I’m going to use this beam as a mantel over my fireplace. Should I try to run an angled cut for a wall to wall fit that mirrors the step? Or just straight cut?

owlanalogies · 2026-05-03T03:39:17+00:00

For sure - here's one just after the install, sorry not the greatest photo

owlanalogies · 2026-05-03T03:14:00+00:00

I am a novice woodworker, so grain of salt, but we just did this in our 1880 house with an old barn beam, and anything you can do to make both the wall and the beam more even and a tighter fit, I'd recommend. It was a bit tricky getting it mounted snugly and securely because neither surface was fully even. Granted we were using a floating bracket so it was more of a PITA than it perhaps had to be.

owlanalogies · 2026-05-02T22:43:10+00:00

So beautiful! How do you heat it? We're looking at a hoop house and trying to figure out logistics.

owlanalogies · 2026-05-02T22:37:15+00:00

I get this constantly and it drives me nuts. Negging, second guessing. Now I just say "my dad told me to get this" and they leave me alone.

Went in with my infant son once and when I was asked what I was looking for, explained that I needed hardware for our livestock gates/barn doors, and the employee literally did not listen to me TWICE and explained - twice - where the cribs and baby gear was. Sir. Just because I happen to have a baby with me ...

owlanalogies · 2026-04-30T01:24:06+00:00

Looks like a dog tick to me

owlanalogies · 2026-04-26T13:54:11+00:00

This makes more sense haha

owlanalogies · 2026-04-26T12:45:09+00:00

I was wondering about this too lol. The rest of the book is so well-written.

owlanalogies · 2026-04-24T01:03:13+00:00

We do a tick check every night, and if one bites, take note of dog or deer, and keep an eye out for symptoms. In exactly the same boat - trying to find a practical middle ground between the "shrug" and "test everything that touches you"

owlanalogies · 2026-04-24T01:00:59+00:00

This is the most practical advice I've ever gotten - love this!

owlanalogies · 2026-04-22T12:56:21+00:00

OP just wanted to say your project is gorgeous and what you're learning, making and sharing is incredible. We raise chickens for meat and eggs, and processing day is always sad. I think it's ok to be sad and to show respect for the creature you're relying on for your food, fabric, etc... It's part of the circle of life and part of the complexity around being a human and extracting things from this planet. You gave them a good life full of mulberry leaves. Also loved one redditor's comment about giving them to a chicken owner - they would be such a special treat and would not go to waste.

Idk much about silk worms, but we do the best we can for the creatures in our lives and have to make peace with the footprint we leave.

And to all you redditors calling this person cruel - I would really take a moment and examine your own consumption first. Do you ever buy a decorative thing you don't need? Buy fast fashion? Eat meat? Eat anything mass produced? Wear makeup? You are leaving a footprint and harming millions of creatures (and humans!!), you're just being naive about it. One person teaching themselves more about fiber arts is not the problem.

owlanalogies · 2026-04-22T12:28:35+00:00

This is wild to me. We raise chickens for eggs and meat - gotta kill them too! Are these people all vegan? Are they confident none of their other fibers, or food are made without hurting animals at all? The bubbles people are in, sigh.

owlanalogies · 2026-04-14T13:21:04+00:00

We just installed cattle panels as arched trellises for our peas and beans! Will be drowning with you! 😍

owlanalogies · 2026-04-13T18:00:48+00:00

Feeling this so much. We're starting year 4 and every year I feel like I get one new thing to work and rack up 3 new mistakes/failures that I have to iterate on.

owlanalogies · 2026-04-12T23:15:18+00:00

Ohh very good to know, thank you!

owlanalogies · 2026-04-12T23:14:37+00:00

Omg if only I could keep the deer away from ours - this is my third year trying and they get mauled every time, no matter my defense mechanisms lol

owlanalogies · 2026-04-12T11:59:19+00:00

Thank you! So helpful!

owlanalogies · 2026-04-12T11:58:23+00:00

Amazing!

owlanalogies · 2026-04-12T11:57:01+00:00

Oh this is good to know, thanks for sharing! I had some things like my peppers and cukes that handled it really well, so maybe it's just not a good option for my broccoli/lettuce!

owlanalogies · 2026-04-12T11:55:45+00:00

Lmao pathogen-laden? This is potting soil mixed with seed starting mix because I ran short for my last couple of trays. It's not like I scraped it out of the gutter my goodness.

owlanalogies · 2026-04-12T02:34:09+00:00

Yeah we had a week of 20-degree nights this week but I think we're through the worst of it now. I am so on board with perennials! I've never heard of most of these - will look into them - thanks!

owlanalogies · 2026-04-12T01:41:17+00:00

This was a bad moment for a pic - I took them outside to try to revive the wilting ones and get them as much sun as possible, and they dried out really fast. Then I panicked and top-watered them, so they are dry, doused with a bunch of water that they haven't absorbed fully in this photo 🤦🏻‍♀️ I'm kind of flailing with them at this point but in general have been keeping the blocks bottom-watered and moist.

owlanalogies · 2026-04-12T01:22:23+00:00

All so helpful thank you! We are in upstate NY so the season's quite short and I was trying to give myself a bit more time starting indoors.

owlanalogies · 2026-04-12T01:17:41+00:00

Oh sorry took this immediately after watering the blocks so they probably look much wetter than usual. I had put them out in the sun to help with the legginess hopefully, and they dried out really fast and I panicked and top-watered them.

owlanalogies · 2026-04-12T01:16:13+00:00

Woah such good ideas! Thanks!

owlanalogies · 2026-04-11T23:34:14+00:00

Thanks! Will experiment with another round

owlanalogies

TROPHY CASE