Around the garden

This time of year in the garden always feels a little overwhelming. We feel filled to overflowing by all the wonderful vegetables calling out to be harvested and processed right now before they rot and mold and get chomped by slugs. We feel  exhilarated and a little mind-boggled by the planning required for next year--which beds will we sow with a cover crop, which will harbor greens through the winter under cover, which will be spread with manure and leaf mulch. We feel awestruck by the fecundity of the flowers going to seed, by the fig tree heavy with fruit. With all this abundance, I've gotten behind on weekly garden posts. Here are a few highlights from the last couple of weeks...

Do you remember the photo I took through this window back in April, when Dan was tilling up the lawn? I had high hopes for this spot, but never really thought it could turn into this:

 We are so dang happy with our decision to replace the lawn with tomatoes and green beans and leeks and kale and cilantro and marigolds and carrots and basil. Our full bellies and freezer and pantry are thanking us!

The flowers are spending themselves and I've been collecting much of the seed--I'm hoping to do a separate post on seed saving soon.

We planted another round of carrots between the leeks a while back...I'm not sure they'll be ready this year, but maybe they'll overwinter and provide some early spring snacking. We waited too long to harvest many of the carrots we sowed in spring--they got woody and the roots split.

The second sowing of kale is ready for harvest now, and we just planted one more round of greens (spinach and mild mesclun mix) this weekend, in hopes that it will mature before the days grow too short and cold for growing.

 On the left there are daikon radishes, which we've never grown, but seem to be thriving. Next are the old carrots, some green onions, and the very last sowing of new carrots, from just a few weeks ago. We're doing a lot of experimenting with succession planting this year. It's tricky to do in a small space, though, as there isn't much time after harvesting one crop for the next crop to mature before the end of the growing season.

 Those itty bitty butternuts have grown enormous! I wouldn't be surprised if this one weighed 10 lbs (maybe I'm exaggerating a little here...but only a little)

 More cucumbers climbing up their trellis, mingling with their black-eyed susan friends.

And...drum roll please...

We have ripe tomatoes! Didn't know if it would happen this year, but August gave us two whole weeks of hot summer weather...just enough to ripen a few of these beauties.

I've been freezing the tomatoes we can't eat or give away. I learned this trick from a neighbor and it works great. No need to blanch--just wash, core, and cut up the big ones if you want, then throw in bags and freeze. They're wonderful in soups and stews. Or you can heat them and puree for sauce later.

Blessings on the harvest to all you gardeners and farmers out there!

Yarn Along: A Lost Lady and a found raglan

I've been looking for a basic seamless raglan pull-over pattern for a long time, and finally found this one via Sarah Jane's yarn along post a few weeks ago. This Yarn Along tradition is so fun--such a great way to share patterns and ideas and inspiration! I brought my daughter to the yarn shop with me to pick out yarn, and she chose this lovely purple alpaca. I'm hoping to finish it in time for her to wear it with the arrival of chilly weather this fall.

I just finished A Lost Lady, by Willa Cather. After reading My Antonia and O Pioneers years ago, I fell in love with Willa Cather, but never ventured beyond these two books.  When I recently came upon A Lost Lady, it seemed a good opportunity to explore her work further.  It took a little longer to draw me in, but in the end, I heaved the same sigh of satisfaction and felt the same sense of expansive horizons that I love so much about her other books. She has such insight into the personalities and inner workings of individual human beings,of humanity as a whole, of landscapes and eras. And I'm so inspired by the strong, remarkable (and flawed) pioneer women she writes about.

I've also been enjoying the BBC series Lark Rise to Candleford, based on a love letter written by Flora Thompson in the 1880's. A lovely show to knit with (though I wouldn't recommend for children, as there are some dark elements).

Happy knitting and reading to everyone! And do visit Ginny at Small Things for more Yarn-along inspiration.

Buttercup Bag

I've had the Buttercup Bag pattern from Made By Rae in my "want to make" folder for quite some time. And finally, now that my old purse has officially become hazardous (i.e. unraveling to the point that wallet and keys are in danger of falling out), I was able to justify spending the time to make it.

