#73 – Welcome, Again!

A lot has changed in the 2 years since this blog was launched, and I thought, it might be time to update my introduction.

In 2023, my plan was to finding a new landing place for me to explore writing again, after Muirin Project, my blog from 2016-2019. I wanted to showcase my novel, catalog my knitting and sewing journey, journal my bible study, and share my love for creative expression in many artistic mediums.

Now I have added some new things to the mix – Japanese learning, Kpop, garment workers/conscious consumption, and most excitingly: gardening! Which welcomed my husband to the site to share his experiences with gardening and bring awareness to why natural ecosystems, seed saving, and eating local matter. He is also preparing to share his other favorite hobby – woodworking.

Now, for something I question – should I change the site name? I am uncertain for SEO purposes and the likelihood of broken links. I don’t think it is wise. But this site is so much more than just my work, it is the harmonizing voices of myself and Kyle which is how I think the world becomes a better place – working together. Let’s keep the honmoon sealed. ❤

Sewing Tips that Changed My Life

I’ve been sewing for five and a half years, and yes, it took me close to that amount of time to learn these helpful tips. The skill of taking a needle and thread to fasten pieces of fabric together is one of the most complex technologies I’ve ever learned, and yeah, some of the more obvious things can go over your head because there is so much to learn. Even with half a decade of sewing experience, I am still a rookie. Here are four things I have learned about sewing recently that have changed my sewing experience from a laborious struggle to a relaxing craft I want to do.

Needles

I knew I needed to change out my sewing machine needle consistently (which I usually forget to do), but did you know you should change out your hand needles often? Nope, I did not. I recently began changing my needles after each large project or after two small projects, and wow, the difference in hand fatigue is mind-blowing! My issue with sewing by hand has been the wear and tear on my hands, particularly some on my finger joints, which felt exhausted after hours of pushing the needle through the fabric – apparently that’s not how it is supposed to be. The needle should glide; cheap needles or needles that are dulled from use will not do this. I feel like a silly goose.

Now that I know and have experienced the difference between fresh needles and started purchasing DMC needles from my local fabric shop, I am sewing more. Most importantly, my hands are happy, my stitches are small and straighter – it’s like night and day. The needle glides into the fabric and through to the other side with minimal pressure, my thread is not getting tangled, and I am sewing with more efficiency. If you sew, go change your needles.

Shear Maintenance

Did you know you should oil and sharpen your fabric shears? I did not. It’s such a simple concept, though. Own thing, use thing, repair thing, use thing more. Repeat. What’s silly is that, in our disposable culture, I thought fabric scissors had a lifespan and had to be replaced once they dulled from wear. But regular maintenance, like a car, keeps them around and working well.

I keep my scissors crisp by cutting aluminum foil from time to time. I oil my shears with a towel, very carefully. Please don’t cut yourself like I did the first time.

Know About Me: Fabric Edition

Kill the doubt, I don’t want it, kill the fear, I don’t want it
Kill the rule, I don’t want it, kill the end, I don’t want it

Let me show you that, show you that, mm-mm
Know about me…

Let me show you that, show you that, mm-mm
Know about me (know about me, that’s that)

– Nmixx, Fe:304 Forward

Researching fabric is important, but when you are first getting started, you feel overwhelmed and like you’ll never be able to cram all this knowledge into your head. There are a lot of fabric types! With two main families – woven and knit that separate into a myriad of options that will make your head spin. But truly, what will make your head spin more is not buying the proper fabric for the project at hand, with one caveat being in the beginning. When you are truly beginning, you just gotta see what is cheap or available because you are going to mess up – don’t use the good or expensive stuff to keep yourself from heartbreak.

