Spinning and garden adventures...

So I've been spinning since receiving the roving I ordered earlier this week. I've got the 1.5 ounce sample of gray Shetland, one ounce of the 4 ounces of Merino, and two ounces of Falkland spun. I've only been blocking these skeins for about half an hour after washing them and then drapping them across the clothesline in the yard so they will dry quickly, which has worked very well. Two hours after I ply the skeins, they're dry and ready to use. *loves this*

I've been using the new-to-me predrafting technique described at Knitty, and spinning differently than I have before. I read somewhere quite awhile ago and can't remember where that if you put little spin into your singles, and then a lot of spin into the ply, you get fluffier yarn and the fiber goes farther. So I decided to try that and I have to say, it's very true. I've also been figuring my yardage, which I've never really made of point of doing before. Out of the latest ounce of Falkland, I got 126 yards of fingering weight yarn, which is exactly the weight I was hoping to get for the project for which I made it. The first ounce I spun turned out to be worsted weight when I gauged it and about 100 yards (still not bad and I'm sure I'll find a use for it). The ounce of Merino is 115 yards of worsted, which is the weight I need for my planned project for that too. I had never gotten over 100 yards out of an ounce before to the best of my knowledge and I'm quite thrilled about this!

The Falkland ounce is still a little damp on the ends that were hanging downward, so I had to adjust it so they are in the sun now so it will dry completely faster. (OMG! English verb tenses!!!) As soon as it is, it will be swatch time! *does a little dance*

Some pictures of the roving before it was spun and after:

Merino:




Shetland:




Falkland:




All of them:




And here, have some pictures of what's going on in my yard right now... You'd think it was May and not mid-November.

Some kind of flower that grows in water. Don't know what it is:


Apple blossoms:


Grape hyacinths:

I didn't mean for those to be coming up right now, but they surely are and I just hope that they don't die because they're coming up at the wrong time of the year...

A frog... or toad... or something... chillin':


I've looked it up and I believe that the frog is a "green frog," as seen here.

Our 13(?) goldfish:


The garden:

Beets:


Radishes:


Broccoli (which probably won't grow fast enough):


Carrots and parsnips:


Assorted lead lettuces and garden peas:


Mustard greens:


Turnips:


Collards: