Cabin Crafted

Category: family

  • Whew, I needed today

    We were very fortunate to have Son 1 and Grandson 1 come to visit us this past weekend, but mostly to work at outside house maintenance that hubby and I just can’t do anymore. They powerwashed about half the house, caulked, attacked carpenter bee damage, and started re staining the logs. They worked far harder than I possibly could while I gardened some, stayed nearby to be a helper with scaffolding or ladder moving, gofer of items needed while they were up high, and to keep them fed and hydrated. It was hot! I had to wear long sleeves, long pants, and a big floppy hat whenever I was outside with them because I had 11 more pre cancerous lesions cryosurgeried off last week and they weren’t healed enough to slather on sunscreen over them. By the end of the first day, in spite of the heat, Son 1 was shivering as he was up close and personal with the power washing spray on the upper dormers and the water was coming from our well, so it was cold.

    On Sunday, Daughter and her two kiddos came over to have homemade pizza with us and have a brief visit with her older brother while he took a break to eat.

    After a final dinner last evening, once the weekend’s work was done, they headed back home for Grandson’s school week. There will be other weekends to finish what can be done on the ground and at least one with a cherry picker so the upper areas can be stained.

    We were able to enjoy a large salad with lettuce from our garden last night, fresh garlic scapes from a friend on the pizza and tonight in stir fry as mine aren’t as far along as her’s were. The various gardens are producing flowers as well. There are lots of volunteer sunflowers coming up in beds, thanks to the birds. The bearded and Dutch Iris are glorious this year. One of my peonies actually bloomed this year. They are more than a decade old, but I don’t think they like their location. I love the flowers that look like a cross between a rose and a carnation.

    Year before last for our February anniversary, hubby gave me a tiny rose bush in a thimble sized pot tucked into a little lady bug planter. When it finished blooming, I moved it to a larger pot and when the walled garden was completed last summer, the rose was planted in it. The deer found it to my dismay, so I put an upside down tomato cage over it to deter them and the rose has thrived. If purchased now, it would take at least a one gallon pot, though it is a miniature type rose and it is full of blooms and buds for more. When I was in younger, I used to keep a bowl with a bloom in it when I could, a camillia, a rose, a magnolia, whatever was available. This morning, I plucked 5 of the tiny roses and floated them in a small pottery bowl to help brighten the house.

    Last week’s appointments and the weekend’s work slowed my spinning considerably, but I got a new Carob wood spindle in the mail and started on the last quarter of the month’s fiber for the May “I love this color” challenge. I selected Shades of Turquoise in Falkland wool to spin, a total of 4 ounces. I hope I am able to finish it in the next 7 days, but there is no requirement that I must. I don’t know what I will knit from it, but have a couple of shawl patterns in mind.

    Though the temperature today was similar to the weekend, it has been overcast and since I wasn’t in and out all day, I was back to my above the knee skirt and short sleeves. I did put on sunscreen to take our walk and wore my big deep floppy brimmed hat that hubby says reminds him of “Dumb Donald’s” hat in Fat Albert comics. He says I should put eye holes in it. It isn’t really that bad, but it does protect my face and shoulders.

  • Farm Progress

    A couple of days ago, our neighbor to the east had a part of his herd escape into our tall hayfields. I heard mooing and bellowing and looked out to find a black bull in our west side yard. Going out on the porch, then the back deck, it became apparent that he wasn’t alone. He had brought his harem of 7 or 8 cows and about that many calves that you could barely see in the hay, just see the hay moving as they followed the others. Neighbor was on his tractor in the field to the east, planting corn. I messaged him of his escapees and they eventually wandered back toward home and he could see them. I guess his corn planting was interrupted by some fence maintenance. Soon the hay will come down and the fields will be shorn and available for wandering and looking for berries.

