I’ve started a new pair of socks for myself. I’m in love with this yarn, which is Honeybees and Violets Please from Bone and Birch. Other than the socks, I’m knitting on my Hansel Hap. I’ve just about talked myself into focusing on the Arrowhead Cardigan instead of casting on a new one, so that I can wear it in the fall.
My garden is exploding. This is the middle, where there’s a lot going on. I accidentally broke off a pea shoot yesterday while weeding, so I ate it. It was delicious!
Full length of the garden. Elderberries in front. I’m not sure how well they’ll do here, but we’ll give it a try. The sunflower transplants are struggling in the back. I found out what happened to all my seedlings back there. Slugs!
For Mother’s Day and my birthday, Bob put together a flower bed for me out of some old wood he found in the barn. We went to the local garden center yesterday, and while I did get the foxgloves and coral bells I wanted to attract hummingbirds, the bed is looking a little sparse. We’ll see how these do. The smaller two are ground cover, so maybe they’ll spread out.
I did get the lilac bush I wanted, and a rose bush too! I didn’t really want yellow roses, but these had the best scent so I couldn’t resist. I also got hollyhocks, coneflowers, and a Joe Pye Weed for under the bird feeders.
I’m trying out wool pellets in the lilac and rose bush plantings to condition the soil, along with some compost. I’d like to add the wool pellets to the vegetable garden, but I’m going to wait until it needs a feed.
These lilacs smell so good! I have a small bouquet by my bedside.
My new podcast episode is up for The Just Craft! I had a wonderful visit at Tarheelbilly Farm, and am releasing the episode in two parts. I am so grateful to Charis and her husband Ben for spending time with me. It was a lovely day.
The sheep in front is Hollis, whose fleece I knit my Paris Toujours Shawl with. I met Hollis! And a few other shweeties as well.
This is Charis’s hand knit sweater she made with her Tunis yarn. She spun the contrasting gray herself. It’s so squishy and lovely!
And I got a sweater quantity of yarn! I had already purchased two skeins of Clancy’s fleece, and the eight new skeins are from Julie. They are close enough that I think I could use them together if needed. Because I don’t want to dye the yarn and loose the sheep smell, I’ve decided to knit it au naturel into a cabled cardigan. And because I was so pleased with the Franca I knit for my Mom, I’ve decided to knit Kiki by Cocoknits.
This has been a Year of Projects Update. You can read my updated list here. You can find out more about the group here.
Snakes & Cranes 
So much happening in your garden and it’s really coming together. A natural coloured cables cardigan sounds perfect and traditional. I will listen to your podcast new episode this week.
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I love that you met Hollis! Your garden is doing great…slugs like beer and it gets rid of them, so that might solve your problem. I think that lilacs have the most heavenly scent. Ours are blooming right now, and I am going to brave the rain and bring some in. Can’t resist!
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Awesome…..everything looks so good……for the slugs….sprinkle all your egg shells on the ground…just crunch them up….they will not crawl over them….they worked for me….love the lilac, and all the rest!
M&P
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How lovely to meet the sheep that you will be wearing. Goodness, you have a busy garden. I hope those nasty slugs find another garden to go to.
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Highland Heffalump recommended trying the wool pellets up there, so I’m going to give that a try.
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Those sheep are so handsome. Gonna check out your yarn link and the farm one.
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Oh my but your garden is so beautiful and I am quite envious. It is a lot of work, but so worth it.. and those sheep – those faces are so lovely. You have been busy and I look forward to checking out the podcast.
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Love your sock yarn. So springy. Enjoyed checking out Tarheelbilly (ha ha) farm. I’m in the SW corner of Ohio whereas the farm is in the SE corner. Too bad I don’t use worsted weight yarn. How neat to meet the sheep that the yarn comes from. I want a lilac bush but I’m waiting till after the 17 yr cicadas are gone to plant one.
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Do you have cicadas there? We haven’t seen or heard any where we are, though I know they are popping up in towns.
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Oh yes. They started coming out on Friday and were everywhere today as I mowed the grass. Not hearing them yet as they are still growing from newly emerged nymph to adult but the noise should be starting soon.
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Your garden is looking great. I really enjoyed your latest episode with Tarheelbilly and now want some of her yarn. I really like how they came up with the name.
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That sock yarn is gorgeous!
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Your garden is looking so good! Love all your new flowers! I plan on catching up with your podcast this week – can’t wait to hear all about it 🙂
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Those sheep are so precious! The sweater she made is gorgeous! I am gardening too but in containers, as we have too many critters here! It’s like a wildlife refuge! I’ve never seen Joe Pieweed around here but it sounds like a great plant. I planted a lilac this spring too but mine is smaller. I love yellow roses and especially if they have a good scent! I hope everything grows well for you and that you enjoy your yarn!
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Thanks Sandra!
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The garden looks great. I hope the slugs stay far away from everything. I put some small gardens in last year. The looked sparse, but this year things are filling in nicely.
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Well you have a green thumb!!!! I love holly hock. As I recall they do not bloom the first year? I also roses turn out well. I have an upstairs flower garden in addition to the 4 big areas we have to tend to with tall grasses, cosmos reseeded, echinacea and young trees. My upstairs is for me. When I awaken I love to see the roses. I got yellow with pink edges, and reds. IT is my lil garden. I’ll show you sometime
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That sock yarn is beautiful! I noticed you’ve got a garter stitch heel, which I’ve never tried. Do you feel like it wears as well as a slip stitch heel? It sure seems like it would be comfy!
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I prefer the garter stitch heel because it is so squishy. I think it wears just as well.
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Your garden is looking more beautiful with each update! And those lovely sheep ❤️ – I imagine meeting the sheep whose fleece you’d used would feel new yet familiar.
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What a great adventure to the farm! I love being able to see/meet the animals my yarn comes from.
Your garden beds are lovely! I’m excited about your roses. My neighbors have a climbing rose that I pop over and sniff frequently. I’m sure they think I’m strange!! I wish enjoyed gardening.
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Your garden looks great. We try all manner of things to combat slugs, in the end we just try to get the plants big enough to resist them!
Your day on the farm sounds perfect!
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