What's everyone been up to lately?

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Elleth
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What's everyone been up to lately?

Post by Elleth »

Anything fun?

I'm slowly getting out from under spring chores, but Iv'e had the chance to get out once or twice for a couple hours. Mobbed by mosquitoes, but at least I got under trees.
When I can't think anymore for proper art projects I've promised work on, I've been stitching up a tunic from some fabric I had lying around, and eyeing the leather pieces I cut out last fall for walnut dying this summer. I'd *like* to get a new belt, pouch, needwallet and knife sheath done before fall, but I don't know as I can manage that. We will see.

Updates on things I set in motion ages ago are starting to trickle in... hopefully in the next month or two I'll see samples from the weaver for blankets from our sheep flock's wool, and with luck a sample from a glass artist based on a cordial phial I designed. Everything proceeds slowly - but it is proceeding!

What about you guys? Anything fun underway lately?
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Straelbora
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Re: What's everyone been up to lately?

Post by Straelbora »

School for my kids ended last Thursday, so my calendar is just opening up.

Most of my stuff has had to do with gardening at the Dragons Wood Inn. My Chinese mother-in-law showed me the versatility of the garden hoe. I put an edge on one and scraped clean the weeds that had sprung up, tilled some soil, and have a lot of plants up and at 'em.

Will be meeting with MERF member Greg in his civilian capacity tomorrow, as he trims some trees at the Inn's land. We walked some of the acreage last week or so, and I think he gained a new appreciation for how lucky I was to pick up this little piece of land.

I'm going to be working on permanent garden trellises this week. I started with sticks and some bamboo I scavenged from some guy on Craigslist, but now that I've got paving brick walkways in the garden, I have a regular 'tomato patch, bean patch, cucumber patch, etc. ' and as such, want to make some trellises that I can reuse each year.

I picked up a nice aluminum water bottle and want to wrap it in leather, but haven't found the time to even start that project.
Vápnum sínum skala maðr velli á
feti ganga framar því at óvist er at vita
nær verðr á vegum úti geirs um þörf guma
Hávamál
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Greg
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Re: What's everyone been up to lately?

Post by Greg »

As Buck said, I'll be crown-cleaning and pruning some half-dozen trees on the Dragon's Wood Inn property tomorrow for safety and clearance reasons, which will be fun in and of itself, but more importantly helping move the project along. Things are really starting to look good where the work's been happening, and the projected goals for the year are pretty schweet.

As always, I'm working on the yew stave, and I've started dreaming up a possible linen summer-weather surcote, though I want to justify it completely (at least in my head) before starting lest it become a costume piece and nothing more.
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Iodo
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Re: What's everyone been up to lately?

Post by Iodo »

Sadly i've been buisy with colage assignments, I have made two more items of kit that I haven't had time to post, but I will get round to it soon.
Gimli: It's true you don't see many Dwarf-women. And in fact, they are so alike in voice and appearance, that they are often mistaken for Dwarf-men.
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Elleth
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Re: What's everyone been up to lately?

Post by Elleth »

The Inn projects sound fantastic - Straelbora - what are you growing?

Between the herb seeds I've wild-casted, and the simple fact New England has been home to farms for four hundred years now, I'm starting to find little surprises about the place: this chamomile popped up in our driveway. I think that's a dock beside it: anyone certain? Regardless we've a ton of it about.
chamomile-posssible-dock.jpg
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I also found out all this time I'd been misinformed, and thought lamb's ear was stinging nettle - oops! I *think* this here may in fact be a variety of nettle, but despite the furry stalk I'm not getting a sting from it. I don't know if I'm misidentifying it, or if it's just too young to have any bite: anyone know for certain?
unknown-possibly-nettle.jpg
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The best surprise was on my walk out a weekend ago - I couldn't stop to find the plant visually, but I was certain sacred basil was nearby: the air was thick with the scent. It reminded me of this passage:
'These leaves,' he said, 'I have walked far to find; for this plant does not grow in the bare hills; but in the thickets away south of the Road I found it in the dark by the scent of its leaves.' He crushed a leaf in his fingers, and it gave out a sweet and pungent fragrance. 'It is fortunate that I could find it, for it is a healing plant that the Men of the West brought to Middle-earth. Athelas they named it, and it grows now sparsely and only near places where they dwelt or camped of old; and it is not known in the North, except to some of those who wander in the Wild. It has great virtues, but over such a wound as this its healing powers may be small.'
FOTR, Bk I, Chapter 12. Flight to the Ford

I've been determined to work this year on my plant identification, and it's really starting to pay off!


