battle of the scale

 Ice!!

We had another dire forecast ("Eight inches of snow!  Sleet!  Ice!!") that turned out to be basically nothing...rain, a freeze, and then a fairly rapid melt.  But before the warm-up...magic!

Closer inspection of the frozen drips revealed a tiny drama within...intricate shapes that almost looked like flowers, caught in the ice during the rapid freeze.

It was so pretty that I almost hated for it to melt.  But, winter is passing.  Here's a reminder:  with an odd juxtaposition to the ice, our daffodils are starting to poke up, despite the crunchy top layer of soil.

While I would say that mid-May through June is the absolute peak garden time for beauty, I absolutely love early spring.  Despite the cold temperatures and frequent dustings of snow, these green tips pop up all over.  It's a reminder that I need to start clearing out the old growth on warm days.  It's nearly time to start sowing late-spring flower seeds, too!  I love having four seasons and right on time, just as I'm getting tired of the cold, we have red-wing blackbirds, spring peepers, and green tips everywhere, reminding me that the new season is just around the corner.

Some tiny drama inside, too!  I noticed odd barnacle-like lumps on one of my tropical plants.  I recognized it as a type of scale, which is a parasite that sucks moisture out of plants and can rapidly kill them if left alone.

I looked it up and indeed, it was barnacle scale!  Their little babies are pretty remarkable-looking, like gigantic cells run amok.

photo courtesy of Ben Faber, UCANR

These little creatures secrete layers of a waxy substance for protection.  The only way to get them off, really, is to scrape them off with a hydrogen peroxide-soaked paper towel. Then watch...they will come back!  It will take several scrapes to rid your plant completely.  

I spotted another little creature this week...a possum is continuing to come to our porch to clean up the leftover cat food!

I'm so glad to see these little guys around.  He's a big one...and soon he'll be filling his belly with ticks!

In other news, I finished my socks.  

Socks are a bit frustrating to me.  Some patterns have you casting on 80 stitches, and some as few as 60.  The standard seems to be 72 stitches with a size 2 needle, and sometimes that works.  For example, I knitted these socks with those specifications, and they fit like a glove.

Todd accidentally washed these and they felted/were ruined, but I am almost over it!  ;)

But when I knitted these recent socks with the exact same specifications, they initially wore well, but became loose after a few hours.  It's fine, because I can wear them around the house, but I do like a well-fitted sock.  

Otherwise, in my free time, I've been working on my painting...

hitting the mediocrity sweet spot! 

...and puzzles, if I have access.

Work has been incredibly busy, and it's about to get busier here, with a big seeding push and yard clean-up.  Spring comes quickly here.  I just have to scroll through same-month photos from earlier years to see that very soon, EVERYTHING will be sprouting!  I can't wait.

Have a good week!  

lis-i-and-thus, the planting season begins

 Nearly every morning, I can look outside in the morning and see our resident rabbit, having a nibble on the front bushes.

Now I can feel less guilty about the pounds and pounds of apples that I picked in early winter, but didn't process, because I thought that our cold garage would keep them fresh.  Excellent rabbit food!

We're having odd weather...bitter freezes and dustings of snow, and then the temperature shoots up into the 50s or even 60s.  Ice forms and cracks in lovely patterns.

Our muskrats reappear on warm days, continually building up their little house, which tends to slump after a thaw.

We are cautiously optimistic that they'll keep our cattails at a manageable level this year!  

Unlike 2021, when I was out in our freezing addition, working on seeding as early as late January, I have only planted one variety this year.  Inside.  In one container.

 

It's Lisianthus, the annoying flower that needs about SIX MONTHS to bloom.  I was rewarded with tiny sprouts after a couple of weeks...

...and they're coming along nicely.  I'm taking a MUCH more measured approach this year.  No house full of demanding seedlings that have differing light, heat, and water needs.  No more running outside with sheets and towels to cover plants because of a sudden, dramatic frost in March.  NOTHING is going in the ground before mid-April (a full month later than 2021), and I'm staggering the planting.  Instead of seeding, for example, 500 snapdragons, which sprout crazily, fall over because it's too much for me to support, and then all die off at the same time...I will plant 150.  Three weeks later, another 150.  Etc., etc.  Succession planting will save my sanity this year, I hope!  

