Long weekends,

are pretty much the best thing ever. Late summer ones are even better. You get to do things like process all the beans! This year I planted green beans (my favourite) and red runner beans. After a tough start due to cold weather and very hungry slugs, I am finally seeing some results.

Left to right we have Frenched blanched green beans, pre-blanched red runner beans, and larger (older) green beans just chopped & blanched. It was all I could do to not leap in and steam up the entire lot of Frenched beans and eat them with butter and salt. Soooo good that way.

I decided I was going to blanch the red runner beans and freeze them for use in soups/stews/etc later in the winter. See how pretty they are? All bright red and purple. Look at them after blanching:

They went all dusky purple. Nature is so weird!

Today I grated and froze between 8 and 10 pounds of zucchini for winter use. Also probably in soups & stews but possibly in muffins & breads. This week we’ll be buying canning jars and starting to process all the beets. Oh my, do we have beets. LOL

Finally, the most fun this weekend was had making tubey scarves on a friend’s circular sock knitting machine. This this is soooo cool! I took a couple videos:

and

Oh wait. And finally finally, I finished a pair of socks:

These poor things have been on the go forever. I’ve knit and ripped them 3 times before finally being reasonably content with this pattern. They will be nice and warm when winter comes again. Which seems so far away when I’m still having to put on sunscreen before I go out and work in the yard.

 

And we’re off!

Day one progress of my Ravellenics project. One chart repeat of 36 rows. My double handed knitting is getting a little bit faster as I do it more. Which is good, ’cause I got a lot of knitting to get done! This needs to be about 48 inches long when it’s done.

Hello, Sunday

Gearing up for the 2012 Ravellenics is in full swing.

Team Canada! FTW

Since the games are in London this year I went with as British a project as I could think of. I found a chart on Ravelry of the wallpaper from flat of in the new Sherlock Holmes series.

So far so good, right? So, I took the chart and did some swatching in the round:

So, a long, tubular, circular scarf is the plan. In 17 days. ‘Cause that’s totally doable, right?

The yarn? Best part! I’m using Sanguine Gryphon in Nekkid, as an homage this scene:

And a skein of gorgeous Grimpen Mire, Hound of the Baskerville’s tie in, that the lovely yarnpiggy gifted to me.

Perfection, no? Now I just have to wait for the 27th of July and the start of the games.

Wednesday

And that means it’s knit night.

Hey!

I finished a hat!

What? I know, I know. Yesterday I proclaimed spring and today I’m all finishing a knitted wool hat. Contradictions. All about the contradictions.

Yesterday’s sky?

Glorious.

I spend a lot of time…

On transit:

I don’t drive so me and the bus/train/neighbourhood bus, we’re pretty close. I’m also crazy nosy and get bored easily. Like most 5 year olds you see out and about unattended. So, to stop me from mumbling and wandering off I try to find things to take pictures of. It’s like having an electronic pacifier for when I’m out in public. Today’s roundup:

Willing to bet this one is a little bit different from the one in Harry Potter. Probably a fair bit more vomit & people yelling, “No man! I love you!”

Reading:

As evidence, I offer this photo:

I went to pick up one book that I had pre-ordered. It was even prepaid. There was absolutely no reason for the additional 4 books that leapt into my bag. Sigh.

Knitting:

This is my next big project. Still in string form, obviously:

Top down cardigan starting with the lightest and moving to the black. So excited!

Being distracted:

Bus bench engraved graffiti

The Fraser River and a rather unsettled bit of weather for the commute home.

Now, I’m going to have grilled cheese sandwiches & tomato soup for dinner, look at my books, and hopefully not get greasy fingerprints on the pages.

Happy Thursday.

This, that, *and* the other thing!

This = yummy food that helps deal with the overload of late summer zucchini & tomatoes:

Want the recipe? It’s super easy and it looks kind of impressive. It’s also vegetarian! Yay!

That = I’ve actually been getting some knitting done. Case in point, one Dancette shawl in Plucky Knitter Primo.

Holly Carp is this stuff nice to knit with! Dancette is also a lovely pattern. I didn’t change a single thing when I was knitting it. Not my normal modus operandi.

