Posted on 02/09/2009 12:36:11 AM PST by nw_arizona_granny
Ya'll got any winemaking recipes to share? Or methods? I already picked DeleWhere's brain but before diving in I need all the info I can get.
I don't drink it either. But, I wanna learn to make it. Just seems like one of the next things on my check-list of "learn to do before I die."
I think that's a capital idea! Fresh eggs are *SO* much better than store bought. And you can makes lots of pies and cakes!!! ;-)
Those are creative. Out here they let the chickens and roosters run loose, though if I learn a little about it I expect they put them in a hatch at night maybe.
I live around many poultry farms, huge in fact. Because of that we have lots of flies in the spring and summer.
We used to let chickens run loose, but can’t nowdays.
With all the building around here, they tend to get out in the road and - then you have roadkill. Last week I let my roosters out and lost 3 even though their coop is 200’ back from the road and there is lots and lots of room for them, but for some reason, road is a fascination. We have traffic that consists of dimwit drivers who will swerve INTO the chickens for sport. (which is what happened to those three - tracks went off the road and hit them then back onto the road. Since our road is nice and straight, we have motorcycle riders open them up through here - There was a State Trooper sitting in my driveway last summer for a few days and he clocked one of the bikes with radar at 127 mph. But couldn’t catch him with his head start. He probably turned off somewhere and trooper took wrong turn since there is a 5 point intersection about 1 1/2 miles down the road.
If they survive that, we have foxes to worry about and they have now outlawed shooting foxes. They are also vulnerable to hawks - also now protected. So some type of protection is needed.
Another reason to confine them is that when they are laying, you don’t want to have to search every hedgerow, nook and cranny to find the eggs - Then you have to wonder if those eggs you found is fresh, stale, rotten, or if it has a developing embryo inside.
If you plan to have a garden, they do not share well.
I swear they run down the tomato plants and take a peck out of each tomato trying to decide which one they like best.
With the portables you can move them right over sections of garden that you have finished with - they will clean up everything, scratching up the soil and eat every bug in sight.
I will be putting up a 5’ chicken wire fence around a pasture for them so they won’t get into the garden (I have 2 - 150’ rolls). If you do, and you want to keep them in, you need to clip the flight feathers on one wing - doesn’t hurt them, does not change appearance but they are lopsided when they try to fly.
| Table 1. Home Garden Vegetables | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Garden Vegetables | Large Garden Vegetables | ||
| Beets Broccoli Bush squash Cabbage Carrots Eggplant English peas Garlic |
Green beans Lettuce Onions Parsley Peppers Radishes Spinach Tomatoes |
Cantaloupes Cauliflower Collards Cucumbers Mustard Okra |
Potatoes Pumpkins Southern peas Sweet corn Sweet potatoes Watermelon |
Proper variety selection is an important key to successful gardening. The wrong variety may not produce satisfactory yields regardless of subsequent care and attention. Contact your local county Extension agent for varieties which are well adapted to your area of Texas. Try new varieties and hybrids, but limit plantings.
If your garden is not in an area receiving full or near-full sunlight, try leafy crops such as leaf lettuce, mustard, and parsley. Table 2 indicates vegetable crops which do well in full sunlight and those that tolerate partial shade.
| Table 2. Light Requirements of Common Plants | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Require Bright Sunlight | |||
| Beans Broccoli Cantaloupes Cauliflower Cucumbers |
Eggplant Okra Onions Peas Peppers |
Potatoes Pumpkin Squash Tomatoes Watermelons |
|
| Tolerate Partial Shade | |||
| Beets Brussels sprouts Cabbage Carrots |
Collards Kale Lettuce Mustard |
Parsley Radish Spinach Turnips |
|
Garden Plan
A gardener needs a plan just as an architect does. Careful planning lessens gardening work and increases returns on labor.
