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2025 in progress.

Jan5

I hope it’s progress, anyway. So far I just seem to be jammed with chores and projects left from 2024. Is that normal? I just rather thought I’d pretty much have the month of January off, a restful winter break. Ha! even Bah Humbug! Well, I broke down and made a LIST! I think here on Jan 5, I have managed to check off two things. It’s not that that’s all I’ve done, it’s just things on the list. I have manage to fill the day with chores in between list projects, some of which are at least underway. I think the problem is that I’m getting old. I used to be able to deal with all this and never even notice. Well, the Golden age is not living up to it’s name. It’s more like the Rusty Tin age! lol Ah well, enough bitchin’ for today.

I did manage to get one project woven on our invented circle loom. That was not actually on the list, just one of those things we’ve discussed in the past and it came up again while shopping at the GoodWill in Redding the other day. We bought a 12″ knitting loom. A plastic ring with pegs all around. I thought I could use it for a peg loom, but there turned out to be a few things I did not think of in my enthusiasm for the idea. Like that the pegs were only about an inch tall and there was no hole for the warp strings. But Himself came to the rescue and made a set of drilled pegs with dowels. The problem with the large circle is that there are too many warp strings in the center of the bottom to make a flat bottom. I was using some elderly Caron 100% Dacron rug yarn with the original price of 79 cents.  So the bundle of warp in the center was too big to bundle. I came up with a solution for that -after the fact- so it didn’t work very well here but I got a semi flat bottom to my bowl. I had planned it to be a basket but had to stop short this time. I’ll start from the bottom on the next one. I think it’ll work better. This one is only about 3″ deep. Himself thinks I could use this method to weave Rasta hats! I knitted one for my grandson years ago, like the 2nd one pictured. (That’s not mine, I can’t see to find a pic of it.) I guess it may be possible and I might try it later! The one with the braids definitely is a possible.

    

He’s making looms like crazy, I think he wants an entire years stock before the show season starts! lol I cannot keep up. Frankly, I’m not even trying to very hard. But I am getting things done in here tho they are still a little over whelming. Got the ceramic tree put back in storage. Got the houseplants back where they belong. My geraniums are all putting on blooms. I gave them a turn under the lights as they were not getting any sunshine from the widows lately and I didn’t want them getting really leggy. I guess the lights made them think it was spring. His 80 degree fires probably added to that! lol He can’t seem to get a Happy Medium. I just let it go out and rebuild when it starts cooling off but that is not the correct way according to him. I am not supposed to let it go out. Bah-Humbug! Ah well…We’ve only been married 40 years, I guess it takes time to get used to each others ways, huh?!

Just the two of us!

Okay, I spent a lot of time talking about how much I have to do so I supposed I ought to wish you all a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year and get on with my LIST! …and I do! I wish you all to accomplish just what you hope for this year and to stay safe in this chaotic world of today.

Hazel

Christmas Eve…

Dec24

Still morning before, actually, but close enough. Somehow I got involved with my stash storage/bedroom. Was not my intention to spend today that way! But things happen. It started out with Himself commenting on how hard it was to get to the movie storage with all my projects piling up there. So I started “organizing”. That’s a thing I never have been very good at but one thing lead to another and here I am. Nowhere. Yes, I got the pile of projects next to my chair cleared out so he can find his movies but we aren’t going to be able to go to bed tonight until I get this taken care off. It wasn’t bad enough with just my stuff but now I have a bunch of Rosy’s unfinished projects that I thought I could finish for her. Hummm… But it was getting a little crowded on my side of the bed as things kept piling up. Can’t get out to Le Shed these days as there is still snow in spite of the rain. And that hasn’t helped, making things slushier and harder walking. I’m probably going to have to tackle the closet, too, in order to make room for the stuff on the bed! It is a vicious circle, isn’t it?! That old ‘going though life But first’. I’ll put this away But First I have to straighten out the closet!

And to further complicate things, I found Rosy’s set of cable needles which I hunted for a couple weeks ago for some project I’ve already forgotten. And in that bag was a couple of letters I sent to her in 2021. Newsletters I was writing back then for our new customers. I would like to do that again if I can figure out how to go about it. Kind of a chatty ‘what am I working on now and here’s a couple ideas for you’ sort of thing.

I know we all have UFO’s stashed away somewhere, it’s just a natural side effect of crafting. But I think some of us get carried away. I got an Idea yesterday and spent the day working it out. I was quite happy with the results but now I have another newly started project in the quay and am feeling guilty about that! Ah well… I think I am going to have to be immortal if I am going to finish all my projects! I’m sure at least some of you have had the problem! Wait! Maybe I should get out my small animal trap and see if I can catch one of Santa’s elves tonight! It would be a big help. Elf magic ought to get most of this stuff taken care of! Gosh, I should have thought of that years ago!

However,  I still need to recover our bed so I guess I’d better just wish you Happy Christmas and get back to work!

Wishing You a Happy Christmas!

Hazel & Randy

 

The end for fire season and the beginning of fire season!

Nov16

Yeah, I know but they are two different things. In summer it means be careful and aware of wild fire. In winter it means heat when the morning temp is 29 degrees! And the snow level is around 35oo’ this morning and there are snow flakes in the forecast for the next week! Whether it happens or not remains to be seems but it was enough for him to crank up the chain saw again. The wood shed is pretty full but we don’t usually need to watch for snow this time of year so just in case, he’s working on the pile of madrone logs. These were fire killed trees from a few years ago that he was asked to remove. He says it leaves a lot of ash but it is a good hardwood and does produce heat. We are ready for winter, I think.

This time of year is full of pretty mundane chores. Today it’s laundry and I am baking a pie from dried apples. We dried these for snacks but neither of us much cares for them in this condition so I am rehydrating them for this pie. I did make a new bowl of snack mix. I eat a little of it but it is mostly his. I get the big bags of nuts from Costco and I bought a jug of pretzel ‘pillows’ to add to it this time. I discovered when I got it home that they are filled with peanut butter. That’s okay, I guess, but not what I was after. I guess I’m going to have to learn to read labels a little better! This batch of snacks has walnuts (he requested fewer), pecans, and almonds. I added some white chocolate which he likes but I am offended by them even calling it chocolate! And the sweet part is dried cranberries. Last time it was cherries so I’m not sure what his response to that is going to be. They taste sweet enough to me but he really has a sweet tooth so may not see it that way. I can guarantee it’ll disappear anyway, tho!

But exciting new appliances! Well, yes, a housewifely thing, I suppose, but I really needed a new stove. I am still learning this one but so far I am delighted with it! It has an air fry and air bake setting on the oven which I have not tried yet. And a broiler which had died in my old one so that’s a good thing, too! And while we were there I also bought a new microwave as the number settings on the old one were quitting. For one, I could not set anything at 30 seconds, it had to be 31! That made for some interesting mental math for me. And the 5 had also quit. It was time!

I got several pair of jeans from my sister’s things and I took them up as they were too long for me, she having been a tall woman. However, they are all still too long for me. I know I’ve shrunk but didn’t think it was that much. It’s not fair, really, as I only seem to shrink in height, not width! Ah, well… That’s life, I suppose.

We’ve had rain for the last week and it was pretty heavy at times, bringing down the pretty autumn leaves.  I am sorry to see them go but if we’re going to get early snow, it’s good as trees with leaves still on tend to get broken or worse, they’ll fall which is hardly ever good for anything around them. But the drives to town these last couple weeks have been lovely. I tried to get pictures but haven’t gotten many good ones. There are enough deciduous trees to light up the forest of deep green with their yellow and gold and orange and reds. Sometimes the gullies running down the mountain sides look like water falls of gold! We’re not the Ozarks but just as beautiful. I think the contrast of the pines and firs show up the color better. This one is our driveway.

Randy cooked dinner this week. He does that every few years! Made his World Famous Beef Stew. We invited company for this momentous occasion and had a lovely time. The stew was good, too, and we had home baked (by me) bread to go with. And for the next two days! lol But it’s gone now and I’m back to doing the cooking. He’s taking about making lasagna but I am not holding my breath.

As for yarn… Well, I have not done any weaving lately but have gotten out my knitting needles and made a dress for one of my mini AG’s and am working on a project for another. The idea is to make them all new Xmas outfits but they are not all likely for that. It’s been a couple years since I did much knitting, tho and am enjoying it. She’ll need some shoes for this season I think! And maybe a shawl. She’s young but my arms  get cold these days. And like most Mom’s, if we’re cold, our kids need jackets!

But I think that’s probably more than enough for this posting! I hope you are having a lovely fall where you are, not too much rain or wind or snow. Thanksgiving in a week and then time to put up your tree if you have one of those. I think I’ll get out Momma’s Ceramic tree. It sets on the dining table. There’s not much room for a real tree in this small house and it’s just us two old people. I think the last time we had a real tree was when my oldest grandson was a toddler. Oh gosh, nearly 30 years ago!  But I hope you are looking forward to having family or friends around this season.

