Another One Bites the Dust

December 30, 2014December 30, 2014 / handmadebyjo / 5 Comments

The road in front of the house in Rowe was lined with trees for hundreds of years – hundreds. These stately sugar maples provided shade from the western sun in the summer keeping the house quite cool. They provided places for hammocks and swings and places for children to climb. Big birds also nested and fed themselves from those trees – pileated woodpeckers and barred owls plus all of the usual smaller birds and squirrels. When you looked out of the upstairs bedrooms you felt as though you were in a treehouse. It was a great view.

It’s been 10 or 15 years since the last one came down in front of the house. The rooms upstairs are hot in the summer. There are a lot of trees across the road but they are all beginning to go as well. Early this morning another was cut down. It needed to come down, there were very few branches that had leaves any more. One of its neighbors had fallen not more than 6 months ago.

The video doesn’t do the act of cutting down a tree this size justice. The snap and shudder, the crashing to the ground, the silence. The house shook like witnessing a small explosion.

There are trees all around that I want to cut down, to improve the view or let more sun into my garden. Those decisions don’t come lightly though. I always consider what will be lost with the removal of any tree, also what will be gained. When it’s weighed out the decision is made. Some take very little consideration but others, the maples, are more difficult to cut down. They are beautiful in every season, they are strong, stately. They belong.

There is one such maple along the side of the garden. It’s grown quite large over the past 10 years my garden has been in that spot and now shades a good part of it for most of the morning. The vegetables aren’t fond of that much shade. We have cut everything around it and in doing so it has thrived. That wasn’t the intention, it was on the list to go.

After watching the old maple go down today I’ve decided I will move a good deal of my garden this year. I want it to stand there shading the yard for a good long time to come. A place for the orioles and bluebird to perch on the way to the feeder and bird bath. Barred owls perch there at night and talk to their mates and chicks. Those are things I’m not willing to give up and it really is an easy decision.

December 23, 2014 / handmadebyjo / 1 Comment

Winter Solstice and Gifting

December 21, 2014 / handmadebyjo / 8 Comments

This is my favorite day of the year. It’s the end of the seasons for me and the beginning of new. Today is the shortest day and the end of darkness with each day becoming a few minutes longer until June. It may not seem like minutes of daylight are increasing but I know that we are back on that swing and just knowing that makes the shorter days more tolerable.

Christmas is this week and I have 4 days to finish up all projects for the holiday. I think I made everyone’s gift this year except one. Most gifts will be delivered today maintaining the lifelong tradition of homemade goodies for neighbors and friends. The holiday wouldn’t be special for me if baking was taken out of the equation. The recipes are dusted off – these cookies are only made for the holidays. The smells and tastes bringing childhood back to me as they are molded and baked (and eaten with the numerous cups of coffee needed to pull this off). The last things made yesterday were the dog biscuits for Chester’s friends.

The gift giving for family has been dialed back. I’ve had to purchase some raw material but for the most part none of it remotely resembled the finished product. I’ve given each individual a lot of thought and put the spirit of that into each piece made. I’m hoping they feel the love because that’s was the gift is really all about, a token.

I’m fortunate to have the ability to do this. I sometimes think that everyone is capable of making their gifts. I honestly think they should try, the gift is so much more meaningful for the gifted and the giver. I also realize that telling my loved ones to make me something instead of buying it can put on a lot of pressure. For those that aren’t confident in their ability to create this can be a serious burden. I also think I say that to push them into the mindset of crafting and art. Doing so is a gift in itself – you will never know the satisfaction of creating something with your hands until you try.

I’m putting everyone on notice now for next year. Create your gifts, start thinking about them now. Do a little search on the internet, you can find a tutorial for everything. Learn a new skill, even if it’s just a new recipe. Cook a good meal, share with those you love. For me it’s never the finished product but what went into the creation of it. What did you learn? How peaceful did you become while doing it (that may take time). Put your love into the finished product and the recipient will see it – honest.

