The Dye Garden

Replanting!

2009-06-04T07:21:00.000-07:00

Oh dear! I have led you all astray! Yesterday Kristine noticed the "madder" was getting very tall. I replied and said yeah that is so weird, I thought it was like a bush instead of a stalk. Then Kristine said it looks like sunflowers. Then it dawned on me. My Madder were actually sun flowers! The Madder plants never germinated! SAD!!! I am now replanting indoors to make sure. I am also replanting some indigo. They never really got very big. I think they just damped off.

Why did I use the plexi glass over the seed tray in the first planting?
The plexi acts as a mini greenhouse allowing the moisture to stay inside, instead of evaporating. The moisture helps with germination. It helps with softening the hard seed coat. However since the plexi was lying flat it did not allow the plants to grow upright. The sunflowers germinated in days and started curving inside against the glass. So I took the glass of but lost my perfect germination environment that I would have needed for the madder and indigo to sprout. My solution was to by a dome top at the store specially designed for the seed tray. We will see if this helps.

Below is a picture of a Madder plant from the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden

Cigar Box Charkha Building and Dye Garden Update

2009-05-26T09:59:00.000-07:00

Pictures of my current Dye Plants in the Garden

Above: Madder in the Front Yard, planted in Part Sun

Above:Indigo planted in a pot, it's in Part Sun right now, it was getting burned in Full Sun

Above: Hopi Black Dye Sunflowers in Part Sun, grown inside and transplanted outside, doing very well!

CIGAR BOX CHARKHA BUILDING!

My friend WonderMike has been making me very interested in Charkha spinning, so I decided to make my own. This didn't really start with WonderMike, really, but he is very contagious, if you know what I mean. It started at my friends house when Kathleen broke out a strange laptop machine and started spinning cotton. What the hell is that! So cool! It's so small, portable and has little wheels that turn. It was a beautiful Bosworth Book Charkha. I was instantly hooked, but my major foray into spinning had not begun. So it just stayed in my mind for a while. Then WonderMike started talking about the Charkha and showiing me a DVD how to video.

I had heard about the Cigar Box model design posted in Spin-Off. So I looked it up and downloaded the instructions. It's not like I really have time to be making this thing with my new job, taking care of the household, and animals. But I decided to print it out and see what it takes to build it.

Long story short four days later this is what my Living room carpet looked like ALL memorial day weekend. Sorry Kristine! She was a very good sport and very compelled by the process, checking in while she knit behind me on the couch as we watched Law and Order and Intervention.

Below are the wheels that I cut out of pine and then turned on my Lathe ("Julia the Jet" is her name) to make the grooves where the drive band would go. Note: before I brought out my lathe I was trying to cut the groove with a chisel, old school stylee.

Below is the close-up of most of the parts I'm using. You can see the Beading plastic cord called Magic Stretch I found at Michael's Craft Store, that I hope works.

Okay all for now must go back to work!

BTWD

2009-05-25T13:45:00.000-07:00

8:30am: Me and Abby at the Claremont Energizer station, hosted by Hank and Franks Bike shop in Oakland.

I got up on Thursday very excited about Bike to Work day. It gives me a chance each year to meet other bikers and spread the word about how easy, fun, and eco it is to bicycle just about anywhere in the Bay Area.

My new job at A Verb for Keeping Warm is 3.5 miles away from where I live in Oakland. Typically Kristine and I carpool there in our shared Honda Civic (30 mpg) with Cleo the dachshund or Marcel the Angora bunny and of course a spinning wheel and/or a loom, and maybe some fiber on top.

I got up at 7am to prep for the day. I pulled out my bike, pumped the tires up, and loaded my messenger bag.
My helmet, gloves, and lights were attached and I was ready to ride!

The morning was already very sunny and warm so I left my jacket at home and rode up College Avenue and stopped at a station where I heard my name called. It was Abby (abmatic), she was there and very happy to see me. She had texted me to let me know she'd be there. I didn't get the text but fate brought us together anyway!

Hank and Franks handed out tote bags perfect for bike riding with coupons for local bike shops, a Scharffenberger Chocolate bar and Mini Cliff Bar that became by breakfast later on. Thanks Cliff bar you rock!

I then said goodbye to Abby and went down Alcatraz turned right on Hillagass and then though the neighborhood onto Ashby. I was at work very early and started working on the Fiber Club.

For lunch I rode my bike to Westside Cafe and loaded my baskets with lunch and rode back to the studio (this was very fun!)

After work the East Bay Bicycle Coalition was holding a party called Bike Away From Work Party in Oakland's Temescal District.
So at 5:30 I rode down San Pablo went up Powell Street and then went down 51st to Telegraph Avenue. Behind the Frazee paint store the rode was blocked off and bike parking was set up.

Bike to Work Day, May 14, 2009! Woohoo!!!

