It's all about the food

David and I decided on way to fight this economy is to grow as much food on our little Brooklyn roof as we can. This year we have going, Strawberries, Artichoke, Arugula, Romaine, Green Leaf, Brussel Sprouts, Zucchino (round Zucchini), 4 different kinds of Tomato & Snap Peas. All the veggies in our “hippie” earthboxes (as a friend of mine calls them) are thriving. Not so much for the plain pot plants.

Here's a side by side of our Brussel Sprouts in a pot v.s. the hippie box











The Zuchinno's are growing so fast that you can actually tell the difference day by day. Here are three pics taken 5/12, 5/15, 5/22



And the Snap Peas 5/12 & 5/22



We have already started harvesting lettuce about every other day for salads, and the Brussel Sprouts are coming along nicely:


The Azelea was brilliant for a breif time and now it's past it's prime. I feel for it.



The Iris's too are about three days from being done. Sad.




The climbing roses are going to be in their full glory in the next few days, and then will begin to fade. I hate that some of our showiest stuff are such early bloomers and are then gone.


The other roses keep going all Summer . . . Yeah!



We've made a strange discovery in the last few days. We've been noticing a TON of tiny Oak Trees growing in our garden. When we go to dig these up, the acorns are buried really deep. I think squirrels were using out garden as a food storage local. Today we dug up 23 (!!!!) tiny oak trees.


In the land of knitting, I've finished lengthening my cotton sweater sleeves. It came out okay. Right now, there is a bit of a line where then new knitting picks up, but I think as I wash the sweater and the stitches loosen up, that will go away.



I also added a tiny piece of elastic across the inside of the shoulder seam so the damn thing would stay on my shoulder.

Stew's baby sweater is coming along. I have to alternate it with other projects, because it's getting a bit tedious. One more sleeve to go, and then button band and hemming.


After much swatching, I've cast on for the Flame Stitch Cardigan from 2005 Vogue. I'm following all the corrections painstakingly posted by this amazing blogger. Hopefully I can get to a nice finished product without wanting to tear my hair out!

Sheep, Cherry Blossoms, Veggies & SPRING

Nothing says Spring like the Shearing of Sheep. Last weekend I enjoyed two of my favorite springtime Park Slope rituals. . . The Cherry Blossom Festival in Brooklyn Botanic Garden and the Fleece Festival at the Prospect Park Zoo.

We started the rainy day at the BBG. Despite the rain, the blossoms were amazing.




My pal Micheal and I relaxing in the outdoor lounge



Next it was off to the zoo to the adorable little Fleece Fest. It's really just sheep sheering with some music, but I love it anyway





In the land of knitting, I finished my Short & Chic Cardi, pretty happy with it

I was also inspired by the Knitting Surgeon class I just taught at the Studio, to revisit an old sweater. I was teaching how you can lengthen or shorten a knitted piece and I remembered the cotton boat neck sweater I had whose sleeves always bugged me. So I came home, cut, put it back on the needles and started fixing the sleeves. One down, one to go.

I also got back to some serious spinning. I did about 4 hours on the wheel, and I forgot how much I LOVE spinning. I really want to get through the roving I have so I can get my hands on the stuff I bought at Rhinebeck in October.

I also almost finished Stew's baby sweater. I'm so loving the LB Collection Cotton Bamboo, and it's turning out really cute. She better not turn out to be a boy!