 Hazel

 

In hot central California…

Oct6

In hot central California..

Its Lambtown in Dixon. There were 7 enthuiastic weavers signed up for my lace class on Friday. We spent 6 hours exploring possibilites for the 4 inch looms. We also discovered that the one extra pin on the Multi loom does make a slight difference for weavers using that plastic one. And since the old Weave-its & Weavettes are also short corner pins, for them as well. But its not a big difference. If my row ends o1, u1, those will end o1. Or if it works better for the pattern, you can modify the start instead. Be creative… or buy a proper loom! ;-D

The other exciting thing this weekend is that Jane Grogan is here! If by any chance you are not aquainted with Jane, she is a well known teacher on our looms from Michigan & a friend. I will have a picture of us weaving on a peg loom, but will have to add that later. This afternoon I’Il be showing more weavers how to get going on tbeir peg looms.

We’re having a last blast of summer heat here in Dixon. Its predicted to hit 100 today. But they are keeping it cool in Madden Hall to encourage shoppers to remember that even here those lovely wool yarns  will soon be timely and weaving sweaters and socks comfortable again!

We’ll leave here on Monday morning, Katt will have to spend a few more days in the Weaverville Pet Motel, while we explore highway 88 & Carson Pass. Up there where the high for that day is predicted to be 68 degrees! A few degrees cooler than home. A ’few feet’ higher in elevation, too, of course! It sounds like a lovely place, just the right sort of vacation spot for a mountain girl! But then its home to finish the tag ends of the garden & making sure the woodshed is topped off and the summer tools put away… you know the sort of things that need doing before winter sets in.

But now it looks like its time to go to work. I’ll post pictures when we get home. Hope you are keeping cool & dry!

 

 

September– Autumn?

Sep4

I guess it must be autumn since the Poison Oak is turning red again.

The maples are still a kind of green, tho.

Our garden was pretty much a bust this year. I got maybe a half dozen tomatoes so far. There are quite a lot of green ones on the Rome and a few on the (un)Early Girl. Cut 4 scranny, miss-shapened bell peppers and harvested on ice cabbage, the lone survivor.  The squashes were doing good until the mole arrived and started digging around the roots. I did get one nice acorn, which we had for dinner last night, and there’s still  a butternut out there alive. Even the Zucchini Were pretty much a low producing crop this year. We had a fairly good crop of peas early on, but the beans refused to even germinate. My beets did germinate but failed in the end, too. Have a couple cukes producing but they are bitter. None of my kale, which has never failed me before survived. Oh well, Good thing last year was a bumper year, I still have canned things from then. We’ll try again next year. I have to admit that it was not a good gardening spring with being gone with Rosy so much so it may not be all the early too hot weather, which we are blaming it on.

But at least I didn’t have to spend the summer standing watch over a pressure canner! There’s always a bright side, isn’t there!

We’re now getting ready for the fall shows. First will be OFFF in Albany, Oregon Sept 21-22 and then shortly thereafter is Lambtown in Dixon CA, Oct 5-6. I don’t have classes at OFFF this year, thankfully, but two at Lambtown assuming anyone signs up. I’m offering a beginning peg loom class and a full day Weaving Lace. Lace That Shouts instead of Pale Pastel Whispering lace! Well, these patterns work for both, really, but I think more people today want to see bright colors and there’s no reason lace has to be saved for traditional weddings or baby things or old ladies nighty’s. When I was a teen you did not wear sequins or rhinestones on your jeans, in fact, you did not even plain wear jeans to school or church like I see today. But these days you can wear pretty much anything you like so why not lace? I can dye my hair pink or purple or even green if I should want to, another thing you just Did Not Do back then. I love that I can now. So we’ll be weaving some colorful lace to decorate jeans, tee shirts, or even those baby things. And if you are planning an unconventional wedding… Go for it!

   

In the Peg Loom class we be making a headband, it’s a fairly fast project and also a useful product, practical me has to include that virtue. But the loom is good for much more. This is one I did this summer. I bought some cleaned skirtings from a shepherd at fiber Fusion NW this spring and wove this rug on my 22″ Peg loom. It is so lush! Soft and thick and, I think, nice looking. I am not sure how well it will wear but I joined an peg loom weaving group on face book and see that this is a very popular rug among those weavers so I’m thinking it must hold up pretty well or it seems there would be some mention of that.  Anyway, here it is. I didn’t have all the weft tails cut when I took this, but you can see how cozy it looks. I can picture my always cold feet snugged up on that this winter!