I’ve started researching any fabric I am looking at to know if this textile will be applicable for the idea I have in my head, and pivot based on the information I glean. I thought it would be time-consuming, but it’s not. It saves money and fabric from being wasted in the chaos of choosing an incompatible fabric for your garment plan. You don’t want a stretch when you need a structured fabric. When you need opaqueness, a sheer fabric would throw a wrench in your plans. Fabrics, like people, have their own character, attributes, and talents. It’s more of a matchmaking process than just adding to the cart.

Ask a human. Ask a reputable website. Don’t ask ChatGPT. OpenAI is a little busy now with its Department of War contract, but don’t worry, they “promise” not to do mass surveillance or help create automatic weapons.

Hand Posture

I learned this final tip from Abby Cox and Nicole Rudolph during a TikTok Sewing Tutorial Reaction video. Sewing hand posture will determine your sewing experience. Whether you can sew for hours or for half an hour before you need a break. I used to sew with a hand-straining posture that created wrist, hand, and finger discomfort. Pulling the needle to the side, horizontally, reduces strain compared to pulling upward. It uses a light wrist flicking motion. Similarly, holding the fabric to the side with your wrist loosely bent will keep your hands relaxed and reduce hand strain. I have applied this new hand posture to my sewing, and it was a game-changer. I’m not surprised that I was doing it wrong. I am self-taught, but dang, the ability to sew a pair of pants by hand without hand strain was incredible!

I hope these sewing tips help you as much as they helped me. I wish you happy sewing!

March 26, 2026

Seeds of Resistance

In part one of this two-part series, I looked at the history of food and food systems becoming a weapon and tactic in war. This idea of writing this series came to me after I listened to a podcast episode that discussed the horrible circumstances that Palestinian olive growers found themselves in last fall and winter. That, combined with the sad news events coming out of Gaza, led me to explore the conditions people are living in. If you haven’t read part one, I encourage you to do so before moving forward.

In part two, I’m going to go over some examples I’ve found where people display incredible resilience during times of hardship and aggression. I’m also going to look at some vegetables and seeds we can easily obtain and grow in the United States that are the result of people protecting and transporting them.

Resilience in the Face of Hardship

Something that always stands out to me is human resilience in the midst of darkness and hardship. In the wake of natural disasters, people come together to meet needs and rebuild. In situations of persecution, people are able to endure so much more than we think is possible. We’re seeing that in areas where global conflict is taking place.

Refugees & Immigrants Carrying Seeds & Keeping Food Culture Alive

Circling back to seeds and the preservation of food culture, there are many examples of people going to great lengths to keep their culture alive. Sometimes, this happens when immigrants leave their homes to travel for new opportunities. This has always been the case when immigrants arrive in the United States. They bring their recipes, flavors, ingredients, and seeds to have something familiar around them in a new place. Often, people of the same ethnic backgrounds have settled in the same location, which has further helped them preserve their culture. This has resulted in amazing restaurants becoming engrained in communities as well as festivals that celebrate their culture. An example of this is Erie, PA, which is a city of fewer than 100,000 people. Annually, it hosts festivals that celebrate Greek, Italian, Polish, German, Russian, and Irish heritage. Additionally, there is a sizable Nepalese and Indian community, which is reflected in restaurants that serve their cuisine. None of these would be possible if people hadn’t kept their culture alive when moving to a small city in Northwest Pennsylvania.

Other times, groups are forced to leave their homeland with very few possessions in hand. They grab their most important things, which sometimes includes seeds, and hold non-tangible items close to their heart. Many native African vegetables came to the United States this way via the slave trade. Other situations saw Native Americans transport seeds as they were removed from their homeland, and refugees from Asia and North Africa have brought seeds common in their cuisine. As a result, it’s easy to purchase seeds native to other parts of the world, and they’re being selected to grow in a new climate. The ability for immigrants and refugees to grow familiar vegetables in order to cook their culture’s food is vitally important. And we all benefit from a culture that is being strengthened and refined through new additions. After all, the majority of Americans are immigrants in some manner. This also illustrates the importance of seeds and food to a person’s culture.