Long-term crops require a long growing period. Plant them where they won't interfere with care and harvesting of short-term crops. Plant tall-growing crops where they will not shade or interfere with growth of smaller crops. Plant vegetables such as okra, staked tomatoes, pole beans, and sweet corn on the garden's north side to avoid shading lower-growing crops such as radishes, leaf lettuce, onions, and bush beans. Group crops according to the rate of maturity. Table 3 indicates the relative maturity rate of various vegetable crops. By grouping vegetables according to maturity rate, one crop can be planted to take the place of another as soon as it is removed. Try to plant crops totally unrelated to the previous crop. For example, follow early beans with beets, bush squash, or bell peppers. Crop rotation helps prevent diseases and insect buildups.
| Table 3. Maturity Rate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Quick (30-60 Days) | |||
| Beets Bush Beans Leaf lettuce |
Mustard Radishes Spinach |
Summer squash Turnips Turnip greens |
|
| Moderate (60-80 Days) | |||
| Broccoli Cabbage, Chinese Carrots Cucumbers |
Green onions Kohlrabi Lima beans, bush Okra |
Parsley Peppers Tomatoes, cherry |
|
| Slow (80 Days or More) | |||
| Brussels sprouts Bulb onions Cabbage Cantaloupes |
Cauliflower Eggplant Garlic Irish potatoes |
Pumpkins Sweet potatoes Tomatoes Watermelon |
|
When to Plant
Consult the table on pages 6 and 7 for information regarding recommended spring and fall planting times for home vegetable gardens in your area. Usually home gardens can be planted 10 days to 2 weeks earlier than commercial fields because of the protection offered by existing buildings, trees, and shrubs. Proper planting time is important if maximum quality and production are expected. Figures 1 and 2 (inside back cover) indicate average dates for first and last freeze (32 degrees F.) for Texas and can be used with the center table to determine optimum planting dates.
Soil Preparation
Many garden sites do not have deep, well-drained, fertile soil which is ideal for vegetable growing. Thus, soils must be altered to provide good drainage and aeration. If the soil is a heavy clay, the addition of organic matter or sand may be highly advantageous.
Apply 1 to 2 inches of good sand and 2 to 3 inches of organic matter to the garden site surface and turn under in late winter or early spring to improve the soil's physical quality. Work on the soil's physical condition over a period of time rather than trying to develop desirable soil in a season or two. Make periodic additions of organic matter in the form of composted materials, peanut hulls, rice hulls, grass clippings, or other organic matter. Turn the soil to a depth of 8 to 10 inches -- the deeper the better. Gypsum improves soil structure and drainage. Add gypsum at the rate of 6 to 8 pounds per 100 square feet where the soil is a tight, heavy clay.
When adding organic matter or sand to the garden site, take care to avoid introducing soil pests such as nematodes. The Texas Cooperative Extension provides a laboratory service to determine whether nematodes are present in soils. Contact your county Extension agent for additional information.
Never work wet garden soil. Soils containing a high degree of organic matter can be worked at a higher moisture content than heavy clay soils. To determine if the soil is suitable for working, squeeze together a small handful of soil. If it sticks together in a ball and does not readily crumble under slight pressure by the thumb and finger, it is too wet for working.
Seeds germinate more readily in well-prepared soil than in coarse, lumpy soil. Thorough preparation greatly reduces the work of planting and caring for the crop. It is possible, however, to overdo preparation of some soils. An ideal soil for planting is granular, not powdery fine.
Fertilization
Proper fertilization is another important key to successful vegetable gardening. The amount of fertilizer needed depends upon soil type and crops. Texas soils vary from deep blow sands to fertile, well-drained soils to heavy, dark clays underlaid by layers of caliche rock. Crops grown on sandy soils usually respond to liberal amounts of potassium, whereas crops grown on clay soils do not.
Heavy clay soils can be fertilized considerably heavier at planting than can sandy soils. Heavy clay soils and those high in organic matter can safely absorb and store fertilizer at three to four times the rate of sandy soils. Poor thin, sandy soils, which need fertilizer the most, unfortunately cannot be fed as heavily and still maintain plant safety. The solution is to feed poor thin soils more often in lighter doses. For accurate recommendations regarding fertilizer rates, contact your county Extension agent and request a soil test kit.
