Happy Spring! Happy March!

Outside we have a beautiful winterscape, if at this point in the year you've not seen enough snow. It's been a long, cold winter this year and the ground is still frozen solid. It's very common to continue to have plenty of snow here at this time of year, but usually one snowfall melts entirely before the next one, and the ground has a chance to thaw in between. And it looks a little like Spring. Unfortunately, the mental warmth of the season of reawakening hasn't reached us yet, and this frigid weather is delaying our greenhouse set up. Still, it is also making me appreciate how much I'm going to LOVE having it up at this time next year! 

Of course we are plowing ahead, even if all the moving of snow had to be shared between tractor power and farmer power. There were a few warmer days this week when the top few inches thawed just enough to remove some of the lawn. It's a Catch 22 removing the grass in entirety and keeping any topsoil. Further thawing is required to determine the compromise we will choose, though we are probably done or close to it. 

In the process with the temperamental Cockshut.

The point of greatest progress: I believe I truly love mud! Nevertheless we have regressed as a 6" layer of snow has fallen since this photo was taken, and we are expecting at least as much again over the weekend. 

To bring on the Spring indoors, we are already making good use of the grow lights and our heat mats are full of germinating seeds. Little seedlings pushing out of the ground are always heartwarming to watch develop. Our first indoor sowing has brought us the beginnings of chamomile, lemonbalm, jasmine tobacco, zinnias, onions, castor beans, love-in-a-puff, and asparagus. Other flats of seeds are still dormant as they have a three week or greater germination process. Those ones make me anxious. Grow seedlings, grow! 

Also I forced a few branches of double plum, and liked the results so much I started some more!

Since Easter is tomorrow we thought we would have a three day weekend of rabbits on Instagram, so watch out for those cuties! No babies this year sadly, but we do have a new buck on the breeding team: Rafael. A neighbour took his brother and named him Rocky, so we figured our little man needed a name beginning with R, too. He's a bit of a wild child, taking some time to warm up to us, but I'm sure in no time he'll be demanding love just the way Grand Chef does. @bluemoonfarm.lonepine.alta

In community news, we donated a basket of personal care goods (for the second year in a row), to the Raffle Night at Lone Pine Hall. It included a four step facial care box, shampoo bar and hair rinse, plus various other soap bars. Congratulations to all the raffle winners, and thank you to the businesses and people who made donations, and to those who attended - it was another great event! 

Since seeding is such a long process involving dirty hands, I've not been reading, but listening instead. For those interested in the science behind the health of our food, I recommend listening to 'GMOs Revealed'. http://www.gmosrevealed.com (They have a website, but I just listened on youtube myself.) You'll enjoy the frankness and clarity of Dr. Zach Bush. The documentary series is quite fascinating, the facts and information are presented well - and if you care about your health it's a little like getting a condensed version of recent scientific papers and findings you would otherwise never get your hands on - though you might be a little disappointed in the reality of it all. Personally I prefer to be informed. 

Happy Easter! May your bunny bring you Spring! 

2018, My Flower Year

Happy February! 

As always, after Christmas is over it is my time to get organized and plan my year out.

Early January I started my Floret course. 

Plenty to get organized and plan for 2018 in the garden!

So that's what I've been doing. Jordan's been very supportive.

Also, regarding the marketing section of the course, this little blog just won't cut it 

when it comes to putting my to-be flower business out there. I mean, I love that all of you read this, but I suppose there is a point in creating a greater audience, despite the fact we are a tiny, little farm, entirely at the beginning of it all. Maybe it will all revert back to here?!
So that brings me to Instagram and a Website. 

Please follow me @bluemoonfarm.lonepine.alta. 

We thought it would be fun to make a love challenge, beginning a week before Valentine's Day, 

to make a love post on instagram daily until the 14th. Like or comment for support! 

The challenge of doing a series in this format is quite fun. 

I think you're going to agree!

Check out Blue Moon Farm on it's new webpage: 

https://sites.google.com/view/blue-moon-farm/home. 

