Hat Knitting and Creature Crochet Classes at Red Wagon Plants

Our friends at Lincoln Peak Vineyard have been holding knitting nights at their winery all winter long and have told us what a fun event it has been for them. I have been thinking about this all winter and imagining a group of people sitting around the cozy wood stove, sipping wine, and eating the famous flour-less chocolate cake. We often have customers, friends, and neighbors who want to come by the greenhouse and just hang out in the warmth and the greenery while winter still blows outside, so when I heard about Lincoln Peak's knitting nights, I thought wouldn't it be nice to offer people a chance to do something they love in a setting that is so special during these end-of winter days. I told my friend Meghan O'rourke about this and she very kindly offered to teach two classes in the greenhouses. Meghan is a very talented artist and craft person who will teach you to make something completely unique and full of your own personal touches. And you'll get to do it in the beauty of a greenhouse full of green, green life. Here is a description of the two classes:

Sunday, March 20th. 10 am to noon at Red Wagon Plants

Design and start a vertical ribbed cap

Knowledge of basic knit and purl stiches needed and a willingness to finish up the hat on your own. Learn how to size and pattern this classic, stylish and fitting cap for the cool spring days.  You need to bring 5 size 7 double pointed needles and at least two colors of the yarn of your choice, preferably a worsted weight.

Please call 482-4060 to register. $15 fee per participant. We will provide coffee, tea, and snacks. Space is limited, so please be sure to register

Meghan will be teaching a second class - a really exciting one. Check out what you will learn to make:

Saturday, March 26th, 10 am to noon at Red Wagon Plants

Crochet Your Own Creature

Learn the art of amigirumi, the Japanese art of creating cute crocheted creatures.  A basic knowledge of simple chain stitching is helpful (many tutorials are available online!!) Bring your own crochet hook and a favorite color of cotton yarn.  I will supply the eyes and stuffing!  Bonus: if you took the hat making class feel free to bring your project along for some finishing tips after we bring our cute creatures to life. Again, you will have a chance to relax in the Red Wagon Plants greenhouses.

Please call 482-4060 to register. $15 fee per participant. We will provide coffee, tea, and snacks. Space is limited, please preregister.

Meet RWP's Allison

Allison Lea is one of the terrific staffers at RWP.  And not only is she a master of plant production here, but she's also a gardener and home herbalist in her own right. This weekend she'll be offering a workshop at which she'll share techniques for making lip balms, infused oils for health and beauty, and nourishing skin salves.   By way of introducing her, we asked her to send along some photos from her own Addison County garden.

yarrow

Yarrow

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Calendula

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Chamomile

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Hollyhock close-up

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Lemon Thyme

There are still a couple of spaces in her Saturday, June 26 "Gifts from the Garden: Herbal Body Care"  workshop.  The cost is $25 per person, and you'll leave with a selection of the the goods you'll learn to create ... and some hands-on practice making gifts from your own garden.  Give us a call at 802-482-4060 to register.

Mother' Day at Red Wagon Plants

Did you know that Mother's Day was founded as a protest to war and violence?  This is the powerful original proclamation made by Julia Ward Howe in 1870.  Sometimes when I look around at the weird commercial venture that the holiday has become, it just makes me shake my head. But we're a business and the day is still a great one to honor those marvelous mothers of ours.  And it's true that we've got some great things around for the mothers in your life if you're looking for a gift.

We've still got these amazing ever-bearing strawberries in hanging baskets.  A few are just dripping with ripe  berries even.

strawberry basket

And the flowering baskets really are just breathtaking.

For something a little different, why not a cookbook to go along with the plants you buy?  We're so happy to be selling Cooking Close to Home by Fletcher Allen Health Care's Diane Imrie and Richard Jarmusz.  It's a beautiful book that features a year's worth of recipes that rely on ingredients we can get in Vermont and throughout the northeast.  A copy of this, and a couple of herb plants would be a terrific gift.  (We'll tell you more about the very exciting project we're working on with FAHC in an upcoming post.)

We've got a ton of beautiful things for you to give, or for your own enjoyment of your garden and food.   Hope we'll see you this weekend, and we invite you and your families to join in honoring the original intent of this day by going to the Peace & Justice Center's Mothers for Peace Celebration in Burlington.