tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5789839Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:07:08 +0000weatherbuttonswalkingwoolwoodstoveobservationsalpacaspinningfeltingdye bathflaxholidaygardenbirdstape loomtriangle loom weavingrivercardingfinished itemsslide showetsygarden harvestspinning wheelsknittingwalk with me WednesdayGreat Wheel spinninglace knittingsupport spindleneedlefeltingspinning shetlandrabbitschickensoff topicphenological eventstracksweekendwhirlsweavingwildlifespindle spinningThoughts and observations from life around the riverrim.... ...including spinning weaving, knitting, gardening, flax, chickens, rabbits, alpaca.............. and whatever wild life wanders byhttp://riverrim.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (cyndy)Blogger719125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5789839.post-3431055123426910494Sun, 29 Jan 2012 22:33:00 +00002012-01-29T17:40:14.122-05:00lace knittingknitting Queen Silvia (scarf version) has been on and off my needles, again. I started working on it last August, and realized, as I finished, that I hadn't taken any photographs of the work in progress. The first QS that I knit was blue. This time around I used Judy's green Arequipa, Alpaca and silk.....with its wonderful drape, the slippery softness of the alpaca and the lustre of both. "That's http://riverrim.blogspot.com/2012/01/lace-knitting-or-knitted-lace.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (cyndy)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5789839.post-5412990088755796737Mon, 23 Jan 2012 21:09:00 +00002012-01-23T16:15:59.003-05:00spinningFor the past few months, I'd been wanting to do some fractal spinning. January days full of paperwork ... (paper-pushing- file drawer rearranging- archiving and overall- drudge- work) demanded a break now and then. Time for fun! There was some roving in my stash, marinating since last year's Rhinebeck Sheep & Wool Festival. This is Dark Rainbow, from Gale's Art. 70% Alpaca +/ 30% Silk = http://riverrim.blogspot.com/2012/01/fun-fabulous-and-fractal.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (cyndy)14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5789839.post-4422090467869102354Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:28:00 +00002012-01-16T10:36:37.488-05:00weavingspinning Last week, we took a detour from life and wound up at the PA Farm Show Complex, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The Sheep to Shawl contest was happening. This was my first experience seeing it in person. I've been trying to get there for many years, but the weather is usually not permitting. It is an exciting event to attend. First, there are the sheep. they get turned into this: ...http://riverrim.blogspot.com/2012/01/pa-sheep-to-shawl-2012.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (cyndy)12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5789839.post-6769516453445286434Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:54:00 +00002012-01-09T12:57:51.948-05:00off topic I hear a bird chirping, up in the sky I'd like to be free like that spread my wings so high I see the river flowing water running by I'd like to be that river see what I might find I feel the wind a'blowing slowly changing time I'd like to be that wind I'd swirl and shape the sky I smell the flowers blooming opening for spring I'd like to be those flowers open to everything I feel the http://riverrim.blogspot.com/2012/01/bird-song-song.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (cyndy)7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5789839.post-2745147260564106175Tue, 27 Dec 2011 15:11:00 +00002011-12-27T10:33:14.404-05:00spinning wheelsflax I've been waking up before dawn, so I can watch the sunrise...bringing the light. It is the best part of the day for me. A few moments with my coffee, the quiet, and the sun streaming in the window...shining through the flowers on my windowsill... The light captures the flax on the distaff, and invites me to sit at the wheel. My mother's little flax wheel came home for Christmas. Fred http://riverrim.blogspot.com/2011/12/bringing-light.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (cyndy)14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5789839.post-4008299261339555852Fri, 23 Dec 2011 14:48:00 +00002011-12-23T10:07:33.171-05:00holiday Star of Wonder in the heavens... Wonder what you want of me.. Should I follow you tonight? Star of Wonder, burning bright. a cappella written by terre roche ~may your holiday season be filled with peace, love, joy and beauty~http://riverrim.blogspot.com/2011/12/star.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (cyndy)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5789839.post-1701177806225063339Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:07:00 +00002011-12-13T10:15:33.833-05:00alpaca I've been working on getting some Alpaca Fleece processed for hand spinning. It is a good job to do when the weather turns cold..I work in the mud room near the wood burning stove. First I sort and scour the fiber. I've been using Unicorn Products and absolutely love how they do such a wonderful job. I place some Alpaca in the basin with Power Scour. After a quick bath, the fiber comes outhttp://riverrim.blogspot.com/2011/12/starting-to-finish.