  

So… what else? Well, I want to find time to dig up my over-crowded iris and transplant them to a mostly barren flower bed in front of our rental BnB cabin. There are iris out by the mailbox that were planted by the snow plow digging them up from the neighbors across the road and they are thriving and blooming each spring without the hand of man (or woman) helping at all so I think being in this mostly ignored flower bed and maybe being watered a few times in the summer, they ought to thrive nicely! There are day lilies that need thinning, too, but they seem to like more water so not sure they’d like it in that bed and frankly, I’m running out of room!

The weather has been pretty nice lately, highs in the upper 80’s, but they are ‘promising’ us 100+ later this week before that elusive rain they see in the future that keeps disappearing is set to arrive… again!! lol But be that as it may, I think I am nearly ready for winter. Not prepared, just ready, if you see the subtle difference! I hope you are also looking forward to the future. I hope it’s going to be a brighter one. This world could use some bright and we can help if we refuse to follow the nay sayers and Walk on the

Sunny Side of the Street! 

with Louie Armstrong, this was a big hit for him years ago.

Or maybe you like Frankie?

Cyndi Lauper

Well… not my decade! lol

How about Willie Nelson?

Actually l like his version.

But judging by how many popular singers have recorded this song, I think it tells me a lot of people are looking to walk in the sunny side! I hope you’ll find me there!

 

 

August!

Aug6

Summer is nearly over, heading into fall. Boy! This year is going fast. I have managed to get some of my List done this summer. I think I have the lace class for Lambtown ready and the Peg looms class as well. I am working on the fleece rug, that’s for Show and Tell. I bought this pound bag of clean skirting from a shepherd at Fiber Fusion in Washington this spring and am weaving a rug with my 22″ peg loom. I want to be able to take to show students in my class at Lambtown this fall. It’s very lush! Peg looms are so easy to weave and are a lot more versatile than you’d think. I’ve woven hats and bags and dog leashes to name a few. It’s not yet as long as I want it. I intend to full it some once it’s finished. Haven’t decided yet how to go about that.

Randy met another yarn lady from Trinity County today at the rest stop coming home from town. She expressed an interest in pin looms so I’m hoping she’ll join Pin Loom support Group.   Even tho she lives at the other end of the county it’ll be nice to have another ‘local’ person who weaves on pin looms!

 

The moles got into the garden and dug up one of my good winter squashes. Looks like one might survive but the other didn’t make it. I hope it stays out of the rest but am not holding my breath. The squashes are about the only thing that has done well this year. We got a late start because of the weather and being gone taking care of my sister. He did managed to get a pretty nice corn crop tho. The peas were doing okay until the hot weather. We only got a few bean plants but I have a two year supply canned up last year so that’s not going to be a problem! lol But I have to buy chard and kale, none of mine germinated this year. I think it was new seed so I’m not sure what the problem was.

The weather has been moderate here the last few weeks. We’ve had some days over 100 but also some under that number. In fact the forecast for this week is there and I’m looking forward to that. And my ‘lawn’ is blooming! It’s self heal and a few others. The bees love it and it is pretty. Actually my lawn is more plants than grass, tho there is quite a bit of that, too. We call it a meadow. In the spring it’s crocus and daffodils and then ox-eye daisies and red clover. Now the self heal and thyme is blooming. Bees love that, too. We have assorted Butterflies, different kind of bees and wasps, also other insects I can’t name, as well as hummingbirds and a bunch of other feathered neighbors. I am fond of the Stellar Jays. A lot of people think of them as noisy pests. I admit they are noisy but pretty and funny. They are smart birds.

 

Looking out the window, I see orange on my peach tree. I think its too early for them yet but I guess I’d better get out there and check. This might be the poor tree’s last crop. I can’t remember how old it is, they don’t live forever like apples, but it is getting old and has had a rough life the last few winters. I have a pretty nice crop on the little jam plums. I haven’t picked any, letting the jays have them this year since I inherited quite a bit of plum jam from Rosy. But I do look forward to the peaches. I’m wondering if I need to get a new tree already or if I can wait. This is some of last years crop.

Okay, I guess I’ve chatted on enough for this time. I hope you’re all safe and not too hot or too wet and not on fire at all!

    Back to playing with yarn! Happy weaving y’all!

