Yarn and Broccoli

Strange combination, but these days you squeeze in what you can.
I have finally finally finally finished plying my "Sailors Delight" I can't remember what the weight was. Somewhere close to 4 ounces. And the yardage is 407! I am so pleased with it that I started to spin the second bundle the same. With 800 yards I should be able to knit myself another lace shawl. Not that I have progressed very far with my first lace shawl. There is always a reason to not be knitting on it.
I have been doing some other spinning too. For more slubby scarves. Every week many people comment on them. So far, no one has bought one. I have to admit that it is a bit hard to sell a wool scarf when it is hot and humid. Hopefully with cooler weather (and Christmas) coming, people will start to think that they are worth the price that I have on them. Which are, between you and me, a wholesale price. Fredericton is a hard place to sell high quality hand wovens. People think nothing of spending a couple of hundred dollars on jewelery, but balk at spending any more than $30 on a scarf. I need to find new markets.

One of my many excuses for not working on my lace shawl is dealing with garden stuff. Here my helper and I are bagging and freezing broccoli with the assistance of the FoodSaver machine that my sister Christine got me for Christmas. It is really slick. It comes with a roll of plastic tube that can be cut and sealed to make bags. There is also a vacuum chamber that will suck the air out of the bag before you seal it. Very slick. I like it. And so does Nicole. Thanks Christine. You knew that I would enjoy this little machine, and I do.
Don't ask me what the goofy grin is for, but I think that she is having fun.

Amy and I went to the garden tonight to pick a few tomatoes. And cucumbers. And squash and broad beans and green beans and a few peppers and a head of dill. We netted less than last weekend. Thankfully. I sent Amy home with a some of everything except the broad beans and the one head of dill. There were probably just enough broad beans for one small meal and I picked the dill just to munch on. Luckily she was happy with taking about 30 pounds of tomatoes too. And there are still more green ones in the garden. We have a few hot days coming this week and I am hoping that will help some of the tomatoes left ripen. We have been lucky so far this year to not have any frost. But I know that it is coming. Any time now.