"we're fools whether we knit or not, so we may's well knit"

- old southern saying


Friday, April 18, 2008

cotton baggin'

2007 green.jpga

2007 green

2007 pima.jpga

2007 pima

2007 brown 2007 peruvian brown.jpga

2007 brown & 2007 peruvian brown

Ah...there are days when I just love my mailwoman. Lookit what she brought me today! Cotton. Thank you Phreadde, for the fabulous envelope! What timing!

We had three nights of frost this week, the 14th, 15th, and 16th. I lost most of my Nankeen cotton. There are oh, a half dozen or so little plants that may make it; but, for the most part, we got wiped out. Just last week, like some psychic angel, Phreadde from Albuquerque asked if I was still interested in trying some of her cotton. I never expected fresh seed - in 4 colors! WHOO HOO!

So...yep...here we go again. At this moment, it is 82 degrees F. I have resumed my planting schedule. Now, I need to find 4 separate zones for 4 little stands of this colored cotton. Yessss!

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Not all fiber comes from sheep

nankeen1.jpga

nankeen

This is a cotton seedling. This picture is of one of the few Nankeen seedlings that emerged...before the frost. Nankeen is a copper colored cotton - brown cotton that was used for slaves' shirts. Now, I don't know about this colored lint, but, long ago, the land around here was used for cotton and indigo production. Our heirloom plants, up til now, have been of the edible persuasion. But this year, we decided to reestablish some traditional textile crops.

For the past 2 nights, we have had the most bizarre cold snap, with temperatures dropping into the 30's. So...I stayed up late...reading...late...did I say late? Waiting for the temperature to drop to 35...which is the drop dead point for my plants...the temperature at which I run out, open the valves, and let the sprinklers sprinkle. Night before last, 35 was reached at 5:30am. Last night, at 2:30. What a blessing! That late night irrigation saved all but 3 tomato plants - out of about 1/3 acre of plantings! Plantings under irrigation, that is. See, the "cotton patch" is not irrigated. And, with a 50% germination rate, I was hoping to keep all those little darlins alive.

Well...I do believe that 2 or 3 of these Nankeens have survived. I sure hope so. Will the crazy cold stunt their development? I don't know.

Out of the blue, just a few days back, before the hint of impending frost, a certain fibergal asked if I would like a few of her organic seeds. Of course, I said "YES!" WHOO HOO! I can't wait. I believe I have enough days left in the season to grow a bit of cotton. So...I will be watching my mailbox like a hawk. We'll be back into the 80's by the end of the week. And those fibergal seeds will be in the ground. Ahem. Under irrigation.

Saturday, April 12, 2008

A Scour and a Few Rows

josephinea

sample of josephine

This is some soft stuff, o boy o boy. Just a teeny handful...a few yards. I'll get to her this week.

abigail.jpga

the end of abigail

Windy day, 88 degrees. Seemed like a good day to wash the second half of this fleece. Lovely stuff.