From flax to linnen, part 1

 After a long snowy winter, spring came cold and wet. Drizzly days followed one after the other. But one day it was suddenly there, summer heat! Deep blue skies and the sun's rays caressed the earth. The greenery exploded overnight. Hawthorn, lilac, and apple trees sprouted and bloomed, and our whole garden was covered in the delicious sweet floral scents.

On one of these beautiful spring days, somewhere at the end of April, a bag of flaxseeds arrived in our mailbox. I had signed up for a textile museums project here in Sweden. These send everyone who participates enough seeds for 1 squaremeter, with a newsletter about the history of flax and linen, how to sow, harvest and process. Until the late 1800s, linen was an important crop, especially for making undergarments. Later this was completely taken over by cotton, which could be produced more easily and cheaper. Now almost no flax is grown for linen anymore and so an important handicraft is lost and with this project they hope that the knowledge will be preserved.

Now that the white wagtail, which symbolizes the sowing time, has arrived again, it is time to sow my square meter. The birds were chirping in the hazel bushes that began to sprout along our homestead and the first bumblebees buzzed by. I had taken a good look at the garden to find a nice spot for my flax, preferably sunny and not fertilized. Finally I sowed them near the well. Soon the green stalks were sticking up from the black ground and just as the hay harvest was in full swing, the flax was blooming so beautifully! The frail blue flowers swayed in a warm summer breeze. I wasn't the only one who enjoyed it, bumblebees, and all sorts of other insects loved it too.

Summer was slowly coming to an end and the last flowers of the flax had finished blooming and the seed pods started to rattle and it was time to harvest the flax. The sheaves were then allowed to dry upside down in the shed. Then it was time to the rippling, that is, to remove the seed pods from the flax. Unfortunately I didn't have a very nice ripple comb, but it went well with an old mane comb from the ponies grooming box. Now I can sow 5-6 square meters next year!

I put the flax stalks on the lawn after the rippling. Neatly spread out so that all stems are in front of them and all root ends are in the same direction. They have to stay in the wind and weather for ten days and then you turn them over to "rot" them for a few more days. After this, the flax is ready to be processed into real linen. More on that later

Grow your own hat, sowing rye

A light autumn breeze has picked up this morning, the trees sway gently back and forth. The warm rays of the sun caress my face and the first yellow autumn leaves flutter around me. Clouds glide past against the clear blue sky. It's already the end of September! The hectic days of summer have flown by.

Most of the harvest has already come in from the garden, and the last flowers are in full bloom, until the first frost takes the life out of them. I made the cultivation bed ready to sow my rye today. With the hoe I make shallow furrows. The mixed scents of the freshly turned earth, the sweet scent of the fallen apples give a feeling of satisfaction. 

When I sow the seeds a little later, the silence is broken by the geese's loud cackling. Such a large V-formation of geese is always fascinating to see (and hear). I think they are so wise that they know exactly when the cold will come and then fly south. I wish them a good trip and look after them until they become smaller and smaller dots on the horizon. This makes me realize that winter is really just around the corner, despite the still mild temperatures. With the rake I work the seeds underneath and now I have to wait.

But in my mind I can already see the rye, waving in a calm summer breeze, and then after the harvest I see myself sitting on the porch. To carefully braid and sew the straws together into a new hat for me or my husband .... But that is the future. Let me now just make sure that the potatoes and other root vegetables come into storage.

cleaning the carpet in the snow

Outside, the world has been white for almost 4 weeks and it is cracking cold this morning. The thermometer read -18 celsius early this morning and the stove has to work hard to get and keep the little house warm. The mornings are the worst, when you have to get out of your warm bed into the cold. Break the ice in the water vessel in the kitchen to get water for the tea.

Everything is so beautiful it almost hurts, hoarfrost lies like a thick blanket over all the branches and glistens in the winter sun. Yesterday it was just as beautiful when we were working with the pony in the woods.

A little later I drag the carpet from the living room into the snow. Now that it's so cold, you can wash them just fine. It is not difficult and environmentally friendly too. It's not every year that I get the chance to do this, because apart from the frost and preferably cold, you need soft powder snow. Earlier in the year we already had snow, but it was too wet and lumpy, so it won't work. Most I know let the mat hang outside for a while before they put it in the snow so that it cools down well and the snow doesn't melt but that is not necessary for me... It was still cold enough after last night ....

Both sides of the carpet get their turn with snow and the brush. I throw shovels full of snow on the carpet and brush it off again, drag the carpet to a clean spot and repeat a few more times until I get too cold. I drag the carpet to the porch where I hang it over the balustrade and knock out the last of the snow. The mat is now completely fluffy again and shines with radiant deep colors and smells so clean and fresh.

After I have cleaned the rest of the living room, I roll up the carpet and take it inside. Now the living room is cozy and homely again. The sun shines nicely through the windows.

 

As the days lengthen, I long for the promises and expectations that spring will bring. Birds flutter to and fro, singing a shy tone on this cold winter day. As if they know that winter will now slowly fade away. Cold days and nights will certainly come, but if you take a deep breath you can already smell the scent of spring.

Winter wonderland

The little house was now covered in snow. A small plume of smoke rose from the chimney. The branches of the big spruce trees groaned under the weight of their white burden. Yes, now winter had really set in here in the north.

Homestead kitchen

New Years Eve had slipped by almost unnoticed and so the 12 days of Christmas with all its accompanying festivities were behind us.

Since the summer we have been renovating our homestead kitchen, part of which you have already read in this blog, the renovation part 1 . We have recently covered the rough beams with paneling. In addition to the tongue and groove, these planks have an extra ridge. This type of wallcovering was widely used in Swedish kitchens from the late 1800s and certainly into the 1930s.

I thought it was funny that I had already determined the colors for the new kitchen and that while sanding the door we found out that it had also been in this color before. Then it had to be right ;) After the wall was finished, we could start on the kitchen cabinets. And now we have a real Pettson kitchen :)

Now this half of the kitchen is almost ready and we can continue this year with the other half, where a door has to be moved, replace a door, then the floor could use a lick of paint and the finish between the wall and the ceiling ... But it's slowly starting to take shape.

winter wonderland

The sky is gray and heavy. Here and there a flake flutters down. With every step my shoes sink deeply. Except for the crunch of the snow under our shoes, it is dead quiet. The pony effortlessly pulls the fully loaded sled to the barn, where there is already a mountain of logs. Gradually, the flakes begin to thicken and fall closer together. I hold up my hand and catch a few, the little crystals glistening in my hand. Welcome to winter wonderland.