First off, many thanks to the presidents that made this long weekend possible.
Meant to post sooner, but the weather has been beautiful (amazing, even), so we’ve been mighty busy. This was pruning weekend. Time to get the fruit trees and berries all tidied up and ready for another growing season.
Pruning is a lot of work (as is hauling away the prunings), but is awfully rewarding- and is actually fun in a creative, artistic kind of way once you get a handle on the basic principles.
This is year two in the rehab program for our big apple tree, and he’s looking pretty good:
The other little trees out back are coming along as well. We are doing our best to keep them open and spreading- discouraging any straight upward growth.
I hope this will be a good fruit year. We’ve got apples, pears, plums, peaches, cherries and raspberries. And a little quince I planted a couple years ago that hasn’t fruited yet. Nothing better than fresh fruit right out of your backyard (unless it’s fresh fleece right out of your backyard!)
Anyway- I am still making good progress on the new sweater project- It’s starting to look like it might be something, but inches come slowly when I’m working on size 5 needles.
That’s ok, though. I’m going to love this sweater. It will be light and smooth and drapey and warm and soft and go with almost everything I own. That is the plan, anyway. Here’s the latest pic (with valentine flowers):
And next to it a small mountain of freshly washed wool .
I’m still waiting on those wool combs that were supposed to be here for Christmas, but have come to the conclusion that thinking about them is not going to make them get here any sooner (apparently, the Indigo Hound people have had some weather-related difficulties this winter and are terribly behind in production of the combs).
So, I’ve asked the man to put his super-genius builder/fixer-guy mind to the task of making me some combs. I have no doubt that he is up to the challenge. However, this time of year, the projects start coming pretty fast and furious, so I hope we can turn them out before they get pushed way down the priority list.
Wish me luck.