Attack Of The Killer Gooseberries

Day 178: One thing about growing gooseberries: you have to expect them to defend their fruits. That said, gooseberry jam is delicious and worth the extra caution you must take when picking the berries. On the up side, the thorns are very stiff and therefore the plants aren't likely to be browsed by deer or elk. I've just planted two new Pixwells along the outer edge of the Currant Extension to deter cervid invasions. Planning...it's all about planning. And that brings me to another point, one which gives me grief when the gardening bug strikes me. As much as I love planting and growing and the harvest which follows, I often ask myself if I'm just throwing money away on plants I'll never see bear their best crops. I'm not young, and given the age attained by the women in my family and a lack of adequate health insurance, I probably have 15 years at most to reap the full rewards of my little berry plot. Last year both the raspberries and blueberries produced abundantly, but the kiwis (admittedly in their first year) only bore a handful of fruit. How long will it take for two currants and three gooseberry bushes to yield enough for a full batch of jam? My fig tree hasn't produced a single fig. Even one would give me hope. Planning...I suppose I'd better just plan on sticking around. Can't let all this hard work go to waste.

Size Matters

Day 126: Hardanger embroidery came up in discussion with an internet friend a few days ago, a needleart I've not done much of since burning myself out on it producing pieces for display in a Scandinavian shop. It's an enjoyable pastime, although the repetitious nature of the blocks can be a bit tedious. The filler stitches were always the most fun for me, the intricate detail appealing to my creative muse. As they say, "size matters," and I've always preferred working with the finer threads regardless of the type of stitchery involved, and hardanger was no exception. It's most commonly done on coarser fabrics than the 22-count shown here with the acorn satin-stitch design, but typically Crow, I decided to go finer still and executed the gooseberry piece on some 44-count I had set aside for pulled-thread work. Since I could only see to work it with my glasses off and the fabric held inches from my face, you have no idea how many times I poked myself in the nose with the needle.