Today’s Culinary Experiment

December 10, 2014December 10, 2014 / handmadebyjo / 2 Comments

There are things I have never done. Sometimes it takes being cooped up in the house for a couple of days to give me a little push. There actually were a number of factors that contributed to the butter experiment today.

A couple of days ago, with the impending bad weather, I decided to find Side Hill Farm in Hawley. It’s the closest dairy to me and they sell raw milk. I was thinking cheese but went to stock up for the inclement weather. This farm has a wonderful little store that is run on the honor system (something you don’t see much anymore). There are freezers full of pastured pork and beef as well as the cooler full of dairy. I got a half-gallon of milk and a half-gallon of cream (hey, it was cheap and I figured I’d just mix my own half and half).

This morning I mixed my half and half – the cream was as thick as sour cream, it was a feat getting it out of the bottle. I then had a quart and a half left along with a slip of paper with instructions to make butter that I picked up at the farm next to the cash box. I pulled out the food processor and the experiment began.

There’s something about the properties of milk. Every time I make cheese, yogurt, pretty much anything I feel like a scientist. Things all have to stay within certain parameters but it with any of these things the milk is transformed. Butter is no different and it’s amazing to watch. It churned for a good 3 to 4 minutes looking like cream whirling around in the bowl. Suddenly it turned into butter and whey. It was crazy to watch. I made it in two batches, washing one while the other churned. Once the whey was kneaded out I added salt and packed it into a container. It made a little over a pound.

Before putting this into the refrigerator I confess to slathering a good bit onto a piece of toast. Mmmmm, definitely worth the trouble. The bonus is how soft my hands were after playing with butter for a half an hour.

Ice, Ice Baby

December 9, 2014December 9, 2014 / handmadebyjo / 2 Comments

So this is the view from upstairs this morning. It looks a little worse now. The weather predictions were right so far and I have done a little planning ahead. I’ve been watching the squirrels slide on the ice below the feeders and Sophie walked herself this morning (with difficulty) because I wasn’t going to venture past the shed door. I loaded up the chickens last night, bought some groceries in the afternoon ready to hunker down and stay put.

I absolutely LOVE these days, especially this close to Christmas. This year all of the gifts I give (well, most) will be handmade. My list is not long but as with everything else I wait until I’m under a lot of pressure before I do anything.

I’m still playing with chainmaille, it’s so calming to make and so beautiful when finished. I can do it while having my morning coffee or pick it up when I have a few minutes. It’s one of those things that is mindless, repetitive. Another form of meditation.

Then there is this stack of wool. I’ve been mulling this over for a couple of weeks now. I finally have the patterns I need and all of the material gathered in one place. I see sewing in my future.

Snow/ice days are such a blessing of time for me. They are extreme crafting sorts of days. It may be a throwback to childhood when you had the day off from school and had nothing but the day ahead of you to do whatever you wanted. There were games, books, the great outdoors. It seemed as if those days were gifts allowing big blocks of time for pastimes you only had minutes to usually do.

The other aspect is having blocks of time before the holidays. It’s a time when I do the most baking. Snow outdoors? Bake some cookies. Smells of cinnamon while warming the kitchen to a cozy temperature, something that’s more of a treat than the norm.

So I will be the ultimate multi-tasker today doing things that need to be done (laundry) interspersed with things I love to do. It makes me think the weather should last the rest of the week. Just think of what I could accomplish!

Two Things at Once

December 4, 2014 / handmadebyjo / 1 Comment

There are some projects that just don’t go the way you expected. This is another new structure for me – complimentary doubleweave. I pulled out a couple of cones of 5/2 mercerized cotton using the colors that were in the studioand wound my warp. I picked a simple overshot pattern, I figured simple would be better since I would be weaving the pattern in a whole different way.