    The new asparagus raised bed arrived early. I had hauled the bags of raised bed soil across the garden and stacked them near where the bed was to be assembled and to await it arrival. Not expecting it until today or tomorrow, I was surpised to find it waiting on the front porch. After dinner last night, the box it came in and two other boxes were spread over a freshly weeded area where I had dug out the comfrey last weekend. A few more sprouts of comfrey had already come up. The raised bed was assembled, a layer of soil placed over the cardboard, the dozen crowns spaced in the bed and covered with more soil and a layer of straw. Part of a bag of the wood chip mulch was then spread around the outside over the cardboard and between the beds.

    As the crowns emerge, more soil will be added on top until the foot deep bed is full to the top. As soon as the old bed stops producing decent spears, it will be dug up, more cardboard put down, the half barrels for more berries placed where it was, but the berries will have to wait until next spring, I think. I can no longer find them for sale except online.

    I’m waiting for the garlic to finish off so it can be pulled and the box build without the upper end can be finished. The lower end of that box was planted with Tomatillos, ground cherries, cucumbers, and cilantro. The first three will have to be trellised as they grow. I still haven’t planted any sunflowers, just the volunteers that have come up in various flower beds thanks to the birds. I think the edge above the existing asparagus and garlic will have a row of them as soon as I get the grass from under the fence.

    The apprentice was the only hen to escape yesterday and it took her quite a while, I think she went under the fence this time, so lengths of firewood were placed along the lower edge where the fence had a bit of space under it to help hold it down. We will see if she finds another way out. She seems determined to not lay her eggs in the coop, but though I hear her egg song and come running, I can not find her stash.

    As the pullets continue to grow and look more like small hens, their markings are true. The older oliver eggers are black with gold feathers intersperced at their necks, with green legs and feet. The young oliver eggers are less attractive to me.

    This one is the least attractive one, and I wouldn’t know she was an Olive egger except for her green legs and feet.

    The pullet with her back to the camera at the top of the shot is the other one. She looks more like a Welsummer except she has green legs and feet. The Marans look more like the older Olive eggers, but they have black legs and feet, they are really pretty birds. The Buff Orpingtons vary in shade from pale to butterscotch, the two NH Reds don’t look like the adult ones I have (one of them is above the Buff on the left edge of the photo. The variety of Easter eggers are all attractive but each one is marked differently. I have never had a flock that were so distinctive that I could tell them apart, except for the Marans unless they are together and two are smaller. We should start seeing pullet eggs in about a month. Some of them are already developing real combs that are reddening.

    Today, more prep for the weekend with Son 1 and Grandson 1 here to get some exterior house maintenance done. First up is to go get the basement dusted and vacuumed and the beds made with fresh sheets.

    Off to work.

  • A Most Wonderful Day

    Midweek, Son 1 asked if we had Mother’s Day plans which we did not. He suggested a halfway meet up for a picnic with Grandson 1 and DIL. I asked if Daughter and her two kiddos should be included and got a resounding, “YES!” back, so she was asked. We divvied up the picnic goodies, and in a “I don’t ever want to own one of these” rental SUV, headed 2 hours East, they headed 2 hours Southeast and we met up at a picnic ground on the Blue Ridge Parkway north end. It was wonderful to have two of my children, 3 of my grandchildren, and 1 of my DIL’s there to share an afternoon of food and social visitation. We had a slight adventure getting there because I used Google Maps to take the “shortcut” through Stuart’s Draft to get on the parkway and it led us up a narrow gravel road for about 3 miles before intersecting with the parkway. Daughter said it was reminiscent of childhood auto adventures, her daughter thought is was kind of cool out in the middle of nowhere woods, but the teenager wasn’t so sure about it. The woods at the picnic ground were full of Mayapples in bloom. Ours are up but not blooming yet. There are one of my favorites in the mountain woods.

    Before we headed out, Daughter presented me with a gift bag and card. The card was adorable and it is funny that her son picked the same card for her. The gift bag had two much needed new kitchen towels. In spite of the photo, they really are the same color and match my tea kettle.

