Lovely test knit for Mary Annarella. Size 31" using 2.8 skeins of madelinetosh Pashmina. Great pattern with horizontal bust darts, I-cord bind off, princess seam-line increases at hip, and other goodies. Full disclosure here on my Ravelry page.

In our neck of the woods not many people have air conditioners, including us. Trust me to finish a wool sweater on the hottest day of the summer. I was sweltering, but couldn't wait to post this!

I love summer and the tomato harvest that comes with it. I come by my obsession of growing tomatoes honestly, my grandfather was a commercial tomato grower and I have wonderful memories of being a kid in the tomato fields.

My husband's favorite tomato is Dona, a French hybrid that we have grown forever. For years we had to special order the seeds from obscure mail order houses, but now you can purchase Dona plants at the local nurseries. Dona is a prolific mid sized tomato, a pretty red color with good disease resistance and the flavor is unbeatable, the French won't tolerate it otherwise.
We also grow some beefstreaks and lots of different cherry tomatoes. My favorite cherry is the orange Sunsugar and another contender is the mahogany colored Black Cherry. When we have too many tomatoes, I'll cut them up, spray with olive oil, heavily sprinkle with salt and let them dry out in a 200 F oven for a few hours. They freeze well and are great in winter dishes.
We also love green beans and grow several varieties, but the old-fashioned beany flavor of the standard Blue Lake just can't be beat...
and what would summer be like without the happy zinnias, shasta daisys and dahlias?