My Spring Garden

Here is my spring garden! I have made 3 new raised beds and am trying to branch out this year. I spent about $60 on seeds and $30 on soil. I ran out of potting soil filling the beds, so didn't have enough to fill containers. I've been trying to fill the containers with grass, bamboo cuttings, and kitchen scraps, and topping with poor soil from a side area.

This poor soil is very water resistant, and water will drain off of it the first few waterings, so I hope the seeds don't wash off.

I've been trying to use egg cartons to start my seeds, after pre-germinating them using the paper towel method. However, they seem to be drying out fast. I already saw two seedlings that came up but already dried and are dead. I am trying to water every day so hopefully the rest come up!

I've started some strawberries from seed in a container.

The problem with my garden is that unless it's constantly raining (which it does in one month during the winter season), everything dries out quickly, so it's hard to start things from seed. It's one of those times when I wish I had money for a greenhouse.

So far at least the zucchini has all come up. The luffa, most of the Sakata melon, carrots, and luffa have failed to come up. The strawberry popcorn is up and so far doing well, and the radishes and onion sprouted as well. I planted the beans (bush bean and yard bean) a few days ago so I am expecting them soon. I think the bitter melon has come up, but not sure. It could be a weed. The roselle never came up. I really wish I knew why I fail when I stick things in the soil, as they had already germinated in plastic bags before I planted most of the seeds. Just another garden fail.

Meanwhile, I have serious plant greed. I really want all these tropical plants for my garden. I really want the asian pear tree, curry plant, longan, banana, you name it. Forget the money, I might not even have room! Of course I don't have money for these plants so I will never satisfy my greed. Maybe I can slowly grow my garden year by year. And one day, my dream of having 1 acre and cash to fill it with wonderful plants will be granted!

I only have one view on my video, so I am destined not to be a YouTube star, but that's okay. I don't think I get any readers on this blog either, but that's okay. See you next time!

What GMOs are at the Grocery Store? My opinion on GMOs.

It is well known that many fruits and vegetables at the supermarket (as well as salmon) are genetically modified. As to whether it's safe or not, I am not sure, but at the same time, it irks me that GMO crops can affect normal varieties through cross-pollination. For example, some of Hawaii's papaya trees are contaminated by GMO, so it would be hard to avoid them at the grocery store. Not to mention, GMO seeds are patented, so farmers have to spend additional money that they wouldn't have to spend if they could save their seed.

Most packaged foods have GMO foods in them, so most people in the US consume GMO products whether they like it or not. If a search is done using the query "Why do people not trust GMO", only pro-GMO articles come up. That makes no sense, as I would expect to see at least some reasons from anti-GMO writers on the web on page 1. Scientific studies are unanimous on the finding that GMOs are perfectly safe (no surprise there), which is what many of these pro-GMO folks lean on. Although this is reassuring to those who have to consume GMO products due to convenience, availability, or price, science is not perfect, and GMOs are still relatively new on the grand scale of agriculture.

Regardless, if I am growing my own food, and non-GMO seeds are available at low cost, why not non-GMO? The most common modification is to make the plant more resistant to herbicide or Round -up. Do you really want to eat pesticides? The other reasons, like making a crop more productive, drought resistant, or disease resistant, are more noble, but then again, there are plants that are suited to each area. This is the problem with centralized, big farming, with not enough people growing their own food in their backyards. Making a crop sweeter is another thing that contributes to a sweet tooth that many in the US, including me, have a problem with. Some sweet is okay, but super sweet? I beg to differ.

If you are a small area, you can just have one cash crop that grows well in your area, without having to worry about it being drought resistant, or disease resistant. Some plant varieties are naturally that way. Wheat was altered to be more productive, but it is now less nutritious. It is debated whether this contributed to the rise of gluten allergies as well. At the very least, I want to grow things that require the least effort from me, with good yields. So far, kale and tomato can handle the heat excellently.

According to the Monsanto website,  the 10 varieties are: corn, soybeans, cotton, alfalfa, sugar beets, canola, squash, papaya, potato, and apple. I recall hearing that some strawberries have been crossed with fish DNA to create a more freeze-resistant strawberry, and that those are the large but flavorless variety seen at stores in the off season, but I am not sure on that.

For me, what I like about GMO the least is that animal DNA and plant DNA are possibly crossed. Couldn't they just stick with crossing plant DNA?

