Tag: knitting

A few days ago, I posted about the feeding station for the birds. This morning when I entered the kitchen and looked out, it wasn’t there. Upon closer examination, the pole was pulled over, the feeders emptied and some minor damage. It doesn’t look like the doings of a bear, but probably a raccoon climbed the pole and was too heavy toppling it. All the sunflower seed and the new suet cake were gone, the suet cage bent and the lid ripped off. The pole was stood back up and anchored with rocks as the fork like prongs that stabilize it in the soil are bent, the feeders cleaned up, repaired, and refilled. I guess one of my new evening duties is going to be to go out and gather the feeders and bring them in to the garage for the night from now on.

Yesterday afternoon, I did go out to work on the fencing and realized that it is too much for me to do by myself, so instead, I finished rebuilding the garden boxes. Several years ago, I purchased cedar raised bed boxes from Home Depot. The box assembly as a grooved post and the boards fit in the grooves. That assembly did not hold up well. I have been taking them apart, and using outdoor deck screws, fastening the boards to the outside of the post, making the boxes slightly smaller but sturdier. One box needs leveling before I can finish filling them with compost to planting. If I ever succeed in getting rid of the mint that I foolishly planted in one several years ago, there will be a blank spot in the garden as I removed that box to make mint removal easier. The box failed to contain the mints and mint is in the aisles and beginning to appear in adjacent boxes. Lesson learned.

The area to the right of the lowest box and barrels will be a corn patch. I rarely plant corn unless it is popcorn in a three sisters garden, but decided to try some sweet corn this year.

The peas are coming up nicely, I am happy to see. Still no sign of spinach and the flat started in the house several days ago is also not germinating, it might be a poor batch of seed.

With the warmth comes the Carpenter bees. I had left the traps up overwinter and dumped the contents early this week. They are already filling up. We don’t usually see them until mid May. This is indeed a weird year for the climate.

As the day cooled and the sun was low, I took my walk down our rural road. Nothing new to see, the calves were not where I could see them from the road, but I did find a branch with many shelf fungi on it.

Once dark has fallen, I retire to my easy chair and knit or spin. My current project is a lacy skinny scarf out of hand spun wool and silk for my daughter. It was in my lap along with my needle case and I realized that they nicely coordinated.

I am determined to get at least one run of fence between the chicken pen and the garden stable today so that I can let the hens clean up that side of the garden area. The forecast is for it to get into the 80’s today in March.

UFO’s

In crafting terms, that is unfinished objects. The past week has been finishing those WIP (works in progress), making the UFO’s, finished objects. There was a skinny scarf on the needles for daughter and a hat that I started in mid February. Both were worsted weight hand spun yarn. Both are finished and blocked (though the photo is prior to that occurring). The hat went into the shop. The scarf is sitting here as I try to figure out how to get it to her without contacting her or her kids. It may get mailed.

One of my travel projects became a stay at home project, a narrow triangular scarf, pattern is Easy Goes It by Finicky Creations. The yarn is Lollipop Yarn, Whirling Dervish sock weight that I won as a door prize.


Each block of the blocking mats is 12″, so the scarf is nearly 6′ long and about 16″ deep at the point of the triangle. It was made with unknown plan. I have too many knits in similar colors for my wardrobe, but it is washable, so a potential gift for a family member or an addition to the shop.

Now that all the needles are cleared, another skein or two will be tackled, a hat with a cabled frog in apple green is planned for the shop and a lacy skinny scarf for daughter. She wears lots of black and white and uses the skinny scarves to accent her work outfits without adding too much weight and can help keep the back of her neck warm from air conditioning drafts.

Spinning for an hour or so on the drop spindles to make the fiber last as long as possible is part of the daily activity.

I’m about halfway through reading The Dollmaker. It is a book I have wanted to read for a long time. The copy I am reading is from eldest son’s extensive library and is a paperback that is older than he is, so it is yellowed and fragile, but care is being taken with it and I am thoroughly enjoying it. It will be returned to their library next time we are able to visit.

The seed starts are doing well. I’m awaiting a series of warmer days to sow some lettuce, radishes, and some direct sowed Chinese cabbages. I have three half barrels that held herbs last year that are close to the back deck, they are going to be my salad garden this spring.

Fun times, Fun folks

I left early Thursday morning in light snow to travel west to my weekend retreat. These retreats are to quote a friend who was there, are like family reunions but with people who aren’t related. This one was smaller and I got to know a few folks who were only names and faces at the other larger ones. Because this retreat was in Jonesborough, TN, many of the folks that attend these events live there, or within an hour of there, so we had a variety of drop ins for a morning or afternoon, and the organizer couple, plus 4 or 5 that were there most of the weekend. We had real snow, a few inches worth on Friday and it was beautiful, and warm enough that it didn’t stay on the roads for more than an hour.

We had dyeing lessons, fleece scouring lessons, machine carding reminders, knitting, weaving, socializing.

Today when I left for home, it was sunny and mid 50s. My car stayed parked at the B & B where 3 of us stayed all weekend. It was only a few blocks walk to the event location. When I got ready to move my frosted over car this morning to the site so I could pack up my wheel and basket of fiber, I noticed a very low tire. Before I packed up, I pulled out the little compressor that runs on the car battery and reinflated the tire, but it took so long that the compressor drained the battery enough that the car wouldn’t start. I got jumped, loaded and headed for home around 1 p.m. It is just about a 3 hour trip if uneventful. There was a wicked accident just after I got back into Virginia. A large pickup truck looked like King Kong had grabbed the front and back bumpers and twisted it and a flat bed tow truck was way up the embankment skewered by a tree. That had brought traffic to a very slow stop and go roll and added some travel time.

Looking at my weekend’s production, it looks like I spent more time socializing than spinning or knitting.

There was too much good food, too much junk food, lots of laughs, hugs, and fun. I am renewed, restored, and ready to return to routine. I so appreciate my love being willing to stay and critter sit so I can do this a couple times a year.