Garden update

I've made no progress on the Legends of the Shetland Seas shawl this week.  I will say this about it though:  when I got the pattern in the mail, at first I was a bit... well. I'm by no means an expert or anything, but the patterning didn't seem that advanced to me.  Sure, there are no rest rows, but really, we're talking K2tog and yo's here.  The decreases aren't symmetrical, so there isn't even an SSK to keep a knitter on her toes.  I guess I was a bit... disappointed.  There.  I said it.  I had thought this would be a challenge, a sigh that I had graduated to the holy status of the Advanced Knitter, and I was disappointed.

Then I wound the yarn and actually attempted to knit it. And dudes.  The pattern is sooOOOooOOOooo not the issue.  It's the yarn, my friends.  Gossamer weight yarn?  Knitting with that frog hair is intense.  2 rows on regular old straights was all I could handle before I realized I was totally gossamer's bitch and ordered some Addis Turbo Lace needles.  I even considered going Knitter Ninja and buying my first pair of Signatures, but decided against it when I realized I couldn't choose the colour myself.

So.  No Shetland goodness this week.  How about a look at my other WIP this summer?  Here's a peek at what's been going on in the vegetable patch.

 

My beloved tomatoes have started producing fruit.  It's still way too early for the Romas, of course, but the Cherry tomatoes are really getting in gear.  They're juicy and bursting with flavour, and have become a favourite snack when I water the garden every evening.

The bees have been busy little... well... bees, heh.  I was amazed to find them in little swarms in my pumpkin flowers.  Not swarms, really.  They were all just... chillin'.  Like frat boys after a kegger.  They're obviously doing something right, because we've got 5 good sized pumpkins out there this year.

Green beans.  Too many green beans!!!  I think I planted... oh... 12 plants?  16?  Too many.  Way too many.  It's a green bean invasion over here!!!

The corn I planted at Maxime's request seemed to be doing pretty well, maybe too much so since some critter or other has gotten into the garden and chomped 2 of the 9 stalks.  I don't know if I'll have enough to ensure cross pollination at this point, so I may well have a sad, corn-less little man in a few weeks.  We'll see.

Garlic!  I harvested my garlic last weekend!  And, to quote Anastasia Steele: Holy Crap!  It has to be the strongest garlic EVAH!  One clove is enough to get your eyes to tear up, I'm not even kidding.  Vampires beware is all I'm saying.  Phew!

And there you have it.  I'm off to get my knit on.  The Addis have arrived, friends, but so has the second clue of Stephen West's Mystery KAL.  Decisions, decisions...

Happy Knitting, Everyone!