Even though organics are sold, they could easily be GMO fruits and veggies without use of pesticides, so if I saved seeds from them, I am not sure the plant that grows will be non-GMO. There's also no guarantee that what you grow will not be crossed with a GMO crop someone else is growing, so one can't be too concerned about things, at least in this world.

Why I love (and hate) Knitting

Image courtesy of Apolonia / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Knitting is one of my most favorite hobbies. In fact, I knit all the time. I just love to make things for myself, while watching shows. Since I don't have a job right now, it's nice to be able to make your own sweater for 16 dollars (versus paying 30 bucks or more for a new one). However, I also hate it. Why, you ask?

1. It's time consuming. I knit slowly, and that means it takes me longer to knit something that takes a person one day. And I knit most of the day, since I'm unemployed.
2. Due to my own failure.  I make way too many mistakes when knitting, and end up having to do rows over repeatedly. For example, I completed one of the sleeves for a sweater I'm working on, only to find out that near the beginning I skipped a row on the pattern. Since it's really bothering me, I'll probably go back and do it over. But that was days spent, now in the gutter.
3. I can't do it for long. I have to take breaks or I get bored or my hands start hurting. However this is only a minor problem, as I can go do something I'm supposed to be doing, like the online drawing class homework.
4. The right yarn for a project costs too much. Yes, acrylic yarn is the most affordable, and thus 95% of my stash is acrylic. The roughness of the yarn doesn't bother me that much, mostly because I don't use lotion so my hands are tougher than most. Cotton is much more expensive for less, but I have a bit to try and make a cotton jacket and socks. The other varieties are out of my price range, sadly. I also feel bad, because there's not much I can do with acrylic, since I have no use for scarves or hats (it never snows where I live, and the coldest it gets at night is 40 degrees F).

The most irritating of these reasons is #2. I want to learn how to knit faster without making so many mistakes (and maybe get in the habit of checking my work repeatedly to catch errors faster). If so, I would be less frustrated with knitting and like it more.

As a side note, I want to open an etsy shop, but I have no idea what would be good to sell. I'm thinking about selling small and affordable items, like hats, plushies, phone keychains (knitted), or bracelets. However, I am wondering if people would buy them, because I know it is hard to advertise and be noticed. Once I get more ideas, I will make another post. 

This Summer's Garden - Part 1

This year, my dad cleared out an area in the back garden, tilling away all the grass that had grown up there. This was nice, as I had a lot to plant! (Too bad I had to split the space with my younger brother, who was only interested in planting a few melons). So, let's begin the tour!

The Porch

My front garden has a lot of things jam packed, due to lack of room (and bad gardening sense from me). I recently dug up all the mint I planted in the ground last year - since I found out they were invasive - and put them in pots. Hopefully I got it all. On a side note, they probably aren't the exact pure varieties since they had opportunity to cross-propogate for a year. Anyways, there's three varieties: Citrus, Chocolate, and Common.

Three varieties of mint in pots: Citrus, Chocolate, and Common.

My dad had some sweet potatoes that were already rooting (with leaves!) on the living room table, so I decided to try growing them. I separated a few shoots and placed them in pots. Hopefully they grow well!

Four sweet potato plants in two black pots.

I also tried to grow ginger from a root in the store, but there's no picture because it failed to sprout. Hopefully it sprouts soon. Finally, my mom bought me a pineapple plant from Trader Joe's, and it hasn't been growing at all. It came with the fruit on it. The cactus plants behind it are my other little brother's.

A store-bought pineapple plant.

The Front Garden

I have all sorts of things here. However, it's not good for everything to be by the house, which is why I'll try to fit more things in the backyard garden. First things first, we will visit the side closest to the porch. There's some things purchased from the local nursery: Two Roma tomato plants (purchased with green tomatoes on it for only $2 each!), two bell pepper plants (one up front and the other in the far left corner) and a lavender plant. I'm interested in making lavender tea with this, so hopefully it's possible. The other tomato plant to the left is from Home Depot. It's nearing the end of its production, sadly. Finally, there's a small bit of oregano I purchased from the 99 cents store.

Right side of the front garden.

Next we have a random tree that sprouted from the days when I was guerrilla gardening a few years back. I think it's apple, but it may not actually produce anything since it's from a store fruit. There's also a few carrots that have been in the ground for over a year. They were stunted since I didn't pull any up, so I need to pull the rest up and get the ground free for other things. To the back (and behind my shadow), there are a few sunflowers my mom purchased for me from a yard sale. Below that, and hardly visible, there are the sage and chives plants from the 99 cents store. Yes, I had been very happy to see quality herb plants there! To the left, there's an organic tomato variety my brother ordered for me from an online seed distributor. I forgot the variety name.

