Oh, so quiet…

…because this winter there was some pretty hefty, serious reevaluating going on around here. Ultimately, it results in a shift from this space into a new one, and I think you’ll like it. I’ll keep this home open for Spun Monkey-specific news, but I became less and less sure that this is the space I want to live and grow in. I’ll never stop loving fiber arts. It’s a huge part of me and is more than just a way to stop fidgeting; it’s a spiritual practice. I resolve to remain true to the main idea of my Kickstarter campaign from years ago, and continue to teach here and there throughout the year. I will offer special pieces for sale, on occasion, on a new site (goodbye Etsy). But, trying to make it into a reliable source of income made me a thousand kinds of unhappy, and there is no One Reason why. It’s just the way it is. Also, I don’t think it’s why many of you are here, anyway.

filtering

I’m hoping you want more goat pictures, and more about managing a subsistence garden and livestock while we juggle jobs outside the home, and how we create space and time for whole foods and body/soul nourishment with limited resources and a construction zone for a kitchen. Sometimes, it’s not pretty. In the new space, guests will come talk about their not-pretty realness, too. Sometimes, it is pretty, and we’ll talk about that, too.

Knitting and spinning will not disappear. It’s part of who I am. It’s also part of my day job, and somehow, I can still come home at the end of the day and let it take me relaxed places.

lightwavesblog

The new space isn’t open yet, and I’ll surely point you in that direction sometime in the next couple of weeks. I’ll continue to post here until then, and will be archiving and organizing pages for recipes, tutorials, and garden posts for reference.

I’m hoping that, by the time it goes live, you’ll be seeing a picture of this thing with an actual sink in the hole:

futuresink

In garden news, we’ve rearranged our sort-of kitchen so we could start some seeds. Last year, we started too early and many of our plants got too leggy before it was warm enough to put them out. It’s hard to tell what-all will happen this time around, so we’re hoping setting it back about two weeks will make for happier transplants. Until we can re-build our collapsed greenhouse, we aren’t starting our own tomatoes anymore. This leaves us brassicas and flowers, mostly, that we need to start early. Squash, corn, legumes – those will all be direct seeded asap, and onion sets will be ordered.

startingseeds

Are you getting started early? What’s happening in your garden?

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Ten: 52

52o

52c

the 52 project
Portraits of my main squeezes, every Sunday.

O, this week you…

…are embracing the March thaw like a boss. You are a total mud monster, a devoted slush stomper and a lover of puddles, drips, drops and sludge.

…extended your helping hands so many times, especially when I really needed an extra pair. You rock a vacuum, son. Thank you.

…proudly served biscuits in a beautiful bowl you made with your own hands! It’s rare you go three-dimensional with your artwork and even though you were so wary of taking the class, I can tell you are pleased with what you accomplished.

C, this week you…

…started seeds for some of my favorite things. I love to watch your hands work. Your sense of fulfillment when working soil under your fingernails is palpable. So excited for what we will create in the gardens together this summer.

…came home with the most delicious golden maple syrup from the boil tonight, the result of many hours tending. And then you finished the dishes while I wrote this, even though you were exhausted. Sigh.