In general, if your garden is located on deep, sandy soil, apply a complete preplant fertilizer such as 5-10-10 or 6-12-12 at the rate of 1 to 2 pounds per 100 square feet. If your garden consists of a soil type with a high percentage of clay, a fertilizer such as 10-20-10 or 12-24-12 at 1 to 2 pounds per 100 square feet should be suitable.
After determining the proper amount of fertilizer for a preplant application, apply the fertilizer a few days before planting. Spade the garden plot, spread the fertilizer by hand or with a fertilizer distributor and then work the soil one or two times to properly mix the fertilizer with the soil. After the fertilizer is well mixed with the soil, bed the garden in preparation for planting. On alkaline soils, apply 1-20-0 (superphosphate) directly beneath the intended seed row or plant row before planting. Apply the superphosphate 2 to 4 inches beneath the seed or roots of the plant at the rate of 1 to 1-2 pounds per 100 linear feet of row. Take care to avoid banding nitrogen material directly beneath the row. Death of the seed or severe burning of the plants could result. Apply additional nitrogen as a furrow or sidedress application later in the season. For most soils, 2 to : pound of 21-0-0 (ammonium sulfate) per 100 linear feet of row, applied in the furrow and watered in, is adequate. Apply at first fruit set for crops such as tomatoes, peppers, and squash. Sidedress leafy crops such as cabbage and lettuce when they develop several sets of character leaves.
Planting
Plant your garden as early as possible in the spring and fall so the vegetables will grow and mature during ideal conditions.
Transplanting vegetable crops wherever possible allows earlier harvesting and extends the productive period of many vegetable crops. Where transplanting is not practical or convenient, seed directly. A general rule of thumb for planting is to cover the seed 2 to 3 times its widest measurement. This is especially true for big-seeded crops such as green beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, cantaloupes, and watermelons. For smaller-seeded crops such as carrots, lettuce, or onions, an average planting depth of 1/4 to 1/2 inch usually is adequate. Seed the plants fairly thick with the intention of thinning to an optimum stand at a later date. Avoid allowing the soil to over-dry or crust during germination, but do not over water. Table 4 indicates the number of days from planting to expected emergence when properly planted.
| Table 4. Days from Planting to Emergence Under Good Growing Conditions |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Beans | 5-10 days | Onion | 7-10 days |
| Beets | 7-10 days | Peas | 6-10 days |
| Broccoli | 5-10 days | Parsley | 15-21 days |
| Cabbage | 5-10 days | Pepper | 9-14 days |
| Carrots | 12-18 days | Radish | 3-6 days |
| Cauliflower | 5-10 days | Spinach | 7-12 days |
| Corn | 5-8 days | Squash | 4-6 days |
| Cucumber | 6-10 days | Tomato | 6-12 days |
| Eggplant | 6-10 days | Turnip | 4-8 days |
| Lettuce | 6-8 days | Watermelon | 6-8 days |
| Okra | 7-10 days | ||
Avoid transplanting too deep or too shallow, especially if plants are in containers such as peat pots. Deep planting often causes developed roots to abort, and planting too shallow exposes containers to the surface and causes root death from excessive drying. Some crops are easily transplanted bare-root while others are best transplanted in containers, as indicated in Table 5. When transplanting plants such as tomatoes or peppers, use a starter solution. Starter solutions may be purchased at local nurseries or can be made at home by mixing 3 to 2 cup of fertilizer such as 10-20-10 in 5 gallons of water. Use the lower rate on light, sandy soils. Apply 2 to 1 pint of starter solution, depending upon plant size, into each transplant hole before planting. This prevents the plants from drying out and provides adequate sources of fertility for young, growing plants.