2009-05-13T19:06:00.000-07:00

Dust off that helmet people and get ready to ride!
It's one of my favorite days of the year. It's Bike to Work Day on may 14th, 2009.

For more info go to: http://btwd.bayareabikes.org/

My TOP 5 Favorite alcoholic drinks......

2009-04-29T15:47:00.000-07:00

This post is in response to my continued love of tequila and other liquors that I love to drink. Just in time for summer!

Last night I had a wonderful drinking oportunity at T-Rex in Berkeley. It was suggested by Kristine that I try the "Prairie Fire" $10 drink on the cocktail list. I could not pass it up for the two really amazing liquors they included. Hangar One Chipotle Vodka and Chile Tequila. They also provided chasers of Pabst Blue Ribbon shot and a shot of what they called a "Bloody Back" similar to what a virgin bloody mary tastes like (this came in a shot glass rimmed with paprika). On the side as yummy garnishes came a sliver of very good beef jerkey and a slice of lime. I decided against shooting them all back in succession. I drank each one slowly a bit at a time starting with the tequila and vodka which were layered in the same shot glass.
I drank the "Bloody Back" then the Pabst Blue Ribbon then a bite of the beef jerkey then finally a bite of the lime. Typically, I drink my tequilas strait with no chasers very slowly enjoying all of the smoooth intricacies. This triad however also called for the same treatment. Very tasty with a nice heat!

Below I included a video clip from the local vodka distellery that made the Chipotle vodka in which they discuss how they distill the chile.

I also decided to post my TOP 5 favorite drinks and where you find the best ones!.

1. Malibu Barbie = Cranberry Juice, Pineapple Juice and Malibu Rum with as a cherry garnish on ice in a tall glass! - Lexington Club in San Francisco. Drink this on a Saturday night when you're not afraid to drink a girly drink and dance the night away!

2. Lillet (white) on the rocks with a orange rind that they set on fire as a garnish at Nizza la Bella. Enjoy one before ordering your pizza.

3. Ruby Red Cosmo at the Paragon Restauarant in Berkeley. Drink with friends overlooking the Bay from their balcony on a clear warm afternoon.

4. Bloody Mary (with awesome garnishes!) at Zuni Cafe in San Francisco. I enjoy this on a hot June afternoon in the shade.

5. Margarita on the rocks with a sugar cane as a garnish! at La Pinata in Alameda. Make sure you don't drink too fast or too much - they are strong!

Starting seeds INSIDE for the Dye Garden!

2009-04-18T09:28:00.000-07:00

Last night I decided to start some of my dye garden seeds inside. Above is picture of the finished product. The seeds I chose to start inside are the following:

Indigofera tinctoria"Indigo"
Helianthus "Hopi Black Dye Sunflower"
Rubia tinctorum "Madder"
Cosmos sulphureus "Cosmos"
Reseda luteola "Weld"
Tagetes erecta "Marigolds"

I chose these seeds for the rarity of finding seedlings. The Marigolds are a nice border flower so I decided to ensure a nice strong plant by planting indoors. Marigolds are dye plants but also act as a beneficial companion plant to deter pests like aphids.

First I chose a nice flat. level surface inside my house near my desk so I could check on the seedlings easily. There is an outlet nearby as well for the light, fan, and heating pad I will be using.

Items I used are:
-Watering tray
-Seed cell packs (4)
-Soil substrate (potting soil)
-60 watt "Agrosun" Dayspot Grow Bulb (Hydrofarm)
-Sheet of Plexi glass
-Seedling heating mat (Hydrofarm)

First I filled my cell packs with the soil substrate and I pre-moistened my soil substrate so the soil had a head start before watering from the bottom up after the seeds go in. I also pre-moistened my Indigofera tinctoria seeds in a wet paper towel for two days. They actually started to sprout!

Second, I set up my heating pad on the table, you can find them at various places, I found my at a local Longs Drugstore (it has an amazing garden department).

Third, I placed the watering tray over the heating pad and then placed the seed cell packs in the tray.

I then used a "number 5" knitting needle to make a small impression for the seeds. I used tweezers to grab some of the harder to handle seeds.

I labeled all my seed cell packs so I don't forget what I planted!

At last I added some water to the bottom of the tray and then covered the seed cells with the plexi.

Now I will show you what the seeds look like; they are all SO different!

WELD
SUNFLOWER -Hopi Black Dye
MARIGOLD
MADDER
COSMOS
Any Questions? Leave them in the comments section or email me at adrienne@dyegarden.com! I will check in soon with the seed update!

Movin' on up!

2009-04-14T10:04:00.000-07:00

Onwards and Upwards!

