@effika@mastodon.social avatar

effika

@effika@mastodon.social

I like a variety of things, usually involving science or science fiction. My hobbies are all excuses to collect pretty colors. Microbiology and food safety person.

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effika, to gardening
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My Fordhook Giant swiss chard says it is FREE and I cannot put it back in its cage, tornado watch and huge hail threat be damned! (The regular chard was just fine going back into the wire cloches.) @gardening

effika, to gardening
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Harvest time! Last of the January carrots, and the first of the thinned swiss chard and volunteer dill.

@gardening

A bowl with baby swiss chard leaves and a few sprigs of dill.

effika, to gardening
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Got my cucumbers and nasturtium sowed! I had an extra spot so I threw some lettuce mix seeds in it for fun.

I used some cheap wire mesh plant protectors to gaurd against hail and blown debris, and they seemed to have worked pretty well. Might need to get some cheap wire trash cans if the weather keeps up like this.

(And I'm finding new ways to deal with earwigs this season, so those holes in the swiss chard will hopefully be the last!)

@gardening

effika,
@effika@mastodon.social avatar

@JimmyB @gardening I'm giving Sluggo Plus a try. I usually don't mind the earwigs, but their population exploded with our usually wet spring and mild winter.

effika, to gardening
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First harvest of 2024!

Chocolate mint leaves from my over-wintered plant! Paired with elderflower tonic water and lime juice.

@gardening

effika,
@effika@mastodon.social avatar

@arisummerland @gardening No, I bought the Fever-Tree brand. It's good!

DanielMenjivar, to FiberArts
@DanielMenjivar@mastodon.social avatar

Really glad I got this 700-colour Gütermann chart several years ago (now discontinued); it’s made matching thread colours something I can do from home, which is especially helpful on days like today when I can’t go out. Plus, 700 colours is a lot!

Unfortunately Maxi-Lock doesn’t sell a chart like this for their serger thread, they just want to you to buy a pack of all 76 colours. @sewing

effika,
@effika@mastodon.social avatar

@DanielMenjivar @sewing I had no idea the thread chart had been discontinued! I'll treat mine very carefully now.

I really wish more manufacturers offered these. I agree they make life much easier.

effika, to visibleMending
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Had to do a bit of mending on one of my running headbands. This one is 6 years old, so I'd say it's held up pretty well! @sewing

ImmedicableME, to gardening
@ImmedicableME@mastodon.online avatar

Gardeners: do you have recommendations for reputable resources/experts on planting seeds directly in the soil? I’m in USDA zone 7B with a last frost of April 15 (probably a little earlier this year) and I don’t have energy to start seeds inside and transplant them. They will go into raised metal beds prepared with quality soil and an in-bed vermicompost system. Thank you. Also open to suggestions for hashtags and groups.
@gardening

effika,
@effika@mastodon.social avatar

@ImmedicableME @gardening if you're in the United States, check our your county/state ag extension office's website. They'll have some guides on seed starting and what to plant when. If you want a book, the Square Foot Gardening book (any edition) has a section on plants with info about direct sowing (that's the search term you need) and when to do it based on frost dates! I've seen a copy at most libraries, including the ebook one.

effika, to gardening
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Swiss chard is the first sprout of the season! @gardening

effika, to gardening
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Planted my cool-weather crops: chard (Ruby Red and Giant Fordhook), beets (Touchstone Gold and Early Wonder), and carrots (Danvers 126). I tried to lay them all out like the square foot gardening book says, but the carrot seeds blew in the wind so they'll just come up wherever this year.

Also have some volunteer dill (a bit early; we'll see if it survives) and some carrots that sprouted mid-winter!

@gardening

A bucket with a few tiny dill sprouts.
A bucket with a few carrots growing.

effika, to gardening
@effika@mastodon.social avatar

I'll sow seeds for the cool weather crops next weeked! Set up the big raised bed today. Still thinking about the layout and whether I want two cucumbers, and if I prefer my basil in a bucket for frost protection.