| Table 5. Ease of Transplanting | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Easily Transplanted | |||
| Beets Broccoli Cabbage |
Cauliflower Chard Lettuce |
Onion Tomatoes |
|
| Require Care | |||
| Carrots Celery |
Eggplant Okra |
Pepper Spinach |
|
| Very Difficult Without Using Containers | |||
| Beans Cantaloupe Corn |
Cucumber Peas Squash |
Turnip Watermelon |
|
Watering
Apply enough water to penetrate the soil to a depth of at least 6 inches. For best production, most gardens require a moisture supply equivalent to 1 inch of rain a week during the growing season. Light sandy soils generally require more frequent watering than heavier dark soils. If sprinklers are used, water in the morning to allow plant foliage to dry before night. This practice helps prevent foliage diseases, since humidity and cool temperatures encourage disease development on most vegetable crops.
The use of drip irrigation to supply water is also beneficial in this regard. Additionally, this system of irrigation is the most water-use efficient available and is ideally suited for use with mulches.
Weed Control
A long-handled hoe is the best tool for control of undesirable plants in vegetable gardens. Chemical weed control usually is undesirable and unsatisfactory because of the selective nature of weed control chemicals. The wide variety of vegetable crops normally planted in a small area prohibits use of such chemicals. Cultivate and hoe shallowly to avoid injury to vegetable roots lying near the soil surface. Control weeds in the seedling stage to prevent them from seeding and re-inoculating the garden area. The use of mulch is also an effective means of weed control.
Mulching
Mulching will increase yields, conserve moisture, prevent weed growth, regulate soil temperature, and lessen losses caused by ground rot of many vegetable crops. Organic mulches can be made of straw, leaves, grass, bark, compost, sawdust, or peat moss. Organic mulches incorporated into the soil will improve the soil tilth, aeration, and drainage. The amount of organic mulch to use depends upon the type, but 1 to 2 inches of organic material applied to the garden surface around growing plants is adequate.
In turning organic mulches under for subsequent crops, add additional fertilizer at the rate of about 1 pound per 100 square feet to help soil organisms break down the additional organic matter.
Pest Control
Diseases and insects cause great concern among Texas gardeners. Long growing seasons with relatively mild winters encourage large insect populations. Avoid spraying when possible, but use recommended and approved chemicals if the need warrants. Exercise care when deciding which chemicals to apply. Spray only those crops which are listed on the chemical's container. When used according to manufacturer's directions and label, chemicals pose no threat to the home gardener.
Disease control is really a preventive rather than an eradication procedure. Cool, damp conditions are conducive to foliage diseases. Carefully watch your garden for symptoms of diseases. Spray accordingly, using only approved fungicides. Publications on disease and insect identification and control are available from your local Extension office.
Harvesting
For the greatest enjoyment of your home vegetable garden, harvest vegetables when they are mature. A vegetable's full flavor develops only at peak maturity, resulting in the excellent taste of vine-ripened tomatoes, tender green beans, and crisp, flavorful lettuce. For maximum flavor and nutritional content, harvest the crop the day it is to be canned, frozen, or eaten.
