Monthly Archives: December 2011

The "new" loom has been used (finally)

Posted on December 8, 2011 by | Comments Off on The "new" loom has been used (finally)
edge in focus

Remember the loom I got all the way back in October, mentioned in this post?

harnesses down

Well, I finally used it.

yarn (3)

And the same person who traded the loom to me spins gorgeous yarns, so I thought, "What better way to christen the loom than with some of her beautiful handspun?"

all the pertinent info

oh these colors!

oatmeal

back view

looms are amazing

weaving

Off the loom, and ready for some reshaping.

just off the loom

Done.

washed, dried, and hanging

colors

These pictures do not do it justice, believe me. The scarf is absolutely beautiful in real life, and I have been wearing it constantly, even around the house.

love

Currently on the loom is a Christmas present scarf, and I have two more lined up after that. I am really, really, in love with weaving.

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Illustration: Winter Classic Program

Posted on December 8, 2011 by | Comments Off on Illustration: Winter Classic Program

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St. Nicholas Day

Posted on December 6, 2011 by | Comments Off on St. Nicholas Day

Happy St. Nicholas Day!


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bread challenge, week three

Posted on December 6, 2011 by | Comments Off on bread challenge, week three

okay, i skipped week two of meg paska’s fall/winter bread challenge. week two fell smack in the middle of thanksgiving and, since thanksgiving in my family’s house starts with two loaves of white bread, if there’s anything i need less during thanksgiving, it’s more bread.

but i’m back in the saddle again. i started with the basic yeast bread recipe from farmer woob’s vintage copy of james beard’s ‘american cookery,’ but modified it a fair bit. i added a third of a cup each of wheat bran and oat bran and used four and a third cups of white whole wheat flour. added more water than the recipe called for and used the autolyse method – mixing the yeast, water and flour together and letting it rest for 30 minutes before kneading. it allows the flour to absorb the water better and makes for a nicer crumb in the final bread. then i added a bit of salt and kneaded until smooth and ready to rise.

even with the minor inconvenience of the multiple rises and kneading, i love this way of baking bread. i’m going to stick with this recipe for a while, i think. it’s hearty without being too heavy, filled with bran-y goodness, but with a light taste and good crumb. i may increase the amount of flour, though, to make slightly larger loaves. maybe i’ll add sesame seeds to the batch, too – yum!

saturday was quite the homesteading day. in addition to the bread, i put up two heads of cabbage for sauerkraut. which was meant to be a birthday present for my pop (november 24, often falls on thanksgiving) but i’m pretty sure he’ll be happy with a double batch at christmas. man does love his kraut.


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Random things, and some Sweet Pine Soaps

Posted on December 5, 2011 by | Comments Off on Random things, and some Sweet Pine Soaps
cranberries

There are so many different things around my house and yard making me smile, I just had to share a bunch of them.

Second-to-last herb harvest was dry enough to put away. I think we're good on rosemary for, uh, several years maybe?

rosemary jar

Stocked up on tealights and gave them a home in this very old cigar box. It wanted to be used, but gently, so this is a perfect fit.

tea lights ready for action

Oh how I love dill.

dill

Clementines. I only really buy them in the winter and I just adore them.

clementines

Some of my mourning dove friends.

mourning doves on the power lines

Seriously. So much rosemary.

rosemary

Love that corner right now.

door

A small bunch of basil seed heads that I dried. I intend to grow enough next year to make a bathtub full of pesto...

basil seeds

Two beautiful boys in their homemade straw bed.

sharing a bed of straw

"Tom Thumb" popcorn, dried and in a mason jar.

popcorn

Never enough thyme... (hyuk, hyuk, hyuk)
thyme

So much sunshine here lately.

curtains

And we still have some pumpkins outside.

still have pumpkins

Aw, snuggled up so close now.

close to you


And the grand finale...

Some amazing soaps by Jess at Sweet Pine Soaps.


sweet pine soaps - labels

We arranged a private little swap not too far back, and I have never been more thrilled to rip into a swap package as I was the day I opened this one.

sweet pine soaps

The fragrances are both exhilarating and nostalgic, the bars are rock hard to touch and silky smooth on your skin. They lather beautifully and rinse clean. Just perfect in every way. And the shower smells so very good when I use them,  it is like having my very own spa right there in my bathroom.

