Once Upon A Time is a new inspirational book by the talented knitwear designer, Marie Wallin.  Take a minute and scroll down to view some of the prettiest sweaters ever designed for young folk.  The book will be for sale Friday, May 1st from her website.  I imagine you'll start finding the book in the shops in the next few months, just in time for back-to-school knitting.  Any one of these sweaters is destined to become a treasured heirloom.  Enjoy!  Links are at the end.

Links!

Marie Wallin's website

Rowan Felted Tweed DK

Rowan Felted Tweed Aran

Rowan Cocoon

I've used all the above yarns and can vouch that they are fantastic.  Felted Tweed seems to be on everyone's list of favorite yarns.  It's very easy to knit and easy to achieve even stitches.  If you haven't tried it yet, give yourself a treat and find out why it's so popular.  Designers like it so much because of the extensive color range and because it showcases lace, cables and colorwork so beautifully, but also makes a fantastic stockinette fabric. This fall I'll be knitting a long car coat with the Felted Tweed Aran, and I have some yellow Felted Tweed DK to make some sort of cardigan.  But right now it's mostly summer knitting here at Knitionary.  What are you up to, knitting wise?  And how many of you are going to buy this book for some fab fall knitting?

Last year I grew pears in bottles (original post) then filled one bottle with clear brandy and the other with vodka.  They've been resting for a year and this spring or summer we'll have a party and drink them up.  In the meantime they're pretty to look at!  The bottles I used are recycled Balvenie Single Malt bottles.  My husband used to drink Balvenie and I was able to save a dozen or so bottles because I thought they were too pretty to put in the recycle bin.  It's easier than you think to grow a pear in a bottle.  On your tree, find a healthy young pear that will fit into the neck of your bottle.  Remove the surrounding leaves and pears if any, leaving just the one pear.  Insert the pear and branch far into the bottle and with string or strips of fabric, tie it to the strongest surrounding branches making sure the bottle opening faces downward so it won't collect rainwater.  Allow Mother Nature to take over and with a little luck, at the end of summer you'll have large, ripe pears in each bottle.  The survival rate is fairly decent; if the pear sees it through the first week, the chances are excellent that it will continue to thrive.  Last year we did 3 bottles and only lost one.  We are trying for the same odds again this year and one even has two pears inside!  Oh, I really hope those will thrive!

Warning: this is a two person job; one is the steady bottle holder while the other person engineers the secure tying.  It takes a wee bit of thought and a few cuss words, but when it's done, you don't have to think about it again for months.  Other than your regular tree care duties, your only job throughout the summer will be to check on the lashings every once in a while to make sure they are still secure.  Plus you'll want to stop by and admire them every week or so, you know, to cheer them on. 

It's a super fun project and I hope you'll try it. You may have seen last year's post and thought you might try it but never got around to it.  Try it this year!  If you don't have a pear or apple tree, maybe you have a kindly neighbor with a tree?  Just make sure you make an extra one for him!

Well over half of our roses are blooming now,

with the others following in a week or so. 

Look at them!