Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Sprang Unsprung on the bus


Starting a new Sprang project for Weavolution's "Halloweave" challenge. My first challenge is to unsnarl the start of this cotton yarn. I'm planning to make a small bag and the only time I can make for this is during my commute to work.




I'm using a small booklet to wind my yarn in kind of a figure 8 pattern. See the new book by Carol James titled "Sprang Unsprung." Sprang as traditionally taught is done on a continuous looped warp. But in Carol's book, the first thing we learn is that sprang can be done with free ends. That makes my project possible on the train/bus/train routine of my daily commute!



At work during lunch break I cut one side of the V shape loops. This gives me yarn ends that are roughly twice as long as the booklet. Which is the size I wanted for the bag.



Using the Sugar and Creme self striped dyed yarn allows me to work with stripes in shades that mix well with each other. That cardboard on left is my frame for this work. I'll loop a string around it to hold my sprang.


Here I have hung the yarn on the header string. The cardboard frame is 4 layers of 8-1/2 by 11 inch card stock (thick) that I taped together. I also cut some narrow strips of cardboard to help keep the different rows of sprang separate. See the "safety string" that gets pulled through as I work to help keep the rows separate.


Back on the bus, all the elements are in place. And now the goal is make a bag out of plain sprang. More to follow later.

Have a good day!

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Mission Manna in Haiti



MissionManna.org is training health care workers in Haiti and teaching people to raise rabbits for meat. This June post from their blog shows hutches, rabbits, and a garden. Bravo to Mission Manna for teaching Haitians to care for Haitians.

http://missionmanna.org/2011/06/an-update-from-montrouis/

Have a good day!

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Hawks Go To Church

crossposted 10/13/11


(click pics for larger image)
Morning comes softly over the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Sacramento. And now the drama begins.



The pigeons on top of the tower are flushed by a Red Tail Hawk (red arrow) trying to grab a fly by breakfast. Unsuccessful.



Here comes the other hawk (red arrow) hoping to nab a pigeon who hasn't seen the memo about the breakfast fly by. Again unsuccessful.




The pair of Red Tail hawks are having a meeting in a nearby Sequoia tree to discuss the breakfast situation.



As the pigeons settle in catch some more rays on the roof of the tower.


They are once again disturbed by a hawk on another breakfast fly by, note the dark blur on the left side of the pic.


Once again. Unsuccessful. I expect the hawks can do this all day. I want yell at the pigeons. I want to tell them to become Catholics and move to the roof at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament!

10/15/11 Edited to add this sequence:


A new morning. The hawk does its breakfast fly by.


And snatches a pigeon off the roof of the tower.



And flies off with it to a nearby tree. Pigeon fans do not fear. Because a few moments later the pigeon broke loose and flew out of the tree. Hopefully wiser.

I like my new camera. Its a Lumix with 16X zoom and a bunch of features that make it a little magic picture box.

That's my corner of the world!
Franco Rios

Thursday, October 13, 2011

For Five Days







88th American Rabbit Breeders Association Convention and National Show
October 29 to November 2, 2011

Good luck to everyone who is going!
http://racetoindy.com/




Sunday, October 9, 2011

Oakland urban farmers fight for right to raise food

Urban farmers fighting to take back their right to raise their own food in Oakland!


"Should Oakland's backyard farmers raise and kill animals for food?"
Article: Sacramento Bee 10/9/2011

http://www.sacbee.com/2011/10/09/3970061/should-oaklands-backyard-farmers.html

Be sure to add your comments to the article if you feel inclined to do so!

Have a joyful day!

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Rabbit trips up chef

News from MasterChef Ireland contest.
I wish there was pictures but just the brief description makes me want to go to Dublin.
Have a good day!

Click for article:
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/kfqlauaukfid/rss2/

Beagles are legal

Beagles are legal for hunting rabbits in California.
In case you don't want to use firearms.
Have a good day!

Click for article:
http://www.willows-journal.com/sports/fish-7285-legal-asked.html


Sunday, October 2, 2011

ARBA is us!

ARBA is comprised of all the the dues paying members. Those of us who are ARBA need to get involved. When California Senate Bill 917 putting restrictions on rabbit sales went to the legislature for a vote, ARBA President Mike Avesing heard about it from ARBA members and issued a call to action requesting all ARBA members to contact the California legislature to lobby against the bill. We are ARBA. We are mobilizing. We are going to take action. Mike Avesing is with us and so are other leaders, directors, and committee members. If we want ARBA to get more involved then we need to get involved with ARBA.

ARBA is not there to do things for us, ARBA is us. We need to do these things. Contact your director today. Contact the clubs you belong to and the clubs where you show rabbits and cavies. Get involved with running the shows. Help with setting up and taking down. Help with watching each other's animals.

Roll up your sleeves and become an ARBA activist.

Have a good day!