Tag Archive | garden

Oops… I have been slack again. Sorry!

It’s already April. My birthday is passed. I thought I had a post for that in the files for later but if so it seems to have disappeared. Oh well… But I had two parties this year! My Bunko to host is in March but only a week before my birthday. So I used the occasion to give myself a Surprise Birthday Party! I was a little nervous about how the 11 would take it but they all seemed to get a kick out of it and helped me eat my self-baked birthday cake and sang the traditional song to me while I blew out the single candle! I wanted to put all 84 on it but as the event was held at the Fire Hall I was afraid I might be arrested for arson!

My 2nd party was lunch with two friends at the Trailhead café. It was two days before my April 1 birthday since the café is not open full time yet. That was fun and I got a Chocolate Cherry torte with another candle on it and gifts, too! The best gift was lunch with friends, of course! And on my birthday, Hubbie made breakfast for me to start the day right. It was a lovely day, too. I hope I get another one next year.

Lately I seem to have mostly been dealing with business emails and teaching at fairs stuff and email program fixes so spending too much time on the computer. I have ignored all work related stuff the last couple of warm sunny days and have been out pruning and pulling weeds and trying to clean up the mess in my flower beds. This winter was hard of growing things! But there are daffodils and crocus blooming in the lawn. The snow last week pushed the daffies faces in the mud, as happens every spring about this time! Tradition, I guess you could call it, but they sprang right back up when the sun came out the same day and melted it all off again. The last puff of winter, I hope! We’ll still have frost but the white stuff should be staying Up Top now.

Himself is getting the garden ready. He does the heavy work out there. My tomatoes which I planted a good month too early need to go in the ground soon. They’ll have to be covered but I hope they’ll survive it. Other than that I am trying my hand at making Orange Marmalade. Never tried this before but I ended up with more oranges than we are likely to used before they start drying up. And I do like it so it seems a good idea. I hope it is!

It now has to set for 12-18 hours my Ball Blue Book says. Interesting.

As for weaving, I’ve been working on getting things ready for the classes I have signed up to teach. Several peg looms classes this year and a few others. Our first fiber fair this year is in Farmington, Utah. The Great Basin Fiber Arts Fair. We missed it last year but this year I will have two classes, Beginning Peg Loom Weaving and Beyond Plain Weave, a class for weavers who already know how to use the continuous weave looms. We’ll take a look at pattern weaves, colors, a bit about how to design your own patterns and some lace weaving, too.

The next fair is Fiber Fusion NW in Monroe, Washington. I’ll do the same two classes there since this is further from Farmington than most weavers want to travel, it’s not going to be a double for weavers. Then Lambtown and Oregon Flock and Fiber Fair in October. But between all this will be a bigger garden this year. The garden did not do well last year so I didn’t get much canning done. I don’t really look forward to canning in the hottest part of the year, which is when stuff gets ripe, of course, but I do like to have the pantry full come fall!

We stopped at the going-out-of-business sale at Joanne’s, of course, and while I was looking at potentially useful sale items he bought this rose for me. He says he went though them all to find the most real looking one. I guess he found it, as my friend thought it was real when she saw it the other day. Of course she was across the room from it, but still, it is a lovely rose. And a lovely thought from Himself!

I hope you are all enjoying some signs of Spring where you are! My Sis in Florida is moving into summer already! I’m not ready for summer yet, gotta work up to that but will be delighted to see Spring!

Meanwhile, keep your looms polished and your garden gloves dirty!

Why was I thinking garden?

Mar23

It’s still march. Silly of me. So what if it’s in the mid 70’s, sunshine, snow gone from the yard and garden, daffies coming up…it’s still March.

