This was a crazy, busy week. I made two major treks across town to medical appointments, pulled out the power drill and made repairs to the indoor garden, polished off two books, reintroduced myself to my spinning wheel, and made some major knitting progress. People, I ordered a new phone with an awesome camera!! And in the middle of the week this other really exciting thing happened…
I’ve been cleaning out the cupboards (this is all your fault, Highland Heffalump!) and discovered some really nice roving that I bought years ago at the Interweave Yarn Fest. Look at it!! This shining softness is handpainted 50% yak/ 50% silk… about time to do something with it, don’t you think? I decided to add a little spinning to my days.
I started with the magenta roving and quickly remembered that I don’t exactly love spinning silk as it is hard for me to smoothly draft in my usual long draw, but the finished product is worth it. Right now I’m just trying to get back into the spin of things and hopefully this final yarn (which will be lumpy and pretty artistic with its uneven twist and thin stretches) will make a stunning (and arty) cowl some day. I am still thinking about how to tackle the multicolored roving… by the way, these fibers are from Greenwood Fiberworks. Anyway, Hannah thinks that the spinning is great fun and I’m starting to enjoy the zen of spinning again as I get the hang of working with the silk.
Knitting
I finished my socks and really buckled down and worked on the Goldwing sweater this week. I’m happy with the socks, and the sweater is slowly growing in spite of the exceptional assistance from my feline knitting supervisor. I have so many sweaters all kitted up waiting for me to get to them, and the cold weather is going to be gone before I know it, so I’m pretty motivated to get at least one sweater done this month. I’m more than half way through the colorwork yoke so the speed should really pick up in a few days when I’m finished with the colorwork and the sleeves stitches are placed onto holders. Of course, that’s when I get to try it on to see if it will fit…
Garden
Hannah likes to explore get into trouble in the indoor garden EVERY SINGLE TIME I work in the craft room. No wonder I’m having trouble spinning a smooth thread. She stands on the light fixtures as she climbs up onto the top shelf of plants, and wouldn’t you know it, both of those fluorescent grow light bulbs burned out last week. Funny. I wonder how that happened?
I tried to order more light bulbs online and quickly discovered that they are no longer made. I eventually decided to replace the light fixtures and bought LED grow light stands that attach to the shelves in a way that makes them virtually Hannah proof. The light is kind of a funky pink, but the plants seem happy so all is good.
The garden is pretty cheerful these days as my microgreens are looking happy (little do they know that they are going to be jumping into a blender in a couple of days when I make a smoothie…) and my newest African violets are blooming like crazy behind them. I just love that color pink! Perhaps inspired by the violets, the orchids are entering a second round of blooming and the latest plant is just now getting ready to open its buds; as an added bonus it looks like the orchid will coordinate smoothly with the blooming violets. Maybe the plants like Hannah knocking them around after all.
Books
I am completely enchanted by the Gaius Petreius Ruso mysteries. Ruso and Tilla are back in Britannia now, married and looking to settle into a new life together. Ruso wants/needs a job to make that happen, and the two of them become embroiled in a case of two missing tax collectors and the vanished taxes they were transporting when Ruso accepts a job as an investigator. This book sailed smoothly along as I listened to it while spinning and knitting, and I feel that the author has definitely hit her stride with the series. Ruso and Tilla have grown as characters, old friends have reappeared in this new plot, and the murders ( there are always murders, it seems, when Ruso is on the case…) and intertwined conspiracies are well developed and told in a straight-forward fashion that is easy to follow in an audiobook. I was up late into the early morning hours finishing this book and will be downloading the next installment in the series tonight. Hey, I have a sweater to get finished and this series is the perfect companion for me and the kitten as we work away.
Have a great week, everyone!!
Read a little, knit a little, and garden like your heart can’t live without it.
