March already

Mar25

Well, it’s been a awhile since I’ve posted. Sorry about that, but it’s been the season of the Doldrums. Not fully winter with all its beauty and not fully spring with all it’s beauty. That in-between stage with lots of mud and rain and mud and warmish today and back to freezing tomorrow… you know.

And then we had that slide a few weeks ago that cut us off from town. So today, since they have the higher route plowed and open (it’s usually closed for the winter) we decided to go to Redding. The view from the top almost makes the trip worthwhile. We truly live in a beautiful country. I only hope we can keep it that way. Between SP & the pot growers clear cutting and spraying defoliant.

It was a sea of fog in the valley, but the ‘sea’ looks very different from above. Looking back west toward Billy’s Peak and home. That’s the last peak there on the right. We live at the foot of it.

Looking east we can see that Mt Shasta has a nice white covering, too. Elevation for Billy Peak is 7275′, while Shasta is 14,180′ which will explain the difference in the depth of the white part.

But in town I got some new yarn, which Jane Grogan (Teacher from Wisconsin) pointed me to. It might be interesting, at least. It’s a Red Heart yarn called “Scrubby” and is supposed to make face washers and pot scrubbers. I have a hard time imagining one for both uses! lol My face gets dirty, but not, I hope as dirty as my pots and pans! Well, I will weave up a couple today and give them the Test and let you know what I think about this. I think Red Heart is taking this opportunity to turn it’s reputation for scratchy acrylics into a virtue!

The sun is out this morning and the primroses, daffodils and forsythia are blooming. The weeping willow is leafing out and the buds on the peach are getting fa,. signs that spring may arrive after all! Hope you are getting those good signs where you live as well!

The Big pin loom

Feb9

The Mat Maker loom is the one to choose if you like working BIG. It is Loom is 14 x 21.5”. The finished rectangles can be made into bags, pillows, throws… the possibilities are us to you!

Weaving strips of leftover “fleece”.

Yarns, fabric strips woven with a cotton yarn, the “fleece”. The red, white and black are tee-shirt selvages from a factory, given to me. This one also used cotton yarn was a weft.

A rug from Pendleton Mills woolen selvages and one using the I-cord I did on the little knitting machine using some lace-weight yarn. I rather like this one.

Happy Thanks Giving!

Nov14

And I hope, for all of us, a grateful one. In spite of our griping, we all have many things to be thankful for. I am thankful for family and for having some of them here this weekend & next. I’m thankful for hubbies swearing away in the kitchen, putting down badly needed new flooring, and thankful for my early xmas present, a new camera! so I can show you all what’s happening. He’s a little blurry since I shot just as he was getting up off the new floor but you can see that he is hard at work. It’s going to be nice! There are occasional advantages to being married to the contractor. 🙂

But I have been weaving, too. My Florida sis and her dh are among the expected guests and I kind of thought they’d be a little chilly up here, even tho the forecast says the snow level probably won’t get below 4000′. But, just in case, I made us all new ear flap hats! If you are on Ravelry you may have seen them already but I am going to share here anyway. Himself is modeling. But I wore mine walking the other morning when it was 24 degrees and I can tell you, they work! And they are all, excepting the maroon one which is handspun wool, at least partly acrylic. All the earl flaps are a thick chenille-like acrylic/nylon and also very warm. If you think you might like to make one, you’ll need two 12″ squares and two 7″ triangles for the flaps, folded in half. The rest is trim.

So I hope this helps you have a warm Thanksgiving walk!

The other thing I am grateful for is having so many wonderful sharing weaving friends! Thank you all!

Hazel & Randy

Looks like Fall

Nov2

We have frost warning’s and the weather page is starting me mention snow levels. The chances of it this week are slim, but it’s encouraging to see it mentioned again. We had some rain yesterday, tho not a lot. But I have been knitting on my 2 year (so far) sweater just have one sleeve to go. And today starting a doll sweater for an ‘Along’ in my doll group.

I have the tunic, previously mentioned as ‘vest’ put together but am having a problem with it. A lot of people have told me they like the colors and the length but I am not happy with either. I think it’s too long and too gaudy. I’m going to try to over dye it to dull it down some and them I’ll consider length. It’s the sitting problem, you know what that does to loosely woven or knit fabric. 😦 Take my word for it that it looks better here than it does on me. Himself was supposed to get a picture for me as my little camera is being contrary, but he hasn’t had time yet, he says. But I have also got started on my Xmas yarn. Progress of a sort… And no presents made this year. Ah well… Hope your November is starting off on a high note!

BOO!~

Oct24

On The Road Again…

Sep15

Here we go again. First to Booneville and then to Canby for OFFF. I haven’t got any new projects to show you unless you want to see my pints of green beans and the black berry and peach jam. It’s the tag end of summer so you know the garden is priority. But I have a neighbor taking care of it for these next two weeks. She’ll get the beans for awhile. The squash bushes are slowing down finally! lol But I have a couple new things to show at the fairs so do come look if you can make it.

