Fun Spinning Project

 There is a Spinalong to Knitalong sponsored by Andrea Mowry. I joined by purchasing her Jaunty Shawl pattern then buying some fiber from Hello Yarn called Little Jaunt.  I thought the names  went together so well. The first, of two, bags of fiber went through my fingers over the weekend. I made twelve little soft nests. On Monday I pre-drafted  them and started spinning on Tuesday. Today, Wednesday, I finished the first bobbin using up seven of the nests. Such a fun activity.

The finished bobbin.  You can see it is ghastly yarn but it makes me happy anyway.

These are the five remaining nests ready to spin. Maybe tomorrow…

After both bags are spun and plied I will knit that shawl. It is pretty likely I won’t have enough yarn but we shall see. Fun anyway… It will be interesting to see how all things work out!

We Have A Budded Daffodil!

 Here is another of God's wonders, right in our front yard!  I love daffodils.  They are such a sign of hope.

One of the beauties of this scene to me is how many more daffodils there are this year.  When I put them in the ground probably three, maybe four, years ago, there was one daffodil.  Also one hyacinth.  I hope that guy comes up eventually.  I adore hyacinths.  They are so beautiful and are so fragrant. What is not to love?!!

How Glorious Is Our World!

 Last night we walked out of the house to assist at the FamilySearch Center.  This is what we saw at the end of our street:

May I say that I am so very grateful for this beautiful world in which we live!  There are so many moments such as this.  I hope it is comforting and inspiring to all.  It makes my heart soar.

Jackery Battery Help Requested

 Hello to All!  Today I am asking for help.  Some time ago Dear One bought a small Jackery battery for me to use with my sleep help at bedside.  I plug that helper into the Jackery and the Jackery into the wall so it is always energized.  We do have solar panels to plug into the Jackery in case the power goes out, which it has done a few times since we have been here...which is why he purchased the Jackery for me.  (I become very crabby when I don't sleep and I don't sleep without that sleep equipment...)

Now to the question:  This week, with nothing changing, at least I did not change anything, the power is not getting to my sleep aid;  Does anyone have any ideas what might be wrong and what I can do to fix it?  I can, and have, plugged the sleep plug into the wall but that defeats the purpose of the Jackery.  

Thanks so much for suggestions!

This is the Jackery.  When we first acquired it, I had the DC current selected and nothing worked.  When I realized that I had to select the AC it worked like a charm and has done from that time until three days ago.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Finished Warp, Ready for the Next Project

 Last week I decided I want to make a gift for the missionaries serving in our ward.  There are seven of them: five Sisters and two Elders.  (One of the Sisters has done some weaving in past...) I first thought of weaving them hand towels then thought those would take up too much room in their luggage so I changed to making coasters/mug rugs because I had just seen a pattern for felted mug rugs.  I decided to give them a try.

This was the first time I had done any weaving with wool.  Every other warp was cotton of one brand or another.  I have tried Peaches and Cream, Sugar and Cream, Knit Picks Cotton Something Or Other and Hobby Lobby's I Love This Cotton.  Oh, and Maurice Brassard 's 8/4 Cotton.  By far, and I mean at present there is no comparison:  I really do love to weave with I Love This Cotton.  It is easy to warp the loom.  The weaving itself is easy, and the results are soft.  So soft and absorbent.  I really like everything I have made with it.

So...on to the wool.  Not so fun to warp.  And the weaving!! Oh. My. Goodness!  It stretches so much. And it is hard to give a gentle enough beat to be even.  Still, I did finish the project.  I did weave the seven mug rugs then continued on weaving a long piece of fabric that I also felted and planned to cut apart for coasters for us or for someone else.  This last batch I did no hem stitch.  The seven coasters were hem stitched at the beginning and at the end to give them a nice finish. I also left about a one-inch fringe. (Surprise!  Wool to be felted in the washing machine does not make fringe!!  Big surprise to me.)

Eventually (after four hours at the loom without stopping), I decided that I would stop.  There was still a fair amount of warp left on the loom so instead of just cutting it off to be loom waste, I cut in front of the heddle (by the way this was  an Ashford 10" SampleIt Rigid Heddle Loom I was weaving on) then tied off the rest so we can continue weaving when our daughter is here.

You can see the warp ready to continue on sometime soon.  The colorful part is the actual weaving before unwinding it from the loom.

Here are the missionary mug rugs:

Yes, they are all different colors.  It is all Plymouth Yarn Company Galway yarn.  That yarn felts beautifully.  If you will look closely, you will see that wool fringe is NOT a thing! Sad.  Oh well. Live and learn.  Can't have felting AND fringe.  Now I know.

This is the extra fabric that was woven on that wool warp.  And, by the way, that is the bed I showed you a few days ago with the clean sheets waiting to be put on the bed.

It Is Christmas but Here is a Turkey!

 Last week I stopped by Piggly Wiggly to drop off some packages at the post office inside the store.  I usually park wherever I go in any Celestial Parking I can find, ie I drive through so I can drive straight out without worrying that I might run over someone or smash into a car behind me.  I found a Celestial parking spot right beside a tree that had a lot of brush around it.  There was some bird making sounds under the tree  but I was in a hurry so I did not stop to chat with said bird.

When I got back to the truck a few minutes later, this is what I saw:

It does not look like it here, really, but I believe it was a turkey.  That guy hung around chatting with me and circling the front of the truck back and forth, back and forth.  Eventually I felt the need to get home since I had been gone from home for ages so I got into the truck.  When I shut the door, the checkout helper from the store was right there beside me pointing to the bird and encouraging me not to run her down.  Well, I did not plan on doing that but was happy the young man was concerned about the turkey.  After a while, with the truck engine running, the bird went back into the brush and I could safely drive on out of the parking spot.

Kind of a novel experience.  I had never been that close to a wild turkey.  Makes me wonder if the turkey was well...

The Bed Is Made!

 We are so happy that our daughter and her family are coming for a visit soon.  My plan was to get the whole house organized and in immaculate condition.  Our daughter knows me and my proclivities but her husband and son do not. I was hoping to be able to give a good, but false, impression of our housekeeping skills.  Not going to happen.  

My sister came for a short Thanksgiving visit and I tore around getting the guest room useable before she arrived.  (Normally I use the bed for a staging area for all kinds of projects.)  When I learned she was coming I had a very short time to remove everything so she could walk in the door.  I did manage to get everything out and into my workroom but I did NOT get it organized. I thought I would get it done before Christmas.  Alas, not to be.  And now the visit is two days away and I would rather still have some life in me to enjoy their visit so I am doing the minimum that decency allows.

Here is the guest bed all duded up and with clean sheets and pillowcases;

They will be comfy and cozy there and have a nice window to look out on the live oak tree in our front yard.  

Every house in the development has to maintain a tree in the front yard.  The tree that was planted for us is the live oak.  It had grown tremendously in the six years we have been here.  Earlier this fall  good kind friends came and pruned the tree as we were unable to do it ourselves.  Last year we (and by We, I mean, Dear One!) hung a ton of red Christmas balls on the tree.  He even had me get more.  We now have an 18-gallon tub filled with red balls that we cannot hang on the tree as those branches are gone.  Having said that, I am positive the tree is much happier being able to breathe...!  AND our lawnmower man does not get smashed in the face by sharp branches.  Win-win!

Merry Christmas to all!

A Beautiful Sunset

 Well, it has been a while since I wrote a word.  I hope that has changed now.  Life.  You all know Life.  It has been so mixed here.  I am hoping it is on the mend permanently, but then, well, Life!

Here is a picture of a sunset from last week which really lifted my spirits.  I hope it lifts yours, too.

Best wishes as you make final preparations for Christmas.

The Skeleton Family Next Door

 Well, they don't live next door.  They live down the street.  That set-up is changed often.  Here they are today.  I do get such delight from them.

Laptop Disaster...

 Last week I took a container of a chocolate protein drink with me to the FamilySearch Center for my shift.  I put the drink in my purple small Yeti mug and drank it all during the morning.  When I left the FamilySearch Center I tossed the mug on top in my computer bag.  This was Thursday.

On Friday I got the computer out to upload my week's video to my YouTube channel (The Country Wife From Vermont, if you are interested).  I had had a glitch when recording so there was a longer video and a shorter video. I uploaded the shorter video first and just as I was finishing it there came some darkening of the monitor, first about a one-inch section then a two-inch section then larger.  At that point I noticed a little chocolate stain on the upper left of the computer.  Yikes!  Pretty soon the whole screen was black.