Iodo - can't wait to see your stuff! :)
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Re: What's everyone been up to lately?

Post by Udwin »

Besides the last MERS newsletter? Until this afternoon, I've been bogged down wrapping up the school year. I managed to get out to the homestead for spring break and finished a couple of projects--patched mittens, resoled my bog shoes, prepped pieces for some more Thorsbjerg pants, and smoked two buckskins. Last week I got out there again and softened a giant deerskin.
One of my neighbors has a large birch tree in his yard he is having removed, and I have dibs on as much bark and green wood as I can carry. So hopefully I will be able to make some bowls or berry baskets when all is said and done.
Mostly my weekends have revolved around not thinking at all about school, and continuing to work on my other 'period'. Remember back in 2014 where I was cranking out gear, essays, and persona ideas for Middle-earth like crazy? Now I'm doing the same thing, just for the Galaxy Far Far Away...Middle-earth is so much more feasible!!!

Elleth: yes, the plant to the right in your first picture is definitely a Rumex of some kind. Makes a bright yellow dye from the roots. The chamomile looks exactly like an upright 'pineapple weed', are they related??
Re: possible nettle, it doesn't look like a nettle to my eye. The shape on the right looks more indicative of a young Urtica, but the leaf shape isn't quite right.
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Elleth
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Re: What's everyone been up to lately?

Post by Elleth »

Thank you Udwin!

I think you're right: I'd assumed the flowers simply hadn't matured yet, but looking at wiki it appears you're right: they're different - but related- plants.
The chamomile smell from bruising the leaves had convinced me, but those pictures match much better. It looks like they've very similar properties however. How cool!

Re the "possible nettle:" both pictures are the same plant from different angles. I agree the leaf shape doesn't look quite right, but I thought perhaps there was an odd variety up here - especially since the stalk was fuzzy and hubby said something along this path near here him. This was the closest thing I could find, but I must have missed it. I'll keep an eye out.
:)

Thank you!
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Straelbora
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Re: What's everyone been up to lately?

Post by Straelbora »

The garden has two areas: the rich alluvial soil by the old house, and what we call 'the parking lot.' It's the area smoothed out for the septic tank of the new build, and then flattened into place. Our peppers and pumpkins did well there last year, so we tried it again. There's also a lamb's ear that sprouted among the weeds. It's now almost five feet tall.

Up hill from the garden area, we've got a row of grapes, and to the side, some blue berry and raspberry bushes (not pictured).
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Grapes
Grapes
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Various peppers and an eggplant
Various peppers and an eggplant
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Pumpkins
Pumpkins
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Lamb's ear
Lamb's ear
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Last edited by Straelbora on Tue Jun 05, 2018 5:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Vápnum sínum skala maðr velli á
feti ganga framar því at óvist er at vita
nær verðr á vegum úti geirs um þörf guma
Hávamál
Straelbora
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Re: What's everyone been up to lately?

Post by Straelbora »

The garden by the Inn itself is in two parts- one on the south side of the building, the other on the western side. I've been trying to make to western side into an herb garden, but the cucumbers and tomatoes have done so well in that section the past few years, I've still got it mixed. I still need to clear away some weeds and till and plant in the western section. I'm going for some late peas, and maybe spinach.

First, the western 'herb' garden. Next post, the southern portion.