The other thing? Hmm, well…oh, okay. I’m back to being a part-time student again. So that’s exciting. Sociology this semester. Need to see which theory I side with, sociological or psychological explanations for criminal and deviant behaviour. I have a feeling it’s both, but don’t ruin the surprise! I had a little study date with myself last Friday night. First off, over to have some sketchy pho in downtown Whalley. Mmmmm, Bun Cha. ZOMG, amazing.

Insanely good. Then, walk over to the lovely new library. Wait, what’s this? Hmmm, graffiti or something deeper?

I like to think it has a deeper meaning than a binner trying to keep track of which manhole covers he has investigated under. I’m probably wrong though. Then, once all settled in the library what should my wandering eye espy outside?

Why yes, that is four locals smoking crack beside the rec centre. Sigh. Then I went back to my books.

This Friday? Lather, rinse, repeat. Hopefully there won’t be anyone smoking crack outside the library this time, but I’m willing to take the chance.

Summer in the city

I won’t say hot time, summer in the city, since yesterday was the first actual hot day we’ve had t his summer. It’s been super mild and everything in the garden is so far behind. I was finally able to pick some tomatoes yesterday. They were tasty but I don’t think our yield is going to be that great this year. You can already smell fall in the air when the sun goes down and I’m back to wearing a hoodie when walking to the bus in the morning. Winter is coming! Thank you Eddard Stark.

So far this summer has been all about:

Gardening

More gardening

Fun with the spoils of the garden

Decorated bus stops by interbenchion.blogspot.com

Stella discovered the joys of the frisbee

New glasses were acquired

Silly faces were necessary to ease the pain of having to get progressives.

Sock Summit was attended. Learned so much and spent *so* much!

I miss you Sock Summit!

Oh Powell's Books. I could live in you forever!

Mmmmm, food trucks!

Except for this one. That is the worst name ever for a food truck. Blargh!

While sniffing for free wifi this was my favourite network name.

Irony? Going to Sock Summit and buying a metric tonne of sock yarn then casting on a shawl. Nicely done!

This is Dancette in Plucky Knitter Primo. Really nice yarn, REALLY nice. So, how’s your summer been so far?

Phew, made it!

The months of January, February, March can feel a bit long and dark. Especially when there are no long weekends in them. This weekend was the cure for that, thank you Easter! I’m extra lucky as I had Good Friday and Easter Monday off. Four days of no work. Magic.

Okay, I say no work, but that’s not really true. There was weeding, planting, and prepping veggie beds:

Bad cell phone picis of sock knitting in the passport office lineup:

I’m truly almost an adult now. I have applied for my passport. Soon I shall be allowed to wander the earth. Okay, actually I got the passport so I could go to Sock Summit. What? Portland is part of the earth!

Figured out my next quilt top:

And had some carb crazy friends over for dinner, cupcakes, and a little television watching. Oh, and the cupcakes? Chocolate with a mini Easter Creme egg baked into each one, and topped with vanilla butter cream icing. Mmmmmm.

We were all very distressed that Vancouver lost to Chicago last night. To make ourselves feel better we watched Zombieland afterwards. Double tap!

Sunday, now with added monsoon like rains!

It is pouring here!  Dogs won’t go outside, water running down the driveway, lashes of water against the windows kind of rain.  A good day for knitting and reading I do believe.

Not much activity around here lately.  Mostly I’ve been knitting chemo caps for some folks who are about to start treatment for cancer.  Not a very nice way for them to start 2011.  Fingers are duly crossed that all will be well, when I’m not knitting that is.  I’ve been using Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran that’s been marinating in the stash for at least 3 years.  Very soft and machine washable, gotta love it.

I’m calling them the F@ck You Cancer hats.  Sorry for the potty mouth mom.    I think the stronger language is necessary.  While I’m knitting them I mutter curses to kill the cancer cells alternating with healthful thoughts to make the wearer feel better.  Kind of good and bad Juju all in one little garment.  I hope it works.

 

In real life it's a dark plum colour, not brown.

 

Race for Life 2009 – Easy Cap, almost like a little Juliet cap.

Jared Flood’s Turn a Square hat.  Love the flat top of this one.  Will definitely make one for me for cold morning commutes.

A Hat Fit for a Boyfriend.   Really like the ribbing decreases on this one.  Nice look.

Sorry, all Ravelry links.  You must be a member by now, right?