But now it’s raining on that lovely snow. Yeah, that’s spring! Mother Nature will give us a few more sunny days, probably at least one more snow, lots of rain (if we’re lucky) and then sometime in May it Will be Spring! And we can start garden again. Strange about garden. By October I am so tired of garden, I don’t want to ever see another green bean or red tomato but by the end of February I can hardly wait. In fact, I didn’t wait this year. I planted my tomato’s too soon. They are going to have to live in pots indoors much longer than they ought. I don’t know why I thought it was time. A little sunshine does not make a spring, I should know by my age! Oh well… I guess we’ll all survive. Here they are keeping company with some geranium starts, all leaning toward the door where a little dim light is sneaking though the clouds. Yeah, I have a grow light but they are now too big to fit under it.

We head to Great Basin Fiber Arts Festival in Farmington, Utah at the end of April so we’ve been busy making looms. He says he wants to have the whole years inventory ready since there is so little time between shows/fairs. I’m not quite keeping up with him! But I am printing books and getting my class stuff ready. That is I am when I can get the (impolite adjectives) printer and computer to cooperate! The HP printer just told me that the HP authentic ink cartridge I installed is not make for that brand of printer!. Not the first time, either. I bought these from Staples. They are made in Indonesia it says on the wrappings. They look right. Staples makes good but it’s very frustrating to have to send them back, and it’s always the last one in the drawer of course, so I am out of business until the new order arrives! Ah well, goes along with the way the rest of things are going these days. I hope we survive it. Mother Nature is going to try for whatever our government leaves us.

Speaking of which, DH & I had an interesting discussion this morning- with minimal shouting, too. His computer quit working so he’s had a lot of time with his books and has been mulling things over. It started with prehistoric Geology and ended with religion. We ranged far and wide. Did we agree? Well, on some points I guess. I tend to be a skeptic on both science and religion. He’s religious on science but also skeptical on religion. It’s a difficult subject. I was reared by Southern Baptist parents so find myself going both ways. His grandparents donated the property and lumber to build the local church but I think Grandmother was really the only believer in his family.

But on geology, he has done much more studying than I have, I just think it’s always a good idea to believe the latest theories but to keep in mind that they are theories and have always been subject to change. And yes, I do believe you need to have your children vaccinated, and yourself, too, if you have not! Some things have been proven.

But enough of serious subjects! I threw myself a surprise birthday party at Bunko last week week. March is my month to host. The 12 of us each supply dinner in our month. I have made corned beef and cabbage the last few years since it is near St Pat’s day but decided to go with something more springy this time. I was telling, last month, that I had made my first Quiche, but sloppily pronounced it Qweech. They were all having fun with that so I made ham & cheese Qweech for them this month! And for the dessert I made a cake with colored sprinkles in it and coconut on top and I added one candle. Our game is in the firehouse kitchen so I figured if I lit up 84 candles in the firehouse I’d chance being arrested for attempted arson! Anyway, they all joined the fun and sang Happy Birthday to me. Yeah, I know, my birthday is not until April one but close enough and I haven’t had a birthday cake since my baking friend moved to Washington. Himself will happily help me celebrate by disposing of the left overs but is very unlikely to bake! lol

Since then I have been working in the shop and weaving stuff for magazine and class projects. I’m halfway though PT for my bum shoulder. I think it’s helping. And the sun came out today so I did my walk! I’m sure that’s going to help, too. I have three days, I think, before it’s ‘scheduled’ to rain again! lol

First wild flower of spring! Can you guess?!

Tomorrow is Feburary already

Jan31

But we are getting some winter today. All we’ve had since the Big Snow at Thanksgiving is some cold weather, sometimes into the 20’s. Today is mostly slush alternating with real snow. The Wizards are not sure. Their forecasts, even this morning’s, contradict each other. We might get a couple days of slush or we might get buried! We can use more of a snow pack in the upper reaches, not sure I really want more here.

I planted my tomato seeds this morning, getting ready to send in my seed order so already thinking spring. Speaking of seeds, if you like saving your own seed, or growing heirloom plants, you might like to check out Seed Treasures. They live in Minnesota and sell the seeds they grow so if you live in snowy areas you know you are getting seed for plants that are hardy.