Not pictured: rosemary and basil, an area with some recently-planted asparagus roots that haven't surfaced yet.
Attachments
Oregano Peppermint Catnip Parsley Dill Thai pepper Red pepper
Oregano Peppermint Catnip Parsley Dill Thai pepper Red pepper
Oregano Peppermint Catnip Parsley Dill Thai pepper Red pepper.jpg (146.37 KiB) Viewed 18748 times
Fennel Tarragon Goji berry Spearmint
Fennel Tarragon Goji berry Spearmint
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Po-tay-toes
Po-tay-toes
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Yams
Yams
Yams.jpg (164.24 KiB) Viewed 18748 times
Tomatoes
Tomatoes
Tomatoes.jpg (174.85 KiB) Viewed 18748 times
Rhubarb
Rhubarb
Rhubarb.jpg (157.12 KiB) Viewed 18748 times
Cukes Thyme Strawberries Bee balm
Cukes Thyme Strawberries Bee balm
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Cucumbers
Cucumbers
Cucumbers.jpg (156.71 KiB) Viewed 18748 times
Chiveds Onions Sage Chocolate mint Lemon balm
Chiveds Onions Sage Chocolate mint Lemon balm
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Last edited by Straelbora on Tue Jun 05, 2018 6:03 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Vápnum sínum skala maðr velli á
feti ganga framar því at óvist er at vita
nær verðr á vegum úti geirs um þörf guma
Hávamál
Straelbora
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Re: What's everyone been up to lately?

Post by Straelbora »

Around the Inn, we've got two pear trees and two apple trees. Off to the side of the inn, three more apple trees.

Along the path between the old and new houses, two peach, two plum, an apricot, a chestnut, and three cherry trees. Hoping for lots of fruit when I retire.

So far, the western plot only has beans and squash. More weed clearing, tilling, and planting ahead of me in the next few weeks.
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Squash
Squash
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Climbing beans
Climbing beans
Climbing beans.jpg (150.52 KiB) Viewed 18747 times
Vápnum sínum skala maðr velli á
feti ganga framar því at óvist er at vita
nær verðr á vegum úti geirs um þörf guma
Hávamál
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Re: What's everyone been up to lately?

Post by Mirimaran »

I've not got much done in a while, we have chickens now and our blueberry bush is almost ready to be picked! I do feel the call of the Wild again though, and it has been a long time, so hope to find a small project to dip into and get back into the Rangering soon!

Ken
"Well, what are you waiting for? I am an old man, and have no time for your falter! Come at me, if you will, for I do not sing songs of dastards!"
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theowl
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Re: What's everyone been up to lately?

Post by theowl »

Works been busy, lots of orders coming in but that's a good problem to have.

My wife and I just had our 5th anniversary, it was the "wood" anniversary, so she got me a baby California redwood tree. It's only about 5" tall right now, we'll see if I can help add a few 0's to that.

I've been toying with a strider-esque jerkin. I didn't want to go as light as linen and I didn't want to go as heavy as leather, so I'm thinking maybe canvas. What do you guys think?
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Elwindil
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Re: What's everyone been up to lately?

Post by Elwindil »

theowl wrote: I've been toying with a strider-esque jerkin. I didn't want to go as light as linen and I didn't want to go as heavy as leather, so I'm thinking maybe canvas. What do you guys think?
what about a boiled wool? it would shed water and be a little warmer for the winter, if that's a concern. if not, canvas should work, and if you're concerned about waterproofing, maybe a waxed canvas? http://springfieldleather.com/Leather/M ... xed-Canvas has some waxed canvas, their leather quality is top notch and their shipping is super fast. I ordered some stuff last friday and got it the next monday, which is super fast. but that might have more to do with proximity to the store too. however, I can say their prices are below what tandy has and they have a wider selection of specialty and exotic hides. as for what I've been up to...working on a project for a friend's cosplay and working on a few things of my own and doing a little bit of yard work around the house. personal projects are still in the design stage right now, but I do have the leather for it now which is good.
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theowl
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Re: What's everyone been up to lately?

Post by theowl »

Elwindil wrote:what about a boiled wool? it would shed water and be a little warmer for the winter, if that's a concern. if not, canvas should work, and if you're concerned about waterproofing, maybe a waxed canvas?
I've thought about wool or waxed canvas, but I'm in Southern California, so there's only a few weeks out of the year where i could get away with either of them. Most of my kit is Linen, but I want the jerkin to act as a sort of protective outer layer. I think I'll do one in canvas and see how it feels.
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Elwindil
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Re: What's everyone been up to lately?

Post by Elwindil »

that makes sense, no need to have something that doesn't fit with the weather. that's something I'm still learning every winter. *laughs*
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