44° and windy

The sky was red this morning and we shall take warning. The rain is due to commence after noon. Yesterday I asked Brady to come up this morning to clean out the barnyard in preparation for the monsoons. This is the absolute worst/best time of year here in southwestern Vermont. The days are getting longer and the bird song in the mornings portends of things to come.

I'm waiting for my seed order to be delivered and although it is a bit early to be starting tomato seeds I'm still very much in anticipatory mode. I've ordered a packet of Caspian Pink ..... an Heirloom Russian variety that we really enjoyed last summer..... and several others whose names I've forgotten.

On a knitting note, there has been significant progress on the EZ Tomten Jacket. Two of the women in the Pownal Library Knitting Group are swatching for the Tomten Jacket and I wanted to knit up the jacket as an example for them to follow. Granted, EZ's instructions are impeccable BUT these women are beginner knitters and reading a pattern is a new exercise for them. I've marked all of my increases and decreases for them to be better able to understand the shaping process. As of now, they have purchased the yarn for the project and are in the process of swatching to determine the appropriate needle size.

I am nearing the end of WJ's Six Pack sock#2 in Smooshy merino. It has been a fun knit and I do love that Smooshy. My only concern has been. Will I have enough yarn to finish sock #2 ? My current thought is 'just barely winnona'. By the end of today I'll know for certain. Perhaps THEN I'll feel inspired to get back to work on Fulmar??? It is such a beautiful pattern and I am really loving the fabric and color!! The yarn is Jan's Frangipanni gansey yarn in the Ocean Deep colourway. Ocean Deep is just that .... the color of the North Atlantic in winter.

The Red-bellied Woodpeckers have been at the feeders several times this morning. This year I am determinded to locate their nesting tree. Wish me luck!!

Pictures later.