Here we are close tot the end of March and I have been working on my knitting goal for about six weeks or so. In that time I have completed sixty swatches. I have been enjoying the creativeness with knitting the swatch and the challenges have just pushed me even more to figure them out. I hope you enjoy them. Yes I know it’s not Monday, that’s my new goal to get back on schedule with posting.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Knitting 7
Here we are close tot the end of March and I have been working on my knitting goal for about six weeks or so. In that time I have completed sixty swatches. I have been enjoying the creativeness with knitting the swatch and the challenges have just pushed me even more to figure them out. I hope you enjoy them. Yes I know it’s not Monday, that’s my new goal to get back on schedule with posting.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Seed Germination
Now that I have my shelves and lights up Wednesday was seed planting day. I do realize for the area that I live in I should have started my cool weather seeds earlier. That just wasn’t a reality this year so I got them in on Wednesday.
I started celery, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, soap wart and cotton. I know what your saying the list of seeds that I post back in January didn’t have cotton in it. Ya’ I know that’s because the supplier couldn’t send them to me. So I had to search for a new supplier and I found one that would send them to PA. So I have green cotton and brown cotton.
Yes cotton comes in a natural green and brown, no dyeing necessary. I do know that cotton is a hot weather plant but I was reading up on it and I found out it could take up to three weeks to germinate. So I wanted to get that started now to give it a little extra time.
So after they come up I will post all about how they are doing.
I started celery, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, soap wart and cotton. I know what your saying the list of seeds that I post back in January didn’t have cotton in it. Ya’ I know that’s because the supplier couldn’t send them to me. So I had to search for a new supplier and I found one that would send them to PA. So I have green cotton and brown cotton.
Yes cotton comes in a natural green and brown, no dyeing necessary. I do know that cotton is a hot weather plant but I was reading up on it and I found out it could take up to three weeks to germinate. So I wanted to get that started now to give it a little extra time.So after they come up I will post all about how they are doing.
Seed Starting System
What has been taking me so long to get my seeds started is I needed a self and lighting system. So Tuesdays project was just that, we went out and got the wood for the shelves and I picked up the lights on Monday and we put it all together on Tuesday.The shelves are eight feet tall; I used 1” by 3” for the uprights. The rest of the lumber is 1” by 2” for the side brasses, shelf supports and self slates. The construction was very easy; I have the shelves over a desk so the first self had to be 40” from the floor. The rest of the shelves are 20” apart. This is for room to move the light up as the plants get bigger.
The cost of the shelves was $18.00 for the wood; I already had a box of screws from other projects so they were free. But if I had to buy some I think they would be about ten dollars for the box, depending on the type that you are going to get. The lights were $45.00 total the one light cost $10.00 the other $15.00. The $15.00 light guarantees that it will turn on in -20 degree weather. I really didn’t need that guarantee but they were all out of the $10.00 lights except for the one I bought. The bulbs were $10.00 a pack and I had to buy two packs; I did buy a pack of warm fluorescents and cool fluorescents. This will give me a full spectrum of light or as close to humanly possible, that is.
The last two things were the hooks to hang the lights from which cost $3.00 a pack of four and a timer for the lights to come on by them selves at $4.00. So for $70.00 I have an in door green house. That sure beats the hundred or hundreds of dollar ones you see in the catalogs.
Knitting 6
Sorry I didn’t get this weeks knitting posted on Monday. I haven’t been feeling well. That time of year for sinus problems. I did get ten more swatches knitted up, so I’m up to 50 of them being made. Not counting what I have knitted this week. And here I was thinking I would only get five done a week. Well maybe during the summer that will happen with being in the garden and out doors more, we’ll have to wait and see.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Lanyard
I finished my latest project which is a lanyard. I haven’t card woven in a while so I had a lot of fun with it. As I said this project is card woven so I had to figure out how to weave it so the cards would be threaded correctly. After weaving the neck I wanted it to come together so it would be one piece that slipped over your neck. Then I would attach a lanyard hook so you could attach your id or anything you wish to it.
So the first thing was to get the cards set up so I could weave 34” of the band. This part was a little tricky, since I had to thread two cards on the same warp in ex. 1-20, 2-19, 3-18, 4-17 and so forth. That way when I put the card together they would all be facing the same way in the correct order.
I achieved that except I twisted the one pack of cards so the wrong side is showing for half the band. This is actually ok because it gives it some interest and it’s also a learning curve. Next I had to bring both packs of cards together and mach up the fell lines. That was really easy I held the fell lines together with pins.