| Symptoms | Possible Causes | Corrective Measures |
|---|---|---|
| Plants stunted in growth; sickly, yellow color | Lack of soil fertility or soil pH abnormal | Use fertilizer and correct pH according to soil test. Use 2 to 3 pounds of complete fertilizer per 100 square feet in absence of soil test |
| Plants growing in compacted, poorly-drained soil | Modify soil with organic matter or coarse sand. | |
| Insect or disease damage | Use a regular spray or dust program. | |
| Iron deficiency | Apply iron to soil or foliage. | |
| Plants stunted in growth; sickly, purplish color | Low temperature | Plant at proper time. Don't use light-colored mulch too early in the season. |
| Low available phospate | Apply sufficient phosphate at planting. | |
| Holes in leaves; leaves yellowish and droping, or distorted in shape | Damage by insects | Use recommended insecticides at regular intervals. |
| Plant leaves with spots; dead, dried areas; or powdery or rusty areas | Plant disease | Use resistant varieties, remove diseased plants when they are noticed and use a regular spray program. |
| Plants wilt even though sufficient water is present | Soluble salts too high or root system damage | Have soil tested by county Extension agent. Use soil insecticides, fungicides, and resistant varieties. |
| Poor drainage and aeration | Use organic matter or sand in soil. | |
| Insect or nematode damages | Use recommended varieties and soil insecticides or nematocides. | |
| Plants tall, spindly, and unproductive | Excessive shade | Relocate to sunny area. Keep down weeds. |
| Excessive nitrogen | Reduce applications of nitrogen | |
| Blossom drop (tomatoes) | Hot dry periods | Use mulch and water. Plant heat tolerant varieties. |
| Minor element deficiencies | Use fertilizer containing zinc, iron, and manganese. | |
| Failure to set fruit (vine crops) | Poor pollination | Avoid spraying when bees are present. |
| Leathery, dry, brown blemish on the blossom end of tomatoes, peppers, and watermelons | Blossom end rot | Maintain a uniform soil moisture supply. Avoid over-watering and excessive nitrogen. |
| Home Gardening Guide | Do's and Don'ts for Home Gardening |
| Average Date of Last Spring Frost | Average Date of First Fall Frost |
Woman Arrested in Arizona On Terrorism Charges
Posted: 14 Feb 2009 03:23 PM PST
A New Mexico woman has been arrested on terrorism charges after police say she rammed her truck into a fuel tanker and tried to ignite it.
A woman was arrested on terrorism charges in Williams Thursday after police say she rammed her truck into a fuel tanker and tried to blow up the fuel storage tanks.
continued.
http://www.azdailysun.com/articles/2009/02/14/news/20090214_front_190872.txt
[Also wants to kill Obama]
OMG! Granny please help me out here... this deserves a thread of it’s own and I don’t know how to do it!
Can you or someone else do it? Thanks...
Chard, Swiss 6 - 9 Southern pea 3 - 4<<<
LOL, last night, I thought I had found a Chard recipe, for Chard & Bean soup.
It was, “take a can of white beans, add Chard and warm it up”.
As I read your post, I thought of how often we associate vegetables on our plate and they are the same combinations that Mother Nature choose to help each other to grow.
My Az Garden manuals are 1919 and 1939, I think, so there are some changes.
I use it when planning and planting, have for almost 40 years.
I kept 2 little brown jars all these years just to keep my nice inexpensive bulk yeast in. At least I’ve gotten many many uses from that jar of horribly expensive yeast. LOL<<<
Exactly what I did.
My sister had a fit, I wouldn’t let her throw out the used up brown bottle.
And, we so rarely get glass jars today and brown has always been rare.
I might also try leaving the center bundle where the shoot would come from on another good root and see how that works. Better to experiment while I still have onions coming than when it’s too late to waste any. <<<
That is an excellent idea.
The article that I read, said a pot of roots gave her a steady supply of onion tops, she did not mention round onions, or I forgot if she did.
Just eat the chips. They have good flavor and are crunchy. Very tasty. Also I like celery this way. Celery dehydrated packs a whallop of flavor despite the relatively mild taste of plain celery. <<
Good taste and good for you.
I haven’t tried the dry as chips, but use both in soups.
And if all the leather you are wearing does not stop a bunch of cactus stickers from attacking you, then look for the ugliest rock you can find, full of holes and rough and rub it over the hand and the stickers are gone.
I tried an emery board and that does not work.
No, not learned from my Indian ancestors, LOL, learned that trick from a lovely lady in my pottery class, who was sharing her cactus plants with me.
I do understand that the rough rock is the method used before shoes by the runners and warriors, mama too, I imagine ....
In the early cowboy and prospector stories, they all had
“Red eye gravy” , but there were no recipes for it.
I think that was the first that I had ever found in print.
I must have been 60 years old, before someone let me in on the secret.
Coffee is what I use on my meat, or beer or the two and a can of tomatoes in the over or crockpot.
I want “taste” in my meat.
