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Sunday, November 22, 2009

Rug Hooked Windy Santa

Rug hooked Free Standing Windy Santa.



 This wonderful One of a Kind Rug Hooked Santa Doll stands almost 15" tall and is 8" wide at the widest point. He is hooked using wool strips that are One Eighth inch wide. This #6 cut of wool has given me the wonderful array of color in this Santa. All the wool used is quality 100% wool much of it hand dyed by me. Windy Santa is hooked in rich earth tone reds and greens in his toy sack. The snow at his feet is wonderful wool from Rebbeca Erb of the wool studio. This wool makes a great base color for this Santa. Windy Santa's beard and mustache are hooked with mohair. Did you notice the handle bars of his mustache? I have weighted the bottom of this Santa so it can stand well on it's own.


JoEllen

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Christmas Trees

Soon this lot we are living at will host many different types of Christmas Trees.
Once again we will smell that wonderful smell that on a forest of trees can bring.
I do not like the thought that the trees are in a process of dying but I feel better knowing how the Christmas Tree growers in Oregon run there Christmas tree businesses.
Due to the idea climate for green things to grow it takes about 12 years for a tree to grow from seedling to a large Christmas tree. It is a crop like any other crop and replanted over and over again. I think you will find the below information enlightening like I did.


Q. Why should people buy real Christmas trees?
A. Basically if you buy a real Christmas tree you are going to save the planet, not harm it. The trees that are cut are specially grown to sell as Christmas trees. These trees come from Oregon and Washington. People don't think about how many people work to get this Christmas tree. Millions of people are employed by people buying real Christmas trees. It starts with people looking for the best trees with the best cones in the forest. Then there's the guy in the nursery who plants the seed for the cone to grow into a seedling. Millions of seedlings are grown every year. Every time a person buys a real Christmas tree, two or three more are planted, and they produce more oxygen, which helps the planet. If they're not buying real trees, and buying a fake tree, they're burning more crude oil to make those trees. That's where plastic comes from.
Q. How long does it take to grow a Christmas tree?
A. It takes about a year for a tree to grow six inches tall, that's a seedling. Then it grows about 8-12 inches per year. They will grow faster but they have to hold the tree back so it can fill in and get nice and full. They cut off the tops so that instead of growing up, they grow out.
Q. How long does the season run?
A. We're open from the day before Thanksgiving to two days before Christmas. I try to stay away from those last minute shoppers. They feel the tree should be free by then.
Q. How should you care for a real Christmas tree?
A. Basically what you should do is keep it as cool as you can and as moist as you can. In the first couple of days, you should check it twice a day. When it's really fresh a tree can drink a bowl and a half a day. Trees are like people, they're not all the same. After a certain amount of time, it won't take as much water. You're basically nursing the tree to its death. Once it's cut off from the roots, it's done. It's dead. Trees like a lot of sugar and vitamins, but they require a lot of tap water as well. You've got to watch out for some of these places. See how we keep them in water? We water three to four times a day. When you go to (some other tree places) and just see the trees piled up with no water, after a certain amount of time that becomes a fire hazard. When the needles dry up, the tree will light up like a matchstick.

Here is my source for this article. 


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