I started Tuesday with what seemed to be little more prep than usual. The loom only had 3 harnesses on it and all of the harnesses required more heddles. Things went onto the beam smoothly. Uh-oh, I just know things can’t go that easily. The woman on the loom next to mine is doing the same project, different pattern and colors. She was a few hours ahead of me and started to weave while I was threading my heddles. It didn’t look the way she had expected. The weaving was taken out and the sett changed.

I’m thinking this is a good thing. I changed my sett to what she was now using. Crisis averted. I was feeling pretty smug about the whole thing. I tied the warp on but had a lot of trouble getting the tension even. I left it at the end of class and figured I’d tackle it today.

When I arrived at class I began weaving and found a couple of threading mistakes. I rethreaded one and tied a string heddle for the second but now I had to tie on the warp all over again, what the heck?

I wove about 5 inches – two repeats of the pattern – and it just doesn’t look anything like I expected it to. I took photos and if I squint my eyes it looks like there is some sort of repetition to the pattern but . . .

Yup, I got up and walked away. Now I’ll think about it until next week and then we’ll see what can be done with this. One way or another I will be getting 6 doubleweave placemats out of this but at this point what they’ll look like remains to be seen.

There may be a bit of a problem with weaving two entirely different projects at the same time. The project on my loom at home is an 8 shaft pinwheel pattern in 20/2 alpaca silk. It requires a really soft beat in order to keep the required picks (to keep it from looking squished).

The fiber is more elastic and so soft. Everything about this has gone smoothly. Stark contrast to the red and white.

I’m thinking it could be in my best interest to work on similar projects at class and at home. I have to say at this point I’m wishing I was weaving wool in class but I’m sure after another couple of hours the cotton will turn into something I like and I will be able to flip from one project to the other with ease. Until then I’ll just fret.

Thanksgiving Reflection

November 27, 2014 / handmadebyjo / 3 Comments

I woke up this morning to the silence of a house without power. It wasn’t unexpected. Around 5:00 I decided to get up and stoke the wood stove, try to get things together for coffee without a coffee maker. As I walked down the stairs the lights came on, the furnace fired up and within minutes coffee was hot in my cup. Ahh, little gifts.

The anticipation of this holiday always keeps me awake the night before. It’s a throwback from childhood when family gathered at the house for food, fun and the Macy’s parade. Most of these relatives I only saw once or twice a year. I loved being surrounded by people who loved me, what child doesn’t?

While lying awake I considered all that I was thankful for, an exercise that I do fairly often. It keeps things in perspective. Albert Einstein once said, “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” I try to look at everything as being a miracle.

The thing that continues to come into my head as both a miracle and something I am profoundly thankful for is my ongoing reunion with Scott. It’s been difficult to wrap my head around having a son that is back in my life. Left as an infant, returned as an adult. Bone of my bone flesh of my flesh. Someone who has been with me through most of my life’s journey in spirit yet I was the only one that knew it.

My daughters bringing him into the fold – slowly, cautiously at first then with open arms. They speak of him with love and amazement at the similarities only relatives have. My husband helping me work through the demons that have followed me from one lifetime to another. My friends that continually point out what an amazing story this all is. A miracle in many, many ways.

Look around you today, take notice of those miracles – those little gifts. The beauty of the snow, the birds that grace our feeders, the fox tracks through the yard. Look at the smiles on the faces of those you love. Treasure those messages from those unable to join you for the holiday. Remember those that have gone before you that made the traditions you celebrate now.

Everything is a miracle.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Birds and Snow

November 26, 2014 / handmadebyjo / 1 Comment

You can always tell when the weather will be bad by the number of birds on the feeders. The chickadees demanded I put them up about a week ago while I was doing a walk about. I relented figuring it was cold enough so the bears might have entered into hibernation.

Yesterday the activity stepped up and we all knew it was because a storm was coming. They are much better forecasters than any human being (that and the joints were screaming). This morning the snow started in earnest at about 9:00 and it went from nothing to blizzard almost instantly.

