Midnight Fiber and Fabric Podcast, Episode 12: Tangled

The Berry Socks are complete! My Mom's Socks are very close to done. I cast on another pair for her. I'm also worked on finishing my Citron and completed section 7. One more section and the ruffle to go!


I wound sock yarn this week, including a skein from Nerd Girl Yarns and part of a skein of Dream in Color Smooshy with Cashmere. I'm still trying to sort out the mess from that last skein.

SPAKAL= Spin Along, Knit Along event held by the Knitmore Girls. I ordered the fiber for my SPAKAL sweater from Spunky Eclectic- a grey Shetland wool. I will be spinning for the Harvest sweater by Tin Can Knits.

My goals for Tour de Fleece are to spin for at least 30 minutes each day, aiming for an hour on days I don't work (and of course taking breaks to protect my arms) and to try to finish the singles for my SPAKAL sweater by the end of the tour.


Want to spin along during Tour de Fleece? Join Team Sasquatch! The team is made up of several podcasters and podcast listeners all spinning together. You don't have to be spinning for the SPAKAL project or any other particular goal- set your own plan in place and join us for fun and conversation.


I LOVE Bic Mark-It Markers and keeping scissors everywhere I craft. SO convenient.


I introduce a new segment this week: Garden Notes. This week I have a guest host for this segment- my son Ender.


For the Try New Things segment, I talk about needles. I currently have interchangeable Addi Turbos that I use for any projects not knit on DPNs and I love them. I'm looking at getting some Addi Sock Rockets in the near future. I've been thinking about getting Signature DPNs, but that may have to wait to see how many DPNs I drop and lose in the near future. I'm also interested in trying out the Knitter's Pride Needles and Hiya Hiya needles. What are your favorite needles?

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Midnight Fiber and Fabric Podcast, Episode 9: In the Garden

Upcoming Events include Knit in Public Day and Maker Faire Kansas City.

This week I worked on my Mom's Socks up to the heel turns, started Another Sock for myself, and began section 7 on My Earth Death Citron while I forced my boys into a Mother's Day viewing of Princess Bride!!! I also worked on my You Are My Sunshine baby hat (pictures to come, when there is something to show).

I spun a few longer sessions this week, and I'm almost ready to ply. I'm planning to watch the Gentle Art of Plying by Judith Mackenzie before I ply. I also finally got my own copy of Spinner's Book of Yarn Design by Sarah Anderson.

We're in the garden this week, including the kids! Here are some of our favorite family gardening books:

Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots

Jack's Garden

Sunflower House

How a Seed Grows

Planting a Rainbow

I got my copy of Preserving by the Pint by Marissa McClellan and it's organized by the season! LOVE! I also updated my progress through the Sizing Knitwear Patterns Craftsy Class and referenced Shapely Boyfriend by Stefanie Japel.

5 Most Influential Books For Me as a New Knitter

1. Knitting for Dummies by Tracie Barr Allen and Shannon Okey

2. Knitting Rules by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee

3. Knitter's Almanac by Elizabeth Zimmermann

              ***Knitting Without Tears by Elizabeth Zimmermann

4. Magnificent Mittens and Socks by Anna Zilboorg

5. Fitted Knits by Stefanie Japel

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In the Garden

In the Garden

We're up to 13 cucumbers in the last few days- not quite enough to can pickles, but maybe enough to make some to keep in the fridge. The boys are eager to try making our own pickles. I'm thinking next year we need 4 or 5 plants instead of 2 to give it a really good shot.

Ellie is doing a great job helping us pick things out of the garden, but still picking some things a little too early. If I can get her to stop eating the tomatoes as she picks them I might end up with enough grape tomatoes to roast.

I'm trying to decide what to do with the jalapenos- maybe I'll just slice them and freeze them to use later? Roast and then freeze? Pickle?

Starting Our Garden Journals

This past weekend there was actual spring-like weather going on and we were able to get outside to check out the yard situation in depth. We planned the location for garden space, bought a few flower bulbs for one of the beds, and Ender started on a great plan for what needs pulled out. A few things were dead from the previous owners so that is first on the list to take care of in the next week or so as we prepare beds.

{Ezra's entry}

{Ender's entry}

One of the things I really want to be sure to do this first season with the new garden is to keep a journal of our work in the yard. I'm keeping the primary garden journal myself, which will be more list making and written journal entries than drawings. The boys are keeping smaller versions of my journal. Ezra's notebook will probably just be nature related drawings, but Ender is working to keep an accurate record of our time spent outside similar to my journal. We talked this weekend about making a point of noting the date and the weather, being sure to record what part of the garden we work in that day and what was done. He's still deciding how he'd like to organize his journal, but for now he's making a page each time we work outside.

We handed Ellie a pencil about a month ago and now she wants to draw all the time. In fact, she will most definitely squawk at you if she sees you with a pen or pencil and will not let it go until she has her own pencil. I read the book Young at Art when Ezra was a bitty baby and put a pencil in his hand right around a year old as well- that book has dramatically shaped the way art happens around here.


My garden journal is a bit less impressive- it consists so far of a list of items to plant, and a sketch of the layout. I'm excited to bring our plans into reality over the coming weeks.

Spring/Summer Food

Knitting season is going to slow down for me in the next few weeks- with baby coming and finishing up this school year knitting will slow and we'll start months outside with baseball games and garden time and picnics. Making things never stops, it's just a season full of different kinds of projects.


I always look forward to these next several months where we are able to eat so fresh - from our garden, from the gardens of friends and family and the farmer's market. And my mind has been stuck on spring/summer gardening for the last several weeks as we plan for our new outdoor space.


I warned the boys that our edible garden will probably be small this year (I'm trying to be reasonable here- new baby just as we head into major planting might just be too much for me this year) and that we will be found more frequently at the farmer's market this year. And all they can ask about is when the rhubarb will make an appearance in our kitchen.


I think it's safe to say that the appearance of rhubarb signals the beginning of spring for them in our kitchen, and for me as well. I found myself hunting down rhubarb recipes (both old favorites and new possibilities) in late February and it led to a big list of all the things we want to make this spring and summer.

Favorites:

Strawberry Jam

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

Strawberry Lemon Preserves

Watermelon Granita (and made with other fruits as well)

 

  

To try:

Rhubarb Syrup

Rhubarb Cobbler

Grapefruit Jam

Black Raspberry Syrup

Blueberry Butter (maybe substituting some other fruits too for a variety of butters?)

.... And many more planned from Canning for a New Generation and a few other favorite titles.

Garden Party

We are so happy to finally have real space to garden, but at the same time this may not be the year. Having a new spring baby right around planting time might put a little bit of a damper on Mama being out in the dirt on her knees.

I mentioned to the boys the other day that we should take a tour of the yard and write down some ideas of what we'd like to do out there.

Of course, Ender wanted to take pictures of the barren-ness.

I've always wanted hydrangeas, and I love the idea of having a certain amount of flowers planted with the intention of being able to cut some to bring inside.

Ender has plans for tulips somewhere,

and Ezra only cares that the color red is involved at some point.

And I know there will eventually be vegetables somewhere- maybe this year, maybe not.

Still thinking and planning...