Author: Caryn

Iron in the ash

On By CarynIn chickens

My folks visited and Dad burned some of our wood pile to make ash for the chickens, since we actually had an allowed burn day. I haven’t made ash in over a year because of time restraints and burn restrictions. As we shooed the spiders and geckos out of the iron cauldron I use as a fire pit, I noticed a large flake of rust fall off. I don’t want the chickens eating that, so when the ashes cooled, I used a fishing magnet to remove the metal.

Photo description: fishing magnet covered in ashy bits of iron, more ash in the cauldron in the background

I dredged the ash with a magnet four or five times before I was no longer collecting large flakes of iron.

Photo description: iron cauldron with about two gallons of ash, and a small metal bucket with about two cups of iron flakes

There is still iron in the ash, but small enough grains that it shouldn’t cause hardware stomach in the chickens. Hardware stomach is where the farm animal eats wire or nails or some other metallic object, and the object damages the digestive tract, often leading to death.

Butterflies and skippers

On By CarynIn Garden

I did not trim back the Gregg’s Mistflower this fall. It is now tall and gangly, but blooming and full of fluttering wings. We have many Queen butterflies, but I’ve spotted some others visiting the purple tufted flowers as well.

Photo description: Pearl Crescent butterfly sitting on a Gregg’s Mistflower
Photo description: Clouded Skipper sitting on a Gregg’s Mistflower

Gregg’s Mistflower is native to Texas and in proper light conditions grows to 2 feet tall. The front flower bed doesn’t get enough sunlight which makes the plants gangly and closer to three feet tall before it falls over and grows up again from the fallen stems. Since it is native, at the end of the season, and after a nice solid rain, I’m going to relocate these plants into our meadow, which does get a little more sun. They are self seeding and spread and the idea of a meadow full of butterflies is attractive. They also bloom in both spring and fall, making them a valuable source of nectar.

Face time

On By CarynIn Cats
Photo description: calico cat in an oval wicker basket on the floor

Izzy the calico cat has not had much face time on the blog lately, so here she is being her regal self in a basket I was getting ready to pack up for a spinning demonstration.

Another one down

On By CarynIn Cats
Photo description: large gray tabby eating a mouse on a rug inside the house

Thor the gray tabby brought another mouse into the house. At least this time he dispatched it himself. The last one hid under the couch and Sophie the calico cat had to take care of it.

Samoyed Fiber Page

On By CarynIn Craft
Photo description: 12×12 pink card stock with, clockwise, the words “Samoyed Sugar”, single spun and chain plied yarn on paper bobbins, crochet swatch, woven swatch, knit swatch and nålbound swatch, and shed fur

My fiber page for Samoyed dog fiber is what has me thinking hard on my page design. The precut design worked well for a while, but I now think each page needs its own layout and not be forced into sameness. This was my last precut page, so now the adventure begins anew.

Samoyed fur is one of my favorite fibers to spin. I combed all the fur for this spin, but I didn’t wash it until I blocked the swatches. It repels dirt, has almost no odor, and takes twist beautifully. There are guard hairs, but the bothersome ones pull out easily from the finished work without compromising structure.