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (cyndy)9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5789839.post-4256114396442005349Thu, 08 Dec 2011 22:44:00 +00002011-12-08T17:52:53.009-05:00walkingweatherSunrise at 7:10 AM in direction 119° East-southeast East-southeast Sunset at 4:35 PM in direction 240° West-southwest West-southwest Duration of day: 9 hours, 25 minutes (53 seconds shorter than yesterday) Sun in south at 11:52 AM at altitude 27° above horizon There were 53 less seconds of sunlight today. And we will be losing seconds of sunlight each day until the 21st of December. Have youhttp://riverrim.blogspot.com/2011/12/sun-catcher.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (cyndy)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5789839.post-6866986223437445317Wed, 30 Nov 2011 22:54:00 +00002011-12-08T17:55:25.729-05:00phenological events2nd white oaks drop leaves 4th frost on garden 12th black bear on property 16th 8point buck and 2spike 28th raccoon breaks into henhousehttp://riverrim.blogspot.com/2011/11/phenological-events-november-2011.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (cyndy)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5789839.post-2630599443645161838Tue, 29 Nov 2011 21:49:00 +00002011-11-29T16:54:29.671-05:00knitting We spent our Thanksgiving holiday visiting with family...so we were on the road a good part of the time. It gave me a chance to finish up this set of booties and matching hat for the newest member of the extended family...little Elizabeth Margaret. I intended to make the Better than Booties Baby Socks by Ann Budd, but reached for my old stand-by pattern..scribbled out in my hand writing from http://riverrim.blogspot.com/2011/11/cap-and-booties.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (cyndy)8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5789839.post-3299747634156542656Thu, 24 Nov 2011 13:30:00 +00002011-11-24T08:31:11.994-05:00holiday Happy Thanksgiving ! Enjoy the bounty! http://riverrim.blogspot.com/2011/11/happy-thanksgiving.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (cyndy)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5789839.post-2143221795575735287Wed, 23 Nov 2011 03:26:00 +00002011-11-22T22:43:55.575-05:00off topicknitting Dear Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe, I read about your speech earlier this week, the one where you spoke to the National Press Club in Washington DC. In your speech, you mentioned that "Congress needs to step back and look at the postal service as a business". What ever happened to the idea that the basic function of the Post Office was to provide a service? Remember the old quotation:http://riverrim.blogspot.com/2011/11/mr-postman.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (cyndy)10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5789839.post-2388354741212889181Thu, 17 Nov 2011 14:30:00 +00002011-11-17T09:41:23.372-05:00spinningalpaca*make note to self. A few days ago, I wound off the yarn that was on the bobbin of my Canadian Production Wheel. A custom blend of my own making..some Alpaca, Gotland, and Tussah Silk...spun up soft and silky...long-draw and woolen style..nice for knitting with. A spontaneous decision resulted in the making of a plying ball, so I wound half of the bobbin off with my skein winder. I tookhttp://riverrim.blogspot.com/2011/11/note-to-self.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (cyndy)6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5789839.post-1840741921972218935Sun, 13 Nov 2011 00:43:00 +00002011-11-12T19:47:05.582-05:00weatherwildlife We had a lovely frosty full moon last night. I should have hung my fine linens out on the clothes line for bleaching. Maybe next month. The sunlight and moonlight of November have made me restless. As restless as the oak leaves rustling underfoot..everything seems crisp, the light, the leaves, the air..I am restless and alert. I wake in the night with eyes wide open and moonlight pouring http://riverrim.blogspot.com/2011/11/novemberbeaver-moon.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (cyndy)7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5789839.post-867952059421470915Sat, 05 Nov 2011 22:13:00 +00002011-11-05T18:46:14.421-04:00buttonsI love buttons. Some of my earliest memories are of buttons. My mother kept a tin box full of buttons, and I remember spending hours playing with her buttons...., sorting them, counting them, arranging them into shapes and pictures, faces...I even confess to putting one or two of them into my mouth because I thought they might taste as wonderful as they looked. Buttons keep things together. http://riverrim.blogspot.com/2011/11/buttons-on-brain.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (cyndy)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5789839.post-2724515614537907528Mon, 31 Oct 2011 22:50:00 +00002011-11-05T18:52:34.008-04:00phenological events2nd goldenrod blooming 3rd barberry berries 15th turkeys parade 18th pine needles drop 19th deer ticks spotted 30th ten inches snow! http://riverrim.blogspot.com/2011/10/phenological-events-october-2011.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (cyndy)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5789839.post-4933454558940380235Tue, 25 Oct 2011 13:25:00 +00002011-10-25T09:34:09.052-04:00wildlifeknitting The turkeys show up each morning for coffee. They are hard to photograph because they are wary. I try to open the door latch without a sound, but they always notice. This is a small rafter of turkeys..maybe they are considered a colevey, or a gobble of turkeys. I have seen flocks that are much larger. In past years, their numbers have exceeded 20 and 30 at a time. I've heard stories of http://riverrim.blogspot.com/2011/10/turkeys-and-toque.