The Wood Lot Carnage

Now there's a title that will grab you! And not far from the truth either. We have a very dense replanted area close in by the structures. Every spring it is mentioned that it needs to be thinned and every year, I take off for MA and it doesn't get done. Well, not this year! Saturday morning we both went out and started in on it. Me dragging branches and brush (grunt work) and Gene cutting the trees and dragging them out ( better grunt work).



 All told about 12 trees were taken, a path opened up to a very large dead fir and a couple of tight snags that have to cleaned out.



 More still needs to go for this tree stand to thrive but it is a start. You can start to see sunlight coming between the trees, lighting the understory.



 Yesterday I went out and cut 4 more trees and spent a good amount of time limbing up the ones that were staying. Most of these trees are small, all were replanted at the same time, probably about 30 years ago when the property was last logged. We are leaving Douglas Fir and Cedar trees and of course, a good portion of White fir and the occasional Ponderosa Pine tucked in there. More work will be done today. I can say the small chainsaw I received as a 2012 Christmas present has been the perfect tool for the job. Light, small and powerful, perfect for working in tight areas. It's going to be one heck of a burn pile for next week, hoping for some wet weather to damp things down a bit.

In the weaving studio, I tried out a combination of dark brown and red with that pink warp. I rather like it.



This will be a runner, and then we will try out all the color suggestions on towels. I added a floating selvage and stopped using the fly shuttle. It is gross overkill on a 18" wide warp and almost impossible to use with those floating threads.



 So, how am I liking my big AVL Production loom? I love it. Once set up she is fast and easy. The dobby portion has been steady and true. The shed is not what you get on the Louet's or even the Murphy Counterbalance loom, but it is a good shed and with adjustment, might even get better. Looks like Big Sal is in it for the long haul.

Meanwhile, up in the sewing room, things have languished a bit. I did get a marathon cutting session done
and have lots of fun things up and coming, but it was just too seductive to be outside than up sewing. Spring in April, what a concept! Most years we still have wet snow and slush and mud. This year is totally different. Gardens are growing, flowers are blooming, hummingbirds are back and the flippin deer have arrived too. DAMN IT!

I was hoping my plants would get a good start before the pasture rats arrived for their warm weather buffet. I even added some new plants to the garden. I have no qualms about yanking those things that died or are suffering from failure to thrive (nipped last year beyond recovery). Gardens are a living work in progress as far as I am concerned. Here are some of our picks from Friday's plant nursery excursion.


Perennial Geranium (one of two), very fragrant.


Nodding Chocolate Flower- as it says flowers that smell like chocolate. We'll see.


New variety of Santolina/ Lavender Cotton


Hellebore of unknown color. It was cheap...:)


Quince, the one survivor of a tough winter at the nursery. It was REALLY cheap, but should come back and do well up here. It is a thorned variety. Take THAT Bambi!


Sweetbox shrub, flowers in the winter and smells like honey. Should get berries for fall.

Artemisia, Lamb's Ear, more Creeping Thyme of some variety and an ornamental switch grass (Panicum) round out the selection. All of them are "deer resistant" and I can say, the Hellebore at least has remained untouched from last years planting.

Gene and I did jump into action when we spied the first deer. The water scarecrow is out and ready and so are the shocker stakes. I am hoping the double whammy right from the get go will discourage them from even putting my garden on their map. One does always have hope.

Parting shot: Springtime in Jail. So sad.....

The Domino Effect

Oh yes, this runs rampant in our house and thanks to friend Mary and a wonderful gift, it has caused quite the effect felt round the house. After a winter of warm weather travels down south,

Mary arrived back in Oregon with some great news. Her and hubby had bought a place in AZ and the present house was hitting the market. Would I like that mid century dresser I had been drooling over?



 Hell yes! We'll just pack that sucker in the Subaru when I come for a visit, and so we did. I will say that getting it from basement through garage to back of car was WAY easier than Gene and I lugging it up 2 flights of stairs, one with a corner landing. But it arrived in it's new digs just fine and looks fantastic.



 Thank you Mary AND Ross, so very much!

 The problem of course then becomes what to do with the old dresser? Since I'm at it, a few things need to be moved around the bedroom anyway. So out came the old dresser and the Ladybug spinning wheel, the chair I like and of course, spinning fiber. The lamb dresser moved to the weaving studio to hold loom stuff.



Lots of AVL bobbins, pegs and bars, spare parts, weights etc. Other drawers hold general stuff, shuttles, texsolv, manuals and I should probably make room for the temples hanging around on the open shelves here.

 So that meant that the table that provided some counter space in the weaving studio had to go somewhere. It ventured out into the back room where the Delta is living. Took the place of the little nightstand.