I got hungry while working outside today and grabbed a snack from the carrot bucket. I've still got a few left in it!

@gardening

A hand holding a bunch of carrots with the greens attached.

ZachWeinersmith, to comics
@ZachWeinersmith@mastodon.social avatar

Surprised nobody's done this yet.

Bonus panel here: http://smbc-comics.com/comic/augmented-3

effika,
@effika@mastodon.social avatar

@ZachWeinersmith there's a short story (I can't find it now-- in one of the Year's Best Science Fiction anthologies by Gardner Dozois) with this exact premise. Run out of credits and you have to smell the pollution, see the uncollected litter, etc. I hate that I can't remember enough to find the title or author!

DanielMenjivar, to FiberArts
@DanielMenjivar@mastodon.social avatar

For my next pair of linen (pyjama) pants, I’ve narrowed it down to 4 choices for topstitching thread… @sewing

L to R:

• the darkest grey provides contrast; tex 45 is almost “heavy duty” for garment construction seams but on the thin side for topstitching thread

• sew-all Gütermann is tex 30 so I'd have to double it up for topstitching (a bit annoying)

• lightest grey is tex 80 so best to use it for topstitching only (and something else for construction seams)

• white is also tex 80

effika,
@effika@mastodon.social avatar

@DanielMenjivar @sewing I've found that my expensive linen can take many more washes to soften to the same level as my cheaper linen! Don't give up hope yet!

effika, to FiberArts
@effika@mastodon.social avatar

I finished my shirt! I love my orange buttons with the pink fabric. I have some fitting mods to continue working on but overall I'm quite happy.

Fabric: Egyptian shirting cotton from EmmaOneSock, rose petal (amazingly drapey)
Pattern: Itch to Stitch Bonn Shirt & Dress

@sewing

effika, to FiberArts
@effika@mastodon.social avatar

Next project: using up some batting scraps to make a small lap blanket. This is part of the Acadia National Park block from Carol Doak's 60 Fabulous Paper Pieces Stars. @quilting @sewing

DanielMenjivar, to FiberArts
@DanielMenjivar@mastodon.social avatar

Hello, room! Long time no see… you’re just as I left you. What shall we do today?

effika,
@effika@mastodon.social avatar

@DanielMenjivar @sewing Fray check on the inside part of the buttonhole, before cutting open. To cut, I use a seam ripper and a pin as an emergency stopping point at the far end of the buttonhole. I use my snips to trim any loose fibers if needed. A hot knife sounds interesting for synthetic fabric.

effika, to running
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I bought Polartec Neoshell fabric last year and sewed myself a pair of Jalie 4343 mittens to wear as a shell over my running gloves. This pair continues to be one of the best things I've ever sewn. Blocks the wind, lets sweaty gross air out, and washes well. @sewing

effika, to running
@effika@mastodon.social avatar

I got one good leg, if I put all the joints together

effika,
@effika@mastodon.social avatar

@ochaos I've got a bad left hip too! I really must love running to put up with it all 🙂

effika,
@effika@mastodon.social avatar

@WTL Thanks! These injuries are both a couple of years old now; they just get extra fussy when the seasons change.

effika, to random
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Be careful! New moon tonight. Watch out! Bad things can happen on Friday the 13th.

Unluckiest day to play Nethack this year is here!

BBCRadio4, (edited ) to fantasy
@BBCRadio4@social.bbc avatar

📖 According to the Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, the world will end on a Saturday. A Saturday quite soon, in fact.

The whole of our six-part adapation of @neilhimself and Terry Pratchett's wonderful 1990 fantasy Good Omens is on BBC Sounds now - and you can listen from anywhere in the world. Tell your friends, good or evil.


https://bbc.in/3qgSXt7

effika,
@effika@mastodon.social avatar

@BBCRadio4 @neilhimself

This is such a good adaptation! Happy to see it get more attention.

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