Fiberjoy

These days often find me outside with the early birds. Coffee savored along with birdsong, gearing up for another stressful day. The old kitchen table has migrated to the back yard during the make-over.

Sitting at the table is necessary for writing on needles.

When the last needle has been buffed and written on and the last sip of coffee swallowed the garden calls, conspiring to keep me outside. It’s been sorely neglected. Please don’t ask to see the flower bed! For garden color this year I planted a heliotrope.

Yesterday I canned two batches of green beans. Nothing beats pole beans for flavor. Long sleeves are needed if I don’t want itchy arms for the next several hours.Maybe it was those long ago days when we daily picked pole beans for two pennies a pound. All morning and into the early afternoon we drug huge cotton sacks slowly along a row picking, picking. I was too short to reach the tops of the vines so shared the row with my mom or sister. At lunchtime we’d sit in the cool shade of the tall plants and eat sandwiches with freshly sliced cucumbers. I was so proud when I finally was able to fill my sack with 100lbs of beans. Hard tedious work, but stuff of memories. Besides, most kids in the area picked crops throughout the summer.

Finally, the first tomato of the season!

Which Gravenstein would you pick to eat?
Good Choice!

The house is coming along. All of the hard work is finished. Ed is with his old buddies on their annual men’s fishing trip this weekend. It’s a much needed break both physically and mentally. He’s been pushing himself so hard that sleep has been elusive.

I’m looking forward to large amounts of time for knitting, hairpin lace and spinning – all sadly neglected these past couple of weeks.

Bone tired, I am. Weary. Ed is exhausted, the brunt of the work falls on him.

Several asked for before pictures (click for larger pics):

Ed’s old corner.

The kitchen as it was, in disarray.

Can you believe the kitchen floor?

Saturday: Pulled up ancient orange carpet, secured new plywood sub-floor, painted living room walls.
Sunday: no meeting for us instead we laid 214 “boards” of new floor, took us almost ten hours to one by one carefully line up the edges. My poor knees were swollen by the end of the day and threatened to disown me if I knelt down one more time.

Monday: Ed <s>slaved</s> worked in the shop all day turning dozens of little pieces of wood for knitting needles, I packed and mailed over a dozen orders. We’ve been
recently inundated with orders. Evening – we ripped out old cabinets and Ed worked on rewiring.

Tuesday: Daytime – Ed made a slew of hairpin lace looms, I frantically tried to get a handle on paperwork, packed and mailed another dozen orders; Evening – hung sheetrock.
Wednesday: Ed churned out Tunisian hooks, I tackled more paperwork, and dazedly looked at the walls wondering how I could help. Ah, mud nails. Ed could tell you I’m a pathetic mudder. Oh but I improved greatly yesterday. He wouldn’t allow me to mud the paper strips across the joins. Ahem, I tried, miserably. It looks so easy. But then, I don’t want tons of microscopic gypsum particles invading the tiniest cranny when the stuff is sanded smooth so I gladly handed Ed the mudding spatula. He has the smooth hand and finesse for the job.

This is the same corner of the kitchen as in the picture above.

Today I signed some 3 dozen Tunisian hooks and mailed a few more packages, Ed assembled the Hairpin Lace Looms. Did I mention that they are mentioned in an article in the current edition of Vogue Knitting? Wahoo! Ed slathered on another layer of mud. We discussed the next steps needed. Unfortunately we need to drive 3 hours down to Roseburg on Saturday to attend the funeral for Ed’s great uncle. Since there will be relatives we’ve not seen in a long time, and Ed’s back can’t endure car rides of any length, we’ll probably stay the night and come back early Sunday. In a way it is good; this enforced break will give us some much needed rest.

Faith approves the new floor. It’s linoleum disguised as wood boards – easy maintenance!

Weaving has come to a halt, the project finished (finally!), the loom folded.

Before setting it up again it will be bathed with a lemon juice & olive oil mixture. The fresh squeezed lemon juice will clean dirt and grease, the oil olive will nourish the wood.

Our pottery has come together from various places of honor to congregate for a few days on my dresser.

Drapes are in the washing machine, dryer and on the clothes line outside.

Today we tear up the old carpet and put the first coat of paint on the living room walls. Next will be the ripping out of old kitchen cabinets, laying down new flooring, installing the cabinets Ed built.

This is not the time to weave. Knitting? Spinning? Maybe bits.