Middle area of the front garden.

Finally, this is the end of the garden. I allowed the lettuce to flower, so I may get seeds out of it! At the very end, I planted some dead mini-roses and one came back, producing a nice pink rose. I also planted a box of random flowers, and they seem to be sprouting to fill up the empty area nicely. The problem is that the grass and weeds are still non-removable, since they grow deep into the old water sprinkler system. Two years ago, I accidentally cut the electric cord attached to it while trying to deweed, so it leaks water and continually fuels the weeds' growth. Any ideas?

Left side of the front garden.

My next post will be on the back garden, so stay tuned!

Finally, A New Post

Well...it's about time I made another post. Hopefully I can get some readers this year :)
Anyway, I haven't been doing that many projects, but I'll talk about them:

I. Owl Bookmark (Ravelry Project Link)

 Owls are one of my favorite birds, so I just had to make this. I made it too long, though, because I thought I'd want to use it for a large book as well. I made this in December 2012. Isn't it cute? :)

 

II. Berry Buttoned Mittens (Ravelry Project Link)

Only I would stop working on mittens from last year and stick them behind the computer. After finding these and noticing that I was almost done, I quickly finished them in a few days in May. I think they look decent. :)

Knitted Berry Buttoned Mittens.

II. Summer Slippers (Ravelry Project Link)

I thought I'd try to make myself some Summer Slippers in May, since I've been having trouble with my feet. Worst idea ever, purely because of the choice of yarn. There's a reason why it was discontinued: the yarn's core is hard. Combined with my sensitive feet, it was like walking on sharp rocks. I tried to add a polyester stuffed insole with cloth, but it wasn't enough. If I feel like it later, I'll undo it, put a jean bottom to the insole and re-stuff it with plenty of polyester. Oh well, at least they look nice.

III. Sunday Swing Socks (Ravelry Project Link)

Okay, I bought GALA yarn from Big Lots a long time ago, intending to make socks. This is because I originally wanted to make socks with the suede yarn used to make the above slippers, only to discover that you shouldn't make socks with acrylic yarn. Huge letdown. So I thought a mystery polyester %, nylon %, acrylic % yarn would be better. Neglecting to do a fabric test (Hey it's soft: should be fine), I embarked on the journey on making my second pair of socks ever. At least it wasn't wool (Long story short: My wool socks that I had painstakingly knit shrunk, and I only got to wear them once.)
It took me about a month to make them, and the whole time I felt that I was the slowest knitter in the world. But they look really nice, and I'm looking forward to them! I want to make more, since I've been having trouble with the elastic in my store-bought socks cutting off my circulation. Anywho, here's the socks!

And finally...

IV. What I'm doing now

I'm working on a cardigan called Girl Friday, with Red Heart grey heather yarn. Hopefully I have enough. My mom wants me to make her some crocheted top later, so hopefully I finish this soon.

Anything you've been working on? Comment here!

A River and a Stream Scarf

It's about time for a new post and a finished scarf! Let's get it a-rolling!

A RIVER AND A STREAM SCARF 

Materials needed:

4-6 or more skeins of your favorite worsted weight yarn (I used Moonlight Mohair - Glacier Bay; I know it says "bulky" but it's really just a lie...)
Size 4 or 5 needles (depending on your gauge).
Stitch markers (optional)

The Pattern

Note: This is a simple pattern, only 8 rows.
CO 34.

1. (Wrong side) k2, p6, k2 *p4, k1*3x,k1,p6,k2
2. (RS) p2 *klb,p1*3x,p1,*p1,k4*3x,p2*klb,p1*3x,p2
3. R1
4. p2,*k1b,p1*3x,p1,*2x2 right cable* 3x, p2, *klb,p1*3x,p2
5. R1
6. R2
7. R1
8. Same as R4 but left cable instead
9. -infinity. Keep going as long as you like (or as many skeins you have to give).

For your last row, use any bind off method you'd like.

Hope your scarf came out as nice as mine!

Stupid Yarn.

When I buy a yarn skein, I expect to be able to easily knit from said yarn. But nooo, once you use a certain amount of yarn, you find all the tangles. It is supposed to be able to easily pull out, but the time that could have been spent knitting now has to be spent untangling. This is such a waste of my life. Note to Red Heart, your wind-up machines can be more efficient.

