tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-316423562024-03-13T11:17:37.237-04:00Knitting with FireSince Chris and Erica are always working on something, it seems like a good theme for Knitting with Fire would be to talk about current projects. We'll see where it goes.FIREBALLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05698430939316779335noreply@blogger.comBlogger135125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642356.post-55044561044287046922024-02-14T20:46:00.007-05:002024-02-14T20:48:22.067-05:00The Best Method for Germinating Luffa Seeds, Step by Step<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Have trouble starting luffa seeds? I did too. They are fussy. I used to get less than 50% germination, and it took weeks. Now I get nearly 100% germination in just one week. I've put together this series of steps over the past few years based on my own experimentation and help from any resource I could find. I'd like to especially acknowledge Regine Zeng of </span><a href="http://www.asiangarden2table.com" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">Asian Garden 2 Table</a><span style="text-align: left;"> who described pre-germinating her luffa seeds when she was interviewed on the </span><a href="http://www.epicgardening.com" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">Epic Gardening</a><span style="text-align: left;"> podcast.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;">Enough pre-amble, here it is:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Day 1</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTL-Xplum2I-4B7hkUygclI4BTsdRX1ptVlyqlqjHQbCe8hTGroEESCzUJyG3HlNbt-iH900EQGX6ECC4RY_lyXgBhPe9X4Ch3IX5wZYQ2dnt_TWzVRUoGxeBmynvltrkso0DfkwdzK9c6IyBsbq3xN8fBjGkLreVG_gDNEhKvgezkPwrx5MVkPw/s1080/IMG_20240207_195121_009.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTL-Xplum2I-4B7hkUygclI4BTsdRX1ptVlyqlqjHQbCe8hTGroEESCzUJyG3HlNbt-iH900EQGX6ECC4RY_lyXgBhPe9X4Ch3IX5wZYQ2dnt_TWzVRUoGxeBmynvltrkso0DfkwdzK9c6IyBsbq3xN8fBjGkLreVG_gDNEhKvgezkPwrx5MVkPw/s320/IMG_20240207_195121_009.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Clip the side of each seed with a nail clipper. This is a simple form of scarification. You're breaching the tough seed coat to allow water to enter and begin the germination process.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe9lO3Tf36qVLnrSWnLTAPClxvTECzi0pDkpLGm5K2ATvrDzPzfGudVSP0V00e7xurkLeA4M_JmmIBjyCaReo92-74L7PTISV4HHjCyIdd7UR957lTgMtxhVFlInZ4ok6WjBmPp1IcFqWxdVAbui2PK2WyHiAXCmFm9lmAEz__dRaEfHpBshRUlw/s1080/IMG_20240207_195121_034.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe9lO3Tf36qVLnrSWnLTAPClxvTECzi0pDkpLGm5K2ATvrDzPzfGudVSP0V00e7xurkLeA4M_JmmIBjyCaReo92-74L7PTISV4HHjCyIdd7UR957lTgMtxhVFlInZ4ok6WjBmPp1IcFqWxdVAbui2PK2WyHiAXCmFm9lmAEz__dRaEfHpBshRUlw/s320/IMG_20240207_195121_034.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Soak the seeds in warm water overnight. set the container on a heat mat to keep it warm.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Day 2</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOAe1abpwz_Me1bDkiCxjP8IbjS4uA5_2uE9pn0skqqpCB64U8XKEHaEmkDPJ1gAuTlc2cWXKKgYaTYVoT92mHdhRgPerWnT8nNwZEExed41x0gwSaiVkd3EAQ8g237RKld5W8AhlPoqtCha8m1kg5mvYcDwZfwfmYAaF1E7bpEdW8XyfRHjYaLw/s1080/IMG_20240208_201135_154.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOAe1abpwz_Me1bDkiCxjP8IbjS4uA5_2uE9pn0skqqpCB64U8XKEHaEmkDPJ1gAuTlc2cWXKKgYaTYVoT92mHdhRgPerWnT8nNwZEExed41x0gwSaiVkd3EAQ8g237RKld5W8AhlPoqtCha8m1kg5mvYcDwZfwfmYAaF1E7bpEdW8XyfRHjYaLw/s320/IMG_20240208_201135_154.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In the morning, if any seeds are still floating, press them against the side of the container until they release air bubbles and sink to the bottom. It feels cruel, but the water is waking up the seed so it will germinate and grow! Put the container of water with sunken seeds back on the mat for a while or until evening.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxoddPsA8Nxm5xLWMNQ3A_yTHlPAWwE8-nk2E0OgFc2KgOMG9LoUz8GTtThiychSHmUYzSqjYVvWoQVfInWZlv3iCaOOAAb6_IdAtlejrXagHLV0jMl9YHFLpmohllbKFuS-d6DnyKF1e_gS7MyEECWTlu9ZbyK_HYRW1FfsyuZyK_7xjUS5He4A/s4160/20240208_192547.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxoddPsA8Nxm5xLWMNQ3A_yTHlPAWwE8-nk2E0OgFc2KgOMG9LoUz8GTtThiychSHmUYzSqjYVvWoQVfInWZlv3iCaOOAAb6_IdAtlejrXagHLV0jMl9YHFLpmohllbKFuS-d6DnyKF1e_gS7MyEECWTlu9ZbyK_HYRW1FfsyuZyK_7xjUS5He4A/s320/20240208_192547.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Later on day 2 pour off the water, rinse the seeds, and wet a cloth (a chunk of old t-shirt works great).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8-l7BEmMBD1l-IXP6kMRtN1uO-KPNTPFcMv9vVG85IoWNXRO3N8SdCF3y_qv_HmCkCJW1QkREpX0P5tvChqe9AS45-N5mzMBbwPgJBoH-Dmvdd5uzcVFytOoUzf-zwNVtA2vDQw2E8Zl9R2jdJ1vBAZT1r9QbbVIxuINu_y4QIZX-bfCgHdvd0w/s1080/IMG_20240208_201135_194.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8-l7BEmMBD1l-IXP6kMRtN1uO-KPNTPFcMv9vVG85IoWNXRO3N8SdCF3y_qv_HmCkCJW1QkREpX0P5tvChqe9AS45-N5mzMBbwPgJBoH-Dmvdd5uzcVFytOoUzf-zwNVtA2vDQw2E8Zl9R2jdJ1vBAZT1r9QbbVIxuINu_y4QIZX-bfCgHdvd0w/s320/IMG_20240208_201135_194.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiudaYzbx1w9r82uPAup9tiyCUHcaHQBqTWn1rRVJlCYG-BJXhr0loyOLW0JnB5Ptk9Ai2SG-fsWToaVO5DsM20hnge1_2ScSsbAqaSR0rYRWNx12uXcMsa6kKnLmYakeMqqlIYlOEU71rkVMS8riuygycytqfN7YdQX73JmvpztGj3ZWfyKOZ3FQ/s1080/IMG_20240208_201135_200.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiudaYzbx1w9r82uPAup9tiyCUHcaHQBqTWn1rRVJlCYG-BJXhr0loyOLW0JnB5Ptk9Ai2SG-fsWToaVO5DsM20hnge1_2ScSsbAqaSR0rYRWNx12uXcMsa6kKnLmYakeMqqlIYlOEU71rkVMS8riuygycytqfN7YdQX73JmvpztGj3ZWfyKOZ3FQ/s320/IMG_20240208_201135_200.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Wrap the seeds in the wet cloth, put back in the empty soaking container, and put that back onto the heat mat to keep the seeds warm and damp. This bit is called pre-germinating, and from here forward it's a lot like growing sprouts. Once a day open the cloth, rinse the seeds and the cloth well, and then wrap them back up and replace on the heat. Do this every day until you get germination.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Day 3-6, </span></b>depending</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHZiklrv85rwj4lkgmyTu1D_QMULQxZVCUPBIyqoump3ghuh2BfrLqjoQzEXENHZhaQeN4VXRGirlFUSwrF8CAVwH-p6BroCBOck4O0l3o7UnXRLeyShGe2E7s93eoRE87VGP5sA7TPXlvOf6FO57Js3G22UwSO7CIqUr5bB70xfBzCYGj0NRtqw/s4160/20240209_171624.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHZiklrv85rwj4lkgmyTu1D_QMULQxZVCUPBIyqoump3ghuh2BfrLqjoQzEXENHZhaQeN4VXRGirlFUSwrF8CAVwH-p6BroCBOck4O0l3o7UnXRLeyShGe2E7s93eoRE87VGP5sA7TPXlvOf6FO57Js3G22UwSO7CIqUr5bB70xfBzCYGj0NRtqw/s320/20240209_171624.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is germination. The white thing sticking out of each seed is it's root. At this point the seeds can be planted in pots, but I have to admit, I was too busy that night so I rinsed everything and wrapped them back up and put them back in place on the heat mat until the next night...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLLjGKprp1g9LWXM1yfg0wqMc1A1Fpqc23RxIMs3e3SmuUgPzExmkRqNeq4TgHmPeaHheRme5u6LhLKfCpCdwdV0voxsAkn3X50SggZs7Oml3OZmpZ2sI63eE9BPy-Dpllqj91WAGp9vhINN-4Bcacfjcxfjfbru-M2A6e_eVAJCp0yCmY7T68Yw/s1080/IMG_20240210_214320_240.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLLjGKprp1g9LWXM1yfg0wqMc1A1Fpqc23RxIMs3e3SmuUgPzExmkRqNeq4TgHmPeaHheRme5u6LhLKfCpCdwdV0voxsAkn3X50SggZs7Oml3OZmpZ2sI63eE9BPy-Dpllqj91WAGp9vhINN-4Bcacfjcxfjfbru-M2A6e_eVAJCp0yCmY7T68Yw/s320/IMG_20240210_214320_240.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">...when they looked like this. Either one of these pictures is the right time to plant each seed in it's own pot of seed starting mix. If yours germinate one at a time, go ahead and plant each one when it's ready, rinsing the rest and returning them to the heat mat to germinate. That's perfectly normal. In fact I was surprised these all kept such perfect pace with each other.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4CN1U_QOfRCeHxnhD_-4Lc-rSlbyMpgeVtFuyd0smgXvK23ukm_Lf8NmvlcXhCtNCV0c_A03dTlJkiXlPfPhi6wcRrULALm3fHkZCTKCOFjBxETeevzgx_J1-n8jLxotb5hbP2JiHjqy6Le3Hi6eS3ZO3MKx2o8eyKddvXNBWvWzknWdRLuYuFg/s1080/IMG_20240210_214320_262.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4CN1U_QOfRCeHxnhD_-4Lc-rSlbyMpgeVtFuyd0smgXvK23ukm_Lf8NmvlcXhCtNCV0c_A03dTlJkiXlPfPhi6wcRrULALm3fHkZCTKCOFjBxETeevzgx_J1-n8jLxotb5hbP2JiHjqy6Le3Hi6eS3ZO3MKx2o8eyKddvXNBWvWzknWdRLuYuFg/s320/IMG_20240210_214320_262.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Leave headspace when you fill the pot, add the seed, and then cover with twice it's width of seed starting mix.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPIV1jy9Ez-U8y5ZaTvt7tsgeZu0_y-4AFhp3J_TLcvqSWSgyeOoNSh_UP-vOGUh-Ti_Ce6ayb96wYULqpFxqQsaBxLslXnA6r_jCT81d6KwypdPz5IfyzePpsRbD4whG7l0WdC2gd15dW9XHjVyFr8GEohBUV7BwNIO6s7WxAgyjGtPAC-SZ8OQ/s1080/IMG_20240210_214320_269.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPIV1jy9Ez-U8y5ZaTvt7tsgeZu0_y-4AFhp3J_TLcvqSWSgyeOoNSh_UP-vOGUh-Ti_Ce6ayb96wYULqpFxqQsaBxLslXnA6r_jCT81d6KwypdPz5IfyzePpsRbD4whG7l0WdC2gd15dW9XHjVyFr8GEohBUV7BwNIO6s7WxAgyjGtPAC-SZ8OQ/s320/IMG_20240210_214320_269.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Water the pots by placing them into a pan of water for a few hours. Once they've soaked it up and feel heavy, set them on the heat mat in a tray covered with a clear dome (no light needed) and check each day for the leaves to emerge from the soil.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKDSUBbvd5S_yP26ndQ1c4Z_4mKAsa2R1axqGomNIVR_8GRC_eZHvbRJxl4Q1ZgKDGdY0S8b1dk9hTmTagvz8pgd56tMGgUu_tp7LacjDc93LhZ-1NaqXX_FSvu0EZyrM6YvaRJlfGjbYVsiXjxWXTHVBWSISFarX8B3AErPHi_gUUdCc5ivfsgw/s4160/20240213_094356.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKDSUBbvd5S_yP26ndQ1c4Z_4mKAsa2R1axqGomNIVR_8GRC_eZHvbRJxl4Q1ZgKDGdY0S8b1dk9hTmTagvz8pgd56tMGgUu_tp7LacjDc93LhZ-1NaqXX_FSvu0EZyrM6YvaRJlfGjbYVsiXjxWXTHVBWSISFarX8B3AErPHi_gUUdCc5ivfsgw/s320/20240213_094356.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ta da! At this point you can treat your luffa seedlings like any other seedling. Remove the clear dome, take them off the heat, and put them under a light, just like you would with a tomato.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The newest luffa seedlings are along the right side. The right front seedling has started to spread open it's seed leaves.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The luffa seedlings in the middle of the tray are a little more than a month old. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The front left and front center seedling are more like 2 weeks old. They show a great example of the two kinds of leave you see on seedlings. The plain oval leaves are seed leaves. There are only two per plant and they were the first leaves to come up. The lobed leaves are the true leaves. All the rest of the leaves the plant makes will look like them. Seed leaves already exist inside the seed before it germinates--isn't that cool?!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>kniticahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482169665812532216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642356.post-74854354069868689832021-11-28T17:18:00.004-05:002021-11-30T11:54:12.105-05:00How I Plan My Garden Part 3: When do I start my seeds?<p><span style="font-size: medium;">In <a href="http://knittingwithfire.blogspot.com/2021/11/how-i-plan-my-garden-part-2-what-do-you.html">Part 2 </a>I decided what I wanted to plant, based on my big picture goals. In <a href="http://knittingwithfire.blogspot.com/2021/10/how-i-plan-my-garden-part-1-assessing.html">Part 1 </a>I took a good look at last year's garden to decide what I want to repeat this year, and what I want to change. I'm ready to buy seeds. I know what in planting and how many, but when do I plant?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Good news! Starting seeds happens progressively through winter and spring, depending on the type of seed, not all at once.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Most seed packets include basic instructions around planting time, and many of these instructions reference your "last frost day" or planting before or after "all danger of frost." Thankfully, that's an easy to find date. It's the day in spring when you're likely to have one last frost before temperatures stay above freezing for good. Type your zipcode into a calculator like the one <a href="https://davesgarden.com/guides/freeze-frost-dates/#b">here at Dave's Garden</a> and then take note of the date around the 30% chance, to be safe. Once that day comes, you'll need to look at your weather forecast to see if it's really the last chance of frost, but for now it's a date to count back from so you'll have plant-able seedlings when the time comes.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I mark this day on a wall calendar, and mark every week before it, going all the way back to midwinter. This way when I read, "start 6 weeks before last frost" I can easily flip to the week marked six and make note of which seeds need to be started then.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJwBKUGju0pXdTaZS96y95ES381vlsHs8H4DWk5JeUDzkRHIztfiVcw0UT9sScYOQWKSXWzH2gzEhorGIQRYB4TbzZ7vIsrDeEh4kiTYmDBPwOc14JQeYen07ED9vq3fgJNwTyMA/s2048/20211127_161903.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJwBKUGju0pXdTaZS96y95ES381vlsHs8H4DWk5JeUDzkRHIztfiVcw0UT9sScYOQWKSXWzH2gzEhorGIQRYB4TbzZ7vIsrDeEh4kiTYmDBPwOc14JQeYen07ED9vq3fgJNwTyMA/s320/20211127_161903.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Last year I bought a nifty "<a href="https://www.fruitionseeds.com/shop/books/across-the-seasons-fruitions-perpetual-garden-calendar/">perpetual calendar" from Fruition Seeds</a> that gives space for three columns after each date. Each column is a year, so I can easily move information over from one year to the next. You can see entries here for two years, last year and this.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicgfJe5UvYumawH9E1Y2weglVCZfGqBEgr25SVhVeKK45NiGG3W612vHnGuhnRfmTYDemPNIe7V1s1LGBo1URgLutM3p20k0mwV0IMi-J0cPGKBMf5T9HNoNfltFNiczY-tzEwDg/s2048/20211127_161935.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicgfJe5UvYumawH9E1Y2weglVCZfGqBEgr25SVhVeKK45NiGG3W612vHnGuhnRfmTYDemPNIe7V1s1LGBo1URgLutM3p20k0mwV0IMi-J0cPGKBMf5T9HNoNfltFNiczY-tzEwDg/s320/20211127_161935.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I sort through all the seed packs, find the information on when to start, and then write it down on that week. This way, I only have to figure this stuff out once and then look it up each week, instead of counting on my memory (dangerous) or re-sorting through seed packs every week wondering, "do I need to start any of these today?" which would certainly take a lot of the fun out of this hobby.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Once they're all noted on the calendar, I physically lay the packets out in order of planting week. Once they're in order, I put them back into storage in order, behind little cards noting the date. Every week I check the calendar "what do I get to start this week?" and then go into the seed box to pull out a preset collection of seed packs. I also write planting dates on the calendar, and hardening off dates 2 weeks before each planting date.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj04yCZtLtL-A4bvGc15sPtFgUkvwa2ryeZ_-5hqA8hLKxGOpBz08WdI5cQnsCXPkxBx6KlQgdGOq906O-tMAw73s02azLhmKsLk6-p57dRZqvqbwWbBXfaRWDJJas3meJURA5BdA/s2048/20211127_172942.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj04yCZtLtL-A4bvGc15sPtFgUkvwa2ryeZ_-5hqA8hLKxGOpBz08WdI5cQnsCXPkxBx6KlQgdGOq906O-tMAw73s02azLhmKsLk6-p57dRZqvqbwWbBXfaRWDJJas3meJURA5BdA/s320/20211127_172942.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">So what about seeds whose planting date references something other than last frost? Like tomatoes, which are to be planted, "once the soil has warmed to 50*F" or "once the nighttime lows are reliably over 50*F."? Sure, when the time comes I can read a forecast and a soil thermometer with the best of them, but without a time machine I can't then go back 8 weeks and tell myself, "time to start the tomatoe seeds." This is where it's great to find other local gardeners. Ask in local online gardening forums and in local garden shops,* "When is it safe here to plant tomatoes, beans, peppers, etc?" <br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">If you are starting with seedlings, not seeds, it's still good to organize your purchasing and planting around a calendar. peas and greens can take some frost or even snow, especially if you're directly planting the seeds into your garden, but tomatoes and peppers need to wait until much later. There's never just one day to put in the full garden if you're growing more than one kind of vegetable. I find it's well worth it to spend a few hours on a winter holiday break to set up the calendar just once, and then follow the plan from there forward.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>A few words about aquiring seeds:</b> Seeds last for years. Don't feel you have to use up the whole packet the same year you buy it. Store what you don't use this year for the future. The most important thing about seed storage is keeping them dry. Save silica packets (those little rectangles that say "do not eat") from shoes, vitamins, etc and put them into the same well sealed container as your seeds. For really long lasting seeds, store the sealed container in the freezer. How long seeds last depends on the type. There are lots of handy charts for that, including <a href="https://www.thespruce.com/how-long-do-vegetable-seeds-last-1403089">this one from The Spruce.</a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.thespruce.com/how-long-do-vegetable-seeds-last-1403089"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbXxlb_GA7rqUOdNv4Nz0hXiGml8ZNgS2s0-0WEtRutNuct7rQUhhq69E1y5JABrIA81FFSPWEoeWu8hQqSPkUTVIytt4fT1lnS5WAmpjk548KUZYASLLSRH2aoeDa9bIw2odduA/s2048/20211127_144137.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbXxlb_GA7rqUOdNv4Nz0hXiGml8ZNgS2s0-0WEtRutNuct7rQUhhq69E1y5JABrIA81FFSPWEoeWu8hQqSPkUTVIytt4fT1lnS5WAmpjk548KUZYASLLSRH2aoeDa9bIw2odduA/s320/20211127_144137.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">If you are purchasing seeds, buy them from a reputable seed company or that local garden shop. I've heard a lot of stories of people getting screwed buying seeds from amazon or ebay. Personally, I wouldn't.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">There are lots of free seeds in the world! Starting with that packet you saved from last year. Save the seeds you grow. It's a huge topic, and the process can be very different from one plant to another, but <a href="https://youtu.be/R8UserUNj14">tomato</a>, pepper, and dried bean seeds are among the easiest to save and a great place to start. You may also have a local seed library. Ask around, do an internet search. The added benefit of getting seeds that your neighbors have grown out and donated to a seed library is that you know for sure that someone has grown them successfully in your area. I start the calendar process with the seeds I already own, as that helps me figure out what's missing that I'll need to find or purchase.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>One last word about seeds</b>: you cannot accidentally buy GMO seeds. Lots of seed companies state that they aren't selling GMO seeds, with wording that implies that maybe somebody else is, but in reality, GMO seeds are proprietary, and you need to pretty much be a farmer, and definitely sign a contract to buy them. Please don't just take my word for it, after all I'm some lady on the internet you've never actually met. Instead, here's <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://gardenprofessors.com/are-gmo-seeds-available-for-purchase/&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwj-u_eT7rv0AhXtVTABHfHDDPUQFnoECAsQAg&usg=AOvVaw1-Fj1iKJhi0fkU8AjIsI3E">an article from the garden professors</a>, and one from <a href="https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/propagation/seeds/what-are-gmo-seeds.htm">gardening know how. </a> There's lots more out there if you're interested in searching for them.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I hope that this short series has helped you get on top of garden planning. It can be overwhelming to narrow down what you want and where to start, but once you have a routine down it's very easy to adjust and repeat. I'm especially hoping this is helpful to all the new gardeners of the last few years, and helps you enjoy more and worry less!</span></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">*<i>Local garden shops, not the garden section of big box stores. Why? Because the employees there have to be ready to work in any department, and just because someone is working in the garden section that day, doesn't mean it's their area of expertise. My career is in building costumes for theater, dance, and opera. I'm an excellent tailor and seamstress, and right out of college I worked in a large corporate fabrics and crafts store. I could have been a great source of advice for anyone who had questions about sewing clothing. In two years, I maybe got that question once. Instead, thanks to that guy Murphy, I got asked about glue, and embroidery, and scrapbooking, which I know nothing about. My co-workers who could have answered the glue question got the clothing question on my day off. So if you have a question in a big box store about gardening and the employee doesn't know, don't hold it against them. You're probably talking to someone who is an expert in plumbing or paint. Better to build a relationship with the employees in a local garden shop, who focus exclusively on gardening, and garden in the same region as you do.</i></span></p>kniticahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482169665812532216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642356.post-52899700662268375932021-11-16T21:35:00.008-05:002021-11-30T12:46:46.935-05:00How I Plan My Garden: Part 2, What Do You Want to Plant?<a href="http://knittingwithfire.blogspot.com/2021/10/how-i-plan-my-garden-part-1-assessing.html">Part 1</a> talks about starting from an existing garden, but what if you're planting a new garden? or your first garden? Starting can be overwhelming, because we want everything! Every flower, every fruit and vegetable and herb, and all the trees! You probably don't have infinite space, time, and money to grow absolutely everything. Yes, climate and light will eliminate some things from the list but to really narrow it down and still plant a garden you truly enjoy, you'll want to focus on what's most important.