grandmas-bits and pieces: favourite season

My favourite season is Spring , the time when the earth comes alive after the bleakness of winter.

Now is this gorgeous or is it? Spring awakens us and presents us with beauty and a new time to live.
Spring is going fast right now but soon will evolve into summer, an extreme season of hot weather.

Ray and I had a fine day, lunch at the mall, a sandwich and some salad. It was good . Then we walked around part of the mall for a bit of exercise. After that we went to the Crossings to London Drugs for a few items and Ray bought his lottery ticket for the weekend draw. Good luck to him!

Then we just came home and I had my afternoon nap. I feel like a baby having to have a nap most days but I get quite sleepy in the afternoon. Too bad I wish I were different but then you have to go with what you've got. I felt fine when I woke up.

Photo time.

Here is a magical old treadle sewing machine. The name appears to be Elgin , not Singer. This is the kind of machine I first encountered when I was young. It was not my mom's because she did not sew. I am not sure whose it was but I remember the machine LOL. I lived once with a Native lady who used one of these machines converted for winding real wool right off the sheep's back. She used the place on the far right as a spindle for winding the wool. And she used the treadle to make it all work. then she would design Native designs on graph paper and make these designs in wool on the sweaters she knit. They were real Indian sweaters that she made. She was a fascinating woman. this was a long time ago in the 1950s decade.
Here is the story of the Cowichan sweater as it is called.

The Cowichan Sweater Story

THE COWICHAN STORY originates in the Cowichan Valley on rugged Vancouver Island. Traditionally, this is a region where its people lived in an outdoor society. This habitat required clothing that could stand up to outdoor living as well as protect the wearer against the elements. This is the home of the Cowichan sweater. The versatility of this sweater allows it to be as warm as an overcoat and as dry as a raincoat. Authentic Cowichan Sweaters are produced by Canada's West Coast Salish Natives in the Cowichan Valley. Although other producers attempt to duplicate the Cowichan Sweater none can surpass the quality of the original producers.

No two sweaters are alike. The fleeces come in natural colors and shades of brown, black and white. As the black sheep matures, the wool changes from brown to gray with aging, like human hair. All of the dark shades in 'Genuine Cowichan' sweaters come from this unique black sheep and are not dyed. For over one hundred years Salish women have been knitting clothes and blankets for their families. The wool is carefully carded to prevent damage to the fibers and is still hand spun. The sweaters are hand-knitted with this pure, un-dyed, virgin wool. The natural oils are left in the wool of the authentic Cowichan Sweater to retain the water-resistant qualities of wool. The Cowichan Sweater is a lifetime purchase. If it is properly cared for, it will last for years and years. Some people have passed their Cowichan Sweater on to their children for many more years of warm and comfortable use. For attractive outdoor wear that is always in fashion the Cowichan Sweater is perfect. This is a gift that has been presented to royalty and heads of state. The following lines of beautiful, hand-knit sweaters come in a variety of geometric patterns, animals, birds, fish or whale images. Each sweater represents hours of hard work and painstaking labor.

This is just as I remember it. Bessie did all those things in her basement.

Here is one of the sweaters.