Palestine Heirloom Seed Library

One way we’re seeing seeds be saved and preserved for the future is through the Palestine Heirloom Seed Library. Earlier, I mentioned that the Palestinian Seed Bank in Hebrom had been attacked and destroyed by Israel. Thankfully, that library wasn’t the only location where Palestinian seeds were being saved. In 2014, the Palestine Heirloom Seed Library was started by a Palestinian woman named Vivien Sansour. The organization’s goal is multifaceted, but the primary work consists of collecting and conserving Palestinian seeds. The seeds are often grown, with the plant producing the next generation of seeds, further ensuring their survival. While some of the work still takes place in Palestine, the library works with partners around the world, including the Experimental Farm Network in Philadelphia to grow seeds and store them in U.S. seed banks. Seed companies within this network, including Philadelphia’s Truelove Seeds, make these seeds available for purchase, allowing refugees around the world to grow seeds they’re familiar with as well as introducing these vegetables to a new generation of people. It was from Truelove Seeds that Magz bought the Molokhia seeds for our garden this year.

An extension of the library is a project called The Traveling Kitchen. As its name suggests, it’s a traveling educational and art experience that creates engaging conversation on the topics of bio-cultural heritage and agrobiodiversity. Part of that consists of educating audience members on the realities of global conflict and its impact on food culture.

Learning About Seeds & Their Growers

I think a smart way to approach anything is to educate oneself on the subject. While it doesn’t seem like there is much an individual can do to make a huge difference when what’s occurring in Palestine is thousands of miles away. But learning about victims’ culture and finding ways to support the people is a step that can go a long way. Listening to podcasts, like Seeds & Their People and Gravy, is a really simple and helpful step.

Telling Their Stories – Seeds & Their People and Gravy

Another area of encouragement that I see is the ways people are exposing what’s going on. I listen to a number of podcasts. Some are faith-related, some cover sports, and others are more historical/social in nature. Two that fit into that last category are Seeds & Their People and Gravy. Seeds & Their People is published by Truelove Seeds and tells the stories of unique seeds and the people who have preserved them to allow them to be grown in the United States. It’s through this podcast that I first learned about Palestinian Molokhia. Magz later came across Truelove and Molokhia when she was searching for flax seeds. She didn’t know that I listened to Truelove’s podcast or that I had listened to an episode dedicated to Molokhia and its path to arriving in the U.S. Other people groups that have had their stories told on the podcast are the Karen from Burma, Iranians, Mexicans, and even people from the Deep South. It’s a fascinating podcast, and I’ve learned so much.

Gravy is a podcast published by the Southern Foodways Alliance and tells the story of the food and people living in the ever-changing South. Some episodes that stand out are the thriving Asian community in Northwest Arkansas and a series dedicated to telling the stories of black farmers who were affected by the Pigford vs. Glickman case. I can’t recommend the episodes enough. Just today, I listened to Gravy’s newest episode about a Georgian restaurant in Pensacola, Florida. The owner and head chef emigrated to the U.S. after the fall of the Soviet Union and has successfully blended Southern cuisine with elements of Georgia. Gravy isn’t solely dedicated to gardening and seeds, but the theme of preserving food culture persists.

Buying Seeds

I think that one way we can make a difference and support people groups being targeted is to learn about their food systems and grow their vegetables if they can be grown in your location. In the United States, many of the vegetables we eat on a regular basis are the result of forced relocation. From Africa, we have yams, okra, rice, peanuts, black-eyed peas, and watermelon that were transported during the African slave trade. From West Asia and the Levant, we have molokhia and many varieties of peppers, cucumbers, eggplants, and tomatoes. From East Asia, we have perilla, radishes, mustards, kabocha, and pepper varieties. We eat many of these in our daily life.

