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Jam Day

Aug14

Today it was blackberries and peaches. The peaches are windfalls but it looks like I need to get out there and pick them as they are falling at a touch. All pretty small as, once again, I did not get them thinned as I should, it’s so hard to pick off those baby peaches! I was hoping I could just pit them and run them though the squeezo but  everything wanted me to peel them, including my conscious. I was pretty sure I’d end up with fuzz in my jam if I did it the lazy way so I peeled. I got 5 pints from the peaches and two & a half from the black berries. I didn’t notice if he took the berry bucket when he went to work on the waterworks today but he’s been gone quite a long time so it’s suspicious!

That brown spot in the background is the basket of peaches.

I measured out for a batch of jam and put the rest in ice cube trays to use in my ‘smoothies’.

I have never run the peaches though the squeezo before but I am hoping this will give me a more consistent jam. Even using the Pomona it tens to separate doing it the regular way. I end up with chopped peaches on top and peach jelly one the bottom. We’ll see. I didn’t think the last blackberry was going to set up but it did, Sis says Pomona makes it more like Jello than jelly but I don’t have any problem with it. I don’t just use juice, I use pulp so maybe that makes a difference. Or maybe I am just less picky! Anyway, none of this got sugar. The berries were sweet enough without and so, of course, were the peaches.

I’ll probably pick the rest tomorrow but won’t be making jam or canning as the laundry bin is over flowing! Kitchen is cleaned up and it time to start dinner. I’m cooking by a recipe tonight!

Busy Summertime!

Aug10

It’s been a really busy and fast moving summer now that it’s gotten going! Cabin rental have kept me busy washing sheets and towels! lol We’ve been pretty lucky and have gotten very nice people in. Only one ‘bad apple’ but for the most part it’s been fun meeting people.

And it’s garden season, of course. And as usual everything gets ripe at once making it hard to keep up! Still working in the shop and weaving when I get a few minutes. But the pantry is beginning to fill up again! Zucchini is hitting it’s stride!  lol Made one batch of sweet relish and 18 mini loaves of bread from them and the basket is filling up again! The peaches are just a few days from being ready I’m afraid, wish they’d hold off for a week! And he’s picking blackberries. Made one batch of jam. He also brought me two more bucket of plums, they’ll keep a few days. The tomatoes are getting fat but I don’t think we’ll have a big crop this year, enough to can, I mean after the gopher episodic this spring. Well, It’s cooled off anyway so that make it more fun to be in the kitchen! lol

T-storms mostly went around us but about 1am last night they got close enough for the flashing and booming to wake me up. A lot of o=it was cloud to cloud =, I think. The kind that wounds like it’s ripping the sky apart! But I’m sure there were some ground strikes as well. But we did get a pretty good shower with it, which will help. Still over cast and cool this morning, 80% chance of more t-storms and rain but nothing so far.

I am weaving but that’s a Secret for awhile. Working on my sweatpants and got some yarn from a Lion Brand sale to make a shirt to go with it. that’s not secret and also is only being worked on it the ‘odd’ moment.

A little hint on the secret.

 

And this is the yarn for my shirt, eventually! This wasn’t intended to be an Art Shot, but IO liked it so kept it even if it doesn’t give much info. Sorta like the photos we get in knitting magazines. Very nice photography, too bad you can’t make heads or tails of what the pattern looks like!

Weill, Himself is out making looms, which will come to me soon and I have beds to make and things to can so better get off this manchine and get busy! Hope your summer is filled with fun tasks!

Starting August already!

Jul30

Been playing catch-up after our trip, loom orders, chores, garden, Himself putting brakes on truck and my car, and we tackled Le Shed! I am overjoyed at that! It has been such a mess that I could hardly even get in to find anything. Quite a bit went bye-bye and the rest got “organized”- and I use the tern loosely. There is still some sorting to do but at least everything is back on shelves and not just stacked around.

Mostly ‘stuff’ , with some yarn. The old dresser is outa here, too.

There goes the twin bed to the garage.

He caught me heaving another box out.

It’s all put away now and he’s built new shelves so some of the ‘stuff’ in the house can move out there, too! Now back to garden.  The beans need canning and there is enough zucchini for a batch of relish. He gripes about eating too much zucchini but loves it in this form! I picked a couple bell peppers and some small cherry tomatoes today, too. The chard is doing well and the late planted kale is about ready to cut. Lots of melons & pumpkins coming on and I think some of the beets are starting to make roots as well. So I’m going to be busy. It only got to 97 today. Canning weather? Gasp.  😉

Maybe it’s time to try out our nearly full lake!

Insert wolf whistle?

Have a nice week!

 

 

Home again…

Jul20

We’re back home again after our two weeks on the road. It was a trip I really needed, I think DH did as well. After Black Seep Gathering we had a week before The Grazing hills event the next weekend so we spent the time wandering though NE Oregon and into Washington via back roads, avoiding the major highways as much as possible. We stayed in State or USFS campgrounds and on occasion just bushwhacking. Here’s our first encounter with an automated flagman!