I made a cider vinegar rinse to try with the shampoo bar, and sprinkled in a few drops of some complimentary essential oils and some calendula petals, 'cause why not?


sweet pine soaps - shampoo bar

I strongly encourage you to explore Jess's blog, and Etsy shop. Her products are so expertly conceived and created, down to every last detail, it sort of makes me not want to make soap ever again. But, in a good way, if that makes sense.

Her products, labeling and photography are everything I love about a company, and I cannot sing their praises enough. Try something! I guarantee you will fall as hard as I have.

Keep it up Jess. You are amazingly talented, and a huge inspiration to me!

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Make We Joy

Posted on December 4, 2011 by | Comments Off on Make We Joy
Make We Joy is hard to explain. It's a bit like a pageant, a bit like chaos and a bit like a Christmas Revels. Well, in some ways it's a lot like Christmas Revels but we are maybe not so organized or professional. 30 years ago Connecticut College students who had seen Revels thought it would be an interesting senior project to make something like it at their school. Somehow the idea stuck and it's been carried on to this anniversary year.

The performers are area groups that perform year round, groups that gather just for the show and a hodge-podge of people that show up for the weekend. On Saturday we throw these 150 odd people together to make something people might want to see.

I first saw the show 21 years ago. My older brother was either performing at another performance or went to see another show and so my dad and I went to see what this thing was all about. Four years later I joined the cast in the children's chorus. When I joined the Mystic Garland Dancers I continued on, performing with the group in the show and in the mummers' play when we collaborated on that section of the performance. Sadly when I was in college I missed those four years (and so I would listen to my Revels CD and eat clementines all weekend, much to the confusion of my friends and roommate) and then another year when I lived in Washington DC. But I made a return between DC and grad school, sneaking it in just after leaving my job I joined the hodge-podge and added my stilts to the pre-show. Since then I have been on-and-off in my involvement. Last year I helped Mystic Garland prepare and co-organized the mummers play but could not be in the show.

This year I was happy to be back in a roll I am most comfortable with. I stilted for the pre-show, danced with Mystic Garland and recited The Shortest Day. A poem Susan Cooper wrote for Revels but we, kindly, use as well.

As I did with my Valentine's post, here are a few songs:

John Langstaff (from the Christmas Revels recording) - Lord of the Dance We dance the entire audience out of the building with this song after each show. Cast members tend to grow a love/hate relationship with the song. Instantly transporting us back to the show whenever we hear it, it is a defining feature of the show, but it also tends to go on for ages while we sing, dance and gently encourage the audience to get up and dance with us or we will keep going.

The Chieftains - The Wren - St. Stephen's Day is the Day after Christmas and is celebrated in Ireland. Much like boxing day in England it was the poor man's holiday. Traditionally boys would seek out a wren, kill it and carry it through town asking for money and treats for its funeral. They would sing, dance and otherwise pester you at your door until you gave them something. If you'd like to hear a particularly weird version of it check out this Donovan version.

Kate Rusby - Candlemas Eve Candlemas is February 2nd (also St. Brigid's Day) and in its pre-Christian forms was a celebration of the beginnings of Spring. This song explains the order to hang different greens in your home for which seasons.

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Fade into Christmas

Posted on December 3, 2011 by | Comments Off on Fade into Christmas
lights at night

Things have been busy here, to say the least.

I feel like a million bucks as I get into the second trimester here (16 weeks yesterday!!!) and I am putting all this energy to good use, a small portion of which has been holiday decorating.

the big wreath in its usual spot

upstairs candles and swags

little wreath

a new swag, with wooden berries and a giant pinecone

new doormat

Some things are newly made, including a winter holiday appropriate curtain for the pantry door, made out of fabric that I just LOVE.

pantry door curtain

Seriously, this fabric. 50% vintage-y, 75% almost tacky, and 100% wonderful.

pantry door curtain - closer

I FINALLY redid the living room curtains I had made and never liked. I tolerated them only because I couldn't figure out what I would rather do. Finally I decided on some basic tie backs and although you'll never be able to tell why from these really lousy pictures, I am quite pleased with them.

new curtains - closed

new curtains - side window

Ah, here we go. Much better.

new curtains - open

There are so many other things I've been up to, but not a lot to show for most of it.

Still, I have a few more posts lined up, including one with an apple butter recipe using only applesauce (easy!), some random happy things around the house, and a soap making book review!

Feeling so busy, but in such a nice way. The holidays do that to me every year. :)

looking through the front window

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