Tips for Cutting Felt

Tips for Cutting Felt

This week I made some cheerful felt pillows with felt circles and decided to share some tips for cutting felt.

Washable markers work well for tracing patterns onto felt. (First, dip a small corner of the felt in water to make sure it wouldn't bleed. Mine didn't.) They rinse off very easily with water. I used to use permanent markers, which caused me to spend much time cutting off the marked parts. And then I tried pinning the pattern to the felt, but the pattern inevitably moved around while I was cutting, causing very uneven shapes. Finally I discovered the washable marker. Unlike quilting pens, they are very inexpensive ($2.00 for 8 compared to $6.00 for 1), and versatile. And I don't have to worry about my little one coloring on stuff as much.

Here it is, traced onto the felt.

There are almost always jagged edges on felt cut-outs. It helps with the overall appearance to trim off jagged and uneven parts.

Much better.

Then I rinse off the washable marker in a bowl of water and squeeze dry with a paper towel.

Then I lay them all out to dry. This works for me because I usually only have time to do a bit before I am needed again by kiddos.

Here is the finished pillow. I love the cheerful colors. I am still waiting to see how long the hot glue holds the circles on the pillow. . .

Timberframe Project

Timber frame Project by Stan

This winter our yard was full of timber frame. Stan was commissioned to build it for a friend. Here is what it looks like completed. Very nice!

This is the structure of the center joint.

And here is how the side joints fit together.

Fitted together. Now make sure the joints are tight.

Dowels added to hold it in place.

Believe it or not, the hardest part was marking the curve on the arc. After many attempts, Stan used a long beam with a pencil that fit into a drilled hole as a compass. Then he cut the curve with a chainsaw. (I think safe chainsaw skills are really manly and handsome, by the way! How many men do YOU know who could do it?) Then he fine-tuned the curve with hand chisels. Maybe someday I will post the chainsaw video.

The joint hole in the center arched beam took patience because he had to keep cleaning out the drill bit.

He got so frustrated that he finally had to ask Clara for help. She showed him just how to hammer in the pegs, and then saw off the extra ends.

This was C's favorite jungle gym for a while. She loved to walk round and round on these elevated beams.

Here is the finished product (again).

Bee Box Plans

DIY Bee Box Measurements

Detailed measurements to build your own box, bottom board, frames, etc. 

A picture is worth 1,000 words in this case! Here is a detailed schematic of deep Langstroth bee box measurements. Hope this helps you handy men and women who want to build your own boxes. Zoom in for more details.

Wintering Honeybees

The Biology and Management of Colonies in Winter

Here are some great article on wintering bees from CAPA (A Beekeeping Association): 

http://www.capabees.com/2012/10/24/overwintering/

“The biology and management of wintering honey bees” article has some great information about wintering bees! It talks about bee clusters, how much honey and pollen to leave for winter, ways to vent excess moisture, etc. I recommend keeping it in your bee files for reference. 

Note: In Utah, it is not necessary (and can be detrimental) to wrap beehives or store them indoors. This is essential for cold areas like Canada or Minnesota, where temperatures stay below freezing for months at a time. It is not necessary in the West, where we have some warm winter days. On these warm days, bees need to leave the hive for a cleansing flight. 

Here are some hives that wintered with minimum winter preparation. These survived well. 

We have also tried hives insulated from the top for hives destined for California almond pollination.

New Garden Bed

New Garden Bed

Today we planted our cool season vegetables in a different planting bed. First we had to protect it from the chickens, who like to take dust baths in this exact spot. Anyway, we will experiment with planting garlic, onions, and peas right next to the house in the former flower bed.

We started with limbs pruned from various trees, which were pruned earlier this week.

Then we stretched chicken wire across, tying it onto the limbs with baling twine. Homemade fence at its finest.

Ain't she sweet? Our garden helper.

Then we planted. We planted garlic bulbs from the kitchen: last year's crop of a friend, and some garlic shoots leftover from an old garlic patch. There's nothing like looking at someone else's soil, eh!

