The Hollyhock Blog

Each year I attempt to freeze enough tomatoes to last us through the year.  I do not like to buy tomatoes in cans because of the strong acid they contain that requires plastic lining in the cans.  But I have always bought tomato paste and tomato sauce.  Until now.  I picked about a dozen big tomatoes, put them in boiling water until the skins come off and squeezed the juice out of them.  I then placed them on the trays of my dehydrator.  

3 trays of tomatoes

I learned that if I sliced them in half (at the equator if the stem was the North Pole!) that the juice and seeds were contained in little pockets which were easy to empty out.

Tomato sliced in half

Bowl of juice

After a couple emails to my food mentor, Karen, I got crispy, crunchy tomato chips.

All dried out

 

Almost see-through

Paper-thin

Since I don’t own a food processor, I put some of the chips in a zipper baggy (doubled), took my rolling pin and my meat tenderizer and proceeded to roll and hammer the tomatoes into crumbs.

Pulverized!

I got about a half cup of crushed, dried tomatoes from all those fresh tomatoes!  But they really have flavor.  I’m storing in the freezer in zipper baggies. 

I’ve often spoke of my love of dyeing.   The science, the art, the anticipation, the uncertainty.  I like it all.   Here is some Suri yarn from Twisted Suri Alpaca Ranch that I dyed for them.  I used commercial acid dyes. 

5 newly dyed skeins

3 more skeins

Below are the same skeins after I re-wound the skeins. 

5 skeins ready to go

Red, green and blue - various shades in each

And since the pots were cooking….

My skeins - just dyed

The first skein is variegated blue – destined for mittens.  The others got re-wound.

Ready for sale

The first is bulky, the others sport weight, all 6 ounces, all $27.

Summer is quickly flying by and my indigo is ready for dyeing and so is the goldenrod.  With a little luck and good timing, I’ll some natural dyed yarn to show you soon.

I admit it.  I’m not a big sock knitter. I’ve only made a few pairs – and most were baby sized.   But I’m nearly finished with this one.

My sock

Another inch or so of ribbing and it will be done.  Notice, though, that my ball of yarn is nearly gone.  Not an accident!  I started with 3 ounces of yarn. 

Another look at my sock

I only plan to make this ONE sock.  While I think it fits my foot rather nicely, it is not to be worn.  It will be my sample sock.  At 3 ounces, it is half of a skein of my yarn.   I wanted folks to see how my sport weight 100% alpaca yarn that I have dyed would look when knit into a sock.  So here it is. 

Knit from toe up

I used 5 double pointed size 2 needles and I think it knits up wonderfully.  As a bonus, I’ve received permission from the designer of this pattern to print and give the pattern away.  The pattern will be free with the purchase of a skein of my yarn.  And, while I’m no sock expert, I will attempt to help my customers should they get stuck on the pattern.

Felted mittens

They are finally dry (took several day!) and ready for sale.  They will fit most women’s hands.  They are heavy and will keep you warm! 

Also, thanks to all who came to Pie Day.  It was a good day – and we ate pie besides!  Yum.

Vagabond's head

Another shot

And this:

Vagabond's legs

The evil seed balls

But just to show me that all of Mother Nature is not evil, this lovely butterfly was flitting around the paddock enchanting the crias. 

Tiger Swallowtail