I have submitted my letter of resignation from San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Collections Div. and Conservation Dept.. My last day is Friday, May 1st! There were a lot of reasons to leave but one of the main reasons is to join forces with A Verb for Keeping Warm full time! It seems Kristine has been more than a little busy! Which of course is a good thing. A lot of you may know I have been working my full time job in San Francisco and then coming home to help out with Verb. Needless to say I was burning out! I'll be sad to leave my friends at SFMOMA and the art work, but I will not miss the 2 hour commute time per day, the 9-5 hours and the shuffling of paper work similar to what I have been doing for the past 10 years as an Admin for various companies.

I am excited about working with Kristine, Cleo, and Marcel. I am very happy to start doing more Marketing, Advertising, and Design work for Verb and others. You will see me at the store and studio more often which is also exciting.

I also plan to do more gardening and more blogging! Yipee for that!

***GARDENING NEWS***

As late as last night I started my Indigofera tinctoria seeds. They are notorious for having a tough little shell so they need to be soaked over night or scarified. Some seeds need to be scarred in order for them to germinate.

Scarification?! Some seeds call to be knicked with a knife, sanded, given an acid bath or a good soaking in water to soften the protective layer of the seed coat. This may mimic a natural occurance like heat from a fire or passing through the acid containing entrails of an animal that digests the seeds. Not to mention some animal poo is a prefect seed bomb which includes freshly scrified seeds and nutrition from the manure. Cool!

I purchased my Indigo seeds this year from Sand Mountain Herbs, they are based in Alabama. The southern part of the United States was a major producer of domestic Indigo during the 18th and 19th centuries. I cannot wait to plant them! More on that later!

How I feel today...

2009-04-06T14:43:00.000-07:00

I need to take a mental break from what I'm doing at work right now, so best to put type to blog screen. Listening to my ipod while I was working on entering checks I stopped to listen to Joanna Newsom on shuffle mode.

She's an interesting cat, for one she plays the harp but her voice, how to explain? I hated it at first hearing it. Then I started to REALLY listen and now I cannot stop listening.

She and I have a lot in common. For one she went to Mills College as did I. She was born in Nevada City, CA a small town in Gold Country similar to me growing up in the desert of So. Ca. I get the same feeling when I visit Nevada City that I do visiting my home town. And she's a Capricorn just a few years younger. But the best connection is this song called "The Sprout And The Bean".

I found a small video on You Tube. The video reminds me of old Mills College science classrooms, Tori Amos, Renaisaance Fairs, Nevada City (duh) or maybe even Mills College Campus!, William Kentridge's Charcoal drawings along with a little Bjork wierdness thrown in, oh the work of a genius, really.

So I thought if you do not know of her here is my musical gift to you.
Seriously listen to it a few times - you'll understand why it becomes like a neccessity for spring time planting.

"A Press Conference at the Compost Heap" - Alice Waters

2009-03-16T23:08:00.000-07:00

I needed to share this with my readers. I love you Alice!

Watch CBS Videos Online

Stitches West debrief and Wooden Morels!

2009-03-08T22:44:00.000-07:00

Hello readers!

First I will tell you about the Mushroom Swap I participated in with KnitSonya. The idea was for everyone participating in the swap to make five semi identical mushrooms to swap with 5 other people. So essentially five different people would receive the mushrooms you handmade. In return you would receive five different mushrooms from five other people. About forty people participated, meaning there were about 200 mushrooms needing to be swapped. I went to Sonya's house for a local swap party. We helped her divi up the mushrooms and pack them cuz that's A LOT of mushrooms!

So Adrienne, how come you have so much time to make mushrooms?! Um I don't! I actually worked late at night, early in the morning, at lunch, in the SFMOMA wood shop, you name it, I would try to fit in time even while preparing for Stitches West 2009 (which was a very bad idea and very bad timing, please see Kristine's post, oops). So really -- I should NOT have committed, but then again how could I let this GOLDEN opportunity pass?! Making mushrooms only to receive them!?! Well Yea!

Here are my mushrooms. I made five Morels out of wood, specifically Walnut. Walnut cut like butter on the lathe, very fun! I first hand turned them with my lathe and then carved out the holey parts and then cut the base.

Morels are known to be very elusive - especially the Black Morels...

Unless you have a hound dog...

Here is the final packaging:

I will show you what I received in another post - so come back soon!

Stitches West 2009 - Santa Clara

Stitches went off without a hitch well...almost. We had borrowed our friend's (Michelle!) van (bless her heart) and we loaded it up to high heaven. Cuz, we are a start up that can't really afford renting a van and/or truck for 5 days, that type of thing. The van itself was seriously a GODSENT, no joke, I almost made Kristine trade in the Civic for an Element after that. You see, in the urban environment everything needs to be small even your vehicle, unless you have kids or a gardening business...so we borrowed a van from a sweet family that has kids. We loaned them our Civic and off we go, or so we think!

I mentioned to Kristine a strange sound on the way to the studio. We both shrugged it off and packed the van with our worker bee and friend WonderMike. In went the six foot wooden display units I made three times (no time for mushroom making, people! doh!), um Alpaca, Yak, Llama, Merino, BFL, Cotton, Flax, Spinning Wheels, Yarn, Fiber, T-shirts, Baskets, the Banner, etc., You get the point!

