Needle Tatting

I checked the garden.  It's still too wet to dig potatoes.  I think I will start bringing in corn this week and drying it in the sun on good sunny days.  I picked more jalapenos and hot banana peppers too.   

I ended up starting the day yesterday by cleaning up my "work" area by the computer.  I ended up sorting everything into piles before tackling each one.  I had a "file it" pile, a "put it in a binder" pile, a "shred it" pile, a "needs paid" pile, "put it back where it belongs" pile, "ask the kids if they need it any longer" pile, and a "recipe" pile.  Needless to day, a few of those piles were left for today to take care of, but things are looking much tidier.

Cro-Tat ~ Set Back ~ Leaf Picking

I really attempted to do a good house cleaning yesterday, but you know how you can get side tracked?  Well, I did.  I happened to end up in my room, where I had just picked up the box my tatting tools are in, and decided to give this tool a try.  It's a bullion hook.  It's used often for what is called cro-tat or crochet tatting. 

More Tatting ~ Trip to Town

Now that the weather is changing my routine and chores are changing.  I really have no business even looking at my crafting projects.  But.  I happened to come across this book in my stash, while cleaning of course.

Spinning Wool ~ Drop Spindle ~ Tidbits

I am finally getting the chance to do something for myself

Random Tidbits ~ Needle Tatting

I am starting the day with breakfast on the porch, although a bit later than normal for me.  I need a peaceful moment with nature first.  Hubby is home too, so he'll join me too, before the kids get up.  We are letting them all sleep in.  The kids went to the movies in Son's new car last night.

Son is happy with anything I cook lately, as the food he has eaten at the chow hall was all processed.  He's pretty proud to see his 16 year-old sister can grill meat very well too.  She's my go-to grill girl now.

We are still cleaning the house, but my two younger girls are giving me resistance.  Their 18 year-old sister is working almost every day now, so the work load falls on them now.

Today the bathrooms get a top to bottom cleaning.  If the bathrooms are clean, I'll be happy, even if we don't get the rest spotlessly clean. 

Reflections of 2014

Over the past few years I have managed to post reflections of the entire year.  I apologize in advance for the length of this post.  I had no idea how many steps we have taken this year in successfully living a more sustainable, morally earned lifestyle, removing nasty chemicals from our lives, learning more about natural remedies, herbal teas, and so much more.  This lifestyle is not for everyone.  Although splitting wood is both physically and mentally challenging (our source of heat), I would not trade it for a switch on the wall any day.  And I could not have gotten this far without the partnership and support of my husband.

Enjoying Tatting

I took my tatting to the dentist appointment this morning.  It's now about a foot long.   It was fun to use my sitting time practicing it.  There was one gentlemen there, taking numerous looks at what my hands were doing.  Maybe I will inspire someone to tat, or once I'm much better at it, offer lessons at our historical center. 

It is so fun!  I can't wait to learn more.  I checked my handy dandy bookshelf, and found I had a book on Tatting.  I must have purchased it at a book sale, as it is a discarded library book from another city.  It was written in 1979 by a woman in Iowa.  Most of the photos inside the book are in black and white, but have instructions as well.  

I also have the tatting needle instructions from Mary Jane's Stitching Room book.  As soon as I finish this chain (3 feet), I will move on to learning more.

As I sit and type this update, my two older daughters are outside, teaching our younger goat tricks - hilarious to watch.  She sure does love those goat treats.   She is doing circles on the top of a stump.  I am sure there will be some updates on my 14 year-old daughter's blog soon.

The weather is a teensy bit cooler and I have not yet checked the garden.  I am sure there is a few zucchini's out there.  Speaking of zucchini, my girls had a "Pamper Party" last night.  They made a facial mask with my last zucchini, and they pampered themselves.  If my duaghter does not blog the recipe herself (the one mentioned above), I will try to get it posted.  Tonight, it's my turn to have a zucchini facial. 

Garden update:  I visited my garden and UGH.  Weeds, weeds and weeds.  Next year we are doing more newspaper or plastic.  Each year it gets bigger too.  In 2 1/2 hours, and with the help of my 14 year-old daughter, we can now see our onions, some green beans, the peas drying on the string fence we made, and I can now see my broccoli (even brought some in tonight).  We have not made a "dent" in the garden weeds.  Tomorrow, and possibly the next 3-4 days, I will be in the garden.  However, I do see more cucmbers that need picked tomorrow.  

