Yesterday was a good day to plant potatoes in containers. One for red potatoes, two for yellow.
When I moved the containers, I saw a very healthy colony of worms waking up.
And I finished it with squirrel-proofing, qtips soaked in essential peppermint oil, not food grade, the concentrate, and pushed into the containers, three qtips each.
Squirrels don't like the smell, and will usually stay away.
That was enough gardening for one day, involving lugging heavy storm-waterlogged containers around and winnowing some older empties containers to the recycle.
In the olden climate days I planted potatoes on March 17. St Patrick's Day and potatoes. Now it's nearer April 17. Hoping for a nice little harvest anyway.
About mending, plain and fancy, it's not just about clothes. The medieval monastics knew a thing or two about it
Meanwhile back to now, and the continuing weaving, which is teaching me a lot, and my next work will definitely benefit from what I now know.
Wobbly as it is, this is about half the length I've made, and it's a thrill to handle a piece of fabric you made from raw thread on a loom you assembled from stuff lying around -- PVC piping, dowels, a bathrobe belt.
And I do have assistants, large and small, on the tool bench
Happy day everyone, on with reading Spare now, it's well written and I'm feeling for Harry and his endless hope that his relatives will come to value him. I know that feeling so well. You never stop trying for acceptance.
Now some respect for so much greater, unimaginable, trauma: today is Holocaust Remembrance Day. Let's all do our part to make "Never Again" a reality.
I think your weaving looks great!
ReplyDeleteThank you! In one sense I'm very happy with it. Technically, though, not so much.
DeleteThanks for the squirrel-proofing tip! I can definitely use that in our garden, if I remember.
ReplyDeleteInteresting silk mending of the medieval manuscripts.
The mending is a thread version of their illumination work, to my mind.
DeleteYou need the expensive peppermint oil, the kind used for aromatherapy, not the stuff in the baking aisle. I think it's worth it to save your plants from being demolished as soon as planted.
That's a great idea about the q=tips. I wonder if it works for rabbits or deer, too? I'll have to tell Rick and we can give it a try in his garden.
ReplyDeleteIt's worth a try, though I've never had to cope with deer. Rabbits can't climb into my containers so they're not an issue.
DeleteThe weaving is coming along nicely, Boud. You have the potatoes in a lot earlier that we do it here. Your temperatures are way warmer of course.
ReplyDeleteWe're a good bit further south. Thank you for the nice words about the Wobbly Weaving!
DeleteI love your cloth. I hope you get an abundance of potatoes. I didn’t do well this well with the potato harvest. I’ll give it another go nest summer
ReplyDeleteI usually get a couple of pounds of potatoes in a container, which is fine for me. Usually harvest them small, for new potatoes. Just boiled, bit of butter, great.
DeleteOnce the weaving is off the loom and finished it will look completely different. In a good way!
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping so. My past weaving, tapestry, on hand-held and four selvedge handbuilt looms, is that once off the tensioned loom, various things happen. I'm hoping this one results in good things!
DeleteThe weaving is decent for a novice at rigid heddle work and the weaver centered point of stability. (For the life of me, I cannot remember the name of the South American ((I think)) weaving, one point was the weaver's waist and the other point a tree.
ReplyDeleteHindsight, as they say, is 20/20: no matter my loom, I always doubled the first two or three reed threads to stabilize the selvages. Also interesting; I always keep my little table of tools at my left side, my dominant side. Yours are at your right. I assume your right side is dominant.
The word you're looking for is backstrap. And thank you for the encouragement. And for the tip about the outer warp threads. I didn't know that and I don't think it's mentioned anywhere I've studied, so I will definitely do that in future.
DeleteI have mixed dominance, so the tools can be anywhere. Here they're on the right because of the furniture! The bed would stop me from attaching to the other window, and there's a clothes closet to my left. So, no choices. But to meVit doesn't matter.
I love the weaving and good luck with the potatoes.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I like my annual potato planting.
DeleteLove yout tool bench and assistants
ReplyDeletePrayers for a better world
In the name of rights, Peace is being devoured by evil.
The bears lend a cheerful note.
DeleteI think you're doing a fine job all things considered. nice color selection. my potatoes are growing nicely. depending on how they do in that big tub I might do two next year as I have another, just need to cut holes in the bottom.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I do like growing potatoes in containers. Around here they tend to rot otherwise, wet earth.
DeleteThat’s putting the pots to interesting and good use.
ReplyDeleteI often think food before flowers!
DeleteWonderful weaving, Boud!
ReplyDeleteThank you. It's improving as I go.
DeleteI haven't grown potatoes in containers, maybe I'll do that this year. Too early for planting here. I will try the q-tip thing. I am not a weaver but I think it looks really good.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely try the potatoes. Much less labor intensive than planting in the ground. No digging -- you just empty the container and pick out the potatoes.
DeleteBoud, I never knew about the squirrel-proofing technique of using essential peppermint oil and hope it protects your potatoes from any seeking a meal.
ReplyDeleteIt generally does. Around here it's essential to deter marauding squirrels.
DeleteI've never grown potatoes in containers. That sounds interesting! And I should try that squirrel proofing. Thanks for sharing that!
ReplyDeleteTry the potatoes. I've grown them from peelings though this time I used chunks.
DeleteI also recently planted, in containers, potatoes - red, white and sweet!
ReplyDeletePam! How good to see you. I was just thinking about you yesterday and hoping all was well
DeleteI think your weaving is looking great. I know I'd be pretty pleased if I could do as well.
ReplyDeleteI've definitely learned a few skills from this piece. Thank you for the nice words
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