<div><br /></div><div>This is the time to think about your big picture questions. Why do I garden? Why am I making this garden? Recognize that you may have different answers for different gardens around your property, and ask them for each. Give yourself permission to apply different priorities to each garden. You don't have to make every one of them for pollinators, or strictly organic, or highly productive. It's your garden.</div><div><br /></div><div>What do I plant? comes from Why do I garden? And Why this garden?</div><div><br /></div><div><b>For Flavor</b> This is why so many gardeners start with tomatoes! Grocery store tomatoes just don't compare to home grown. If this is you, prioritize growing the fruit and veg that taste significantly better than store bought, and look for varieties whose descriptions mention excellent flavor! If it tastes the same as what you can buy, you don't need to grow it.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-n3tlDAND1ymvX3EOgXB-OIMtnjfT3HrW6ReoUpbl8I23u8c-mo0Dg0VHRGHwN73Z4A3HlHt5xyxY7CU7WgU7JdZW-1YPPvECGTi19-DWjAHPSL3BRLxXv5C7iwjgGlPDO8Z53Q/s567/IMG_20210717_104015_715.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="567" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-n3tlDAND1ymvX3EOgXB-OIMtnjfT3HrW6ReoUpbl8I23u8c-mo0Dg0VHRGHwN73Z4A3HlHt5xyxY7CU7WgU7JdZW-1YPPvECGTi19-DWjAHPSL3BRLxXv5C7iwjgGlPDO8Z53Q/s320/IMG_20210717_104015_715.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><b>To Save Money</b> We've all heard the jokes about the $200 tomato, but you really can save money by growing your own over buying. If this is your goal, look for the most expensive items on your grocery list, and prioritize space for them in your garden. I recommend growing your own herbs. One bunch from the store costs several dollars, and I often can't finish a big bunch of parsley before it goes bad. A pack of parsley seeds costs the same as that bunch and provides years of parsley...and speaking of seed...search for local seed libraries, where you can get a wide variety of seeds for free. You can't beat free! If you're more of a flower grower, look to perrenials that you only have to pay for once, and join any local gardening groups in person or online. Gardeners often give away perennial divisions to anyone willing to come pick them up.</div><div><br /></div><div>Even garden amendment can be free. If your town collects branches and leaves, they may well have a pile of free wood chips and a pile of free leaf mold compost for the taking. </div><div><br /></div><div>Preserving the harvest can cover your needs for a full year. You can replace most or all of your canned and frozen vegetable purchases, based on how you strategize your garden.</div><div><br /></div><div>Save your own seeds to plant the next year. I've never bought garlic because I save and replant some of what I grow each year.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>For the Environment/Wildlife</b> This is a fun one, because there is so much out there for you right now! Look into planting natives, and meadows, and permaculture guilds. Even if you only prioritize planting for insects, you will benefit the whole ecosystem, because everything else up the food chain eats them. One of the best things you can do for insect and birds is less. Less cleanup, less cutback...who doesn't love doing less work and watching more life in the yard?</div><div><br /></div><div><b>To Avoid Pesticides</b> If this is important to you, find one of those <a href="https://www.myelomacrowd.org/fruits-veggies-buy-organic-dirty-dozen-clean-ten/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAys2MBhDOARIsAFf1D1fuxjeDT-rk6JsZXZCyCzI6nOEqIgz5dayRp7RHZGvfQfiVjUYY9X0aAqleEALw_wcB">dirty dozen lists</a> and prioritize growing anything on it that you love to eat and can grow in your climate. For instance, bell peppers always make the list. They are easy to grow in my climate, and I've never had a pest problem with them. I'm working towards growing all of my peppers for the year, which also goes back to gardening to save money. I overwinter my peppers, so I've maybe spend $15 in seed and soil over several years. $15 buys what, a dozen or less organic peppers? My plants have paid for themselves several times over, even with the cost of the lights they sit under for the winter.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>For Family/Cultural Heritage</b> My father grew up in the southwestern US, and learned to cook Chinese food from a second generation Chinese friend/roommate. When he moved to Western New York State in the 60s, he couldn't get the foods he had grown up with. He came here as a young adult a year or so after his parents. The story goes that he filled his station wagon with coolers full of dry ice and tortillas for his parents and every formerly southwestern friend they had made in the area. In my childhood, Dad grew many varieties of peppers for both Chinese and southwestern cuisine that couldn't be bought here. He also got seeds from owners of the local chinese groceries. My Italian husband's grandfather was one of many Italian immigrants in our area who had the expertise to grow fig trees in USDA zones 5-6. It's wonderful to grow our own heritage fruits and veg that aren't consistently available in stores. Seed catalogues have vast offerings, and recently I've discovered a few companies that specialize. <a href="https://www.kitazawaseed.com/index.html">Kitazawa Seed Company </a>is over 100 years old and specializes in Asian vegetables. <a href="https://trueloveseeds.com/">True Love Seeds</a> sells seeds from around the globe. I heard abou them through <a href="http://soulfirefarm.org">Soul Fire Farm</a>, an organization I support, who grow seeds of the African Diaspora for them. These folx are growing peanuts in New York State! That's some impressive heritage growing!</div><div><br /></div><div><b>For Beauty</b> Grow some gorgeous plants! Even food plants can be beautiful when presented that way and intermixed with flowers! or just grow the foliage and flowers! Just because I'm obsessed with food doesn't mean you need to be!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjojp_lddCLjCvOip6SBWiRnCxTRMPxwd3e6T0KPCr7ilpsOKQ1zeoZpU8wEgDxzeEpw_S3xfs1s0OM6O2LdLk3N8gP2l8S0jHuN_S3s216ot5UoNyglDwailpYoOJAnkdRgBuKvQ/s2016/received_502937937724162.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjojp_lddCLjCvOip6SBWiRnCxTRMPxwd3e6T0KPCr7ilpsOKQ1zeoZpU8wEgDxzeEpw_S3xfs1s0OM6O2LdLk3N8gP2l8S0jHuN_S3s216ot5UoNyglDwailpYoOJAnkdRgBuKvQ/s320/received_502937937724162.jpg" width="178" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>For Ease of Care</b> Let's be honest. Some ways of gardening are back breaking. I can't speak for you, but I want to live a long life, and garden up to my last day. I've been reworking a lot around my garden to make it easier as I get older, trying to stay ahead of the curve. I'm raising beds and widening paths. Perennials are always less work than annuals. Keeping up with mulching is easier than weeding. Meadow plantings and forest gardens practically take care of themselves. Each time I plant a new bed, I want it to be less work, and less environmental impact, than the lawn it replaces.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>For Sense of Place</b> For me there is something about how gardening connects me to the seasons and the flow of time. Native plantings also connect me to my place on this land. Trying to plant so that something is blooming or harvest-able at each day through the year keeps me connected. So does watching the birds, insects, and other wildlife. If you have a harvest/bloom gap, look around your area for what others have blooming or ripe at that time and consider adding it. Use your plantings as needed sources of shade, or wind blocks. It's also ok to have times of rest in the garden.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>To Experiment</b> In the age of "fake news" its nice to know that we can test nearly every gardening claim. Someone says, "you have to put this in the hole when you plant tomatoes" I can plant half of my tomatoes with "this" in the hole, and half without, and take note of yield and plant health over the rest of the summer. My garden is my science outlet, and if that sounds exciting to you, keep your eye out for places you can do side by side comparisons. They will help inform your long term success.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>For Joy</b> Enjoy every bit of your garden. Do the things that bring you joy, let go of those that don't, If you're satisfied with what you have, don't listen to anyone who tells you it's "wrong." If you aren't satisfied, visit other gardens, think deeply, find what you need, and if it isn't there yet, add it. Happy gardening.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>kniticahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482169665812532216noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642356.post-24882696328707530572021-10-25T16:20:00.004-04:002021-11-30T11:19:54.842-05:00How I plan my garden: part 1 assessing the past year<p>One of the best things about gardening is variety and diversity. Every garden has it's own soil, light, climate, microclimate, and variety and layout of plants. Even my next door neighbor won't have exactly the same conditions as me. My goal with this series is not to dictate to you, dear reader, the ONLY WAY TO GARDEN but to share my experience and point to strategies that I hope can apply widely. Take from this what is useful, leave behind what isn't. Combine it with all the other useful information, experience, and advice you find, and create your own garden.</p><p><i>Context--I garden in the northern hemisphere--Western New York State, not far from either Lake Erie or Lake Ontario. I'm in a small town in a fairly open space. Growing zone 5b, lattitude about 43*North, frost free from mid May to mid October. Summer highs in low 90s. Winter lows can get below 0*F, but don't stay there. Teens and 20s is more usual.</i></p><p><b>Take notes</b> I have established gardens--a vegetable garden and several perennial beds. Planning any year's garden starts with a full assessment of the previous year. I take notes throughout the gardening year of anything I think I will want to know later. Planting times and weather conditions, harvests, what got eaten or died--it's all useful. Lots of people make spreadsheets or use journal apps. I tried, but have discovered that a notebook is what's right for me. I leave space around entries so I can go back and add relevant notes, like the one here. The original entry is seeds that I started indoors. I later added the note "6 weeks--good!" i.e. that they were exactly right to plant out six weeks later.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGJvZ29UXDn-MkaOcMq6cK2Y0LnOO213qGRw9L6qmCTuDoODTOWwJ9httRtYM_CNYsz8q5yl3uPQSjJKkITH1v6CMviVnOOCMkB4XgKVWKeZ3f4SgbHtyCOo7BNaWoFk6svaj4qQ/s2048/20211022_112119.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGJvZ29UXDn-MkaOcMq6cK2Y0LnOO213qGRw9L6qmCTuDoODTOWwJ9httRtYM_CNYsz8q5yl3uPQSjJKkITH1v6CMviVnOOCMkB4XgKVWKeZ3f4SgbHtyCOo7BNaWoFk6svaj4qQ/s320/20211022_112119.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p><b>Assess the previous year</b> In late summer/early fall I walk through all of my gardens and write a detailed summation of how everything did, what kind of harvest I got, etc. If I worked from memory I would probably remember all of the failures and half of the successes. By physically walking the property and writing about every bed, I better capture the full story. This is the time of year that most of the vegetable garden is either in full production or has just finished, so I can capture in the present tense what I wish I had harvested more of and what looks like it struggled due to lack of sun, too much water, too little, etc. I can also note what did really well. This is the starting point for planning next year's garden. I can plan to move the plants that need more sun, grow twice as much of the vegetable that was a big hit, eliminate the one that didn't produce enough to justify the space it took up, or try a new variety that might taste better, produce more, produce sooner, etc.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbbmbXCWyAK-tqPgiO3UHRR3msmzmjHkoYMIIdIDvvvOGeQhH0NBYz_mG1UXLzsgl6h92-4q4Ia4wYwK95cHMEohuURJBFIsE_Rul-x30ObgtDbUsFJH-CqoMUu8agKHbRlX737Q/s2048/20211022_112029.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbbmbXCWyAK-tqPgiO3UHRR3msmzmjHkoYMIIdIDvvvOGeQhH0NBYz_mG1UXLzsgl6h92-4q4Ia4wYwK95cHMEohuURJBFIsE_Rul-x30ObgtDbUsFJH-CqoMUu8agKHbRlX737Q/s320/20211022_112029.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Measure garden beds</b> If I have built any new beds, fall is a great time to measure them, so that by the time the snow falls I can do my planning in the warmth of the house. The vegetable beds are rectangles and seed packets specify spacing, so it's an easy bit of multiplication to figure out how much space x number of seedlings will need. If that amount of math makes you sweat, or you are not working in rectangles, let me suggest my method for planning irregularly shaped beds. I get the spacing for the desired plant from the seed packet, plant label, or catalogue description and put a marker--I like used takeout chopsticks--each place I want a plant based on that spacing. When I'm done I count the markers, and I can leave them in place until planting time. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-3lugvIRynjTnoZrwygJ8b2M3wkyn64V9N6PYaF4Pd0PbWWVaLWVdV4DbkqSok33aXeyWC27OHtOVitPWfSK8WAijKqMKH0Wp1ZbgsBrtEyomNd4Eh43bhRsZPn_wO9pY-N4SpA/s2048/20211011_131319_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-3lugvIRynjTnoZrwygJ8b2M3wkyn64V9N6PYaF4Pd0PbWWVaLWVdV4DbkqSok33aXeyWC27OHtOVitPWfSK8WAijKqMKH0Wp1ZbgsBrtEyomNd4Eh43bhRsZPn_wO9pY-N4SpA/s320/20211011_131319_HDR.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrdDv8mzgIrzRX6_ZhJ3e_a_1PxpHZNrPDzSFrjBbcybZV4SJkpO2XWq_5yOPbjy6keJt9dWEu6uE172tyNKYVu5r-Xqs3C-Bj_Di87dCxOEHGUywak0XW0yC8fn3qYMuSd5a41A/s2048/20211022_085536.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrdDv8mzgIrzRX6_ZhJ3e_a_1PxpHZNrPDzSFrjBbcybZV4SJkpO2XWq_5yOPbjy6keJt9dWEu6uE172tyNKYVu5r-Xqs3C-Bj_Di87dCxOEHGUywak0XW0yC8fn3qYMuSd5a41A/s320/20211022_085536.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I love using these wooden carpenter's rulers in the garden. No danger of them snapping back like a carpenter's tape measure, and they are hinged every six inches. 6, 12, and 18 inches are incredibly common plants spacings, so it's almost more counting than measuring....</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b style="text-align: left;">Draw the beds</b><span style="text-align: left;"> Then I make a drawing of next year's garden with all of those adjustments included. I rotate my garden beds, meaning that I don't grow the same thing in the same place each year. Long ago I established an order for how the 5 beds rotate, so this drawing will be of those new positions, too. i.e. If tomatoes were in bed 1, next year they will be in 3.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoZftk6TRNjOvRJnAu4mXwyxglcXsV7VuFmwVa8eV-a5Z1A_c2YuBdf2F5UYpKBNu1gBSl8XHxNxhw2wPP0Fi5JSCS3KPsa30lRj2dLlahGGMLkk0YV1fS4769lweq3D1szzaa6w/s2048/20211022_112043.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoZftk6TRNjOvRJnAu4mXwyxglcXsV7VuFmwVa8eV-a5Z1A_c2YuBdf2F5UYpKBNu1gBSl8XHxNxhw2wPP0Fi5JSCS3KPsa30lRj2dLlahGGMLkk0YV1fS4769lweq3D1szzaa6w/w240-h320/20211022_112043.jpg" width="240" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>Why?</b> My winter is dark and snowy, so getting all of this info in fall when it's still pleasant outside, means I can change the plan as many times as I want in front of a warm fire. Seed companies have a fresh batch of seeds by the first day of winter, and this is the information I need to know how many seeds to buy, or how many plants to order.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p>kniticahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482169665812532216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642356.post-39923443340315913772021-02-28T18:29:00.002-05:002022-06-20T12:57:49.335-04:00Replacing peat moss with PittMoss<p> Recently, I've been looking for a way to replace peat moss. I have been using it as a major component of both potting mix and seed starting mix.</p><p>I've found it difficult to really get good information on how sustainable the harvest of Canadian peat is. I fully admit that intelligent people have and will come to different conclusions about it's sustainability, based on the available information. I've decided to find something that I can be sure has a smaller environment footprint, and doesn't threaten an ancient eco-system. </p><p>Lots of people have switched to coconut coir. If it's working for you, great! You have my blessing. For me there are three reasons I'm not impressed. One is that I've seen other gardeners do comparisons between starting seeds in traditional peat mixes and in coir mixes, and the plants in coir did terribly. Downright sickly compared to the peat. Second is that I'm not convinced that shipping coir halfway around the world is more sustainable than responsibly harvested peat from my own continent. Finally, if coir can be a useful soil amendment, I have issue with removing organic soil nutrition from poor nations and further stripping their agricultural wealth. </p><p>So yeah, that's a no for me on coir.</p><p>A few years ago I heard about a peat substitute being made out of waste paper near Pittsburg. It's called PittMoss, because it's like peat, but made in Pittsburg, get it? So right away that ticks some environmental boxes for me. It's using a waste product, so not only is it not being harvested from a threatened ecosystem, it's also taking garbage out of the wastestream. And it's being manufactured practically in my backyard compared to far northern peat bogs or Asian coconut trees.</p><p>I had to try it.</p><p>My garden is my science outlet, so I love setting up good, single variable, side by side comparisions when I have a question I want to answer. I mix my own seed starting and potting mix in order to save money, have control over the ingredients, and make a lot at one time. So my standard mix is: 1/3 compost, 1/3 perlite, 1/3 peat, and a small amount of ash to correct the acidicy of the peat. Using 5 gallon buckets for the big components, an old tea cup of wood ash is enough, as pictured.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTVAef1FdAAnH-C0oL2v2DcTZQoCOWGvOIDzCEepHPwIBhVmVsDSsa9PM7csdpbYftQzeZUrCoiRYYGVFxwoBLVR4MaaAh3dXkjTJpHRDU8b_jT3gtKq8PCBKbH2j3s3wSfzGawQ/s2048/20200523_140424.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTVAef1FdAAnH-C0oL2v2DcTZQoCOWGvOIDzCEepHPwIBhVmVsDSsa9PM7csdpbYftQzeZUrCoiRYYGVFxwoBLVR4MaaAh3dXkjTJpHRDU8b_jT3gtKq8PCBKbH2j3s3wSfzGawQ/s320/20200523_140424.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Mixed:</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdutjRRKv2IE6L4MDBWA4esMkeeaNUIKVoUNdf5LH9E3kgQwJvdp54L2edWUMwA8FJeKpbPOzgl1XzBidotRxuFEuyOY8wClfyffi4uL5AKxoeSct1VRCwjB629H86wZbBsFp6Hg/s2048/20200523_141630.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdutjRRKv2IE6L4MDBWA4esMkeeaNUIKVoUNdf5LH9E3kgQwJvdp54L2edWUMwA8FJeKpbPOzgl1XzBidotRxuFEuyOY8wClfyffi4uL5AKxoeSct1VRCwjB629H86wZbBsFp6Hg/s320/20200523_141630.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Then I mixed the trial version: 1/3 compost, 1/3 perlite, and 1/3 PittMoss Prime. No ash as Pitt doesn't need the pH corrected.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjveeAIHPowe5mTnbJ6apkRjWMG38z5I5SxowoQ60IqZnA9M792Km00UuXZd3Gvgw2Fp9aKEDsX0Cqo0pl3AH8thZ5XIOQw9aTCR1e7A21soINRSP6oVWl93NTHXhsHjS-wypCtxg/s2048/20200528_145516.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjveeAIHPowe5mTnbJ6apkRjWMG38z5I5SxowoQ60IqZnA9M792Km00UuXZd3Gvgw2Fp9aKEDsX0Cqo0pl3AH8thZ5XIOQw9aTCR1e7A21soINRSP6oVWl93NTHXhsHjS-wypCtxg/s320/20200528_145516.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is the PittMoss Prime. Up close it has some bits of color.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2XezTHX9J-Ji2EFpQvRaILEK5Wz8HmC5sOk1q5Llb-ABsBNpQ-CsHP-E-wRo3C6Zf5RE-bxcppo80e5sQrRx7SwDD9lQ1IEU-qW0chRXNU6fVxqJ93pMuFLfn-iS81gbg8T7czw/s2048/20200528_145519.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2XezTHX9J-Ji2EFpQvRaILEK5Wz8HmC5sOk1q5Llb-ABsBNpQ-CsHP-E-wRo3C6Zf5RE-bxcppo80e5sQrRx7SwDD9lQ1IEU-qW0chRXNU6fVxqJ93pMuFLfn-iS81gbg8T7czw/s320/20200528_145519.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I started this trial on May 28th with my tomatoes. I chose well matched seedlings in terms of size and color, two of each variety. For each pair, one was planted into the peat mix, and one into the Pitt mix. A little more than 2 weeks later, on June 14th, there was a marked difference in size and fullness of the plants in each pair. The healthy plant is the peat, the stunted is the Pitt. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcSf3yywSUKQqFw3HffWPEXSLTcIKfV1ptJ5IsGIbZn1femrp8lQWuOTRxBVfKZkjdP5XdKWN6XqSVPyv6lY7PU3zws7-UL-agS5vU8EseXGNFOLAuqMsxBu_oZxhiw-kjwVv-iw/s2048/20200614_135147.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcSf3yywSUKQqFw3HffWPEXSLTcIKfV1ptJ5IsGIbZn1femrp8lQWuOTRxBVfKZkjdP5XdKWN6XqSVPyv6lY7PU3zws7-UL-agS5vU8EseXGNFOLAuqMsxBu_oZxhiw-kjwVv-iw/s320/20200614_135147.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ6FxZY8TwoAXVMKoQfO4okLUExas7zp_vxa56r7syb0_pMoAGXJm5SAAyYySHTnqwZ2jcrKIfSUEJ9x-cb0GDvDcZmUl-n27-Zm_SvGIwdoHqVADEpGuWAq7-OJKjRmj1-4hb8A/s2048/20200614_135154.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ6FxZY8TwoAXVMKoQfO4okLUExas7zp_vxa56r7syb0_pMoAGXJm5SAAyYySHTnqwZ2jcrKIfSUEJ9x-cb0GDvDcZmUl-n27-Zm_SvGIwdoHqVADEpGuWAq7-OJKjRmj1-4hb8A/s320/20200614_135154.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Hm. Looks like a lack of nutrition. So I added a top dressing of two inches of compost (under the straw) to all of the plants, Pitt and peat alike. From that point forward, the Pitt plants filled out and looked healthy. They stayed smaller than the peat, but grew at the same rate from there forward. Ok, so maybe this parallels the trouble I've seen with coir, and is evidence that peat moss contributes more nutrition than we tend to give it credit for. The next step of my comparision was seed starting. I continued to use the same peat mixture, but changed the Pitt mixture to: 1/2 compost, 1/3 perlite, and 1/6 Pitt, or 1 bucket compost, 1 bucket perlite, and 1 bucket half PittMoss Prime and half compost.