a belated visit from old man winter

Just when we thought spring was around the corner, we awoke to this, which is truly a cause to celebrate in our land of rainy winters...

"Mama, take me out in the snow!" my daughter cried over and over promptly at 6:45 am after looking out the window. And it certainly was a race against the warming temps to get out in time to enjoy this slushy wet white stuff. I had to head off to work shortly after these photos were taken, but I heard of much fun had by a girl and her father, and even stories of snowmen (I believe there was also a snow-mama). It looks like winter isn't done with us yet!

Today's Writer's Almanac poem was lovely, and appropriate for this first day of March.  In like a lion, indeed!

snap pea for my sweet pea

It's official. I absolutely loved knitting this cardigan. (Ravelry notes here). The yarn (Quince and Co.'s Lark in snap pea) is a dream--light but durable, stretchy but strong. We'll see how it holds up to the wear and tear of a wiggly preschooler. The pattern was just the thing I needed--so simple and fluid, with only one set of needles, no seems to sew, no little extra steps to slow things down. Just knitting. It only took me a week, which for this pokey knitter is quite quick indeed. Thus, it was finished in time to be a real birthday sweater for my little sweet pea. (Though it turned out to be big enough that it might fit her better on her next birthday!) No pictures of the model today, though, as she always takes a while to warm up to a new article of clothing. She has allowed me to help her try it on (twice!), and she kept it on for nearly a whole minute, which is quite a success. I attribute that to the cupcake buttons, a sweet little find at the fabulous Stash. I was privileged to visit this beautiful shop while I was in town for the Oregon Small Farms Conference over the weekend, and it was such a treat to meet its gracious owner Sonia, whom I had previously only known via blogland.

The bookshelf hasn't changed much in the last few weeks--still happily working my way through Middlemarch. The farm conference got me thinking about a few permaculture-themed books I'd like to look at-- Gaia's Garden, The Woodland Way,  and Farmers of Forty Centuries. And I'd like to revisit the work of Masanobu Fukuoka and Wendell Berry. My husband also inspired me to check out Paul Stamets' Mycelium Running:How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World, after listening to this podcast.

What are you knitting and reading this week?
Linking up with Ginny at Small Things for yarn along...

feeling optimistic

We had a good weekend. My husband stayed home all day with my daughter to give me the opportunity to attend the Oregon Small Farms Conference. And oh, am I inspired! How fabulous to be surrounded by people who spend their time with hands in the soil, backs under the sun (or rain as it may be) and minds in contemplation of the miracle of growing things. The conference is primarily geared toward farmers, but is also open to mere aspirers and interested community members such as myself. It's encouraging to see so many people undertaking the challenge of growing food in a small, sustainable manner, and making it work financially. 

The keynote speaker was Kristin Kimball,the author of A Dirty Life. She and her husband have a farm in New York that provides a full diet, year round CSA to about 200 members, with the goal of supplanting the grocery store. Her speaking was just as engaging as her writing, and the scale of what her family is undertaking is truly daunting and revolutionary (or just old-fashioned, I guess).  And I love the way she looks at farming through a poet's eyes.

I also heard a presentation on incorporating permaculture principles into the small farm by Don Tipping, who owns Seven Seeds Farm in Southern Oregon. He and his family grow food for a CSA cooperative, and open-pollinated seed for other farmers and gardeners.

Don spoke about the importance of observing nature, of noticing her patterns, and working with those patterns in our endeavors to grow food and support our human culture. I love patterns...how nature repeats design elements in organisms, objects and systems from the microscopic to the cosmic.

He also spoke about the need for a "social permaculture" in which we cultivate healthy, sustainable relationships within our communities. What good is sustainable agriculture if our loved ones are neglected or overworked in pursuit of this goal? Will our children find our way of farming compelling? Will they embrace it themselves when they are grown, or will they toss it aside in favor of ease and convenience?

Whenever I hear stories of people who are actually doing something I only dream of doing, I find myself wondering what it is in their outlook and attitude that makes this possible. Have they been merely lucky in accidents of birth and circumstance, opportunities in education, or connections with the right people? Sometimes. But more often these people who are living their dreams have a certain resiliency of spirit, an incredible work ethic, a buoyancy that keeps them afloat amidst trial and adversity. 

Kristin Kimball cited a quote from Wendell Berry's Manifesto: Mad Farmer Liberation Front: "Be joyful, though you have considered all the facts." 

Yes, I think that's what my soul needs to hear right now, and to remember each day...

planting seeds

This weekend we planted our first seeds of the year. It feels like a true act of faith to put these seeds in the soil in the midst of the cold and rain of winter, trusting that the warmth of spring will come again. This year, our daughter is old enough to help in earnest. She takes pride in placing the seeds just so in their little hole. I love seeing her small hands working together with her father's big ones.

This is our second year using the soil block method for seed starting and we love it. Much less plastic pot waste, and very little transplant shock for the young plants. More detail about how we start seeds in this post  from last year. This weekend's seeds planted include lettuce, arugula, kale, broccoli, parsley, chives, scallions, leeks, and salvia.

We were startled at dinner tonight by a feverishly flying bug with a reddish hue, only to discover when it settled a bit that we had a ladybug in the house! This is the second one I've seen in the last few weeks. Surely a good sign of what's to come in the garden this spring.

snap pea spring cardigan

The much anticipated Quince and Co. yarn (Lark, in snap pea) arrived in the mail last week and the color was so inspiring that I started in immediately on my daughter's spring cardigan (pattern is In Threes, which I'm loving!). This has been such a quick and satisfying knit--the yarn is lovely (though my true test is how badly it pills once it's worn--any experience with the Lark yarn in that regard?) and the pattern straight forward and fluid. If I'm lucky, it might even be ready for a certain someone's birthday at the end of the month. I'd love to find some cute buttons--any favorite button sources out there?

I'm sharing another children's book this week, for I am still reading Middlemarch, and probably will be for quite some time. (Poor Dorothea--Casaubon just died, and proved to be as self-absorbed and dreadful in his death as in his living...) We checked out Valentine from the library simply because of the holiday theme, and found it to be such a treasure of a book. It's about a little girl who cares for a newborn lamb (and makes Valentine cookies) while she spends the day with her grandmother. Very poignant in the depiction of relationships between the girl and her mother and grandmother, and the range of emotions she feels as the lamb progresses from vulnerable and cold to warm and content.

Joining in with Ginny for yarn along...

Happy Valentine's Day!

Wishing you sweetness and affection today!

early spring harbingers

February in these parts always brings a few sweetly sunny days, to trick us into thinking that Spring is just 'round the corner. We've had a few of those days lately.

The daffodils are sending up green shoots.

The ladies have picked up their laying again, having completed their first molt.

We're allowing them a bit of scavenging time in the garden, with the people veggies safely harvested.

And this particular lady...she has made quite a recovery from her illness over the summer.  Recently we were delighted to discover that she had even resumed laying. We're glad we decided to keep her around.

The red flowering currant has just begun to send out it's tender leaves...

...and flower buds.

 We finally painted our bedroom, after five years of living with white walls, and oh it feels so much more cozy. 

 

And last week the mailman brought two delightful packages--one filled with seeds for planting and one with spring green yarn for knitting (more on that soon!). 

Happy dreams of spring!