Monthly Archives: March 2012

In the Family Way

Posted on March 21, 2012 by | Comments Off on In the Family Way

If my math is right (and that’s a mighty big if) Miss Sam should be the first of our bred sheep and goats to give birth. She’s due any moment now, but the kid (or kids) hasn’t dropped yet, so I’d say we’re a few days away. Actually, I expect her to be born at noon on Saturday when Zac (who will be experiencing kidding and lambing for the first time this year) is home alone (Caroline will be at Shearing School and I’ll be in New Jersey for a shop visit).

The good news is that Sam is reported to be an easy kidder and that Zac will only be home alone for about 24 hours. The bad news? Murphy’s Law.

So, just in a nick of time, I present to you this year’s naming conventions. As a reminder, these names were nominated and voted on by you, so no bellyaching, please!

The goat kids will be named for…Cheeses! I am so excited about this one. Well done!

The lambs will be names for…Adventurers! Another great pick. Seriously, y’all could go pro.

Now we play the waiting game…

While we’re waiting, we’ve extended the deadline for entering our 2012 Flock Giveaway, so get those videos in!

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A charm pack quilt

Posted on March 21, 2012 by | Comments Off on A charm pack quilt

006 015 017

I’ve had the materials for this charm pack quilt for awhile now but it got pushed aside in all the Christmas crafting that was going on which was followed by some test knitting. I planned to follow this tutorial but quickly realized measurements and numbers were not quite right. The picture is really enough though so I did manage to get all the parts for my blocks cut out. My charm packs must be smaller because I am a few blocks short and will fill in with solids.

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spring! snowmelt contest!

Posted on March 21, 2012 by | Comments Off on spring! snowmelt contest!

Keeping with tradition, I’m running a contest to guess when the snowpile at work will melt. Truthfully, though, I have been a poor blogger of late (writing and reading), and my mind is on Spain not on fiber-related things. Which means I have no idea what to offer up for prizes. But it’ll be something! In the past it’s been spinning fiber, yarn, donations to your favorite charity (unless it’s one I object strongly to).

There will be two winners. One randomly drawn from the guesses. And the one who guesses most closely the date. If there are two on the same date, I’ll randomly pick. If there are two equally close, I’ll chose the one that guesses the date just before vs just after it’s all gone.

snowpile march 20, 2012 (2) snowpile march 20, 2012 (3)
There it is in all of its patheticness this year. It was not a good year for snow, so we didn’t get the ginormous pile we usually do. Typically the snow is out to the right into the field at least three times further than it is here.

People for scale:
snowpile March 20, 2012
Catherine aka Cherry Blossom is explaining how there is a bird that vomits all over itself to protect itself from predators.

We took a lunch-time walk… here are some other photos
Catherine and Ellen, Augusta Arsenal Me!

Down by the Arsenal, Kennebec River. First wearing of the Maine Forest Service hat I got at the xmas party. Fashion plate, I know.

This is something of an experimental post, as it is from the ipad. I managed last night to load photos onto the ipad and get them to flickr, but I forgot to re-size them (kb wise), so they are the standard size and won’t load on this page as fast. Next time I have to remember to use that app I got to re-size the photos…

I have a bluetooth Targus keyboard, so that makes posting possible as I can use the up and down arrows to move between lines in this tiny window. Otherwise, it’s a crapshoot, because when you touch the screen, the whole page moves, not just the small window.

Since I’m leaving for Spain in a couple of days, I’ll take guesses on this snowmelt date (the date it is ALL GONE… meaning no ice or anything at the base) until the comments automatically close. I think they close after two weeks.

Is anybody even reading blogs anymore? Is anybody reading my blog anymore? Or are we all taken in with the seeming immediacy of Facebook?

Appropriately, on the first day of spring, several crocus in bloom in my yard!
crocus!

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Today in Pictures

Posted on March 21, 2012 by | Comments Off on Today in Pictures


We had some dramatic weather yesterday, which almost always leads to some dramatic sunsets.  Like the one tonight...



Our very rare two-headed lamb was spotted in the north paddock this evening as I made my rounds.


All the sheep, including Crazy Phoebe, insisted on confronting the shepherd head-on tonight.  And she looks kind of put out about something.  There's no telling what goes on in that little sheepy brain.


It's been a while since our big ol' hoot owl hung out where I could see him.  I had to push the limits of my camera's lens, because he's a little shy and won't let me get close at all.


In fact, I barely got the camera to focus on the giant bird before he was going...


Going...


Gone.


Earlier today we were paid a visit by another very large bird - a blue heron - who came to fish in our swollen creek.


Swollen and rushing past.  Though it overflowed its bounds, it never got up to the point that I was concerned.  The chorus frogs came out to sing, and added to the warm spring sound of the moving water.


I tried to catch this male Cardinal who was sitting on a branch outside my office window.
Arg.  Timing is everything.


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The Beginnings of Something Wonderful

Posted on March 21, 2012 by | Comments Off on The Beginnings of Something Wonderful

Happy first day of spring!  I may not be a fan of summer or very-warm weather, but I just adore spring.  My sinuses aren’t too thrilled, but that’s another story.