    DIL is an multi-talented artist and she presented Daughter and me with hand thrown planter pots with saucers. That was perfect too as I love the one she gave me for Christmas and was looking for another pot for a bathroom plant.

    Son had on a hat that I was admiring and he said, “it is your yarn, but you didn’t make it” and followed with an explanation that one of his co-workers had made it for him. A further explanation was that through another co-worker, she had discovered my blog and has twice purchased some of my handspun yarn which she in turn made part of into a hat for Son. I thought that was such a neat crossing of paths. She and son knew the connection, but I didn’t until today.

    Before we all said goodbye today, the tallest scrunched down after arranging us and took a group selfie. Back left is Grandson 1, Hubby, Grandson 3, me, DIL, Daughter, Granddaughter 2, and Son 1 wearing “the hat.”

    What a great day. Now I want to see Son 2 and his family too.

    Happy Mother’s Day!

  • We Survived

    The two cold days and frigid nights are in our past. Hopefully, the last of the season, but it is still 5 weeks to last frost date. The covered young plants all survived, though I need to made the fence tunnels for the two 4 foot square beds so I can drape plastic over them to make a mini hoop houses. The plastic shower curtain liners wouldn’t stay taut enough to not droop down on top of some of the seedlings. Yesterday I pulled them back tight and this morning they were droopy again.

    The chicks in the garage did fine, though they are so very crowded in the big water trough. I do want to power wash the inside of the coop before I put fresh straw in it to move them. Three are still smaller than the others, but all have feathers and I think they will be fine with the warmer nights upcoming.

    Saturdays are Farmer’s Market days and this was the first week the opening changed from 10 a.m. to 8 a.m. and I didn’t want to be there that early, so I feared it would be mobbed. It was so cold, it was mostly vendors out there, bundled up and standing out in the sun in front of or behind their stalls. The weeks goodies were purchased and we went down to Tractor Supply to get chick feed and some poultry fence so I could build a temporary pen for the big hens. They have been cooped in the Palace for a week, it is dark in there with no windows except some hardware cloth high on the south end and a hardware cloth door on the north end. Once home, a small 64 square foot pen was erected and they were allowed out into the grass to peck and scratch. If they return into the Palace on their own for the next few nights, I will remove the pen and give them free range time again.

    I don’t really want to have to set real fence posts and erect a wire fence to give them more room if they balk at using the Palace as their new home. I have the posts and the old fence wire available if I have to take that route.

    Tomorrow I will have daughter and her kiddos here for Easter dinner. I have hidden some eggs with trinkets and coins in them for an Easter Egg hunt, though I suspect grandson will find it childish as a young teen. Granddaughter will enjoy it. There are six different colors of eggs and I have assigned 3 colors to each, plus a small Chocolate bunny each, so it will be fair and no arguments (I hope). At the Farmer’s Market I bought Hot Cross buns for the bread for dinner to go with the ham, au gratin potatoes with local cheese, and a green salad or cooked vegetable. I wish the asparagus were up, but not yet. Daughter will bring deviled eggs and we will enjoy some time togther. I found out this week that both sons have had at least one vaccine, so maybe we will be able to see all of our family again soon.

  • We Won’t Need April Showers, Thank you

    In ski country, when the snow pack melts, they call it mud season. There are parts of the country that could use rain, snow, or the other YUK we have been receiving.

    Mornings and evenings require donning the thick ugly pink barn coat, a hat or the coat hood, muck boots (sometimes ice cleats would be nice), either leather or thick fleece gloves depending on what task needs to be done. Boldly opening the door to the garage, gathering feed and water bucket, tentatively opening the door to the outside and assessing my safety on the stoop there. Is it wet, coated with ice, or deep in snow. At this point, I actually prefer the snow, at least I can safely walk in it. Some days when looking out, the grass and trees glisten with tiny icicles hanging from the limbs and fences. Those mornings are treacherous, the stoop and other surfaces, including the grass are like stepping on a kitchen floor where cooking oil was spilled, but for the past week or so, even though surfaces resemble the ice palace in Dr. Zhivago, the surface below is mud, thick, goopy, slimy mud. If one surface doesn’t get you, the other one will.