 

 

It’s summer time…. July

Jul26

Hot last week, not quite as hot this week, repeat… We’ve been going to as much as 107 one week down to 89 the next and back again so far this month. Last heat spell was not quite as hot, which is a good thing. But mostly we stay indoors when it gets extreme. Mornings and evenings become time for outside tasks. The garden is pretty sketchy this summer, What with the last start and the extreme weather early on, it didn’t get planted on time and some things just don’t like the temps, I guess and aren’t doing well. But we are eating zucchini now at least! lol My chard and kale wee among those that didn’t like conditions so I’m having to buy my greens this year. But the black berries are starting to ripen.

Been getting some weaving done and working in the shop. I have two classes at Lambtown and have been getting stuff done for those.

Invited Cousin Dan down for dinner last night. Pizza. But just before he arrived the oven which was preheating, started smoking, and we discovered something under the bottom, was afire! Flames coming up though the vents. It got a little exciting for a bit, but Cuz enjoyed the fun, too. Turned out Katt has not been doing his job! A mouse had been stealing from his dry food bowel and, for some reason, storing it in the oven, just under the burners where it proved to be quite flammable. And it hadn’t been there long as I baked bread 5 or 6 days before and it was fine. But we got that out and we ended up baking the pizza in the Silver Fox Cabin oven. Good thing it was not rented this week! But we had a nice dinner and visit in the end so… all’s well that ends well, as the bard said.  A little excitement for the day, humm?

  It was pretty good.     Katt is heck on rubber snakes even if he does sleep though mouse raids.

My old peach tree has lost another branch so not going to have much of a crop from it this year, wither. it lost several last winter. It is reaching the end. I guess I’d better start looking for a replacement. I think I’ll try to find the same kind if I can find the name tag and identify it. it was a good producer for a long time in spite of spring weather, bloom time when it wants to rain or have a late freeze.

From August 2022.

Still missing Rosy. It just makes no sense that she should leave before me, being the youngest of us girls. I send her an email now and then but so far she hasn’t answered. It’s the pits.

  We were just goofing off,

 

It’s June already

Jun8

Well, this month didn’t start out well, with sis dying on the 7th. Ten days before her 78th birthday. The day she shares with my son’s 56th. Well, life does not go as it ought, does it?

But we went to Fiber Fusion in Monroe, Washington, and did well. I taught two classes and had 15 students altogether, all of them quite enthused about learning to weave and learning more about weaving on their square looms. Marion, who is vendor chair, took time off from her busy days to take both! Thank you Marion, I’m glad you found the time for some fun in all your hard work for us!!

 

The trip went well except for a couple small adventures. Every trip needs at least one of those, right? On the way up there was a loud crash-bang and we were showered with glass! I thought we’d been shot at! Randy pulled off the freeway and we discovered that a tiedown strap had broken and the buckle had hit the back window of the truck. It took out the whole drivers side slider. So we ended up with a garbage bag and some cardboard as a back window for the rest of the trip. And sometime during the return trip the brakes started malfunctioning. They worked, but not like he thought they should but we made it home safely and when he took it in to the shop yesterday they found the problem and fixed it. On the way home he ordered the new window, so we ought to be back in working order before Black Sheep Gathering the end of this month.  The only other thing of note was that when we left Monroe it was 63degrees and raining. when we got to Coffee Creek it was 99 and bright sunlight! But we’re adjusting!

We stopped at sis’s on the way home. I promised to help BIL with Rosy’s stuff. Started cleaning out her pantry. Rosy was a adventurous cook and there are products and seasonings that he will never use, some even I had never heard of. I brought some home  and some will be offered to his neighbor who has been cooking for him now and then but what David doesn’t want will be offered to the food pantry. And I picked up a fleece that I want to get ready to try to sell at BSG. There are a LOT of fleeces, Rosy was a Spinner. I loved that as I got a lot of very nice yarn. She knit and wove some but spinning was her first love. She was generous with her yarn, too. Her wheel is a Schacht Matchless double treadle and she has all the accessories to go with it. She has even more things to go with it than I guessed! And she has an Ashford traditional as well. We’ll have to pick up the wheel on our way up to Albany as the trailer was full on the way home. I still need to deal with her clothes, too. I’m putting that off. So if any of you are interested in these wheels and are going to be close enough to pick them up at one of the shows, let me know. I’ll figure out a price meantime.