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I thought for sure I had solved it--just needs a higher proportion of compost--but as I trialed seedlings side by side, they germinated at about the same time, grew to the point of their first true leaves, then while the peat seedlings continued to grow, the Pitt stalled out at this size. These are thyme seedlings that illustrate this, along with another really interesting result, which is that when I plant 4-10 seeds in each mix, I am often getting one or two more germinating in the Pitt than in the peat. So it's not bad stuff, but clearly there's something else the mix needs to be successful.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7kPWT8IfcrTZvbln1ll9RNEHi1wHLePJsVr7h3htntPidmhrSOyqmcYatQXMff515VZS7CRdS5fZa7TNG3VruVi9dC2tRSvS2uLUClv2cuqmOAKZGRHk-m8nnz5afDnk5b_UKtw/s1600/IMG_20210207_191352.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7kPWT8IfcrTZvbln1ll9RNEHi1wHLePJsVr7h3htntPidmhrSOyqmcYatQXMff515VZS7CRdS5fZa7TNG3VruVi9dC2tRSvS2uLUClv2cuqmOAKZGRHk-m8nnz5afDnk5b_UKtw/s320/IMG_20210207_191352.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I was stymied, so wrote to the PittMoss company. I showed them the pictures. They said, "I'm going to have one of our soil scientists get back to you." Really?! A soil scientist?! Woohoo! The soil scientist was most interested in the tomato pictures. From his email:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"From the photos it is apparent that there is a significant nutrient deficiency in the blend with the Pitt Moss Prime. It appears by the purpling of the leaves that there is clearly a phosphate deficiency and possibly the small size indicates nitrate deficiency as well. The fact that the compost increased the growth rate is significant.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"As a basis for what was likely taking place remember that PittMoss Prime has no inherant nutrient supply while it has a very high nutrient holding capability once the nutrients have been applied. The blends of Plentiful and Performance have nutrients supplied in the formulation...When blending other material with PittMoss Prime it should be remembered that the high carbon content of the Prime will also require a high nitrogen addition to balance the demand...I susupect that by adding a good balance of fertilizers and or manures with some compost the end product will be similar to what we produce in the PittMoss Plentiful and Performance...If continuing to use PittMoss Prime I suggest both composts of good quality and some dehydrated poultry manure for the organic grower. Otherwise soluble plant food..."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The carbon was tying up the nitrogen! Of course! So with that knowledge, I've begun fertilizing the Pitt seedlings with a dilute fish and seaweed fertilizer once a week. This is standard practice for many seed starters, but because I use a mix with compost (a bit unusual for seed starting) I had been getting by without it. Certainly not a problem to add it into my routine now.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">After a few weeks of seaweed, the seedlings look good and are growing at a better rate. In the case of my broccoli seedlings, the Pitt seedlings have completely caught up to the peat, and some are now bigger!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3waiLqrCAhR9Gqq4hXJba1oxsBk1MYiqDPkV2OtX19AyyqxtWT015Lr_nyL-VJrRqB1mHFykqLXc-rQJ6GUUy0746fQLBBA2JKGLP3xmTbniVvVnT2EnNS8V9VQ8ykNOiLLSuVA/s2048/20210228_174402.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3waiLqrCAhR9Gqq4hXJba1oxsBk1MYiqDPkV2OtX19AyyqxtWT015Lr_nyL-VJrRqB1mHFykqLXc-rQJ6GUUy0746fQLBBA2JKGLP3xmTbniVvVnT2EnNS8V9VQ8ykNOiLLSuVA/s320/20210228_174402.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Blue pots on the left are the Pitt, right is peat.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Conclusions</b>: I'll continue this comparison through my seed starting this spring, but with the addition of fertilizing the Pitt seedlings with half strength fish and seaweed fertilizer once they have their first true leaves. Based on the broccoli, I expect this to go well and think from here forward I will be using PittMoss for my seeds and container plants. Next year I plan to trial the two different proportions of the Pitt mixture against each other.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>2022 Update</b>: I did indeed do another trial, this time comparing a mix of 1 bucket each of PittMoss Prime, compost, and perlite, PLUS 2 tea cups of feather meal to PittMoss Plentiful right out of the bag. Either/both of these worked beautifully! The plants are much healthier this way and didn't need any supplemental liquid fertilizer. I think this is because as the email from PittMoss soil scientist Dr. Bethke points out above, the additional nitrogen was needed not for the plants' direct use, but to balance with the carbon content of Prime. Plentiful already contains the small amount of nitrogen I had to add to Prime, so from here forward it will be my go to, either on it's own or in the mix. As PittMoss is getting more popular, it's nice to know that if they run out of Plentiful, I can get the same results using Prime as long as I mix two cups of feather meal (or other high nitrogen organic granular ferilizer) into every 5 gallons of Prime. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">If you do decide to compare one of these options to your old seed starting mix, I'd love to see your results! Please share in the comments.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I've found PittMoss for sale from their own website, <a href="http://www.pittmoss.com">www.pittmoss.com</a> from A.M. Leonard <a href="http://www.amleo.com">www.amleo.com</a> and of course on Amazon.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>kniticahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482169665812532216noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642356.post-42833055124898163592020-05-26T15:24:00.006-04:002020-05-26T15:24:53.724-04:00Missing Glimmerglass<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
"<i>Even if I knew tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree."</i></div>
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--attributed to Martin Luther</div>
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I first worked at the Glimmerglass Festival in the summer of 1999. I had become disillusioned with the place I had worked for the previous two summers and was looking for a new summer home where the workers were valued as an asset, not used as cheap labor. I found that at Glimmerglass, and have stayed there for every season since.</div>
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I would have started my 22nd season last week. </div>
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My summer begins in December with hiring phone calls and seed orders. </div>
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I've returned to the same company housing for most of my time at Glimmerglass, and have been lucky enough to garden there for nearly twice as long as I have had a home to garden the rest of the year. I solidified my commitment to Glimmerglass the day that I planted asparagus there.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The paper tag identifies these as the seeds for Cooperstown.</td></tr>
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And so, as I organize my seeds, place my orders, and plan my garden in the dead of winter, that planning always includes summer at Glimmerglass. Springfield and Cooperstown have become a second home to me. I have figuratively and literally put down roots there.</div>
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My ~10 week contract, starting right around our last frost date, favors plants that grow quickly from seed to maturity, and perennials that can take care of themselves for most of the year. Below is a pot of a top-setting onion variety called "Egyptian walking onions" that I planted last fall. They multiply by forming lots of small bulbs at the top of the greenery that drop down to the soil and "plant" themselves at a little distance from the mother plant. Thus the "walking." By bringing some of the top-sets indoors for the winter, I had a source of fresh scallions for cooking. My plan was to then bring the pot to my summer housing (from here forward referred to as "the farmhouse") to plant now and let them multiply so I would have an onion supply that took care of itself and was ready to harvest from the day I arrived.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Egyptian walking onions, indoor onions about to leave the pot and joint their outdoor sblings.</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Instead, I've planted the potted ones into the patch here at home. I'll try a new batch next year to plant at the farmhouse. I was happy for the winter supply of scallions, but it's clear that by spring the potted ones aren't as vigorous as those that stayed outdoors. I am curious to see whether they "catch up."</span></div>
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My other experiment for farmhouse growing this year was with peas. </div>
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Kevin Espiritu of <a href="http://epicgardening.com/">Epic Gardening </a>has grown climbing peas in a hanging basket to take advantage of his light situation--an area where there isn't enough light to grow veg at ground level, but there is at eye level.</div>
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I borrowed his idea to take advantage of my seasonal situation. I am home when it is time to plant peas, but at Glimmerglass when it is time to harvest and eat them. I've tried starting seeds at home and transplanting them into the farmhouse garden, I've tried planting seed late at the farmhouse. Neither was very successful. So this year I planted at home, both in my garden and in a hanging basket for travel. I've found an unexpected benefit...while something (probably deer) has eaten half of my garden pea plants, the basket is hanging out of reach and un-harmed. Next spring I expect I'll be planting two baskets, one for my husband at home, and one to travel with me.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snow peas and snap peas safe and sound above browsing height.</td></tr>
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Like any good relationship, the plant exchange goes both ways. I love having plants that carry memories of people and places dear to me. I just transplanted asparagus from the bed my father planted 30 years ago to begin a patch at home. I've brought plants from home to Cooperstown, both to my housing and </div>
to the two gardens I was given permission to plant around the Glimmerglass costume shop. I've also brought plants home to have a piece of Glimmerglass to enjoy for the rest of the year. <br />
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Years ago we realized that there were iris leaves growing in a shade garden at the costume shop, but they had never flowered. We transplanted them to the sunny side of the shop, and not only did they flower, but they have multiplied to the point where I had to thin them. I spread the thinnings to other iris plantings around the Glimmerglass campus, and still had extras to give away and to bring home. These pale purple iris bloom earlier than other colors. They are always part of my first weeks at the Festival, but for now I am glad to enjoy them at home.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An iris transplated from the Glimmerglass costume shop to my home gardens in Wheatfield</td></tr>
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Back in December, I prepared for Glimmerglass. Even as a summer season looked less and less likely, I continued to plant and plan and nurture for an unsure future. It's how I live in the world. Using the present moment to plant and tend food and flowers for the (never guaranteed) future makes sense to me.</div>
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I miss my Glimmerglass family. I miss the challenges of high quality professional work. I miss working with my team, and spending days off with my closest friends. In my loss, I also have opportunity. I will finally see what blooms in my own garden in June. I can experiment with container plantings that need too much watering to abandon for 10 weeks. I spend time with my husband every single day. </div>
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I can't visit my favorite summer places, but I can raise an Ommegang right here on my back porch, while I watch a father robin lead his fledgelings around the garden for the first time.</div>
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Next year in Coopertown, Glimmerglass family.</div>
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kniticahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482169665812532216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642356.post-53050717157446380962020-04-21T19:09:00.000-04:002020-04-21T19:09:15.133-04:00Accessibility in the Age of Corona Virus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxCcKAI5wdI9d_5EjwjNuo31C1zJUk1YrUodxffarn4lUwCTWr4wevQntOo4bwwm-1zfyWirwJygRHXzpMriAMltO9zwk-GKEBMPkJvhT3GWSfvvltWknhJHh7LyiMisJs3lZROg/s1600/20200421_132914.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxCcKAI5wdI9d_5EjwjNuo31C1zJUk1YrUodxffarn4lUwCTWr4wevQntOo4bwwm-1zfyWirwJygRHXzpMriAMltO9zwk-GKEBMPkJvhT3GWSfvvltWknhJHh7LyiMisJs3lZROg/s320/20200421_132914.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #f6b26b;"><i>Set-up for teaching hand sewing by video conference.</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;">I think about accessibility a lot. Maybe because I work with clothing, and I know for sure that "one size fits all" is a lie. Maybe because I'm left handed. 10% of the world's population is left handed, and yet I challenge you to go to any event, class, whatever, where scissors are provided for the participants and check whether 10% of those scissors are left handed. I bet more often than not none of the scissors are left handed.</span><br />
<span style="color: #f6b26b;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #f6b26b;">We can erroneously fall into thinking that accessibility is only about disability. Making sure that our built spaces work for people with legally defined disabilities is important--those laws ensure that public spaces include notices in braille, that TV shows are captioned, that businesses have accessible parking near the entrance with clear space to load and unload out of a side door. But accessibility is so much broader. For one thing, the only reason that any built space doesn't accommodate someone, is because it is just that--a built space. Human designers made it, and at some point made choices that work for a few bodies and minds, but not all. There is no problem at all with the person who the space doesn't accommodate, the problem is with the design plan that didn't take everyone into account. Like my brownie troop leaders who didn't buy a single pair of left handed scissors...in three years.</span><br />
<span style="color: #f6b26b;"><br /></span><span style="color: #f6b26b;">"One size fits all" is a lie. There is not one way to build a space that is fully accessible, and another that is not. The stairs are best for some, ramps for some, elevators for others. Providing multiple options to the same goal tends to be the best way.</span><br />
<span style="color: #f6b26b;"><br /></span><span style="color: #f6b26b;">That's not to say that accommodating everyone is easy, or obvious. Here's a mistake I made: among other things, my job includes teaching students how to sew at a sewing machine. I am just a bit over 5 feet tall. One of my tall students was having real difficulty learning to use a sewing machine. He figured out, and then pointed out to me, that the tables our sewing machines are built into were too low for him. His knees banged against the front of the table when he tried to reach the pedal. At my height, it had honestly never occurred to me that this would be a problem for someone with long legs. I asked him to let me think on it. By the next class I had gone to the book store and bought the risers they sell to prop up your dorm bed so that you can shove more crap under it. They worked perfectly! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;">Even though I solved his difficulty pretty easily, I felt awful, because not only had I failed to see the problem myself, I knew I had had students his height in previous classes, who must have struggled just as much. They hadn't spoken up, I hadn't noticed, they had to struggle for no reason other than that the sewing machine tables were all the same size, but people aren't. I failed to imagine that what fit me comfortably wouldn't fit everyone.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;">The solution wasn't to raise all of the machines. It's no good to go from only accommodating the shorter half of the class to only accommodating the taller half. the solution was to provide a wider variety of heights, to better accommodate a variety of people.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;">So yeah, access is important, and easy to miss.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;">And now that schools at all levels across the country are teaching remotely, there is another layer to access. All of us experience the world with different bodies and different minds, but now we are also experiencing it with different equipment and internet speed. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;">I am seeing so many assumptions that "what's on my screen must also be what's on your screen" or that video is the only way to conduct class.</span><br />
<span style="color: #f6b26b;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #f6b26b;">What assumptions are we making about what students have access to at home? What assumptions is the school making about what teachers have at home? How do these new access issues stack on top of any student's current access issues around their ability to see, hear, or read print?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;">Internet speed is different in different locations, especially rural vs. urban. I know so little about "computer stuff" but as I understand it some forms of internet are slowed down by how many people are using it. I was chatting on video with one of my students while we were waiting for the rest of the class to enter the meeting. She was in one room of the house video conferencing for our class, she had two parents both working online from home in other rooms, and a sibling somewhere else in the house also taking class online. I bet this is pretty common for students, whether they are living with family, still in the dorm (some of my students are) or in an apartment with other students.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;">So I'm trying to keep my eyes open, question my assumptions, and vary the assignments around different platforms. I love getting on video and seeing my students' smiling faces, but I can't assume that video is the best answer for every student, or for every lesson. So I'm doing some video, some discussion forums where we type to each other during class time, some written assignments that can be done in their own time and turned in on the day of class.</span><br />