    I keep a good thick layer of hay in the chicken run, which as I have mentioned before, is sloped, highest at the end away from the pop door. After opening, or chipping the ice off the gate to pry it open so I can get to the pop door, the first step is always a challenge. For some reason, the preferred scratching place in the run is right in front of the gate, thus all the hay gets piled deep at the other end in front of the coop. Of course, the rain, freezing rain, snow haven’t helped as they make the hay itself slick once compacted. Every few days, a new layer is put down and every evening when I lock them in for the night, I drag hay back uphill to the gate for my evening and next morning safety.

    Each morning for the past couple of weeks have looked like the above pictures. The top one was this morning with freezing rain forecast, but it is pouring down not frozen rain as I write. We are in full blown mud season.

    The daylilies have sprouted tender green tips which will get burned by the next onslaught of bitter cold, which is sure to come. The mud will freeze again and thaw again before the grass and trees sprout to drink up the spring showers. After two warm winters, my plans to get more cardboard down in the garden and build up a couple of new beds have been foiled by real winter this year. Maybe it is good that I can’t garden year round, this winter is giving my body the needed rest.

    Yesterday, on our Anniversary, we drove into town and got drive thru breakfast, it was too icy on Saturday when we usually do it, so we missed the Farmer’s Market, but so did many of the vendors. We picked up curbside delivery of grocery items and came home, sitting near each other as I spun on my new spindle, a gift from my love, and some on my wheel as one of the fibers I purchased for my blanket, though enough was spun on spindles to fulfill the one block requirement (actually there will be two), I don’t like spinning that particular fiber on spindles, so the remainder of the braid is being done on the wheel.

    Late in the day, we picked up the Valentine’s Day special from the local BBQ restaurant and drove down to the river to eat. We arrived to pick up our 5:15 p.m. order at 5:10 and it was already sitting packed on the counter, so it wasn’t hot. Packed in styrofoam clamshell contains, several each, cutting and eating from them was a challenge in the car. We should have brought it home and put it on real plates, rewarming what could be warmed. It was not the fancy anniversary dinner of the past, but it was shared together, watching the river flow by in the drizzly gloom. It was a very uneventful day, but a day spent with each other. Another tick off on the calendar of our lives together and another to look forward to.

  • Forty Three Years

    We started later in life than many couples and married quickly after meeting. We were introduced less than a year prior and so very different, but it worked. After Christmas we had gone skiing in Vermont, my first real ski trip and I promptly separated my shoulder, but managed to bundle up enough to restrict it and skied anyway. We got home on New Year’s Eve and went to have my shoulder checked out at the E.R., leaving after X-rays with a sling and instructions for follow up. Early in the evening, we went out for a drink then home to avoid New Year’s Eve amateur night and as the ball dropped, he proposed. He later said that my continuing to ski though injured was the clincher. The family was gathering on New Year’s Day at my grandparent’s house for black eyed peas, collards, and ham (he doesn’t like the peas or collards) and we made our announcement.

    Discussing wedding dates, he picked Valentine’s Day, 6 short weeks away, stating that if he ever forgot it, he was in double trouble. He has never forgotten it, has feigned feeling fine to go out for a dinner at a fine restaurant only to crash and burn as soon as we got home. There have been overnights away from the kids when they were small, nicer dinners at home when our budget wouldn’t allow, B&B weekends when the kids were old enough to be left alone, a ski trip to Colorado with cousin his wife, and a cruise for number 40 with celebrations on two nights on the ship and horseback riding on the beach in the Honduras 3 years ago today.

