Weaving and Garden Dreaming.

The log cabin tea towels are off the loom.  There are 5 towels plus a 6th which isn't quite as long, being my loom waste.  I wove until my bobbins were empty and my shed was getting a little to tight for comfort.  The last few inches of the final towel were woven all in one colour as the second bobbin was empty.  Wow!  It was definitely twice as fast or more to weave with only one shuttle, rather than having to switch between each shot. The true test of the final project and it's success or not, will be after wet finishing.  Then I'll get to see how the fabric really feels.

The first see order is in.  This one is mainly dye plants and a few herbs.  There are two types of Indigo there.  One is Indigofera tinctoria.  That's true indigo and a long season plant.  I'm pretty sure it's rated to a zone 8 or so and totally unsuited to my area.  However I'll start the plants early.  I may keep them in large pots so I can grow them in the greenhouse and if I have to, bring them inside as the days grow shorter and cooler, to mature.  I'm hoping I can get some leaves to try out.   I'm going to have to think carefully about my dye plant garden.  I had great plans but realized it would mean I'd be growing 5 different types of blue indigotin bearing plants.  That could be a lot of blue fibre!   Plus I've plans for another 1/2 dozen plants to get started as well.    This means I either have to dig up the perennial beds and repurpose them to dye gardens, or put in some raised beds in another part of the yard.  The raised beds would be my first choice, but I'm not sure the rest of the family would agree with my preferred location, which is quite near the front of the house.   They have always seemed to have a problem with me turning the front yard of houses into garden space.

We had a huge storm blow through, although areas around us seem to have been hardest hit.  The snow has mainly stopped and the snow plough has finally passed by.   This time you can see the road whereas the last two passes seemed to be fairly futile attempts at road clearing.  It's Ground Hog's day and Wiarton Willie did not see his shadow, prognosticating an early spring.  Plus it's our anniversary and we'll be celebrating by digging out the bbq and grilling steaks for dinner.  Many years ago, we were snowed in and this was the most special thing we could think of doing while unable to go anywhere.  My son dug a pathway through over 4 feet of snow to get to the bbq.   It was so much fun that we forgo fancy restaurants and celebrations, for a simple bbq steak dinner, on what is often a cold and blustery evening.  

A taste of spring!  Last year I purchased several pots of forced hyacinths and most of them survived over the summer, leaving good sturdy bulbs for fall planting.  I guess this spring I'll see if they are a winter hardy variety or not.  Out of two stores, this was the only bulb which wasn't white.  I love the scent of hyacinths!