<span style="color: #f6b26b;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #f6b26b;">Finally, here's the big win for accessibility that we could all pull out of this. All of this stuff we're learning, like how to broadcast a class or meeting while it is happening, we can still do when we are back to meeting in person. So for a student or employee whose attendance is affected by illness, whether something long term like chronic fatigue, or short term like a non-pandemic flu, they can stay home and I can put the class online in real time. At home, I've been doing this by mounting my tablet on a tripod. I can do that on campus too. And that student can either follow along in real time or watch the recording later. It may not be as good as being in attendance, but it's way better than getting notes from a classmate, and it protects the rest of the community if that student has something contagious.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;">And yes, hopefully lots of businesses are realizing how many of their employees can work from home, and how that opens those jobs up for people whose disabilities make reporting to a work space a lot harder than working from a home work space. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;">There is a lot that is hard about what we are doing right now, but with some creative thinking we can pull a lot of good from it to carry with us into the future.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;">Are you working remotely right now? are you teaching? I'd love to hear what you're trying, and what's working to accommodate your students across so many different levels of computer/internet access.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;"><br /></span>kniticahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482169665812532216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642356.post-71585565262381475062020-01-06T18:02:00.001-05:002020-01-06T18:11:47.271-05:00My first year growing luffa in a cold short season (zone 5b)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #f6b26b;">Note: if you are hoping for sure-fire how-to information on successfully growing luffa in a short season, look elsewhere, or come back here in a few years. If you are experimenting, and want to read about how my first year of experimenting went: wins, losses, and plans for next year, then read on!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;">My primary goal is to grow enough mature gourds to supply luffa scrubbers for my own bath and dish scrubbing needs, plus gifts. If up until this moment you thought the natural luffa in your shower was a sea creature, not a plant, don't feel bad--that's what most people think. Luffa or loofah is a vining gourd related to cucumbers. They grow in more tropical parts of Asia, which is why learning to grow them outside of Buffalo New York will be a multi-year challenge.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;"><span style="color: #f6b26b;">I started from seed. After reading lots of conflicting information about how far ahead to start the seed indoors, I decided that </span><b style="color: #f6b26b;"><span style="color: cyan;">experiment #1</span></b><span style="color: #f6b26b;"> was to determine the best indoor start time. I started the first plant in mid January, the second mid February, and the third mid March. My final frost date is May 15th, so that was 4, 3, and 2 months before the first frost. For all three plantings I nicked the side of the seed with a nail clipper and soaked overnight before planted in a peat pot filled with potting mix. I kept the peat pot on a heat mat and under a clear plastic dome until germination. Once the seed germinated I moved the peat pot off the heat and directly under flourescent light. I had 100% germination. </span><span style="color: cyan;"><b>Success #1</b></span><b style="color: #f6b26b;"><span style="color: #f6b26b;">!</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;">I followed my usual routine for planting out into the vegetable garden. I mulch all of my beds heavily with chopped leaves in the fall. By spring that layer of leaves has gone down quite a bit, usually to 2-4" of mulch. For the luffas, 3-4 weeks before planting I raked back the leaf mulch to help the bed warm up in the sun. 2 weeks before planting I spread a 2" layer of screened compost on top of the bed. I don't work anything into the soil and I don't till.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;"><span style="color: #f6b26b;">I planted out all three seedlings in an 18" diameter x 5' tall tomato cage a week before my last frost date and then re-mulched with the fall leaves. The forecast showed no more frost for the next 2 weeks. This was </span><b><span style="color: cyan;">mistake #1</span></b><span style="color: #f6b26b;">. All three plants shriveled, turned brown, and nearly died. Clearly these tropical plants need more warmth than just a lack of frost. While they did survive, they were stunted and didn't get any bigger for at least a month. Planting out early put them behind.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;"><span style="color: #f6b26b;">They did eventually grow and start climbing up their tomato cage, and across the neighboring bean cages. They made beautiful, short lived yellow flowers that the bumblebees loved </span><b><span style="color: cyan;">success #2</span></b><span style="color: #f6b26b;">.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZVPdUNtVFFB5khikyHOvW9RclIcwDiBxEv2JLsbDlq9XT5fko1QpF_TE-ffdPbvDOmyIRjf9zNFmORIW-IVAYVcz-mhcUmrhw2n8AQ3F3QJyE6qgmAwKyI9SiJ70DVhWSpJp5NA/s1600/49324370152_61a15f92bb_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZVPdUNtVFFB5khikyHOvW9RclIcwDiBxEv2JLsbDlq9XT5fko1QpF_TE-ffdPbvDOmyIRjf9zNFmORIW-IVAYVcz-mhcUmrhw2n8AQ3F3QJyE6qgmAwKyI9SiJ70DVhWSpJp5NA/s320/49324370152_61a15f92bb_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXZMTm-ykRhYgDdd53N8bqQXPPikkgrIbShVHWilpx9erTL4fNn8VxttXHyblce71c_ykrBxGoe-2pQrMzeMQmaNCyqYsDQgdNiVhAmyoi9P89UEmgZYNof1SaQZYuRHvqsR1AQ/s1600/49324364092_c1bdbd54d2_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #f6b26b;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXZMTm-ykRhYgDdd53N8bqQXPPikkgrIbShVHWilpx9erTL4fNn8VxttXHyblce71c_ykrBxGoe-2pQrMzeMQmaNCyqYsDQgdNiVhAmyoi9P89UEmgZYNof1SaQZYuRHvqsR1AQ/s320/49324364092_c1bdbd54d2_o.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;">They seem to make male and female flowers like zucchini do, with the male flowers growing first and just being flowers, while the female flowers eventually grow a little gourd at their base. The little gourds got a little bigger, and a little phallic.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhLxfMHoz9pAs1vWmFRx0m8_t_EhmPGh6fphQyFXhqcwYPFIWi4mNC9l0j6_PBAyWdmySelcu4FZ6d59c32ALwI0h_n556aoXY9Apo3Xv7jqngMdFaZZW_8aXNfXzto0MQ7C0q-Q/s1600/49324161076_831aac2c69_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f6b26b;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhLxfMHoz9pAs1vWmFRx0m8_t_EhmPGh6fphQyFXhqcwYPFIWi4mNC9l0j6_PBAyWdmySelcu4FZ6d59c32ALwI0h_n556aoXY9Apo3Xv7jqngMdFaZZW_8aXNfXzto0MQ7C0q-Q/s320/49324161076_831aac2c69_o.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;">they got a little bigger and less startling...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirmTqLlyQugAxFfD43kvZS7gMXabAh3Pm1BIDkMY-dVeMWEV3nhwukSPofqpmRffq06Iw9LzzdAN-XwhnZZZ5GRp0eQLIa-EbX_zlfReEJC-NZPMAnzgWctPpDRN3E4KVq35ZMGQ/s1600/49324143726_57805f613d_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #f6b26b;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirmTqLlyQugAxFfD43kvZS7gMXabAh3Pm1BIDkMY-dVeMWEV3nhwukSPofqpmRffq06Iw9LzzdAN-XwhnZZZ5GRp0eQLIa-EbX_zlfReEJC-NZPMAnzgWctPpDRN3E4KVq35ZMGQ/s320/49324143726_57805f613d_o.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;">As we got closer to the fall frost--mid October here, it became clear that there was one fully mature gourd, a half dozen that might become mature, and another half dozen medium sized gourds that were to small to become bath sponges. Happily, luffa is edible! I searched online and found several thai recipes for stir frying luffa with fish sauce and eggs. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhninODdc_zRbTr0BHazEa0Nlueocq_PG62YNrSqjtvnFCOStT2D4O9JSbWpI5PQoaYrp77IsQko6avScjrEkxtmD0FECo7ATz9zwHdRG_8RyOdlhcjzAnYtlTc-TC1jSXROMAivQ/s1600/49324373737_f68d0c0d11_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #f6b26b;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhninODdc_zRbTr0BHazEa0Nlueocq_PG62YNrSqjtvnFCOStT2D4O9JSbWpI5PQoaYrp77IsQko6avScjrEkxtmD0FECo7ATz9zwHdRG_8RyOdlhcjzAnYtlTc-TC1jSXROMAivQ/s320/49324373737_f68d0c0d11_o.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;"><span style="color: #f6b26b;">I picked all the smaller gourds and followed the recipe. They were delicious! This was definitely </span><b><span style="color: cyan;">success #3</span></b><span style="color: #f6b26b;">--a tasty meal from the garden. They have a mild flavor and a satisfying texture. The meal was filling and yummy served over rice.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;"><span style="color: #f6b26b;">According to the internet, at the end of season the gourds will dry and turn yellow brown on the vine. When the first true frost came, even the largest gourd was still green. So I left them. The plant died after the first light frost. So based on that and mistake #1, its safe to say that this is a plant that does not tolerate cold. That's </span><b><span style="color: cyan;">conclusion #1</span></b><span style="color: #f6b26b;">.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;"><span style="color: #f6b26b;">At this point I ran </span><span style="color: cyan;"><b>experiment #2</b></span><span style="color: #f6b26b;">. I cut two of the almost mature gourds off the dead vine and hung them in a mesh bag in the basement, but left the fully mature gourd and 3-4 almost mature on the dead vine to compare the two drying methods, indoor or out. Once a month or so I peeled one of the almost mature gourds on the outdoor vine. There wasn't a sponge inside, just a dead slightly overgrown cucumber.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;">By Christmas both the outside and inside gourds had browned and dried, and seemed to have stopped changing significantly.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;">Here's how the big guy looked just before Christmas:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNx5mWMlmv8UYvhC2w68Z_rYkJkPDx0eaFx-q8VPwM74a8C3rc5cVLCTG4CSAGOcFfcBIgsCE8-9BcK45kTNUSnmM23qWRO9X4PiPiDDEhu_pvpqc-t7voyRAquhNcHj7fM-lJsA/s1600/49323680573_a659d709e2_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #f6b26b;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNx5mWMlmv8UYvhC2w68Z_rYkJkPDx0eaFx-q8VPwM74a8C3rc5cVLCTG4CSAGOcFfcBIgsCE8-9BcK45kTNUSnmM23qWRO9X4PiPiDDEhu_pvpqc-t7voyRAquhNcHj7fM-lJsA/s320/49323680573_a659d709e2_o.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHvtmj7hZ1F60BdMd2qACKC0XN-EI3OpRO53x2ZcuEhNvvkTfjXBgiawDZBcHuoq_t49RZr2mg9_k3McC-ivsFWoBIbbIR3xOMpHpmQht8ytb3O9GRj-g9M6YlpscS5FqOCZWowg/s1600/49324166051_ca3ef7142f_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #f6b26b;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHvtmj7hZ1F60BdMd2qACKC0XN-EI3OpRO53x2ZcuEhNvvkTfjXBgiawDZBcHuoq_t49RZr2mg9_k3McC-ivsFWoBIbbIR3xOMpHpmQht8ytb3O9GRj-g9M6YlpscS5FqOCZWowg/s320/49324166051_ca3ef7142f_o.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;">Close up of the skin. Is it dry or rotten? Only one way to find out.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghHLIakfYKSmjNwA7RKRzgf535EXICDF7O5656c9qLGgxD45rrpdbheYMroPaXBBCA2KXyl4XXq4UgasvH3Yy2T243zSuf6jcUR0dh_j-ojRdb1_sBow2gjwmDev7JFwOcgaATDg/s1600/49324386297_dcf831c758_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #f6b26b;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghHLIakfYKSmjNwA7RKRzgf535EXICDF7O5656c9qLGgxD45rrpdbheYMroPaXBBCA2KXyl4XXq4UgasvH3Yy2T243zSuf6jcUR0dh_j-ojRdb1_sBow2gjwmDev7JFwOcgaATDg/s320/49324386297_dcf831c758_o.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;">On the left are the two that dried in a hanging mesh bag in the basement, on the right the final two that dried outside on the vine. They all feel fairly dry and crispy on the outside.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfJnIhh4fvJSs3YPPGzj7EJRJu-kMp9fHF6gf211GurD3XfQgPPNmPDSL0xtqJEQmysCNwYTEaauwRF3AAYWAC1pklfwOOfsGGOHWSucnfJBjNS9Qm2m-c0K8oIKi38Obyyfb_Vg/s1600/49324170141_9a3b26b173_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #f6b26b;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfJnIhh4fvJSs3YPPGzj7EJRJu-kMp9fHF6gf211GurD3XfQgPPNmPDSL0xtqJEQmysCNwYTEaauwRF3AAYWAC1pklfwOOfsGGOHWSucnfJBjNS9Qm2m-c0K8oIKi38Obyyfb_Vg/s320/49324170141_9a3b26b173_o.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;">The less mature gourds were a pain to peel, and didn't yield anything useful. Yes, they were old fibrous gourds, but they weren't fibrous enough to be sponges, just sort of rotten.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMkQcU5kX6MO-R_vUAHqg-bLevqLxtGtN9VppkyihizppzHDAxBZPxlWuACumJMcXD-CtIGHld91blcJU6ikIoDFxyY2aLDbi-QIXfiV-01Eic-QU5jJgEkYiCbbnD-mPZXQEHng/s1600/49324388612_9b944201cc_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #f6b26b;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMkQcU5kX6MO-R_vUAHqg-bLevqLxtGtN9VppkyihizppzHDAxBZPxlWuACumJMcXD-CtIGHld91blcJU6ikIoDFxyY2aLDbi-QIXfiV-01Eic-QU5jJgEkYiCbbnD-mPZXQEHng/s320/49324388612_9b944201cc_o.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;">But the big guy should work. It isn't as lovely and fine grained as the luffas I've bought, but I sent it back to the basement to dry some more without it's skin. The seeds inside looked mature until I remembered that the original seeds I planted were thicker and black.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;">So here's what I learned and how I'm going to use that knowledge going forward:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;"><b><span style="color: cyan;">conclusion #1</span></b><span style="color: #f6b26b;"> Luffa can't take any cold. Waiting until hard frost is over isn't enough. Next year I need to plant them into warm soil, like I would do with tomatoes or peppers. Last year I had great success planting out my tomatoes and peppers early, but inside water cloches (like Kozy Coats, or Wall-o-Water) so I will try doing the same, and at the same time with the luffas.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;"><b><span style="color: cyan;">conclusion #2</span></b><span style="color: #f6b26b;"> Planting 3 luffa in a tomato cage with other climbing apparatus nearby seemed to work well for them. They only took up 3' x 18" of planting space in the bed. That's worth it even just for the one meal and one sponge I got this year. I will give them the same amount and kind of space next year.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;"><b><span style="color: cyan;">conclusion #3</span></b><span style="color: #f6b26b;"> No conclusive data on best seed starting date. The most mature gourd came from the February start date, but the January seedling had been damaged early on by spider mites and everything else about the three vines seemed pretty equal for most of the growing season. I will run </span><b><span style="color: cyan;">experiment #1</span></b><span style="color: #f6b26b;"> again next year using the same parameters.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;"><b><span style="color: cyan;">conclusion #4</span></b><span style="color: #f6b26b;"> Once the vine was dead, there wasn't much difference between the gourds dried inside and those dried outside. The goal would be to make the right changes next year so that several gourds can fully mature and dry on the vine BEFORE the first fall frost. Which leads to:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;"><b><span style="color: cyan;">conclusion #5</span></b><span style="color: #f6b26b;"> I suspect that even if everything else goes perfectly, my season may be too short to reliably get this variety to fully mature and dry on the vine before frost. As I looked through my records I see that I planted a 120 days to maturity variety of Luffa. Looking through this year's seed catalogues, I found a 90 day variety offered. So I am going to plant that variety next year. I realize that changing the variety is crap science, effectively negating the other conclusions, but I contend that my crap science is still decent gardening. So I am putting experiments with this variety on hold to start over with the new quicker maturing variety. I'll run </span><b><span style="color: cyan;">experiment #1</span></b><span style="color: #f6b26b;"> again on this variety, keeping my seed starting technique the same. I'll plant out into warmer soil with more protection, as it's very likely this will benefit the new variety as it would have the old, and I'll learn from there. Perhaps the next experiment will be to plant both varieties in the same year and compare them side by side. I can even do a taste test!</span></span></div>
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<br />kniticahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482169665812532216noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642356.post-41987050079553018372017-03-27T17:35:00.000-04:002017-03-27T17:35:47.584-04:00What Survives the Winter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I love snow drops. They are the earliest blooming flower I know of that grows in my climate. They bloom so early that they often have to poke up through not only soil, but also snow to make their first appearance. You may measure by day length, temperature, or the return of the robin, but for me these little flowers deliver the promise that winter will end, and spring is coming. I have made it through another winter.</div>
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My yard is full of signs that winter has really finished, and we can truly believe that spring is here. Lots of plants are sending up their first shoots or forming their first buds. </div>
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These alien red knobs will grow into clusters of rhubarb leaves.</div>
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On the left, the leaves and flower buds of my Lenten Rose. It has 3 more weeks if it's going to open those flowers during lent this year. On the right are the first flower buds to turn white on my pieris japonica.</div>
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I've been playing with techniques to extent my vegetable harvest into the winter. My ultimate goal is to be able to keep harvesting fresh veg throughout the entire year. Much of what I grew undercover this year we ate for Christmas dinner. Some of what was left succumbed to the cold, but there were some survivors. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi39Y9yynkvlY9CbkB9Z4zqu5iqn7WAwEuHK1FvRuFJw7KFGGA3VHahQlp2iwzubU32bqKV_ESmkhyGmdlfpQDl3G6d0KhbcQhceHvyf4j8ICXAbIqZ6fNL9QjgGM8_AcwuBFlASg/s1600/IMG_20170326_1503401_rewind.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi39Y9yynkvlY9CbkB9Z4zqu5iqn7WAwEuHK1FvRuFJw7KFGGA3VHahQlp2iwzubU32bqKV_ESmkhyGmdlfpQDl3G6d0KhbcQhceHvyf4j8ICXAbIqZ6fNL9QjgGM8_AcwuBFlASg/s320/IMG_20170326_1503401_rewind.jpg" width="181" /></a></div>
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The lettuce I grew in a cold frame only survived until Christmas dinner, which was my goal for it. Most lettuce is too tender to make it through my zone 5 winter, even in a cold frame, and I hadn't planted winter hardy varieties, just a general mix. Even so, it was a delight to open the frame and find that from that mix one arugula plant and what I think is frisee, have survived. I gave them compost and then planted new tender lettuce greens around them. While the soil in the exposed parts of my garden is still much too cold and sodden for planting, the soil inside the frame is ready. The rest of the garden will most likely not be ready like this until the middle of April, so even though there isn't exactly a meal in here, by leaving the cold frame in place all winter I'll be harvesting baby salad greens from what I just planted by the end of April.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhttSJyMJkDJOy7Tgt-Ywv6ECKlATDpecXm9tfST6FKfFCDGLRHArnx7VICsrgStTDOmfnmvHfw0ODHM3CCAVpakbBsM9VZaniGxV-QEyD5LPfHuxmiblpELtKJPGYV36U4zOSdIg/s1600/IMG_20170326_1502437_rewind.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhttSJyMJkDJOy7Tgt-Ywv6ECKlATDpecXm9tfST6FKfFCDGLRHArnx7VICsrgStTDOmfnmvHfw0ODHM3CCAVpakbBsM9VZaniGxV-QEyD5LPfHuxmiblpELtKJPGYV36U4zOSdIg/s320/IMG_20170326_1502437_rewind.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I also covered one garden bed with a mini hoop tunnel for the winter, and filled it with hearty winter greens. Interestingly all of the arugula in here died in January or February, as did the tatsoi and some of the kale. My favorite cooking green, red giant mustard, did great this winter, as usual. It's the green and purple leaves in the front of this pic, with some of the kale (yellow brown around the edges) in the background.<br />
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This is the hoop tunnel with the plastic pulled back for planting:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUSPk1BfJNSTUulv-sF88Gkq4Ja_3nI3nAE7_z_dhmz2SloO48qQdNN5wkNt35gaOswZ4qCZnQfkcONpCksJEBcvgLRv325nGlhleLz36wMRDPXZzsFYBSq-n0uYrX80a_Y7jKjQ/s1600/IMG_20170326_1520118_rewind.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUSPk1BfJNSTUulv-sF88Gkq4Ja_3nI3nAE7_z_dhmz2SloO48qQdNN5wkNt35gaOswZ4qCZnQfkcONpCksJEBcvgLRv325nGlhleLz36wMRDPXZzsFYBSq-n0uYrX80a_Y7jKjQ/s320/IMG_20170326_1520118_rewind.jpg" width="181" /></a></div>
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I raked back the leaf mulch from fall, spread an inch of compost, raked back the mulch and planted rows of early greens, with mulch mounded between them. The trick now is knowing when to cover the tunnel fully with plastic to keep the seedlings warm, and when to vent or even fully uncover during the day so that they can get full sun. On a warm day the tunnel will get too hot and fry all the little seedlings inside, or so I've read. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGikAgqNijbC7HC_eQ-waEoFp-MJP-L-DznoiiTspJenO6V6D5lSoIgYFdIDHdtUBqA6nixZwOOZV2WixWu4YXhqR-xOxkmFBkK3e8WpF1SeY4hVwessCfOTQq2-bDbDyU2dKuCQ/s1600/IMG_20170326_1502596_rewind.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGikAgqNijbC7HC_eQ-waEoFp-MJP-L-DznoiiTspJenO6V6D5lSoIgYFdIDHdtUBqA6nixZwOOZV2WixWu4YXhqR-xOxkmFBkK3e8WpF1SeY4hVwessCfOTQq2-bDbDyU2dKuCQ/s320/IMG_20170326_1502596_rewind.jpg" width="181" /></a></div>
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This is only the second winter that I've used the tunnel, so I am still experimenting with varieties, hardware, and planting times to optimize my late fall and early spring growing. I have big plans to expand my veg production through next winter and to make it easier to harvest in snow.<br />
<br />kniticahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482169665812532216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642356.post-87820792566992481852016-11-06T10:52:00.000-05:002016-11-06T10:58:58.688-05:00Erica's Science Corner: Grow Lights or Proof I Should Have Listened to My Dad In The First PlaceFor me, starting seeds indoors has had a steep learning curve. I've improved my soil mixture, watering techniques, and started sterilizing my pots in bleach before using them, all of which led to a moderately successful batch of seedlings last year.<br />
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My father advised me to use shop lights and regular florescent bulbs like he does, but not having the time or tools to build a wooden stand for the lights, I thought I would save myself the trouble and buy really expensive grow lights that come with their own stand. They haven't been everything i hoped for. My seedlings seem smaller than they should be, and the lights fall off the stand every third time my arm brushes up against it.<br />
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Since starting, I've seen some great set-ups online using wire utility shelves to hang shop lights above rows of plants. I wanted to double my growing space this year, so I bought a utility shelf, a shop light, and LED bulbs for less than half the cost of those fancy grow lights.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9EtJAKD2tVxX59jv8WsEoiEY0rzLxMCDxd_swR1_ox8KXbiCRIvjztOlo9_gMK-zd76ytr717SKMZFbHieU1IM3_KkOXY7qxBL2g3fJSl-1VYT1AmfHFr8c_UlERl3-kECDmJfw/s1600/IMG_20160828_1804188_rewind.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9EtJAKD2tVxX59jv8WsEoiEY0rzLxMCDxd_swR1_ox8KXbiCRIvjztOlo9_gMK-zd76ytr717SKMZFbHieU1IM3_KkOXY7qxBL2g3fJSl-1VYT1AmfHFr8c_UlERl3-kECDmJfw/s320/IMG_20160828_1804188_rewind.jpg" width="181" /></a></div>
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I still worried that the shop light wouldn't work as well as the official grow lights, and had no idea if LED was a good idea, so I set up an experiment.<br />
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Two identical flower pots, with equal amounts of the same potting mix and a teaspoon of micro green seed mix planted in each. I like using micro greens when I'm testing a new procedure or potting mix because they germinate quickly and grow well. Plus I can eat them any time of year.<br />