So we caravanned with WonderMike down the 880 - yes "THE 880" (I am from So Cal) and we are changing to the 237 when I hear a thump thump and a tug on the rear of the van, like a camel was being dragged, no camel or camel fiber, that I could see, so I look at Wonder Mike in my rearview, like "hey man, do you see anything wrong?!" And I can see him rummaging around his car and I think "dude, stop looking for your lost CD, do we have a flat, or a cow, or a bicycle in tow?" So I ask Kristine to call him and he confirms, we may have a FLAT!

OH NO!!!!! Not a flat! We're two exits away from the convention center and we are loaded to the brim! So I pull over and so does WonderMike. Sure enough, a floppy old flat stared at us from the heated asphalt. We all looked at each other and Kristine just laughed silly. Of Course, we are in the middle of the Freeway (Californian no less) and Semis are passing us and FAST! All I could think of was the jalopy in the Beverly Hillbillies intro driving west.

To make a long story short, WonderMike had AAA and I had the know how to fix a flat, so I found the spare, WonderMike and I unloaded the van partially to get to it, we rolled it over to the flat and loosened the lug nuts and the AAA guy showed up and finished the job in five minutes. We were off and running at 30 mph in no time (25 min, go AAA!) I found out later WonderMike had tried to call us but dropped his phone and was looking for it when I tried to confirm visually what was going on, very A-Team of us!

The show was awesome, we met and saw so many of our favorite people. It was the who's who of the knitting world. We of course took advantage of the hot tub - yeah Kristine, go with your bad self! This is what happens if you never want to take a picture of me -you will always be in the pictures as a subject. We did try to felt but without soap it was little tedious, NO we didn't! We do not mix felting and relaxing!

Here is the booth as Kurt and Kristine take a look at it.

Here I am on Saturday, totally exhausted and drinking my margarita and knitting my new hat with my Verb hand spun in the lobby of the Hilton.

Here is Mike and Kathleen at the Fiber Art and Drinking club before we hit up Bobbin's Nest Studio, the LYS of Santa Clara. They had a little party so we went.

All in all we had a very good time. But now I am very tired and need to sleep. But before I do, I need to do a shout out to our working folks at the convention THANK YOU!!!!!!!!:

Marlowe
Kathleen
Michelle
Michael
Kim
Sara E.
Tiffany

And thank you to all of our friends and customers!

Keep the Fleece challenge with AVFKW!

2009-03-08T17:15:00.000-07:00

A note from Kristine Vejar from A Verb for Keeping Warm

Hi Everyone,

As some of you may be aware, The United Nations has declared 2009 as the The International Year of Natural Fibres. Now, for most of us, I would say that every year is the year of natural fibers - but think this is a great opportunity to get together, represent, and raise some money supporting the production and use of natural fibers.

So, while I was at Stitches West, I had the opportunity to meet Linda Cortwright, editor and founder of Wild Fibers magazine. In honor of this year, she has created an organization called Keep the Fleece.

The goal is to raise $250,000 for Heifer International. Heifer International will then use this money to buy fiber producing animals for people in need - so that they will have a form of income.

At Keep the Fleece, they are challenging us to get together and to create a scarf 9” wide. For every row knit, they are asking for $1 per row donation. That means that a scarf 9x60” long would equate roughly to a $600 donation. Once the scarf is complete, we send it to Keep the Fleece and it will become part of a traveling exhibition - the first stop will be Rhinebeck. There is also talk of it going to the White House and beyond to provide a visual representation of those that support natural fibers - and those of us which participate in crafts which use such.

I love a good challenge. And this being Verb’s year of service, I thought it would be fun to participate. I am still working out the details but know this much -

I propose we do a sheep to scarf event on Saturday, April 25th from 10am to 6pm. This event will take place at the Verb store in Berkeley. Now, the folks over at Keep the Fleece only ask us to knit a scarf - but all of us at Verb - employees and customers alike - seem to come from an over achieving background - so I thought that it would be fun to incorporate spinning. My idea is that we would have a team of spinners and a team of knitters - that we could spend the day spinning and knitting - finish the scarf(ves) and hang them in the Verb store for a month or so before sending them off to Keep the Fleece.

So, here’s the next challenge, I am wondering if we could do more than 1 scarf. I would love to do 2 maybe even 3 scarves.

Scarf 1: handspun, handknit wool & exotics
Scarf 2: handspun, handknit fiber from local farms
Scarf 3: handspun, handknit cellulose - crazy, I know, but how cool would it be!!

Potentially this could mean that we would need 60-80+ people to show up, donate, and work. Detail, details.

