Wednesday 11 April 2012

Planting Noah's Garden and Knitting Onza

 Reading "Planting Noah's garden:further adventures in backyard ecology" again, has been good for me. Our garden has always been very wild. We share it with the little creatures that inhabit the lovely wood that's at the end of it. They have more than their fair share of apples, berries and green vegetables that we struggle to cultivate without chemicals or fertilisers. But as the trees stretch out their graceful limbs the battle to grow vegetables in their shade is getting even harder. That's alright...it's evolving and growing with time. Hopefully we are too! 


So we've decided to let the woods have back the vegetable patch. They will soon consume it...it's only fair...it once belonged to them anyway before we came along. We've still got our pots to plant some beans and herbs, maybe beetroots and best of all my  Black Russian heritage Tomato seedlings. The seeds were a gift from a good blogger friend. They are currently thriving on the bedroom window sill. Maybe then we will have time to get an allotment again... 


And knitting? I'm making an Onza cardigan in lovely Donegal Tweed Aran yarn. It's a Kim Hargreaves pattern from an old (2,000) Rowan knitting book(number 28). It'll be the third one that I've made.  I'm living in a navy blue one at the moment that I made about six years ago... and have worn out a soft grey one in the same time.  It's just a simple garter stitch jacket that fits beautifully. 

Each time I've used an alternative yarn. It should be Rowan Kid Classic which is now discontinued. As usual I checked the tension first and it was fine, so I began the medium size (I'm a  UK 12). It was coming too big so I started to make the smaller one.  That was too big too and I finally ended up making the extra small. A good feeling...even though I know I'm not really extra small...!


I'm joining in here with yarn along today...



...I must go now and check out what everyone else is reading and making...


...are you coming too?

8 comments:

  1. The deer in your garden - wow. I try to tell myself the size doesn't matter, but when it is a size smaller it does feel good.

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  2. Hi Heather...the photo's not from this year...I haven't seen one for a while...I think there has been a bit of culling recently which is a shame. I love to see them and they are pretty brave that one was eating right by my kitchen door...he stopped for a moment...looked up at me and then just carried on eating!

    I know I'm silly because the jumper when knitted will still be a size 12 but it somehow feels so much better knowing it's the extra small size on the pattern! It doesn't take much to please me...

    Hope your trip is going well...Deb

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  3. The ysrn look gorgeous - what a great project this is going to be

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    1. The best bit is that it's knitting up so quickly I should have it finished soon.

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  4. oh my gosh what a pretty garden and i love how wild it is. i would love to see a deer in our yard. and i would love to have your yard too! happy knitting on your favorite cardigan! shame about the rowan yarn, i do love their wool.

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    1. Oh thank you Lori. I haven't seen a deer for a while now but last night they kept us awake with their barking sound. We feel so fortunate to have a garden but especially one that has access to the woods...the best thing is sometimes very early in the morning to take our coffee into the woods...still in PJ's!

      I am enjoying knitting my cardigan especially as I haven't done any for a while and it's knitting up so quickly...

      Take care,
      Deb

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  5. I wasn't sure if your first picture with the deer was a painting or real life. Then I saw the deer again and realized it was real. The first picture through the door looks like it should be on the cover of a book. Good luck with our cardigan.

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  6. Thanks Andee. I've finished it now...just got to stitch the buttons on then It's good to go!

    Deb

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