winter | Gunsmoke and Knitting

Posts Tagged ‘winter’

Why am I waiting for the next freeze?

February 6, 2016

When it gets really cold outside, at -25C/-13F, soap bubble mixtures freeze faster than they pop, making for some very fascinating effects! Watch the video…

“When it gets this cold, I can often be found outside my house, bubble blower in one hand and camera in the other (I think my neighbours have gotten used to this sort of behaviour by now).

However, frozen bubble are still very fragile creatures, so I’ve experimented with different recipes to create a durable bubble wall that won’t pop in the slightest breeze; dish soap for the bubbling, corn syrup to thicken the wall and sugar to help crystallization. I let the mixture chill in the freezer to help speed up the freezing once outside:
– 200ml warm water
– 35ml corn syrup
– 35ml dish soap
– 2tbs sugar
– chill in the freezer

One other piece of advice … dress warm! It’s cold out there!

This video is in real-time … no time lapse.”

reblogged with thanks from Chris Ratzlaff via WordlessTech

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged freezing, soap bubbles, whimsey, winter | 2 Comments »

What it tattoo Tuesday about?

February 4, 2014

Today is King Frost Day – which harkens back to the Little Ice Age when temperatures in northern hemisphere, at least, were below normal. This led to freezing in areas such as London, which were not normally so affected by the deep cold of winter. Frost fairs were held that are reminiscent of other modern and ancient festivals held in the depth of winter. These gatherings provided activity and entertainment, yet were probably rooted in other ancient festivals that marked not so much the long nights of winter as at the Solstice, but the hope that the warmth of the sun would not be too long in returning.

Today (February 4th) is King Frost Day, when the people of London used to celebrate the harbinger of the winter freeze by holding frost fairs on the frozen River Thames. Before embankment, when the river was wider and therefore flowed much slower, it would freeze in winter. Between the 15th century and early 19th century – a period known as the Little Ice Age – temperatures were much lower than they are now, and, during the Great Frost of 1683–84 (the worst recorded in England), the Thames was completely frozen for two months, with the ice reaching a thickness of 11 inches. People could easily walk from one side of the river to the other.

From the blog Prehistoric Shamanism

These are my frost photos from this morning: