Wow! It’s the last day of May! I need to stop going on about how time is flying 🤣
Dyeing
So I had intended to try dyeing a self striping rainbow for a Pride KAL, but realised I can’t take on another 4 ply/fingering weight project this summer. But I will love seeing some blogger friends knit up pairs of rainbow socks in support of LGBTQIA+.
Knitting
I have made more progress on Tailfeather. Because of my limited yarn supply, I have stopped the first front panel one pattern repeat early, as it is this initial section that determines the overall length. So I’ve made a start on the other front panel and will get it to the same point, then will do the same with the back panel. Then hopefully the scales and some maths will tell me whether I have the yarn left to do that next 12 rows before I start to square off the ends of the 3 panels to finish it! Hopefully that makes sense, it is a very unique construction. But now it’s on separate cables hopefully you get a bit of an idea, without me revealing pattern details.
My forefingers are a bit sore, I thought it was the linen yarn but now realise its my extremely sharp wooden size 3mm needles I’m using and the way I knit. So when I do knit I’m wrapping some washi tape around my fingertips to stop me stabbing my already sore bits. This has definitely slowed progress and, given it is June tomorrow, my fears this won’t be finished in summer is quite high.
No other crafts done, as I’m trying to concentrate on finishing this cardigan. I dream of doing projects with Aran weight yarn or Chunky!
Other News
The weather has been glorious (warm even in the shade!!!) so I managed to do some knitting outside but I have been pulling out the wild strawberries which had spread all over the place and were harbouring snails…snails that were eating my lupin flower buds!!!!! I carried some snails to the woods but did commit some mass murder this week. Over the week I easily picked over 100 large snails off pots, the edges of my raised borders and from my lupin plants. I thought I’d share a picture collage of my Aquilegia flowers (aka Columbine or Granny’s Bonnet) as they are so beautiful, most are self seeded that I pulled out of the paths in previous years, so I’ve gone from buying 2 colours to having lots of colours. Check out the gravel! That was mostly covered in strawberries last weekend.
We are now allowed to have one household visit us, so my MIL came over on Saturday afternoon and she ate on a wee table we’d set up away from our picnic bench. Technically the visitors aren’t supposed to use the toilets and go inside, but as we have a guest bedroom with en suite downstairs that we don’t use, we opened all the doors for a clear path and she was able to use the loo and wash her hands without touching anything else. She enjoyed her visit and our dog, Ylva, could not have been more excited to see her, she let everyone in the neighbourhood know she’d arrived and then couldn’t decide if she wanted belly rubs or just to run round in circles with excitement.
Nicola, our Leader in Scotland, has been doing daily briefings and afterwards a female comedian called Janey Godley does hilarious voiceovers on YouTube, which are very funny but do get the facts across, so I’ve taken to just watching those. If you are offended by swear words then don’t watch them, but they make me laugh. She comments that if you go visiting you can’t use the toilet, so wear a nappy (diaper) hahaha. And if you are a couple who have been living apart there’s to be no rumpy pumpy yet! Hehe!
I made some cinnamon raisin buns this week, adapting a recipe I had seen on a blog I follow. I used dried cranberries and sultanas (golden raisins) instead of pecans and used up some coconut sugar as I was out of brown sugar. We have a fan assisted oven, and I cooked them for at 180°C for the first 10 mins then lowered to 160°C for 20 mins. I just glazed with sugar water, not icing. My dividing the dough into 9 even sized pieces clearly failed oops!
I also made some banana bread to freeze.
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HighlandHeffalump 
I know what you mean about time flying. Not only is tomorrow the 1st of June here, it is also the official Queen’s birthday in NZ, the first day of winter, and three weeks before the shortest day (June 21st). Your garden looks great and I’m glad you got to have MIL over for a visit. Not being able to see people makes you appreciate them more when you can see them. 🙂
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Your garden looks stupendous, and I do envy you a real greenhouse (we have a bit plastic effort, which is fine, but…). We have wild strawberries and, recently, snails but mostly slugs of all sizes and colours. No good being nice to them — they have a homing instinct, apparently. So I dispatch all but the “leopard” slugs (brown and black stripes) because they just eat dead stuff. So pleased MIL could visit you. Our elder son is still too far away, alas. Just so you know, next time I’m up north, I’m stopping at yours for cinnamon buns!
