Settling Down April 20, 2010

The raised garden beds have been in for almost two weeks and are starting to settle down. They don’t stink as much, as evidenced by Amy, Queen of the Poo, shown below. She loves rolling in it on sunny days. Disgusting cat 🙂

I’ve planted a few things: a borage and greek basil I bought recently, and some lettuce seedings that were just-about-big-enough. The plan was to interplant with strawberries, but the mushroom compost is quite alkaline – pH of around 8.5 when I tested it fresh! Hopefully that will go down over time or I”ll have to add some sulphur. Strawberries like slightly acidic conditions so I’m thinking instead maybe I’ll put  them in pots on the front veranda. Besides watering my seeds and watching them germinate and grow (marginally more interesting than watching grass grow) I haven’t done a lot to the garden.

I have finished Stupid Shawl. Only stupid because it took SO FREAKING LONG to finish. The pattern is actually really nice, and is exactly what it says it it – a simple yet effective shawl!200g of 4ply in a straight either stockinette or garter stitch really did my head in after  a while though. My fault for deciding to double the pattern, really. I like the finished product though, in the end:

To recover I’m doing some much shorter projects for a while including some quick presents, a slouchy beret for me and a cream Biggles scarf for Pilot Boy as a congratulatory present for when he gets his private pilot’s licence very soon 🙂 Actually it’s a nice suave herringbone pattern but I”m calling it a Biggles scarf. Dammit. I’ve also ordered stupid amounts of yarn lately. Bendigo Woollen Mills have brought out this cashmere blend that is rather lovely and soft…and I’ve somehow ordered 43 (just added them up…oh dear) balls over 3 orders. *scuffs feet* they’re only 50g balls…ahem. Not to mention the lovely 4 skeins of Lush yarn that are staring at me, waiting to be put away. It’s infinitely pettable. Do they have a Yarn Anonymous? My name is Wendy, and I have a problem.

The garden takes a back seat March 30, 2010

I took the day off work today. Looks like another virus was sneaky and took hold while my immune system was busy elsewhere. Since I’m confined to the couch I spent the day knitting my first shawl – it’s just a simple triangle  (version of this one) but the colourway I chose is rather…pink. No idea why I seem to choose bright freaking pinks for my big projects. Can’t wait til it’s finished though. It’ll be the last time I do a project with 200g of 4ply! I’m also working on one of Kelley Deal’s bags. Yes, Kelley Deal from The Breeders is a rabid knitter and designs bags and this is proof (in my eyes) that knitters are indeed the coolest kids. Now if only Kim Deal would come out and announce that she’s a closet crocheter my theory would be complete.

I started ripping up the paving on the weekend. The design has changed yet again into a kind of space invaders like shape to avoid the soakwell altogether. The unbonded bricks seem to be working ok so far so there’s a win. I spent way too much on another Diggers order as well, but soon a cherry, two peaches, an apricot and a plum tree will be winging this way along with some more strawberries, a replacement guava (I shall not kill you this time, little bush) and some hybrid echinaceas. The free seeds this month included Warrigal Greens, which I love – a native spinach that’s pretty drought and salt tolerant and makes an excellent groundcover. The leaves need to be blanched before eating – they can be poisonous raw.

Back to the Never-Ending Shawl, more Project Runway and even more nurofen plus.