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Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15600
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 Posted: Sat Jun 03, 17 6:06 am Post subject: |
 
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People who assert their superiority are a pain, especially as they usually are not. Some years ago, one called the police to son and a man he had been asked to show round college as they looked like tramps. Turned out the older 'tramp' was a well known philanthropist in the town and son of course was just muddy from practical forestry, so the police had a go at her for wasting their time. 
I like the lichen dye Cassandra, and the results Jam Lady. I might have a go at finding different sorts in the woods and giving them an ammonia bath. Cassendra, strain the dye off the lichen before using, or you might have fun picking all the bits out of the wood later. How do I know? Well...it took ages.
Gregotyn, I expect you will have lots of extras in at this time of year until the harvest is in, and now of course tractors and equipment that hasn't been out for a year will be pulled out of the weeds and oiled, belts found to be torn/slipping etc. so lots of spares needed.
It sounds a bit like our food bank for organisation. We have a large cupboard/small room in the corner of a church and when we bring in donations we just put them on the floor in the church, then sort into crates by date stamp so that we can make sure it is all in date. Then it has to be put away. Luckily if we do the sorting, the people that come in on Monday do most of the putting away, but we have to clear the main church by the end of the session, as well as handing out food parcels.
Something we have noticed the last few days in the woods is loads of beech pollen. It has been visible blowing as almost a haze at times. The only time I have seen anything like it before is yew pollen that at times can look like smoke. |
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cassandra
Joined: 27 Mar 2013
Posts: 1733
Location: Tasmania Australia
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| Posted: Sat Jun 03, 17 7:55 am Post subject: |
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Gregotyn i have been busy spinning and knitting - the preferred explanation for my increasing absence. Please don't worry about me, I am having a lot of fun!
There are some amazing colours can be derived from lichens - that ammonia bath will be brewing for at least a month before being used and yes - I will be straining it through muslin before use MR! That problem had occurred to me! The colours can of course be modified with mordants, so with my two jars I will be having a lot of fun in the next month or so.
It was a lovely sunny day for the Campbell Town Show and it was just the right sized crowd - not too many you could not walk for tripping over people.
The classes were extensive - wood chopping, dog hurdling (no I didn't enter Seb - don't want to encourage his ideas), and a Smithfield Collie class. Smithfields are named for the Meat Markets in London, and are considered an extinct breed, but here in Tassie they are still used for sheep work and are alive and well.
There were all the usual exhibits in the Exhibition Hall - vegetables, decorated cakes etc (I might enter the vege comp next year given the paucity of exhibits)
And of course, shearing demonstrations and mountains of fleece
The Wool Craft section was well represented, with so many wonderful exhibits.
And then there were my own exhibits. The photos (the two on the right), of which I had great hopes, were also-rans, as was my skein of alpaca yarn.
But the rest of them astonished me!!
As well as various 'Highly Commendeds'
Now all I have to do is work out what to spend my $60.00 in gift vouchers on!! |
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gregotyn
Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area
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gz
Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 8617
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland
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Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15600
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| Posted: Sun Jun 04, 17 5:47 am Post subject: |
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Brilliant Jo. You have done very well as you didn't start spinning until recently. I like the last beanie; the colours look good and I like the pattern too. Pity about the pictures and alpaca.
I mentioned removing the lichen on FB as I once tried to dye some wool with onion skin I think it was without removing it. You wouldn't believe how tiny onion skin can be when it burrows into wool! 
Gregotyn, sounds as if your shows are very weather dependant. Ours are to some extent, but we don't, sadly, have what I would call real agricultural shows round here as so many people are from towns and just regard agriculture and forestry as 'quaint'. It rather saddens me that so few people have any link with the land, not even growing things, round here these days.
I managed to get sunburn yesterday. Didn't realise until the evening, so I will have to wear long sleeved blouse today, which is a pain, as I like my lower arms free. Managed some more basketry yesterday, and I am rather more pleased with this one. |
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cassandra
Joined: 27 Mar 2013
Posts: 1733
Location: Tasmania Australia
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| Posted: Sun Jun 04, 17 8:39 am Post subject: |
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Gregotyn, be not ashamed. I only used the shots with lots of people in them. Here is another, taken the same day.
The chap with his back to us is a member of our conservative party (aka the Liberal Party) which is a bit like Trump in terms of attitudes toward renewable energy (their definition is nuclear=renewable), so I took this for the whimsy of the situation. I presume they went to school together!
Today was the History Room and i had great plans to dash in early to go to the wool shop to spend my $60.00 but it seems she has decided to shut down for a couple of months, so I will have to abide me in patience. It is winter here, so hardly worth the effort of opening up. Certainly we have noticed a dramatic reduction of people at the History Room.
