2013 Knitting Project Roll Call

1. A Square


2. Another Square


3. A Baby Sweater
 

4. Mordor Shawl
 

5. Ceci's NICU hat


6. David's Birthday Socks


7. Ceci's Socks


8. Ceci's Hat


9. Sunshine Socks


10, 11, 12. Family of Dawg Hats


13. And Another Square


14. Mom's Socks


15. Toddler Boy Sweater


16. Helen's Shrug


17. Helen's Socks


18. Dawn's Hat


19. Linen Stitch Bookmark


20. Lacy Bonnet


21. Hanna's Sweater


22. My Sweater


23. Baby Pants


24. Group Blanket, Seaming and Border


25.  Nephew Socks #1


26. Ceci's Paulette


27. Kelly's Cowl


28. Clare's Paulette


29. Jr's BSJ
 

30. Square, it's done... no finished pic!


31 and 32. Helen's Pom Pom and Clare's Blue Hat (no pic!)


33 and 34. Nephew Socks #2 and #3
 

35. Ceci's Sweater


36. Nephew Socks #4


37. Baby Boy Hat


38 and 39. Sara's Stockings


40. Handspun Sitka Hat


41 and 42. MIL Cowboys Slippers and FIL Barley Hat (no pic!)


43. Clare's Stocking


44. Last Square!


45. And HOW DID I FORGET: Handspun Multnomah Shawl

September Garden & Chicken Update

September was all about our garden (though I knit quite a bit too!).

This month we did some major plantings, tended some seedlings, and started construction of our much anticipated chicken coop. Garden work is not cheap, but it is very rewarding!

I am attempting to cultivate my "green thumb" which for the most part has been pretty black in the past. I think I have had issues with a few of the realities of gardening...

1. you have to garden outside, it is dirty, there are bugs, and you can't knit while gardening.
2. you have to actually water your plants... this is a big one for me.



So, rather than tilling up a patch of soil, I am keeping it small and close to the backdoor where my little seedlings are easily watched and watered. This is a collection of purple pole beans, kale, and cabbage.



We also planted Swiss chard in the flower bed! It is doing well :)



On a larger scale, we are adding to our "orchard" with three blackberry bushes and two fig trees.



This fig tree over looks the chicken coop, and the second fig tree is planted in the chicken yard. I hear chickens go crazy for figs :)

Here is a look at the progress on our coop. With the help of our next door neighboor we were able to get all this done in just a couple of hours!











The coop is a "hoop-coop" style inspired by a lot of internet searches! Primarily this Egg Shaped Hoop Coop and this very serious Permanent Hoop Coop. We chose this style because in the Texas Heat we knew our chickens would need a lot of ventilation, it is also a fairly reasonably priced coop for the number of chickens it can house comfortably. We plan to start our flock with twelve birds.