Tag Archive | zoom

Looking forward to Fall!

We had a couple trips in the spring, to Great Basin Fiber Arts Festival in Utah and to Washington for Fiber Fusion and then we had the summer off. Well, kinda. There’s the garden! Don’t want to be without my fresh, pesticide free veggies, which means canning in the hottest part of the year. But it’s worth it when I see my pantry stocked so prettily!

Made cucumber relish yesterday. For today I’ll put some of our huge crop of green & yellow beans in the dehydrator, already canned plenty of those, and make a Buckle. I found a recipe for that old fashioned dessert. I have peaches for it unless he brings me more black berries. I have a stock of blackberry jam, of course, and had to tell him stop! lol But only temporarily until I got caught up with what he has already brought. I have them for lunch with toast or in my breakfast cereal.

Too many beans and cukes, they out produced all the rest! I am pleased with my onions this year. I’m sure Rosy is proud of me. I always got my onions from her as I never had any luck with them. But now I have to do it on my own so tried extra hard. They aren’t going to win prizes at the fair but they are the best I’ve grown so far! There are red ones in the bottom. We’ve used quite a few already

And I actually grew some okra this year. I thought that this big it would be tough, but it was not!

But back to trips! Heading to Washington again end of September! I have the kits ready for the Spokane classes. If you are in that area, check out https://spokanefleeceandfiberfestival.com/. It’s a new Festival but Katrina is working hard to make it a good show. I have two classes but there are other good teachers having classes there too, not to mention a flock of vendors with fiber goodies you’ll want to check out!

Well, it’s clouding up which makes it a nice cool day. Which after the heat of last week is rather enjoyable! But I have to spend some time in the shop, too. Weavers are waiting for their looms!

Hope you are seeing signs of fall at your place! No red leaves yet but the asters are blooming!

Wishing you happy! Hazel

Almost June again. I think that’s Summer!

May24

It will be nice. I realize that I am an old person these days but I seem to have been chilly all the last month, no matter what the thermometer says. So I am thinking I probably won’t have too much trouble with summer heat. That would be a tiny bonus for being 0ld! But my yard says it’s spring no matter what the temperature!

Meantime, we are getting ready to leave for Washington in a week. It’s Fiber Fusion NW Up in Monroe. That will be a nice trip, it’s a lovely part of the USA, which has a lot of lovely parts! We’ll be weaving on Peg Looms with weavers there. The next event on our calendar is Black Sheep Gathering in Albany, OR. Then we have a bit of time, which I will likely spend with the garden and my canner! We finish off the traveling year with Lambtown in Dixon, CA and OFFF back in Albany again.

Just one of those stray thoughts that pop into my head as I am weaving. Just read that Buster Posy, our beloved Giants Catcher of yore, is now part owner of the Giants Team and at least partly in charge of running it. It just seemed to me that if that works for Buster and the Giants, then Harry Potter ought to be one of the professors at Hogwarts, maybe even Head Master!

Another stray thought (It’s how my brain works these days! It’s full of strays!) I was looking at all the really neat bags I have that came with products or as gifts. I have used a lot of them for project bags but, lets face it, there’s a limit! And I have way more bags than I’ll ever have uses for. I’ve tried giving them way but it seems other people also have too many. Which got me to thinking about the stuff we order. Yeah it’s kinda fun to get a package with your order wrapped up in a pretty bag or some really nice wrapping of some kind, maybe the kind you feel compelled to keep, but what do do with that?! So I try not to add to that clutter here at Hazel Rose Looms. (And this morning I see that Gabi is offering a free bag! lol) We use a lot of used boxes and I don’t “gift wrap” your order. If I think your special wood stands a chance of being damaged in transit I’ll wrap it some tissue. If you mentions it’s for a gift I will sometimes fancy it up a bit, Depends on what I have at hand mostly. All our packing material is recycled. People in this community know I ship and they bring me their bubble wrap and air bags. It saves us a lot of money that we don’t have to add to the price of the looms and people are happy not to have to toss those things into the land fill. I hope you find a place to donate them once you get them. Shops that sell glass art might take them, at least our local one does. Check around.

I had a group young teens come into the booth recently and they were taken with the toddler Ragtag top I had displayed and wished there was a pattern for bigger people. Yesterday I got out some sock yarn and the 4×6″ multi and wove a couple test pieces. I think it will work. I made an estimate chart, it’ll take quite a lot of pieces so may be a test of young patience and determination!

And deciding on a size for a teen is pretty much impossible. What size is an adult woman?! Yeah, all of them. Well, the estimate I laid out gives me a 30″ chest. It’s been a long time since I had a teen girl to make things for and I no longer remember what size she was. But a weaver can work with it to come up with the size they need. The test right now is: Will I get it made?

And I found this this morning! Three pretty peonies and one degerative and dying one. Spring is so pretty! And there’s apples on my Hyde King! It’s had a hard life but has made a nice come back after the alder fell on it. That’s exciting!

So I hope things are blossoming where you are!

Have a nice Memorial Weekend!

Hazel

A little Post Script.

Apr12

It must really be spring this time! Look at all the sunshine and blue sky! It hit 79 today! The cottonwoods are leafing out. So is my weeping willow. The oaks are always conservative and wait, just in case. Phooey on them! It’s spring!

We planted the tomatoes out this morning and planted peas and beets, too. Onions and Kale next as soon as he gets the bed ready.

Yes, I know it’s early yet. We will have covers for the toms at night, just in case. But it’s nice to sit on the garden bench and feel too hot!

The other thing is packing for the Great Basin Fiber Festival in Farmington, Utah. I think we leave on the 20th.

Okay… Hope you’re having some spring at your house! (or fall if you’re in the other half of the world!)

Hazel

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?!

Some stuff for kids…

Feb16

If your kids are restless in this snowy wet winter weather here’s a few little projects that might keep them interested for a bit. A little discrete help or advice from Mom might be a good thing, as always. My philosophy for kids and adults as far as that goes, is that making it yourself makes it more interesting and valuable.

Bitty Bear is made from one densely woven square

There’s more and of course you’ll want to try any idea that appeals to you! These two are offered for inspiration, the pictures and charts are pretty self explanatory.

I have a lot more that I’ll get organized but this is just a start for today. Have fun!

It’s snowing here again this morning….

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!

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

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!

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,