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I was careful to keep the lights at the same height above the pots and to water equally. The only variable was which light each pot was under.<br />
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The pot on the left was under the grow light, the right was under the LED shop light.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ByfR2_wTo1px0gM9_1w_hUd3GVs4H97SfNQ7AWr6h3NE2wGVjVXKy9_iVsA0hPTcINYYwdtCaP_QmO5T25kRkcFjPAqAlGHfbLOnqfn83VdbnSiSOMHyyB2gWc8hB53gRpThCQ/s1600/IMG_20161106_1005073_rewind.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ByfR2_wTo1px0gM9_1w_hUd3GVs4H97SfNQ7AWr6h3NE2wGVjVXKy9_iVsA0hPTcINYYwdtCaP_QmO5T25kRkcFjPAqAlGHfbLOnqfn83VdbnSiSOMHyyB2gWc8hB53gRpThCQ/s320/IMG_20161106_1005073_rewind.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRH9ldZ6YJnFNQg0KGw4mas2tZaM_UHtpYjH_lFykIlB__yAJJxy6DNGdrj5Uc0rEp2T8LW4oFR3jyZIO-N8pnNR2Sp-bs5b9Hv4yWI0j99FnPDGahjqVQ-q_nYiL28n3EMYrAGw/s1600/IMG_20161106_1006003_rewind.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRH9ldZ6YJnFNQg0KGw4mas2tZaM_UHtpYjH_lFykIlB__yAJJxy6DNGdrj5Uc0rEp2T8LW4oFR3jyZIO-N8pnNR2Sp-bs5b9Hv4yWI0j99FnPDGahjqVQ-q_nYiL28n3EMYrAGw/s320/IMG_20161106_1006003_rewind.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It isn't night and day, but there's a distinct difference. The shop light with the LED bulbs is the clear winner. Science has proven that I should have listened to my Dad (the science teacher) in the first place.<br />
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Anyone want some used grow lights?kniticahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482169665812532216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642356.post-51481560230486737712016-10-19T20:19:00.000-04:002016-10-19T20:19:25.795-04:00Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRielxZjspIQtjYG2X_4nN2AwQkQkVAdBxAbSZqorL4OHQeJCWLphZ3gpknYvZKM2qiOuQtIHdD2-ZpHiEuPPEEh3_3ipmoUqr5-XXPgSSrkjKo7rluDensC6vRA_gTgeeEQuewA/s1600/IMG_20160911_2138131_rewind_kindlephoto-164365871.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRielxZjspIQtjYG2X_4nN2AwQkQkVAdBxAbSZqorL4OHQeJCWLphZ3gpknYvZKM2qiOuQtIHdD2-ZpHiEuPPEEh3_3ipmoUqr5-XXPgSSrkjKo7rluDensC6vRA_gTgeeEQuewA/s320/IMG_20160911_2138131_rewind_kindlephoto-164365871.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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These are protein packed and satisfying vegetarian stuffed peppers. Leave out the cheese, or use a substitute and they can easily be made vegan.</div>
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Preheat the oven to 375. In a small casserole dish (about 6 x 9) combine</div>
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<ul>
<li>8 oz package of tempeh, crumbled</li>
<li>1 1/2 Tbs olive oil</li>
<li>1/4 tsp salt</li>
</ul>
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Bake at 375 for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tempeh is brown with crispy edges. Leave the oven on after removing the tempeh.</div>
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Meanwhile, rinse</div>
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<ul>
<li>1/3 c quinoa</li>
<li>1/2 c brown lentils</li>
</ul>
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Add to a rice cooker along with</div>
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<li>2 1/2 cups water</li>
</ul>
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Cover, and cook the quinoa, lentils and water in the rice cooker until finished. Coat a 9 x 12 casserole dish with olive oil. Remove stems and cut in half</div>
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<ul>
<li>4 bell peppers</li>
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place the halves, cut side up, in the oiled casserole dish and set aside. In a large pan, saute until transluscent</div>
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<li><br /></li>
<li>2 cloves garlic, minced</li>
<li>1 onion, chopped</li>
</ul>
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Add</div>
<ul>
<li>3 tomatoes, about 2 cups, chopped, or 15 oz can of chopped tomatoes</li>
<li>2 tsp dried oregano</li>
<li>2 tsp dried basil</li>
<li>1/4 C fresh parsley</li>
<li>salt and pepper to taste</li>
</ul>
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Cook, stirring often until the tomatoes have softened and the mixture has become juicy. Add the tempeh and the mixture from the rice cooker when they are ready and stir well. Turn heat to low and stir in</div>
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<li>1/4 grated parmesan</li>
</ul>
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Remove from heat and spoon mixture into pepper halves. For some extra cheesy goodness, get</div>
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<ul>
<li>8 ciliegine--tiny balls of fresh mozzarella</li>
</ul>
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poke one into the center of each stuffed pepper. Bake the stuffed peppers for 20 minutes, or until they are heated through and the pepper cups have begun to soften.</div>
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Serve and enjoy!</div>
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kniticahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482169665812532216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642356.post-3828477210837325772016-10-09T14:38:00.000-04:002016-10-09T14:38:04.916-04:00Portobello tempeh RuebenIn order to improve my health and lose weight, I've changed my diet following the guidelines in the book <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Always-Hungry-Conquer-Cravings-Permanently/dp/1455533866/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1475597677&sr=1-1&keywords=always+hungry">"Always Hungry?"</a>by Dr. David Ludwig. I'm eating whole foods with more fat and protein than I was used to, low glycemic indexes, and no sugar or sweeteners. I feel great and love what I am eating!<br />
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I love the tempeh Rueben sandwich that they serve at <a href="http://www.autumncafe.com/">The Autumn Cafe in Oneonta NY</a>. This is a way to combine all of those great flavors without the bread, and to do it on a grill in good weather! In winter, just do the same thing on a baking sheet in a 350*F oven. Year 'round tasty-ness.<br />
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Use 4 or 5 large portobellos when serving these as a main course. Use smaller portobellos to serve as an appetizer or side dish. These are very filling!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix1A48CI9_m9XVCbn0elsOAPiQTPT065EfKm7QXs06CGlMUTW1jQjKqNkxFCgGL3YzsKfGxv_EBSOOlHy6i48_na5kuSnraNTbfGS8ubpDznzNQ3qJj-CWOy-uyB6qBltM9IQM3A/s1600/IMG_20161009_1421433_rewind_kindlephoto-164819701.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix1A48CI9_m9XVCbn0elsOAPiQTPT065EfKm7QXs06CGlMUTW1jQjKqNkxFCgGL3YzsKfGxv_EBSOOlHy6i48_na5kuSnraNTbfGS8ubpDznzNQ3qJj-CWOy-uyB6qBltM9IQM3A/s320/IMG_20161009_1421433_rewind_kindlephoto-164819701.jpg" width="291" /></a></div>
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Serves 4 as a meal, more as an app or side<br />
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Preheat grill or oven to 350*F. <br />
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Cut into thin strips<br />
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<li>8 oz tempeh</li>
</ul>
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In a cast iron pan heat</div>
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<ul>
<li>1 Tbs olive oil</li>
</ul>
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Spread the tempeh strips in a single layer in the pan and fry for 5-6 minutes, until the underside has browned. Then turn and fry the second side until brown. Add more oil to the pan if needed. Drain on a paper towel and set aside.<br />
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Brush both sides of<br />
<ul>
<li>14 oz portobello mushrooms, stems removed</li>
</ul>
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with</div>
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<li><a href="http://knittingwithfire.blogspot.com/2016/10/russian-dressing-homemade-and-sugar-free.html">homemade Russian dressing</a></li>
</ul>
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Brush surface of grill with olive oil, or if using an oven, line a baking pan with parchment paper. Once grill/oven is up to temperature, place mushrooms gill side down on grill or baking pan and place pan in oven. Grill/Bake for 5-8 minutes, or until the mushrooms begin to soften but still hold their shape. Turn mushrooms gill side up and top each one with</div>
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<ul>
<li>scoop of sourkraut about 12 oz total</li>
<li>sliced tempeh</li>
<li>Russian dressing (I use close to the whole recipe for 14 oz of mushrooms)</li>
<li>sliced Swiss cheese 8-10 oz total</li>
</ul>
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Grill/bake until the toppings are hot all the way through and the cheese has melted. Another 5-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of your mushrooms.</div>
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<br />kniticahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482169665812532216noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642356.post-9666387924791208832016-10-04T20:18:00.000-04:002016-10-04T20:18:12.147-04:00Russian Dressing, Homemade and Sugar-FreeTraditional Russian dressing is often packed with sugar. This is an easy to make, healthier, sugar-free version. An immersion blender makes homemade dressings a breeze, but if you don't have one you could also do this in a traditional blender or even whisked together in a bowl.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQKslEW1rFqUgui2c0Vvsi5yHXvbgSa9RWNQVwbDFhLI7_8RDn58saq2n_-JaNzC781mRBjpxORwC3LHPwsARNoZjtV0slUkvOx80-Kw8USQSsyP7Yc3fU-G-oOQShGEpcwsL6pg/s1600/IMG_20161004_1958363_rewind_kindlephoto-41527782.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQKslEW1rFqUgui2c0Vvsi5yHXvbgSa9RWNQVwbDFhLI7_8RDn58saq2n_-JaNzC781mRBjpxORwC3LHPwsARNoZjtV0slUkvOx80-Kw8USQSsyP7Yc3fU-G-oOQShGEpcwsL6pg/s320/IMG_20161004_1958363_rewind_kindlephoto-41527782.jpg" width="296" /></a></div>
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Makes approximately 1 1/3 cup.<br />
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In a 1 pint wide mouth canning jar, or in the measuring cup of an immersion blender, combine<br />
<ul>
<li>1 c sugar-free real mayonnaise. I use a variation of <a href="http://thehealthyfoodie.com/fail-proof-home-made-paleo-mayo-whole30-compliant/">this recipe</a></li>
<li>1/4 cup tomato paste</li>
<li>4 tsp prepared horseradish</li>
<li>1 Tbs minced shallot</li>
<li>1 tsp hot sauce</li>
<li>1 tsp Worcestershire sauce</li>
<li>1/4 tsp sweet paprika</li>
<li>1/4 tsp salt</li>
</ul>
Blend with immersion blender until thoroughly mixed. Refrigerate for at least one hour, but preferably a day before using.<br />
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kniticahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482169665812532216noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642356.post-20423105920206821292016-04-25T15:39:00.000-04:002016-04-28T09:08:04.036-04:00Chickpea Cheddar Biscuits<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
I've been experimenting with several recipes to make a really good grain-free biscuit. There are other cheddar biscuit recipes out there, but I believe this to be an improved version. I love to eat these with soup, or split in half and use them for a breakfast sandwich or in place of the English muffin with eggs benedict.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Chickpea flour is the same thing as garbanzo flour or gram flour or besan.</div>
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Makes 5 really hearty biscuits.</div>
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Preheat the oven to 500*F Butter a 6"-7" oven safe dish or ramekin.</div>
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Combine in the bowl of a food processor:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>1 C chickpea flour</li>
<li>1 1/2 tsp baking powder</li>
<li>1/4 tsp baking soda</li>
<li>1/4 tsp salt</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Pulse a few times to mix. Cut into approx. 1/4 pieces and add to the food processor:</div>
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<ul>
<li>2 T butter</li>
</ul>
</div>
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Pulse 8-10 times to incorporate the butter. You may still see small chunks of it, and that's ok. Pour the contents of the food processor into a medium sized mixing bowl and add:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>1/2 C buttermilk or yogurt</li>
<li>1 C shredded sharp cheddar</li>
</ul>
</div>
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Stir with a rubber spatula until you have a consistently wet, sticky, lumpy dough. Place about a 1/4 cup of chickpea flour in a bowl and line up the bowl of dough, followed by the bowl of flour, and then the buttered oven safe dish. Use a 1/4 C measuring cup to scoop dough out of the first bowl. Drop it into the flour and roll it around to coat, then toss it gently from hand to hand over the bowl to shake off any excess flour. Place it into the buttered dish. Continue with the rest of the dough, arranging the biscuits touching each other in a circle in the dish. You'll make about 5 balls total.</div>
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<div>
Bake in the 500*F oven for 5 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 450 for an additional 12-15 minutes. They are done when golden with some browning on top, and cooked all the way through. Turn out onto a plate to cool, and break the biscuits apart when cool enough to handle.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjuBS9w-SA8b6oBKHCM5Eu_90JfVQMnQh8A9kautkpZCs1RWhei34mfZ85ZTA2MI2QUZv-KBlidq1EJa8WfvRK8A3Lr7LNvFiy8DVX9fhDfYNnlVmPliNW6eG6CLq4uDfIcqpLKQ/s1600/IMG_20160423_1952049_rewind+%25282016-04-25T19_35_50.682%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjuBS9w-SA8b6oBKHCM5Eu_90JfVQMnQh8A9kautkpZCs1RWhei34mfZ85ZTA2MI2QUZv-KBlidq1EJa8WfvRK8A3Lr7LNvFiy8DVX9fhDfYNnlVmPliNW6eG6CLq4uDfIcqpLKQ/s320/IMG_20160423_1952049_rewind+%25282016-04-25T19_35_50.682%2529.jpg" width="286" /></a></div>
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These are a bit too crowded in only a 5" dish. If you make a double batch, a 9" pie plate will hold them perfectly.</div>
kniticahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482169665812532216noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642356.post-51545631097650380862014-08-24T22:45:00.003-04:002022-02-13T16:25:39.186-05:00Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread<span style="color: #f6b26b;">Updated 7-7-20 as I have learned that a little more kneading makes a less crumbly bread, you can freeze dough, and a more active starter makes a better bread.</span><br />
<span style="color: #f6b26b;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #f6b26b;">Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread--simple recipe first, long version is after</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;">Remove starter from refrigerator at least two feedings before use.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<span style="color: #f6b26b;">Mix together in a medium sized bowl:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #f6b26b;">1/2 c starter</span><br />
<span style="color: #f6b26b;">1 1/4 c filtered water</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #f6b26b;">1 T honey<br /></span>
<br />
<span style="color: #f6b26b;">add:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #f6b26b;">3 c white whole wheat flour</span><br />
<span style="color: #f6b26b;">1 1/4 t salt</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #f6b26b;">stir with a spoon or spatula to form a shaggy dough. Then knead 8-12 times and form into a ball. </span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;">Seal bowl and rest for 12-24 hours.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;"><i></i></span></div>
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<br />
<span style="color: #f6b26b;">* <i>optional: At this point, for a less tangy bread, knead in:</i></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #f6b26b;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="color: #f6b26b;">1/2 tsp baking soda</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;">Form into a ball,, seal bowl, and let rise a few (up to 12, depending) hours until doubled in size.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;">Preheat covered casserole and oven to 425*F</span></div>
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<br /></div>
</div>
<span style="color: #f6b26b; font-size: large;"><b>Here it is again with pictures and step by step explanations</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #f6b26b;">Inspired by Michael Pollen's book <i>Cooked </i>and several Science Friday guests, I started experimenting with whole wheat sourdough bread about a year ago. I've played around with the recipe, and now that I have something that I like, and that gives me consistent results, I'm sharing it here.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #f6b26b;">First you need a starter, which you can make or purchase. I don't honestly remember whose instructions I followed to make mine, but I'd suggest trying <a href="http://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/2012/04/05/creating-your-own-sourdough-starter-the-path-to-great-bread/">these from King Arthur Flour</a>.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #f6b26b;">Once the starter exists, store it in the fridge. you can store as little as a tablespoon. Feed it 1/2 c flour and 1/3 cup filtered water twice a day. Filtered or distilled water is crucial, because tap water is treated with chlorine to prevent microbes from growing in it. This is great for our well-being, but terrible for sourdough, as it may kill the microbes you're working so hard to feed!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;">Get the starter out of the fridge at least 2 feedings before you plan to mix your dough. Pour off the layer of alcohol on top (this is normal) and then feed with:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #f6b26b;">1/2 c all purpose flour</span><br />
<span style="color: #f6b26b;">1/3 c filtered water</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #f6b26b;">Keep the starter at room temperature, and feed every 12 hours.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;">To make the bread:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #f6b26b;">Mix together in a medium sized bowl:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #f6b26b;">1/2 c starter</span><br />
<span style="color: #f6b26b;">1 1/4 c filtered water</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #f6b26b;">add:</span><br />
<span style="color: #f6b26b;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #f6b26b;">3 c white whole wheat flour</span><br />
<span style="color: #f6b26b;">1 1/4 t salt</span><br />
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;">stir with a spoon or spatula to form a shaggy dough. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #f6b26b;">This is what a shaggy dough looks like: </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPTlgdpySYNhiMIY0FldxO5B4B0QZuUqAL0ngcKg7MEaBe1On0lyUJ0WixE2G4719oX2ANnPezJpJ7oF4KMuI55wGk9rLMxPxhbrJ3oqtmR0ZYOKLHR7oCihyphenhyphenxYDPgJA8Wf6D0og/s1600/IMG_1761.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPTlgdpySYNhiMIY0FldxO5B4B0QZuUqAL0ngcKg7MEaBe1On0lyUJ0WixE2G4719oX2ANnPezJpJ7oF4KMuI55wGk9rLMxPxhbrJ3oqtmR0ZYOKLHR7oCihyphenhyphenxYDPgJA8Wf6D0og/s1600/IMG_1761.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;">(I had to look that up the first time I read it in a bread recipe.)</span><br />
<span style="color: #f6b26b;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #f6b26b;">Knead 8-12 times either on the counter or in the bowl. Form the dough into a smooth ball.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhViDn-4lhWPcsfTlHrXjfdBGUo9GPtmLnM6IX4qegl-BK11UBfj60C8NJVjDaj1h0kZBwWCSh1FC216ye4MJeEp5wvum7KVnWwYpOrASqep69YXJbwBLC7TZNy9uyIB2OKoRocUg/s1600/20200701_181800.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhViDn-4lhWPcsfTlHrXjfdBGUo9GPtmLnM6IX4qegl-BK11UBfj60C8NJVjDaj1h0kZBwWCSh1FC216ye4MJeEp5wvum7KVnWwYpOrASqep69YXJbwBLC7TZNy9uyIB2OKoRocUg/s320/20200701_181800.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #f6b26b;"><br /></span>
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;">*If you want to freeze your dough for later use this is the time. Put it in a Ziploc, label it and freeze. When you want to use the frozen dough get it out of the freezer and thaw on the counter. Once it has warmed to room temperature, place it in a bowl to rise and continue to follow the recipe from this point. When I get the starter out, I make as many balls of dough as I can and fill up the freezer.*</span><br />
<span style="color: #f6b26b;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #f6b26b;">Close the bowl with a lid (Tupperware is great for this!) and allow to rest for 6 to 24 hours. How long depends on your climate, your sourdough starter (it is different in different locations) and the time of year. The yeast and other microbes in your sourdough need time to do their work. Your dough is ready for the next step when it has grown and doubled in size:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnbWq6i6LO_ZPi-EPDz0NHUo4_thsSjhQEJ1XT4FHXG1aE_SvwvWgVWZrsy5hMXYiiskjQL5uYx4h2b_Hnq-HlWyo1hwfhZC8ofCwHeFAcVHyN0fuvX0oSQqml18IVPeLbiUj97g/s1600/IMG_1763.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnbWq6i6LO_ZPi-EPDz0NHUo4_thsSjhQEJ1XT4FHXG1aE_SvwvWgVWZrsy5hMXYiiskjQL5uYx4h2b_Hnq-HlWyo1hwfhZC8ofCwHeFAcVHyN0fuvX0oSQqml18IVPeLbiUj97g/s1600/IMG_1763.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #f6b26b;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #f6b26b;">At this point, for a less tangy bread, knead in:</span><br />
<span style="color: #f6b26b;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #f6b26b;">1/2 tsp baking soda</span><br />