One idea I have is to ask each person participating to donate $30-40 (sliding scale) - this amount would cover your registration, your fiber, and your donation as well as yummy snacks and drinks on the day of the event. Participating will also give you a chance to meet new friends who share your love for fiber. Also, if this amount of money seems to large for you, how about getting pledges from your friends and family?

My question to you - are you into this? Are you free on April 25th? Please comment or email me or Kristine.

Also, I think it would be fun to create a design for the scarf(ves) - so, if anyone is interested in doing that - let us know.

I am really excited about this - and think it could be a ton of fun. I hope you are too!

Join AVFKW at STITCHES WEST 2009 this weekend!

2009-02-25T06:40:00.000-08:00

***ANNOUNCEMENT***

A Verb for Keeping Warm - Naturally Dyed Fiber and Yarn
at Stitches West 2009!
BOOTH # 837!

STITCHES WEST 2009
February 27 - March 1
Stitches West 2009
Booth #837

Santa Clara Convention Center
5101 Great American Parkway
Santa Clara, CA 95054
800-233-1234

MAP of Market Floor

Y Knit PodCast features AVFKW!

2009-02-19T19:24:00.000-08:00

Hello Folks and welcome back to another blog post with all feeds intact!

Yikes! Feedburner really scared me when my Feeds died this past week. If you wondered why the blog posts were not being picked up by your blog readers it may have been because Google has now gobbled up Feedburner; so there was a transfer happening.

YKNIT features A Verb for Keeping Warm

Check out the newest episode of YNIT featuring Kristine and A Verb for Keeping Warm.

Thu, 19 February 2009
Episode 18: Natural ReVerberations (featuring A Verb for Keeping Warm)
Episode 18: Natural ReVerberations (36:16)

We are very excited about this podcast. I even helped out! YNIT is a knitting podcast that I adore. Enough said check it out already!!!

In other news, AVFKW will be opening membership to their Fiber Club on Friday, Feb 20th at 9am PST.

Foraging Contest Winner Announcement!

2009-02-17T23:35:00.000-08:00

And the winner is...

My friend James pulled from the hat at 10am this morning KnitSonya!

Congratulations!
Please email your mailing address to me so I can send "The Urban Homestead" your way!
adrienne (at) dyegarden (dot) com
I will ship by United States Postal Service.

Thank you to all of you that participated! It was great fun reading all of your responses! Please come back for more contests and more about dye gardening!

In other news...Lots of spinning raining down!

I went Tuesday night to my second A Verb for Keeping Warm class entitled "Phase 3 Spinning: February & Blending Silk with Handcards"

Let me tell you I've never had so much fun! Kristine handed us three different combinations of wool and silk to hand card, blend, spin, ply, and knit. For each combo we first blended on hand cards, made little rolags, then we spun it up. Some folks were on wheels some on spindles. I used a very light Bosworth spindle to spin all of my silk and wool.

I then Andean plied all of my yarn, I learned this technique the night before and was so excited to use it again. For a great illustration on how to Andean ply check out this site! So then I plied it right back onto my spindle and then made a center pull ball of each combo.

I'm telling you I had so much fun blending the different types of silk including noils and tussah. It was really cool to see the colors combine and complement each other. The textures were all so interesting.

Silk noils really do go a long way to create beautiful tweed-like bumps of color here and there. You can see in the above picture the bumps of orange accenting the green silk.

The other class I attended las month was the Angora class " Phase 3 Spinning: January & Angora" , where Marcel was our special guest, inspiring us all to spin his fiber.

Last but not least, with all this rainy weather indoor sports have become highlighted. So I've been spinning and now Andean plying!!!
Here is one of my shipments of A Verb for Keeping Warm's Fiber Club called "Witchy Woman". If you want to get in on the monthly fiber shipment of AVFKW Fiber Club sign ups are this FRIDAY, Feb. 20th! They go fast so you need to be on your toes, go to the site for sign ups!

I cannot wait to knit Woohoo! Thanks for reading!

Dye Garden Foraging - In Your Own Backyard!

2009-02-13T14:06:00.000-08:00

I'm back again and this time with some fun resources and a contest!

This time around we will explore the native and close dye garden elements that may be lurking in your very own backyard or neighborhood.

I call this "dye foraging". For the past few years I've noticed the vast amounts of plant varieties in the Bay Area. As I took classes at Laney college in Horticulture I was inspired to know every plant in my neighborhood by name.

Every morning on the way to the Rockridge BART station I would test myself (and still do) by naming all of the plants I saw on my walk. I started to notice some of these plants were DYE PLANTS (not to mention edibles!). In the Fall of 2007 I made a small exploration of dyeing with plants specifically in my yard. These plants were Ivy, Birch, and Eucalyptus. Which leads me to our next topic of discussion!

The Dye Garden Contest!
Hello loyal Dye Garden readers. I have decided to jazz up this blog reading with a contest for all of you.

