I’m amazed by the yardage of the Cotton Gima - the first ball took me through 2 good size swatches and more than 50% of the back of the tunic. This is soothing stockinette at it’s best, and a bit more visually enjoyable knitting than tactile, although my fingers are intrigued by something different too. I’m enjoying the textural quality of the Gima and watching the stitches form under my fingers, and the gauge is big enough to be sheer and allow the inches to flow from the needles rather quickly - very satisfying. Florence has been my go-to wind-down project of late. It’s working up as expected with a bit of negative ease - so the fit will be different than the orginal with it’s lovely feminine drape, hopefully the snug fit won’t be too much when coupled with the sheer fabric. Ruth says that this project requires a certain spirit of adventurousness, so I’m letting go and having fun with that!

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Now playing: Asobi Seksu - New Years
via FoxyTunes

One of my favorite things this spring (I guess the season has finally caught up with the temperature here though - Happy Summer!) has been eating from our own garden. Last year was our first experimenting with growing food - We started “small” with tomatoes, squash & cucumbers, peppers and herbs, and we learned an awful lot - The tomatoes loved being in their buckets and the squash needed a lot of room. The peppers didn’t like their location on the other side of the bed and needed more sun.

Last year’s garden midsummer

So this year we expanded, trying to grow more of the things that we eat on a regular basis, growing most of the plants from seeds. We’ve added Beans & Peas, Eggplants, Lettuces and Greens, Beets, Carrots and Leeks; we moved the peppers and they’re much happier in their new location and we’re learning about how many seeds to plant, when to plant them, and that the packages aren’t lying about the amount of space that the plants will need. Ironically, these tomatoes are NOT happy in the buckets (not sure if that’s their late start or the variety) and the happiest ones that we have are growing straight out of the compost bin in the corner - so who are we to mess with that? We’ve been able to share seedlings with friends and neighbors and are generally having a blast with this big experiment.

This year, bigger, crazier, and lots more to learn! Go to Flickr for the gory details!

We’re not vegetarians, but we cook like we are - aside from some occasional fish, we haven’t cooked meat at home in ages and tend to eat it only when we’re out. Tad has jumped on board completely this year and has joined me in the kitchen - now we cook together and are really enjoying it - he’s even talking about trying bread-making once things slow down a bit. Last weekend, while I apparently leisurely stripped and chopped the greens, he made the grits and prepped the fish (go Tad!!):

From Moosewood’s Simple Suppers - Kale from our garden (love the impossible-to-capture silvery-blue-green color), NC Catfish, and organic grits with Cabot cheddar - delivered by Dad on his last visit. We’re working our way through this cookbook and everything we’ve made so far has been great. Another favorite with the garden greens has been Scrambled Tofu with raspberry-chipotle sauce and green rice. Yumm!

Last night, Beet Risotto with Goat Cheese & Walnuts (from Cooking Light):

This called for Chard too - which we had to supplement along with a couple extra beets - we planted Rainbow Chard, but it’s not doing very much - I think it would be happier in the big bed with the Kale and Collards. We’ve planted some more there and we’ll see how it does.

ETA: I forgot to tell the story about the beets! Last year, our CSA sent us home with beets for several weeks in a row. I hadn’t had them since I was a child and we had them in the family garden. I didn’t like them back then (to put it mildly) and had no idea what to do with them, so I started hunting down what to do with all those beets - I’m proud to say we used them all (almost). This recipe is one of my favorites and why we decided to grow them this year!