More cucumbers mean more canning, and I have 3-day pickles soaking for canning tomorrow.  I'm not sure how to fit this all in, but somehow we will.

Now.....if I could just get time to get a fence around my strawberries.  My barred rocks are having a hay-day in my strawberry patch.  Grrr! 

I'm looking forward to a zucchini facial. 

Needle Tatting

Last winter I attempted to teach myself how to tat.  Just as I did with knitting, I bought a "how to" kit to start, and hated it.  So, I went to the local craft store and purchased my very own tatting needles.

Tatting Piece Finished

My finished, piece of tatting, measured out at 3 feet and 9 inches.  I am saving it for a sewing project.  I, however, have started working with a smaller needle.  I was lucky to finish this as quickly as I did.  Our power went out on Saturday for about 3-4 hours.  

With no electricity, I could not can pickles, cook, nor run water.  I believe it's time to invest in a generator, and an outdoor kitchen.  We do have the fire pit as a resource also. Anyway, I simply took that time to do my tatting.


This time, the power outage was due to work being done over 7 miles from our home.  It's the second time this summer.  We typically have power outage in the winter, or frozen pipes.  We did learn, that we can wrap potatoes in foil, and cook them in our wood burner, if we need to.


Sunday around here was not a "rest" day at all.  Our yard trimmers all broke, so the grass around my flower beds badly needed cut away.  We were lucky to borrow one again, and got most of the work done.  We have 3 barns to trim around the garden, and several flower beds.  It's an all day job, and the barns have yet to be trimmed. 

While my son took over the trimming, I harvested more dill seed.  Even though I continue to harvest it, I may not have very much.  It takes 2 tablespoons per pint to make the easy dill pickles.  I may have to plant more dill next year.


Last year, our septic needed emptied, and we had no idea where it was located.  Seriously.  After an entire day of digging, we found it.  Thus, this year, I am replanting the grass over the area that was dug up.  That took most of the afternoon, and we still need more seed.  The younger two helped me with that, and realize how hard their Mom works now.  We used a hand hoe and rake to work up the soil.


But work didn't stop there.  Two of our house cats are battling it out, marking one end of a hallway.  Despite that they are all "fixed" they continue to do it.  I finally broke down and purchased a spray to prevent the "marking" of the wall.  However, they now mark one specific spot on the carpet.  So.....out came the carpet cleaner.  We have plans to rip up the carpet and replace it with something else in the future.  


Someday, I will have time to clean my master bathroom. Hopefully rain is in the forecast, or I won't.  Ha ha ha ha!

Self-Suffieciency Lifestyle Paying Off

I'm posting early today.  Hubby brought home another 10 lb. box of blueberries and a box of peaches.  I'll be busy for sure.

Here's an update on our journey to being self-sufficient.  Each year it gets better.
 
In the last 3 1/2 years we have really gained progress with self-sufficiency.  It does require some investments, but those pay off. 

So far this year, with making our own soap with our goat's milk, have not had to buy any bars of soap (and have used it to make homemade laundry detergent also).

We have not purchased dishwasher detergent either, and I am proud that we have reduced those chemicals and costs.

We have not had to buy any onions or potatoes this year.  Last year we did.  

We went all winter using green peppers we froze versus buying them from the store.

When we are low on eggs, we do without.  

We have cut down the cost of buying organic milk by having the goat's, and have drastically cut down the trips to the recycling center (cost of time and gasoline) to take milk jugs in.  It's been nice to recycle our canning jars for milk. 

I have not had to buy ricotta cheese this year also.  Making it is so easy with the goat's milk, but it takes 4 1/2 quarts. 

As for making ice cream out of goat's milk, we need another goat for more milk.  We need cream to add to the milk, otherwise it will freeze rock hard.  My daughter already has her eye on one she wants to add to her herd. 

We have not had to buy any jelly or jams for the last two years.  Every year I learn more recipes to make and stock up on.

I have cut back on the cost of annual flowers, and used seeds from other farmgirls (lovely zinnia's).  We also get the joy of watching butterflies.

We have not had to buy pickles or relish for two years now.  We had a bumper crop of cucumbers last year, and have not cut back the cost of carrots.

Our homemade deodorant is lasting so much longer, and had drastically cut back the cost and cut out the chemicals.

Last year, from butcher time to this spring, I never had to buy chicken.  Our meat chickens were worth the time to raise and we know they are chemical/antibiotic free. 