You must answer the question "What plants do you forage in your neighborhood?". Even if you don't forage what would you like to? Everyone must have an answer to enter the contest. This also does not have to be dye oriented either. But of course if it is a dye plant or flower please include it and say so if you can.

This could be as simple as lemons, lavender, rosemary, or flowers! All the names of the people who have participated will be placed in a hat.
I will then choose a name on February 18th at 10am! I will promptly post the answer on the blog.

What is the prize already!!! Sheesh! It will be the book "The Urban Homestead: Your Guide to self-sufficient living in the heart of the city" by Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen.

This book is an amazingly concise narrative of urban homesteading how to. I almost think of it as an answer to Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook from a hippies perspective. AWESOME There is a section on making yogurt, composting, urban foraging, urban livestock, cleaning, utilities, transportation, and much much more! My favorite is the part on dumpster diving and how to eat acorns! Cool! After reading the book you will be very knowledgeable in all things "green".

My answer is: Lemons, rosemary, mint, hibiscus (you can dye with the flowers, I have not dyed with them yet, but I hear you can yield black!), aloe, oak galls (haven't dyed yet either, will do in the summer!), fennel (you can dye with this too!), oranges, roses, lavender, and mushrooms of course, okay that is all I can think of so far.

More on my foraging dye experiments to come after Stitches West.

Cheers and GOOD LUCK!!!

Making Mushrooms for the SWAP and NEW Sock Patterns!

2009-02-11T21:28:00.000-08:00

Here is the beginning of a Morel out of Walnut. I first turned the wood block on my lathe until the desired shape. I then marked the mushroom cap with pencil and marker marks for the design pattern. I then used my Craftsman mini drill and burrowed the holey design. Walnut is so messy. I am now covered in wood chips.

So why make mushrooms? Well to swap of course! Thanks to KnitSonya a group of us crafters will hand make 5 mushrooms to swap with eachother. Sounds awesome right, how could I pass this opportunity! Super fun!!! I will keep you posted on my progress! I love Knitsonya!!! Also - my current knitting project is her OWL design. Too cute to be true. To see more hand made mushrooms check out the group's flickr site.

In other news:

A Verb for Keeping Warm has TWO NEW sock patterns for sale - designed by Marlowe Crawford.

Time to Garden Again!

2009-02-05T09:19:00.000-08:00

Drought got you down? Well don't let it! Help out by learning to compost your organics. Applying compost to your garden helps maintain moisture in the dirt so you don't have to water as much. Mulching also helps keep the moisture in after you water.

Check out this free class given by Garden for the Environment folks this weekend.

URBAN COMPOSTING!
Date: Saturday, February 7th, 2009
Time: 10AM - 12:00 Noon
Location: Garden for the Environment, 7th Ave at Lawton Street, San Francisco
Cost: Free
Winter can be a great time to start a new compost pile or to jump start one that just isn't breaking down. Join Garden For the Environment for a fun, hands-on workshop teaching basic methods of both backyard and worm composting! Compost is a rich soil amendment that will greatly benefit your garden plants, houseplants, and the environment, by diverting compostable material from the landfill. Learn how to turn those food scraps or fallen leaves into "gardeners black gold". Rot on!

To pre-register, please call (415) 731-5627, or email info@gardenfortheenvironment.org.

Here are some more water information from one of my first posts ever!

Dear Blogsters,
In the recent days I have been reading about Water and California. Here are some notes for you to ponder.

4,500 gallons of water - The amount of water we eat per day
55% of the Nation's produce is grown in California
Rice is one of the most water efficient crops in CA; the flooded fields also provide a pit stop for migrating waterfowl
25% saltier than the Ocean - The Salton Sea - Also the largest fishery in the U.S.
Mercury contamination can still be found in Gold Country Rivers; 49ers used it 100 years ago to separate gold from ore
Every 5 gallons burned by a "Personal Watercraft"1 gallon of gasoline is dumped directly into the water
"Tap Water" is better to drink than bottled water because it is sample tested more often
One fourth of bottled water is actually "Tap Water"
Pick up after your dog and cat! 20% of stormwater bacteria is from dog feces
40% of dog owners DON"T pick up aftet their dog!
Pumps used to move water to Southern CA from Northern CA are killing fish
2,000 Gallons - The amount of water used for washing off the solvent off an 8" silicon wafer - a component of computer manufacturing
400 Million Tons - Amount of CO2 generated by California per year
The more the ocean rises the further salt water enters fresh water streams

So there it is - some interesting facts about Water and California. What can you do to help? Conserve water, reuse water, use drought mentality

Candy Cap Mushroom Cookies! RECIPE

2009-02-02T08:28:00.001-08:00

Here is the recipe I promised my friend Mary Ann for the Candy Cap Mushroom Cookies I made for the holidays. This recipe is taken from David Arora's book All That the Rain Promises and more...

