New Orchid

I received a lovely new orchid as a gift. I really like the splotches just like watercolour paint dropped on to paper.

It's nice to have another orchid. I threw out my last two orchids a while ago as they had an infestation of mealy mugs.  I tried to get rid of the bugs but finally got tired of the ongoing battle. This one has two blooming stems and, right now, has lots of blossoms. The great thing about orchids is they keep their flowers for such a long time.

I've started some basil.  "Why start seeds in December?" you ask.  Well, because they are such a symbol of hope. The seedlings bright green perky leaves are cheerful and promise of good things( or tasty leaves in this case) in the future. I like to be reminded of the miracle of little black bits turning into big green plants. How does that happen? For all our science, we still really don't know. So I plant seeds even in the dead of winter. I've also planted some Greek oregano. They are tiny little plants and I am not convinced that I will be able to get them to full size but then the challenge is interesting. Damping off is the main threat right now so I am trying to be very careful with the watering. Can't let them dry out though as they would shrivel in no time.
 

Merry Christmas

 The Light of the World

Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light. John 3:19 NIV

It's All Up From Here

 

The shortest day of the year. My favourite and least favourite day of the year.  At last the days will be getting longer. Just a couple of weeks from now,  the sun will shine in our south facing windows and, with the light reflecting off the snow, the house will be  full of light. This is also the season for tasty oranges - full of colour, and sweet juice. If I was younger, I would say it is the season to build a snowman but now I will just remember the fun we had as children and with our children.

Tonight is also the night when Saturn and Jupiter will be in alignment. I believe this hasn't happened since 1226 or thereabouts. Our skies are cloudy so I guess I won't see it in person but I'm sure there will be photos on the internet tomorrow.

Take care everybody.

And Happy Shortest Day of the Year.

Christmas Greenery

 

I went to the grocery store intent on buying a poinsettia and was inspired by the greenery baskets at the store. I wasn't going to put up a Christmas tree but when I got home, I went out  and cut some greenery - some pine, balsam and hemlock. When I get close to the arrangement, I can get a faint whiff of the lovely balsam scent.

I did buy a poinsettia. I'm not very good at keeping them going but I will try to be a little more diligent this year.

I couldn't miss seeing all the other potted plants for sale near the poinsettias and I decided a dark pink cyclamen would brighten up the living room during the dull days of December and January.

And finally, I saw this little Christmas cactus.  I haven't had a Christmas cactus in a long time. It's a plant that is pretty easy to keep alive so hopefully it will be blooming for me next year, too.

So no lights or sparkles, but I like the idea of brightening up the house with a few new plants.

Keep well. 

 

Knitting with Leftover Yarn

I decided I should use up some of my leftover yarn. This pink in the shawl is acrylic, the beige and old rose stripes are a mohair blend.  The shawl is 200 st. across at the top using 4.5mm needles. I decreased one stitch each end every 4 rows at first and, after about 18", I switched to decreasing every 2 rows. It's a nice lightweight shawl that I will enjoy wearing on a chilly day when I sit at my computer.

I knit this afghan a little while ago.  The off-white yarn is acrylic, the cranberry is an alpaca blend, and the strips between the squares is a mohair blend.  The pattern was determined by how many squares of each colour I could knit from the available yarn. I did have a different arrangement in mind but I accidentally sewed two rows of the off-white consecutively and I didn't feel like undoing it so this is the end result. The alpaca and mohair yarns give it extra warmth without bulk.

Next project? Probably socks.

I'm not surprised that people have taken up knitting during the pandemic. A creative project with a defined beginning and end makes the days feel more structured. I have to say though that when I first starting knitting years ago, it made me tense. Now I have enough muscle memory that it's relaxing.

Keep well. Spring is coming.