Harvest Goodies

 We had our first frost a few weeks ago, and that meant it was time to do some gleaning. We've had a strange year, very hot and dry in early spring, then wet, then very hot again, then a biblical flood. Tomatoes have certain conditions they prefer, and night temperatures can really affect the ripening. I had a huge number of big green tomatoes that just would not turn!

 Fortunately, green tomatoes are not a waste. One can make fried green tomatoes, chow chow, chutneys, pickled tomatoes etc. I however, like to let them ripen so I can enjoy fresh tomatoes on my salad in January.

We've always kept tomatoes to ripen, wrapped individually in newspaper and placed in a box. The box should be in a cool still corner to let them slowly mature. Be very careful about not placing bruised, frozen or split tomatoes in the box. One rotten fruit will spread to a whole section of box!

We've also had a bumper crop of lovely juicy pears from our Fruit Share. We're getting two bags at a time, and they all seem to come ripe at the same time! I did a quick fix on the last dozen pears before leaving on this trip, Pear Sauce.

 These golden juicy beauties went right in the processor, peels still on. They were very very ripe, I could actually pull the seeds out from the stem!

 Pureed smooth, then I just brought them up to a boil. I added some nutmeg for a little Fall flavor, and a little lemon. I didn't want to cook them for a long time, it doesn't make the sauce any better and it breaks down nutrients. They get a fair bit of cooking in the canning process anyway!

They were jarred, and then boiled in my canning pot for 15 minutes. The darkening from oxidation seems to have disappeared after that cooking, leaving  a nice camel color flecked with flavor! These will be just the right size for lunch snacks, or for pouring over potato latkes.

I hope everyone else had a bumper crop too! Coming soon, news from New Zealand, where it is spring time and the lambs are super cute!

Spinzilla - It's a Monster!

This year marks the first annual Spinzilla competition to benefit TNNA's expansion into spinning and other fiber arts. Teams of up to 25 spun for an entire week to see who could produce the most finished yardage. I'm ashamed to say that with the preparation for my trip I only managed 1700 yards, but that used almost half a Lincoln fleece! I'll be dying it soon, perhaps with some yummy natural plant dyes...

But my contribution was not in vain, Team Fancy Tiger took home the Golden Niddy Noddy! That is a rather impressive sum of yarn... I really liked getting that push to do some spinning, a dedicated spinning week helped me get back on the wheel!

And our MVS (Most Valuble Spinner) was Laura, who did OVER 9000 (I just love to say that...) and got herself this cute little Rumpelstiltskin award. That's a lot of fiber moved from the spinning stash into the knitting stash. Handspun doesn't increase your stash tho right? Or is that sock yarn...

Did any of you take part in Spinzilla? What is your favorite thing to make with handspun yarn?

Works in Progress

I've been busy crafting in between all the travel, cooking, working and enjoying the season. First, a success. I got this awesome slow striping yarn as a graduation gift from my grandmother, it has a tight twist and a nice drape. (It had better, it was $24 a ball!)

I wanted to make the most of each ball so I found a free Ravelry Pattern with a simple lace motif. Of course, the pattern had been charted with some bizarre symbol system, so first I had to use a free web app to make a legible chart.

The finished piece is long enough to wrap twice, and has a nice subtle pattern for interest. I expect I'll use the other ball (which is a blue and purple colorway) in a similar way.

 Next, a little less success. I tried to knit an elf hat based on an Elizabeth Zimmerman pattern. It came out quite a bit too small. And odd-looking, and might just get felted down to baby size, or made into a bowl.

 Then I tried to make a baby hat. It's a bit bigger then intended. It's to match this baby sweater that the kid has grown in to. I think mama-baby matchy matchy time might be the solution!

Remember kids, do your gauge swatch! Don't knit blind! And don't assume that measuring on the needles will get you anywhere...

Which leads to the next "Now-I-Know" moment, guidelines. I worked on this embroidery piece for an entire year. And with each new flower I had to redraw the borderlines that had been rubbed off. So naturally, when it came time to add the flower names along the edge, the circle was a bit off center.

I saw this suggested somewhere and decided that late is better than never, before starting the words I ran single thread basting stitch around the piece to make clear circles. No matter the stretching of the hoop, I know where the letters should be to make them straight! I'll be framing this soon and mounting on the wall.

All said, some good crafting has happened in the last month. Someday I may even learn my lesson on the gauge swatch issue...

What have you been making? What have you been screwing up?