1 Cup Dried and chopped candy caps found at Far West Fungi
Soak in 1/4 to 1/2 cup of lukewarm water for 15 minutes, then drain
Saute in 1 tsp of butter, stirring frequently so they don't stick to the pan
Taste a sauteed mushroom, if bitter, add some water and simmer some more
Set aside mushrooms

In a separate bowl
Cream together 1 cup butter and 1 cup sugar
Beat in 1 egg (room temperature)
Add 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
Stir in 2-1/2 cups of flour gradually
Blend in 1/2 cup of finely chopped raw cashews or pecans
Add sauteed candy cap mushrooms to mix

When the mix is blended well
Roll the dough out on parchment or flour into sausage-like cylinders 1" to 1-1/2" thick
Cover the cylinders with wax paper and freeze until hard

Remove rolls from freezer and slice thin and lay flat on ungreased cookie sheet or parchment paper

Bake 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes
Makes 6 dozen

YUMMY!
These shortbread cookies smell of maple syrup; a natural scent from the mushroom.
Please note the entire house will also smell like this; which I don't mind but may be off putting to some. I honestly can't stop eating them with a nice hot cup of black tea. Enjoy!

Will you listen? Debut of The Garden Spy Podcast

2009-01-25T21:27:00.000-08:00

Okay after much delay I have decided to post a pilot podcast. Please tell me what you think. Check it out at:

http://straightforwarddesign.com/gardenspy.html

The link to listen is on the right side column. Please comment so I know whether it is a good idea to continue making these or not.

Thanks for listening!

Funny, Nerdy Sheep Humor - So wrong! But darn Funny!

2009-01-16T20:26:00.000-08:00

Stacey's Bookstore is Closing! Very SAD!!!!

2009-01-16T12:00:00.000-08:00

It's true, Stacey's Bookstore in San Francisco is closing their doors in March 2009.

From there website:
"It is with great sadness that we announce that after 85 years in business Stacey’s will be closing its doors in March 2009. While the store generates over $4 million in sales, increasing expenses and steadily decreasing sales have compelled the owners to decide to vacate before the current lease expires in 2011. We have wonderful and loyal customers and had hoped to stick it out until our lease expired in 2011, but conditions in the past few months have compelled us to close sooner rather than later."

I am so heartbroken. They have become very close to my heart since working in SF. I've seen so many authors there, purchased so many knitting books for Kristine, run into friends, looked at many great maps, and journals. They are the source of my Moleskine purchases. Having worked at an independent bookstore myself (Builders Booksource in Berkeley) I know how hard these owners and long time employees work! Although I occasionally buy online from ebay, abe books, and Amazon for out of print items and with gift cards I receive - I always favor touching the cover at Diesel Bookstore or Pendragon and buying directly from them or having them Special Order the book (they are ALL happy to do this!). Not to mention I have a relationship with the booksellers, seeing them everyday, talking about new books, and they love playing with Cleo (not to mention let her run around without a leash). I am more than sad right now for the book community and the Downtown SOMA (South of Market) area.

This is me with Anthony Bourdain at Stacy's last year.

Please support your local bookstore. Cody's and Art Fibers is enough, Already!!!
We can fight back with our dollar!

Gardener's To Do List - Bay Area and Coastal CA

2009-01-13T08:09:00.000-08:00

USDA ZONE 9

It's that time of the year again to start thinking about the garden!

A great book to pick up is the Seed-Starting Primer & Almanac: A Rodale Organic Gardening Book. I've added it to the Amazon widget for easy viewing.

Recommended:
Sow beets, carrots, lettuce, peas, and spinach
Indoors, start seeds of tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants
Direct seed alyssum, California Poppies, nasturtium, and cornflowers
Prune geraniums to stimulate bushy new growth
Plant persimmons, loquats, and figs

This weekend I plan to prepare the North side of the house for planting. It will be similar to what I did to the front plot.
I will also start my seed indoors for the first time! I think I will invest in a growing bulb, we'll see what happens. I still have my seed starting heating pad. More to come on how I do this.

Another thing I want to do is create a small raised bed for my beets, carrots, lettuce, peas, and spinach.

Pictures above are from the Slow Food Nation San Francisco Civic Center Victory Garden. A great inspiration for raised beds and companion planting.

Birthday Wishes...

2009-01-12T07:02:00.001-08:00

Copyright Keith Breazeal, Amador County, California

Thank you to everyone who sent me Birthday wishes verbally, physically, or telepathically. It was a 30th Birthday to remember. A true jem of a celebration.

Above is a picture of the magnetic moon. According to the informative blog "Astro Dispatch" "This month’s Full Moon is, like the one we witnessed in December 2008, a perigree moon, and as such, the “biggest” moon of the year. According to Spaceweather.com, this month’s Full Moon is 50,000 km closer to Earth, and 30% brighter than usual. "

I say wow! Thanks universe!

