Do You Hear Crickets Chirping?

Posted on March 17, 2015 by Deborah

It has been a crazy few months around the Southern Homestead. So much to do in so little time that I have neglected one of the things I love to do most….write my daily adventures. Hence the title of this post…the long time sound often used to denote nobody or nothing is around or listening.

Let’s see if I can catch y’all up here…

I spent almost every waking moment from January until 2 weeks ago purging, cleaning, primping and staging our home for sale. I sewed new throw pillow covers for pretty much every room in the house (14 … Read more...

Seaside Throw

Posted on February 10, 2015 by Deborah

Just before Christmas I embarked on the largest weaving project since I have owned my loom, which is a year and 5 months now. I usually start my weaving projects (and knitting) with some sort of inspiration, whether it be a photo, nature, yarn sample or a snippet of a textured pattern.

The seaside throw concept was born from this photo…

A picture of the Caribbean taken a couple years ago from the Mayan Riviera. With this picture in mind, I designed a pattern…

All the words and numbers below the design are the calculations needed to measure out yarn … Read more...

Dyeing With Marigold Flowers

Posted on October 22, 2014 by Deborah

This year I had an abundance…..no…an over-abundance of Marigold flowers around the Homestead. They not only provide cheerful, sunny, colour to my garden landscape, but they are also perfect companion plants in vegetable gardens as their somewhat obnoxious smell wards off harmful insects, as well as luring the pollinators towards my veggie plants.

So what to do with this overabundance of flower heads? Well, you can’t eat them, but you can use them to dye yarn with. Which makes sense since I have been spinning up a passel of yarn in the latest hobby craze to enter my life.

Dyeing … Read more...

From Sweaters To Soups To Spinning

Posted on September 12, 2014 by Deborah

It’s hard to believe how fast *summer* flew by. By summer, I mean that bright yellow thing in the sky that was supposed to give us heat for oh…say about 3 months or so?

Not this year. We had snippets of heat, but certainly not what we are used to. Rainy too. Good thing I have a home-made recipe for killing moss, because I need to use it on my hair to get rid of what’s now surely growing up on my head.

With Fall snapping at my heels, it is almost time to pull out the soup pot. First … Read more...

How Come There Isn’t Enough?

Posted on August 26, 2014 by Deborah

I need more time. 24 hours in a day isn’t enough….

24 hours in one day
– 8 hours for sleeping
– 1 hour for eating
– 8 hours for working
– 3 hours for “domestic chores”
– 1 hour for errands/etc.
= 3 hours a day for knitting/fiber related hobbies….

Seriously

How am I supposed to get these projects done?

This is what I have on the go at the moment (not counting the project that is currently on Bob the loom, whom is missing from this photo…sorry Bob). I have a sweater just started (the lovely gold/brown yarn), … Read more...

Summer Bounty & Fiber Thrills

Posted on August 6, 2014 by Deborah

Me: Let’s see…what was my password to log into WordPress?

WordPress: Username ______________ Password ______________

First Try: Type type type type….Nope, that isn’t it, let’s try another one.

Second Attempt: Type type type type…..
Crap, this is what I get for leaving it so long between posts.

Third Attempt: Type type type type….. Yay! I’m in!

As for my audience here….have you missed me? I sure have missed y’all (typed with a southern accent, make sure you read it in one). It has been an insanely busy Spring that launched headlong into Summer. So busy that I haven’t had time … Read more...

All Things Fiber…

Posted on May 16, 2014 by Deborah

I am not talking about the stuff that makes your colon happy either. I am talking about the wonderful things in this world that are made into fiber. Whether it is the wool from sheep, cotton, hemp and linen from plants, angora from rabbits or mohair from goats, the common denominator from all of them is that they provide humanity with the necessary fibers to be made into all types of clothing.

Otherwise we all would be cold and naked. Not a pretty sight I can assure you. Even ancient man knew to cover up with a fig leaf or … Read more...

Renovations Continue

Posted on April 29, 2014 by Deborah

Wow…where has the time gone since I last posted? Sorry folks, but renovations are taking priority right now and there is simply not enough time in the day to get everything done that I need to do AND be able to write some really good stuff here.

I know, I am falling by the wayside, but don’t worry, once the reno’s are done and the garden plants are on their way with minimal babysitting I will have more time to dedicate to my musings. I hardly have time for knitting and weaving and barely manage to squeak in about an … Read more...

How To Make A Bean Bag Heating Pad

Posted on April 16, 2014 by Deborah

We all get aches and pains now and then which require the use of a heating pad, but sometimes the “traditional” heating pad that you plug in is impractical not to mention it uses up costly energy.

Instead, here is a super quick way to make your own bean bag heating pad using scrap cotton fabric and your choice of fillers. I can’t stress enough that 100% cotton fabric is the only choice to use, if you use any other type of fabric, you run the risk of melting it in the microwave (definitely not desirable).

Fillers can be any … Read more...

This and That & Things In Between

Posted on March 31, 2014 by Deborah

Hi! How are you?! Where the heck have you been?!!
I have been looking for you everywhere.

I know, I know… I said I was going to be posting *regularly*…but in my defense, there are just too many things happening around here that are keeping me from sitting down to this medium.

This will be a fairly short post, just snapshots of what is happening in the Southern Homestead…

Bob the loom is naked. It is time to plan the next project now that my table runner is complete although it will be heading to the Northern Homestead as the … Read more...