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;">Form into a ball, </span><br />
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGEIFpUWdGQOakJY9LKF7IefyNldowvdVbuIY2N_OEmftYlj6aTO6htMWTfl-n5QUvcyR2KyzVfPGdA7f8fkAdUkCPOAVeQoDgclUHDSdZ8Rrv2VEWPIC0orPW6Err0Ibs2wHQ_A/s1600/IMG_1764.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGEIFpUWdGQOakJY9LKF7IefyNldowvdVbuIY2N_OEmftYlj6aTO6htMWTfl-n5QUvcyR2KyzVfPGdA7f8fkAdUkCPOAVeQoDgclUHDSdZ8Rrv2VEWPIC0orPW6Err0Ibs2wHQ_A/s1600/IMG_1764.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;">close the bowl with its lid, and let rest a few hours until doubled in size.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCvwANKrQwO8LgydD1hkB43BdvZ6kC34_T4rPJtiJ4MjFIETFpFRVh5BHs_WEcTyVV30mNYYAcjP6xD2Uag_CTft9QjY0gX2iQJYNWsSIoV8xPOIUEJrOip36QZEpfylpXmZFI8g/s1600/IMG_1765.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCvwANKrQwO8LgydD1hkB43BdvZ6kC34_T4rPJtiJ4MjFIETFpFRVh5BHs_WEcTyVV30mNYYAcjP6xD2Uag_CTft9QjY0gX2iQJYNWsSIoV8xPOIUEJrOip36QZEpfylpXmZFI8g/s1600/IMG_1765.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;">Place a covered casserole (the cool kids use a cast iron dutch oven, which does make a superior loaf) in the oven and preheat both casserole and oven to 425*F.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;">Once the oven is up to temperature, bake in the covered casserole or dutch oven for 35 minutes.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZJ7IkN7Lt1-UsgVw_UlUfEPIg_VeIWUyQBvYaG0T0PSzTtf5qYgXFDwCgRZidccpT5V5G8_j2k2r9DNPI8CoX5Qd5sN_PVWlkYfCUNFp9ZPjHmJASHlKfcMrTGbR135lWO8oKNQ/s1600/IMG_1766.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZJ7IkN7Lt1-UsgVw_UlUfEPIg_VeIWUyQBvYaG0T0PSzTtf5qYgXFDwCgRZidccpT5V5G8_j2k2r9DNPI8CoX5Qd5sN_PVWlkYfCUNFp9ZPjHmJASHlKfcMrTGbR135lWO8oKNQ/s1600/IMG_1766.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #f6b26b;"> <i>before baking</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixHfTWtyzGgW4rY-iMt0qV3Y8unV3p5sWyo5xUNTN6wmmq06cyh9y1citFSJNn3VcDZaSuiYuhGR0zbhp4EvYz8Gd6JE97VDN_ZbsUTCnJNTTRVmZY2ZOmqvNHIahyOGcDfq-6Lg/s1600/IMG_1767.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixHfTWtyzGgW4rY-iMt0qV3Y8unV3p5sWyo5xUNTN6wmmq06cyh9y1citFSJNn3VcDZaSuiYuhGR0zbhp4EvYz8Gd6JE97VDN_ZbsUTCnJNTTRVmZY2ZOmqvNHIahyOGcDfq-6Lg/s1600/IMG_1767.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="color: #f6b26b;">after baking</span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;">Remove from the dish and cool on a wire rack.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnA0ukj2aqOUW4iw5jytA-KOGEWxajrcDECMAPajNzh6V0UvUj0hQGvP1x7jmN-83Y51jvU8-a12yXno5UtxwYST0GLJKtUqGHHr_O7c5jVzBeF-ftr3kLD0IMke-KY0Mz_ZlHxQ/s1600/IMG_1768.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnA0ukj2aqOUW4iw5jytA-KOGEWxajrcDECMAPajNzh6V0UvUj0hQGvP1x7jmN-83Y51jvU8-a12yXno5UtxwYST0GLJKtUqGHHr_O7c5jVzBeF-ftr3kLD0IMke-KY0Mz_ZlHxQ/s1600/IMG_1768.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #f6b26b;">You can test if your bread is done by holding it in one oven-mitted hand, and "thumping" it with the other. A loaf that is fully baked will give a full satisfying thump. </span><i><span style="color: #f6b26b;"> </span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="color: #f6b26b;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #f6b26b;">Sourdough is interesting stuff. The wild yeast and other microbes in the starter are a combination of yeasts and microbes that were already living in your flour, and the yeasts and microbes in your kitchen. This is why sourdoughs from different places will have a different flavor. I brought my starter with me to my summer job, only a 4 hour drive away, and it was different there than at home. I didn't taste a big difference, but it was much more active--generally lighter and frothier at my summer residence than it is at home.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #f6b26b;">Keeping this in mind, I encourage you to use this recipe as a launching off place. Your kitchen is different than mine, and your sourdough will be different too. Feel free to experiment with the amount of moisture in your recipe, resting times, cooking time, and anything else you care to play with. A good scientist changes only one variable at a time, and records his/her methods and results each time!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #f6b26b;">Once you know how long your dough needs to rest at each step in your kitchen and climate, you should be able to bake bread any day, even in the middle of your work week, if most of your intervals work out to 12 or 24 hours. I love that this recipe doesn't require a lot of time at any given step since there is almost no kneading, so while you make it over the course of 3 days (including starter feedings), it takes less than an hour of actual effort. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #f6b26b;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #f6b26b;">Here's the short and sweet version of the recipe, easy to copy and print and without the pictures:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #f6b26b;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #f6b26b;">Bake in covered casserole at 425*F for 35 minutes.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #f6b26b;">Remove loaf from casserole and cool on wire rack. </span></div>
</div>
kniticahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482169665812532216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642356.post-75852286204510242792013-09-13T10:23:00.000-04:002014-03-08T14:55:42.934-05:00How to Knit Argyle Socks in the Round<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]--><span style="color: orange;">*Want the pattern for the socks pictured here? Click here to purchase* </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;"><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/purchase/erica-fire-designs/201929"><img border="0" src="http://www.ravelry.com/images/shopping/buy-now.gif" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: orange;">Traditionally, the leg of an argyle sock is knit flat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once the leg has been knit it is seamed up
the back, and the rest of the sock is knit in the round.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;">This is fine for the un-ambitious.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;">Personally, I prefer to knit anything I can in one
piece.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think that’s knitting’s biggest
sculptural advantage—one can knit a fully shaped, one piece garment without any
cutting or sewing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add to that the fact
that store-bought argyle socks are seamless, and perhaps you can see why, when
I learned that argyles “need” to be seamed, I took that as a challenge.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;">I’ve played with a few different ways to knit argyle in the
round over the years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I came up with
each on my own, although I’m sure that lots of other knitters have come to the
same solutions on their own over the years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’ve settled on what I think is the most successful method.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s what I’m sharing here. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;">These instructions are written with the assumption that you
are familiar with and have knit a basic sock.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;">First, take a look at an argyle sock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are usually diamonds in 2 different
colors, with a third color making the x’s that run through the diamonds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This pair has blue diamonds which will be on
the sides of the sock and green diamonds, while will be the front and back of
the sock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The diamonds interlock, so
that the blue diamond makes up the negative space around the green, and vice
versa.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;">To figure out where you are at each step of these
instructions, on each row you work, you’ll need to keep in mind which color of
diamonds is growing, and which is shrinking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We’ll start where the green diamonds are growing, and the blue are
shrinking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the way, I HIGHLY
recommend winding your diamond colors onto bobbins, whether you knit your
argyles in the round, or traditionally flat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Either way bobbins greatly lessen the amount of tangling, and therefore
frustration, with any kind of intarsia knitting.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21057466@N08/8602091268/" title="Argyle 1 by knitica, on Flickr"><img alt="Argyle 1" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8262/8602091268_d0b41b1a8a.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;">But that’s jumping ahead just a bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To start the sock, cast on the number of
stitches you like to cast on for a sock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A multiple of 4 is ideal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
example sock is knit on 60sts at a gauge of 8sts per inch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Work 2x2 ribbing for about an inch in your
main (background) color.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Set up row</b>:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>you’re beginning in the middle of the green
diamonds, which is at the point of the blue diamonds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add in 2 different green bobbins, and 2 white
bobbins for the x’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also add a second
ball, or bobbin of blue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Divide your
total number of stitches by 4 to get x.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Knit 1 blue stitch, then continue knitting in green until you’ve counted
to x.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Start counting again, but this
time the first stitch is a white cross stitch, then the rest of the green
bobbin until you’ve counted to x again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For
the second half of the sock, you’ll do the same thing, but this time you’ll
start back at the beginning of the row and purl across the inside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Using the second balls of each color, p x-1 green,
p1 white, p x-1 green, p1 blue, and you will have met your other half of the
cast on, half way around the sock. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On
our 60st example sock this means:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>k1
blue, k14 green, k1 white, k14 green.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Start 2<sup>nd</sup>ball of blue, p1 blue, start 2<sup>nd</sup> bobbin
of green, p14 green, start second bobbin of white, p1 white, p14 green.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>End of row.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Arrange your stitches across 4 needles, one for each diamond.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So at the moment, each blue stitch is on its
own needle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’ll use a fifth needle as
the working needle.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21057466@N08/8600995423/" title="Argyle 2 by knitica, on Flickr"><img alt="Argyle 2" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8126/8600995423_8d515e4c82.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;">The arrows show the direction each green diamond was
worked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One was knit, the other purled.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;">At this point, both green strands of yarn are at the same
end of the sock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At that end, shift the
last green stitch on each needle onto the needle with the one blue stitch.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21057466@N08/8602095998/" title="Argyle 3 by knitica, on Flickr"><img alt="Argyle 3" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8526/8602095998_6787195f2e.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;">Knit those 3 sts in blue, being sure to wrap the blue yarn
with the green before and after you knit 3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>i.e. wrap, knit 3, wrap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21057466@N08/8602097482/" title="Argyle 4 by knitica, on Flickr"><img alt="Argyle 4" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8118/8602097482_13949e7dcb.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">*VERY IMPORTANT* You
will always have the yarn ends of the “shrinking” diamonds right next to
whichever “growing” diamond you are working on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is so that you can wrap the ends around each other in proper
intarsia fashion at each edge of the growing diamond to prevent holes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>If this is not a familiar process, please
look up intarsia knitting in you knitting books or online.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You need to wrap your ends whether you work
your argyle socks in the round or flat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is what those wraps will eventually look like on the inside of your
sock.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21057466@N08/8602112254/" title="Argyle 12 by knitica, on Flickr"><img alt="Argyle 12" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8250/8602112254_f5b04b53ba.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;">Now work across each green diamond to the other side of the
sock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’ll knit across one diamond,
and purl across the other, so as to keep the outside of the sock in stocking
stitch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In both cases, stop one stitch
shy of the end of the needle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’ll
also add the last 2 bobbins of white (4 total) on this row.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember that the white stitches each move by
one stitch on every row.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If this makes
you crazy and is just one too many things to keep track of, feel free to leave
them out and add them with duplicate stitch after your sock is finished.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21057466@N08/8602099984/" title="Argyle 5 by knitica, on Flickr"><img alt="Argyle 5" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8247/8602099984_00124e614c.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;">Slip each of those un-worked green stitches onto the needle
with the blue stitch.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21057466@N08/8601002973/" title="Argyle 6 by knitica, on Flickr"><img alt="Argyle 6" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8391/8601002973_9018b1bfa7.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;">Purl these three stitches in blue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Remember
to wrap your ends</b>.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21057466@N08/8601004815/" title="Argyle 7 by knitica, on Flickr"><img alt="Argyle 7" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8525/8601004815_7402a5e02b.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;">Slip one more green from each green needle onto the blue
needle you are working on.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21057466@N08/8602105270/" title="Argyle 8 by knitica, on Flickr"><img alt="Argyle 8" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8540/8602105270_66e811ef82.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;">Turn and knit these 5 sts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Remember to wrap your ends</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;">You have worked 2 rows on the growing blue diamond, as
indicated by the arrow.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21057466@N08/8601008021/" title="Argyle 9 by knitica, on Flickr"><img alt="Argyle 9" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8115/8601008021_1ed158cbb1.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;">Now you’ve established your pattern.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here’s the whole thing in sequence.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Work both shrinking green diamonds back to the
other side of the sock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Purl one, Knit
the other, keeping the outside of the sock in stocking stitch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do not work the last stitch on each green diamond needle,
instead, slip them to the needle holding the growing blue diamond.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21057466@N08/8601010027/" title="Argyle 10 by knitica, on Flickr"><img alt="Argyle 10" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8390/8601010027_0392e01cde.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;">2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Purl the stitches
on the blue needle, slip another green from each needle, turn, and work across
again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Remember to wrap your ends</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’m going to stop writing that now, but you should keep doing it at
every boundary between colors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’ve
now gone back and forth on the blue needle.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21057466@N08/8602110180/" title="Argyle 11 by knitica, on Flickr"><img alt="Argyle 11" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8536/8602110180_2bd77c0942.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;">That’s it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’re now
ready to work back across the shrinking green diamonds, and do the same thing
on the other side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;">In general, you always work across both shrinking diamonds
to bring them to one side of the sock, leave the end stitches, then work back
and forth on the growing diamond, knitting the left behind stitches on the
first pass, and the slipping two new stitches to the growing diamond’s needle
to work on the second pass.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;">Keep doing this until the growing diamonds have grown across
the whole sock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There will be one row
with only blue and white stitches, no green.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>At this point everything shifts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The green diamonds start growing from one stitch, and the blue diamonds
become the shrinking diamonds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Start
over again with the instructions just after the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">set up row, </b>but this time with the colors reversed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once the blue diamonds shrink down to just
one stitch, you’re back to the beginning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Continue like this until you’re ready to do the heal, at which point
your sock can easily become a simple sock, knit out of just your back ground
color all the way to the toe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You could
also do a contrast heal and toe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
your sock—do what pleases you.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;">If, once you’ve tried this, the whole thing makes you want
to throw your project across the room, don’t torture yourself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Go back to knitting your argyles in the tried
and true flat method.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;">*Want the pattern for the socks pictured here? Click here to purchase* </span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;"><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/purchase/erica-fire-designs/201929"><img border="0" src="http://www.ravelry.com/images/shopping/buy-now.gif" /></a></span></div>
</div>
kniticahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482169665812532216noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642356.post-54565001548381038222013-08-06T10:35:00.000-04:002013-08-06T10:39:44.061-04:00The Year of the Snake<span style="color: orange;"></span><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21057466@N08/8529076117/" title="dyed "snake" sock blank by knitica, on Flickr"><img alt="dyed "snake" sock blank" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8371/8529076117_c1c2a40763.jpg" width="500" /></a>
