Tuesday, June 2, 2015

A most beautiful sweater that failed to launch and a straw bale update


I had the most wonderful plans for my new sweater, I loved the colour, the lovely stripiness, the pattern-Stripe Parade. I began to knit it with some Madtosh Merino Light on 3.5mm needles. That's pretty fine knitting-lots of stitches.


I measured, I swatched, I measured again. I knit enough to I could slip it over my head and put my arms through (it is a top down sweater) and it was too big. I did measure several times, I did swatch but something got lost in the translation. Shipoopy!!!


And that is the end of that story. I still love my colour combo so my knitting brain will have to cogitate on that one for awhile longer. You know, sometimes I think knitting (gardening) is sometimes a metaphor for life. Sometimes no matter how hard we plan and prepare, things don't always work out. So we have to rip back to square one, take a deep breath, dry our tears, regroup and press on. Hopefully we can learn something along the way. As my Dad would say, "you can plan the event but not the outcome" So very true!!

Chrissys Flower Garden


I did receive a most wonderful surprise though. Sally, the owner of the LYS where I enable like minded souls, received a large shipment of hand dyed yarns in many colours recently. They were all unnamed and so the task fell to her to provide them with suitable nomenclatures. I was totally surprised and touched to see this. Evidently I was told this but I must have been in a trance triggered by all the yarn fumes this yarn was emitting (yarn fumes are a known phenomena, ask a knitter). Thanks Sally!! Now it got me thinking, what with my preoccupation with veggies in the bales I had neglected my flowers for the garden. This would not do!


So off to the garden centre I went. If you zoom in on this picture you will see Mama Robin collecting plant material for her nest or maybe she is looking for worms.

Straw Bale Update

Arugula

Radishes

lettuce

tomatoes

eggplants


sweet peppers

 Oh my, the bales are hopping!! Everything is growing well and with the warm weather coupled with some much needed rain, the veggies are growing like gangbusters!


We picked a big bowl of arugula, butter crunch, red leaf and deer tongue lettuce for our dinner tonight and it was sooo good.

So far so good and it has been such an interesting process. We have had a 100% germination and transplant rate. Now, in the spring chicken to stewing hen continuum, we are both definitely quite right of centre. The bales are so much easier on your back and the weeding is minimal and super easy. We get this long grassy stuff growing a bit on the sides,but it just pulls out with no resistance. The best part is the produce comes out so clean, it is amazing! In the picture above, the greens had not been washed yet.


I planted some nasturtium seeds in front of a couple of bales as they are good companion plants. They popped up so that made me pretty happy!


I have two old wooden ladders under which I planted both a pole bean and a scarlet runner bean respectively.They are doing well. Beans like warm soil and with our unseasonably warm spells they germinated pretty quick. They are a great nitrogen fixer for my crumbum soil. We have been eating these french breakfast radishes from one of our in ground beds. Super tasty!

Lastly here I am!  I read so many interesting blogs and I always like to put a face to a name. I am just curious like that.

Yikes, I keep forgetting, a big welcome and how'd you do to my new followers! And a big thank you to all of you who leave such lovely comments and to those who visit my blog. It is reassuring that I am not speaking into Vacuumland  as Alan McPhee used to say (Remember him Isobel?)!

Have a super week friends!!

Keep smiling!

Chris

26 comments:

  1. I sympathise about the knitting. I had a similar experience with my Aran coat. Unfortunately I had got to the stage where it was sewn up and ready apart from the buttons before finding it that it was far too big. I probably realised before that stage but just kept on working at it in the hope that it would somehow be alright in the end. Now I have to unpick the seams and rip it all out. I'll will try again with a different pattern. It's lovely to have flowers in your garden as well as veg. We bought lots of flowers recently to brighten things up. Out weather has been dreadful - so much rain and very cold. But the veg are still growing and the strawberries are flowering nicely. I love the yarn named after you!

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    1. Isn't it funny how we all have these little knitting voices in our heads telling us this isn't going to work but we just keep knitting with pure blind faith it is going to work out just fine. I had a feeling soon after starting that my sweater was going to be too loose and sloppy. I'm sorry to hear about your weather. I'm pretty excited about my pretty yarn too!

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  2. Beautiful yarns. I just love looking at beautiful yarns and seeing what others make with them. As a knitter who doesn't knit so well (and still a real beginner), I take heart in the fact that even seasoned knitters get stumped! I remember when you first posted about the bales and was curious to see how it would turn out. I think it turned out great!

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    1. Oh Penny, I have lots of misfires and lots of ripping out and reknitting in my knitting life. I usually am pretty picky about what I knit as there are a lot of patterns out there that are not great. The bales are awesome, I wouldn't have ever believed it!

