Botanical Blues/ Watercolour Finish

July 6, 2016

 Almost every day I have a pen or pencil in hand. That means I have quite a few pictures to choose from for painting. Next up on the painting board a fairy. 

 "The Pretty Pair."

Progress on the Rustling Leaf Beret.  Tosh sock. Colourway well water. A row here and there adds up. I am so pleased to be able to knit again. 

Reading...

I've been searching for this book on Canadian Wild Flowers by Catherine Parr Traill for some time.  It's second hand, but is in good shape. There's another one I'd like to own, but haven't found it yet. For those of you who may not know, Catherine and her sister came to Canada from England in the 19th century.  Catherine wrote the Backwoods of Canada and she sister Susan Moodie wrote Roughing It in The Bush. ( They each wrote two books about pioneer life.)  If my memory serves me correctly, it was Susan who spent a winter alone in the bush with her children while her husband was off working. Can you imagine?

Thank goodness Catherine had the foresight to collect and record Ontario's wild flowers. Her niece Agnes Fitzgibbon illustrated her wild flower books. Catherine knew expansion would deplete much of the wood lands and she was, of course, way ahead for her time. I'd love to see Catherine's herbarium housed at the Canadian Museum of Nature.

Have a great week...