I've never made a purse before, and this was a great one to start with. The pattern is free, which suits my budget nicely. And it's so cute and simple. The fabric is an old Amy Butler scrap I found at a garage sale and have been saving for something special. I think next time I might use a heavier fabric with a more abstract design, but it will certainly work for now. The pattern calls for a magnetic snap, which I didn't have. So I decided to take the opportunity to try out the button hole attachment for my sewing machine (a beautiful old singer featherweight inherited from my mother-in-law, who inherited it from her aunt...but more about that story in another post). I have been scared of this device, and after my first experience with it, I believe I have good cause to feel this way. In my attempt to create one simple button hole, I broke two needles and gave myself a nasty second-degree burn from the sewing machine light (on a positive note, that herbal salve I made works wonders on burns--it's healing up beautifully). I'm not sure if this was caused by user error or machine malfunction...but I think I might take a break from buttons for a while! And those fancy machines with one step button holes are looking awfully tempting at the moment.  Thanks to Rae for sharing this great pattern!

Summer Loving

Joining in with Jacqui's Sunday summer tradition at Barefoot Crofter today...trying to savor every last drop of summer as the days grow shorter and August draws to a close.

Harvesting and freezing baskets of greens to make room for one last planting before fall

Early morning sunflower silhouettes in the living room

Bright summer bouquets

Mountain lake gazing

 Colanders full of basil...

 ...to combine with garlic for pesto for the freezer. Enough to bring summer flavor to seven winter meals!

Wishing you eyes to see and time to appreciate all the loveliness summer has to give.

To the mountains

We went camping for the first time in three years last weekend. Yes, three years. That's a long time for people who find the mountains nearly as essential to good health as air and water. We all enjoyed ourselves thoroughly--especially our little one. A whole world full of dust in which to cover oneself, a whole lake to practice floating and splashing and dipping and pouring, a tent to hide in with a zipper to zip and unzip endlessly. And for me, the early morning light over the lake, the fresh mountain air filled with cedar and fir scent, a bit of rosy alpenglow over the mountain at dusk, the clear abundance of stars on my way to the outhouse at 1:30 am.

I think the fun vs. stress ratio for camping with a toddler has finally tipped in our favor. There were moments on this trip when I resolved not to try camping again for a long time. It's a lot of work to keep a toddler safe, and to manage outbursts and tantrums (of both child and parent sort), in an unconfined setting with all manner of tantalizing dangers calling to her curious little mind. But all in all, even after the long drive home--all of us tired and dirty and spent--it felt worth it to get out to the wilderness (as much wilderness as car camping allows) and to re-establish our connection to nature.

Yarn Along--baby sweater complete!

With the cooperation of my little helper, I was finally able to finish up the "5-hour" baby sweater (more like 2 month baby sweater for me!).

I used leftover yarn from my stash, and my anxiety kept building in those last few inches, wondering if the yarn would run out before I made it to the bottom. Luck prevailed this time--that little ball of yarn in the corner there was all I had left. This is my first sweater with sleeves and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, though I have a lot of room for improvement! I ended up with holes in the armpits that I sewed up as best I could...hopefully the babe who wears this will have enough wiggle room in the shoulder/armpit area. The pattern has no button holes, so I put one in at the top and didn't add any more. I'm not sure if it's intended to have no buttons, or if it's assumed you'll add them where you want them...anyone know? My daughter had a handmade cardigan when she was a babe and we ended up taking the buttons off because they became a choking hazard, so I thought it might be best not to put them on at all. Hmmm...

The book--All of Me! a Book of Thanks, by Molly Bang, has become a favorite of mine and of my daughter's. We were introduced to it at library story time last year and I loved it so much I bought it. It is a celebration of our bodies and all their different parts, and it takes such a positive view ("When I sit down, I sit on my good bottom. Thank goodness!"). I want my daughter to feel gratitude and love for her body, not the shame and dissatisfaction that so many girls and young women feel. I actually thought about buying this book for all of my friends who have ever had body image issues (haven't we all?). It's sure to bring a smile to your face and a spring to your step!

For more yarn along fun, visit Ginny at Small Things.

Blackberry Jam

Along with English Ivy, the Himalayan Blackberry has become a horribly invasive species in Western Oregon. It sends out tenacious roots, scatters seed, and takes over whole hillsides in a thorny brambly mess. It's a real problem here, choking out native species and spreading like wildfire.