Automated flagman!

Seafoam blooming at/in window!

It was still springtime up in the higher elevations and a nice wet winter has everything green and blooming. Warm, not hot, days, cool nights, no internet or phones… it was wonderful! By the time we reached Viola, Idaho, we were relaxed and ready for the next event. Katie, Christine, and crew did a great job with this new event. It was well organized, well advertised, well laid out, just an all around excellent fair, especially for a first time event! Lots of other vendors and very friendly people. We got to see new born alpacas taking their first wobbly steps, and chatted with lots of old and new friends. I had a class of 6 new weavers there and at Albany and I hope I was able to inspire them to continue with this fun craft. The grocery bag wind socks were a popular item and certainly put on a show on this windy hill top! Lovely rolling hills farm country!

Viola Booth

One row of vendor booths on Sunday morning. Sunday morning is a slow time at fairs. We had lots of people Saturday and Sunday afternoon.

So now we have a couple months to get ready for OFFF and Lambtown! Check out those events, too, if you have not already done so.  And the garden is into production. I will have to pick beans again today. Randy pulled his crop of carrots and has replanted. I dunno if they’ll do much this time of year but as I have failed at carrots, I’ve turned them over to him! I’ll need to harvent some turnips today, too, as I see there are leaf munchers enjoying those plants!

First harvest! Not bad for a first time! And my first zucchini didn’t make it into the photo!

Randy has gone off with a neighbor to work on the water works up Treasure Creek. The spring run-off took out both the Beavers Dam and his own control system. People down stream are worried about their fishes, most politely, one forgetting that having this water is not her “right” and wording her concerns is less than acceptable ways. Ah well, not everyone is a happy person. Too bad.

And I now have a new ‘toy’! A summer resident and friend has given me his late wife’s knitting machine. She was a beautiful lady and will certainly be missed by everyone who knew her. I hope to be able to learn how to use her classic machine. But I am still weaving, never fear! lol

New projects coming up!

Hope your summer is not too hot or too busy!

 

 

More Finished UFO’s

Jun6

Okay, I’m late posting again but it is June, busy weather as I’m sure you know. Got the garden Mostly in, but it keeps going from cold and wet to blazing hot, not good for gardens or people! Today is over cast but not raining. Yet. Forecast is for clearing and moderate temps. I’ll believe it when I see it…

…Like you do with my promised posting!  Ah well. I frogged the supposed shrug as it was a garment no one could wear. Now it’s just a plain tunic, comfortable but not very flattering for me. There is no shaping, I could not find a belt but as I have no waist, I’m not sure that would matter. I thought of letting Madelyn model it but it’s way too big for her.

But here it is laid out flat. The neckline was a picot, bind off. The sleeves an applied I-Cord.  The hem also Picot bind off. I picked up the stitches, knit around and then worked the BO.

 

12″ Alpaca squares woven in three colors

Picked up stitches, worked 3 rows of stockinet- knit side inside so it would curl to the right side and then the Picot Bind off.

Applied I-cord for the sleeve.

Picked up hem stitches then knit in the round one round and bound off with the picot stitch. I didn’t want this one to curl.

And I found an anonymous old lady to model it. I think I need some sleeves under but this yarn does not sit well over clothing. It sticks and refuses to drape as it should. Works like your old sunday school flannel board! lol But this yarn is soooo comfy! Even tho it isn’t really a flattering garment I might wear it a lot just because it feels so good! I am at least happy that I finally found a use for all those squares and that lovely yarn.  Now I just have a vast selection of demo squares to make into something. And as we are coming up in fair season again I think I should plan a bit better with yarn choice so that I have a better chance of actually using the squares I weave while showing folk how it’;s done.

It was suggested  I do a WAL for making pants. I wasn’t thrilled with the idea but I saw a pair this morning somewhere that I think just might work this way. I wonder if I could possibly find that photo again… What’s chances? lol

Up next is…

Apr9

It was supposed to be my new sweater but  was not working out for that. I bought this alpaca yarn on a good sale as it was being discontinued so I have a limited amount to work with. It’s Blue Sky, I’m sure I can get more. I think it was just the colorways that were being discontinued. Anyway, I think I found a way to use all these 12″ squares. It’s a knitting pattern but so simple that it will work for the squares. It’s just a matter of will it fit me?! I’m forging ahead and hoping for the best! lol

So here’s my layout. I have enough (I hope) Navy to knit the ribbing. If not I also still have some of the colors so it could be as colorful, almost, as the squares. Well, these are the blocks but I cannot get a picture of my present layout. It’s a camera issue. But this one is going to take awhile as I did not weave the ends in as I went. I’m sure I have advised you to do so, in the past. I guess this is another case of “do as I say, not as I do!’ lol It will be sewn together with an overhand stitch. Pinned each time to avoid stretching out of shape. It’s a very soft yarn. Soft and drape-y.

