Seeds and Stuff - February 2019

It's so good to be able to start spending proper time in the garden again - spring is warming up nicely.  These photos of course are from February when it was freezing!

It was really rewarding to get cracking on tidying up and, if nothing else, working in the garden does keep you warm, despite what the heavens are throwing at you!

I'm not sure what Finn's looking at here - my best guess would be frogs or birds.

I did find - while tidying up - some spuds I had forgotten to dig up last autumn but the soil had clearly been warm enough and had protected them.

I've also been sowing seeds, although, apart from the grass plants - don't ask! - nothing is showing yet.  It will happen, it's still early.

Here I've got cucumber, aquilegia and marigold seeds, and chitting seed potatoes.   Fingers crossed things start happening soon!

Odds and Sods - February 2019

February was a relatively quiet month - the first half was taken up with revision and being desperate to get out into the garden.

Finn helped a lot with my revision, bless him!

And he was also happy to get out into the garden with me on the days I'd really had enough of studying and was desperate to go and cut things down in rage!

Amanda's stayed over a few times this month and Finn always loves his cuddles with her.

I finally started my swirl cardigan but it's completely flummoxed me, to the point that I have no idea how to sew it up!   It's a very strange construction and knitted all in one go with only one seam for the whole thing.   I need to have a look at this again when I can concentrate and will not be too easily distracted!

Loving my spring daffodils.

I have been privileged to see a number of murmurations either on my walk home from work, or from my own back garden as they come over my house.   It's fabulous to watch the starlings swooping, gaining momentum and flying in a mass.   Stunning.

Finn and I went and stayed at the caravan with Andy for Valentines day, hence the heart shaped malteser cake and the prosecco!   And the random duck egg too.

Once I'd finished (but not sewn up!) the swirl cardigan, I decided to make something simple so went for a pair of socks - which I managed to match up too for a change!

Finn and I have had lots of lovely walks - although very sunny, it's also been very cold, so I've been wrapped up well.

My temperature blanket is coming along nicely and I'm loving the woven appearance of it.   Fascinating to watch the colours changing with the weather.

And of course, it's all about Finn!

Made or Grown - February 2019

I'm feeling much happier about my made or grown project now, even though I'm not documenting it so much.  But I really feel like I'm succeeding at this and I'm not so worried about having photographic evidence.   (Probably just as well!)

1 February 2019 - Amanda and I went to a Rowan fashion show down in Suffolk, as part of Rowan's 40th anniversary celebrations.  We were encouraged to wear our own Rowan knitwear, so I wore my snowflake jumper, although conscious that it wasn't made with Rowan wool.  Luckily, the Rowan representative wasn't too sniffy about the fact I'd used traitorous wool yarn - and, to be fair, I wasn't the only culprit!

9 February 2019 - while tidying up the front garden, I discovered a few cape gooseberries still to be eaten and I've since bought my seeds for this year.

13 February 2019 - my John Arbon neck warmer - it's just so soft.

14 February 2019 - this neck warmer has had a LOT of wear!

28 February 2019 - I do love this cardigan, although I'm less than enamoured of those bags under my eyes.  Not good.

Other People's Gardens - January 2019

The gardening hasn't really stopped for me this year - I only had a break of about three weeks over Christmas and New Year.   The weather has been very mild though so there's been plenty to do in the gardens, including chopping back, pruning and lifting and moving plants around the garden.

The weather wasn't too mild this day though - the temperature gauge in my car read minus 2!

I've been doing a lot of chopping back of herbaceous perennials - including this Sedum - to take the growth back to the new green buds coming up at ground level.   I do love this time of year.

Odds and Sods - January 2019

January was all about walks with Finn, spending time with Andy, and knitting!

I am determined to do more dressmaking this year, so have organised my sewing space - kind of.   It would be organised if I hadn't completely covered it in stuff that I have nowhere else for!   I WILL tidy this up - the Sewing Bee is back on TV and is really inspiring me to get sewing again.

I've had my first commission of the year - this set of gansey bunting in shades of grey and pink - I actually really like it, although they would not normally be my choice of colours.  They look fab.

As part of my tidying process - not going so well, it has to be said! - Andy has fitted more cup hooks to the dresser top for my new Wallace and Gromit mugs.  I do love them but am terrified of using and breaking them, so they're basically just for show!!

I've seen Andy a number of weekends already this year - at the beginning of January, we had a trip to the Diss auction rooms and obviously came back with more stuff we need to find homes for.  Why do I never learn?!

Andy and I took Finn over the marshes on a very cold day at the beginning of January - one of our favourite places to walk and so near to the house.

Andy was in charge of cooking that weekend!

It's not often you see highland cattle paddling in the Wensum in Norfolk!   This is another of our favourite walks for Finn and me.

Andy bought me John Arbon Textile Mill membership for Christmas and, as part of my welcome package, I received this beautiful yarn and made myself a neck warmer - it's been so cold!

Shannon made me this beautiful blanket for Christmas and it now adorns the back of my sofa.  I have spent many happy hours snuggled underneath it while revising for my final horticulture exam - not to mention the hours spent snoozing underneath it also!

This is the start of the temperature blanket that I am making - I'm using moss stitch design so that it looks almost woven, rather than knitted.  I have allocated fifteen colours to fifteen different ranges of temperature and am really excited to see how this will grow over the year.  It's fascinating stuff.

A couple of years ago, Amanda bought me a beautiful fair isle hat kit but I have to admit I've been too terrified to make it. But this year I've plucked up the courage and made a draft using old scraps of wool before making it with the wool that came with the kit.  I have to say I'm absolutely delighted with it and feel very proud of myself - fair isle and a circular needle!

But of course, as usual, everything is about Finn!