* Collecting birch leaves, berry breakfasts in the sun, observing clouds & making tree resin balm

{Music: Glimpse of the past – James Quinn + Journey of Life – James Quinn + Daisy Chains – Amy May Ellis}

Collecting birch leaves,

berry breakfasts in the sun,

observing clouds &

making tree resin balm.

Tree resin balm – Basic Recipe

(In the video I only made a quarter of the recipe

because I didn't have enough resin yet)

200 g olive oil

80 g resin from coniferous trees

40 g beeswax

Note: Be careful when collecting resin. Take only as much as you need and do not damage the bark of the trees!

Place a cotton cloth over an enamel pot or a heatproof glass beaker. Add the olive oil and resin, then heat slowly (ideally only up to 70°C / 158°F so the essential oils are not boiled off) and let it infuse for about 30 minutes. Afterward, remove the cotton cloth along with the resin residues (and discard them), then add the beeswax. Once the wax has completely melted, pour the salve into well-cleaned glass jars. Only close the jars once the mixture has fully cooled.

Effects of the resin and the resin balm made from it:

• antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal

• warming and promotes blood circulation

• wound-healing and astringent

• softening and expectorant

• skin-care (for rough, cracked skin, atopic dermatitis)

• pain-relieving for rheumatic conditions, joint pain, and muscle tension

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*Kitty bonnet

Close-ups of the kitty bonnet I finished earlier this month. The pattern is again from @rhirhi.knits and was really fun to knit! At the moment, I'm working on another one for a dear friend.

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*in the garden

Im Garten

fallen sanft die Blütenblätter

von den frisch erwachten Bäumen.

Sie schweben im Wind dahin

wie ein hoffnungsvoller Traum.

Der Geruch von Veilchen

berührt den Mond

wie ein leiser Gedanke aus Licht.

Nur für einen Moment

horcht alles auf,

die Sinne weiten sich

und das Herz lacht vor Freude.

{Claudia Voglhuber}

∼

In the garden, 

petals softly fall

from freshly awakened trees.

They drift upon the wind

like a hopeful dream.

The scent of violets

touches the moon

like a still thought of light.

Just for a moment,

everything listens,

the senses open wide,

and the heart laughs with joy.

{Claudia Voglhuber}

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*halibut

My pen friend Silke shared this free pattern for a quirky crochet halibut with me, so I thought I'd surprise her by making one for her! It was a lovely side project! 

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*in the distant

Those photos from early March already feel so far away, considering how all the trees are now bursting with their freshest colors. Back then, it felt anything but like spring – only a pair of swans in the distance broke the gloom.

The past few days have been warm and gentle. I’ve spent most of my time in the garden, kneeling with dirty hands in the heart of nature, soaking up the sun, the hum of bees, and the many different birdsong melodies. When I went to put away the withered Easter bush, I had the idea to make a little wattle structure for the birds. I’ll share pictures of it later. Enjoy your weekend!

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*Calm days around Easter

{Music: Revient le jour – Alexandra Stréliski + February – James Quinn + In the shadow of sunset – James Quinn}

Just some calm moments around Easter time. 

I knitted another bonnet, this time with a cat motif, 

enjoyed all the blooming trees,

took care for my seedlings,

and did a bit of baking.

I hope you had a wonderful Easter!

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*Mr. Ruesselo #2

Close-ups of the second elephant I knitted last month. Every time I finish a new knitting project, I immediately start wondering what it would look like in a different color and feel like trying out every possible combination. Do you feel the same?

{The pattern is designed by Svitlana Kondratova (@im_strickfieber) and you can find it for free on her ravelry page.}

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*Spring tasks

We finally had some very welcome rain after the long dry period. I’ve started pre-growing the first little seedlings, and they are already bravely sprouting up from the soil. Yesterday, I prepared the garden beds for adding fresh compost and pruned the last berry bushes. The birds are very happy about the rain and are singing nonstop. It’s that time of year again when there’s so much to do all at once that you don’t know where to start. But I try not to let myself get too stressed and take things step by step as best I can, before falling into bed exhausted in the evening.

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*Swan bonnet

It was wonderful to try something new again. In this case, I used the intarsia technique for the first time, and after some trial and error, I got the hang of it. The colors I chose match my old blue linen dress perfectly. The pattern was designed by @rhirhi.knits, and I saw that she’ll soon be releasing another one – maybe I’ll give it a try as well sometime.

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*March knitting & the first Spring flowers

 {Music: White Forst (in Kazan) – Fabrizio Paterlini + Cloud Hands – Daniel O'Rhys + Le Démarche – Yann Tiersen}

Nature is slowly awakening. Finding the first snowdrops in the forest always feels like a little miracle after winter, just like the scent of violets that suddenly wafts through the garden, inviting the first bees to linger. I knitted a swan bonnet using the intarsia technique for the first time, and another elephant. The days feel bright and promising, and I can't wait to start the first seeds for the greenhouse and vegetable garden.

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