Garden Plans

For those who have seen our lot, we have a LOT of grass.  There are a number of lovely trees, bushes, and landscaping around the house, but there is a huge bare spot on the South side of the property. 

Our first summer/ fall in the house I started planning some additions to the landscape.  I specifically wanted to focus on native plants and possibly include a rain garden.  Today I attended a free workshop on adding a native garden run by Blue Thumb.   I'm unsure if the space I am envisioning for my planting space will work for a rain garden, but it will be a lovely native garden, with a focus on plants that attract butterflys.  That should be a special treat for Timmy.  For $25 they will help create a design with me and I can apply for a grant to receive $250, which will hopefully cover the cost of the majority of the project.

I'm planning to get my plants from the Friends School Plant Sale.  They have a lovely Butterfly garden package with 4 each of 12 plants for pretty cheap.  I've picked out a couple more varieties to add in and a couple new bushes for the south side of the house, to replace a couple that died from the hot summer before we moved in. 

My design consultation is the 31st and I have a lot to do to get my plan ready.

Wool socks

Just in time for the temps to heat up, oh well.

After a dry spell of knitting I finally got my mojo back and have managed to knit 5 pairs of socks since the beginning of the year.  If I was trying to knit one pair each month, I'd be set until June.

The first pair of socks were for Tim. A nice navy dress sock that he can wear with his navy pants.

Yarn: Knit Picks Essentials in Navy
Pattern: Cable Rib Sock by Erica Alexander

The next two pairs are for me and I used the two skeins that I bought at last year's Shepherd's Harvest.

Yarn: Blackberry Ridge, Color: Blackberry
Pattern: Diagonal Cross Rib by Ann Budd

Yarn: Blackberry Ridge, color: Crocus
Pattern: Waving lace socks by Evelyn A. Clark

Uptown Boot Socks

Finished another pair of socks, this time for me.

I got the yarn from one of the gals in the my knitting group when we did a swap and it came without ball bands.  I'm pretty sure it's wool, but other than that I got nothing.  I love the texture from the pattern, Uptown Boot Socks from Jennifer Appleby.  I finished the kitchnered toe and quickly cast on another pair, Diagonal Cross-Rib Socks by Ann Budd.  I'm using a skein of sock yarn I bought at Shepherd's Harvest and it looks great.  I'm going to throw caution to the wind and knit another pattern at the same time using the second skein.  Waving lace socks, by Evelyn Clark.  I'm managing to finish a pair in less than 2 weeks so I should have both pairs done before Shepherd's Harvest 2010.  I have some sewing to complete and that will cut into my knitting time.

I'm really getting anxious for the growing season.  I have a lot of my seeds purchased and the warmer temperatures and rain have done a number on the snow drifts.  Sunday I'm prunning the apple trees since the weather should be sunny.  The kitties always enjoy the sun and fight over space in the sunbeams.

 They managed to sit touching each other for an extraordinary length of time.