    Our wedding was small and simple, an off the rack Gunny Sack dress for me. We did rent the ugliest tuxes for the men, my matron of honor kindly made her own long skirt and blouse. A simple long stem rose for a bouquet, a halo of rose buds and baby’s breath on my hair. A simple gold band of connected hearts for my ring, and a reception at my parent’s home of punch, nuts, and a cake given to us by my grandmother.

    We have had a good 43 years together. This past year with COVID restrictions has been enough to test any relationship and we have come through it together. Tomorrow, we will celebrate 43, but we won’t be going to a fancy restaurant, on a cruise, or away to a B&B, we will celebrate quietly together. Maybe next year we will again be allowed to travel and we will celebrate 44 away.

    Who are those young folks.

  • The pups

    Nine years ago the end of February or early March, we drove to Lancaster area of Pennsylvania to pick up a puppy. DH wanted an English Mastiff. I had no clue what they looked like, their temperament, their size. The puppies that were left from the litter were in a pen in a shed. The mom had a huge litter during a bitter freeze and they lost part of the litter of pups. When we got there, Ranger and only a couple of his siblings were left. DH was in love with a 22 pound ball of skin and fur. He asked if we could see the parents who were up a hill in the welding shop on the household’s property so the owner called up and told them to let the dogs out. They came bounding down the hill like a couple of freight trains and though I’m not afraid of dogs, I was frightened at the sight of these two huge beasts with jowls flapping, racing down the hill. I wondered what we were getting into.

    Eight week old Ranger and DH

    When we were headed home, the frightened pup let loose from both ends, requiring a stop at the nearest store for paper towels, gallon jug of water, and a serious clean up of the crate and the pup. I had put a towel in the crate and it was fouled, so we purchased a fleece blanket to line the crate. Once home, he wouldn’t climb the stairs or go back down them. Daughter told us not to carry him up or he would never learn and we wouldn’t be able to deal with him grown. How true that is as he grew over the next two years to a 200 pound gentle giant.

    Here he is, about a year old with eldest grandson using him as a pillow. They are still buddies when grandson comes to visit. Ranger has ridden to Florida when daughter lived there with his head in Grandson’s lap as he was travelling with us that summer.

    When he was a younger dog, he would play soccer with a rigid horse ball, kicking it around the yard with his feet until it would roll down the back field to the fence. He couldn’t get it back up himself, requiring one of us to go get it, but we would have to put the ball in a canvas sack so he couldn’t see it or he would spend the entire walk back up the hill trying to get it from us. Now his energy level lasts only a few short minutes, he no longer plays with the horse ball, but will pick up a large softer ball on a rope, fling it around dangerously, and bring it for you to hold the other end. He never caught on to tug of war, thank goodness, as he could pull me across the house.

    Two weeks after we got him, we drove back to Pennsylvania to get a German Shepherd pup. She was a beautiful, dark, long haired shepherd and I fell in love instantly. Unfortunately, she only lived with us for 8 weeks before a serious neurological defect required us to have her euthanized. Later in the summer, on our way to Florida, we picked up a 16 week old German Shepherd that has had recurrent health issues, is very, very needy, but afraid of her own shadow.

    My little gal Meeko before she failed.
    Put you phone down and pay attention to me, says Shadow as soon as you sit down.

    When they were younger, they would go on hikes with us, but the German Shepherd never wanted to walk where there were crowds, bicycles, skateboards, or people with walking sticks, so we would go to the woods. Ranger wanted the attention of people at the Farmer’s Market and on the rail grade trail, but didn’t like loading in the car. He loves rides, but getting in and out has been an issue for years.

    DH with Shadow and Ranger on the War Spur Trail overlook.

    They are both 9 years old now. He is an old man that is so fearful of going down the steps that he is limited to only coming up to the loft at night. There is no way we could get him down if he didn’t eventually do it on his own. She, because of her various ailments is old for her age as a German Shepherd. Unfortunately, the two of them never bonded like the Ranger and Meeko did in their short time together. Shadow tries to herd Ranger, he tolerates her most of the time, but will rebuke her occasionally.