Next all I had to do was weave a couple of inches with the cards together to close the loop and give me enough band to attach the hook. Since I was using two shuttles to weave with when I bought the cards together I made sure the shuttles were to the outside of the bands. The left shuttle on the outer left, and the right shuttle on the outer right, so when I started to weave this part I used both shuttles. One for some extra strength at the stress point and two that way I was able to hide one of the
wefts in the weaving. That way I wouldn’t have it unraveling on me.
The last step was to attach the hook, I machine sewed this on. But first I had to figure out how to attach the hook. If you have ever seen a lanyard hook it’s just the hook there is nothing else to it. So I did find a bag of fasteners as they were called. They where lanyard hooks and key rings all in different sizes and colors, I got them at Wal*Mart, so I just attached the hook to the ring, which I then sewed to the lanyard.
Project complete please check out the picture and let me know what you think.
So the first thing was to get the cards set up so I could weave 34” of the band. This part was a little tricky, since I had to thread two cards on the same warp in ex. 1-20, 2-19, 3-18, 4-17 and so forth. That way when I put the card together they would all be facing the same way in the correct order.
I achieved that except I twisted the one pack of cards so the wrong side is showing for half the band. This is actually ok because it gives it some interest and it’s also a learning curve. Next I had to bring both packs of cards together and mach up the fell lines. That was really easy I held the fell lines together with pins.
Next all I had to do was weave a couple of inches with the cards together to close the loop and give me enough band to attach the hook. Since I was using two shuttles to weave with when I bought the cards together I made sure the shuttles were to the outside of the bands. The left shuttle on the outer left, and the right shuttle on the outer right, so when I started to weave this part I used both shuttles. One for some extra strength at the stress point and two that way I was able to hide one of the
wefts in the weaving. That way I wouldn’t have it unraveling on me.The last step was to attach the hook, I machine sewed this on. But first I had to figure out how to attach the hook. If you have ever seen a lanyard hook it’s just the hook there is nothing else to it. So I did find a bag of fasteners as they were called. They where lanyard hooks and key rings all in different sizes and colors, I got them at Wal*Mart, so I just attached the hook to the ring, which I then sewed to the lanyard.
Project complete please check out the picture and let me know what you think. Monday, March 2, 2009
Philly Flower Show
I was at the Philadelphia Flower Show yesterday; this year’s theme was Bella Italia or Italy. It was absolutely gorges; the main display was a Roman Palace. As you walk in to the hall you were welcomed by the Palace walls and the formal garden that went up to the Palace it’s self. Around the long garden were four square formal gardens, all of this had statuary of the time and made for a beautiful place. That I felt you could really imagine your self being there. In ancient Rome that is.
One of the things that I enjoyed the most with this years show was that most if not all the displays had vegetables and or herbs among the flower beds in the front yards. What I have herd was that is common practice in Italy and most of Europe. I have also seen some people in this country do it as well, my self included. I just don’t see it as common practice here in the US. Which is a shame, if people would start producing there own food in there front yards they would be able to feed them selves, families and neighbors for the whole season. If they can, freeze or preserve in some other way they could have food that would keep them feed all year long.
Perhaps one day that will happen. The show was a wonderful place to be yesterday, with the onset of snow lurking upon us. I did come home with some wonderful ideas and lots of memories. I didn’t get anything from the market place; they have wonderful things at wonderful prices that I can’t afford at this time, so maybe next year.
One of the things that I enjoyed the most with this years show was that most if not all the displays had vegetables and or herbs among the flower beds in the front yards. What I have herd was that is common practice in Italy and most of Europe. I have also seen some people in this country do it as well, my self included. I just don’t see it as common practice here in the US. Which is a shame, if people would start producing there own food in there front yards they would be able to feed them selves, families and neighbors for the whole season. If they can, freeze or preserve in some other way they could have food that would keep them feed all year long.
Perhaps one day that will happen. The show was a wonderful place to be yesterday, with the onset of snow lurking upon us. I did come home with some wonderful ideas and lots of memories. I didn’t get anything from the market place; they have wonderful things at wonderful prices that I can’t afford at this time, so maybe next year.
Knitting 5
I have eleven more swatches knitted up, that brings me to a grand total of forty thus far. I do enjoy the cable and Aran knits as I mentioned before and am learning a lot for them.
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