After last fall, and three rounds of yucky antibiotics, I am really working hard to use natural remedies.  Since then, and my awful sickness with allergies, we have been successful.  With the purchase of Allergy Easer Oil, I have not had to buy any allergy pills whatsoever (since last fall).  I have only had to take ibuprofen one time since then as well.  And my 10 year-old, who also suffers horribly, has not had to take one pill either.  She uses the roll-on Allergy Easer, and it has eliminated buying over the counter drugs, and we feel much better.  We've been successful at reducing our costs, and staying chemical free.

I've learned foraging skills, and have researched the health benefits of eating dandelion greens, and tops.  I've been making jelly from dandelions, and using the roots for dandelion "coffee."  I've learned that clovers are edible, and I can make jelly from white and red clover.  I've been making jelly from the flower of Queen Anne's Lace and studying the uses for the black walnuts on my property.  Even foxtail grass is edible.  We have wild chickweed on the property (not road side plants) and they can be used to make coffee, natural salves, and such as well.  Every year we pick the wild growing black raspberries.  It just gets more interesting as we learn.

I've learned skills for natural dyes, including the wild pokeweed growing on our property.  I hope to experiment more with plants like the goldenrod that grow here as well.

Over the past two years, I have taught my self to knit and to do needle tatting.  My goals are to learn quilting, blacksmithing, foraging for mushrooms, go hunting for deer myself, fish more often, and to learn the art of spinning wool.  The list gets longer each year, but our hand crocheted afghans are warmer than any blanket you can buy in the store, and last longer.  

This is our first year to plant again for a fall harvest.  Thankfully the August rains are helping.

It's all hard work, but in the end, worth it.  Our next goals are to make and use homemade toothpaste, grow enough corn to grind down ourselves for cornmeal, raise beef and dairy cows and much more.

Our wish list keeps growing, and every year we gain a few steps forward.

Bringing in the New Year ~ Out with the Old

As I sit here and reflect on this year, I think about all the experiences I had, as well as my family.

 I fed my family weeds. 

 I learned to stock up more of my garden and invested in a dehydrator. 

Took one weekend getaway with hubby and no kids.

 Took some kids camping. 

Glamped the camper for the first time.

Completed many craft/handiwork projects. 

 Built things with the family.  

 Took a Hearthside cooking class with my oldest daughter. 

 Learn to shoot a gun.

 Bought dairy goats.

Bought more goats.

Watched my daughter buy her horse.

Added more layers to our chicken coop.

Raised our own meat chickens.

Got snowed in and had fun in the snow.

Sent one daughter to see Washington, D.C. for the her first time.

Added new flowers to my flower beds.

Built my first scarecrow.

Baked homemade bread.

Watched many sunrises.

Watched many sunsets.

Watched the moon.

Made the garden larger this year.

Taught myself how to knit.

Taught myself how to do needle tatting.

Participated in National Novel Writing Month for the second year.

Planted redbud trees from a seed.

Thanks for reading this long blog post of reflections.  There was a lot more too!  Happy New Year!

New Book ~ Garden Update

Our library is only open for appointments, and they are not interloaning anything.   It's a small library.  I finally broke down and purchased a few books.  I added this needle tatting book to my bookshelf.  

The tiller is finally fixed.  It needed a new belt, which lasted 12 years.  However, while putting it back together, Hubby had a spring he didn't know what to do with.  After dumping out our container of manuals (that's another purge job), we found a free manual online.  Boom! Tiller fixed.

We are a bit behind in tilling, so I haven't planted more yet, and it may rain this morning.  Time will tell what gets done, but we are more ahead this year than last year.

SIL updates ~ ...from the handiwork journal

We did a lot of hospital hopping in the last few days.  During our visits I couldn't read, and like to keep my hands moving.  I took along a bag of handiwork, whether we went by car or motorcycle.  I visited with family/friends while we all took turns visiting sister "L."  She is still in ICU.

Quick update on the sisters.  Sister "L" was getting her heart balloon removed on Sunday, and weaned of heart pump.  They removed the vent Saturday night.  The procedure for the heart pump took several hours, so we didn't get to visit.  The plan is for two stents to go in on Tuesday.   Sister "P" is doing much better and might be going home soon.  Everyone is back to work today, so sister "L" gets a day of rest before the procedure.  However, even though we were called last night and sister "L" was doing well, we got a call at 5:49am this morning.

Projects in Progress

What is on my knitting needles? 

A dishcloth.

What's on my crochet hook (s)?