Folk Speech

Photo taken on I-26 Tennessee/North Carolina border

Do you use any of these words or have you heard them used before?

Dirt Dobber--noun--Mud Wasp

Fire Dogs--noun--Andirons

Nabs--noun--Cheese crackers filled with peanut butter

No account--adj--worthless.   "He is no account."

Partial--adj--To be partial to anything means to like it.  "I am very partial to rhubarb pie."

Peart--adj--lively, feeling well, in good spirits.  "You are looking acting peart today!"

Peaked--adj--looking sickly, pale.  Pronounce it with two syllables "Peak ed".  "John was looking a mite peaked last night."

Wool, Wooling--adj--rubbing, rumpling hair or tousling .  "Stop wooling that kitten to death!"

Copyright 2012--All Rights Reserved--The Wheel & Distaff by Kimberly Burnette-Dean. 

This Week's Fiber Play!

 Wool Top from Wild Hare

Chain Plied or "Navajo Plied"--I have never used this technique before, but I really like
the appearance of the finished yarn.

Wool Top from Wild Hare.          Colorway: "Sailors Take Warning"
(I still need to take a pic of the finished yarn that I spun from this gorgeous roving!)

"Sailor's Take Warning" spun into a 2-ply yarn

I also had a great time teaching a drop spindle workshop at Wooly Belle this past Saturday. 

Check out my "Workshops and Programs" page for upcoming and available programs. 

I also hope to have some fiber & fiber-related items for sale in the near future.  

Check back for more information.

Copyright 2012--All Rights Reserved--The Wheel & Distaff by Kimberly Burnette-Dean. 

Mystery Item Answer

The mystery item is a Toledo Torch. They were first manufactured in 1929 and they burned kerosene. They are heavily weighted in the bottom to prevent them from tipping over  When I was growing up, I remember going by highway construction sites and these torches would be lit as a warning to avoid the area.  I was always fascinated by them and would want to know why we could not stop and get one! Now, I CAN have my own because they are still for sale!  Click here for Toledo Torches. 

Copyright 2012--All Rights Reserved--The Wheel & Distaff by Kimberly Burnette-Dean. 

Mystery item

Do you know what the two round bulb-looking things are?

Leave your guess in the comment section below.

The answer will be posted on Tuesday morning, April 3.

**I will publish all comments (in the order they were received) on Tuesday morning to give everyone an equal opportunity to guess. 
Copyright 2012--All Rights Reserved--The Wheel & Distaff by Kimberly Burnette-Dean. 

Spring has Sprung at our House

It seems like Spring has definitely arrived. Everything is blooming at my house with the exception of my favorite flower in the whole world, lilacs!  My lilac bush is loaded with buds so it will not be long until I can smell that heavenly fragrance!

American Dogwood--I was always fascinated with this tree when I was growing up,
because my grandmother told me the story of how the four petals represents the cross that Christ died on
and the reddish-brown marks on each petal is the blood that was shed.
One of my favorite trees to climb was a dogwood tree!

Violets--My grandmother and I used to pick violets, then have "fights" where
each person takes a flower and you hook it on your opponents bloom, then yank and
see which violet can pop the bloom off of the other. 

Snakeberry bloom.   It always makes me think of wild strawberries, but
I have not seen a wild strawberry in YEARS!

Money Plant

The much beleaguered dandelion. I think they are so sunny and cheerful!

The soil at my house is perfect for azaleas.  

Azaleas grow like weeds at my house.

Coreopsis.  This plant produces one of the most beautiful natural dyes!

My catnip did not even die back this past winter.
That made my cats very happy all winter long!

This rosemary plant is about 10 years old.
In many areas of the Valley
they die come winter and must be replanted each spring. 

Chinese Cherry--we have two of these gorgeous trees in our yard. 

With all of this blooming, it should be no surprise that my throat is sore and almost swollen shut!


Copyright 2012--All Rights Reserved--The Wheel & Distaff by Kimberly Burnette-Dean.