Basil in the window

My friend had been rooting a couple of basil stalks for me and today, I picked them up and installed it in my window farm. I also poured out the water and started the nutrient solution flow. They have some little bitty roots so the nutrient solution is mixed currently for cuttings and seedlings. The Thai basil seeds I started has one little leafy growth so I'm going to let that stay in my little plastic green house for a little while longer. Today, it looks like one of the spinach seeds was sprouting as well so that is really exciting.

Unleaving

I had bought the fiber from Into the Whirled at Maryland Sheep and Wool this year.




I was on such a spinning high at that point that even though there were only a couple of days before I left for my trip to Taiwan and I had so many things to do, I proceeded to spin it all up.





Right before the Olympics began, I was really itching to cast on something new and started with Unleaving. I didn't have the full yardage but since you start on one end, increase to the middle, then decrease to the other end, I could measure about where the mid point of my yarn is and adjust otherwise. Size 8 needles were used in this project.

Overall, I really enjoyed this fiber and I enjoyed watching the color changes in the yarn.

Starting Wingspan

I haven't been feeling so well the last couple of days. My nose has been congested so I've been light headed and feeling a bit muddled. I don't have enough brain power to do much beading and I have just enough brain power to do some simple knitting. I finished my last "simple" knitting project (write up to come, it's currently soaking) and wanted another "simple" knitting project. And so, "Wingspan"!

This pattern has been knit up by many many people and I loved how it looked with yarns that have LONG color gradients. I had picked up some Kauni a couple of years ago during the St. Paul Frozen Four trip and I thought this was a nice project for it. So, the first triangle, DONE!

Not always about beads or yarn!

It's not always about the beads or yarn here!

My current project involves growing my own food. I live in an apartment in the city. I don't have land. I don't want land. I was never a fan of playing in the dirt. A couple of years ago, I heard about Window Farms. A woman in Brooklyn was learning about self sustaining agriculture and wanted to grow her own food in her little apartment. That idea has grown into a world wide crowd sourcing project. The website offers a DIY model from which people all over the world have build and modified and shared.

In my apartment, I have some floor to ceiling windows that face the east and south. There are two windows in my kitchen in particular that can let in a lot of heat if I don't have the curtains up. I figured, why not? I can grow edible plants in my windows and hope they help to keep the place cool AND I can get some herbs out of it. I hate paying for a bunch of herbs and I can only use a few leaves before they all go bad. Not only that, people have also grown lettuce and most leafy vegetables as well as peppers, green beans, and strawberries! I can't wait!

My test set up is currently hanging off of some eye hooks that the previous occupants had put up. I will probably add a bar to the window to permanently hang these. The lime green rope? I crocheted it with some Peaches and Cream.



I plan on getting some basil from a friend and in the mean time, I'm starting from seed some sage, oregano, parsley, Thai basil, and spinach: