12.31.23

What happened to posting in 2023? It’s an understatement to say I was shocked to realize that I hadn’t posted even once. I thought for sure I had posted about the shirt I wove.

Some highlights of the year:
A grand baby! Now almost nine months old.

Yarn was spun and a cocoon made for the newborn.

It was wonderful to have Justin, Lacey, and baby come help us at Black Sheep Gathering.

This was the year of the Slow Fashion Spin A Long in our Yarntools Ravelry group. The goal was to spindle spin a pound , or two (spinner’s choice) and make a garment and/or accessory with the goal of using the entire yardage.

I had a bunch of Shetland wool from my friend up the road who wasn’t happy with the roving that the mill blended from her 20 sheep instead of keeping each fleece’s roving separate.
I ended up needed to recomb the entire pound to get rid of tiny nails and slubs. My right hand thumb and wrist became quite painful even with combing only 15 to 28 grams then spinning it. I had to stop spinning and combing for about three weeks and have been much more careful not to overtax my hands with too much handwork.

One pound spun and three-plyed, ca 1236 yards after washing.

I finished the back of the vest yesterday, will begin knitting the front pieces tomorrow. While it was disappointing not to complete the entire project I’m pleased at what I did accomplish.
Pattern: Whimsey Vest by Patti Bobonick

Around a dozen people totally spin and finished their Slow Fashion projects. A couple even spun and made items with two pounds! Using spindles. I am in awe! Check out the Slow Fashion Gallery page to see the finished items.

Local granddaughter was old enough to play on her school’s volleyball team this year. Ed and I attended every game. What a blast to watch her and the teams play. So many memories of playing volleyball for many years. And, to revisit schools I had attended or played in when I was her age before we moved to N Arizona at the end of seventh grade.

I hope to do better at posting in 2024! May there be peace, good health, and contentment!

Year End Fiber Bookends

2022 started off with weaving cotton bath towels for Ed and I.

The year closed with knitting Blunk the Hat

The unique construction was engaging and fun. I’m planning to stash dive tomorrow afternoon for more handspun yarn to make one for Ed.

This hat used 70 grams out of 100 grams handspun skein.

One fiber goal for 2023 is to do better with recording my projects herein the blog.

I’m extremely thankful that the December 23rd ice storm wasn’t anywhere as bad as the epic icestorm of February 12, 2021! All the roads in this area were skating rinks; many vehicles ended up in ditches. A video was posted to Youtube of an adult ice skating down the middle of 3rd St in Silverton (seven miles from here) pulling a young child in a sled. What fun!

Our road.

This view is just 3 blocks from our road, our road is towards the far bend in the road.

By eleven Christmas Eve morning the temperature had gone from 20F to 35F so we loaded baked ham, a pecan pie and rolls made the day before, into the car and drove to have an early Christmas dinner with daughter and family.

I’m praying
– the war in Ukraine will cease
– that people everyone will become less self-absorbed
instead learn to listen and to care.

I pray that God’s love and peace will be felt.
His will be done.

Granddaughter made these delicious cookies.

May 2023 be an all around good year full of contentment and finding happiness in the ordinary. 

Delightful Surprises

While working in the office early this afternoon I heard Ed urgently, yet quietly, say “Come in here now!” Then he repeated it more urgently, “Come, NOW. Look out the window.”

Knowing to must be something special I grabbed the camera and stealthily moved to the living room where Ed was.

Apparently the hawk was hoping for a meal to come to the feeder.

I crept closer to the window. He turned towards the neighbor’s yard.

Then he flew down and sat for a few moments on the tongue of our utility trailer before flying low across the road.

I returned to work and Ed left for an appointment in town. About half an hour later I returned to the living room to practice the violin while Ed was still gone.

So intent was I on getting the layout of certain patterns in my fingers and brain that I wasn’t aware of a shift in the atmosphere. Until I stood up to put the violin away. Glancing out the window I was shocked to see it snowing. Hard!

