Month: November 2025

Late pumpkin carving

On By CarynIn chickens

Full disclosure, I bought pumpkins before Halloween, but we didn’t get round to carving them until after. I think this might be the second year this has happened, maybe the third. Hm. I specifically bought pie pumpkins so they could nourish the chickens after carving. The large carving pumpkins are stringy and the hens don’t care for them as much. Since at least one pumpkin was going straight to the chickens, I had to give it a horrified look.

Photo description: small pie pumpkins carved with a open mouth showing square teeth, one round eye, and one eye hanging out of the socket

I hung the pumpkin up for the chickens using a carabiner clip. Last year I remembered to cut the bottom out to scoop out the seeds so the pumpkin could hang from its stem. I forgot this year, but it looks a little like the pumpkin is horrified that it lost it’s lid, or that a hen is coming.

Photo description: pumpkin hanging in the coop with a Black Star hen approaching the lid on the ground

Fun with pumpkins and chickens.

Unexpected result

On By CarynIn Craft

I wet down my recently nålbound hat with soap and water to do light fulling (locking wool fibers together in fabric) and was quite surprised when the stitches relaxed and the hat lengthened.

Photo description: nålbound hat before fulling and blocking
Photo description: same hat after lightly fulling and blocking

I intentionally made the hat larger because I know that wool hats shrink with wearing because of the natural fulling process from moisture and movement. I agitated the hat in the gentle soap and water to deliberately start the felting process, not expecting that much change with the Oslo stitch I used. I wanted the hat to be a slouch hat with folded brim, so really it came out remarkably well, serendipitously.

Pose

On By CarynIn Cats

Today I present Thor the gray tabby as he posed on a bench.

Photo description: large gray tabby with white face, chest, and legs laying on a storage bench with one leg hanging down

He’s a pretty boy, scared of everything, except mice and bugs, which he brings in from the catio, sometimes still alive.

Grape hyacinth bed

On By CarynIn Garden

The grape hyacinths Dad and I planted in the new flower bed appear to be happy. We have growth both from the transplanted bulbs and the newly purchased bulbs.

Photo description: small clusters of green leaves coming up out of mulchy dirt

It always makes me nervous when the grape hyacinths start growing in Fall, but for the last few years the cold doesn’t seem to bother them, and in spring they bloom.

National Bison Day

On By CarynIn Wildlife

Happy National Bison Day! As you are coming off the sugar high from yesterday, gear up for winter with some bison, because no one does winter better than our national mammal.

Photo description: white bison coming head on (not to butt, but to get treats) on the Buena Vista Wildlife Safari

Here is more about today from the National Bison Association.

https://nationalbison.org/celebrate-national-bison-day-honoring-americas-national-mammal-and-its-regenerative-legacy/

Here are some great products made of bison: https://thebuffalowoolco.com (not an affiliate link, I just love what they do and that they are local!)

So have some bison burgers, warm your fingers and toes with some buffalo wool knits, or treat your skin to some American made products today. Support local. Support the continuation of an American icon.