and more

The week between Christmas and New Year's was not very productive for me.  I had a migraine that put me down.  Plus allergies on top of that.  I am still working on regaining my stamina.

This week has been a week of catching up, grinding on axes, need to work on chef rolls.  I had actually gotten custom chef rolls made for the end of the year and one into stock.  The one in stock sold yesterday.  I need to make more.  I am at my Dad's for most of the next two weeks so that is going to be interesting.

Koda Bear and I were volunteering at Blackwood Educational Land Institute on Wednesday.  So while the attempted coup was happening in the capitol, I was putting my hands in soil, harvesting food, and weaving vines.  It felt very surreal because my hands in soil is one of the best places for me.  I have no words but I also was not surprised.  I am saddened and disgusted for so many reasons.  I will continue to feed people because that is what I do.  Take care of the small humans.  Protest and try to create change when I can.

well, maybe not

So the failure in process for the making knife scales ended up with a couple of very pretty bolsters.  The boyos were pretty excited.  They also felt the material I made from fiberglass resin polished up nicer then some of the resin scales they get from other companies. 

It will be interesting to see how everything moves forward.  I actually started another loaf of this material with different colors.  The biggest problem is the fumes that come off of it!

I also worked on a chefs roll this week.  It is a custom order.  It took almost a whole cow hide and felt like a body work out to maneuver the leather while I was sewing it.  The boyos want one for stock and maybe one for knife transport.

It turned out really well.  It has room for eight knives.  All with fairly large handles.  It can fit a knife that is a about 17 inches long.  I also put in a pocket for storage and four pen holders.  The pen holders can hold a sharpie which is used a lot in a professional kitchen.

It closes with straps and D rings.  It also has a shoulder strap.  I was worried about the measurements for that strap but I thought it fit me well.

It was nice to make something other then face masks.  But I kind of would like to make something even more creative.  As I told my Dad today, I may not work full time but I work every day. 

I would like to take some time to play with plant dyes.  It has been on the back burner since face mask production started.  I am also trying to spin more and dye fiber.  All the autumn fiber fairs I am insterested in are virtual.  Which I just cannot do.  It is part of my normal autumn so I have to figure out how to do autumn without them.  And have it feel right.  Maybe I will read the book Tam Lin.  That book has an autumnal feel to me.

waxed cotton and leather

Life has been crazier since I added in helping the boyos with Serenity Knives.  Yesterday,  I drove for eight hours to deliver knives, four hours each way.  The quiet was nice.  Being alone was nice.  Going someplace different was nice.  Being anemic did not make it easy.  I am taking my iron but still!  I just feel like there is little slowing down time.  There will be later in the week just because I will be on a jet plane.  I am off to a wedding and a fiber fair.  Yeah!

I did take a break on the way home and get food.  At a resturaunt I like in Austin.  I walked around a neighborhood to stretch my legs.  I took pictures of garden ideas I like.  As much as I like the wildness, having a decayed granite front yard also appeals to me.  I did go into a few shops just because.  Because I did not feel like I was dragging anyone with me and I could.

But busy is the norm.  For example, I have three different types of bread in process in my kitchen currently.  There is laundry in the machine.  I have been working on the computer.  There is a small beast who is taking a nap and I am listening for.  Blue has started to consistently roll over so listening must be more deliberate.  

Over a year ago, I was asked to start making chef's rolls by the boyos.  I did make a few.  In fabric, they are a lot of work.  They took a bit to sell so it was hard to be motivated to make them.  But then I made my traveling bag.

I have two waxed cotton dusters in the closet.  Leather scraps.  I put together a chef's roll.  It is a bit wonky because I was cutting a coat apart.  But it can hold seven knives and a spoon.  It has one of the original pockets from the coast as well as a leg band.  The boyos will have it in stock and I put it in my Etsy store as well to see what happens.  Who knows!  

I keep thinking I should put my quilts on Ebay to see what people will really spend.  If you are interested, make me an offer.  The meditation piece of those alone are worth it.

I will not be around this space later this week and next.  Family, traveling, and fiber.  I keep thinking I need to travel more this year.  It is possible but we will see.  I have a kitchen nook and a sharpening truck to build.  I may end up building myself a traveling truck!

single knife chef rolls

This week is still wild.  I am having a hard time finding balance I will have to admit that what seems to be giving is computer time.  I just stopped moving after dinner last night.  There was nothing left.  Today is probably not going to be much better!

Between Koda Bear and I going to libraries, playgrounds, and walks, and then working on maths.  I have been putting prototype single knife chef rolls together for Serenity Knives.  The boyos are looking at them as an upgrade to their packaging.  They have not found a box solution that satifies them yet.

Photo by Koda Bear.

We had found some very inexpensive canvas at Ragfinery in Bellingham.  And then stopped at a canvas shop.  It makes canvas coverings of all kinds for boats.  They also have inexpensive remnants.  All of that came home with me with some pretty Asian cottons.

The prototype work began!  This was the first prototype and it should have fit a Chef's knife.  It did not but it is a good size for a utility knife or a paring knife.  It is also the one that I do not like the finishings as well for.  I was able to use a piece of fabric that Koda Bear picked out that I was not sure how was going to fit in my quilts!

This is the second one I made.  I used the last of the chili pepper fabric on this one.  The finishings are much better and it does fit a long Chef's knife.  My Japanese sewing scissors are here as scale.

It just rolls up so nicely and neatly.  I like this idea for most of my camping knives.  They get wrapped in towels with string around them.  The string has come in handy but I do not really like that idea.

This is the last one I made.  It is even larger then the other two.  I got asked to try.  Every one of these chef rolls was made using thrifted fabric that was supposed to end up in a landfill.  That is what Ragfinery does.  Keep textiles out of landfills.

The boyos are happy.  I need to make more for them.  I am going to put some in my shop as well but right now there are not enough hours in any day.  I can really tell due to energy and inflammation.  That bit is a bummer.  Being outside with Koda Bear has been lovely.  I am hoping there will be time for driveway skateboard time today or tomorrow.  Probably not though.  I am working on the computer.  And I have a prototype for a larger chef roll to make!