We planted the onion and garlic rows perpendicular to the house rather than parallel. This is a new idea this year (from Sterling Banks, USU Extension in Summit County). I think it will utilize the space better.

The peas were planted parallel to the house in longer rows.

Here is the bed after planting. Beautiful potential.

And Stan says he will move this pile soon. . . Here is the "Before" shot. He says it is all necessary stuff, and I believe him. I think one is a motorized bee colony dolly. There might be a motorcycle under there too. I am not sure.

How to liquify crystalized honey

Tips about liquifying raw honey

Most all honey will crystalize over time.  Raw honey forms a looser crystal structure than heated honey. It reminds me of whipped honey, but more dense. (It is delicious to eat with a spoon!)  Heated honey forms crystals which are sharper and more of what you think about when honey "goes to sugar." That is an important way to tell the difference between raw and non-raw honey.  

I say that “most” honey will crystalize because there are a few nectar sources which yield honey that does not crystalize, at least not yet (5 years later).  But unless you encounter one of these rare varieties, here are a few ideas about how to “un-crystalize” your raw honey.  

  

To "un-crystalize" raw honey, gently heat it below about 100 degrees F, like in a hot water bath, in the sun, or back of the car. This will return it to a liquid state (for a while). Raw honey usually crystalizes faster than heated honey. You may have to repeat this process several times if you have a large container of honey.

You may not want to microwave raw honey because it will heat the honey, decreasing the nutrient value, and creating a melted plastic squeeze bear mess.  Some of the melted plastic may also get into the honey and then you will eat it accidentally.  Then your liver will have to work hard to eliminate it from your body.

The above photo was from Stan's Grandpa Arthur's honey operation. 

More than just sugar

Honey is more than just sugar. Here's why.

Honey contains 19 different sugars, many of which are produced during honey ripening by bees. Honey also contains water, at least 8 acids (pH 3.2-4.5), minerals (K, Na, Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, Mn, Ch, P, S, Si), 6 major live enzymes, 19 proteins, amino acids, and 6 vitamins (The Hive and The Honey Bee, 1992). 

When we heat honey, some of these nutrients are destroyed. That is why it is important to buy raw honey.  

When honey crystalizes, the best way we've found to liquify honey is to place the container in a car during a warm afternoon. Avoid heating honey above 100 F to preserve its nutritive value. 

St. George Iron Man

This weekend we sold honey at the Ironman Competition in St. George, Utah.  It was inspiring to see the athletes who swam 2.4 miles, biked 114 miles, and ran 26.3 miles cross the finish line!  We hope some of them used our Go Honey! to help them along their journey.

Setting up the Go Honey vendor booth.

 Honey booth setup.

Biking event. Athletes passed the vendor booths and spectators in the biking and running portions.

    

 Volunteers passed out water.

How to Test for Hygienic Behavior

How to test for hygienic behavior

This method is taken from “A sustainable approach to controlling honey beediseases and varroa mites” Availablehttp://www.sare.org/publications/factsheet/0305.htm May 20, 2008.

Materials

3 in. cylinder (PVC pipe)

10-15 oz liquid nitrogen (easily obtained from welding supplier)

Liquid nitrogen tank

Frame with more than 3 inches diameter sealed brood(Fewer than 30 unsealed brood in the circle)

Empty super

Thumbtack

Instructions

Lay frame across empty super. Twist cylinder into sealed brood untilit reaches midrib. Record the number of unsealed cells inside thecylinder. Pour 1.5 to 2.0 oz of the liquid nitrogen into the cylinder andwait for it to freeze the edges or evaporate. Then pour the remainder ofthe liquid nitrogen into the cylinder. Wait to remove the cylinder untilit thaws (3-5 minutes). Put a thumbtack on the top of the frame to markthe frame and the location of the test on the frame. Some hygienic colonies clean and repair the comb so quickly that it is hard to locatethe test when you return. Place the frame back in its box.

Remove the frame containing the frozen brood 48 hours later andrecord the number of sealed cells remaining within the circle.Bees are considered “hygienic” if they remove >95% of the brood ontwo consecutive tests. This trait is highly heritable and will help hivesbecome resistant to diseases and mites.