Offline Temporarily

Well, my computer died a couple of days ago. A new one is one its way but until I get it and get it figured out I will be incommunicado. Hopefully I'll be back soon. Meanwhile we are planting lots of onions and lettuce in the greenhouse. The daffodils are blooming as well as the forsythia and early plums. There are birds everywhere.

Iris Meets Lambs

My granddaughter, Iris, met two new lambs this morning. She named them Rosa and Rosie. We can't really tell them apart but since the names are really similar it doesn't matter.

Valentine Primroses

Joel came back from town last week with these lovely primroses for me as a Valentine's present. Every spring I have to have a few pots of these beautiful things. I like to leave them in the house as long as they are blooming and then finally move them out to the garden. They don't always survive to next year but they are so beautiful now. And, the red one on the left has the most delicious smell.

Red and Blue Rag Rugs

Since the weaving equipment I have lets me put on a warp that will weave off 7 rag rugs, 24" x 40", I like to find enough old sheets in colors that will work together to make that many rugs. The whole set's design is usually based on one or two really nice pieces of fabric I've found. This latest batch is based on those three plaid flannel sheets and whatever solid colors I have that will work with them. The warp is a nice clear blue. That's rug #2 on the loom.

First Daffodils

The very first daffodils are open. This is an especially early variety, Rijnveld's Early Sensation. Until I tried this one, February Gold was the first to bloom. Those have colored buds but aren't open yet. The weather has turned cold and windy and rainy after a week of almost springlike days so the first daffodils are appreciated.

Things are Starting to Grow

As the rest of the country tries to dig out from under lots and lots of snow, the Pacific Northwest has been reasonably balmy for February. Sunny and quiet it's quite a change from the wind and rain earlier in the year. And my lupines are up and growing. Lupines aren't reliably hardy for me and if they do survive the winter they often succumb to some sort of disease. But I love the flowers and so do my customers. So I basically treat them as annuals. In spite of this great showing, I start new ones from seed every spring. Then if the overwintered ones die I will have new ones coming right along. If they all survive I will have LOTS of flowers. My favorite variety is called Tutti Frutti which has a lot of nice bi colored flowers.

Winter Market

It never ceases to amaze us how much there is out there in the winter garden. A week of warmish weather let the kale and chard start to grow again. It's about the end of the Brussel's sprouts, but the over wintering cauliflowers are starting to come on. We dug the last of the parsnips and had a few beets and carrots and lots of leeks. Next month we expect the purple sprouting broccolis will be producing and the kale will have started to make flowers buds or napini.

Pastel Rugs

I borrowed a sewing machine needle from a friend and finished hemming the last of the rugs from this green and navy warp. These are made from a pretty pastel blue and green and cream plaid flannel sheet mixed with solid colored sheet fabrics in similar colors. Very different from the first four on this warp and very pretty, I think. They, too, are headed for my Etsy shop.

First New Rugs for 2010

I got these four rugs hemmed and labeled today. I love the colors. I started with a neat multicolored plaid flannel and mixed it with a red, a purple, a dark blue, and a dark green. The rest of the warp has rugs in pastel greens and blues, also very pretty, but I broke my last sewing machine needle before I got them hemmed. We'll be in town this weekend for market so maybe the drugstore will have sewing machine needles. They don't always. I also put out a request to a couple of friends on the island hoping someone can loan me one. I'd like to take these all to market this weekend.

Now to get them posted to my Etsy shop.