I’ve been working hard on getting the garden going on virgin ground (again), customizing a calf shelter to make a chicken coop, setting up the new house, turning a pig-pen in the front yard into an herb and fruiting shrub garden, cutting up firewood for next year, planting flowers, chestnuts and paw-paws in various locations… [...]
Yesterday was my first day learning how to make borosilicate glass art (i.e. learning to “blow glass”). I have been looking for a visually creative outlet that produced something tangible. Things like welding, whittling, rustic furniture… were along the lines (i.e. a “craft”) of what I was looking for, but I never felt like they [...]
We’ve had a LOT of interest in our place. Everyone who comes agrees that the property itself is off a postcard, and the workshop and observatory are huge pluses. However, there has been concern from a couple of visitors about the fact that this is an old farmhouse. Though I certainly understand and respect that [...]
One thing became abundantly clear when I started getting to know people who grew up in the countryside: They are often extremely talented at problem solving. This is especially true when it comes to solving a problem with little or no money. I am a creative problem solver in many ways (at least that’s what [...]
Even though most of the trees are bare and flowers are dormant, there are still many ways to decorate using what you’d find in your yard. I trimmed a few hydrangeas (correct me if I’m wrong) and put them in a vase to create an artful bouquet. I also broke off some branches that Everett [...]
I grabbed a few quick shots of my studio space today. It’s cluttered and messy, but that’s the way I work. I am very lucky to have the space to go and be creative. It’s nice to get out of the house, push Waylon in his stroller up the driveway then back out to the [...]
I finished setting up my studio last month and have been busy putting it to good use. It’s amazing how much you can accomplish in-between feeding, changing and playing, or during nap times. I recently posted on my blog www.salvagedthreads.com about how I had been out in my studio being a busy bee crafting away lately. I even put [...]
If you remember, a few months ago I went to a nearby farm to observe sheep shearing and to pick up a couple of fleeces. Well, I finally decided to wash a small batch of wool since it’s the first sunny day in weeks and I wanted to take advantage of it so I could [...]
I finished spinning up the beautiful purple and blue merino wool that I started in my spinning wheel demo video and now it is time to finish up the yarn by setting the twist. Many spinners ply together 2 or more strands to get a thicker yarn, but I tend to spin kind of chunky [...]
Last Saturday I went to nearby Border Springs Farm for their annual sheep shearing day. They invite anyone to come watch and hope spinners/crafters will snatch up some fleeces to take home for their fiber projects. And that’s exactly what I did! I picked out two nice fleeces that I will eventually wash, card and [...]
Everett writes about voluntary simplicity. This blog catalogs his search for "the good life" as he tries to strike a balance between work and play, freedom and responsibility, simplicity and comfort.