The birds continue to come, all varieties now, loading up. Their feast for the holiday.

We have people travelling from all over. Some are beginning to arrive, some I’m hoping will wait until tomorrow with the snow coming down the way it is now. They predict up to 12 inches and at the rate it’s falling now I wouldn’t be surprised.

Here’s hoping everyone stays safe this coming long weekend and enjoys time spent with friends and family. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Krokgragd Finished

November 19, 2014 / handmadebyjo / 4 Comments

To date this project took me the longest to complete. I started it the first week in August and took it off of the loom last week. It’s stunning and the photographs do not do it justice, you have to feel it. Wool, there’s nothing quite like it.

Initially I did twisted fringe for a finish and HATED it. So I took it all out and got out my Weaver’s Companion – almost on the last page they had directions for a woven edge and I knew this was it. Very easy to do and it’s clean. I thought the geometry of the piece called for a clean edge and it also tightened everything up at the beginning and end.

As I probably have posted this color combination came as somewhat of a surprise. I was using yarn that I had. When I got to the center I found two other colors in the weave studio I thought would work and kept weaving on.

I love that moment when you cut your warp threads at the end of a project and release the breast beam – the project rolls off and you get your first look at the project as a whole. I was so please with this.

It’s finished dimension is 24″x 36″. From every angle it looks wonderful. I have to tell you that I don’t think this will be spending any time on the floor. I’ll keep moving it around until it finds its home. This is one project that won’t be given away.

For the Record

November 15, 2014 / handmadebyjo / 5 Comments

There are times you do things that are uncomfortable for the sake of family and history. For my entire life I was always the photographer. I took the photographs because I always hated the way I looked in them. If I took the photograph I would never have to be in it – for me a win win.

A little over a month ago I decided that I needed to have a family portrait taken – for many, many reasons. I think everyone needs to do this, if for no other reason than a record for future generations. I have uncovered photographs in my attic clean up of my great grandparents weddings, or them with their siblings and mother. Photographs taken around 1900 – over 100 years ago – that give me a little glimpse of their lives. For me a gift. Having this portrait done was my gift to grandchildren and great-grandchildren yet to be born. A little piece of my life.

There was a lot involved with this whole plan on my part. First and foremost was the photographer. I messaged an old friend with the request. His work is something that I have admired for a long time and he was one of the very few I trusted with photographing me. (It’s all about me you understand, I knew everyone else would look great). I’ve known Joe since the early 80’s, there is no one I would trust more with this photograph.

It was also important to me to have Scott be photographed with us. Although he is a new-found member of our family he is one that has been fully embraced. It was also important to me as part of the record that he be involved. My only regret about it is I have to tell people who he is – over and over. In years to come he will just be my son and my daughters’ brother. He is one of us, he just came late to the party.

The appointed hour came and we met Joe of Josephs at the appointed hour at Forest Park in Springfield, MA. We have a history of photographs in this park and it seemed the perfect setting to me (even though Joe thought Fort Pelham Farm was where it should be – another time maybe). We had a great time. Joe was entertaining and comfortable in his work. He also did an amazing job and it was everything I hoped it would be.

I looked at 176 proofs today. What I was struck with is how old I am. In my head I will always be around 27 but in the photographs I am an older woman. I know it’s me but I’m shocked in a way at how old I really am. Having my adult children around me just brought it home. They all have lives quite separate from mine. I see little glimpses of them as children but my days of parenting children are sadly over and have been for quite some time. It’s all a little bittersweet. The record has been made, we all look like we still love one another. I know at this point that the likelihood of this happening again is pretty much nonexistent. That’s okay.

I can take these photographs and enjoy them for the moment that they captured. A beautiful fall afternoon, warm with a slight breeze, spent laughing with the people I care about the most. Maybe 100 years from now someone will find a few photographs in the attic and glean a little about the people in this little family group. I hope it just shows them how happy we were on this afternoon and that we care about one another.

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