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: orange;">2013 is the year of the snake. I celebrated back in January with my fiber pals at Raveloe. We dyed long thin sock blanks to look like snakes. Everyone had their choice of what to do next. I unravelled mine and knit socks as intended.</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"></span><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21057466@N08/8598497082/" title="Year of the Snake socks by knitica, on Flickr"><img alt="Year of the Snake socks" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8228/8598497082_cf287a2838.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="color: orange;">I am happy with the results, and even though it was January, I figured I was sort of done with the year of the snake and wouldn't think about the Chinese Zodiak again until January 2014 or the next time I ate in a Chinese restaurant with the Zodiak placemats.</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"></span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">Silly me. </span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"></span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">My property has a pleasing amount of wildlife living on it, or at least passing through. It feels good to see lots of plants and animals around the yard; I feel like I've made good choices and have created a healthy eco-system. We tend to see one or two garter snakes around the place each summer. There is a creak running along the edge of our property and because of that there seem to be a lot of frogs, and <a href="http://www.ask.com/question/what-do-garter-snakes-eat">frogs are a favorite food for garter snakes</a>.</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"></span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">For whatever reason this year we have many more garter snakes than we have had in the past. In the spring I would see at least 2 every time I worked in the yard or flower beds. I started trying to count them based on size and markings, and I think I tracked at least 6 different snakes. They make me really nervous when I mow the lawn, because as I mow I see them quickly slithering away from the mower. If they head for a flower bed I figure that they're safe, but sometimes they make bad choices, like slithering into the unmown grass, or onto the concrete sidewalk where I know they won't stay until I'm done, or back towards the mower, so I had gotten into the habit of picking up the ones who made bad choices and carrying them to the flower bed. When I did this two weeks ago, I found out that while <a href="http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/05/theres-no-need-to-fear-that-garter-snake/?_r=0">garter snakes are only mildly venomous</a>, I am one of the lucky few people who have a reaction to their bites. Not terrible, but my hands puffed up for a day, and that snake was set into the flower bed less gently and from a greater distance than the others.</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"></span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">Then last week my worst fears came true, and I inadvertantly hurt an animal. I'm still upset about it and don't know how exactly it happened, but now there is a snake in our yard that we have nick-named "stumpy."</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"></span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">Finally yesterday morning I was doing some landscaping before going to work. We had some topsoil left over from the spring and had stored it in the yard on a tarp. We folded the tarp up over it a few times to try to keep it dry. When I unfolded the tarp it was FULL OF SNAKES. Like 2 in each layer. One was a baby, which was super exciting to see, but I'm a little nervous now that I know about the allergy, so I left the tarp open and walked away, hoping that they would leave. I had to keep checking under the tarp before shoveling the dirt so I wouldn't accidently hurt any hiding snakes with my shovel.</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"></span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">So yeah, it's definitely the Year of the Snake at my house. What's next year? I hope it isn't the Tiger yet.</span>kniticahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482169665812532216noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642356.post-47962908248682995912013-02-16T22:28:00.000-05:002013-02-16T22:32:05.542-05:00A Good Day to Dye<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]--><span style="color: orange;">I haven’t done any dyeing at home since before getting married.
Once I was married, it seemed unfair to ask the other two members of the family
not to eat any food in the kitchen all day because it would be contaminated by
my dye.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is an extra stove in my
basement, waiting to become a dye stove, but so far no one with the know-how
has had time to install a 220 line and hook it up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lately, I’ve gotten really antsy about
waiting.
</span><br />
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: orange;">I finally realized that now that the boy has moved out,
whenever my husband goes on a business trip, I’m home alone, which means I have
time and opportunity to dye in the kitchen without poisoning anyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve had a project in mind for a few years
now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The various fibers have been stored
away waiting.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="color: orange;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21057466@N08/8469871344/" title="Dyed wool, silk, and angora by knitica, on Flickr"><img alt="Dyed wool, silk, and angora" height="300" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8531/8469871344_d000fd205f.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="color: orange;">From l to r: Purple, navy, and green wool; purple, navy and green tussah silk; grey angora; and black wool.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;">The plan is to blend a heathered black.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have over 2 pounds of wool, plus 8oz of
silk and 4oz of satin angora.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What isn’t
shown in the picture is that I dyed the majority of the fiber black (over a
pound and a half).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The 3 other colors
together make up about a third of the total weight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m hoping to get a black with a dark rainbow
that shines out here and there, kind of like an oil slick.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="color: orange;">Some observations/stuff I learned while doing this:</span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>I need to dye more often!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Far too much of the process was unnecessarily
nerve wracking because I couldn’t remember enough from the last times I’ve
dyed, like how much fiber <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>each dye pot
holds, or how quickly the dye starts absorbing.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Angora doesn’t take dye very well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I watched the angora resist dye, I
realized that I must have already read or seen that somewhere before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I used just as much black dye on the angora
as everything else, and heated it for just as long, but it’s hardly grey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not worried about this in the final
project, as it’s such a small portion of the overall weight I doubt it will
have any negative effect on the color.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m
hoping it’s just enough angora to add softness and a slight halo to the
finished yarn.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Good record keeping is everything it’s cracked
up to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even thought I haven’t dyed in
ages, it was easy to figure out my color formulas based on my samples and
records from previous projects.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>It pays to clean the kitchen, weigh the fibers,
and do the math the night before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again,
because I don’t do this often enough, I had to spend considerable time
reviewing <a href="http://www.debmenz.com/books.htm"><i>Color in Spinning</i></a> to find the formulas for calculating how much of
each assist to use.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Doing the math the
night before allowed me to use my dye time much more efficiently that day.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Wet fiber won’t dry while clumped together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Enough said.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>I need a giant salad spinner to whip the water
out of my dyed fiber using centrifugal force.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>I want more time in my life to dye, card, and
spin.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>I really like green and purple.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21057466@N08/8409224115/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Wool, Angora, and Silk, ready to dye by knitica, on Flickr"><img alt="Wool, Angora, and Silk, ready to dye" height="300" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8212/8409224115_fa06dc568e.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="color: orange;"><i>from l to r: wool, satin angora, and silk, all pre-soaking in synthropol in preparation for dyeing.</i></span><br />
<br /></div>
kniticahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482169665812532216noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642356.post-65272696290640819242013-01-26T22:52:00.002-05:002013-01-26T22:52:48.110-05:00The Bunny Chauffeur<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21057466@N08/8419075906/" title="Poppa in his new foster home by knitica, on Flickr"><img alt="Poppa in his new foster home" height="300" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8080/8419075906_de2259dfc1.jpg" width="400" /></a> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="color: orange;">Poppa arriving at his new foster home, <a href="http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NY787.html">Blue Skies Forever</a></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="color: orange;">I just chauffeured 2 rabbits about 80 miles today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is pretty common in rescue; the town
where animals end up in trouble is not always the town where a rescuer has
space for them until they can be adopted into their forever home.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;">The other thing that is sadly common is rabbits suffering
because of human ignorance and neglect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s an age old story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Someone
went to a pet store and bought a rabbit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She didn’t do any research before hand on how to take care of rabbits,
and she didn’t do any after the purchase either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She bought the crappy inadequate “rabbit”
stuff the pet store told her to, and went home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Later, she decided to buy a second rabbit to keep the first
company.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This would have been a great
idea, if she had bought the first rabbit a spay or neuter first.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;">Of course, you’ve guessed what happened next.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here are some interesting facts about rabbit
reproduction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Female rabbits don’t have
a fertility cycle like most mammals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Instead of ovulating once a month, or once a week, they ovulate in
response to being mounted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In other
words, they are designed to get pregnant every time they have sex.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
gestation period for a rabbit is about a month.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They can get pregnant again only 24 hours after giving birth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have litters, just like cats and
dogs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One rabbit had a litter of 9 just
after we rescued her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rabbits have
developed 2 main defenses against predators, run away, and make as many bunnies
as possible so that one of them will survive long enough to reproduce.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;">So when a human being messes up with rabbits, it only takes
a few months for them to be in over their heads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We see this far too often in rescue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before I began volunteering at a local
shelter, I didn’t realize how many rabbits are in shelters across the country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My shelter has a waiting list, as most
do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am lucky to volunteer at a shelter
that does not euthanize any healthy or treatable animals, and to be a member of
<a href="http://www.rabbit.org/">The House Rabbit Society</a> and our local chapter, <a href="http://www.therabbitresource.org/">THE Rabbit Resource</a>, both of
which are no-kill rescues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sadly, many,
many rabbits are euthanized every day at shelters who take in more than they
can adopt out.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;">I was expecting to drive 4 rabbits today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are the only 4 survivors of a larger
family, but even though they are survivors, 2 of them continue to have health
problems due to their original owner’s neglect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So 2 are staying with the rescuer/wildlife rehabilitator who is nursing
them back to health, and 2 got to ride in the car with me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I mentioned, their family started as two
un-altered rabbits kept together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
they had a litter, the owner didn’t separate them, so they kept having
litters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because she didn’t inform
herself about their care, caring for babies, or rabbit behavior, there were
casualties.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We don’t know how many, but
we do know that only one baby from the most recent litter survived.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is heartbreaking to me, not just because
of the loss of life, but because it was completely preventable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If she had done some research, she might have
decided that she wasn’t ready for the amount of care and attention even a
single rabbit needs--as much as a dog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If she was ready for a rabbit, she would have discovered that they are
happiest and healthiest when spayed or neutered, that her local shelter is full
to overflowing, and that adopting an already spayed rabbit is much, much
cheaper than buying that $20 rabbit at the pet store, only to discover that it
will cost $400.00 to get her spayed. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;">I sometimes feel like I’m fighting a losing
battle with rescue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pet stores will sell
an animal to anyone, whether they are equipped to care for an animal or
not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My stepson worked for a couple of
pet stores and was infuriated that he wasn’t allowed to tell someone that they
were not capable of taking proper care of an animal. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add to that the fact that few pet stores seem
to train their employees on even the most basic rabbit care, or carry
sufficiently large cages, and most pet store bunnies will end up in awful
situations.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="color: orange;">The numbers work against me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As my father likes to point out, half of all people are below
average.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So a large number of humans buy
rabbits without educating themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Every time one of them keeps a male and female together they have a
litter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Figuring an average litter of 4
rabbits, the female could have 48 babies within a year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But wait, there’s more!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those babies don’t stay babies for a year, by
3 months old, they can start reproducing too, so assuming half the babies are
female, after 3 months the original pair has had 12 babies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In month four, the original pair has 4 more,
and the two females in generation 1 have 8 between them, so month 4 adds 12
babies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By month 5 we have 5 potential
mothers for 20 more babies (44 total) and by month 6 we have 7 mothers and 28
more babies (72 total) and by month 8 generation 1's babies are old enough to have babies and, well, I’m already tired.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plus, they’re all completely inbred, bless
their hearts.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;">This is why I’m dedicated to “getting the word out” about
rabbits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not just that they are great
pets, which they are, but also that the shelters are full of really wonderful
rabbits who are only there because people let them down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The harder word to get out is that rabbits
aren’t for everyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are absolutely
the worst pet for a small child, because they are prey animals, and small
children are the most terrifying of predators.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They are not a “starter pet” or an “easy pet” for someone who “isn’t
ready for a dog yet.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They aren’t for
someone unwilling to do some research and learn their habits and their language
(a body language very unlike what we may already know from cats and dogs).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That “easy pet,” no-research-needed mentality
is how my passengers ended up with me today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: orange;">I wish that we could have saved all of them, these 4 and the
babies and siblings who died before we knew about them because of one person’s
ignorant neglect.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="color: orange;">But we did save four.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: orange;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21057466@N08/8419072930/" title="Holding Trucker by knitica, on Flickr"><img alt="Holding Trucker" height="300" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8464/8419072930_057d450943.jpg" width="400" /> </a></span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"><i>Me holding young "trucker" at his new foster home, <a href="http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NY787.html">Blue Skies Forever</a></i> </span></div>
kniticahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482169665812532216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642356.post-80522974703317503872013-01-25T20:16:00.000-05:002013-01-25T20:16:47.262-05:00Organized<span style="color: orange;">My big Tupperware order arrived. Yes, one has hit middle age when one blogs about new Tupperware and how it has improved one's cupboards, but so be it.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: orange;">The cupboard before Tupperware:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: orange;"> </span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21057466@N08/8410310812/" title="Cupboard before Tupperware by knitica, on Flickr"><img alt="Cupboard before Tupperware" height="400" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8329/8410310812_378b719c5f.jpg" width="300" /> </a><br />
<br />
<span style="color: orange;">The same cupboard after modular Tupperware. Check out that big open space in the middle!</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: orange;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21057466@N08/8410311222/" title="Cupboard after Tupperware, phase 1 by knitica, on Flickr"><img alt="Cupboard after Tupperware, phase 1" height="400" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8467/8410311222_e986955ff1.jpg" width="300" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: orange;">And the final version where the created space can now be used for several items that were hanging around our kitchen in boxes because there was no place to fit them:</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: orange;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21057466@N08/8409215855/" title="Cupboard after Tupperware, phase 2 by knitica, on Flickr"><img alt="Cupboard after Tupperware, phase 2" height="400" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8217/8409215855_e0ca7cc4f2.jpg" width="300" /> </a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: orange;">As an added bonus, this has improved our diet (at least for the moment) now that I've realized how much beans and rice we own! </span> kniticahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482169665812532216noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642356.post-68523329845086207562013-01-14T23:16:00.000-05:002013-01-14T23:24:27.419-05:00Stuff That Lasts<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;">No, I’m not writing about love, faith, friendship, or any of
that great stuff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I really do mean STUFF
that lasts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, it’s shallow and soul killing to be materialistic, but there’s lots of stuff that’s necessary to
life and not materialistic at all, like tools, warm clothing, food, and
shelter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That kind of stuff.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: orange;">It all started with a new pair of shoes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Truthfully, it started before that, with a
worn out pair of shoes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I despise malls
(a post for another day, I’m sure) so I began looking for a new pair where I
always do, online.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The shoes I wear the
most, especially for work, are Doc Martens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I stand for most of my 8-12 hour day, and Docs have been the very best
shoe for me to do that in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add to that
the practicality of being long lasting (5-12 years for most of mine) and the
fact that the boots make me look cooler than I am, and it’s a win.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While searching, I read some of the comments.