Up next, Eggplants and Anaheim Peppers - Anyone have a good recipe for Chiles Rellenos?
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Now playing: Cloud Cult - When Water Comes to Life
via FoxyTunes

Now, I know how some people feel about bobbles. And I really can’t even verbalize why, but I love them - I just do. As a result, I fell in love with Bobble Blue within seconds of receiving my 2006 Spring edition of IK and began knitting it not long after. After a delay due to a mental block with the sleeves, it was completed in the Fall of that year - And then it sat for a few months because the ribbing was too loose and the buttons too heavy, which resulted in some unattractive droopiness after only a few minutes of wear. I finally frogged the button bands and neck edging and then proceeded to pull it out periodically and make half hearted attempts at a new edging, which I was never really happy with and would inevitably rip out. I was quite pleased with the sweater itself though - I think many of us get attached to our knitting firsts, and this had a few - First cables, First bobbles, First set-in sleeves, First knitting of anything in pieces and therefore, First seaming. I sort of defined this in my head as my first “real” sweater (whatever that means), and so I couldn’t bring myself to give up on the body of it and frog the whole thing.

Finally last week, inspired by the color and simplicity of the lavender Cotton Gima stitches, I pulled it out once more and a little while later a simple crab stitch edging had worked it’s way around the edges. Then, on a whim, I started adding hooks & eyes (the only thing I had on hand), First three, evenly spaced down the front, then two more in the gaps, then those gaps were subdivided once more and it began to look like it might work - all told, it took 18 closures to even out any gaping, but I think it was worth the effort.

Pattern: Bobble Blue, by Mari Lynn Patrick

Source: IK Spring 2006

Needles: I’ve forgotten, but US7’s ring a bell.

Yarn: Knitpicks Shine Worsted in Wisteria

I think I have relayed this before, but beware! Shine Worsted GROWS. I purchased the yarn at the same time in two colors for two separate sweaters - this and the Sandra Sweater, and though it has held up relatively ok to the wear I put Sandra through - I don’t see myself using this yarn again.  It fit my budget and my color choices, but if I had them to do again, I might have chosen a more durable cotton/linen blend for Sandra and a cotton/wool blend or other wool blend for the Bobble Sweater. When using Shine, I recommend making a sizeable gauge swatch (a sleeve, even) to test true gauge. On the Sandra sweater I had to take more extreme measures, but here it was sufficient to take in the sides a bit by moving the mattress stitch seam in an inch or so from the hem to the ribcage - luckily it does not add too much bulk.

Mods: Here’s the before taken in the Autumn of 2006 (carefully adjusted to hide the droopy-button issue - I wish I’d taken a true representation shot before frogging, but I was too frustrated at the time, you’ll have to take my word for it):

And the after:

The biggest visible modification was the change-up of the edging. The ribbed bands were removed completely and replaced with a simple crab stitch edging and hook & eye closures (which I will now have to be excessively careful with when washing, etc - perhaps not the most practical choice, but it works).

I also added short rows at the bust to prevent cardigan-ride-up in the front, and though not a planned modification, I also had to take in the sides a bit as mentioned above. Even with this modification, there is a good 4 inches of ease in the body.

Learning experiences: For some reason that I don’t recall, I made a conscious decision not to knit the ribbing with smaller needles as directed in the pattern - this went for both the bottom bands, and the button bands. I learned from this sweater and the aftermath of trying to finish it, that I might want to follow the instructions on that point next time! The tighter gauge = added durability for the edge, and also added body to ribbing that could be a bit loose due to the frequent change between knit and purl stitches. I was ok with the bottom bands, though I could certainly see the value in making them tighter, but the button bands just wouldn’t do, and the buttons, though lovely, were metal and were far too heavy for the yarn - you can’t see how pretty they are if they droop!

Time to Finish: Just over 2 years.

Verdict: Warm affection, but not passion. This sweater is not ideal for my shape - My ribcage and hips are on the petite side, but my shoulders and bust are broad in relation to my body.  Added to that, I have a very short torso - so I need to be a little careful about shaping. Without good waist shaping I tend to look very square in the torso. I think this sweater does add some unneccessary bulk on top, but strangely, I’m ok with it here. Maybe that just means that I’m growing more comfortable with my shape as I get older. I DO have broad shoulders - not much I can do about it. So, not my favorite FO, but finishing this one and feeling comfortable wearing it - even a bit pretty - made me happy nonetheless, and removing a long-standing WIP from the list made me quite pleased!

