Tag Archives: gardens

Hello May

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First I just wanted to say, that I am not disappointed about the snow that is supposed to arrive tomorrow. Yes, I know it’s spring, I can’t help it.

I am however worried about these little creatures

Hopefully they will stay nice and warm under the heat lamp.

I would also very much like to get these veggies in the garden

May is here and along with it a birthday (My 35th 😳), Mother’s Day, and well, a weekend that I can compare to Christmas.

Yes folks that’s right, New Hampshire Sheep and Wool! I went alone this year but was specifically told that I was not allowed to bring home any animals…and believe me, there were a few for sale, so I very well could have.

Instead I had to settle for sheep and alpaca cuddles, browsing all the fine wool and yarns, and of course I purchased three fleeces

Cotswold, though I just realized I still have a pound from last year I haven’t even touched (whoops!), Finn which is a new one for me, and then coopworth 😍, I also purchased a new bobbin for my wheel and believe it or not I actually came home with cash.

Yesterday for Mother’s Day was spent shivering under layers and layers of fleece sweaters, though it got up to 57, the sun never came out to say hello. My mother in law and I spent our day working on my walkway

I am not the best gardener, almost all the flowers on my property were planted by the previous owner who won awards for gardens. Thankfully they are almost effortless to maintain. My mother in law use to work at a nursery and is very helpful, helping me get flowers that are low maintenance.

Last week I purchased some beautiful merino and silk roving from Port Fiber over in Portland Maine, every time I go there I make sure to stop in a peruse all of the beautiful fibers Casey has in her shop. (If you are a fan of Taproot, they are less than two minutes down the road)

I was on a mission as soon as I purchased this wool, I knew the exact colors I wanted to dye this wool and holy moly…I’m blown away!

I have to finish the doodle/romney blend I am spinning up for a friend and then I will start spinning this up, I took a short five minute class at the Sheep and Wool Festival and was taught how to spin my yarn just a little thicker, so I have high hopes for this yarn!

Speaking of homespun

The Bandana cowl is finally complete, I need to give it a soak in something (I don’t know what) to soften it up, but I am a happy camper.

Have a great day folks, and for all you snow lovers in Maine and New Hampshire, enjoy!

Always Busy

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I wish I could slow down time once in while so I could sit down and update here more often. I’m always on the go, only sitting down for meals, folding laundry, and reading a quick paragraph in a book before I fall asleep at night.

The garden has been keeping me busy, with the harvesting

And the canning

I have pickles, apple sauce, pie filling, stew starters, relish, and pasta sauce.

We’ve been talking about downsizing the garden, because it was really too much to handle and perhaps maybe having a small garden for us and not selling at farmers market is the way we need to do things right now.

We’ve also talked about downsizing on the amount of chickens we have, we sell to many different places but the stress of it all is getting to be a bit much (I displaced a rib last week). Maybe 30 backyard chickens instead of 200+ (anyone interested in buying some organic, pasture raised golden comets that just started laying?)

I am ready for winter, I am ready for slowing down, and I’m ready to spend more time playing with this little ball of fur.

I’m also ready for sheep 😂 I keep hearing my husband tell people that sheep will be next and I did find two FREE Icelandic sheep on Craigslist today.

Time will tell, I have the herding dog, so sheep are the next logical step right?!

Have a great day folks!

The wheel isn’t turning

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And that is because my spinning wheel broke today, I am hoping that it is an easy fix because I was in the middle of plying this gorgeous romney I blended together.

I have been having so much fun blending batts lately, I wanted to finally spin some up to see how they turn out….I’m also trying to keep myself occupied spinning these batts while I impatiently await my recently purchased wool combs from Susan’s fiber…I won’t lie, the fact that she allows sheep to roam around her shop was the reason I choose to buy from her 😂

I have so much merino waiting in my basement to play with, but it does not turn out well when I run into through my drum carder….the one I spent almost two years researching…the one that claimed it was for fine fiber like merino (it was written right in the description!!!)

I am excited to try out these combs and see how well they work (Hopefully better than my handmade combs 😞 not very pretty & it’s just tetanus waiting to happen)

The snow is starting to melt, the chickens are laying over 80 eggs a day, we have 150 chicks arriving any day now (I hope) & seeds have been started for this years garden.

We have been making plans for when the snow melts. A wattle fence is on the list, more fruit trees & berry bushes (Elderberry Jam anyone?).

The fiber festival is happening soon, because of course the 60lbs in my basement just isn’t enough, one must try out all wool options before choosing a breed of sheep.

Another big trip will be to Fedco in Maine, for their annual tree sale, lots of fun planned for the year!

Have a great weekend folks!

A few rows short of a blanket

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Last time on ‘The Year I Made My Own Clothes’

  • I had an 8 year old
  • I was crocheting a mermaids tail blanket
  • I found some neat artwork
  • And we had a lot of snow.

Well, I now have a NINE year old 😳, the mermaids tail blanket is almost finished, turns out my girl had a bit of a growth spurt (I also apparently used the wrong size crochet hook for twelve rows 😭) so I am adding rows to the top

  
And I messed up the fin, go me. So while I have presented the mostly finished present to Lorelai (which is how we found that blanket to be too small), I still have a little ways to go.

However I have been enjoying every moment of it & I am excited to announce that I have joined the knitting group in town and I absolutely LOVE every minute of it. I haven’t been part of any group since the spinning guild two years ago, so I am happy to have been invited to join in and have made new friends! 

I started a new project this week (because we all know how great I am at finishing old ones, maybe I have a fear of finishing things…is that a phobia some sort?, I’m attached to the project so much that I can’t bear to finish it?!) 

Anywho (disclaimer for people who keep getting snarky with me, yes I meant to write anywho over anyhow, so simmer down!!)

I started the bluebell cardigan from Jane Austen Knits 2015 designed by Zsuzsa Kiss

  

(Picture curtesy of Intearweave’s Jane Austen knits 2015) 

Lorelai, the budding fashionista she is, chose the colors for me  

I’m using this Caron simply soft Harvest Red & the contrast color will be Caron simply soft Blue Mint. 

I won’t lie, this pattern was a little confusing at first because it called for something I had never heard of before, but after frogging six rows I finally figured it out and now it’s coming along. 

We are currently have strange weather here in New England, some people are getting hit with snow, while here in our part of NH we are having 50 degree days that is melting snow, today we had a mix of rain and snow, and sometime next week we will be getting snow again. 

 We are looking forward to spring however, we just got in the first order of seeds for our garden, with plans to place a second order sometime soon!

 I’m also looking forward to fluffy animals and hopefully spending some quality time with my hand carders and the insane amounts of wool I have sitting in my craftroom. I’m ready to be spinning again!!

  
This was the last thing I spun, seasilk back in who knows when!! 

Oh well, soon enough 😊

Have a great night folks!

    I should be sleeping

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    Well folks, we’re into single days for my deadline, two days to be exact, and it seems as if tropical storm Andrea is coming to help out. We are due for rain tonight, which isn’t supposed to stop until Sunday. The chickens will probably stay inside their shed (which is about the size of my bedroom they’re spoiled), Carrick lives with them, the ducks will stay in the barn, and our chicks & keets will stay in the nice warm, dry house with us.

    Here is where I am at currently with my bartók tunik

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    One arm hole left and then the sleeves wahoo!

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    My kids have been enjoying their knitting and working on it everyday.

    And now I leave you with a bit of cuteness

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    Have a great night folks!!