I awoke Sunday morning thinking about a pending horseback ride through Point Reyes. I absolutely could not wait. I love the idea of being in the old west and riding a horse. I am a cowgirl at heart. Kristine and I heard about an oyster place called The Marshall Store just 8 miles north of Pt. Reyes Station. We usually stop at Cowgirl Creamery but today I wanted fresh sea fare, so we drove the 15 minutes along Tomales Bay to The Marshall Store. I had some of the freshest, yummiest clam chowder and BBQ oysters. YUMMY!

We then arrived to our destination at Five Brooks Ranch for our horse ride abound 2pm. Walking down to the horse pasture we saw the cutest heard of little jibbering California Quail, 30 or so all running away from us.

I was led to Houdina a beautiful horse that was just the absolute sweetest. Kristine received Malcom, a bouncy teenager that loved to show her who's boss. At one point in the ride we crossed a small brook and instead of walking through, Malcom reared back and jumped the three feet. Kristine stayed on, very funny, he did the same thing on the way back. He was not a fan of water!

We were guided on our way through the pristine forest with our guide and country singer, Gene Smith.

It is gorgeous country. I recommend riding through or walking. Point Reyes is on my favorite list of parks in the area. Not to mention it is nearby to Samuel P. Taylor, a mushroom picking spot. We rode through and saw many mushrooms from horseback. It was very nice not to have to watch my step while I looked at the ground and the sky the whole time. I shall be back for the mushrooms.

After our ride and a shower, we headed to Picante. To my surprise expecting only a few friends -- 16 of my closest friends walked through the door and hugged me a happy birthday. Kristine surprised me! I have to say, that is when you know you are truly blessed. I love them all dearly and was so happy to share my birthday and full moon with them.

Until next time and another mushroom hunt!

Winter Soup - Eating Seasonally and Gardening Again!

2009-01-07T17:01:00.000-08:00

I took today off to center myself. It felt like a whirlwind inside my head and I needed something very wholesome to do today. What better to do than gardening and cooking!

COOKING

Today's Soup is called:

Two-Potato Soup
The Big Book of Soups & Stews by Maryana Vollstedt

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 large russet potatoes, peeled, sliced
1 large sweet potato, peeled, sliced
3-1/2 cups chicken stock or broth
1/2 teaspoon thyme
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 cup buttermilk
1 Granny Smith apple, unpeeled, cored, and chopped for topping

In a large pot over medium eat, warm the oil.
Add onion, garlic, and celery and saute.
When they are tender add the potatoes and mix well.
Add stock, thyme, salt, and white pepper.
Bring to boil.
Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, covered until potatoes are soft, 15 min.

*Transfer to blender or food processor in batches and process until smooth
Return soup to pot and add buttermilk
Simmer until heated through, about 10 min.
Ladle into bowls and top with a few pieces of apple

*Note:
I used my Cusinart immersion hand blender to blend the soup in the pot. Thanks Kristine's mom!
This one of the best gifts by far! If you enjoy soups as much as I do you need one. Or making salsas...
All I do is blend in the pot, no messy back and forth, no burn't fingers! Did I mention it's super fun too?

TURN DOWN THE VOLUME FIRST! sorry the video is loud :(

Seasonal Vegetables Include:

Carrots
Beets
Parsnips
Turnips
Sweet Potatoes
Artichoke
Apples
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Citrus
Pears
Persimmons
Pomegranates
Winter Squash
Fennel

GARDENING

Today I really needed to get grounded and that meant touching the ground literally. I needed to add some nutrients into the front garden plot of where I live. Its on a slope and has many drainage and watering problems. Today I thought I would tackle a few of these issues.

Here are some of the steps I took:

-Added bunny manure and compost to plot soil. You may remember my past post on an easy compost can.
Well here is the reward! Very dark, rich compost. Yea!

-Added some Dr. Earth's Bone Meal fertilizer.
-Mixed the soil and leveled out the ground
-Lifted the existing concrete borders - so they were higher up to prevent water and soil from spilling over the top when I
water
-Added some rocks and terraced the surface so the water would not drain onto the sidewalk
-Planted some border plants to keep the soil from washing away

Change in the New Year!!!

2009-01-06T12:38:00.000-08:00

***********ANOUNCEMENT**************

Okay EVERYONE!

I did it. I have merged both of my blogs. Ojos Verdes is now dyegarden.com!!!

Woohooo!! thank goodness. It's so much easier to write and remember.
Now I can make cool moo cards!

Thanks for all of your support these past few years. I hope my blog continues to inspire and educate!

In other news my Birthday is this Sunday, Jan. 11th. I turn 30! Yeah!!! No plans yet but I know the Santa Cruz Fungus Faire is happening this weekend!!! I may need to go :)

I love tequila so maybe a tequila party...hmm...sounds like fun...I will keep you posted.

Mushroom Dyeing!!!

The results are drying as we speak! I will get pictures to everyone ASAP.

Cheers!
Aday

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