What to do, what to do?  I went to YouTube on my phone to see what to do if liquid spills on a MacBook.  I watched two videos and did the things these said.  Then I watched a much longer video by someone who said he had worked with MacBook computers for more than twenty years.  He had a list of ten things NOT to do and five things TO do.  I had done three of the DON'T do things so I stopped them immediately.

What I did do was unplug the computer and laid it bottom side up on a towel for 48 hours.  Well, for 24 hours then I checked.  No good. Then I checked it at 48 hours.  There was some screen visible but still a lot of black.  

Seventy-two hours after noticing the accident, this is what the picture is:

This is really not good news!  After the September Apple meeting Dear One had suggested that we might both get new laptops and telephones.  Now he is backing off and thinking maybe just getting me a MacBook.  It means a drive to Charleston...not our favorite thing AT ALL!!  We are both scaredy cats.  If we do this we will probably book a room there so we don't have to make the trip in one day.  We shall see.

This thing that is so irritating is that I drank all the beverage but there must have been a little scum around the edge of the mug which worked together when the mug was tipped on its side and even the closed top did not keep it in. R-r-r!

After this, I did find that on Friday I was able to upload the short video to my channel and on Saturday I used Dear One's laptop and uploaded the longer video.  His laptop is set up WAY differently from my laptop...but it was kind of him to let me use it.

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.

Stovetop Lichen Dyeing!

 The last batch of lichen that a dear friend harvested for me has been used!  Since I have a jar of lichen fermenting in ammonia on the deck I decided to try stovetop dyeing with lichen.  I am so happy with the results!

Here you can see two bits of Lonk sheep fiber.  The one on the back was stovetop dyed with white mushrooms.  Made a nice light creamy beige color.  Not really impressive.  The front fiber, however, makes me very happy!  It was dyed with lichen.  I am pretty sure I mordanted with cold water alum then, after heating the lichen to simmering for an hour, letting it sit overnight to cool, then added the fiber.  I brought the fiber up to simmering for an hour then shut off the heat and let it sit overnight.  This glorious color is what I found when I pulled it out of the dyebath.  I think I will try again and see if an exhaust bath works!

The Finest Kind Sweater Designed by Alicia Plummer is Coming Along!

In a past blog post I think I mentioned that Dear One asked me to make him the Finest Kind Sweater.  I have been working two or more rounds a day for all summer.  Finally yesterday I finished the right front section and worked a three-needle bind off to put the two shoulders together.  The first try I managed to bind off both fronts together instead of binding a right front to a right back etc.  Oh well.  So I took that bind off out and did it properly the second time!

Next thing to do was to knit the collar which I did when we came home from the FamilySearch Center.  We had patrons in the Center last night and enjoyed helping them.

Here is a photo of the shoulders stitched together correctly.  Dear One tried it on and the sweater fits!

Here is the collar.  Not a great design in my view but that is what is called for so I did it.  Finished it late last night.  No ends woven in yet.  

Hopefully today I will start picking up stitches for the first sleeve...

Crochet with Knitted Borders Baby Floor Mat

 Lately I have been making baby floor mats.  These are "blankets" that are not large enough to wrap around a baby but which are perfect for putting on the floor and laying a baby down on to have a space between baby and floor.  I have made several.  This time I started making a crocheted rectangular blanket but found my hands wore out way before the blanket was big enough.  At that point I decided to add some knitted borders.

The first set of knitted borders was a disaster!  The first problem was that I tried to do a mitered corner.  It was late in the day and I was not thinking.  Mitered squared DECREASE at one corner so decreasing at four corners was the wrong thing to do.  Next I had added two stitches at each corner on either side of the actual corner stitch.  This made a TERRIBLE corner!  

After working five colors of knitted bands and knowing absolutely that it did not work, I pulled all those knit stitches out back to the crocheted rectangle and picked up stitches again.  This time I only added one stitch at each corner. It is not ideal but it worked out sort of okay.  Well enough that I am going to give it to the new baby this week.

Tomorrow I will make this baby floor mat one of the finished objects I speak of on my YouTube channel video. In case you are interested, that channel is The Country Wife From Vermont.  I will see if I can link the channel here.

As you can see from this photo, which is poor I will agree, but also there are issues.  One thing I did learn from this project is that when you are knitting garter stitch blankets and you are starting a new color, you absolutely must add the new color at the right side of the project.  Otherwise you will get colored blips where you do not want them! Oh, well. I have a pretty high tolerance for error.  Especially if fit is not an issue.  You can see the light blue blips on the first dark blue garter ridge round.