Valentine's Day has come and gone...

...and while I'm still knitting regularly, I'm dipping into some other crafts.  I had the exciting idea to make felt stuffed animals, and vintage-style clothing for them.  But when I got a pattern, I couldn't make heads nor tails of it...literally.

The clothes that looked so darling online...

photo courtesy of little_mochi on Flickr

...turned out to be fiddly and confusing in reality, even in the simplest forms. I tried to make a basic halter dress for an 11" figure.  It was a very simple pattern with just two pieces...

...but the seam allowances were so small and somehow my clumsy fingers couldn't line anything up correctly.

Yikes.

Now, I made myself a skirt in South Carolina...

...but it was with the assistance of a step-by-step online class.  I think I need more training before I tackle these things, so I'll be keeping an eye out at some local sewing shops and checking out online resources.  I know that I can get better with a bit of guidance!

Since physical therapy has really been helping my elbow, I decided to try cutting some fabric for quilting.  I love postage stamp quilts, so named for their tiny piecing.

photo courtesy of Red Pepper Quilts

I have a terrible habit of saving special things for the "right" project, and then never using them, so I forced myself to cut up my beloved Tilda fabric.  It's a UK brand, whimsical with lovely subdued coloring. 

I'm cutting 15 fat quarters (five for each color family) into 1 3/4" strips, with alternative strips of Kona Cotton Snow.  Once a few lines are assembled, I'll cross-cut them into tiny squares.  Each group of squares will make up a block of 16, and then those blocks will be sewn together to make a quilt like the example shown above.  I cut up two fat quarters in this fashion, but I could feel the strain in my elbow, so had to stop.  I'm planning to cut one per day.  There's no hurry.  Then I can assemble and begin to sew again!

Incidentally, today is National Love Your Pet Day.  We've got a pretty chaotic group here!

First, we have Borga, who in her senility runs laps around the house, has to go outside 15 times per day, and whose flatulence is so choking that we have to keep matchbooks in the living room so that we can attempt to cover the smell.  "Borga!!"

Then we have Calliope, who sleeps sweetly sometimes...

...but rules the house with an iron paw, chasing Tabitha whenever she sees her.  We still have our complicated system of baby gates and schedules, but sometimes there's an overlap, so we have to be ready.  Tabitha, mistress of the Upstairs Territory, naps all day on her heated pad, and only wakes when her lowly servant arrives to tempt her palate.

So our pets are keeping us on our toes lately!  We're hoping that (somehow) Calliope will learn to accept Tabitha, especially when warm weather comes, and the open windows will draw Tabitha downstairs.  Meanwhile, we're getting really good at stepping over baby gates.

Have a great week!

our rabbit habit

 I've developed quite the knitting habit lately!  I just finished a really pretty triangle scarf which Todd thoughtfully modeled.

It's an unusual shape...

...with an interesting cable design.

The yarn is so soft, squishy, and warm...I'm definitely knitting a sweater in Malabrigo Rios!  My next project is a sweater, but with a different type of yarn.  While I wait for it to arrive, I'm busting out a  pair of socks.

I'm still trying to reduce my stash, and these two ugly ducklings just might make something pretty in the end.  We'll see!

Our beautiful snow came...

giant crow tracks!

...and went!  We got another light dusting yesterday, but it will be gone soon.  We were able to get out for a quick hike.  Borga was glad to stretch her legs!

Still cold.

Lots to see!

tiny greens

coyote scat full of rabbit fur

unusual tree fungus

Back at home, the sunrises have been spectacular.  Watch the progression.  It changes by the minute! 

I've been caught off guard by the unusual color of the front pond ice, too.  It's a grey pearlescent color that I absolutely love!  The color changes, depending on the light.

At home, we're continuing to work with Calliope and Tabitha.  They seem to really enjoy their separate spaces for the time being...

...unless, of course, there's shoulder real estate available.

Have a great week!