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  3. Chris!!!!!! You just made me smile!!! It is as if we are on the same wavelength!! My next post was going to be about not giving up as that is what the garden has taught me! Ha! Due to the fact that the rabbits ate all of my peas! The start of your sweater is gorgeous!! Those colors are fantastic together....completely positive that you will turn it into a masterpiece! And that yarn up there with your name On it is just too awesome!! You deserve a treat like that friend! And man!!! Your bales are insane!!! I love the fact that you are gardening higher and that everything comes out so clean....it seems as though you would get less bugs and soil issues aren't an issue....just brilliant if you ask me! I love how green everything is as well!! You have my wheels turning friend!! So great to see what's shaking in your world!!! Keep the pictures coming and happy week to you buddy!! Nicole xo

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    1. Nicole, I am now really looking forward to your next post!! Rabbits for you, deer and quail for me....oh those varmints eating up our yummy veggies. The sweater will be morphed into a wrap or a cowl I am thinking. I still love those crazy bright colours! I love my new wool but I have to ponder awhile on what I want to knit with it. And yes, the bales are insane!! I can't get over it. You have a great point, no soil issues and they aren't getting bugged out. A couple more bonuses! We are enjoying a few days of rain but it looks like this weekend it will up near 100 F. Have a great week my friend!

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  4. I had similar experience with some knitting stuffs .... it's a pity because your colors are really beautiful together ... and about your garden .. I'm simply jealous ! that's all !!!

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    1. GĂ©raldine, it really is disappointing when our knitting doesn't work out ! It is so annoying!!!! Yah I'm looking at different patterns using those same colours, I will find something. Too bad you weren't a little closer and you could come pick up some fresh greens. We'd have such a good chat!

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  5. Such a shame about your sweater, I hope that you can work it all out. The bales are doing really well though aren't they!!!! They are a great success, you have so much growing so well. It is amazing to think that a straw bale could produce so much! Happy eating - and knitting when you sort it out! xx

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  6. Oh Amy, I just remind myself it just some knitting but I would have loved that sweater. I could try knitting a smaller size but right now I don't feel like starting all over again. I must have a short attention span where knitting is concerned! The bales are pretty fantastic, we are both continually amazed at how plants are growing so well in them. Good luck with the renos!

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  7. Don't you hate it when that happens with your knitting? At least you were smart and tried it on before you got too far into the project. I know knitters who might have got to the end before they realized their mistake. Well, okay, I know one knitter who would do that. :-)

    Your straw bales continue to impress! I've never planted arugula before, and have seeds on my list of things to buy today when I go to town.

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    1. Truth be told Kristie, I usually keep knitting to the bitter end even though I know it ain't looking good. Maybe I am getting smarter as I am getting older! I love arugula, it is the best green ever!! The bales are motoring which still amazes me!

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  8. I do the same thing with sewing ... trying it on before I get too far! I've never tried knitting a sweater as the need for it to fit in the end makes me hesitant to try. Love the brilliant colours in the sweater, and I hope you work it out. The straw bales sure are working well ... the lettuce looks delicious!
    Wendy

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    1. Wendy, I can tell you are a smart cookie! Try it on before you finish! Sweaters can be tricky to knit. Our lettuce is so good but now it's hot I wonder how it will fare. We should do a reseed soon

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  9. Thing are growing like crazy at your place! It's a pity about the sweater, but you seem to have moved on. As for having yarns names for you, that is a something rare and wonderful, Chris!

    Karen

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  10. Things are sure growing like crazy Karen ! Especially weeds!! I can't believe how many weeds we have pulled and it never stops! I love my yarn I just have to think of a project for it.

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  11. Your straw bales are magic. :o) Love the pic. :o)

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    1. They certainly are! The tomatoes are growing like crazy in them but our radishes didn't bulb up. Could be our wacky weather too!

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  12. Woah! Look at those bales go!!! We are trying to get an allotment again and if we suceed I can definitely see some straw bales in our future :)

    And I agree, yarn fumes, know phenomenon. As is the gauge that was right and then isn't. I swatched for a baby sweater, cast on, knitted a bit, and realised I was knitting something that would fit a two year old. Needless to say it's been ripped out and I'm starting again with a different pattern :)

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    1. These bales are the ticket Annie! There are so much less work and no bending over! The produce is so clean too. I sure don't know why some projects work out well and others tank. It's so annoying!!! I hope you can get an allotment again!

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  13. How amazing the straw bales grow produce so well, like raised beds!! I am sorry your sweater didn't work out....but better to find out sooner rather than later! Happy week ahead.
    Helen xox

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    1. They are quite something else, it is quite amazing! I'm glad I pulled the plug on my sweater when I did, it would have been a huge disappointment . That's how it goes sometimes!

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  14. What a shame about the too-big-sweater. I love the wisdom in your Dad's saying: "you can plan the event but not the outcome". It is true!
    Gosh your veggies have coma along so wonderfully. Fresh lettuces must taste terrific and there is a whole summer of veggies still to come.

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    1. Jennifer I often think of these words of wisdom, it sure is a good reminder when things don't go the way you think they should or like! We have a ton of lettuce growing, lots of salads here!

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  15. Hi Chris! Just found you through Meredith's blog. I'm a quilter and crocheter and newbie knitter. I see a lot of ripping out in my future!
    Next year I'm going to give those bales a go. What a concept!! Your lettuces and greens look so healthy. Have a great weekend :)

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  16. Hey Lynne, thanks for dropping by! I seem to spend a fair bit of my knitting time ripping out still lol. Straw bales are the wAy to go, we are sold on them, it's a great way to grow your veggies. Have a great weekend too!!!

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