LOL, Delawhere, I approve your chicken post and think that I would love to have the first A frame one.
I like the chain link, easy to move, but to high off the ground and the babies will get out from the bottom.
I have ordered from Ridgeway and was happy, LOL, I would be happier ordering from Sandhill Preservation in Ohio, as they have the rare breeds.
I don’t know where Snippy lives, but here in Arizona and esp. in the really hotter parts of Arizona, I was warned to stick with the crossbred Bantie or Game Cock backgrounds, if possible as the big fat chicken drops dead in the heat.
Polish Crested are beautiful and did well for me here.
A Bantie hen is always a good choice, lots of eggs, good setters and excellent bug eaters.
The Guinea Hen is the best bug eater.
A bantie will make a nest on the ground or use the boxes if in a house.
I would love to have a few for eggs and bugs.
Thanks for the info on oregano, I had not heard of using honey before.
Shame, of it is, I do not know anyone with a plant.
I’m way down here in SC.
LOL, now is a good time for you to learn how, in the top right hand of the thread, it says “Post Article”, click there and follow the instructions.
LOL, sounds like I know what I am talking about, wellll, I do, as I have started exactly 2 threads.
If I start it for you, then I am expected to check the thread and keep it going/answer posts and I simply can’t take it on.
Still haven’t fed the cats, can’t breathe/walk today, so it is slow going. Doing better, but took hours for me to make a pot of coffee, first cup sitting here looking at me.
This is one of the early Jihadi Manual planned ways to blow up things and there was always a little white car that ran the gas tanker off the road about 5 years ago.....
In S.C., you should do well with any breed.
Still, I will suggest that you start with the Bantie or Banty.
they are so easy to take care of, will lay good and yes the eggs are small, but you can use 2 when it says one.
I did for years, also guinea, duck and geese eggs.
For anything baked with yeast, I prefer the goose eggs.
I kept the women in Wellton mad at me, I gave them my recipe for the sweet rolls, it came out of the Fannie Farmer cook book.
But I took my bowl with the yeast in it to the goat when I milked and milked a cup or two onto the dry yeast, covered it to keep the heat in and went on with my milking.
Right temperature or enzymes in the milk, I don’t know, but it can’t be matched, one of my brain storms that worked.
And I used goose eggs in them.
Talk about good.
>>>>>>>The Guinea Hen is the best bug eater.<<<<<<<
Not only that, but they are the very best for an early alert system. Let a prowler walk the yard even at night and they will have you sitting up in bed with the hair on your neck standing straight up... Most God awful noise you ever heard.
All the ones I ever had roosted in trees. They are all dark meat that while flavorful, doesn’t compare to a good chicken. (grin)
She has several “Hmmm I want to remember that” tricks posts here.
http://affectioknit.blogspot.com/search/label/Tutorial
[Photos, several projects, same page]
How to Make Your Own Aquarium Filter
Last night (we usually do this on Sunday evening but we’re a day behind) we were changing the water and filters in the aquariums - One Tropical - One Betta and One Frogarium - and I got the last ready made filter out of the box. Hmmm - I thought - frugal/conserving me - I can make a reusable filter...
So I quickly knitted a little square of the roughest acrylic in my stash (leftover from Nanny’s afghan - I’ll post about that later) and seamed up the long side and one end...
Then I filled it about 1/2 way full of Activated Charcoal...
I intended to sew the end shut or put a drawstring on it - Then I thought of a better design - it seemed to me that it would be better to hold it open and let the water flow through the bag instead of over it - so I needed something to hold the bag open...
...and right there in front of me was the ring on the top of the water jug...
...so I popped that off and slipped it into the opening...
Posted by affectioknit2
And a granny trick, that all of you may know.
When you want to copy something like the above post and it gives you fits, go to the bottom and start the highlighting from the bottom and most of the time it is smooth copying.
granny
Make Your Own Bamboo Knitting Needles
...from skewers...
