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Busy Hands

February 3rd, 2015

This time of year I get anxious to start planting seeds.  When we lived in Ohio I always started celery and onions in late January. Here in Maine I try to wait until mid-February. Our snow cover sticks around for a few extra weeks so I can’t plant things out as early as I’d like. I also find that it works out better. I don’t have to tend seedlings for quite as long and the plants are happier to go into the soil a little earlier. Even though I start two weeks later, my plants seem to end up being ready for harvest around the same time. Since I get antsy to start planting I need to find projects to keep me busy.  New yarn and a giant crochet hook to the rescue!
crochet cowl 1
I’ve been wanting to make this cowl for quite a while and have been looking for the perfect yarn. This lovely yarn was procured at the Local Roots Market in Wooster, OH when I was visiting in early December. I purchased a skein of this yarn last year as well and it was made into a hat. The yarn is fantastic, super bulky and oh so warm. I knew I wanted a chunky cowl from this amazing yarn. I had pinned this pattern a while ago and knew it was exactly what I wanted to make. I purchased this 15.75mm crochet hook and set to work. It’s amazing how quickly something works up when using super bulky yarn and a giant crochet hook.
crochet cowl 2
Using large hooks for crochet projects will help the end product softer. One of the downsides of crochet is the tightness of the stitches. I must say, this cowl is amazingly soft and squishy. I’m actually thinking of making it more like an infinity scarf so I can wrap it around twice. All-in-all it’s a fun project. Another benefit of using such large yarn and hook is that there is enough in a skein to make two or three cowls instead of just one.  Who shall I gift an amazing cowl to? Guess I’ll have a few Christmas presents already finished for the year.

What do you do to keep yourself occupied when you can’t be gardening? 

4 Comments to “Busy Hands”
  1. Kathi Cook on February 3, 2015 at 8:12 am

    I love that cowl! I just knitted a bulky cowl and am thinking of getting size 50 knitting needles and making a plush wool throw. I am a beginner, but already love the meditative feel of knitting. It’s the perfect winter activity. For me it’s all about using beautiful yarn that I love working with. Please post a picture of the cowl when it is finished. Your granny square afghan is beautiful!

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  2. Laura ~ Raise Your Garden on February 3, 2015 at 8:27 am

    Here in Buffalo, it’s just too cold yet to think planting seeds, although I’m eager to get my hands dirty! We keep busy by catching up on good books and doing stuff that never gets done like washing windows. I know, I’m exciting, right. We also catch up on some good shows, I hear the Black List is awesome but have yet to see.

    Reply to Laura ~ Raise Your Garden's comment

  3. Nebraska Dave on February 3, 2015 at 9:49 am

    Susy, this year finding some thing to keep busy has not been a problem. Between taking care of friends, family, and neighbors working their way through health issues has taken up most of the winter time. Running errands during recovery times and …. fixing flat tire issues has been a major consumption of time. Now, of course, it’s been shoveling snow. Since I have the mega snow blower, I see no need for neighbors to struggle through shoveling the heavy snow so Stormie (my snow blower) and I roam the neighborhood looking for those that could use some help.

    Seed starting will begin this week so that will take up time every day until all the plants are out in there garden spots. I have my new growing system buckets ready to plant but that won’t happen for a while. I hope to have plants in the eight buckets by April and outside by the end of May. I am planning for all weather scenarios. I won’t get caught like last year again.

    Have a great yarn hooking day.

    Reply to Nebraska Dave's comment

  4. Jess Clark on February 3, 2015 at 9:57 am

    Board games! I’ve developed a bit of obsession for tabletop gaming that’s kind of taken the place that used to be occupied by puzzles in the winter. But I still knit, too. Love that cowl!

    Reply to Jess Clark's comment

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This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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