Yes, it's a poor web address, but it's also free, so until we feel it's time to make 

one on a better (paid) platform, just cut and paste that address, or click the link. 

We like the content and hope it'll be pretty easy to move over when the time comes.

The great thing about today, is that I've made a very transportable grow light set up. 
I think it will be an important improvement to our success.

This year we will be starting seeds in the same location as last year, 

until we can move into our new greenhouse! 

!!!

Also on a community event note, we were at Elvis Night last night at the Lone Pine Hall. 

Everyone loved it!
Apart from Elvis, we were the only ones dressed up. 
Totally worth it.

Knitting 2017

If I summarized knitting in 2017 in a single word it could be 'sparse'. 

But you know me, I'll use more words than one ;)

The Only Project: Toque for a First Canadian Christmas:

This year, or more accurately, the second half of this year, was my best friend's first 

experience living in Canada. That includes Winter and Christmas. 

So I thought, what is more Canadian than a toque as a gift? 

So it wasn't a red and white toque, but it does have snowflakes, 

and it was made during the 150th anniversary of Canada as a country. 

And you could knit one in whatever colours you like, since the instructions are at the end of the post. (Tell me about it on Ravelry here) 

Connections:

One of the best things knitting ever introduced me to was a warm circle of Northern Irish Ladies. Since meeting these fabulous ladies, I've knit in relative solitude, 

until this year, when I finally had a knitting get together with a 

Canadian who not only loves knitting and all things yarn, but she spins, too! 

Which takes me to...

Yarn:

Look what I got for Christmas! 

A hand spun, springy, single ply ball of variegated greens and browns. 

It's almost like gardening in wool! 

The question now is what to make with it. Something small, or add it as an accent? 

Either way it is so beautiful and I am as pleased as punch to have received 

such a special fibre product. 

Is it a coincidence my new knitting friend is an Irish Canadian? I think not. 

Toque Instructions:

Needles: 3.25mm, circular of head circumference, plus DPNs.

(If knitting lower portion flat, straight needles if you prefer, as well.)

Wool: Three contrasting yarns in worsted or aran, 

for main (purple), background (white), and snowflake (blue).

Note: The lower portion of the toque, from the band to the top of the snowflake motif, 

can be knit either in the round, or flat, and instructions include both methods. 

I knit mine flat.  If choosing to knit flat, follow *instructions*.

Toque:

Cast on 110st, *112*st and join to knit in the round, *or don't*.

Using main colour (purple) in 2x2 ribbing [K2, P2], make band until work measures 1 1/4".

Knit one round/row in main colour (purple).

Knit one round/row alternating 1x1 main (purple) and background (white) colours. 

Knit two rounds/rows in background colour (white).

Knit chart lines 2 though 20. 

Blank boxes are background colour (white), and X boxes are snowflake colour (blue), 

repeating your pattern five times so you have five snowflakes around your toque,

*making your first and last stitches of each row in the background colour (white) for selvedge*.

*Join now to knit in the round.*

Knit two rounds in background colour (white).

Knit one round alternating 1x1 main (purple) and background (white) colours. 

Knit one round in main colour (purple).

'Falling snowflakes' are made by repeating these four rounds:

R1: K1 background colour (white), K9 main colour (purple).

R2: K main colour (purple).

R3: K5 main colour (purple), [K1 background colour (white), K9 main colour (purple)], K1 background colour (white), K4 main colour (purple).

R4: K main colour (purple).

To decrease: After each background colour (white) st, K2T, which decreases 

the number of main colour (purple) sts between flakes by one on each decrease round. 

Either remember this number or place 'flakes' above 'flakes' on four rounds below.

Knit the four 'Falling snowflakes' rounds plain, once.

Knit the four rounds, using the decrease, twice. (66 sts)

Next two rounds: K2T 

Pull tail through stitch loops twice to secure. 

Make and attach a pompom.

*Sew seam*

Finish ends.

Block if desired, or steam with your warm head!

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