Summer and early fall - the garden and other updates

And yes, I actually remembered my password to get into my Typepad account but don't ask me how I posted this into acorns......maybe it is supposed to be here.  

So, if you still are out there, you may be wondering what's been going on in my corner of the world.

The Garden:  

The mini-eggplant produced a lot of fruit.  A lot.  I have a large bowl of eggplant on the counter right now that I saved from our late first frost.  Maybe I shouldn't have saved them, since our freezer space is limited and I am just not up for Pressure Cooking 101 right now.  I do have a marvelous ratatoille recipe that we have enjoyed a lot this fall.  A lot.  :D  Yeah, maybe compost........

Next year I am adding roma tomatoes and perhaps some nice lobed heirlooms to the plan.  The cherry tomatoes were very flavorful and dried nicely.  They added a nice flavor to our "camp out" jambalaya made during our September trip to Grand Marais, MI.  The fillet beans were yummy although the purple beans were really no different than the green, plus they turned green when cooked.  The Roma II beans were delicious and I'll plant more next year.  The sugar snap peas produced just enough for me, which was perfect.  The paprika peppers were a failure--growing and fruiting but then the fruit would turn into mush.  No good.  The nasturtiums took over the garden, after a late start.  I mean really took over the garden.  Covered the lettuce and whatever else was near.  I can't stand to trim them as I love 'em so they will be planted around the (desired) garden fence next year.  

About the fence-----Yes, there was a fair amount of deer garden sampling this summer.  I think I've decided on a "doubled fence" method.  The theory is two shorter fences, four feet high, placed three to four feet apart will discourage deer.  The deer (I assume) are uncertain about their ability to successfully jump both fences and, voila!, no deer munching in the garden.   

So, the garden is finished producing for the year as we've finally had a frost.  Next up is cleaning it up, starting a new compost pile, and making more plans for next year.

The Craft Endeavours:

Since retiring this May, I've been working on my bucket list.  I've been spinning more, knitting more, and I've added weaving this summer.  Dan crafted a fantastic Navajo loom out of maple for me based on Frances Potter's loom design.  Through an interesting series of events earlier this summer, I was made aware of and joined a group of weavers that have been students of Frances Potter and meet regularly to weave together in the Navajo way.  The members of the group's rugs are beautiful with much depth of color and design both traditional and contemporary, demonstrating their long-term weaving practice.  Honestly, although they are all welcoming, it is a bit intimidating to be such a novice in this group of skilled weavers.  However, I won't be a novice forever and I really enjoy the weaving.  The un-weaving, not as much.  But every bit of wool that I handle, either going into the warp or out of it, is part of my learning.

The weaving bit of my bucket list doesn't stop with Navajo weaving.  I've always been drawn to the beauty of a floor loom, but was daunted by the size of the looms, the vocabulary, and what I thought of as the complexity of the craft.  This August, I visited Charlynn and we had an invitation to tour the gardens, kitchen, and weaving studio of a friend of Charlynn's.  It was a lovely visit and Cindy's rag rug weaving on an old restored Union loom was fascinating to me.  Suddenly, using a floor loom just didn't seem so daunting anymore, and I started thinking that I would like to have one.  Well, folks, be very careful what you put out there for the Universe to work on.

 
I am now restoring a four-shaft, six-treadle Norwood jack loom that is probably older than I am.  This is a "before" photo.  The wood is cherry and really beautiful after cleaning and feeding.  The loom needs two back braces and a warp tie on rod.  I also need to clean all the heddles and hope I have enough of them for a first warp project or three---probably towels.  

So, this post has gotten long enough.  And I think I am posting it to a different blog than intended.  o.O  

 

 

Be as well and happy as you can, life is just too darn short for anything else. 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Stacey]

We shall not speak of gardens. O.o I'm glad that yours have done so well. Slice those eggplants about 1/4 to 1/2 in thick, spray/brush whatever with butter/ oil/ whatever, bake/broil, take out and use for pizza crusts. :D It is quite yummy. I've been trying to find new ways to use veggies.
So, any fo's off of that loom? I can't wait to see what is going to happen with the floor loom. Good to hear from you. xoxo

[pacalaga]

Oh my gosh, that loom is gorgeous and I am super jealous of all your bucket list work! You didn't even mention all your quilting. :) lovely stuff, my friend!

[Vicki]

Really can't wait to see the "after" shot of that loom!

[Joy]

Love the salad w/nasturtium - very classy! Beans were the main crop here - will definitely repeat the fillet and Roma beans, but my eggplant was a bust. Great loom - also can't wait to see the after. Happy fall!

[kmkat]

I have read about the two-fence deer thing -- will be interested in your results. Weaving is a secret ambition of mine, but the space and time required are intimidating. Maybe I will just do it vicariously through you :-)

[Leigh]

Angie, so glad you've started blogging again. Thanks for letting me know where you are. Your salad looks a treat and the loom is gorgeous. Interesting about the fence and deer. I've always got deer helping themselves to my garden, but an 8 foot fence seems a big job to keep them out!