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End you’d be very welcome 🙂
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Your cinnamon buns look fab! And Tailfeather Is coming along nicely – I use the rubber finger guards you get from stationers with my sharps.
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Time is flying! I see no need to stop commenting on it, as it is crazy how fast time goes even when we are all at home. Tailfeather is going to be beautiful. Your garden looks great. My columbine is blooming right now too.
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Your cinnamon rolls look amazing! I made a batch this week, but they needed more liquid. The dough was too stiff to get the rise I was wanting…made some notes, lesson learned!
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Gorgeous garden. Major envy from this side of the pond. I too have a sore index finger from the 2.0mm needles I was using to knit my socks. A little hole developed but it has calloused over now. Glad you got to have a visit with your MIL. I will check out the messages from your leader and the comedian. I love that – no rumpy-pumpy. Your baking looks delicious. I have cut back on baking because I wasn’t cutting back on eating it for no good reason! Good luck with your maths and your yarn for your tailfeather. I love that I am good at math and kind of enjoy that process when I have to – although if you read my blog this week clearly I messed up on my calculations.
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WOW! You really pulled a lot of strawberries out. Your garden is really looking good. You have been so diligent in taking care of it this year. Snails and slugs give me the willies. We used to have lots of slugs here. They have all left now that I got rid of the plants in our backyard. They don’t seem to like the plants in the front yard.
The color of your Tail Feather is so pretty. Hopefully your yarn will be enough to complete it as you wish.
You did quite a bit of baking this week. Your cinnamon rolls look so yummy. Freezing the banana bread is very smart. I am thinking of trying my hand at apple bread or apple cake. I need to use up some apples.
Have a great week.
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Busy week! Your garden is looking great, as is Tailfeather 🙂
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Your garden is gorgeous! The tailfeather is looking really pretty. I had to laugh about the “letting the neighbors know and enjoying some belly rubs” as I thought you were still talking about your MIL! LOL! Yes, time is flying by…ever since I retired. Your flowers are beautiful and your baking is making me hungry! Enjoy the coming week!
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Oh my gosh those cinnamon buns look awesome and your garden is such a delight I had to take a picture and send it to my daughter who is in the process of putting together raised beds. She lives in Connecticut. I was enthralled with your little greenhouse I wish I had one but my husband does not understand the point or need for one. I shall have to just get it set up myself when he’s not looking.
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Perhaps you are somewhere warm enough that you may not need a greenhouse? Although its toastie hot the last few days we get a lot of very cold nights, frosts and tomatoes and cucumbers won’t ripen outside and my courgettes come out miniscule. Its 45⁰C in my greenhouse today!
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Yeah, no. I live on Cape Cod. I think the weather is similar to England we still aren’t really warm we’ve had about four warm days for which I am completely thankful but you can’t grow tomatoes in it. I grew up in California where you can grow everything. About the only thing that grows well here is cranberries, not very useful, LOL
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I’m in the Highlands of Scotland so we are much cooler temps here. My sister can grow tomato tomatoes outside and she lives in the south of England. A greenhouse definitely extends growing season here.
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Cinnamon Raisin buns. Who can resist!
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Your garden looks amazing, Liz. I planted my first flowers yesterday. About a month late for our area, but I was beginning to think it might not happen at all at the rate I was getting to it. Mmmmm to those cinnamon buns…
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Mmm all your baking looks so yummy, and it’s making me want to break out the sourdough again to make more cinnamon rolls. mmmm.
One of my gardening friends has found that spraying garlic water around her plants has kept slugs and snails right off them – maybe you could give that a go?
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Thanks
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