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No, we didn’t drink all of them. Did a couple of dumpster dives at the recycling center (thanks, honey!) and got a little help from Freecyclers in the seemingly endless quest for empty wine bottles.
Finally done. And am now absurdly considering making new flower beds around the front porch using wine bottles. Please talk me down.
Let’s take a little garden walk, shall we? Oh, one other thing…the mulch…free. Called a local tree company and they delivered a load gratis. Saved so much $ and thrilled to not have 100 or so empty plastic bags.
Ok, let’s go!
Watching the crops grow. Almost as fun as watching paint dry…
A wee little Tickseed plant I picked up at Home Depot
Irises that we got from a Freecycler when we moved into our house in 2008.
I adore Irises
I also adore Rhubarb and Chives. Maybe not together-together, but together in a garden is a beautiful sight.
You can do it, little berries! Grow!
Asiatic Lily, another Home Depot buy
Isn’t the color intense? Hmmm…what can I do with color ideas from flowers?
Amongst other things, he has been busy in the yard this past weekend. He really wanted me to upload these pictures and share them. Ask and ye shall receive, I say!
When we moved into our house, the previous owners had had bonfires in the yard and left a barren spot in the yard. We decided that we wanted to build a proper fire pit. By “we building”, I mean, “husband building”. Using materials we had found while doing landscaping – rocks & slate- and small gravel that we scavenged, we, er, he built us a dandy.
He is asking me to compile a “honey do” list for him since his big projects are all done. Gosh, I think that he is a keeper!
Our birth center is having a fundraising auction this weekend so I decided to donate a few things to help them out.
**None of this counts toward my May Craft Challenge since I technically completed them in April**
A skein of my handspun 2 ply 100% Merino (19 micron) in the “Restorative Waters” colorway 110 yards. There are quite a few knitters in the birth center’s circle, so I hope that this is well loved.
A newborn baby kicking sack. I used the Sheepy Sack pattern (free) and it was super easy and quick. I plan on doing more of these, just a little bit differently (as I did here). I used my own hand dyed 100% wool yarn in the unnamed colorway (trying to be gender neutral). A kicking sack is worn instead of pants for naps. It can be lanolized and used with cloth diapers just like longies.
Next time I make it, I won’t do an i-cord.
1. Because I hate making i-cord.
2. Because I think that the waist (which is actually the bottom if you do it as the pattern is written) is awesome as is.
If I didn’t tempt you enough with the last post of Sprinkles cupcakes, here is a little bit of yum. Because everything is better with fresh whipped cream and nonpareils. Even chocolate cake that you make in the microwave that is so freaking sweet that you have to share it with at least 2 or 3 other people. This is my “oh crud, I really want dessert, but didn’t make anything” recipe. I usually add in a small handful of chocolate chips before nuking.
I know, I am a couple days late in announcing what my craft challenge goals are for the month of May. It was a lovely weekend here in Juneau filled with lots of pantry restocking, sock knitting teaching, fire pit digging and sandbox construction.
Up here, we have to take advantage of good weather…it doesn’t happen as often as we would like. Before we moved to Juneau, I would often read about other Juneau knitters apologizing for not making it to knitting groups, etc. Usually the reason would go something along the lines of, “Sorry I didn’t make it, but the sun came out and I had to get out into my yard!” Short, simple and to the point. Now I understand what they were talking about.
Anyway.
May Craft Challenge Goals:
- (gift) Baby Blanket – Using Knit Picks Comfy worsted yarn. Crocheted. Lots of babies being born this fall, they all need handmade presents.
- (gift) Cowl – Using free pattern found on Ravelry (sorry, can’t link to it because the potential recipient is a knitter). Using my hand dyed yarn.
- (gift) Baby Kicking Sack – Using stashed Socks That Rock yarn and a pattern that I am working out in my head.
- (for me) Freyja Sweater KAL – Get started on my Freyja sweater using Frog Tree Alpaca yarn that is waiting patiently. This is going to be a KAL with my friend, Alli. She will blow me out of the water with her smoking needles. I am thinking that she will be done in just a couple of weeks. It might take me a couple of months.
Unfortunately my main sewing machine, my one true love Emma, is in need of repair. And the closest repair shop is hundreds of miles away. So, that means no sewing for me this month unless it is an emergency job and I use Mom’s old Kenmore- that can’t reverse stitch and has tension issues.
May shall be a yarny month I believe.
And since I can’t go two posts in a row without pictures, I will give you a couple from a baby shower that I recently co-hosted.
Yum! I made the cupcakes! My Aunt in Dallas sent me a Sprinkles Red Velvet cupcake mix as a special favor – the new Mama loves her some Red Velvet cupcakes and these are always a big hit. The powder in the mix turns every surface in my kitchen red for a few days. It is all worth it though.
Living on tropical islands for three years, this Midwestern girl really missed snow. When I found out that we were moving to Alaska last year, I was excited because we were guaranteed to get some snow.
Did we ever! In January 2009 alone, we got just over 75 inches of the white stuff. Thankfully, I am not in charge of the shoveling, DH does that. And he refuses to buy a snowblower (imagine that).
Conn and I have been watching our mountains out back for the snow to be coming down the mountain…as each day passes, the snow gets a little bit lower and lower. So very exciting to an almost 3 year old and his snow loving Mama.
Imagine our surprise when we woke up on Saturday to a nice dusting of snow on the ground!! Yippee! It was a booo-tiful way to start our Halloween day. Too bad it all melted by the end of the day.
Oh well, there is more on the way, that is for certain.
Peace.