    Tiny Ranger and Meeko playing tug of war.

    The big guy is a sweet, chill, gentle giant that loves most people (especially kids), cats, but not other strange dogs after he was bitten by a Pit Bull at the dog park, the last time we ever went there.

    What do yo mean, “relax, I am relaxed.”

    And for size reference, this is Ranger at about 2 years old, so mostly full grown, sitting in DH’s lap in the old “Chair.”

  • A Spirit Lifter

    After not seeing Son 1 and family for almost a year due to COVID, we arranged a socially distanced meet up on the Skyline Drive in the fall. We met again at Natural Bridge State Park just before Christmas, and again today, this time at Douthat State Park. Each of these meet ups has been around lunch time with a picnic where we both provide part of the food and condiments, and the two state park meet ups also included a walk.

    We walked along the creek at Natural Bridge to the falls and back and today, we hiked around the lake at Douthat.

    Son 1, Grandson 1, and Hubby after lunch, letting the meal settle in a bit before our walk.
    Hubby and me at the top of the dam as we walked around the lake.
    The beach on the opposite side of the lake is where we had our picnic.

    Son 1 took a couple of selfies of us lined up down the path with all of us in the photo, but I haven’t gotten any of them yet.

    The drive was just a couple of hours, with about 3 1/2 hours “together” outdoors to visit and share a distance picnic spread out between a couple of tables. We took a totally non Interstate drive home which took a bit longer, but was a pleasant drive getting us back to the town near home before it got dark.

    The after dark lock up of the hens provided a pleasant surprise.

    After having to buy eggs for about a month, it looks like production might be ramping back up. It will be nice having eggs from our own flock again.

    On the way out the door I grabbed a skein of yarn and a long circular needle, hand wound the skein into two equal balls and cast on a pair of fingerless mitts for me. I was going to knit them with the second half of the Parrothead BFL, but it spun up too fine for the pattern and I had plenty of gray Jacob spun last year and they can be worn with any coat or jacket. I didn’t get a lot done, but I’m doing them two at a time so when one is done, they both will be done.

    These meet ups, even without being able to hug are spirit lifters for hubby and me. Weather permitting, we will look for another meet up at a park somewhere between their house and ours in February. Sandwiches and chips shared, a walk or hike together, conversation, and just knowing that they are ok is wonderful.

  • Happy New Year

    The year ended with business paperwork showing an abysmal year for the shop. A putting away of last year and a clean house to start the new year. The last of the Christmas roast that had been frozen was thawed and warmed for supper last night with Huevos Rancheros on the schedule for the morning. We stayed up to watch the ball drop over the empty Times Square.

    I started my double challenge spinning while watching another 30 minutes of new year festivities after midnight.

    Yesterday, I knit the first square for the blanket as a test, using wool spun in November and December, and though it will be part of the finished blanket, it doesn’t count in the challenge. The wool I am starting with is BFL, 2 ounces each of the two colors above, Parrot Head and Kingfisher. One will start a new square after enough is spun and that will be my official one for the challenge, the other will be added to the square under them to provide the finishing corner of the blanket when all the quadrants of 4 breeds each are sewn together. The two spindles are “new” (within the past 5 weeks) and the fiber new at Christmas, so that satisfies the second challenge.

    The morning brought an awakening thought that I had no eggs, so no Huevos for the Rancheros. He got cheese enchiladas and sausage instead. Our weekly curbside groceries were ready shortly after and again, the substitution or lack there of was a problem. It is frustrating that simple common sense can’t be used in offering substitutions. But it did get me the collards and black eyed peas that I will enjoy tonight as hubby has ham, au gratin potatoes, and something green. I enjoy corn bread with it, but have gotten frustrated that I make an 8″ skillet of it and half ends up going to the chickens before it all gets eaten. Maybe I should look for a tiny cast iron skillet and divide the recipe so that there are only 4 slices instead of 8.

