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Archive for the ‘Crafts’ Category

Willow Garden Structures

Posted in Crafts, Growing on March 19, 2024 | Leave a Comment »

This year I had a fair amount of willow with thick stems. These are hard to twist into baskets so I decided to make some garden structures. The first step is to select 7 to 9 branches. Trim the ends to a point so they will go in the dirt more easily then peel off […]

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Fun with Cable Knitting

Posted in Crafts, tagged , on November 9, 2022 | Leave a Comment »

Cable knitting is, if possible, even more addictive than Fair Isle patterns.  Best of all it’s pretty easy to do if you have the right tools and some good patterns.  I like using cables on things like mittens and fingerless gloves as it makes them much easier to fit on a variety of hand sizes. […]

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Dyeing with Black Walnuts

Posted in Crafts, Foraging, tagged , , on November 8, 2022 | Leave a Comment »

If you’ve ever handled black walnuts you know how well they can dye your hands, countertop and many other things you may not want a deep brown color.  Dark brown yarn is lovely. Black walnuts ready to be harvested! The first step is to carefully harvest your walnuts.  I always use gloves to do this […]

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Hats!

Posted in Crafts, tagged , on October 10, 2022 | Leave a Comment »

What do all urban farmers in this brisk chilly climate need?  Warm knit hats!  It’s easy to make these using circular needles.  I like to use number 8 needles and usually cast on about 95 stitches to start for an adult hat.  Once the stitches are on I do a rib stitch with two knit […]

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Spinning with Pet Fur

Posted in Crafts, tagged , , on August 7, 2022 | Leave a Comment »

Spinning with pet fur can be done!  In this warm weather Mr. Bunners, aka Attila the Bun, is shedding his white fur in big soft billowy clumps.  Petting him it felt sort of like cashmere so I decided to collect it and try spinning it into yarn. First I tried just the fur but the […]

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Making Dried Flower Bouquets

Posted in Crafts, tagged , on August 5, 2022 | Leave a Comment »

Each year I look at the riot of colorful flowers in my garden and want to save them for the dark winter months.  One of the best ways I have found to do this is by making dried flower bouquets.  After a lot of trial and error the plants that seem to work the best […]

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Garlic Braids

Posted in Crafts, Growing, tagged , on July 28, 2022 | Leave a Comment »

Right now is a good time to harvest garlic.  Braiding it then hanging it in a cool, dark place is a great way to store it for later. If the garlic isn’t well dried it will rot. First dry the garlic until the leaves are limp and the outside of the bulb is getting papery. It’s […]

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Stone Necklaces

Posted in Crafts, tagged , , on July 27, 2022 | 3 Comments »

This post is one of the most popular on the site. Over the years I have made necklaces from stones collected on both coasts and they remind me of the trips. Here are step by step instructions for making necklaces from small stones. A few tools can make the work go quickly. To start you will […]

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Calendula Cream

Posted in Cooking, Crafts, tagged , on July 10, 2022 | Leave a Comment »

I love giving this cream during the holidays. Here is how to make this easy gift! Dry calendula flowers then soak them in olive oil for about a week. (They are less likely to mold if dried first.)

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Lavender Wands

Posted in Crafts, tagged , , on July 10, 2022 | Leave a Comment »

Lavender I love lavender!  I use it in cooking, sachets and many other ways.  Here is how to make lavender wands.  These make great gifts and can be hung in closets to scent clothes and perhaps repel a few moths. First gather a bunch of lavender with long stems and tie the bunch together right below […]

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