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Today, Everywhere I Look Looks Like A Picture
Yes, this is what it looks like here in December. These pictures were all taken in a little ravine that runs through my neighborhood. Where are the secret hidden spots in your neighborhood?
read moreWhat’s All This Snow Good For?
Tracking! That’s what it’s good for! Today was dedicated to trying to wear out the dog, so I don’t have to worry about him during the Thanksgiving festivities. To be honest, I wasn’t really looking forward to a walk in the snow. Sure, it looks dramatic at first, but I worried that I would get cold, or that my new boots would hurt my feet, or that I would get cold. I don’t like being cold. In fact, for being a naturalist, I’m really pretty wimpy about it. It was around 20 degrees this morning, something that...
read moreWinter here?
The rains came back today. 1/2 inch expected today, and another 1/2 inch tomorrow. It made for a wet day in the woods today, but my new group of families seems to be all troopers. We spent a couple hours experimenting with making fire in such wet conditions, and finally settled on hemlock branches and cedar bark as the best options. One enterprising young gentleman (6 years old) heard me mention that you can also make cedar bark into rope. He immediately started collecting little piles of it so that he could make it into rope. We didn’t...
read moreAlpacasaurus Rex
The main body of this scarf is made from a highly-prized naturally-colored alpaca. This silver/grey color is called “rex”, and is unusual in alpacas. Alpaca fiber is softer, warmer, and lighter than even the finest wool, and it doesn’t itch the way some wool can. Many people who are allergic to wool can still wear alpaca. Each end of this scarf is woven from handspun 100% merino wool. These ends are ever-so-slightly heavier than the body of the scarf, to create the perfect drape and keep the ends from unwrapping themselves as...
read moreAlpaca, Silk, and Baby Camel
The main body of this ultra-soft scarf is single-sourced alpaca over a 100% merino warp yarn. On each end is about 6 inches of blended silk and camel down. The fiber on the ends is ever-so-slightly heavier than the rest of the scarf, which will help hold it in place in a bit of a breeze. And you will want it to stay in place, because alpaca is a lusciously light and warm fiber and you’ll want it wrapped around your neck. It’s both lighter and warmer than wool and soft to the touch. Many people who are allergic to sheep wool are...
read moreMerino/Mohair Blend Scarf
This merino/mohair scarf is 52 inches long and 10 inches wide. It’s a heavy-weight fabric, with tons of durability. I like to pet it. The mohair gives it a beautiful shine and fuzzy halo, and it would look great worn outside the collar of your jacket. The mohair and the density of the fabric make this a much harder-wearing scarf that really will last for generations. You can even run it through the dryer (carefully, and checking on it often) and it just makes it more fluffy and beautiful. The fiber came again from Lilly the sheep as well...
read moreEpisode 1: Horse Packing Stories
Listen to the Podcast! In The Woods (1:45 – 7:40) The mystery shrub with banana peel leaves Tons of licorice root fern and bright green moss Dryer sheets? What’s up with those? Fiber Projects (7:40 – 17:45) Here’s the photo of the to-be-spun pile at the start of the project Dying mohair Knitting Colophon Handwarmers http://craftlit.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=565262# and scroll towards the bottom for the link to the pdf Knitting a Sweater Vest – merino/icelandic/angora/silk Spinning pounds of merino Spinning...
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