 Oh and the bed had to be moved around and might as well get the loom into a position that allows one to warp it and weave on it. Nice sunny place for the spinning wheel and chair too.



 The bottom shelf on that table will provide fiber storage. The only thing that hasn't found a new home, of course is the old nightstand. It will go to the furniture warehouse in the basement. You never know when it will be resurrected again, happens all the time around here.

So when I haven't been moving furniture or cleaning out and refilling drawers, I have been doing a little weaving on Sal. Looks like something that should grace a bordello in pink and red, but it is what it is. If anyone has a suggestion on a color to put with that pink, PLEASE let me know. BTW, a yellow-green is a no go with this. :)



A good deal of time has been spent in the garden, getting the weeds knocked back, looking at plants that took a heavy frost hit last week and pulling stuff that just didn't make it.



 There is a lot of life out there though and I am so thrilled to report that my much loved dark blue Salvia's have come back. There is new growth under the mulch. I peeked. But for right now, this is what we've got to show in our spring garden.


Brunnera

Hellebore



Lady's Mantle



Witch-hazel

Arctic Willow

 The temps have been riding in the low to mid 60's this week, drying things out and warming them up.

No sewing go on, but a few things have been cut and are waiting for some free time. The back door is open for the dogs to come and go to the pen as they please, clothes are line drying and the breezes through the house are soft and warm right now. Oh and I saw a hummingbird, a beautiful little Anna's male. As lovely as it is, we are hoping there is still more rain in our future, warm rain of course. ;)

Parting shots: Cat like Jack, captivated by twittering birds and sunshine.

The Wearing of the Green

Okay, everybody gets be a little Irish today. Myself, I come by a bit of the Irish on my mother's side. And why not celebrate a culture and people that gave us chemistry, modern tractors, flavored potato chips and Guinness stout?  To Ireland and it's patron saint Patrick I raise a glass (or two)! I will however not drink green beer. Been there, done that and it wasn't pretty.

So, in my sober moments, which is just about all of them, I started in on threading Big Sal.



 I am much further along than these pictures show, actually about half way done. The loom is comfortable and easy to thread. Put a regular dining chair in there and thread away.



 It did seem awkward at first getting to those back harnesses, but a rhythm came quickly. Bonus, there is no front overhead support structure so when you stand up, you won't hit your head.

I promised a look at a new pattern.



 This linen top/jacket is the Phantom from Sew Chic, a nice little indie pattern company based in Oregon. I used a lightweight sky blue linen, not my usual color choice but the price was right and linen is probably my favorite fabric both to work with and wear.



 The sizing is spot on, the construction straight forward.



 I made one change and that was opting not to make the turned back cuffs. I just don't like them. The second was to grade a little bit more room in the sleeve. I dislike a tight sleeve especially on my forearms. A very comfortable and fun top.

Now, put on your sunglasses, because I don't do florals often but when I do, it's usually bright.
This one is in progress and it's an Alexander Henry cotton print. Okay, so I got some skulls in there too. And birds!



 Not for the shy. I like bold colors and I like patterns that will hide the trials of daily living. This fits the bill. A note on the fabric. This is cotton but truly a step up from quilting cotton. The finish is smooth and well woven, Henry cottons wear like iron and do not suffer from the limp loose weave that many quilting cottons offer. The come out of the dryer with good body, not too many wrinkles and hold their color very well. If you like wild prints Alexander Henry no doubt has something for you. The finished top is on Rhonda, paired with leggings and awaiting it's final photos. Next post.

March is a fickle month here. Yesterday it was so warm and sunny and dry, I took my main steed Cooper out for a spin on the training trail. He's going to be 18 this year. We've been together a long time now and I am always amazed that I can let him sit for months on end and one day knock the mud off, tack him up and have the same horse that I left months ago. The month may fickle but the horse is not. I untacked him up at the house and left saddle, bridle and blanket for a much needed cleaning. The Toklat Woolback pad cleaned up well as did the Zilco trail bridle. In fact it was one of my best purchases way back when. A quick wash and rinse and it looks brand new after 12 years of use. My girth is getting a bit worn looking but still perfectly fine integrity wise. The saddle will get a thorough cleaning and conditioning today or tomorrow.

Dead Bob the tractor is finally on a trailer and heading down for his spa treatment tomorrow.



 It was quite the job getting a non starting tractor on a flatbed with the front bucket down. I avoided Gene for the duration of Saturday afternoon while he struggled with this problem. I would have added nothing to the conversation he and Bob had.....

Over the weekend I did get some time in the garden weeding. A few things are even flowering, the hellebore



and phlox are happy campers.



 bee balm is growing nicely,



 and many other things beginning to set bud and grow including grass and weeds.



 It looks like a conservative 75% of what I planted made it, likely more....

Parting shot: I see you! The garden watch cat.