But meantime, I am learning that there is more to weaving on the peg loom than at first meets the eye. I got my circle chair pad woven but there are a few things I need to pay more attention to. I got the warp lengths right but had a difficult time pulling the warp through the outside rows. I’m about to start the 2nd pad so will be paying more attention to that. But all in all I think it came out pretty well. I used fabric strips with some stash Aunt Lydia rug yarn for warp. Thought I’d better add a bit about the 2nd picture. I did not skip pegs, I just found that slipping the center pegs thought before the end pegs helps keep them from coming off the loom while you are moving the warp up.

Thought I’d make another batch of the Boston Brown Bread. It turned out nicely last time. This bread is not baked, it’s steamed. I was a bit leery of that but it came out right and is pretty good. Himself like it but asked for no raisins so this time I left them out of his but added them to mine. I tired it with cream cheese, which the writer of the recipe said was “required” to be authentic, but frankly… no. I’ll stay with a little butter and some applesauce!

Okay, Gotta go back to chores. Hope you are having a comfortable and cozy day!

Another Monday

Oct14

Well, My sister who set up my original Blog named it “My Life in the Country” so today’s post is just that. Everyday stuff here in the woods.

More chores today, but household, not shop. Making bread, more on-going laundry. I washed sheets and the napkins. Somehow they all got in the trailer and all got used. We had to resort to paper towels for dinner last night! Cleaning bathroom was so I could put down my new rugs! I got new rugs for in there because the backing doesn’t last on these things. After what seems a few washings and it starts to peel off. Maybe I am going to have to find some more expensive rugs.

Cleaned up the corner by the bayout window because its time to move the house plants in. I lost my oldest one. One that moved from Florida. I’ve given starts all over but didn’t have one going this summer. Too bad. Still have two I brought with me, my String of Hearts & the Drunkard’s Dream. That one almost died from too much water last year. The Angel Wing Begonia died from a lack of it this year. Both I blame on him, tho I should have watched closer. He’s supposed to be in charge of the auto watering systems. Oh well, there is no lack of plants. I have three big geraniums. They’ll need pruning, and a small pot of starts I “collected” from the Dixon Fairground. Plus two plants of Rosy’s. My little corner of limited winter sunshine will be full!

The drunkards dream, the little one Is the start I gave Rosy. The big one is mine, recovering but not well.

I also printed out a bunch of photos for the travel journal. That’s his project mostly these days. I started it when we first got the 5th wheel, but seemed to have lost interest at some point. He adopted it a couple years ago. Our style is totally different, of course! I wrote about scenery and things that happened or that we did. His is more about routes from hither and yon and best free campgrounds, with some scenery and some notes on trailer maintenance. How long it took and where we fueled up. And he wants a photo of each camping spot with the trailer in it.

He’s getting the woodshed filled. There’s a lot in there but not enough for the winter, apparently, so the spliter is getting a workout, as is he! I don’t do wood anymore. My back says no. I can bring some in if I need it but the stocking up is left to him these days. When he can’t do it any more we’ll have to rely on our cheap electricity.

And the Woodbine is turning red!

He used the weed eater to mow the meadow– our lawn– as it is too wet to use the mower. We’re hoping this will help it dry a bit. It needs it’s last ‘haircut’ before winter. And he’s exploring ways to put power out in Le Shed so I can see what I am doing out there. It is badly in need of organization. A lot of that will be getting rid of stuff and yarn. If anyone is interested in some misc. yarn it’s free but you’ll have to come get it.

Okay, I guess that’s enough life in the country for today. It’s nearly time to start dinner. I think that’ll be beans and maybe corn muffins. Sounds like something fitting for a cool evening. Hope you have a nice dinner and a lovely week!

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!

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,

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.

Heading into winter now…

Nov8

When I go back through my photos, looking for inspiration for this blog post I find the same thing all summer and it’s not weaving or yarn of much any kind. Garden, canning, veggies and fruits, even a few flowers and lately apples and pears and apples and apples and…

There’s more apples. These are the Romes, best after a bit of frost. The Hyde king as the earliest, good for eating and baking and making applesauce. The unknown from the neighbors tree are a good firm tart cooking apples but also tasty if you like a tart apple. There’s a few more what I call wild trees, that produce good apples. No telling their linage but they all produced magnificently this year! As did the pears. It’s the same with them. There are a couple we know are Bartletts but there are others that are older trees. The pears are good but they do produce stones, those hard little “rocks’ that form around a bruise or the core so their use is limited if you don’t care for grit in your pears! However, there are plenty of good ones so we mostly leave these for the bear and whoever else likes a sweet fruit.

I could have posted more baskets of green beans, they were another prolific producer this summer. Along with cucumbers! Way more than we could use. I dried some and added them to the mix. Rehydrated and added to soup or a scramble you can’t tell them from anything else. I dehydrated most everything that grew in the garden this year. I put 11 quarts of dried Veggies in the pantry a couple weeks ago. The garden is pretty much gone now. There are still carrots and the celery plants Sis brought me are still looking happy. They haven’t really made stalks as we think of them, but lots of tops which have a good celery flavor. I’ll dry some of that, too. It’ll serve as parsley if nothing else!

But there has been yarn happening. This spring there was a happy class of beginning weavers making dish cloths over in Farmington, Utah, and five weavers joined me at Lambtown in Dixon Ca in October to weave Tartans. That was interesting and fun as well. The skirt is a project of mine. Not entirely successful, still not finished, I just have to give a little more thought to it! The scarf is more successful and a lot easier project! The samples shown from the class are family tartans the weavers wanted to copy. It’s challenging to take a floor loom woven tartan pattern and translate it into diagonal continuous strand weaving, but these ladies were doing a good job of it. I’ve recently heard from one who is still working on her project. I hope they all are!

The fiber fairs are over for this year. We’re looking at next year, thinking about adding one or two. Himself wants to “take a trip” in the spring. He’s exploring via Google Earth to find the interesting places to go within our reach. Our reach has a time frame as we do have stuff to do here as well. It would be interesting, I think, to be one of those vagabonds who live in their RV and just go from place to place. But not in the present 5th wheel! We’d need a larger and roomier ‘home’. And even the ‘previously loved’ ones are pretty pricey, not to mention Big. We need a Tesseract! But it’s not practical, anyway. We have to be here to make looms, I don’t see being able to take the shop with us! lol And Cat wouldn’t like it. He likes his outdoor time which he wouldn’t get on the road. So we’ll take a week or so and then come back and take care of the garden and the rental cabin and the shop, and get ready for the next fiber fairs! And I might submit to magazines again, maybe, that takes up a lot of time.

But meantime, we’re heading into winter. What that will be like is anybody’s guess. The weather/climate experts are so far covering both sides! I love it. You might be cold and wet or you might be warm and dry! I think I could have predicted that! But hey, they are trying to predict nature so I guess we have to give them a break. They have fancier equipment to work with now days but Grampa’s arthritic knee was probably as accurate at predicting. But whatever it is, we’re ready. Wood shed and pantry well stocked. What else do you need?! I hope you have a lovely cosy one whether warm or cold! i’m looking forward to some snow… but not before Christmas!

It’s October– time for Lambtown and OFFF!

Oct1

Fall Fiber Fairs are Fun!

Sometimes it’s cool enough to have us thinking wool! Sometimes not quite that cool but we can feel it in the air and we can see it in the leaves of the trees! Stores are done with Halloween candy and stocking up on Christmas! lol A sure sign it’s autumn. Apples are ripening and it’s time to make pies and can applesauce for your winter oatmeal. But hey! we’re almost ready and it is time to start weaving your gift list.

We’re heading to Dixon and Lambtown in a couple days. I have 10 weavers joining me for a class on Friday. It’s my first all day class so something new to look forward to. We’re going to have fun! I hope! The scarf is just the start! We’ll be real Scotsmen before we’re done! and almost immediately after that it’s Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival in Albany, Oregon so if you can’t make Dixon I’ll see you at OFFF!