Gregotyn I am a volunteer there, and there are not enough of us for us to have a volunteer coordinator - we each just take responsibility for being there to open up on certain days and if we are unable to attend, to contact a friend to see if someone else can do it. As for needing a boss to sort out mugwumps like her that called the other day, well, I am pretty well able to deal with that sort myself without bloodshed (but a burst steam valve after they leave).
Today's visitors were much nicer although I did have two people come to the foyer, stand around talking, with one asking the other to be her daughter (in the hope of saving $1.00 on entry costs) and then, having noticed the sign saying 'no photographs please' stating, "well if you can't take photos it's not worth the effort!" Presumably, life outside the camera lens has no meaning in her eyes - especially if she has to part with $3.00 to enjoy it! They do make me laugh. I was sitting in clear view just inside the door where they were having the conversation, so presumably they thought I must be deaf. I was knitting, after all.
I am half way up the basque of the vest, but I have to say 288 stitches to a round on 2.75mm needles is pretty slow work. I must set aside some time to learn continental knitting so I can make progress faster.
My natural fleece colours seem to be a suitable substitute for the commercial yarn in the original photo, so it is working well so far. |
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Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15600
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Jam Lady
Joined: 28 Dec 2006
Posts: 2507
Location: New Jersey, USA
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| Posted: Mon Jun 05, 17 12:48 pm Post subject: |
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Cassandra, I am in awe of your spinning and knitting skills. Not only fine knitting but done with an intricate pattern, homespun, home dyed yarn. What's left - learn to shear a sheep that will live in your garden?
Mistress Rose, wish I lived nearabouts to you. The events you describe sound fascinating.
Gregotyn, you are obviously well occupied both at work and with moving. Is it keeping you out of mischief?
Overcast yesterday, rain last night, overcast today. Here's hoping the precipitation gets it done and over with before the wildflower conference later this week. It is on a college campus so we need to trot between dorms and student center where plant sales and lectures will be held.
I splurged and paid for a room with its own bath for myself. Other options were a room to myself with shared facilities down the hall, or shared room / shared facilities. At my age I don't want an unknown roommate (with risk of snoring). Also at my age a middle of the night need to pee is best managed quietly / privately.
Saturday will be the worst day for rain - I signed up for a post-conference garden visit plus nursery visit (always room to wedge another plant or two into the car.) We get back to campus close to 5:00 p.m. and it is a multi-hour drive home. Oh well, it will be what it will be. |
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Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15600
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| Posted: Tue Jun 06, 17 6:10 am Post subject: |
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Hope you have a good time at your conference Jam Lady. I understand what you mean about liking your own facilities.
We managed to get the big kiln loaded before the rain came yesterday, but it meant that I moved about 1 cu m of wood from the ground and packed it in the kiln my myself while husband and son were cutting the other cubic m. Still, the job got done. We didn't manage to fill the little kiln, but did get the wood for it under cover, so hopefully it will be fairly dry.
We had a really wet and windy night, which wasn't nice, and it is still raining, but at least the wind has dropped. Hoping no damage in the woods as with all the leaves on the trees they are rather vulnerable. Real D-day weather; just as June 5th 1944, but luckily a south wester, so slightly less risk to trees, as it is the prevailing direction.
We also found some dear (probably little) soul had decided to do a paint trail through the woods with non removable paint on some posts and a good number of trees. It also came up the lane, painted on the tarmac until that ran out. Not amused as it will be there for years. |
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cassandra
Joined: 27 Mar 2013
Posts: 1733
Location: Tasmania Australia
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| Posted: Tue Jun 06, 17 7:57 am Post subject: |
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I refuse to share a room (or a bathroom) with others when travelling. Not acceptable at our age!!!
Yesterday I went to visit a friend and happily another friend was also there. So we sat in a sheltered part of the garden, in the sun, and drank tea. Very nice. Jenny is moving house (again) in the next month so is getting rid of stuff (she bought the new house complete with furniture). While most of it is highly desirable I don't have space to keep it till I have a use for it. But the lounge suit is one I have lusted after for some time. I was unsure if it would fit, but on coming home have concluded that it will (the lounge floor space is still constrained by other stored stuff, but that can get organised elsewhere and let me fit it in. Not sure what she is asking for it, but if I can get it for $500.00 I will be in (also if her husband can deliver it).
She also has a fire surround for free. Again I had to measure up, but it will fit and is (or rather will be) rather stylish, just covered in peeling paint. Nice corbels either side, but otherwise fairly simple.
