Making Promises

A great  promise?  that Spring is coming... take heart!

I forget the full name of this hardy worker in the garden but its second name is Japonicus. It just doesn't quit! Blossoms, new red leaves all spring and again in the fall well into the frosts.

Early days yet, but that is the first primula blossom and a cluster of new buds forming, with a crocus nudging its way up.

There is a purple magnolia bloom in here. There's also the start of a new shoot at the base too!

The pink hellebore is almost ready!  Tough little plant and was the first to have fresh shoots up even in sub zero weather.

My personal favourite: heather which blooms from November to May, even through the snows.
So I guess you could call this the "Colours of February" on the west coast of Canada and these are all for Lynnette. I promised her I would....

Okay, back to indoor pursuits!
The chair situation in the studio was experiencing a delay.  Turns out the eight inch riser model was just a single solid pole and that simply won't work. So the ten inch hydraulic gas cylinder is the only other choice and then I found out the lowest setting is twenty four inches! I need twenty two and a half inches.  Since it can't be returned for a refund I had to mull it over some more and be really sure. The guy from the store actually came over to our house, looked at the benches and looms and we talked it through. (nice guy!) Seems when you sit down on the current regular chair, your body weight  depresses the chair down, therefore when I sit on the lowest setting of twenty four inches, it would also depress down and we deduced by at least one and a half to two inches so I'm placing the order this week. It makes sense that they would have one base meet and take over from the standard height and not leave a gap!  Phew...  it will take three to four weeks to come in.    *fingers crossed!*

I ran the gauntlet last week and went to the Government of Canada offices to get my first ever, bonafide passport. I absolutely hate the picture. I look like I'm attending a funeral or something but they liked it which is what matters most.  All around me were people grumbling about the long wait, having to get new pictures, more documents, that it was their third time back in line etc. I sat and waited my turn and it all went through first try and I was out of there in 30 minutes.  Now, Hubby promises I'll get to use it but as he pointed out, it is good for five years!

So after that grueling experience, I needed some retail therapy and so went to a yarn store "Knotty by Nature" ( in downtown Victoria, BC. which was just voted the most romantic city in Canada)
 I bought some additional shades of the finer bamboo in navy blue, black and a mid range magenta (which looks more pink here than anything):

While there was so much to love in the store, I was being mindful of my stash at home, counting my pennies... and that Hubby was waiting to carry my bag for me (oops!) I did buy this linen just for the colour!

Greens are so energizing aren't they?  I see the promise of leaves, grass.... and some nice huck lace runners!

So am I weaving again? yes, as a matter of fact I am, but only for short periods of time and not every day.  I do NOT want to go through another set back so I'm taking my time. I have a nine yard warp for three scarves and  I'm fifty four inches into my first scarf. So show and tell will be a while yet. A promise I'm happy that I can make again!