As I was wandering around the grocery store the other day - I spied these bamboo skewers - they were thicker than your average skewer - and I immediately thought - that looks like a knitting needle - that’s just the way my mind works...
So I bought the pack of skewers - 50 for $1.
When I got home I ‘checked the gauge’ of the skewers - hehe - that sounds so funny to me - anyway they ranged from 5 to 6 - I wanted size 4 - they needed to be sanded anyway...
...first I sharpened the blunt end with a pencil sharpener - then I sanded away - I started with 80 grit and worked my way up to 120 - which was the finest I had...
...and voila - size 4 dpn’s - for probably less than a dime...
I oiled the needles lightly with some safflower oil - they are so pretty and natural looking - I’m amazed that I didn’t think to do this earlier - you know they make a smaller sized skewer too...
...and of course I couldn’t wait to cast on...
I’m going to write up a pattern for these worsted weight socks - Cass inspired me with hers http://shutupimcounting.wordpress.com/2007/11/26/wick-sock-yarn-wear-review/ ages ago - I’m just now getting around to making them.
Feed the birds, tuppence a bag, tuppence, tuppence, tuppence a bag...
Don’t you just love Mary Poppins - she’s sort of like my idol...
We had a free Wednesday afternoon - no Confirmation (the banquet is next week and Pentecost Sunday - also Confirmation Sunday here - is Mother’s Day this year - thanks to the early Easter) and no LYO - so the Man-Cub and I had time for a little craftiness...
This was a quick and easy craft - very satisfying - and the birds are starting to return and there’s very little for them to eat - everything is still so brown and cold...
We gathered up our supplies which consists of a little wooden blank shape - you can get these at Stuff-Mart for just a few cents - a paper brad - a paper cup - permanent markers and some bird seed.
Drill a small hole in one end of the wooden shape.
Push the brad through the center of the bottom of the cup.
When the decoration is finished, you’ll push this through the hole in the wooden shape and spread out the ends to hold it tight - sorry I didn’t take a picture of that part.
I don’t know why the Man-Cub’s snow man is brown...
Attach your little cup full of seeds...
and set is outside to feed the birds...
LOL, better would be a long board, with several tuna fish type cans, screw or nail to the board, flat and tied to a porch railing or nail in the side of the can and hang it from a tree, or the overhang of the house or even attached to the fence or clothes line pole.......fancy if you wish to make it so, or plain as it comes.
For honest feeding of birds, I would not want to use a lot of paint and expose them to the lead and chemicals in paint.
granny
Puzzle Mat
As you probably already know - the Man-Cub and I love to work puzzles. We had a black roll up mat with a blow-up tube on the end - but somehow the tube got popped and it was covered with flocking so it was impossible to patch. So, I made us a new and improved model. This one is as big as our kitchen table and it’s a light color which I prefer to the black.
It was easy-peasy - I took a tube out of a roll of Christmas wrapping paper and sewed one seam to fit it.
Here’s a sketch of the pattern.
The flaps fold over the edge of the table while we’re working...
And then fold up over the puzzle when we want to put it away...
Then you just roll it up and put it away - no pieces get lost - you do have to do some minor straightening when you roll it back out - but the more of the puzzle you get done the less you have to do this as it all holds together better then...
This is a super difficult puzzle of penguins - pretty much all black and white - fun, fun, fun...
Posted by affectioknit2
Dish Towel Transfer
This is how I transfer an image to a dish towel for embroidery...
all I need is a sunny window...
I draw my picture (or copy one of the Man-Cub’s) and then tape that to the window and then tape my dish towel over it and trace - just with a regualr pencil - it washes out - and then I’m ready to embroider - I can’t show you any completed ones yet - they’re for Christmas - of course...
You can see some of the Man-Cub’s work here - http://affectioknit.blogspot.com/2008/06/i-may-have-new-addiction-um-er-i-mean.html
If you’re looking for the Advent Dove Giveaway - go here and leave a comment http://affectioknit.blogspot.com/2008/11/advent-giveway.html
Posted by affectioknit2
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