We’re all on edge here these days about the fire danger. The woods are a tinder box so I hope everyone is being extra cautious. It takes very little to set one off and they go wild once started as I am sure you are all seeing in the news. It makes me a little nervous to leave just now. Not that there is much anyone can do once a fire gets going except pray for rain. There is rain in the forecast for tomorrow but it doesn’t sounds like it will be a drought ending storm. However, any will be welcomed.

Hoping to see you at the fairs!

Busy Fall

Aug31

Yeah, it’s that time of year again. We’ve been in the shop a lot this summer and I think we’re ready for September. The days are getting shorter and the nights — and days— are cooler. Kids back in school, summer trips a memory, time to get into the yarn bins and get out your looms again. I have got a couple new things to show, among then two patchwork shirts that will be for sale. I have more patches but only got two finished. And it’s wool show season again!

And meantime, in case you have missed it, we are having fun on Ravelry’s Looms To Go playing with pulled thread designs on our Mutli looms. Weavers are finding lots of interesting patterns and sharing.

And for those fellow doll enthusiasts there’s also a thread weaving for them currently!

We’ll be heading to Arcata to the Natural Fibers Fair this coming weekend. Next is the California Wool and Fiber show and then as always, Oregon Fiber Festival! We’ve going to be on the road for most of the month. And this week we have a treat– my brother and wife are here visiting. That’s always fun. They are starting a two month long journey in their new RV. Going cross country to visit family on both sides.

So… We hope to see as many of you as can make it to the shows.

Happy Weaving!

Hazel

WOO-HOO!

Jul10

CORN! This is the first of my Alaskan Corn, guaranteed to grow in short season country. My first ever ears of corn, even if they are a bit “bite sized”! I’m delighted!

Off these 3′ tall stalks.

Our Summer Trip

Jun23

We’re home again. Two weeks on the road is at least a week too much! lol We had a great time and met lots of people and made some new weavers and increased the stash for some others. Here’s one weaver who brought her project to BSG to share. Love that! Also the one from last year at OFFF. Pat Cane does some extra by weaving in strands of the opposite colors to blend her triangles very cleverly together. Isn’t it lovely?! I love seeing the projects you all weave!

I made a new doll dress with squares I wove demoing the looms here at the show, too. And met another Dolly weaver who bought my pattern book. Nanette has promised to share when she gets something made for her Granddaughter! Here’s mine.

But besides the two shows, Big Sky Fiber Festival in Hamilton. Montana and Black Sheep Gathering in Eugene, Oregon, we visited the country along the way. I have so many pictures I could not possibly share them all but here’s a few. What a beautiful country we live in!

On our way up we stopped at an alkali lake in Eastern Oregon. A “rain” storm and a sunset.

Then we picnicked on top of the world in Montana.

On the way back we camped in a great park on a lake near Sandpoint, Idaho.

And I almost got a photo of the paddle wheeler on the Columbia Gorge coming home, on the border of Oregon and Washington. We were in Oregon, looking back at Washington across the way. I took this out the truck window across the railroad tracks.

We had a great trip but, as always are glad to be home. the garden has gone wild with summer coming on so will have some catching up to do there and are working hard to get orders shipped out as well. Randy has looms to make and contractor jobs to do as well. But we’re home now until September…

Hope your summer is filled with fun and not too hot!

Spring

May8

It’s the 8th of May and the roses are in full bloom. Definitely an early spring. A little cool this week and windy but still getting a lot of gardening done. My Alaskan corn is up and growing. this is going to be an interesting experiment. It is a small corn designed to grow in adverse conditions. I think the weather this year qualifies for that! But I thought that if it is successful in Alaska it ought to produce a couple ears down here. X your fingers!

Meantime,. I have not made any progress on the demo vest. I am thinking I may just give up and do the cut and sew. At least I’d have a vest I could wear. I don’t suppose everything has to be a big challenge, some thing can just be easy, huh? And I got out my bag of squares which I think are wool or silk or…? I’

ve forgotten, only that they are not likely to be machine washable. I am putting a couple things though the gentle cycle this morning and am adding one each of these blocks just to determine what will happen. If they dont’ entirely ruin, I will go from there. I am thinking another vest. This one ought to be lighter weight, tho, more fit for cool summer mornings and evenings.

Meantime back to spring… the rhubarb is also ready! I’m not a fan of strawberries with it but I made it half and half with a couple sweet apples and it is just yummy! Tamed the Rhubarb a bit and gave the apples a little jazz. We’ve made big holes in two pies so far and I have the makin’s for a 3rd! I think I’ll wait until next week with that one as sis is planning a trip down.

Hazel Rose

My Life in the Country

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