    The new year started rainy and cold but the rest of the week looks lovely. Tomorrow there is no official Farmer’s Market, but a few vendors have offered pre orders with a short window pick up. We will drive in to get eggs and some veggies. Next week, the winter markets begin.

    Let’s hope that the vaccines get distributed fairly and quickly and that there are no more incidents of deliberate waste of them. Let’s also hope that the “adults” that hold positions in our House and Senate, act like adults and move the election result to completion. This year has to be better than last. A new grandson last January, socially distanced meet ups with our children and their families a few times, and my spindle spinning and knitting have gotten me through the past year.

  • Yes, I am alive and well

    A friend reminded me that I had been silent for a few days. Time spent with hubby and via phone and video chat with family, time spent finishing my December spinning challenge, trying to finish a shawl as a finished project for the same challenge, and getting ready for the start of the new year, spinning challenges and mentally preparing for even more isolation as we are seeing about a dozen new cases of COVID in our county each day (56+% of the cases in the county since December 1) and between people travelling and gathering for Christmas and New Years, it will get worse.

    When I went to the Farmers Market on the Saturday before Christmas, part of my goal was to obtain a Christmas roast for our Christmas dinner, we still have Thanksgiving turkey in the freezer. The vendor apologized that his abattoir had not gotten his latest beef back to him, but he expected to pick it up on Monday. He made a stop on his way home and let me buy a 3 pound rib roast. It was a much more expensive cut than I would usually purchase and wanted it to be cooked perfectly. When we have family here or that we can visit with, we usually have Italian food at Daughter’s on Christmas Eve, and Turkey, ham, and all the sides on Christmas day here. As a younger married, I would prepare either Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, my Dad doing the other and extended family gathered. The Christmas dinner was always on Christmas eve and we grazed on left overs and other goodies on Christmas Day. Traditionally, I make Huevos Rancheros for hubby on Christmas and New Years Day mornings. Because it was just the two of us, I did prepare the breakfast then later in the day, prepared the roast that I had seasoned the day before. It was perfect and delicious. We have eaten about half of it over two days, the other half frozen to be pulled out in a week or so and enjoyed again.

    We woke to a white Christmas with continued snow showers all day. Gifts had been exchanged with our children and grand children via distanced meetings or mail. We celebrated with just the two of us. My gifts included items lovingly chosen based on my interests, fiber to spin, a Jumbo flyer for my wheel, a travel Lazy Kate, a leather tooled pocket notebook cover, counter top herb garden with grow light, hand made pottery planter made by DIL and bee barn from them as well, wool socks and a wool tee shirt to keep me warm. It was a calm, lazy day filled with too much food, but no in person family except hubby.

    My December spinning got side tracked when I started knitting the Peacock shawl, but I still finished with plenty for the challenge.

    Yesterday was spent plying yarn, the “Redbud” ended up about 450 yards of light fingering weight and the Jacob (the gray) is this month’s and last month’s plied together to about 115 yards of light fingering weight.

    The fiber hubby gave me is the left of this photo and will be the breed I begin my January challenges with, both the “Something New” challenge and a Breed Blanket.

    After several frigid icy days, the sun is out and the snow and ice are melting, the temperature finally above 40 degrees, so we ventured out to take a walk, figuring the paved rail grade being the safest path. For the most part it was clear or wet, but there were some areas like this below.

    Some of the areas that looked wet were black ice, but it was good to get out and stretch our legs and get some fresh air.

    I have about half an ounce of yarn left before I have to use the rest to do the picot bind off. I’m hoping it is enough to finish the repeat I am on.

    I’m very pleased with how the gradient blends until it gets to the purples and the gradient isn’t as subtle there, almost like the purples were reversed, but I spun this yarn on spindles and was very careful to keep them in the order they came off the braid. It is still a pretty shawl. Once finished, washed and blocked, it will go in my shop.

    I hope you had a safe Christmas and will have a safe New Year.