Finds - Equinox Color

I always feel like this time of year marks an odd shift. For just a moment, before the earth returns to rich tones and muted colors, everything gets a little brighter. The yellow of early changing leaves shine in that warm light of September afternoons. 

Photo by JennDiGuglielmo.

The sun falls directly down the streets as it sets, the equinox lining it up with our neatly planned east-west streets. Is it any wonder that our ancestors loved to arrange things on a celestial grid? 

Class up your journal, from BlueToad.
Psst... BlueToad is having a sale. Use coupon code "September2013"
at checkout to receive 20% off entire journal purchase.

The bright green of summer fields makes the yellows pop even more, and the last waves of wildflowers dance in the cooler air.

Brightly colored Brooch from NormaJeansCloset.

 As it gets colder I get to pull out all the warm fuzzies that have been neglected for most of the summer. And I get started on new pieces for the winter. It's great tea weather, which makes great crafting weather. And the colors outside inspire more warm fuzzies. 

Mitts by PixieBell.

Yarn dyed by 19 Projects.

And of course with the harvest time, there is plenty to do in the kitchen. The bounty of the season makes for wonderful meals, shared in the last golden light of the day.

Fantastic tree apron from WalkervilleTextiles.

As the wheel of the year turns each season has it's own delights. I, for one, relish the bright colors and soft light of September. What is your favorite feature of the Equinox time?

Irish Goodies

 Here's some more highlights from my trip to West Ireland, I'll return to regular blogging soon!

We visited Coole Park, the estate of a wealthy Englishman that was planted with extensive forest and gardens.

 A lovely old Abbey has become cow pasture. These are by far the happiest cows I have ever seen! No wonder Irish beef and dairy are so good.

 After the Abbeys were dissolved or abandoned people began to be buried in the Skyclad (roof-less) churches.

 And ancient tomb uncovered. These were built in a range from 4,000-3,000 BCE, and were originally piled over with dirt and stones. They dot the Irish landscape, but are found across the entire range of Indo-European culture.

 Nestled in the rough rocky coastline was this lovely white sand beach, that on a sunny day had pleasantly warm water. Ireland actually has a considerable amount of surfing spots!

 Horses, ponies, cows, and sheep all pastured together right up against the Flaggy Shores.

 A view of a 3,000 year-old ring fort built on a promontory. I was on the largest of the Aran Isles, and saw two of this neat ancient forts. I also bought an Aran sweater, straight from the woman who knit it!

 Riding bikes along the Burren Coast Road into Galway Bay.

 Small hidden path that led to a ruined church, lined with blackberry bushes, yum!

 The fleece I brought home from Ireland. The breed wasn't specified, but in the area I saw Blackface and Suffolks. Look at that lovely crimp! I washed the fleece, and I'm looking forward to spinning with it for Spinzilla.

I also found some wonderful hand-dyed yarns at the Sheep and Wool Centre. From right to left they are dyed with tormentil root, sorrell root, heather, young gorse and mature gorse.

I'm somewhat inspired to pursue natural dying again, my previous attempts were underwhelming. But if those gorgeous yellows can happen, it's worth the effort!

The Green Lands

 I've been in Ireland the last few days, I'll be here for two weeks exploring the Burren country and learning about local plants. Here's some photos of the lovely landscape.

A Burren, or large limestone bluff. The stones are paving the valley, and they've been used to build long low walls and old buildings.

We went to visit an old church with a sacred well. The natural spring site has had a stone well built next to it, people have left tokens for luck and healing tied to a hazel tree. The site is attributed to St. Coleman, an important figure in Irish history. The area also has a wee fairy cave and lots of lovely hazel woods!

 A sacred well near the town of Kinvarra, notice the cloth bits tied to the tree.

 Here's the well at Kinvarra, it hasn't been used for water in some time so it's full of algae and watercress.

 An old house minus the roof. The blocks were neatly quarried and carefully fitted.

 Dunguaire Castle in the bay, it's very small inside, so it was likely used as a lookout for the coast.

Creating bike culture in the Galway region! Lots of the signs dot the roads, but they are narrow and winding. We will be touring on bicycle next week.

It's an enchanting countryside with lush greens and beautiful seascapes! I'll be posting about Ireland for the next few weeks.

Back from the Ride

 It's been a while, I've been busy. But mostly, I've been out and about. To make it up to you, dear reader, for a dearth of post here are a smattering of views of the great American West. And some of the oddities that dwell there...