Rainy Day Hobby
Today has been one of those rainy gloomy days that is best spent inside reading a good book, quilting, knitting, or whatever hobby one has. Our Sunday School class had our monthly meal out today and that was breakfast at the Cracker Barrel. I don't go to the Cracker Barrel much since it is so noisy in there. Most of the ladies in our class can't hear well anyway, so there was a lot of "What'd she say?" "Huh?" "Talk louder!" There was only 8 of us. They had a fire in the fireplace and it was quite cozy and pretty busy, even at 9:30, which is when we met. It was raining really hard when we left there. Thankfully my jacket has a hood on it. You know there is that fear of melting! Not much danger of it with me though!
I finished another basket today. It was from a basket kit and is pretty small. It is an egg basket. I'm afraid it wouldn't hold too many eggs. This makes 4 baskets now that I have made. I think with each one you learn a little more. None of mine are perfect and so you learn from your mistakes. That sounds like life doesn't it? Learn from our mistakes. Anyway... my neighbor got me started this past Saturday on a potato basket. She was teaching the 3 of us again. I had to come home, so I finished it on my own. I see a couple of mistakes I made but you have to look real hard to find them, so it's okay, as most folks wouldn't even notice. They are plenty of work. I have some walnut stain I made and I have been staining them. I like the darker stain better I think. I got about 2 dozen walnuts that had the black gooey hulls on them and put them in a big container of water. Earlier today I put on a long plastic glove and got several of those walnuts and squeezed those hulls to get lots of that stain out, so my walnut stain is getting pretty dark. Then I strained it and dipped the baskets in the stain several times. Now I have walnut stained hands and I have 3 baskets drying in the basement.
I finished another basket today. It was from a basket kit and is pretty small. It is an egg basket. I'm afraid it wouldn't hold too many eggs. This makes 4 baskets now that I have made. I think with each one you learn a little more. None of mine are perfect and so you learn from your mistakes. That sounds like life doesn't it? Learn from our mistakes. Anyway... my neighbor got me started this past Saturday on a potato basket. She was teaching the 3 of us again. I had to come home, so I finished it on my own. I see a couple of mistakes I made but you have to look real hard to find them, so it's okay, as most folks wouldn't even notice. They are plenty of work. I have some walnut stain I made and I have been staining them. I like the darker stain better I think. I got about 2 dozen walnuts that had the black gooey hulls on them and put them in a big container of water. Earlier today I put on a long plastic glove and got several of those walnuts and squeezed those hulls to get lots of that stain out, so my walnut stain is getting pretty dark. Then I strained it and dipped the baskets in the stain several times. Now I have walnut stained hands and I have 3 baskets drying in the basement.
posted by Rachel at 5:18 PM
11 Comments:
You need to post a picture of your baskets. It's been so long I've forgotten what they look like..
Yeah I'd like to see some of the baskets.
I too, hate noisy places. I already have enough noise bouncing around in my empty head.
The nearest Cracker Barrel in Jonesboro, Arkansas is so noisy I almost hate to go there. I thought it was just that one, since I've never been in another one. Hmph.....
I've always wanted to learn basket weaving. I envy you getting lessons. Wish I could join you. I third the other 2 comments. I'd like to see your baskets, too. :-)
I was raised on beans, taters and either biscuits or cornbread. When we got tired of beans and taters, we'd have taters and beans a while, LOL. ;D
I loved the other pictures you posted of your baskets. Can't wait to see these also!
Thanks for your good wishes for Bill. His surgery went well and he seeing better already :)
Rachel,
Word to the wise: Don't put all your eggs in one basket!
Cracker Barrel is one of my favorite places. I never noticed the noise. Maybe we're quieter in this part of the country. Not! Anyway, my husband and I kind of concentrate on one another in places like that and we shut everything else out.
I love the smell of the wood burning in a Cracker Barrel restaurant...takes me back to Christmas morning on John Papa's farm in western Ky!
:-D
I love your baskets. Making baskets in on my "to do" list along with a birch bark canoe, snowshoes and a tobbagan. I am very interested on native technology so I want to try to make one beginning with a log of ash. After peeling the log you pound on it with a mallet until the rings of wood separate. With a native curved knife you then can make strips of ash with which to weave a basket. A Spring project perhaps.
Rachel
Boy do I agree with you about Cracker Barrel. We have one fairly close to us and I have only been there three or four times in five years - just to noisy,
Making your own walnut stain stain is pretty impressive. I made my own ink once several years ago because it would add "originality" to a project I was working on. Once was enough. It's cleaner, easier, and less time consuming to just buy ink.
Ralph
You really got a lot done today! I'm very impressed, my dear Rachel...
So, how do you get the walnut stain off of your hands? And will it come of of the basket if it got wet or is it a permanent stain on the basket? (I'm sorry I have so many questions...lol...but it is interesting to me....)
I love to go to the Cracker Barrel because of the gift shop. I guess mostly old people go there and that's why everyone talks so loudly and it's so noisy. *LOL* Our's is noisy too. Do you think it's because there is no music?
I loved your other baskets you posted and I can't wait to see your newest additions...I know they must be beautiful and with homemade walnut stain...WOW!
I loved your line about melting in the rain...that was cute.
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