Using scraps of yarn

Being a compulsive yarn collector and knitter I have lots of scraps and sometimes I just want to do mindless knitting but still produce a useful product.  I have made hot pads before and figured that I will make some more and put them away.  I like to felt  so I will use up some of my wool.  Felted material is heat resistant and can be knitted or cut into any shape you want.  I cast on 28 stitches of 100% wool on size 13 needles.  I used worsted weight yarn doubled or bulky weight single.  Garter stitch( knit every row) as long as you want or until your yarn runs out.... Remember it will shrink and you want it to be big enough to hold a serving dish.

     The starting products, at least 90+% wool or animal fiber but not super wash wool.  It is

      made to be washed and will not shrink.

    The semi- finished product.  Size is about 11in square(28cm.).  Going to knit a couple 

     more and then I will be back with the next steps...the fun....the shrinking

Progress of the pineapple

About one month ago when I was getting ready to give my pineapples their summer trip outside I noticed that three of them had started to send up flower stalks.  These were pineapple tops that we put into the ground about one year ago. If you look you can see the small scales forming, but it is a long process.

 





 First discovery you can just start to see the stalk...

 









Little more progress but several side shoots, didn't think it was supposed to do that.  I though they only produced one stalk per plant...

  There are three tops in this pot and two have flower stalks.  Most of the tops are 2-3 feet tall when they start to fruit.  Some of the leaves are smooth and some are serrated and hurt if they poke you. The newest stalk looks very different from the others.  It may be another variety, the leaves are serrated.

Greenhouse happenings

The greenhouse is quiet now, in this heat it doesn't want to do much either.  The pineapples are getting bigger and maybe will produce some decent size fruit.

The banana has some small green bananas

   The shelves are almost empty now

   Banana flower, will turn into bananas I hope