Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Life's small pleasures.

A Christmas gift became a little adventure admist the snowy winter. It provoked an instant smile and then it was put away....for weather more befitting it's existence. The warmth of one day became the 50 degree change to another blizzard like day. Seldom did the weather stay consistent and the box remained. Finally, unable to resist I began the great Oyster Pearl Mushroom saga in January. I followed the directions found on the box called "The Mushroom Mini Farm." The first little mushrooms emerged making me feel victorious within the first two weeks as expected! Only to shrink back and they did not develop their caps.



Undaunted by the bleak results of wilted little mushrooms the first round, I simply kept up the care of the little box of spores, just figuring more must be there to replace the first dismal results. One day I had decided recently just to put them in the window sill where there is sheltered indirect light....covered with plastic and watered once. A week went by....and like magic, there they were! Three big and amazing Oyster Pearl Mushrooms..Yummy sauteed in butter..oh my!



During the week the Oyster Pearl Mushrooms were doing their things, I was working on a Mohair Fleece, which I first picked out the vm and then dyed it with strawberries, blueberries and coffee. I did use a mordant made of water and salt, 3 parts to 1 for the berry dye and vinegar of the same ratio with water which simmered the fleece first for an hour. While the fleece simmered in the mordant, I placed berries in water which also simmered for an hour 1 part berries to 1 part water. For the coffee color I just made expresso on my stove. Then hot fleece was added to hot dye which I strained berries out first and it sat all night long to produce Easter colors!



Then with a spindle I created Mohair yarn for the first time from fleece! I had spun up Suffolk wool a few years ago, then some Icelandic fleece but this..was amazing!




Now my thoughts linger on planting...oh I am so drawn to new things.......It may be cold but the will is there and the window sill inviting....mmmmmm




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