On many seed companies’ websites, there are categories for seeds that are native to different parts of the world. True Love Seeds, for example, has collections for the African Diaspora, East Asia, Seeds of the Levant, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. Buying those seeds helps us to learn about the culture and food systems as well as to support the farmers who keep these seeds alive. In my opinion, any seed company worth its weight will give a percentage or set amount back to these farmers to help them grow or simply maintain their farm. For example, True Love Seeds gives 30 percent of its annual sales back to their growers. That’s important. Other companies that clearly communicate how they support growers are Fedco, Sow True Seeds, Southern Exposure, and High Mowing. That’s not to say that other companies don’t do this, but that these four are transparent.

You can also look for heirloom seeds and seeds that are part of Slow Food’s Ark of Taste. Ark of Taste seeds are ones considered at-risk and must be protected at all costs. Purchasing and growing these seeds helps promote biodiversity and sustainable growing practices. Although there are different definitions, heirloom seeds are ones with an origin that dates back to before hybridization took off. For some, this is at least 50 or 100 years old, and for others, the seeds must have originated before the conclusion of World War II or 1951. The majority of the seeds that we know Native Americans or African slaves transported are heirlooms. Others are the result of immigrants transporting them to the U.S. during the 19th century. Purchasing heirloom seeds as much as you can is never a bad idea.

In the past, Magz and I have bought what I call seeds of resistance because we were intrigued by the vegetable’s characteristics – taste, color, growing habit. As history majors, we’re also motivated to keep history alive, and by buying heirloom seeds with an interesting story, we were doing that. Now, we’re committed to growing these at-risk vegetables. A few seeds that we have bought for past gardens or bought for this year’s garden include the Cherokee Trail of Tears and Iroquois Skunk beans, Hopi Blue corn, Ali Baba watermelon, and Candy Roaster, Yellow Crookneck, and White Scallop squash. All of these varieties have unique histories and stories. It’s pretty fun to participate in that story by growing them.

Where Do We Go From Here?

I set out writing this post wanting to explore the tragic acts taking place in Palestine at the hands of Israel that I label genocide and ethnic cleansing. I achieved that and much more. Through history classes, including one dedicated to genocide, I was aware of the acts that add up to genocide as well as previous instances where genocide occurred, so I was confident that my research would support my take on what’s happening to the Palestinians. I didn’t expect my research to necessarily take me throughout the history of criminalizing starvation and how recently it happened. I was left with a deep sadness at how humans treat each other. When differences are realized, the first instinct is often fighting and conflict. And if that conflict isn’t resolved soon enough, or if the aggressor doesn’t feel like they’re achieving their goal efficiently, they’ll use deplorable acts to find victory. They have no problem dehumanizing other people, and oftentimes, it’s even their goal.

In the United States, we’ve been taught to support Israel no matter what. Even as a Christian raised in the U.S., Israel and the Jewish people are considered sacred. That they’re the ones being attacked and not the aggressors. Yet their acts over the past two years have changed that narrative. By committing acts of genocide against the Palestinians, they’re doing the very same thing that that happened to them in the past and led to the diaspora. And I can’t help but be sad. Warfare is a vicious act, but destroying another culture is deplorable. Targeting food systems is part of the cultural destruction. Food plays a key role in day-to-day life, both because it’s sustenance and nourishment for life and because it connects us to our past and others who share the same background.

So, where do we go from here? I’m not entirely sure. Ideally, we stop treating each other with such disrespect and hatred. Even when we disagree with others, we see them as humans worthy of respect and compassion. We don’t attempt to cleanse their culture from society. Unfortunately, humans are evil and act sinful, so it’s unlikely that we stop treating each other so poorly short of an act of God. In the meantime, I think we continue to share information when we learn it, we reach out and help people as we can, we educate ourselves, we act out of compassion instead of hatred, and we refuse to accept the status quo.

I know that this post was way out of the norm for me, and it wasn’t overly related to gardening, but I felt that it was important to discuss. Silence only continues the evil. If you were unaware or unfamiliar with the situation, I hope this was enlightening and eye-opening. In the meantime, I encourage you to check out the links in this post and listen to some of the podcasts I mentioned.

