What did you do in the garden today?

[TJAnonymous]

I have a very expensive wool sweater from Ireland that I tried to wash on the delicate cycle (cold water) with Woolite. It shrank to a child size.

Trying to fix it now....

 

[Ascholten]

I have a very expensive wool sweater from Ireland that I tried to wash on the delicate cycle (cold water) with Woolite. It shrank to a child size.

View attachment 3377232View attachment 3377233

Trying to fix it now....

oh no.
The best way is to get it moist again and wear it, and let it dry ON you.
yes it's going to be messy soggy but it's going to be moving while it dries so it won't get stiff or too poofty or hard like cardboard.

Normally wherre people go wrong with these is the drying phase. NO machines, they'll shrink them down to gi joe size.

Aaron

 

[Ascholten]

In the future, best way is to hand wash in sink with warm water, then let it sit somewhere to dry somewhat, then hang to dry but don't hang by arms / etc it needs a LOT of support like on a big fat coat hanger hanging with a mild breeze or in a dryer BUT just an air setting.

If you have one of those heat pump dryers put it on warm setting. the big problems start in earnest when the drying is caused by HEAT and not mainly evaporation.

aaron

 

[TJAnonymous]

oh no.
The best way is to get it moist again and wear it, and let it dry ON you.
yes it's going to be messy soggy but it's going to be moving while it dries so it won't get stiff or too poofty or hard like cardboard.

Normally wherre people go wrong with these is the drying phase. NO machines, they'll shrink them down to gi joe size.

Aaron

I soaked it in warm water for 10 minutes then put it on a wooden hanger, took it outside and began trying to stretch it back to its normal size. Sadly the knit pattern is hardly even discernable anymore because of how fuzzy it's become. It is 100% merino wool. I pulled and pulled on it for a while. It looks better than it did but I'm not sure if it will fit properly. I had to put Mason jars in the arms to keep the wrists from shrinking up. It's a pretty windy day so I'm going to let some of the water drain out before I pull some more. I completely ruined the hook part of the hanger so I had to use a wire to help support the weight of me pulling on it.

 

[WthrLady]

I have a very expensive wool sweater from Ireland that I tried to wash on the delicate cycle (cold water) with Woolite. It shrank to a child size.

View attachment 3377232View attachment 3377233

Trying to fix it now....

Nope, felted it.
That's the setting I use to felt wool.
Sorry about your sweater.
It's the agitation that does that.

 

[Ascholten]

One of those roller brushes might de fuzz it a bit but wearing is about the only thing at this point that might do anything to help it. Not even sure tailor shops / dry cleaners etc would even know how to fix stuff like this anymore. that's another lost art.

Aaron

 

[Ascholten]

Now that I am thinking on it, oh man, I can't believe I even have this memory, it must be as old as I am.

I remember my grandmother soaking my blanket in the sink in warm water with baby shampoo, that no more tears stuff by johnson and johnson, because I played with it in the sun and the sprinkler and it dried out all stiff and shrunk and I was crying. She was telling me it will be ok that baby shampoo fixes baby blankets. With that in mind, I do remember a cashmere sweater I wrecked once and being told to soak it in baby shampoo and rinse it in the sink with warm water and then let the water out of the sink and let the sweater sit in there for about 20 minutes to drain dry a bit then lay it out on a big towel flat to dry with another towel on top of it but leave it flat and when it's dry it should be back to normal.

Now I can't remember the results of that, but knowing myself, that is probably because Id never be doing stuff like that, id be swearing at the wrecked sweater and still wearing it anyways

Aaron

Edit: the blanket she crochet'd for me when I was born, and was wool yarn. and I actually still have it to this day.

 

[Sally PB]

any ideas or personal experiences what grapes YOU think taste the best?
Looking for sweet and not too tempermental to take care of.

Here's what I'm looking for in grapes:
suitable to my climate
seedless if possible
non-slip skin*
sweet
any disease resistance, if possible, since I don't know what I'm doing
I want to try red, green, and purple.

*I think the term "slip skin" refers to the grapes like concords that have a skin that slips off, versus the Thompson green grapes you get in the store that have a really thin skin that doesn't. If someone knows otherwise, please chime in.

I don't know how this is going to go. I can always get more cuttings from my neighbor. I'm willing to drop about $40-50 on trying some other types, just to diversify.

I know my neighbor makes jam and wine from hers. I'm interested in the jam, but not making wine.

Since grape vines get tall and wide and can get heavy, I'm dedicating the north end of my sunnier garden to be a grape arbor. I have some chain link fence, and I'm going to use that for them to climb. I think once they get established, they're pretty hardy...?

I remember my mom talking about a green grape that they grew as kids that was "sweet as honey," but she didn't know the name of it. It might have been Himrod, as that's what the description says. I haven't ruled it out, but it is highly susceptible to black rot. I don't know if that's a problem around here.

 

[BReeder!]

Since your climate is so different, I can't advise you on the when. I'm sure it's earlier than my zone 5b area. Check out doubleavineyards.com. They have MANY varieties, and you can sort them by type (table, wine) and also by agricultural zone. The descriptions are helpful; one tab at the bottom lists disease susceptibility, though some just say "unknown." I have no idea what diseases might be lurking in my area, so this will be a big experiment. The only grapes I know that do well are my neighbors, and she's going to give me some cuttings. Oh, and wild grapes, they're all over. But they have tiny, seedy little fruit.

Ah! What happened?

I got some Magic Molly purple fingerlings from MPL, and they did MUCH better than the purple variety I ordered from somewhere else. The MM potatoes are small-medium, for the most part, but they are fingerlings. I have enough of the 3 kinds I planted left that I won't need to order any kind of seed potatoes this year.

Purple potatoes... I planted Purple Majesty two years ago. Digging them up was eye-straining tedious work because they were so dark that they blended into the soil while digging them. They lighten up a bit after cleaning them, but purple potatoes are much harder to spot during harvest.

 

[TJAnonymous]

Nope, felted it.
That's the setting I use to felt wool.
Sorry about your sweater.
It's the agitation that does that.

I was afraid you'd say that...

I pulled on that sweater for over a half hour. I will wait a little longer before trying it on and see if I can even GET it on. It looks like it is going to be super tight.

Lesson learned. Don't EVER put wool in the washer. Not even on delicate.