maeve
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Post by maeve on May 15, 2012 22:36:29 GMT
Not exactly a product of my own handwork...but I wanted to crow: we now have a working toilet, and the washing machine is likely to be ready for use tomorrow!
It took 2 years and 5 months to get to this point.
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Post by sandrainsydney on May 16, 2012 10:15:23 GMT
YAH!!!
did you cut a ribbon (of toilet paper?) & ceremonially flush it?
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maeve
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Post by maeve on May 16, 2012 11:33:00 GMT
Sandra- Something like that!
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maeve
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Posts: 1,157
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Post by maeve on May 17, 2012 9:26:27 GMT
My husband has hooked up the new washing machine!
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Post by sandrainsydney on May 17, 2012 11:28:52 GMT
your lovely home is becoming more home-like
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Post by jennieg on May 17, 2012 23:17:36 GMT
Yay! that is such good news.
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maeve
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Post by maeve on May 18, 2012 1:35:12 GMT
Thank you, ladies.
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ragdall
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Post by ragdall on May 23, 2012 9:41:25 GMT
Congratulations! You've had such a long wait for basic conveniences that most of us take for granted.
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maeve
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Post by maeve on Oct 5, 2013 12:45:19 GMT
The braided rug has grown, but I've put it in a box in the corner for now. We seem to be nearing drywall installation, and I do not need plaster dust walked into the rug. A friend gave me three beautiful Jacobs Sheep fleeces. Another friend threw in part of a churro fleece when we bought her wildly discounted Louet spinning wheel. So my priority has been to wash the fleeces- without running water in the house. I experimented with the washing machine with mixed success, but still prefer hand washing for such lovely wool. The washed fleeces will be much less enticing to wool moths, and the fibers won't harden into the cement that is old lanolin, even if I have to pack the fleeces away during periods of wallboard and plaster work. With the filth, dirt, sheep sweat, and lanolin poured outside with the wash water, the wool is now clean enough to spin. Enough lanolin remains for spinning, and I can add more as needed for easy handling. I pick (pull apart clumped fibers and remove vegetable matter) the wool by color in the evening before bed so it will be ready to card. I have a big project in mind for the house, and this wool- supplemented by some heavy brown wool I've taken from a grossly oversize sweater a friend sent to a local Goodwill store (which I promptly bought and disassembled!) that I've been re-spinning with a drop spindle and some rolags of white wool from various sources- will make it possible to begin planning for it. The thirty or so red hollyhock plants I started this summer will play a starring role. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_%28sheep%29
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ragdall
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Post by ragdall on Oct 7, 2013 8:18:43 GMT
A big project in mind for the house, you say? Brown wool, black wool, white wool and red hollyhock flowers? You've raised my curiosity. Are the red hollyhock flowers going to be used to dye some wool?
I hope that the drywall installation will be completed soon and you'll have time to work on this project. Please post progress pictures?
Thanks, rags
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Post by sandrainsydney on Oct 8, 2013 6:28:59 GMT
I'll second that!!
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maeve
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Post by maeve on Oct 12, 2013 13:21:19 GMT
(Link removed by me!)
If this link works, here are photos of the three different Jacobs sheep fleeces- Heather's, Precious' and Teacup's fleeces with comments regarding quality variations.
Yes, I'll be experimenting with dying some of it, and the plan for now is to spin it all, dye as needed, and weave a Navajo style rug. We'll see.
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Post by sandrainsydney on Oct 12, 2013 14:02:41 GMT
beautiful - I look forward to the progress reports of the rug
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ragdall
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Post by ragdall on Oct 14, 2013 5:52:00 GMT
You have a beautiful collection of fleece. This looks like a good project for winter days when staying indoors by a warm fire.
rags
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maeve
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Post by maeve on Oct 15, 2013 19:00:18 GMT
That same link, above, will lead you back to the album of Jacob's fleece photos. The latest 2 photos show the first spinning using the carded mixed wool from Heather's fleece.
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