Today's Quizzes...

How Old Do I Act? And more...
This is probably true...I regret all the mistakes I made during my teenage years, if I was more responsible then, I wouldn't be still having the same issues now. I guess I was born with the right eye color, even if they are ordinary...

You Act Like You Are 14 Years Old

You are a teenager at heart. You don't quite feel like a grown up yet, but you don't feel like a kid. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world. You're quite rebellious, and you don't like being told what to do. You like to do things your way. You have your own unique style, taste in music, and outlook on life.

Your Hair Should Be Purple

Intense, thoughtful, and unconventional. You're always philosophizing and inspiring others with your insights.

You Are Cinderella

You believe it's important to do the right thing, even if you aren't rewarded for it. Not everyone treats you with respect, but good people see your goodness. You've had a lot of bad luck, but these days it feels like you luck is about to change. Even though times are tough, hang in there. You'll eventually get the life you justly deserve.

You Are the 1950s

You are a conventional, traditional, and responsible person. You try to live a good life. You appreciate the simpler days of the 1950s, when hard work and family were valued. You believe in doing your best, even if you aren't rewarded right away. Being a moral person is its own reward. You don't like to rock the boat too much. You like your life as it is and aren't looking to change it.

You Are a Winner

You tend to find yourself lucky - both in business and in life. And while being wealthy is nice, you enjoy sharing your abundance with others. You put your luck to good use: you are very ambitious and goal oriented. Often times, you get over excited and take on more than you can manage. Your strength: Your ability to make your own luck Your weakness: Thinking you can do it all Your power color: Bronze Your power symbol: Half Moon

Your Eyes Should Be Brown

Your eyes reflect: Depth and wisdom People find you to be: Loyal, honest, and comforting Your best trait: You are comfortable with who you are, and you don't pretend to be someone you're not What's hidden behind your eyes: A tender heart

You Fall for the Guy or Girl Next Door Type

You think that people make love too complicated, and what you want in a partner happens to be pretty simple. You're content with someone who's nice, attractive, honest, and normal. So how come that's so hard to find? You are fairly traditional, and you value security in relationships more than most people. It's important for you to find someone loyal. When you find the right person, you don't expect much from him or her. You're just happy to be together.

You Need Security

To be happy in life, you need to feel as secure and grounded as possible. You have to know that things will be okay no matter what. You plan for the worst. You tend to be cautious, and you always think of the long term consequences before you act. Living a low-key, responsible life is the only way to ensure that you can truly relax.

You Should Learn Chinese

Surprised? You shouldn't be - Chinese is perfect for an ambitious person like you. You're a natural entrepreneur, and a billion people are waiting to do business with you!

You Have a Melancholic Temperament

Introspective and reflective, you think about everything and anything. You are a soft-hearted daydreamer. You long for your ideal life. You love silence and solitude. Everyday life is usually too chaotic for you. Given enough time alone, it's easy for you to find inner peace. You tend to be spiritual, having found your own meaning of life. Wise and patient, you can help people through difficult times. At your worst, you brood and sulk. Your negative thoughts can trap you. You are reserved and withdrawn. This makes it hard to connect to others. You tend to over think small things, making decisions difficult.

What Temperament Are You?

Blogthings: If Quizzes Are Outlawed, Only Outlaws Will Take Quizzes

Evergreeen Pot Hat

I finished the crochet hat! It doesn't look good on me, but that's because I have poofy hair! This is my first completed crochet project, so I can say I can crochet now!
This was a simple spiral in the round (starting with a magic circle, sc 6 then keep going around, doing an increase at an increasing interval every time, without chaining 1 each round), then single crocheted straight for 4-5 inches. I based it off of the pattern for a retro hat from the 40s at crochet.about.com. It's still pretty short, so if you wanted to make it longer feel free. If you find this useless as a hat, as I did, it can double as a bowl or container, making your bathroom, bedroom, or livingroom instantly spiffy.
Yes, the good thing about crochet is that the stitches are very sturdy, so you can make nifty containers, and such. Next thing on the menu is to try to make an amagurimi plushie of some sort or another. Maybe it'll turn out good, but it'll probably turn out bad. I only have to wait and see...
Changing the topic, the rest of my books that my dad ordered have not come yet, even though the UPS has said they attempted delivery at odd times of the day (7:30 PM and 8:00 PM on September 2nd & 3rd). The last attempt said to be today, and no one has rung the doorbell yet, nor have I spotted a rogue mail truck. I wonder, are they avoiding the neighborhood, or are delivering to the wrong house? Either way, I'd hate to see a waste of money.
On another note, I am looking forward to (and also wary of) starting my first year of college on the 21st of September. I hope my roommates are tolerable at worst, and at best really nice people. Also, I hope I can get at least a 3.2 to stay in the honor's program.
Ending another blog post, I am signing out,
-Jenny

SUPER BLOG!!!!!

