almost not winter

Since last weekend I've mostly been starting seeds, tending the kombucha (its lavender blueberry this time), spinning and knitting. Around the house kinds of stuff. We recently got a foot or so of snow and I've been reluctant to wade out to the studio to do more weaving. My test project is off the loom so I need to rewarp it and start a new project, probably something wide with the chunky reclaimed cashmere yarn I dyed with woad this fall. I can see it as a soft cowl, maybe with leather closures.


 My first big order of seeds came in the mail. I'm trying to focus on perennials this year. Or at least things that will either reseed or overwinter. And more flowers. There were patches of toadflax around the backyard this summer so I'm going to try some heirloom linaria. It's basically the same plant, but in lots of colors. I've also got pansies and hollyhock and cosmos. The kids picked seeds out, too. They started a plot of their own down in the northwest corner of the yard. Anais wants to try white strawberries, litchi tomatoes and dragonfruit. That last one will probably be more of a houseplant, but it should like hanging out in the kitchen well enough.

All that puttering resulted in something to show for myself. I finished up three pairs of fingerless gloves and reserved four batts from a personal batch I made over the holidays. It has tons of yak and silk and when I soaked the first round of yarn it smelled like aspen leaves. All that means really, is that I finally have a proper shop update this week with knits and fiber batts.

a field full of ferrets and flowers

     All I can seem to do today is look out the window and stuff black licorice in my face. I've got plenty on my list of things to do, like turn these skeins of yarn into a pair of gloves. But some days end up becoming devoted to daydreaming and roving around in the yard planning my next move there.

     My mom bought me some flower bulbs and some garlic to plant. They're in the mail now and I'm pretty sure its not too late to put in the ground up here. Its not like the ground is frozen or anything. It's just so much more fall-y up here than most places right now. I was down in Boulder yesterday and there are so many trees with green leaves, it seemed unfair. But, on the other hand, we have a longer growing season up here at 9200' than I thought we would. A permacultural set-up isn't going to be an impossible dream, there are plenty of fruit tree varietals that will make it and with a greenhouse even tomatoes should be attainable.
   
     There are just so many things to build and get going to get there. I finally rallied and spent part of today scattering flower seeds I had been collecting in random spots in the front and back yard, then cultivating some of the prairie dog mounds out back with rye. Neither of these tasks is sure to result in either flowers for the table or grain for bread/beer but I'm more than willing to experiment a little with the year's leftover seeds. Especially if they do take and it means self-perpetuating soul food in the form of poppies and calendula and bachelor buttons and a less violent means of giving the white-tailed ferret food the boot. Oh, how I would have loved to sponsor a few black-footed ferrets on our property. But you have to have thousands of acres for that, not slightly less than one. A girl can dream though.