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Having enjoyed my first Alcott project, and being mightily pleased with the result, I decided to knit another. This time I’m going with a darker palette- reversing the dark and light values in the chart. And also planning to cardigan-ize it.

The beginnings of the Alcott-again Cardigan

I do love a fairisle project 🙂

In garden news, we are rich in figs!

Been harvesting them for the past few days, and finally had enough for The Man to make a batch of preserves

and some of the final product-

nom nom. Love having our garden produce canned and in the pantry.

Lots of other garden goodies rolling in these days- tomatoes, cukes, jalapenos, green beans- but the rainy weather has really given the slugs an edge. They are out in force!

And I noticed an area of our Big Apple affected by fall webworm this morning. Excised the affected area without too much trouble, but didn’t appreciate the reminder that fall is right around the corner.

Gotta go smell some roses and get my fill of other simple summer pleasures before they slip away. Have a good week-

It occurred to me a short while ago that I hadn’t harvested zucchini in a few days.

Doh! I had resolved to pick them when they were tiny this year, so things wouldn’t get out of hand.

They aren’t HUGE, but there are quite a lot. Good thing that Dottie and Fiona seem to enjoy them as snacks. We definitely have enough to share!

In other news, i just finished a pair of crazy zauberball socks-

did a bit of felting today

and- The Man refreshed the finish on the cedar chest that I brought home a couple weeks ago.

It’s primed and ready to take on my knitwear overflow.

Welcome to the team, new cedar chest 🙂

The long-awaited Cuor de Bue Albengas are here!

I’ve also got Jaune Flamme (they were the first to start ripening) and Atomic Grapes, but there is something so pleasing about this shape with it’s ruffly shoulders and wide bottom. The three plants I’ve got in the hoophouse have set a lot of fruit, and they are quite tasty. Will definitely grow again!

Garden is kind of crazy right now. I find that it always gets a bit out of hand by August. I’ve got bok choi that went to seed before I could do much with them and pumpkins that have escaped their designated plot and are headed out into the pasture. But so it goes. Can’t control everything.

Might as well spin.

On the needles, another pair of Zauberball socks

The perfect mindless summer downtime knit. My standard sock recipe, in flashy, fun colors.

Alrighty folks. Take care, and have a good week-

Ok, that’s probably overstating it a bit. But I just finished my half Alcott, and I have to say, she’s pretty sweet.

And being fresh off the needles, she feels pretty precious to me. 🙂

Hopefully I won’t descend to madness and start eating raw fishes. hehehe

Lots of mods to the pattern- round neck, split hem, colorwork only on the front.

For the back, I decided to go with two yarns held together- a recently spun Priscilla dk weight, and a creamy hazy suri alpaca/silk laceweight. It was delicious to knit with, and resulted in a worsted gauge, lightweight, slightly fuzzy drapey fabric that resembles parchment.

I decided to use this combo for the neckline and armhole edgings as well, to keep things from looking too busy.

Now she’ll go into the cedar chest to await the arrival of cooler weather.

I actually just acquired another cedar chest from a friend who is moving and didn’t have space for it in her new digs. I can always use some more sweater storage space!

It’s a vintage Lane, made in 1951.

I thought this label inside was kind of neat. Guarantee against moth damage! But her mother apparently didn’t send in the registration postcard thingee. Oh well.

Alrighty- the garden is calling. Things to water, pick and weed. Have a good week, folks-