So tomorrow I will be carting stuff out of the loungeroom to make room for it, and deciding the fate of the remaining building materials currently lurking behind the couch. |
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Jam Lady
Joined: 28 Dec 2006
Posts: 2507
Location: New Jersey, USA
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| Posted: Tue Jun 06, 17 12:53 pm Post subject: |
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Mistress Rose, there was an incident some years ago when obscene graffiti was painted on a boulder at a client's house. It could not be removed. So they had it painted over with paint similar in color to the stone. This made everything less conspicuous, very much so. I know how busy you are at this time of year but perhaps try it out on a tree here, a post there - and then decide if it would be worth the effort.
Cassandra, I know just where you are with "Oh, so nice! I do want it, wouldn't it be lovely. Surely it will fit." Friends are going to be moving and have already given me indoor plants and flower pots (which I shared with the garden club for the July sale), a leaf shredder (which I kept.) They have offered me a set of white wicker garden room furniture with charming flowered fabric cushions - sofa, chair, rocking chair. I'd love to have it but have no where to use it. Plus, my Mr Poe (black cat) regards our natural wicker sofa as a scratching post. Besides, I think whoever buys their current home would like to have it - looks so "just right" in the sun room. |
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gregotyn
Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area
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| Posted: Tue Jun 06, 17 2:25 pm Post subject: |
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One thing is for sure, Jam Lady, that I am never far from a little mischief, more genteel now that I am aging; but well occupied on all fronts at the moment. We are in the throws of 'is it rain or is it just a shower?' either way it rains as soon as I go out and stops when I come in. I too, like to be on my own when away, and although one's own bathroom is a need, it doesn't happen at friends' houses as most only have one set upstairs, but I guess that is slightly different.
I would paint out the trail MR, or if it won't go put in some more to confuse. Could there be a night walk coming on? Glad you had a good time at the show with your demonstrations; I assume you had a change of costume for the different periods of time you were in for the individual demos? It is in theory charcoal weather MR, so well done for getting all the wood ready for a double burn. Did you light the kilns today or is the weather all wrong for you? It is very windy up here and has been wet for a few short spells.
We have a lot of agricultural shows our way with all sorts of things added on. This enables the local towns folk to take part as well as the peasants! They do things like model gardens, but also have garden produce competitions flowers and especially vegetables-hot competition there-tractors, cars and the fire engine turns up too c/w the crew-in case they get a call out. The livestock is very well attended if you have sheep, otherwise they are a bit short on the ground, and there is the inevitable sheep shearing competition contested and supported by a bunch of seriously inebriated local 'boys'. Some villages don't have a show, but indulge in a fete/fair; either way I don't attend as here it is an excuse for a lot to drink and I don't, boringly indulge.
As a volunteer Cassandra you shouldn't have to be treated like that by that woman, without someone you can call to be there with and for you in the event of the 'thing' complaining you need someone on team Cassandra. I realise you would be well able to cope, but you shouldn't have to cope. |
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Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15600
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| Posted: Wed Jun 07, 17 5:54 am Post subject: |
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I still have some stuff in store from my parents house, so no new furniture for me.
No, Gregotyn, we couldn't have dressed appropriately for all the ages, but what we did do was show that some of the crafts used in all the periods were alive and well and still living in the 21st century. Favourite crafts to demonstrate at historical re-enactment are pole lathe turning (which son was doing), drop spinning (which I can do but didn't demonstrate), net making (tried once but pass), basket making sometimes (which I was doing), and occasionally leather work (which we had for sale). So we covered every period from Saxon to Victorian.
We didn't fire the kiln yesterday as son needed husbands help with clearing the lounge and replacing furniture for a new carpet to be put down. I stayed home and did useful things like the accounts and some hand washing. I also had to stay home to receive a parcel and see one off, so not a very interesting day. We are going to fire the kiln today. The weather is better, although still a bit breezy, but yesterday was wet and windy in the morning and rather windy in the afternoon, so we wouldn't have been able to fire anyway. |
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gregotyn
Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area
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| Posted: Thu Jun 08, 17 1:09 pm Post subject: |
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I will be having to throw some of my things out soon MR. Once I get the 'I can do it' thing out of my mind and retreat to the why do I want/need to do whatever it is, then I will start. But for now I think I will be getting excited and able to do it all, and I am not slowing down 'gracefully' as I ought to be by now. Glad you mentioned parcels as I will be filling one in the next 24 hours-when I get home if I can remember, I got the right box for the job today.
Today has been busy at work with so many bits and pieces coming in on top of an order which should have been with us last week, but the rep. omitted to process it for us, we are not happy. It will be double biscuits next time he calls. He forgot to put in 2 of some saws I ordered, and although he ordered some wood drill bits they didn't arrive, although the paperwork says they did, I am narked about that it should be right-then again I am not without sin, so I can't cast the stone. |
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Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15600
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