assassin (bug)'s creed

 While kittens are sleeping peacefully inside...

...we've been working like crazy to get garden things done ahead of this historic heat wave.  As of Friday, I had twenty-two containers of seedlings that needed to be planted.  With my tendonitis and our hard clay soil, I just can't efficiently get the digging done...so I had to have help!

We have a little electric tiller, and thanks to the recent rain, Todd was able to get quite a bit of ground ready for me.  I crawled behind, digging and planting as quickly as I could.  After the containers were planted, I started to direct-seed the summer stuff:  celosia, zinnias, sunflowers, cosmos, etc.  I've never had much luck with direct seeding, but at this point, it was the only option.  If it works...it's going to be glorious!

I love the ground-level view of the garden.  A brown cricket watched me dig, bringing back childhood memories of hauling a wire cylinder full of crickets to the local fishing hole.

(spider warning!)

A parson spider fled before my trowel, dragging behind her egg sac.  It's hard to see here, but it's called a parson spider because the white strip on their abdomen resembles a priest's collar!

A shield bug supervised from a safe distance.

Of course, I love being eye level with the bupleurum and forget-me-nots...

...and oh, those poppies!

All self-seeded from last year.  Another surprise...I planted 'Ice Ballet' milkweed last year but no flowers...this year, it's finally blooming!

I love milkweed because it's a MAJOR insect attractor.  Bees, of course...

...but also grasshoppers (look how tiny...the size of one milkweed blossom!)...

...this battle-scarred soldier beetle...

...this swamp milkweed leaf beetle, hiding under a leaf...

...lots of milkweed bugs...

...and many others.  But let's face it...milkweed is a major Lover's Lane.

This last amorous pair?  Ambush bugs.  They crouch amid blossoms...

...and wait for prey.  I think they look like tiny mythical creatures!  Their bodies are jagged to help them blend into flowers better...assassin bug relatives, they pierce their prey and liquify the innards.  They have a pretty nasty bite for people, too, so best to give them a wide berth! 

I love seeking out unusual life in the garden and am so grateful to have the opportunity to draw them in.  I had almost given up hope of having a garden this year and have been absolutely astounded at what has come back on its own this year.

It's so easy to go out and grab flowers for bouquets, and especially gratifying, because I didn't plant any of this in 2022.  Cue the Hallelujah chorus!

Have a great week!

Bites, Kites, and Insect Flights

Yard work couldn't be put off for another weekend, so I dutifully gathered my supplies on Saturday and headed outside.  Bags, gloves, clippers...camera.  There's always something going on!

A green shield bug takes flight.

A yellow jacket, after a few unsuccessful attempts against the marauding ants, waits impatiently for an opening to steal some of this dead cicada's rich protein stores.

Since it's August (although not even remotely close to the end of hot weather, this being South Carolina), I found more insect carcasses than earlier in the season.  A beetle hangs suspended in a forgotten web:

A dragonfly retains its characteristic shape despite being completely hollow.

There's still life out there, though.  A new generation of anoles recently hatched out, and I saw frequent flashes of scurrying movement in my peripheral vision as I worked in the front beds.

Of course, we still have plenty of full-size anoles, like the one that lives in the fern by our front door.

Yes, there's still a lot of beauty out there.

Todd came outside for about an hour to do some yard work, too.  Once again, despite being incredibly careful, he was attacked by fire ants and had to go inside.

There are no tell-tale mounds and they are so tiny.  He got bites on his arms and legs too.  We're going to broadcast bait, but they seem unusually numerous this year.  Suffice it to say, we try to limit our yard time.

At least I'm getting a lot done inside!  Todd is off yeast right now and misses his breakfast toast, so I whipped up a surprisingly tasty Irish soda bread loaf.

I modified this recipe (does anyone seriously bake with margarine?!) to make it a little healthier and it was so tasty...like a giant scone!  Perfect with a little butter and jam!

I've slowly been picking away at my craft projects.  First...I finished my sweater!  I couldn't understand why it was taking so long to finish, until I realized... a six inch super wide neck plus a double paneled front equal a LOT more fabric than a typical sweater!  It was almost a perfect rectangle when I stretched it out for blocking.

I ordered twenty small brushed brass buttons for the front panels and will sew them on next week, hopefully!  But until then:

I admit, it looks a little odd.  But per the pattern, the neck won't stand upright, but fall into deep folds on the shoulders.  I can't try it on because, in my usual self-flagellating way, I knitted it a size too small ("Motivation!!!").  So buttons will be sewn on and it will be put away for "later."  The positive aspect is that the entire sweater was knitted in the Portuguese style, and it saved me from sore wrists and fingers.  No problems whatsoever.  Ready to expend my repertoire, I attempted a fair isle project Portuguese-style (Kites pattern on Ravelry).  It's been quite a challenge.  Fair isle projects done in this method are knitted inside-out...or rather, purled.  Charts are read backwards.

Here's the working side:

And the inside, which is really the outside:

I don't think I'll ever try this method for fair isle again.  Tensioning one strand around my neck and one strand from a paperclip in my collar on the other side is a major pain.  Repetitions aren't as intuitive, since you can't really see the pattern developing.  I'll get into a rhythm, which is promptly interrupted every time I get to the end of one of my four needles, or every 30 seconds or so. I have to finish this mitten in the Portuguese style (whimper), but mitten #2 will be done the old-fashioned way, sore fingers or not!

I've also been working on my Garden Snails quilt.  It's also been a bit fiddly but all snails are done and all that remains is to sew the strips together.  Here's a small preview:

Because my width of fabric was shorter than the pattern called for, I am six inches short on each tan strip.  Last night, I increased the length of each by adding a little fabric, so I anticipate having the whole top sewn together with just a few hours of work!  Hopefully the extra seams aren't too distracting.

These projects + my job + everyday life have been keeping me pretty busy.  With several new quilts and a sudden ability to knit again, we'll be plenty warm when cold weather comes...whenever that will be!

Have a great week!