Tag Archives: handmade soap

January Joys

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Here are some things that I am enjoying and appreciating as January  so quickly draws to a close.

Luxurious home made soap given to me by a friend. These are way beyond anything I have made or probably could make.

soap

Luxurious hand made soap

A gorgeous winter sunset we happened upon as we left Tractor Supply with chicken feed.

Jan sunset

January sunset in Taunton MA

 

The fun of getting ready to teach our second workshop this month which means our second opportunity early in 2016 to get unsuspecting people addicted to spinning and fiber. Sure, they know they are coming to an introductory spinning workshop. They don’t know it is about to captivate them and take over their lives.

tools fibers for Jan workshop

Let the magic begin!

Sourdough bread taking over my kitchen since I can’t stop making it. Talk about magic!

sourdough breads

Sourdough waffles, rolls, bread and bubbling yeasty smelling starter to make more.

The cutest sheep hat in the world made just for me.

sheep hat

Ewes and lambs

A typically nervy cat. She has learned that  she isn’t to eat our food as we eat it much as she wants to. But apparently she isn’t against pushing the boundaries with my water and this time getting away with it using the element of quiet surprise. Of course she has a bowl of her own! What she is doing maybe isn’t a joy but the amusement, companionship and love she provides is.

cat drinking my water

Thankfully we have a dishwasher.

Here is hoping everyone has many of their own joys this month.

 

Holiday concerns?

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The other day I was thinking about concerns and stresses around the holidays. I now know that I  don’t have any. In contrast to the world at large I have nothing of importance in my little life to make me anxious. How lucky I am.

I didn’t feel that way a few weeks ago. Prior even  to the attacks in Paris I was feeling some discouragement about the increasing violence in our world, the materialism, the economy and the challenges facing our succeeding generations that were not a part of our world at younger ages.

To get off this depressing train of thought I decided to banish some of the inner and outer darkness by putting up some outside lights. Never before have I cared about outside decorations or even many indoor ones.  Now these lights feel to me to be vigilant, kind of like prayer flags, sending light out and up.  They give me comfort. They are at the back of our house so only briefly seen from the road. They are for us to see.

outside lights Dec 2015

My only self imposed- I don’t even know what to call it because it doesn’t rank as a concern in the larger scheme of things-deadline maybe? this season has been to get presents ready to mail off to family and friends. Just creating them also gives me comfort. Today most went. To get ready I have been:

Making mint scented soap:

soap Dec 2015

Yarn ready for the church fair:

Alpaca BFL yarn Dec 2015

Fleece I washed, dyed and spun for the yarn from Lenox the alpaca and Lucinda the Bluefaced Leicester sheep.

 

A scarf in progress. Will it be done in time or given on the needles with a promise to finish? 🙂

scarf gift on needles Dec 2015

 

Here is the remaining yarn being made into a skein on the wool winder.

yarn on woolwinder Dec 2015

Polwarth/silk yarn

 

Batts for spinner friends:

batts to mail Dec 2015

One project that isn’t even on the radar for this year but will be for next:

dish towels on loom Dec 2015

Cotton dishtowels

See the threads that look different from the other weaving? That’s not a mistake, oh no, it is a design element.

Anyone who has the money for these materials, a healthy family and a peaceful home in which to make the projects has no personal concerns this holiday season.