Since we got home we’ve also been working on the getting the garden in. It’s late this year. but it is what it is. Or will be. and yesterday a doe got in the yarn (somebody left a gate open) and ate off my prized and babied tomatoes so all I have left of this is a stalk with one leaf each. Not a happy camper! They may come back but very late. I started these from special seed and we took them along on the trip to make sure they got enough light and water. They were doing fine so I put them out in the yard in a partly sunny spot to harden off. Very not happy! But I got a lot of other things planted today. And pulled my kale. I just planted it this spring, had not gotten one cutting and it has gone to seed. It was a new variety but should not have done that, so I guess I’ll go back to my old one, if I can remember what kind that was.  I don’t think I saved any seed but maybe there’s a couple volunteers out there, I’ll look this evening once it cools off.

Okay, enough of The History of Our World Part I. I hope your summer is starting out better than ours and will continue in a happy state!

The yard got a bit overgrown while we were gone. It’s  not a traditional Lawn yard, anyway, it’s our meadow but still usually a bit neater than this! But everything is blooming and happy so I guess that’s okay.

 

On the right is where our houseplants spend the summer. Usually safe from marauding herbivores.

  

 

2024… so far.

May14

“Cheer up, look for the bright side, they told me, things could be worse. So I cheered up, looked for the bright side… and things got worse”.

   

My baby Sister died May 7, 2024.  I was able to spend her last month with her but that did not make it easier. My sister and best friend, we emailed daily, sometimes several times. She ignored my advice on important subjects and I ignored hers but we enjoyed sharing none the less. She was a spinner with a huge stash of fleeces and yarn. I have her handspun now and will treasure using it. Her wheel I’ll sell, I hardly spin anymore and have my own anyway. She was also artistic and the best cook in the family. She loved animals and her little dog, Evie, will live with Rex and miss Rosy as the rest of us do. Our brother John is making the urns for her ashes, I know she’d be pleased with that gift.

and 

So now we have to move on. That means Fiber Shows. Fiber Fusion in Monroe, Washington is the first one this year. Two classes, Weaving a dishcloth, a beginning class,  and on Sunday it’s Beyond Plain Weave, but the link does not seem to work for me today. I’m sure you can find it if you are going to be in the area. Our next one at the end of May-first of June is Black Sheep Gathering in Albany, Oregon. I don’t have a class there this year. Then we get the summer off before OFFF and Lambtown in the fall. I’ll have classes listed at both of them & some new projects. The summer means, of course, garden and canning so not really a summer off!

 

Dishcloth and more… and beyond plain.

  And a new loom! Peg, Jr.

Well, I guess that’s all for now. This morning I am canning Rhubarb, something I have not done before, and putting pins in Fine Sett looms. And will try to get a walk in at some point. The sun is shinning and it’s a beautifully warm day here in Coffee Creek. I hope your day is bright as well.

 

Another January about gone…

Jan29

February coming up. That’s Spring in some places. In other places it means winter is underway. Strange how the world works. Just random thoughts generated by the weather these days. We’re having another sunny day. We didn’t even have have a fire last night. I slept great! When he stokes the fire for the night he doesn’t want to get up to a dead fire so I roast all night with the covers kicked off while he’s bundled up to the neck. Go figger. Ah well, they do say opposites attract. I think that must of been the case with us.

But Cat thinks they are soulmates and loves it!

But on other subjects, we’re threatened with heavy rain this week leading to lowering snow levels on Friday. Sun’s shining today, tho. We took a ride up the road  so Randy could check on a customers place for them, all’s well there. Coffee Creek is roaring along nicely, raising the lake level daily. Well, I haven’t been up that way recently but it’s probably getting a little help from Trinity river. But so far they are not sending it elsewhere so the possibility is there that we might have a lake once again this summer! That’ll be good for everyone here as well as visitors. Which are also good for everyone here!

But I guess we ought to talk about Weaving. We have a couple new looms in the works, not ready for debut yet. But I can show you one. I call it Peg, Jr. I’m think of offering a class at one of the fairs using the peg loom and thought it might be fun for parent and kid so we came up with this one with just 7 pegs. Kind of like straw weaving but with a base.

I had him shorten the pegs since this photo & wove a long 3 pin belt which I then rolled up and stitched in place… a pin cushion! And a scarf in the making.

Anything else? Well, I’m thinking it’s about time to get the coles started. I did buy a new seed tray and a bag of potting soil. Now I just have to find space for it. The biggy. I guess maybe the xmas cactuses will have to move next door. And I have a lot of pumpkins in storage that need to be used pretty soon. Can’t seem to find much to use them for. We don’t need a regular supply of pies and we tried pumpkin soup and, while it was not bad, it didn’t really inspire more.

But Valentines day is coming up. That’s always fun! Mug Rugs!

So that’s it for the end of January. I hope you all got the year off to a beautiful start.

An ideal life!