Postscript:
Yarn, Books & Roses 
Yay! I’m so relieved you’ve finally had your first jab, I’ve been called to get mine this Thursday and my first thought was hoping you’d had yours this week as it feels wrong me being high on the list here. My husband will probably have to wait until May. Yay also for spinning again and some Yak and Silk like I have been! It’s like we are kindred spirits. I love that you say the lights are almost Hannah proof, to me that sounds like a challenge she won’t back down from. I have the tiniest flower bud appearing on a new side shoot of our orchid in the bathroom that I thought was dead. It’s had no water all winter and I kept meaning to throw it out. I gave it some water with orchid feed in 2 weeks ago but the bud doesn’t seem to be opening. I think it was doing better when I ignored it and doesn’t like me staring at it. 😂
Hannah: if I can’t get to the lights I will attack the plants relentlessly…
I hope that your jab goes well! I had a sore arm the first day and then some muscle aches and a small flare of my illness in the next couple of days (it was the Pfizer vaccine), but in the aftermath I feel much better than I did before getting vaccinated. How odd is that? I’m actually looking forward to the next jab now!!
I am so happy to be spinning again I brought in an alpaca fleece and made a couple of batts on the drum carder. That will be really nice spinning once I’m done with the silk/yak, and the colors all go together as the alpaca is kind of a rose grey color. So much to do!!
Orchids don’t like too much water in their pots. It is so dry here I get away with watering it every week, but I think that if there is a lot of moisture in the air they can go a long time without direct watering. I wonder if they are made to live through a dry season since they are from a different climate than the one we give them. I bet that the bathroom is a great environment for it.
Hannah: you should get it special pink lights!! And a kitten!!
My son is in town this week and now I’m feeling guilty about not getting his Christmas quilt done yet. There is a major snowstorm coming (!!) so maybe I will get it done then.
MY gosh – what a busy week! Congratulations on your first shot! Love your spinning and knitting – both are just lovely 🙂 Also good to see Miss Hannah, as always! I have cat grass growing for my cats and keep a planter of it near their bowls – they really love it, and I think it has definitely reduced the hairball issues 🙂
Hannah: who needs cat grass when you can munch on the microgreen salad shoots…
Hannah continues to be bad in the garden and I am seriously thinking of getting her some cat grass or some wheat grass to put by her food bowl. Thanks for the good idea!! Now that the days are getting longer I am really motivated to get more things growing.
There is a major snow storm coming so I am settling down this week to get some major knitting done!!
Hannah – try it, I think you will like it!
I saw your area is expecting some snow – stay safe and warm, and hope you get lots of good knitting in!
I just watched the weather report and the expected snow totals are just nuts… as in 3″ an hour and 2 feet of snow. Hannah may experience some snow before this is over…
That is a LOT of snow! We got 8 – 10 inches last night at my house. That’s the most we have gotten all winter, which I am OK with. Hope you are all stocked up and stay in and warm!
8-10 inches is still a lot to shovel unless it is really cold. This storm that is coming in will be wet and heavy snow. They still are waffling about the amounts, but it could be as much as 20″ of snow. This is really good for the garden, but good grief, it is a lot. I have tons of food and stuff so I am good.
Oh my gosh – that is a lot of snow! I hope it isn’t that much! Ours was pretty dry and powdery, but it was still a lot to shovel 🙂
They upgraded the snow amount to 18-24 inches, but it is starting a little late so perhaps it will be less? Ugh. The dang system is going to stall right in the sweet spot to give us a three day storm…
Oh no!
Yeah… it’s already clear that I am getting more than 24 inches. I’m going down to make banana bread and a big pot of green chili now…
Wow – that is a ton of snow! That sounds like a great way to deal with it 🙂 Stay warm!
So good to see your energy has returned – and you have had your first jab.
Hannah, don’t think we buy that innocent expression.
Things are picking up!
Hannah: What?!
🙂
I LOVE your socks!!!
Thank you. It is that great yarn from Hue Loco.
they are soo cool!
Yay I’m so happy you were able to get your first shot! Your knitting progress is looking wonderful too, and that spinning looks glorious! Hannah seems to be enjoying herself with all the new plants.
It was so exciting to get in line for the shot, and the clinic was exceptionally well organized!!