a fitting name. I cannot wait to go and get him. The weather has been extremely mild, but they say that the bitter cold is on the way. The river was high and misty all day, but it smelled like spring just the same. I think the January thaw has come early...happy new year!

a christmas bunny

I am very excited to report that I got an email from Claudia at Countrywool telling me that I have a shot at owning one of the new born bunnies! I am very happy about this, as I have had my name on a waiting list and had almost forgotten about the possibility of getting one of these. The bunny will be able to come home with me after the 2nd of February (yet another reason to look forward to groundhogs day!) I told my two does that they will be having a new beau around to impress soon...they cannot wait either!

I am trying to resist the last minute urges I have to start a pair of mittens or a scarf or something. I still have wrapping to do, so it would be foolish of me to put the pressure on now....still it has me wondering why I feel compelled to do this! It must be that I have no current projects going on the needles. I could always finish the weaving that is on the loom, but that would not scratch the itch to start something NEW!

The chickens had a wonderful day out strolling around. The temps went above freezing for a change, and the girls came out to stretch their legs and get some fresh air. You would never know that today was the first day of winter (arriving at 2:04 am), or the December solstice. It is also the shortest day of the year. One of my aracuna hens thought it was so nice today that she decided to come out of her molt, and laid me a pretty blue egg! Tomorrow, they forcast temps in the 50's...time to break out a Hawaiian shirt!

local show

Just time to make a quick note about the show yesterday. I had a better time than I expected. After my nerves settled down, I had fun talking to folks that were interested in watching me spin. It is amazing how many people have never seen a spinning wheel in action. It is equally amazing how many people think that no one does this anymore! The best part of the day was showing the kids how it works. I must have had twice as many boys watching me (and the wheel with fascination) than girls. Overall, it was a good day. I didn't clean up (I did not expect to)..but I did ok and made a few good contacts and received positive feedback.
Now it is time to kick into over drive and put the petal to the metal on last minute x-mas stuff!
Oh, here is a link to a site for handmade soaps. I have never purchased any, but I am sure to do so very soon, as I met the personable and talented Lori Sickley. I hope to meet with her again soon.

Apple tree is full

When I said that deer season had come to an end, I meant for the people in this house. The season officially ends tomorrow. Last evening there was a knock at the door and a very good neighbor, friend, (and hunter) had a beautiful buck for us. Guess the freezer won't be empty after all!
I am so busy getting ready for the craft show that is being held tomorrow. I have a very bad case of cold feet. I really like making things, but dislike peddling my wares. I will be spinning at the show/sale, so maybe I will just hide behind the table and my wheel!

Apple tree is empty

The apple tree is empty-translation-the guys didn't tag a deer-translation-my freezer has a cold wind whipping through it. So, deer season has come to an end, and my apple tree is empty. Well, I don't actually have an apple tree, but around here the really good hunters I know hang their deer in the apple tree before they get to the freezer. (This is not to ward off other deer from stealing apple from the tree next year.) We hang ours in the maple, but either way...the tree is empty this year. Next year they guys will get a doe license and fill the freezer. From what I hear, most people have an empty apple tree this year. It kind of reminds me of the part in the christmas story movie, where the Bumpasses dogs eat the turkey and the old man says..."no turkey, no turkey leftovers, no gallons of turkey soup...."...we are saying, no venison roasts...no deer steaks...no venison stew...and worst of all..no JERKEY! Many thanks to Spaide who shared a bag of his famous homemade jerkey! The advertisements on the top of this page have changed from yarn to hunting! That is an example of life along the riverrim!

now that is a lot of bear

The numbers are starting to roll in and it looks like they will top three thousand! The biggest one I heard of weighed in at 864 lbs! Tomorrow is the last day, so we will see who holds the record. My neighbor took a small male off our mountain yesterday afternoon around 4:10pm. He had to call for help dragging him out (must be around 150-200lbs) and finally got him down and over the stone walls by moonlight. Still not much going on the deer...my guys went out on opening day but did not even get a shot off. Its the same story all over, I suspect the deer are bedding down in preparation for this storm that is coming in.

I have been very busy preparing for the craft show, which I come to find out today has been cancelled on account of the storm. In some ways this is good as I have more time to do fibery things. ..however...I should be getting out the christmas decorations! Looks like this storm could be a doosey...I got the shovels out and tucked the chickens in! (sent them to bed with the Halloween pumpkin to nibble on tomorrow) Anyone care to tag in with snow totals??