Showing posts with label seed planting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label seed planting. Show all posts

Sunday, May 26, 2024

Reading, planting, weaving, stitching

 Hot today, but I did get my seeds in. This was later.

The deck was in shade, but when I was out it was 85 feels like 90. I did get the seeds in, labeled and squirrel proofed, and the lemon balm cut back,  but it was heavy going.


I had planned on sitting out to read, but it felt too hot, so I came in, drank a large glass of water, and dozed a while. Officially reading 

It's fantasy with a bit of magic and I can't remember who recommended it. I'll stay with it a while, but it's pretty far out of my comfort zone as they say.

And the couple of hot days reminded me to switch out the red felt winter door curtain for the summer green and white stripes canvas.

This canvas is excellent at blocking heat while letting light in. I bought it years ago and still get Amazon questions I can't answer about it. Such as what's the exact content of the fabric.  Can it be stitched on a machine. How many yards will the asker need for their porch! They don't ask how high is up, but close.

I did get into stitching, and the design is finally coming clear to me. You can see the radiating lines from the core of the dress to the edges.

And about the pinloom weaving puzzle, today I solved the mystery of what I kept doing wrong while chatting, and how to fix it without taking work out, yay. A workaround.



I've pretty much finished this yarn and might have to think what it should become.  Not today, holiday.

Aside from the Crows, there's currently 

 
One of the "daughter marrying wealth, to rescue the family from the brother's improvidence" group, less entertaining than the comedy of errors novels. 

Pretty businesslike approach to the barter aspect of wealthy marriage and settlements, and some unnerving abduction and blackmail aspects. Normal scenes of English Regency family life..

Happy day, everyone, quite a few people have a holiday weekend, what with Whitsun and Memorial Day.

I think AC's Little Light works for both 






Sunday, May 21, 2023

Indoors and out, and a fiber extravaganza

 Today I gardened. Here's the morning glory soaking until I plant tomorrow 


And outside I assembled pots, soil, tools and energy to plant seeds.  But first, there's always a but first, since I was putting plants all over right out here I had to  first seize the day and riddle out the condensation pipe for the AC.

For reasons best known to Saint Brickitup patron saint of builders, this vital pipe which carries out and disposes of the gallons of condensation generated in a hot humid summer, was installed below grade. 

Right where leaves and other debris are driven in by winter weather and rain, blocking it up unless I dig down each year, find it, riddle it out and redo my Rube Goldberg  fix, also dig under it to allow gravity to work on the condensation.

This is not an easy area, being jammed among important immovable stuff as you see, and is one of the most tiring tasks of the year.

The clay tile deflects rain from the pipe opening, hidden under a rock, which I've covered with mesh to repel debris.  And it has to be jammed together so that squirrels and weather don't shift it.

Then I was able to do the easy job of raking the area smoother,  hauling planters and bags of soil, like a son of toil under a ton of soil, distribute seeds, water them in and squirrel proof the containers.



Qtips soaked in peppermint essential oil, stuck into the pots. 

But before this I had to make lunch, which turned out to be onions and garlic, in baharat and salt, fried gently down to not caramelized but halfway there, with the last of those mushroom walnut  not-burger things cooked on top, and steamed broccoli.



 The reveal, croquettes aux champignons et noix, avec les oignons et l'ail! And this was pretty good in any language. Dessert was yogurt, maroo raisins and raw sugar.

But first, before that, I had to finish threading the heddle for the next skirt panel, And found that though the measuring was fine, the warp thread counting had left something to be desired. 


I had to figure out, and add, a dozen more warp threads, and now it's ready for tomorrow's attaching to the belt and the weaver.

But before that, I'd caught a marvelous ancient fiber find, on Twitter, then I followed it to YouTube. 

A complete ancient Norse tunic, woven with a diamond pattern, found where the Norwegian ice has melted. It looked like a bunch of scrap fabric, until the researchers unfolded and cleaned it and were stunned.

Valuable in its time, a masterpiece of spinning and weaving over many working hours, it's now hugely significant in terms of fiber and cultural history.


That's the breed of sheep whose fleece it was woven from 

Take a look, it's very precious knowledge.

But first, before that, I was reading blogs early, as you do, and found that our friend Angela, currently on the trip of a lifetime from Australia to London, had posted these and more finds from the British museum 


See the ancient Greek lady spindle spinning


And these wonderful ancient fragments. 

Make sure you catch all of what she says
https://theaussieemptynestervic.blogspot.com
You might have to scroll just a bit for this entry. Also I don't have the link functions that you laptop folk have,  on this phone, so you may have to cut and paste.

In fact sign up and follow her for her interesting life and times.

Happy day everyone! I think I'm up to now, and a cup of tea.

But first,  before I forget, I did ask Sandy about the sweater pattern Tigger's F needed to know. It's on Ravelry, pattern name Wool and Honey. 

Okay now I'm up to now. I did other stuff, now too tired to write about it, also enough's probably enough!