They're All Dead

Six years ago, I planted a small Common thyme plant.  It grew and flourished and spread into a huge patch. I had harvested enough time to last me a year, last year, and couldn't wait to see how lovely it would be this year. That didn't happen. Every single plant I had in that patch died. I can only guess it was last year's strange winter. We had warm weather well into December and then the temperature dropped hard and fast. This thyme was acclimated to this area. I bought it from a lovely gentleman that lived just up the road from me and he had taken some from the thyme he had grown for years in his garden. I was heartbroken to see it all gone. I waited and hoped it was just late coming back. It wasn't. It is truly gone.

I will now have to start over. So, out with the old, and in with the new. I'm hoping this one will survive. This one is English Thyme. I've read that some say the Common and the English are the same, others claim the Common is has larger leaves. Personally, I think this one looks a lot like the one I started with - both in the size of the plant, as well as the size of the leaves. We shall see.

On the up side of things, I was combing through Craig's List, when I came across a listing for canning jars, rings, and lids. I wasn't hopeful that they were still available, but they were and I got a nice little deal. For $8, I got:

• 1 dozen quart jars - 10 wide mouth and 2 regular
• 10 12-oz jelly jars
• 11 pint jars - 6 wide mouth, 5 regular
• 2 new boxes of wide mouth bands/rings
• 1 new box of regular bands/rings
• 1 opened box of regular bands/ring that had 6 lids and 8 rings

I was pleased with my find. They will be put to good use!

Market Bag Finished

The Market Bag is finished and although it's nice, it's not exactly what I wanted. The bag is smaller than I thought, however it does hold quite a bit. I put in a decent size head of cabbage, 2 grapefruit and 8 clementines and still had room to spare.

The only thing I didn't like about it was the bottom design. Although it is solid and won't allow things to slip through, it has corners that look like weird "ears" when you put something in it that doesn't completely fill the bottom. My cabbage was the heaviest and looked VERY odd in the bottom. I know that aesthetics won't affect usefulness, but I guess I'm just a snob when things don't look right. I will continue on my bag search, but will still use this one for smaller things like peppers, etc.

Crocheting a Market Bag

I've been looking for good bags to use at the Farmer's Market. I'm not sure how sturdy my Tyvek type reusable grocery bags are, and they aren't the most joyous to carry around at the market. I usually have a numb and painful hand by the time I get back to the car.

I came across some market bags on Ravelry (don'tcha just love that place?!!) and found one that I liked. It's called Market Bag by Lily Sugar 'n Cream and Bernat Design Studio. It's a free download at their website. Ravelry has posted you need to be a member to download it, but I am not logged in, and could still download the pattern.

I'm using Peaches 'n Cream 1-pound cone in #159 Pink Lilacs colorway and am about 1/3 of the way done. It's an easy pattern and I'm hoping it will perform the way I want it to. I chose this over other mesh bags that were on Ravelry, because of the solid bottom. I thought it would help keep smaller things from falling/poking through the bottom. I also like that the sides expand and fit around the items that you put in the bag. Just not sure if it will be wide enough to get things like cabbages, etc. in. I guess I'll find out when it's finished and being used.