Saturday, May 01, 2010

Spring Greens


Second Swallowtail Shawl by Evelyn Clarke.  This one was very enjoyable to knit as the pattern now made sense, on this second try.  This yarn, from Yarnsmith, is dyed in a virulent mix of acid green and yellow, which somehow works better for the pattern than the Pankhurst colourway, as it reads as a semi-solid.  It looks very dramatic over black.  Two weeks of desultory knitting, one £7 skein...what more could one ask?

Last Sunday it was wet early on so I made up a batch of jam from the last of the blackcurrants in  the freezer.   Nothing like fresh jam to give that intense fruit flavour.  I use my mother's jampan, always thinking of the top shelf full of jam she kept going.  Curiously, I don't remember it tasting different as it aged, but I'm sure it must have done. 

On the allotment, many weeks of dry weather have allowed us to get everything planted:  potatoes, onions, leeks, parsnips, carrots, swede, lettuce.  The rhubarb we grew from seed is now well-established, but, curiously, has decided to flower.  I don't ever recall seeing rhubarb in flower before.  This year's new project is to establish some raised strawberry beds, using black membrane to suppress the rampant mare's tail.  One box is already in place; the second, in progress.  The big success has been the purple sprouting, which we had never grown before.  After almost a year it is in full production, and very sweet and delicious it is too.


4 comments:

Amelia said...

oooh, i love your swallowtail in the heavier yarn (well, heavier than the one i made in lighter than laceweight). well done for making two as well!

yes the noro came from a thrift store but the elsebeth lavold was from the seattle knitters' guild open market (they meet once a month and once yearly the meeting is devoted to members destashing and other members and anyone else purchasing). it's just that i chose a 12-pane mosaic and only had 10 photos so i had to add them in ...

Raveller said...

Lovely green shawl! From my experience, black currant jam tastes better with age. I am just coming to the end of a batch I made several years ago. I will have to make more this summer.

Jane and Paddy said...

I have not got into the blog site this year til today! and have just concentrated on reading other people's. We are remaining at home as much as we can this year, and enjoying days out. We go to London for the Bank Holiday as it is Quaker yearly Meeting.We just got allotment sorted - now gone dry of course!Garden had brilliant helebores this year.

Heather Woollove said...

I am new to your blog and I must tell you that your writing is so descriptive and poetic, I feel like I am actually 'there' with you!! Lovely!!