March 26, 2026 0

Changing Our Seed-Starting Setup & Getting Started

I’ve been working on being more chill and relaxed with the garden this year, which is good. However, I became so relaxed that seed starting snuck up on me. I was casually looking at seeds last week and realized that our pepper seeds should have been started a couple of weeks ago. Oops… Part of it was intentional, though, because we were unable to get our starts in the ground on time last year due to weather, so many of them got leggy and died. As a result, we pushed back starting seeds by a couple of weeks to prevent that from happening.

I was also quite chill with our supplies. I had assumed that we had plenty of seed-starting cells and starting mix but learned on Saturday that we had 14 cells/pods and a partial bag of starting mix. Over the weekend, I worked on getting our new seed-starting setup organized, which consisted of using one of the collapsible waterproof plastic tables we have and installing the new grow light we bought. Previously, we had used a wooden door/table that was in our basement when we bought our house. It worked well for the first year of seed starting, but upgrading it was a priority. The plastic table is nice because it’s waterproof and easy to clean.

For a grow light, we had previously used the style of light that clamps on the side of a table and has three “necks” that can be moved and angled to cover the starts as needed. This year, I bought a four-foot shop light from Harbor Freight for less than $20. It’s 5500 lumens, can be linked to identical lights, and uses very little electricity. It can also be raised and lowered to match the height of your starts. It’s a much more economical way to get UVs onto your plants than buying a dedicated grow light. Here’s a picture of our setup:

You can’t really see the light in this image, but it’s just out of frame. I currently have one heat mat plugged in, since there’s only one tray being used at this time. I need to grab an adapter so that I can plug in the second mat and the grow light. I think this setup will be more successful than last year’s. I like that there’s a dedicated table and that the setup is in its own room rather than under the stairs.

What Seeds Did We Start?

I mentioned it above, but we got our pepper seeds going. We have four varieties: Takii’s New Ace bell peppers, Gochugarju hot peppers, West Indies Habaneros, and Jaluv an Attitude jalapenos. They’re supposed to take 10-14 days to germinate, so we’ve got a lot of waiting. Next up will be our tomatoes and possibly some melons and cucumbers in the coming weeks. But before then, we need to grab more seeding-starting cells. Have you started any of your seeds yet?

March 24, 2026 0

The Brilliance of Dress Up and Styling Games

Something I didn’t expect when I began playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons was how much it would evoke memories of playing dress-up and room styling flash games as a kid. Specifically, the Lizzie McGuire, My Scene, and Fashion Polly games. Although early ACNH gameplay surrounds building an island community and infrastructure, the longer you spend on your island, the more you decorate. Either the island itself, your house, islander houses, vacation homes, or, recently, hotel rooms. Styling your character gets a lot of in-game attention, too, from the hair and eye customization upgrades from Nook Miles, or the daily offerings from Able Sisters – you are motivated to play dress up. Sometimes, receiving Nook Miles for the simple act of changing your outfit. That is perfectly fine with me!

Moving away from flash games of my tweens, and into reading fashion magazines in my teens and 20s, it wasn’t as fun just looking at the fashion – I wanted to experiment. Which, I think, translates to a lot of us as shopping, because playing games is seen as childish. Since playing ACNH, I have found a new outlet to express the creative itch that has helped me explore my own personal style without playing into the shopping addiction that the current culture is infected with. Not to say I am immune, throughout college and too far into my adult life, I was stuck in a cycle of emotional spending and trend chasing. Most of the jobs I had were terrible, and that fed into the idea of treating myself as a trade-off. Not wise, nor was it satisfying.

Looking back on that time, playing around with different outfits and designing rooms, like I used to as a tween, was what I was looking for. Something to clear my head or try new things, without hauling new items or overhauling my living spaces. I think renting fed into this need to design a space that felt like me. I missed the customization of my childhood bedroom, in shades of purple with a wall of curated fashion ads pulled from Vogue, W, and Harper’s Bazaar. Although thankful for a roof over my head, those cookie-cutter rentals of beige and white feel soulless on purpose; they are not designed to have design.

