It’s still a few weeks away from the time to start any seeds indoors – but that doesn’t mean I can’t do garden stuff…

I thought I’d sworn off the Winter Sow method when I discovered seed snails, but apparently not.

As a quick refresh (and for anyone new), I’ve grown (or attempted to grow) plants using the winter sow method on and off for the last 10 years or so (since I first discovered it). While I initially had good results, they haven’t been as great since we moved here. Last year, I managed a couple of small lupin plants, and that was it. After trying seed snails last year, I decided that was the way to go from now on.

But then I got those seeds from the Ottawa Wildflower Seed library.

Quite a few of them require a period of cold stratification. This basically just means the seeds need to be cold for a while before they will grow – which makes total sense for plants that evolved here! Now – I could stick them in the fridge for a while, but I thought why not give winter sow one last whirl.

So now there are four little mini upcycled green houses tucked away in between the raised beds in Potager Parlour. If you cant make out the labels, we have Joe Pye Weed, St. John’s Wort, Hair Beardtongue and Pearly Everlasting. I’ve had that last one in the garden before (in the catio, and the cats kept laying on it) but the others are all new.

Hopefully, using native plant seeds will give me better results with this method than I’ve had in the past couple years.

And in a few more weeks…. we’ll start some seeds snails… LOTS AND LOTS of seed snails!!!

For info on the Winter Sow method – go here

For info on Seed Snails – go here.

Over the last couple of weeks, the temps have remained consistently around freezing or a little above. We even had several days with rain (and a couple thunder storms!). That means the snow has been steadily melting. Enough for the cats to get out and moving around the catio again. (There’s been several feet piled up in there for at least month)

With the melting snow, we found a few forgotten toys…

So Lemmy got a little spring fever….

Literally!

I’ve been working on the Easter sock every spare moment.

In fact, I’m almost to the toe. I’m not loving working with the cotton – but the colours are making it worth dealing with. I expect to have the second sock started soon.

Sunday saw me back in the studio, using up the rest of the scraps I’d cut from the Blockhead quilt. As a reminder, the pattern line is called “Sketchbook” by Tula Pink.

I had an idea of how I wanted to use the blocks, it was just a matter of laying them out to make sure I had enough.

Rupert decided to help with that. And then, as soon as I turned my back….

He and Lemmy decided to trash the place. (There’s a video up on the Bearbottom Facebook page if you’re interested…)

Once they got their yayas out and settled down again, I got everything reorganized…

And things went pretty smoothly from there on out.

(I think he’s repentant for being a trouble maker… but then again he’s probably just pretending)

As you can see, I bordered it all with solid white just to give the eye a bit of a rest.

Since I was working with leftovers, I didn’t fussy cut the blocks, but still managed to get at least the head of each animal in each square.

I made a scrappy binding to get the edge a little pizzaz. I don’t have a backing picked out for this one yet. I have to go stash diving. I know I have some black and white flannel, but I was saving that for another quilt. I guess I have some decisions to make!

It didn’t have ANY snoopervisors this weekend, and I think that might have contributed to a lower level of stitching productivity*…

I got the spiderwebs finished, and added all the orange bits, but that about it.

All the candles are lit, and the pumpkin eyes are glowing. It’s the little details that really make this sampler!

*In truth, I can’t blame the snoopervisors. I didn’t stitch Sunday night, opting instead to get a jump on the work week and do a few tasks from my day job instead.

** And for those that admired my tights in yesterday’s post – you can get them, and many other fun patterns – here.

True to my word, I did set aside the sock and turn my attention back to the shrug. I undid the cast off and ravelled it all apart pretty quickly.I picked up the stitches again, this time increasing to about 2/3 more than the pattern called for. It actually didn’t take too long to get it all re-knit again – even at the higher stitch count.

And I’m so glad I did up it…

It lays and looks so much better now.

I do have to say, I miss having my celebrity photographer close by (aka Mom). Dave took these, and that boy just doesn’t not seem to know my best angles! But you’re here for the shrug, not for me, so I’ll just have to keep my vanity in check.

Back to the shrug

The pattern is “Shrug“. It’s only one size, and other than adding stitches to the body ribbing, I knit it as directed in the pattern. A very easy knit.

The yarn is Liberty Wool that I got at Value Village for just $6. Colour is 7972-Teal Chameleon. And it’s certainly fun! It’s something that’s a bit outside my normal fashion wheel house. I’ve only got a handful of dresses that will work with it. But it’s certainly helped cheer me up through the grey January/February doldrums. And it’s definitely nice and warm to wear!

I still have a couple balls left, and I’m thinking it would make a nice hat. But first – I’m going back to those Easter socks!

With the weather up around freezing, it’s much easier to be outside. So the other day, I soaked up some sunshine and enjoyed the antics of my favourite little garden friend.

I am happy to say, that the new cactus is blooming again.

And this time I got pictures!!! Aren’t they pretty? They almost don’t look real. They don’t last very long, just a day or two. But they are very welcome while they are there.

Upstairs in my office, I have this small-leafed hoya. It’s my happiest hoy. And I know that because it blooms every few months or so.

It has two little bunches this time. They aren’t quite open, but they are close. You can see by my hands how tiny the flowers are. They are just plain white – not as showy as some other hoyas, but I love them none the less. They don’t last super long either. One day I’ll come in and they will all have fallen to my desktop (usually all over my keyboard). But I enjoy every minute they are there.

And last… the only orchid with a bloom stem is taking it’s sweet time. But as you can see, we are slowly getting closer to actual flowers! They may even come before spring!

Poor Rupert – he really can’t get a break with the others trying to takeover his Hello Kitty bed. I woke up the other morning to discover this…

Furby! Who usually prefers to spend the night in my chair in the livingroom!

But now that’s he’s discovered the delights of the HK bed… that might just change.

Those of you that guessed that I would cast on a sock before re-tackling the ribbing on the shrug were right.

This ball of yarn (Katia Bombay) has been sitting on my table since I picked it up at the thrift store a few weeks ago. The colours were so bright and cheerful… and I found a hole in yet another pair of socks..

I decided I would cast on – the shrug can wait another day or two.

As you can see, I made some decent progress. The colours were so Easter Egg like, I just had to make them in a pattern that rippled a little, so I’m using my Undine pattern.

The yarn is a cotton/wool/nylon mix, which isn’t my favourite to knit with, but it’s not too bad. I had another pair of socks with a similar mix, and they did wear well so I’m hoping these will be similar.

As you can see, I got quite a bit done – I’m only a few rows away from finishing the gusset. But… I do have to get back to the shrug, so these will be put down for a little bit.

But not too long… when Dave and I were out on Valeintines day, he bought me some yarn. The colourway is called Midnight Orchid… and I really can’t wait to see how they knit up!