That said, I love blackberries! And I love that we can pick whole bushels of them for free just a few miles from our house. I'm not sure whether to feel guilty about enjoying them, or to let our enjoyment be a bit of redemption for all the havoc these plants wreak. Making blackberry jam has become an August tradition for us, and this weekend we went picking with dear friends.

 Last year I was introduced to Pamona's Universal Pectin, which has made it possible to create delicious local jam that I truly feel good about. No need for over-processed sugar shipped from far away--all you need are berries and honey (or any sweetener, or none, for that matter).

I get honey from Azure Standard through our food buying co-op. It comes in a gallon-sized container and I never have trouble finding people to split it with.  This makes it very economical. It truly is liquid gold!

 It's easy to feel intimidated by the thought of jamming and canning, but after doing it a few times, it feels very simple and manageable. It does help to have a partner to keep the toddler safe and out of the kitchen for half an hour while the "cauldron" is boiling and the berries are bubbling. The reward is certainly worth it. Opening a jar in the dark and damp of winter brings a rush of summer warmth and sweetness. Yum!

A diaper for Dolly

My little one spends a lot of time these days changing diapers. Baby dolls, Sweater Bear (so named for the sweater knit by her Auntie), Froggy, Amish Girl, Norman Bear, Kangaroo...no one is immune to impromptu diaper changes. It is a little tricky using a two-year-old sized diaper on an itty bitty doll, so I thought it would be fun to sew up a little diaper designated for doll use.

I used the tutorial and pattern at Skip to My Lou and found it very helpful. Such a quick and easy project!

And much appreciated by the two-year-old, who can complete the whole diaper changing process all by herself now.

"I did it!"

Around the Garden--Summer bounty

Last week we were out of town, and thanks to many generous garden-watering angels, we came home to a garden bursting with bounty ready for harvest.

 These little gold nuggets are just about ripe (maybe not an entirely green tomato year after all).

The bush beans are ready for picking. And the pole beans are getting there. I love how this stray one wound its way up a sunflower.

Speaking of sunflowers, they are all decked out in their glorious aray right now. I call this towering one the citadel of the garden. I planted sunflowers a few years ago and have had volunteers every year since. I transplant some of them to my liking, and leave the rest. They are so cheerful, and the birds and bees just love them. 

 I'm especially excited about these delicatas...

...and this itty bitty butternut. We've never had luck with winter squash, but things are looking promising this year. We planted the squash plants in the front yard and they're spilling out of their raised beds to take over the lawn...not such a bad thing! We might have to reign them in a bit if they reach the sidewalk.

 We took out the peas a while back, and the cucumbers are now making use of the trellis.

We planted great big zinnias among the squash plants, and have a border of black-eyed susans on one side, and this border of mixed flowers on another side to help attract pollinators. Seems to be working.

So much to give thanks for in this garden of ours!

How does your garden grow?

Yarn Along

We took a little vacation to visit my husband's family last week, so I had a bit more time for reading and knitting than usual. I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to join in with all the folks sharing knitting and books over at Small Things.

On the needles is the 5 hour Baby Sweater (pattern here). I've been wanting to try it for a while now, and recently found out that I have three friends and several neighbors expecting babies this winter. Hooray for wooly baby knits! Do you have a favorite winter baby knit pattern you'd like to suggest?

And the book, oh the book. This Life is in Your Hands, by Melissa Coleman. Melissa is the daughter of Eliot Coleman, of The New Organic Grower fame. The book is a memoir of her childhood growing up on a homestead next door to Helen and Scott Nearing (who popularized the back-to-the-land movement with their book Living the Good Life.) Coleman's writing is filled with beauty and compassion as she relates the ideals, the harsh realities, and the tragedies of the lifestyle chosen by her parents. Her story inspired me, broke my heart, and resonated deeply with so many of my own hopes and longings and memories. It brought up a topic of conversation revisited frequently by my husband and I--the question of how to balance passion for a vocation or lifestyle with the work of caring for a family. And I think we will return to the themes in this book frequently as we dream and plan for our own future. Highly recommended!