This first of spring is even more exciting and special for me because I am finally seeing the ideas and desires I have held for so long come to fruition.  Especially with regards to the new garden.

I’d been wanting to move the vegetable patch closer to the house and make it bigger (with room for a beehive) and so a few weeks back I got outside and started making it happen.  I pushed the kids’ giant wooden swingset about 15 feet from where it was (by myself! And yet I wonder why my neck and shoulder is bothering me so much lately??) and started staking out the outline for fencing.

Then I got to work digging.  By hand.  Again, by myself.

I’d had the idea that we really needed to move things along if I was going to get the early spring seeds and bulbs into the ground.  Our only machinery with a tiller attachment is currently down (and ancient).  I didn’t have the funds to hire someone to come with a big tractor, so I grabbed a shovel and went to it.  The finished area is just under 1,000 square feet.

I decided I wanted rows of raised beds in this garden because I’ve lost so many plants over the years due to excessive moisture pooling at the roots.  In a slightly rounded and raised bed the excess runs down the sides and away.

To do that, I started digging furrows, or trenches.  I probably made them too wide and too deep (stubborn digging without a plan isn’t the best idea) but there are now 5 long raised beds out there.  They still need to be tilled, since the dirt is nearly solid clay.  Thankfully I still have a whole shed full of composted llama and goat poo to mix in.  Still, I am concerned I may need to order up some dirt due to the extremely poor quality of the soil I dug out of our ground.

The clay is so hard I had to use a mattock to break it up.

There’s space in the shadier back – side of the garden for the bees to go so they have free access to keep our plantings pollinated.

Soon the onions will go into the ground along with the beets and once they are ready, all of the vegetable seedlings that are currently germinating in the dining room.

This is not nearly as impressive as Caroline’s seed selection!  But this represents about 2/3 of what we are planting this year.  I’ve ordered onions, seed potatoes,  and blueberry and raspberry bushes as well.  Come fall we’ll do another crop of late summer vegetables and some things to overwinter.

The biggest challenge in all of this?

This:

Keeping these insatiable scratching and digging and eating machines out of the garden.  I’ve got the woven wire up: I just need a gate.  Paul has a friend coming out to plan out the logistical part of clearing our wooded acres here and fencing it all in.  Hopefully giving the poultry a wider ranging area will make the vegetable patch less of a lure for them.

Hopefully by fall you’ll be hearing me say how sick I am of preserving so many fresh veggies!


Tagged: Farm, food, Garden, Pets, Seasons

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Spring hath sprung

Posted on March 20, 2012 by | Comments Off on Spring hath sprung

This pretty little bench sits under a crab apple tree in our kitchen garden.  It’s a great place to read or just to sit and think about how lucky you are.

Right now the tree is buzzing with bees from our hives, gathering nectar to make honey, which makes the tree even lovelier to me.

Between the tree blossoms, Elwyn sitting proudly on her clutch of eggs and the very pregnant sheep and goats wandering around the front pasture, it’s impossible to deny that it’s springtime. It is also impossible to deny that I live in the loveliest spot on earth. (Please remind me of this when I am complaining my head off in the wretched, wretched heat of August. Or May.)

In other news, our Kickstarter campaign is nearly at an end and we are a mere $1259 from reaching our new goal of $22,000, as of this writing. We have 59 hours to go and I think there’s an awfully good chance we’ll make it! By Hand Magazine is going to be so fantastic, and you will be able to show it to your friends and say, “Have you seen my new magazine? Oh yes, I am one of the financial backers.” (Try to channel the Monopoly guy when you say it.)

There is so much outside work to do but I find that – as Juniper Moon Farm grows- I am stuck inside doing more and more work-like work these days. I complained about this to my friend Kris the other day and she pointed out that people with the best job on the planet should just keep their trap shut about the occasional conference call or meeting. Kris is often my Jiminy Cricket.

I am doing a limited schedule of trunk shows to support our incredible Spring and Summer collection of yarns and designs, and I will be in Farmingdale, NJ, this Saturday, March 24th, from 1-4 p.m. at A Stitch in Time. If you live nearby, come out and say hi. I’ll have all the garments from the three new lines and will sign books. Do come if you can.

I’ll post about my other visits as they come up. I’m doing an unprecedented West Coast swing in June and I’m so excited to see the shops and blog readers out there for the first time. Full schedule as it develops.

Now I’m off to spend an evening getting the Camp JMF workshops and classes in order and ready for your perusal.

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Tips for Submissions

Posted on March 20, 2012 by | Comments Off on Tips for Submissions

What makes a submission successful, assuming, of course, a fantastic idea?

Wait, you’re saying.  That’s not enough?

Nope, not always.

These are tips I’ve learned from working with Jaala at Knitcircus, from other designers, my personal experience and Shannon Okey’s The Knitgrrl Guide to Professional Knitwear Design:

  1. Include everything requested in the call for submissions (if you don’t, it suggests you might not be able to turn in other things in the correct format, with all the correct information).
  2. For your description, include methods of construction, etc. I want to see that you’ve given thought on how to actually create your project.
  3. Submit it in the format requested in the call for submissions (including, if specified, how to name it, the title of your subject line, to what email address to send it, etc) (same reason as above).
  4. Spell the name of the person correctly (it shows attention to detail, and, to a certain extent, respect).
  5. Spell everything else correctly in your submission (attention to detail).
  6. Make sure your sketch and swatch adequately convey your idea.

For example, this is what I need for Hitch:

  • Description, including your inspiration for your piece and how it fits into the collection. Also include proposed sizes, ease, techniques, method of construction, etc.
  • Sketch
  • Schematic (hand drawn is fine) for garments & for accessories with unusual construction
  • Charts, if available/pertinent (Envisioknit or Knit Visualizer preferred)
  • Proposed yarn & ideas for substitutions
  • Your email address and phone number
  • Format the above information into a single PDF saved as YourName_item.pdf (i.e. StephannieTallent_sweater.pdf). (If you’re submitting several designs, submit them as individual PDFs.)
  • Email your PDF to me at stephannie@sunsetcat.com, with the subject line “Hitch submission”.
  • Consider whether you are willing to help promote the book before you submit proposals.
  • Submissions due by 15 April 2012.

In your cover email, be brief, but you should mention your background, link to other designs you’ve done, etc.  If your design doesn’t quite work, but I can see other designs you’ve done that suggest you would be able to tweak your design so that it could, I might see if you’d be up for that.

I’m not saying that I want you to send me examples of other things you’ve done in the email or in the submission — but I am saying if I’m intrigued, I’ll likely check out your Ravelry designer page or your blog.

p.s. Before anyone asks, no, I’m not going to reject something just because you’ve spelled my name wrong.  However, it doesn’t give a good first impression, you know?  Same with most of the other things.

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Spinning

Posted on March 20, 2012 by | Comments Off on Spinning

Today I am spinning this

for a client.

But first I have to clear the alpaca off my bobbins, which you know, is devastating. I have to ply my fawn alpaca. . .

(I love my job!)

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Probably something you would like…

Posted on March 20, 2012 by | Comments Off on Probably something you would like…

Sweet little chicken necklace. $28

You can use this tea towel as is or cut and sew your own fox. $15.50

My friend Lisa of Red Staggerwing makes lovely bags. Right now I’ve got my eye on this Lunch Tote in mustard waxed canvas. $58

I don’t know why exactly, but this card tickles me. 10 for $17.50

Photos of the 37 ingredients in a Twinkie.

How to make cake flour at Joy the Baker.

Batman Running Away from Sh*t. Very funny.

My friend Lisa did a blog post on their new piglets. This pictures will be the end of me.

Recipe: Lemon, Honey and Thyme frozen yogurt.

Stapler of the Week. (And to answer your question, I don’t know why.)

Similarly, Brand Name Pencils.

This is a fantastic article on wool felt.

My friend Virginia has this cupcake pincushion ring and it looked so handy that I ordered one for myself. They come in lots of flavors, er, colors. $22

What’s putting a spring in your step this week?

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Growing Mushrooms: Oysters and Shiitakes

Posted on March 20, 2012 by | Comments Off on Growing Mushrooms: Oysters and Shiitakes

Don’t laugh, but back in the fall, Zac and I went to a bonfire potluck, and had some mushrooms and a bit of a conversion experience. Amid the cider, butternut squash soup, and piles of apples (everything homegrown and homebrew, of course), there was one dish that outshone them all– oyster mushrooms, sauteed with garlic.

“I grew them myself,” she said, “it was so easy. Actually, it had taken so long for me to get a harvest, I’d given up on them and forgotten about them, until, all of a sudden, the logs fruited, and, mushrooms!”

Sold!

So, this spring, we picked out a few packs of spores from Fungi Perfecti. We decided to start with the easiest varieties: Oyster and Shiitake.

These two require deciduous hardwoods, and do best on logs that are cut in the early springtime, since that’s when they’re full of sap and moisture. So, last we spoke, Zac was headed out into the woods to find an oak tree.

He got one:

After that, he cut the tree into six 4-foot lengths, and drilled holes all over the length of the logs.

  The mushroom spores (sold under the horrifying name of “plug spawn”) come on short little lengths of dowel rods– you fit the dowels into the holes, like this:

 And then hammer them flush with the surface of the wood:

 After that, to prevent some other type of fungus from getting in, and to seal your mushrooms spores in, you paint over any openings with wax. This includes the drilled holes:

 and the sawed-off end of the log:

After that, you stack them in a rick in a dark, damp place, so that the logs can stay moist.  We’re going to keep them underneath the porch.

This gives the mushroom spores time to colonize the whole of the log. After about a year, you can force the mushroom-inoculated log to fruit, which just amazes me– those tiny little dowels are going to turn these logs into food. I don’t really think I’ll believe it until I see it.

Which will be in March 2013! I think it’s best that I forget these guys are even under here, because I don’t think I could have the patience, otherwise. Stay tuned!

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