December 1st snow.

The snow was falling fast and thick.

The view from our back porch towards the hardy turnips, beets, and rutabagas still growing. (Look at those greens, thriving after several days of temps in the low 20’s to barely above freezing during the day.)

I needed to get back to work to post spindles in our webstore. Ed returned home in the flurry of snow. He said there was even more snow in town.

Caught up in work then preparing food for a slow-roasted supper I didn’t think to take another picture even though the snow continued for well over an hour covering the world in white.

Delightful surprises for the first day of December

Not a Typical War Story

Flat feet kept my dad from being enlisted at the outbreak of WW2.

As a bachelor who was a veterinarian’s assistant he had enough free time, so, feeling the call to duty, he volunteered as a perimeter guard at the local Military Base.

The path that he patrolled paralleled a vast tomato field on one quadrant of the base. As the tomatoes ripened he wasn’t tempted. He’d never liked tomatoes.

The hot days grew hot. Circling the boundary around the base he became very thirsty. When he reached the tomato field side the plump, juicy tomatoes growing along the path began to look good to him.

One day the farmer pulled up alongside on his tractor. They chatted a bit about the day, the war, and the harvest. He invited my dad to help himself to a tomato now and then if he got hungry on his rounds.

One day he reached over, picked a fat red tomato, took one bite then threw it into the field in disgust.

Day after day he’d pick another tomato, eat a bite and throw the rest away. Slowly he began to like them as the refreshing juice helped to quench his thirst. By the time the tomato field was harvested the fruit had become one of his favorite foods.

I’ve always loved tomatoes and share my mom’s favorite way of eating them.

One of the last of tomatoes from my garden with cucumber pickles I put up in August.

The delicious orange ones were a new to me variety.

Made into spaghetti sauce Tuesday and served with roasted vegetables Ed brought in from the garden that afternoon.

I’m thankful for the extended growing season this year!

Fiber Thursday

A young mom brought her two homeschooled daughters to Yarn & Yak this morning. This was the third time they’ve come; each girl bringing some type of project. Today they were stringing popcorn and cranberries in preparation of decorating.

After awhile the older daughter showed me the spinning she’s been doing with the spindle she’d bought at Oregon Flock & Fiber Festival. She wasn’t sure what to do with the singles.

I showed her how to make a plying ball with the two ends, which took her no time to wrap.

Soon she had her various singles plyed.

About the boots: They still have almost a foot of snow at their place. Younger sister excitedly told me about sledding and making a snow fort.

I enjoy their enthusiasm and wide ranging curiosity. I’ve started thinking that perhaps I need to have kids’ yarn time during the week, perhaps right after school. My dilemma is having the time and energy to commit to such a venture.

A beautiful quilt for a cat rescue auction was being hemmed, stitching was happening on an appliqué block, there was a gorgeous needlepoint picture in progress.

I got a small start on a pair of sock socks using handspun yarn.

I’m thankful for the gathering of fiber friends and the chance to socialize and relax.

An Autumn Day

The last of the dahlias succumbed to this morning’s 26F hard frost.
I took these pictures yesterday knowing that their time was near. In hindsight I should have picked the final blossoms last week.

Perhaps the full moon is to blame, or staying up too late last night. I slept lousy last night due to dysautonomia (autonomic dysfunction) striking. Not only does my system get out of whack but it always brings anxiety and dread.

I’m very thankful that despite not feeling well, and very low energy I was able to get all the work and baking that needed to be done since we were invited to celebrate a birthday with family and I’d been asked to bake a specific gluten-free almond/coconut cookies.

Mmm!

The evening was lovely. Granddaughter and I fed and cuddled her two rabbits and I enjoyed watching the changingevening sky.

I’m thankful to have been able to get the things done that needed doing.

I’m thankful for the beautiful day, and the bright autumn colors.

I’m thankful for family.