This and That

I have been working on a secret project, so to avoid showing any pictures here are some smaller projects that have had progress made:

Yummy warm gloves made from Touch Yarns merino, possum and nylon:

Love this yarn!  It's so soft and warm, and should wear well with the nylon in it.  I purchased it over a year ago and I think it was a hand-dyed yarn.  This company produces wool in Central Otago and is rightly known as 'the beautiful yarn company'.
I used 50g of yarn and it was my own pattern - I knitted it to fit.

This is my latest attempt at spinning - am I'm not too sure about it really.  I think it will knit up ok though.  I plan to make some mittens.  It was pre-dyed corriedale fibre from Ashford Craft Shop in Ashburton.

It may be mid-winter but we are getting some lovely days and my seedlings are starting to progress:

I've been out checking on the garlic patch and despite my memories of planting just over 100 cloves I've counted over 125 growing tips and I fear there are a few more to come!  I think I'll need to have a market stall with those!

My H has new lambs on the farm and here are some cute picks:

Less than a day old triplets.  These lambs have mixed breed parentage!

A dorper lamb that we fostered from a neighbour

Thinking of Spring

Although the weather is decidedly bad we are starting to think of spring...  We had our first lambs two days ago and a few spring bulbs are starting to peek out.

So it's tomato and pepper planting time - well the seeds anyway.  I am always late with the peppers (capsicum) but hope that I am doing better this year.  They need such a long time to germinate and get growing that they need planting now!

 I planted:

• 'Juliet' tomatoes
• Sweet 100 tomatoes
• Cornos Red peppers
• Topepo Rosso peppers
• Mini Stuffer peppers
• Habanero peppers
• Thai hot peppers
• plain and orange peppers
• Merveille des Quatre Saisons lettuce
• Pukekohe long keeper onions

All available from either Kings Seeds or Egmont Seeds.  I forgot to plant Moneymaker tomatoes so will do so as soon as some space is available on the heating pad I use for seed germination.

This is my glasshouse - yes the walls need washing.  But I am picking lettuce leaves and will be due heaps of celery in a month or two's time.  I am wondering how the celery will go as you are meant to grow them quickly  to be succulent but they do look relatively healthy and are being given plenty of nutrients in the form of compost and fertiliser.

 The best thing in my glasshouse is my maximum minimum thermometer which hangs under the milk bottle on the right side, at back.  It is great for monitoring it all.

To give some winter cheer here is a polyanthus by my doorstep.  Ignore the shadows - at least it was sunny on Saturday!

I have also noticed a tiny pointed top of garlic poking through too!