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (cyndy)12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5789839.post-1361726682344566938Thu, 20 Oct 2011 13:31:00 +00002011-10-20T10:05:02.642-04:00spinning A few months ago, my virtual friend, Catena Cathy, sent me a small package of a sampling of Gotland locks that she had been working with...a surprise in my postoffice box! They came from Riverbend Gotlands and were the first sample of Gotland locks that my hands had ever touched. With SO many different breeds of sheep in the world, it is always a thrill for me to sample something I can add http://riverrim.blogspot.com/2011/10/got-friends-got-gotland.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (cyndy)8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5789839.post-1830595307129754264Sun, 09 Oct 2011 00:53:00 +00002011-10-08T21:13:08.761-04:00spinningweather It would seem that this woolly bear caterpillar is predicting a mild winter. "According to legend, the wider that the middle brown section is (or, the more brown segments there are), the milder the coming winter will be" ...but then...what about ALL THESE ACORNs that keep falling? ..Legend has it that if there is an abundance of acorns to harvest, it predicts a harsh winter. hum...I believehttp://riverrim.blogspot.com/2011/10/prediction-confliction.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (cyndy)9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5789839.post-2670216670621051293Mon, 03 Oct 2011 15:13:00 +00002011-10-03T11:32:59.676-04:00dye bath On Friday, we continued our natural dye experiments in Grace's kitchen. There were four of us that shared the pots. We worked with onion skins and goldenrod with an alum mordant. We used different (breed) wool, cotton and silk for our fibers. Several species of Solidago (goldenrod) may be used for natural dyes. My husband collected the plants for me, and I didn't take the time to http://riverrim.blogspot.com/2011/10/solidago-dye-day.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (cyndy)9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5789839.post-1860940546821434992Thu, 29 Sep 2011 23:45:00 +00002011-09-29T20:01:36.998-04:00riverwalking ...grapes in the pot, a gift from a friend's vine ♥... ....and the water rises...again..from the rains of last night, and this morning.... .... favorite places cannot be accessed...they are underwater... ...the color begins, sassafras..always one of the first to show..brilliant! even on a cloudy day.... ...a view...looking one way... ...and then ....the other. ...and there are http://riverrim.blogspot.com/2011/09/walk-with-me-wednesday-on-thursday.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (cyndy)6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5789839.post-8985233744462882231Mon, 26 Sep 2011 14:26:00 +00002011-09-26T10:30:46.412-04:00dye bathwoolknitting Checking the chart for measured amounts of precipitation for the month of September, I notice that on average, my geographical location should receive about 4 inches. To date, the measured amount for the month of September, so far, is over 9 inches. I've come to the conclusion that so many rainy days in one month can lead to melancholy and mold. The sun fights to break though and burn off http://riverrim.blogspot.com/2011/09/measured-amounts.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (cyndy)8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5789839.post-2975629413111495110Wed, 07 Sep 2011 19:16:00 +00002011-09-07T15:33:25.067-04:00spinning wheels Dear Texas, It rained all night long...and most of today. Down river, at the convergence...the muddy waters flow over the ice breakers. Everything feels wet. And Damp. I wish I could send this weather to you. your friend, Pennsylvania Keeping my fingers crossed for better weather this weekend, at the Pennsylvania Fiber Festival in the Endless Mountains. I've been working on this year's http://riverrim.blogspot.com/2011/09/pa-endless-mountains-fiber-festival.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (cyndy)8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5789839.post-971084553441125397Wed, 31 Aug 2011 19:34:00 +00002011-09-07T15:35:32.937-04:00phenological eventsAugust 2011 2nd Sweet Corn Coming 3rd cicadas sing 8th fawns loose their spots 12th elderberries ripen 14th golden rod blooms 15th rose of sharon blooms 16th whitetail bucks in velvet 28th Hurricane Irene 30th caterpillar's march beginshttp://riverrim.blogspot.com/2011/08/phenological-notes-august-2011.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (cyndy)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5789839.post-8892918843334149956Wed, 31 Aug 2011 16:26:00 +00002011-08-31T12:30:34.862-04:00weatherknitting Thanks for all of your good thoughts and wishes for safe keeping, we are fine and dry. The power went out (as expected), so we had a bit of inconvenience and gave the refrigerator a good clean out in the process. We are feeling very grateful for the fact that the trees on our property held on, and that the river didn't take out the bridge. It is a bit ironic that I'm sending out a http://riverrim.blogspot.com/2011/08/hurricane-mittens.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (cyndy)7