« February 2024 | Main | April 2024 »
Staycation was a lot of time outside working in the garden.
Among other things, I filled thirteen compost bags with mostly blackberry canes. I also discovered the first spear of asparagus.
And today the first tulip opened.
The other project that I really wanted to do was paint the kitchen. I like this color so much better.
There were also a few naps...
Something that I consider a requirement for a good vacation/staycation.
This morning, fog.
The peach tree is worth growing for the blossoms alone.
A little knitting, it makes me think of the peach, plum and cherry blossoms.
Widget sleeping on the Field note blanket. It's been awhile since I've worked on it. I have so many projects that are in process...
Watercolor paint made with the lichen pigment.
Layered...one possible story.
Early this morning I walked along the bay...
I couldn't have asked for a better day to start my "staycation."
The colors of the sky and the water were amazing.
I had gone hoping to get a few good cloud pictures to share along with my newest book..
This is such a beautiful book.
There is a good write up about it here (The Marginalian).
Following the trail, I found this...
And the crow?
A crow brought me a present.
A red crayon that they flew in with in their beak and then dropped on the rail.
I don't usually give in and feed the birds but I felt this deserved the last crumb of scone I had...
The cats spent the day moving from sunny spot to sunny spot.
I went to the farmer's market, made pigment with the lichen dye bath, and worked in the garden for several hours.
I also pulled the pink stripe out of the sweater, redid the seam with brown yarn and have started edging the neckline with pink.
Pretty sure this is going to work.
A good day.
Both inside:
and out:
The orchid has eight flowers on it!
The shoot to the left of the tulip coming up, is a hydrangea that I took a cutting of last year and rooted. So happy about the hydrangea, it's one that grows at Mom and Dad's and is a favorite.
Also:
It started as risotto with red peppers but then roasted cauliflower, asparagus (not local but a gift), and toasted pumpkin seeds seemed like a good idea.
I was right.
Found this week while working in the garden...glad it was empty.
Noticed today, peach blossoms so close to opening.
While participating in 6 hours of online training for work today, I wound balls of yarn and then crocheted the edges of this sweater together.
The plan was to pick up stitches along the neck and make more of a yoke but I don't like it and plan on tearing the pink out.
Next thing to try...crocheting the edges together with the brown and then looking again at what would work around the neckline.
Woke up this morning to a dusting of wet snow.
By afternoon the sun was out and I had an early day to work in the garden some.
Also just a bit of stitching...
Orange.
The other question of the day was how to salvage soupy peach crisp without going to the store for ice cream.
The answer was yogurt and walnuts.
Today's sorting and arranging.
Gibson made me laugh.
There was snow for a few hours and soup for lunch.
Tomatoes from the freezer, shallots, broth, dehydrated kale, carrot, pasta, a drop of lemon juice, and cheese.
The sun came out later in the afternoon, another day with all kinds of weather.
I heated up the dye bath.
For awhile I thought it was going to be yellow; maybe it would have been if I stopped earlier. I am hoping it the color will stay pinkish but it also looks tan.
The fabric is silk and wool.
We've had high winds, snow (nothing really sticking), sun breaks, rain and a lot of clouds. This is the strangest snow, found on Tuesday morning.
Short walk today on my lunch break...
Windfall collected from the ground. I've been soaking the stringy lichen collected last week and it is making a beautiful soft yellow dye bath. Tomorrow I will heat it and add some fabric or yarn.
There are a lot of trees around where I work. When it is really windy the wind whistles.
A few Other things that I noticed.