Dyeing With Acorns!

 Last week I happened onto a video about dyeing  with acorns.  I remembered seeing lots of tiny acorns under the live oak trees in the church parking lot SO the third time I went to the FamilySearch Center after that I remembered to bring a bag, a broom, and a dust pan.  I picked up half a bag of acorns, left them in the back of the truck and went in for my shift at the FSC.

When I got home later that day I brought our large dye pot into the kitchen from the garage then brought in the acorns in the bag.  I picked out a few of the sticks but poured everything else...acorns, leaves, and even a few bugs which grossed me out...into the pot and filled it with water. After turning the stove burner to its lowest heat I set the pan on the stove.  One bug had survived the bath and jumped out, ran across the stove top, and disappeared.  Ick! (and I really do mean ICK!!!!  I could not find i)t.  After the pot came to a simmer, I let it alone for an hour or so then shut it off leaving it to cool overnight.

The next morning, (with bug still missing) I put in a longish rope of Lonk sheep breed roving and brought the heat up to simmering again.  I had put the roving in a mesh bag to keep any acorn tilth from getting into the fiber.  It did work, in case you want to know, no smutty stuff in the fiber.  The fiber simmered for an hour then I shut off the burner and let cool overnight.

In the morning I could barely wait to see if we got a nice color.  WE DID!!

Here is the beautiful brown!  I just love it.  So much love that I decided to put in all the rest of the Lonk roving  and see what we could get at a second dyeing from the same pot.  Here it is:

You can see that this looks lighter brown, and it is still wet, so we shall see tomorrow. I will let it cool down overnight then rinse and set to dry.  Even if it is much lighter brown, I do love it.  I might try again next year...or if I pick up more acorns, I might try again this year with some of our Thetford Roving.  So pleased!  Pretty soon the natural dyeing experiments will come to the top of the list for carding on the drum carder and spinning...though I do have to say I need to get better at spinning first...you will be the first to know how that turns out.

The Pruning!

 Yesterday afternoon dear friends came over and pruned the live oak tree on our front lawn.  I did not take a photo first but here it is now:

You can see the big pile of branches and brush on the street that they pruned off.  N, N, and B were such fabulous helpers!!  They finished the job in about fifteen minutes.  Maybe twenty minutes.  The tree can now breathe.

We already knew there was a big bird nest in the tree but Big N found a small nest as well!

So cute!  Now next bird season we can watch that spot as well.

Dear friend AO gave us this darling bird feeder five years ago. It is still a happy bird feeder though currently it is just for looks as the squirrels ate all the seeds...and you know my thoughts about squirrels eating the bird seed...

This bird feeder brings a smile to my face every time I see it.  Friends are the sweetest.

Regarding the mountain of brush..a little while ago Dear One told me he saw by the paperwork the city sent about trash removal that all lawn waste needs to be in black garbage bags.  Yikes!  I hope that means grass clippings...

Anyway,  I am so grateful for friends who help with jobs that we cannot reasonably do ourselves anymore.  We used to be able to do them but...I do not want to see my husband on a ladder reaching over his head and I certainly cannot do it myself.  I had done the low down pruning, and enjoyed doing it but now it will not be needed for another year.  Thanks, Friends!

Witch and Bat Wreath!

 As we were driving through the neighborhood on our way home this morning I was marveling at the extravagant Halloween displays all around us.  Before we arrived home it occurred to me that I could add items to the wreath I made last year, maybe the year before, and which I had hung on the front door one day last week.

This is what I came up with--added the bat I had crocheted last year when we were having Book Group at out house.

There may be other items I need to add...but I will need to make them first!  We shall see.  I will let you know if I manage this!

New Neighbors! Just in time...

 Here are some new neighbors down the street! 

It really tickles me to see the efforts of the actual neighbors who entertain us all with their "friends".  Every month for more than a year they have showcased somone.

Easy Lined Fat Quarter Zipper Pouch

 Here is a lined fat quarter zipper pouch.  Very easy to make.

This small bag was made with a fat quarter of quilting cotton and a 22' zipper that I cut down.  

Here is the bag open so you can see that it is completely lined, and, in fact, also has not raw seam edges.  

Some day I will write up a tutorial post.  I might even try to make a tutorial episode on The Country Wife From Vermont YouTube channel...but that might be a little while.

This is the first time I have made a "project bag" from a fat quarter.  I am delighted that it worked.  The finished dimensions are 7.25 by 9.5".  It also has a little non-boxed boxy bottom.  When I make another post I will put in a picture of that boxy bit.

Cotton Bolls?

 Today I went on a quick ministering visit--quick because I just handed over a project bag, zippered vinyl tools bag, yarn cakes, and crocheting instruction book (all bags which I made and was pretty happy with them)  at the door--and along the way I saw several fields with cotton bolls popping open. This is the first time I have been in a safe place to stop the car and take a photo.  I do get rather a charge out of fields of cotton.  Some year I might, possibly, try to learn to spin cotton.  My first attempt last year was pitiful.  I am afraid I might have annoyed the teacher by being so unreceptive to trying again after abysmal failure!

Don't you think those are beautiful?!  A whole field as far as the eye can see is very impressive.  It is still a few weeks from harvest I think.

Pumpkin Spice Crocheted Pumpkins

 It has been a long time since I wrote a blog post. I am sorry.  I have written some in my head but never got to the keyboard.  Life, you know?!  I expect you are just as busy.  Last week on The Country Wife From Vermont YouTube channel I spoke of things coming to a head with a need to let some things drop off.  I am sort of doing that.  At least I am deciding to let some things become lower priority. I feel like that will help me regain my sanity...and even improve my health!

In the meantime, it is now Fall.  Fall is pumpkin season. And apple season.  Here are some crocheted pumpkins I recently made.  They still need their stems but they will come soonish, I think.

These pumpkins have the same number of stitches in them, just different thickness of yarns  (worsted weight and super bulky weight) and different size hooks...5 mm and 10 mm hooks.  You will likely turn up your nose at the colors...I do. I don't know why I chose those yarns...oh well.  I think maybe crocheting with a single yarn might be better. I have one of those on the hook currently but I started with one size hook and then appear to have changed size hook...making a very funky looking piece of work.

This pattern is a Brianna K Designs pattern.  She gives it out for free on her blog but if you want the pattern stripped down to just the pattern and not a hundred advertisements, it is available on Ravelry.com.  If you go there you will note that it says the pattern is also available for free...info in notes.

For these pumpkins I crocheted 19 chain stitches  to start and went from there...with 9 of the wheat stitch panels.  This is a very easy pattern once you get the hang of it.  When working with one color at the beginning I did get off track but now having successfully crocheted two of them, I believe I will be able to stay on track with succeeding ones!  Give them a try.