LOOK!! in the sky its a bird!!,its a plane!!,its... its..SUPER BLOG!!!!.

This blog is whats known as super blog,its the most super est super blog you ever read *lol* Well, let's get this thing a-ROLLING!!!!.

OK well I would like to start by talking about my future plans. I'm gonna try to start knitting and crocheting...let's hope it works out. Secondly, I have a lot of new ideas for some paintings I wanna do such as I would like to do some western art soon and I wanna do Christian art. Thirdly, I am gonna be taking drama classes soon so maybe you will see me in the movies *lol* just kidding...and lastly I'm gonna take swimming lessons soon at the YMCA! so maybe I wont sink lol.

well that's about it for now ttyl all and God bless,

Gizmo

Deep Sea Hat

The Deep Sea Hat 

The Deep Sea Hat is completed, and it has such a nice fit! It took me over two weeks to complete, specifically because I only did a bit at a time. This hat can be worn as a hat (straight on) and a cap (slanted back), so it's quite nifty! If you look closely, you can see the pattern. This is the first pattern I've made myself, so it's bound to have some errors.

Pattern notes:

If you want, you can do the purls (after the ribbing) in a different color, to make the pattern more accented. Repeat between **s until the end.

If you wish to do the pattern flat, for all odd rows do the pattern backwards, then purling where it says knitting & vice versa.

Supplies:

• 1 skein worsted weight yarn. I used TMA yarn Fashion knit in New Navy (or a deep blue color)
• (optional)1 skein of white, green, or blue yarn
• Circular needles or double pointed needles size 6 or what size you need to get that gauge
• (optional) straight needles
• yarn needle

Stitches:

• Broken chevron (while doing the pattern below, intermittently knit where you should purl to break the chevron and create waves)
• 2x2 ribbing

Pattern (in round):

(read notes before starting)
CO 90 (80, 100, depending on the size you want. 90 is for a large.)
Row 1: k2 p2 ribbing
Do this for about 12-14 rows, depending on how long you want it to be.
Then do the chevron pattern, as follows:
Row 1: *p1, k3*
Row 2: *kl, p1, k5, p1*
Row 3: *k2, p1, k3, p1, k1*
Row 4: *k3, p1, k1, p1, k2*
Repeat these rows until there are about 5 to 5 1/2 inches, depending on how loose you want the hat to be.
Then we will start decreasing:
Row 1: *p1, k3, p1, k3, p1, k2tog*
Row 2:*k1, p1, k5, p1, k2tog*
Row 3: *k2, p1, k3, p1, k2tog*
Row 4: *k3, p1, k1, p1, k2tog*
Row 5: *p1, k3, p1, k2tog*
Row 6: *k1, p1, k2, k2tog*
Row 7: *k2, p1, k2tog*
Row 8: *k2, p2tog*
Row 9: *k1, p2tog*
Row 10: *k2tog*
(optional) Row 11: *k2tog*
To finish, cut the yarn, leaving a long tail, and do a finishing stitch of your choice with the remaining stitches (I had four). Now the hat is complete. If you decide to make this pattern, please comment & tell me what you think!

New Books, and work-in progress hat

Today I just got some of my order for books! Here are my new books:

I've finally gotten a stitch dictionary, and the pictures are great! Now I can use some of these to make knifty gloves and such!
The Manga drawing book, my third in general and second from this series of books, gives tips on how to use tone as shading to emphasize the presence of a character. I hope this makes my drawing better! The only thing about this was the nude female chest drawings, which could have been avoided. However, drawing books, especially anatomy and shading help, love to stick that stuff in, in case some people want to draw that *sigh*.
All in all, these should be good resources for me. Next on the list: More theology & apolegetics books, as well as costume encyclopedias and drawing help books!

My current knitting project is what I call a deep sea hat. I messed up on the pattern, but it looks pretty neat:
All the bumps are supposed to be waves, and stuff...I have 7 rows to go, then if anyone's interested, I'll post a tutorial!

Signing out,
-Jenny.