This was not my longest-standing WIP, but nearly so. I think there’s only one that outdates it. What are your longest running projects or longest hiatus before finishing? Was it worth the wait? Did you learn anything in the interim that you wish you knew when you started the project?

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Now playing: Rogue Wave - Publish My Love
via FoxyTunes

Bump, bump bump. It has been a slightly turbulent around here of late, but though related this bump ends happily and therefore warrants sharing I think!

A woman who meant the world to me had a cat. A not-too-bright, but very sweet cat, who was mightily attached to her and she to it. When she was gone, I didn’t really think of the cat as any sort of connection to or manifestation of her, but boy did I cry when we thought he was gone. I got the call from the cat’s other person, one that is incapable of dramatizing - Cat’s gone, looks like a tussle on the lawn, not expecting him to come back.

And then yesterday, days later, the cat strolls on back into the house like nothing ever happened. Curls right up on the bed happy as a clam and goes to sleep. After putting D through all that, and us too. I could kill him, if I weren’t so happy that he’s ok. Little shit.

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Now playing: The Wood’s Tea Co. - The Cat Came Back
via FoxyTunes

Sometimes, colors come in groups around here. Last week, green & white, this week it’s lavender:

I have no lavender-colored garden creatures to show you, but I hope the real thing will suffice!

A swatch - which you may think you have seen before - but truely, this one’s new. I have no idea what happened to swatch #1. It disappeared to the place where all lost sock mates etc. go (around here that could mean Sweeter’s belly, but I’m hopeful that’s not the case here!), and I had not washed it yet or recorded gauge. So, after giving up hope that it would turn up in time to be useful - I pulled out the needles and swatched again:

Habu Cotton Gima (#2!) for Ruth’s Florence.

The swatch has been washed and dried and measured - and safely stowed in it’s rightful place. But here are the digits for back up - just in case!

@ 25 sts/4 inches on US5’s - slightly larger than the stated 26 sts/4 inches, but I think it will be fine. As Ruth states, measuring gauge for this yarn is a rather tricky thing. But if my math is right, it should fit just about perfect - hurray for serendipity!

The lovely lavender swatch reminded me of a long standing WIP in the same pretty shade.

This one has been shelved for well over a year, but an hour (or two) worth of finish work and it is nearly wear-worthy - just a few more closures to go! Hurray for seemingly instant FO’s!

And for lavender!

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Now playing: Tori Amos - Purple People
via FoxyTunes

Green and White seem to be staples around here lately in life and knitting - I don’t mind one bit - Green is one of my favorite colors, and here’s one particularly brilliant hue!

One of our garden friends allowing me to approach for an extra close shot before taking exception to my intrusion.

Sorry buddy - the fence is yours!

White:

More Two-End Knitting exploration - The second installment is in the works and I’m having lots of fun - I love it’s use with the handpainted yarn, but here in the solid color it’s easier to see the resulting fabric and it’s qualities, especially in photos. I love this natural shade of white - the simple knitting and the color is very soothing.

Green & White:

We have pepper flowers and a few tomato flowers and squash/cucumber flowers and the beans have been blooming for two weeks, and finally, now, we have snow pea blossoms!! I was beginning to think they’d never show up. When we decided to try seeds this year we didn’t have any clue how well (or not!) they might do, especially as we started a little late in the game. But as it turns out, the garden is exploding! We had mesclun greens and spinach this week for salad and I believe that string beans and kale are on the menu this weekend.

What colors are you enjoying lately, or have been showing up in your daily life & knitting?

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Now playing: Rainer Maria - Make You Mine
via FoxyTunes

But very much appreciated:

Shawl of the Week: Chrysalis

What a nice write up Meg, thank you! I’ve been glowing for days.