More. wet. weather.   All morning I slogged my way through another garden.  I can’t remember why I didn’t get the gardens cut back last fall.  Big mistake on my part.  Maybe I remembered how easy it was last spring to get them in order, but I had put them to bed properly the autumn before.  I’m paying for my carelessness.  The iris still wear last years rotting leaves.  Soft now, but still far to strong to tear away. Now, with the wet weather, too soggy to cut easily with shears.  The height of the lilies keeps me on my knees pulling last years’ maple leaves away with my hands, for fear of ripping this years’ new growth with the rake.  At least the weeds pull more easily in sodden soil.  Next, I’ll get to my large shade garden.  Now, my gloves are next to the wood stove, drying.

Missing the fun at the NH S&W, though I really AM sorry I missed out, hardly slowed me down.  Saturday I ordered my new to me Fricke 405 carder.  I’ve been checking out stash and figure I have more than 12 lbs to card.  I need a bigger carder.  I used to always send my stuff out.  But, unless I have loads of one kind, or plan to have many pounds blended,  it just makes sense to do it myself.  I lose far less.  Many times I’d be disappointed to find that I had lost 35% or better.  That’s a lot of fiber ( and lanolin.. and dirt).  Besides, carding and blending fibers is sort of fun.  Next time, I’ll go electric.  But for now, I have only 12 lbs. waiting… waiting.

The Trek-A-Long starts in two weeks.  Before then, I’ve decided to get my last Opal pair off the needles.  If the weather sticks with us, I’ll wear them this weekend.  Four more inches, including the toe.  Not bad.  And, I’d like to have the Adagio shawl off the needles too.  The Great Lace starts at the same time.  Summer knitting.  Summer fun.

Before all this fun started I had thought I’d spin some Shetland I have in two colors for a sweater.  I realized as I wandered through my projects that I have nearly enough of a lovely wool / mohair from Persimmon Tree spun to knit a sweater.  Now, for a pattern.  It has to be something simple, the yarn has many color variations in it.  I think it was named Autumn Beech.  Any suggestions?  It’s too fuzzy to take much of a pattern stitch.  It’ll probably knit best on a fairly large needle, maybe 6-9.  And for summer spinning.. I have many pounds of Lincoln roving in a beautiful medium grey.  Perfect for dyeing.  It’s a bit rough for my taste.  I’m thinking of following Sara Lamb’s promised tutorial on learning to weave.  No pressure, Sara.  It’ll be a LONG term project for me.  Summer is busy.  I’ll get started on the spinning.  During the summer.

The gangs all here.  Monday, no sooner than I had emailed Norma to ask if her hummers had showed up, a male juevenile flew up to the feeder.  He seems to be the first and maybe the only one here so far.  Odd that it isn’t an adult male, they usually are the lead.  This little guy isn’t showing a red neck scarf and it isn’t a female, somust be a youngish male.  With dawn nearly an hour earlier than in southern NE, the light wakes us by 5 am.  When I went out with the cats first thing this morning a Blue Heron startled and flew off from ponds edge.  A pair of Canadian geese and a pair of Mallards came up to check us out.  Everyone is curious.  After so much quiet, the noisy humans and their cats are back on the pond.  Let’s see…. the ravens, if I could speak one bird language, it would be that of the raven.  Talk, talk, chatter, squawk…. loud, raucous.. they never stop.  The Loon is circling and crying, orwhatever loons do.  All day.  Crazy. 

I’m stiff between the shoulder blades today and more gardens need to be edged, weeded and cleared of old growth.  The outhouse needs further cleaning after the racoon  devastation.  I can’t figure out how they opened the door, but what a mess!  I’m off.  It’ll rain again before too long by the looks of it, and I am already behind.

I started the Adagio shawl on the plane to Pittsburgh (on my way to MDSW).  It is a perfect take-a-long travel project.  Just in case any of you are looking for a lace project for the Amazing Lace, this is easy!  I am loving the silk.  It moves along easily and feels… well like silk, soft and scrunchy.  If the sun EVER decides to grace New England again, I’ll get a good shot. 

I’m getting my summer knitting projects lined up.  Two new buttons are in the sidebar.  Thanks to those bloggers for putting these knit-a-longs together, should be fun. 

• The Amazing Lace: my partner, the Wings of the Swan Shawl, yarn to be decided, soon.

• Trek Along with Me:  color #109, gifted to me by Jesse in the SP5 round, again, pattern to be decided upon soon.

Sunday afternoon I finally made my way back north.  Good thing.  Everything, except my hummers, is early here.  The plantings and the weeds are huge, not easy for getting the beds cleaned up and ready.  Some of the field hostas are nearly 12".  The forsythia is still blooming, and the daffs are nearly over.  I have Bee Balm at 10".  The black fly are annoying, so far.  If it were warmer, they’d be biting.  I have to work quickly to get things done before they get hungry.  Once they do, I’m undercover.  I don’t think there is another insect I hate more. Those itchy bites welt up and last for nearly a month.  After just one morning, my shoulders are reminding me just how out of shape the winter has left me.  When it came time to  load the bent mowing deck into the truck,  well… we clearly needed help.   Again for getting the canoe from the truck roof.  WAY to heavy for me. 

I feel like I’m writting this post short hand, staccato.  That’s it, all for now, dial-up is a b*tch!