Saturday Sampler: Vegetable Gardening

The weather is finally warming, and that means vegetable garden time! I'm not an expert gardener by any means--I generally just kinda wing it. The result being that of the 6 tomato seedlings I planted in my garden, 4 have died, and I need to go to Home Depot today and buy replacements. Maybe I should've done the research for this post earlier . . .

Guide to when the plant/transplant your veggies.

And some tips for transplanting that I should've read.

Some gardening tips from the queen of everything, Martha Stewart.

How to take care of garden pests.

And how to preserve all that yummy stuff you've grown!

Do you have a favorite gardening tip to share?

Tuesdays with Dory: Horrifying Bug Edition

This is clearly threatening me.

 Dear Dory:

I've heard that the cicadas are coming again this year. Weren't they just here in 2004? I thought they came every 17 years! Anyway, how can I protect myself?!?

Sincerely,

Terrified in Takoma Park,

Dear Terrified:

It's true, the mid-Atlantic may again be terrorized by cicadas this year. Apparently there are different "broods" of the 17-year cicadas occupying different territories.

Here's a map:

(I was going to add a photo, but Kristen said no; cicadas are too gross to appear on the blog.)

In 2004, Brood X scared the living daylights out of us; this year, it's Brood II, which should be popping up mostly in Virginia, southern Maryland and a random blob in Pennsylvania.

Most of Maryland should be safe, but if you're worried, here are some tips:

• Carry a fly swatter everywhere, and whack the bejesus out of any cicada that dares to get near you.
• Go to the beach; cicadas live in trees and the nymphs burrow into the ground beneath them, then climb up and latch on to shed their shells. No trees = no cicadas.
• Send your goggie out to eat them. I hear goggies love eating cicadas. 
• Hide inside. They're so horrifying, it seems like they're hanging around all summer, but really, it's just a few weeks, and they should be gone by the end of June.

 And keep your windows shut. They are REALLY loud. 

Good luck, and have a purrrrrrrrfect day!

Dory

Saturday Sampler: Mother's Day Wishlist

Tomorrow is Mother's Day, and in my case, my FIRST Mother's Day! I already know what my gift is (thanks, Amazon, for shipping it without a non-descript outer box), and I'm pretty psyched about it, but here are a few more goodies I wouldn't mind receiving, to make mommyhood a bit easier.

Source: llbean.com via Kristen on Pinterest

It's great to get out of the house, even if it's just to the backyard, and with this, you have a safe, dry place to put baby.

My stroller has a cup holder that's sole function seems to be to spill coffee everywhere. This looks like an improvement.

My brief experience warming bottles of formula when JJ was little and we had to supplement has lead me to the conclusion that a bottle warmer is actually a good investment for any moms using bottles.

Source: purewow.com via Kristen on Pinterest

I'm sure I'm not the only one who can no longer find anything, ever. Solved!


If you're back at work, this is a great little gadget for warming your lunch--no more waiting in the microwave line. CP loves it for leftovers.

Source: etsy.com via Kristen on Pinterest

Let's face it, no one's happy about driving a minivan. Perk things up with this!

Source: etsy.com via Kristen on Pinterest

And if baby is having one of those non-stop crying days, mom is much less likely to leave him out for the wolves if he's sporting something cute like this.

Sneak Peek: Site Overhaul

 

Sloooooowly . . . slowly.

 

The new site will feature nice, big photos on the blog, a more organized pattern page, and a lot less sidebar clutter. What do you think? 

Wittle Wednesdays: No Longer a Newborn

 

Can you believe this little guy is over 3 months old now? I definitely can't. 

Wound Yarn and other Promises

Piles of wound yarn hold so much promise, don't they?

I got a bit of winding time in on Tuesday, and wound up half the yarn for my Twigs and Willows Cardigan, a couple skeins of a single ply Madelinetosh worsted weight that I might use for June's Favorite Cardigan, and a big skein of Neighborhood Fiber Co. worsted weight for a yet-to-be-determined sweater for JJ.

I even managed to swatch for the Twigs and Willows cardi:

I'm using Quince and Co. Owl for this project, their latest yarn. It's a 50/50 wool alpaca blend that's quite soft, but still rustic looking. The color is chamomile, a yellowy-green. So now I just need time to knit the actual sweater.

I'm pleased to report that I have also been making some progress behind the scenes related to MediaPeruana Designs. I'm slooooooooowly working on redesigning the website--I want something cleaner, brighter and more cohesive. Over the course of a few days' naptimes, I managed to create a couple of new graphics and look up--but not read--some instructions on adding custom fonts to blogger. Slooooooooooowly.

I also have 3 design projects in the works, including a full version of the Smooches newborn hat.

This hat will soon be available in five sizes--kids sizes using sport weight yarn, and adult sizes in worsted weight.

And I can hardly believe it, but it's just about time for Maryland Sheep and Wool again! The event is this weekend, and the MediaPeruana family will be there on Sunday--be sure to say hi if you see us!

Bound Off: Wee Austin Hoodie

Why are you always sticking that thing in my face?

It's true, I finally finished knitting something! It only took me 3 months for this little bitty sweater. At this rate,  I should finish an adult cardigan sometime next century.

Hold my head up like this? Are you sure?

Pattern: Wee Austin Hoodie, by Connie Chang Chinchio
Size: 6 months
Yarn: Knit Picks Stroll in Rainforest Heather, 2 skeins, ~450 yards
Needles: sizes 4 and 5
Mods: none

I started this in January, back when I was still expecting a 9 pound baby, thinking I would finish it in February (ha!) and it would fit him more or less right away--I didn't bother with a gauge swatch, I know I'm a tight knitter, and figured it would come out a bit smaller than 6 months.

Of course, I instead had a 6 pound baby, who is now nearing 13 pounds, and while fortunately the sweater does more or less fit him, it's nearly May, and summer is right around the corner.

At least I got some cute photos.

OK, got it!

The sweater is knit in one piece until you divide for left front, right front and back, as well as the hood. It's fairly simple, mostly stockinette with a band of woven-look stitches across the chest.

I've never done a hooded sweater before, so I was intrigued by the construction. The hood is knit up from held stitches from the front, then a central stitch is bound off to create 2 sides, which are grafted together.

I found the buttons in my stash, an old Etsy purchase. I think they were the only 6 matching buttons I had, and fortunately they work perfectly.

I love my sweater!