 

       

The other thing is that it is also getting toward gardening season. The rain (knock knock) has stopped and the sun is out. Water is quite high in streams and the lake. We’ll have a full lake this summer! Took a ride north yesterday and got a picture of Scott Mountain creek! It hasn’t run like this in years! I wish you could hear it as well. It was Roaring!! Love it! all the branch creeks and seasonal streamlets were adding to it and by the time it reached the Trinity River and on down the canyon to join Coffee Creek, that one was roaring as well! But CC does not seem close at all to flood tho a lot of people who have moved up here in recent years may be a bit anxious since they’ll never have seen spring run-off.

 

Happy New Year 2019

Jan6

All my resolutions to keep this blog regular have failed so I guess I’ll just promise to do it when I think of it this year!  sigh….

  

But today it’s snowing. Lovely! If we get enough of this stuff maybe we won’t have such a “hot” summer this year!

Elsewhere I have been busy in the shop, & I’m signed up to teach a pin weaving class at Black Sheep this year. I’m a little disappointed that they did not take my more advanced class but am happy to be teaching the beginner class anyway. That’ll be the 4″ Multi, if you are interested. I’m going to offer the advanced class to OFFF and Lambtown. Maybe one of them will take it.

     I got out the peg loom and my Pentdelton Mills selvages with weaving a rug in mind. However, my sample turned out way too thick for a kitchen rug, which is what I had in mind, so I guess I’ll make a set of chair pads instead. My sample is rather pretty, even dh said so.

   And today I baked my Windmill Cookies. I paid $7 for a little jar of Mace so I thought I’d better use it. And I’ll see if I can find some other uses for this fancy spice. I like the flavor but it won’t go with everything.

And I read that modern mother’s like sleep sacks for their babies rather than blankets. I have to admit it makes sense. They were talking about babies smothering in the blankets. That seems unlikely to me, I never heard of a baby smothering in it’s blankets and the only problem I’ve ever found with them is keeping the baby covered. They sometimes kick them off in the night so that’s why I think the sleep sack is a good idea. It’s kind of like the old gown with the ribbon tied at the bottom, Kind of an extra long sweater with the hem sewn shut. I’m going to make one for my niece’s girl, due in April. Still trying to decide on the yarn to use.  The snow is so pretty, but I’m not wading out to the yarn shed today. I’ll wait until it’s done and not quite so cold and wet! But I have some alpaca squares I wove for a sweater for myself but found that I am not going to have enough. Maybe I’ll make one using those. Not exactly baby colors but maybe modern mother’s don’t do pink and blue anymore, either.

And I’m in a KAL with the doll knitters. That’s for movie evenings. Well, That’s about it. I think tonight will be comfort food. I’m thinking something featuring macaroni and tuna. Hope the power stays on….

Hope your new year is getting off to a lovely start!

 

My Christmas Shelf Elf!

Dec14

Came down with His cold despite my care so spent yesterday sitting and weaving. And blowing my nose. What fun… not. But I think Mr. Elf turned out pretty cute.

I have the project written up and will make it available soon.  If my brain is up to the technical stuff involved!

It’s raining heavily, was also blowing earlier. Rain and wind are not a good combo, but I am glad to see the rain in any case. Temperature is sitting at 38 so snow at our elevation unlikely but you never know what might happen once the sun sets. The Weather Wizards are not optimistic for our chances of white. Is that optimistic or pessimistic? When it comes to snow I’m never sure! lol

Hope you are all having a great December!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Nov20

We do have some things to be thankful for this season. For me, getting my big printer to finally accept my new computer is a biggy! But mostly we are thankful that we are finally getting RAIN! Supposed to start tonight. Well, there is always a “fly in the ointment” isn’t there?! Snow level also dropping below pass level. But he thinks it won’t be enough at that elevation to cause a problem so we are going anyway. We could take my Gimmy which has 4-wheel drive, but he wants to get lumber so is going to take the truck, which doesn’t. I expect we’ll get over fine and have a nice Thanksgiving with Sis and her dh and plenty of shopping on Friday (Yikes! the only day we have for this) and then we’ll find out if we are going to get home or are going to have to go the loooong way round. But either way, I am thankful for this rain/snow ‘event’ finally here in California. I know it is going to be a mess for some people, those who have suffered through the fire have now to face a lot of black & nasty mud. But still better than fire.

Out west we have the heavy rain and back east you have more snow. So you all take care and if you are also going, do drive really safely! Here’s a little turkey and some corn for you!

Hazel

November

Nov9

Beautiful fall here this year but sooo dry! It is still fire season when we should be having rain and thinking about the first snow. Watching other places in California go up in smoke, it’s scary. Could happen here just as easily if someone gets careless. Please be safe!

But I’m doing a little “recreational weaving”! Ellie is getting ready for the party season! My camera is getting weird, tho and wants to digitize my downloaded photos! What’s up with that?!