(I know, never read the comments.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Several said something like, “they’re OK, but not as good as my old Docs
that were made in England.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It could be the
rosy glow of nostalgia, could be imagined after seeing that they were made in the
third world, or could be true, either because they’re made in the third world,
or because the whole product line is being made differently than it once was,
regardless of where the factory is.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: orange;">I decided to investigate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I went to the Dr Martens site and found some interesting
information.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of their shoes are
made in Thailand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have <a href="http://www.dmusastore.com/t-social-responsibility.aspx">a great statement explaining their take on social responsibility</a> and how they work with
their Thai factories. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More
interestingly, they carry a line of <a href="http://www.dmusastore.com/c-188-made-in-england-mens.aspx">Made in England</a> footwear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each item is a little more expensive, but
that would be worth it if the commenters are right about the better
quality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then I found a glorious thing,
a section of the website titled <a href="http://www.dmusastore.com/c-121-for-life.aspx">For Life</a>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Isn’t this what I really want?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
mean, I’ve known for years that Dr. Marten and I have made a lifetime
commitment, but up until now it was only common law.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here was the chance to make it official.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, you can buy a pair of
Docs that are guaranteed for life, and will be repaired or replaced for free
(plus a handling fee to mail them to England).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But here’s the thing, they’re not made in England, they’re made in
Thailand.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;">So begins the soul searching.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why do I think I prefer products made in the
first world to those made in the third?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I certainly made this choice when I bought a car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I try to do it other times too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This isn’t about American labor, which I’m
part of, since the options are England or Thailand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s nothing inherently wrong about
employing Thais.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m sure they’re good
people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have to be to make, eat,
and appreciate such good food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They need
jobs just like the rest of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For me it
boils down to 3 things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First world
countries generally have the highest safety standards for their workers, I
abhor supporting companies that move their manufacturing to the third world in
order to save money by no longer complying with those safety standards, and I
tend to believe that the quality is better from a first world factory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But let’s examine that last one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here’s a company that has gone out on a limb
to guarantee a product for life, including free repair or replacement if/when
it fails.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s a big promise, and one
that could cost them money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s to
their advantage to make these their very best made shoes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, they <a href="http://www.dmusastore.com/c-121-for-life.aspx">go into some length</a> about what
they’ve done to make these a top quality shoe.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;">Assuming that Dr. Martens is following their own policy
about factory conditions, there’s no inherent virtue in employing the English over
employing the Thai, and in the long run, I’m most interested in getting a shoe
that will last for more than 10 years before it needs to be replaced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My first replacement pair will put me ahead
of the game financially (i.e. For Life costs more than a standard shoe, but
less than twice as much) and more importantly, the longer my shoes last, the
fewer of them I’ll have to send to the landfill over the course of my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For me this is the best part of a lifetime
guarantee.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;">I became environmentally aware? conscious? nut job? somewhere
in the range of 10-12 years old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was
the mid-eighties and the biggest environmental issues were energy use, land
use, and landfill space.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was really
engaged by the last two.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our planet is
only so big, and frankly has too many humans using and disposing of too much
stuff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Land use issues are the main
motivation for my vegetarianism, recycling, composting, and a part of why I have chosen not
to breed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s also why I’ve replaced
many of the disposable items in my life (paper towels, tissues, cotton balls, “feminine
products”) with washable, re-usable items.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>At the age of 12 I would have happily informed you that disposable
diapers take up the most landfill space, with “feminine products” in second
place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now everyone is on about carbon
footprints, but that’s only part of the issue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Someone did a study claiming that disposable diapers and cloth diapers
had the same carbon foot print, so it was ok to use disposable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m sorry; did we suddenly double the size of
the planet?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where do they think we have
room for another big pile of disposable diapers?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;">As you can see, I’m passionate about making as little
garbage as I can, so I went with the lifetime guarantee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I can tell you, I’m not sorry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition to being made of long lasting
materials, and built to be repaired (many cheap shoes are not) they come with
Dr. Martens Wonder Balsam and an extra set of laces.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both pairs of laces have metal aglets!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve never seen shoe laces with metal aglets
before!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Talk about built to last.</span></div>
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<span style="color: orange;">After reading the little booklet about taking care of my new
purchase, I got excited and cleaned and polished all of my Docs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21057466@N08/8350828633/" title="All my Docs clean, wonder balsamed, and polished by knitica, on Flickr"><img alt="All my Docs clean, wonder balsamed, and polished" height="300" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8365/8350828633_9402521328.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="color: orange;">Aren’t they pretty?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;">The Wonder Balsam is aptly named.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t believe the difference it made for
my shoes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They all look like new again,
even the sandals and the short black boots, which are both about 10 years old
now.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="color: orange;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21057466@N08/8350829673/" title="All my Docs clean, wonder balsamed, and polished by knitica, on Flickr"><img alt="All my Docs clean, wonder balsamed, and polished" height="300" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8235/8350829673_9301b8c79f.jpg" width="400" /></a> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: orange;">As much as possible, I try to choose the longest lasting option when buying stuff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m willing to
pay more if it means I’m buying the thing once instead of once every few
years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I own a Rainbow vacuum cleaner
that I expect to outlive me, and a Mini Cooper I hope to drive for 20 years…you
get the picture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I’ve been taking
care of the stuff I already own—making it last, just like the shoes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve been fixing stuff around the house that
got mysteriously chewed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I “re-soled” my
felted slippers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve made arrangements
to have my vintage mechanical watch fixed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Oh, and speaking of lifetime repair or replacement guarantees, I may
have just bought rather a lot of Tupperware.</span></div>
kniticahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482169665812532216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642356.post-67590058550778813652013-01-05T20:05:00.003-05:002013-01-05T20:15:56.186-05:00The Gift That Keeps on Giving<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]--><span style="color: orange;">Not that I would ever be as crass as to post about presents
after Christmas, but I would like to share just one thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is somehow my own fault, as my list
could be interpreted as to include this item, although only a genii would
interpret it that way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s also my
fault for having a little brother. </span><br />
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: orange;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21057466@N08/8351890038/" title="Garden gnome riding a rabbit by knitica, on Flickr"><img alt="Garden gnome riding a rabbit" height="300" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8235/8351890038_930fa54366.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange;"> </span><span style="color: orange;"> </span>
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<span style="color: orange;">Yes, it’s a garden gnome riding on a rabbit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And yes, I immediately installed it in the
garden, even though I’ve been taking gnomes out of my summer shade garden as
quickly as Jacqui can put them in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do
think this wonderful ridiculous item looks quite fetching in the snow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently it’s part of a whole series of
gnomes riding different creatures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21057466@N08/8350824249/" title="Garden gnome riding a rabbit by knitica, on Flickr"><img alt="Garden gnome riding a rabbit" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8052/8350824249_03aa06bed5.jpg" width="375" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange;">My brother has been living overseas for the past few years,
so we tend to exchange (and wrap) our gifts through Amazon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So far this has been small rectangular items
like cds and dvds, which Amazon wraps in dark blue paper with a grey grosgrain
ribbon wrapped around it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The gnome came
in a rather large box.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of being
wrapped, the whole box was in a big blue sack with green grosgrain
drawstrings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not one to turn my nose up
at useful stuff, I put it right to work as a fantastic wool bag.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: orange;"> </span><span style="color: orange;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21057466@N08/8350819917/" title="Grey
wool drum carded together by knitica, on Flickr"><img alt="Grey wool drum carded
together" height="300" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8043/8350819917_4f69acb649.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange;">I had bought two different natural grey wool rovings this
summer with the intention of making a <a href="http://www.interweavestore.com/Knitting/Patterns/Central-Park-Hoodie.html">Central Park Hoodie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </a></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21057466@N08/8317440389/" title="(Romney?) Roving from Dutchayr Fibers by knitica, on Flickr"><img alt="(Romney?) Roving from Dutchayr Fibers" height="300" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8364/8317440389_bd6bf6308a.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21057466@N08/8317439465/" title="Shetland roving from Shadeyside Fibers by knitica, on Flickr"><img alt="Shetland roving from Shadeyside Fibers" height="300" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8072/8317439465_52a2d480f3.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange;">Happily, I had some project time over my
Christmas break, so I spent some of it blending the two wools together with my
drum carder. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The drum carder is still
very new to me and I’ve had trouble finding much information or advice on using
one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ashford-Book-Carding-Craft-Series/dp/1877427004">The Ashford Book of Carding</a>,
which doesn’t say a whole lot about drum carding before wandering off to color
blending.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went through my spinning
books, from Lee Raven’s introductory <a href="http://www.interweavestore.com/Spinning/Books/Hands-On-Spinning.html">Hands on Spinning </a>to Alden Amos’ <a href="http://www.interweavestore.com/Spinning/Books/Alden-Amos-Big-Book-of-Handspinning.html">Big Book of Handspinning</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have almost
nothing specific to the drum carder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So far
drum carding has been largely a matter of trial and error.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each time I use it, I make a new
discovery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last time it was that most of
what ends up on the small drum is short and undesirable fiber.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was really excited about that one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This time it was that carding oil, besides
making carding easier and preventing fiber breakage, actually allowed me to
make larger batts than without the oil—not hugely larger, but I did get
noticeably more nicely carded wool onto the drum with oil than without.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My other realization was that I’m a dummy for
trying to push how big a batt I can make before doffing it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I get greedy, the outer layer of the big
batt isn’t very well carded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I doff
the batts when they’re still a little thinner, they’re much nicer and more
thoroughly carded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I shouldn’t be so
surprised; I discovered exactly the same thing with hand cards years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So far, I’ve only blended on the drum
carder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have a longer term project in
mind which will involve dying and carding the fleece I bought 2 falls ago, and
then blending it with some other nice things, all using the drum carder, but I’m
still waiting for my dye stove to get hooked up in the basement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe by next Christmas break.</span></div>
kniticahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482169665812532216noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642356.post-90821117600940186572012-09-30T20:27:00.002-04:002012-09-30T20:30:50.352-04:00Presidential Brew<span style="color: #f6b26b;">I got to brew for the fist time in ages today. I was going to post all about the process, and choosing to do the <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/09/01/ale-chief-white-house-beer-recipe">White House Honey Porter recipe</a>, and how cool it is that beer is being made in the White House using honey grown on the grounds.</span><br />
<span style="color: #f6b26b;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #f6b26b;">Then I got out my stash of beer ingredients and discovered that my various partial bags of grain had been infested by insects. Awesome. Strangely enough, because of poor planning I had gone to the beer store without checking my own supplies first, so I had bought new bags of everything needed for the recipe, thinking I had been foolish and wasteful. In truth, I had accidentally saved the day, because the home brew store is closed on Sundays so without the new bags I would have been screwed.</span><br />
<span style="color: #f6b26b;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #f6b26b;">So, disaster averted, I present the ingredients for White House Honey Porter, including local honey and 2oz of my own homegrown fuggles hops.</span><br />
<span style="color: #f6b26b;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #f6b26b;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21057466@N08/8041397101/" title="getting ready to brew the White House Honey Porter by knitica, on Flickr"><img alt="getting ready to brew the White House Honey Porter" height="300" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8179/8041397101_108784a46c.jpg" width="400" /></a></span><br />
<span style="color: #f6b26b;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #f6b26b;">It's now fermenting in the corner of my kitchen. We'll try it in about a month.</span>kniticahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482169665812532216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642356.post-31826784613025924042012-07-29T14:44:00.003-04:002012-07-29T14:47:43.054-04:00Deer Proofing the Garden<span style="color: #f6b26b;">A few days ago as I weeded I removed the covers from our broccoli plants. We cover them while they're young and tender so that the rabbits don't eat them to the ground. The day after removing the covers, this was what I found:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #f6b26b;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21057466@N08/7669900824/" title="Deer decimated broccoli by knitica, on Flickr"><img alt="Deer decimated broccoli" height="300" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7124/7669900824_2df787a9b9.jpg" width="400" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #f6b26b;">This isn't rabbit damage, all ten broccoli plants were decimated by deer. Both Chris and I were raised by fathers who garden. Each of them are still gardening, about 5 miles away from us in either direction. Neither of them have deer problems, so we didn't have any immediate idea what to do based on the Dads' advice or experience.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #f6b26b;">We're big softies about animals, so we don't want any solutions that would harm either the rabbits or the deer. I started looking into garden fencing online, and it's EPENSIVE! Somewhere between a car payment and a house payment to protect our little garden.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #f6b26b;">So on the advice of an employee at our favorite garden store, <a href="http://www.mennenursery.com/">Menne</a> we did several things. We spread <a href="http://www.qdma.com/articles/can-milorganite-temporarily-repel-deer-from-food-plots">Milorganite</a>, a stinky and apparently deer repelling fertilizer, we hung white plastic bags around the garden to startle the deer as they flap and crinkle in the wind, and strung old cds around the perimeter which shine and flash quite impressively in the sunlight.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #f6b26b;">The upshot? No sign of deer visits last night or this morning, and our garden now looks and smells like it was landscaped by a homeless guy.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #f6b26b;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21057466@N08/7669660790/" title="deer and bunny proofing, 1st attempt by knitica, on Flickr"><img alt="deer and bunny proofing, 1st attempt" height="300" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7248/7669660790_ebe7e0f46f.jpg" width="400" /></a></span><br />
<br />kniticahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482169665812532216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642356.post-76317206651433213072012-06-26T22:14:00.001-04:002012-06-26T22:25:55.517-04:00Guess the Fiber<span style="color: #f9cb9c;">Here I am at the farmhouse working at the festival. I found a new "local" fiber I've never spun before. It has spun up fairly soft and looks like it will bloom into a bit of a halo. Any guesses as to what it is? Please guess in the comments.</span> <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21057466@N08/7451840628/" title="mystery fiber by knitica, on Flickr"><img alt="mystery fiber" height="300" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7264/7451840628_ecf2f5f285.jpg" width="400" /></a>kniticahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482169665812532216noreply@blogger.com3