sock interruptus

The latest pair of socks is taking quite a while.

Mostly because there have been entire weeks when I haven't picked up the needles. But now that the cashmere harvest is gradually beginning to wind down, other fiber-based endeavors can get some attention.

The past two days were warm enough that I could sit in the sun for a couple of hours (!) and savor every moment. A little knitting, a little reading, and enjoying the many birds calling and singing and tapping and hammering. They were so busy! Imagine if birds could knit. I'll bet their socks wouldn't sit, unfinished, for weeks. Not very likely.

Toward the end of Winter, when I came up with a possible way to deter squirrels from taking all the birdseed, I added a second birdfeeder outside the porch. It's the one in the picture below. The squirrel deterrent plan has been 90% successful, so this week I added a third feeder; just a little net bag full of thistle seed. With more types of feeder and seed available, there are more birds - and also more kinds of birds - visiting this Spring than I've ever had here before. It is wonderfully exciting!

Yesterday in one hour I saw chickadees, goldfinches, tufted titmice, nuthatches, purple finches, mourning doves, downy woodpeckers, phoebes, and a robin!

This is, I think, a pair of Purple Finches.

Why they are called "purple finches" is a mystery to me.

They are finches. But when the sun hits the male, he seems to light up with the dazzling color of pomegranate seeds.

Beautiful! But purple? They ain't.

Let's think of a more suitable name, shall we?

While you are thinking about it, here's a chickadee:

And here's sunlight making a momentary rainbow on a chickadee's wing:

And here's the heel of the second sock, well underway.

I decided to experiment in picking up the stitches for the gusset.

Sometimes it's tricky (for me) to be sure I'm picking up all the stitches in exactly the same way, because the edges of the heel flap curl in a bit.

So this time I ran a strand of purple yarn (THIS is purple!) through each stitch I would be picking up, before actually picking them up. Like a guideline. A path to follow. I will recommend this little experiment to any sock-knitters who feel uncertain about how to pick up their stitches for the gusset.

It's kind of fun to take a step back from something I've been doing for years, and figure out exactly how I am doing it. And maybe do it more consistently in the future as a result.

Or not! We'll see. These socks already have so many little weirdnesses, I will be forced to keep them for myself.

Heh.

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I hope you are having a perfectly lovely Saturday, and the birds are singing wherever you are!

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wordless wednesday

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the week past

The first thing I do when I step outside in the morning:

open the Poultry Palace, greet the flock, and give them a bowl of clean water. Nearly every day this past week, including today, that has meant first thawing the ice from their water bowl so I can clean and refill it. Winter is certainly tarrying this year.

The snowfall lasted a few days, gradually melting.

From way across the paddock,
Fern and Tansy saw me give Betula a peanut.
They came a-running! Ears flying!

When the snow was almost gone, we had hail.

Twice in one day.

But between the hail showers, there was a bit of blue sky:

I've been making an effort to get out in the woods with Piper on as many days as possible. With the cashmere combing on top of regular chores, most of my "upright and active" time is spent in the barn and paddocks every day. The rest of the time I am, to be honest, quite tired, but I feel it's important that Piper has an interesting life. I don't want her to have to snooze her days away on what she now believes is Piper's Couch Exclusively. (Seriously. You should see her face if I sit down at one end. Imagine having someone reeking of pot sit down next to you on public transportation when you are on your way to a business meeting. The look on your face? That's the look on Piper's face. A bit pained. A bit uneasy. "This is so Not Right.")

Anyway, once I rouse Piper from her couch and jingle the car keys, she is rarin' to go. We usually visit our favorite walking area and trails, and if you've been following my blog for a while (thank you) you may recognize certain trees and stones and views. Of course, there is also a lot of this sort of image:

So much happens at ground level in the woods.

This woodland is about two miles from home. Time was when we would have walked there, then "gone for a walk," then walked home. Haven't done that in a long time. Piper would probably be up for it, but I have to be realistic and would rather reserve my limited energy for the woods.

We usually walk on trails; at least I do. If there is no one else around, I let Piper run and she makes big loops through the woods, up hill and down, then catches up with me. Or backtracks to me. I call her to me now and then, to keep her mind on "our" walk. If I have to call her twice and she hasn't come, I go get her and quietly put her back on lead, then immediately give her a simple command - like "Sit" or "Down" - so that I can praise her for something right away. I don't ever want the lead to seem like a punishment.

This was quite a long walk, though a bit cold and gloomy,
and Piper was off-lead for nearly all of it.

Yesterday we took another long walk, and we both went off-trail. This area consists of many slopes, with a series of small wetlands and connecting drainages.

I felt suddenly transported back to the wooded area I spent hours in as a child. The inland version of tidal pools. Magical.

 Yesterday was an ideal opportunity for exploring little streams and seeps, because the Rubus hasn't leafed out yet with its millions of grabby new thorns, and the biting bugs aren't yet active. I estimate that this glorious state of affairs will last about another five minutes, so no time to waste!

All those vertical stalks are Rubus.
In a very short time, it will be a waist-high mass of thorns.
Even if I wanted to walk through it, I couldn't take Piper there.

It's sunny today, and I'm hoping to head out again this afternoon, for at least a short walk. I may bring a snack, just in case.

Yesterday Piper and I were in full agreement about the lack of planning on my part that meant we had water but no food.

More snow is predicted this coming week.

Here, quick: let's look at something green:

I hope you've had a good week!

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good

morning!

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sunday snapshots

6AM: a few inches of fresh snow

9AM: snow stopped.

Sunny.

Very cold.

2PM: bitter cold, constant wind.

Still blowing at nightfall.

A full day of snow predicted for tomorrow.

Appropriate action has been taken:

Also, the last gallon of 2015 cider is thawing in the kitchen.

Preparations are complete.

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