Before ACNH was released in 2020, there was The Sims 4, which I played at the end of the 2010s and sort of satisfied my design game wishes. House building and customization were by far my favorite parts of gameplay. The clothing options were okay, sometimes a bit stifling because you dressed your sim for occasions and not simply to change the outfit. But my main gripe with The Sims 4 is the paywall DLC. How many gamepacks do you need to make it worth it? And how much money must you spend to get the full experience? It’s quite frustrating to get minimal variety from the base game, which you pay for just to spend money again and again to expand the catalog of clothing, hair, furniture, etc. It’s ridiculous!

Although ACNH costs 60 USD, you get a vast catalog of items, with one DLC game expansion – Happy Home Paradise for 20 USD. Some features are behind a Nintendo Online Membership, like Dreaming, Zelda items, Hello Kitty items, Nintendo throwback games, and Amibos, but nothing compared to The Sims 4. The game can be played daily without these elements and not feel like your catalog is incomplete, in my opinion.

The clothing catalog from ACNH is vast, with clothing for all seasons, from various cultures, and for specific occasions like professions or holiday offerings. When the shopping bug is eating at me, I like going on the game and buying a new outfit from Able Sisters with the imaginary currency of Bells. Even the act of dressing my house up or my character in a gameplay session can clear my head from wanting new things. The game provides that space to create and change it up that my mind desires, but keeps it to the sandbox. And isn’t that the point of most impulse purchases? We are chasing the feeling of new, so why spend real-life resources to consume endlessly? Just play a game.

What about curating your wardrobe or trying a new aesthetic? ACNH thrives on a perfectly curated aesthetic! The game literally awards you points each week, for the design level of your home. What I think has helped me the most, though, to push out the intrusive, trendy thoughts and find my style, is building a capsule wardrobe for my character and then changing it up. When I am feeling stuck in a design rut, I can explore outfits and a specific style through the game.

As you can see from these images of my character and her current wardrobe, I’ve been in a more casual mood in the game and in real life lately. I’ve been wearing casual separates, but that might be because my character had the outfits first. When I was in my dress phase, my character wore fancy, frilly dresses.

Is the clothing groundbreaking? No, but it’s darling. Look at that froggy tee! You can play around with different styles, such as these three outfits below. From left to right – Addams Family, Red Velvet’s Cosmic music video, and trying a style from another culture. That is one of my favorite parts of the game, getting the chance to style clothing from around the world in the context of my ACNH character.

Finally, ACNH has one specific style contribution to my wardrobe – hats, shoes, and bags. This game has retrained my brain to accessorize. Sometimes I clash with an unexpected combo – and I have learned the art of doing that before I buy or create in real life. I always have a hat when I leave the house. I never used to do that. Look at this inspiration, though! My outfits on Honeycrisp and in real life feel incomplete without the eclectic bag, statement hat, and an interesting pair of shoes.

So if you are feeling stuck in your style or struggling with overconsumption, may I suggest playing a game?

March 23, 2026

Using Food as a War Tactic

This is a topic that has been on my heart and at the front of my mind for several weeks, but I haven’t known how to start writing about it. As a writer, I like to have an outline prepared before starting a post. It helps with finding the direction of an article and keeps me from getting distracted. But with this topic, even the outline has been a struggle. So, I ask for your patience and grace with this blog post.

Food Is Sacred

The statement “Food is sacred” seems pretty odd, and perhaps it is. Food is a necessity to life, but it’s something that the majority of people in North America and Europe likely take for granted. I’ve never had to worry if there’d be food for my next meal. Even in my darkest moments, I knew there were family members and friends who would lend a hand if needed. But that’s not the situation for everyone. According to the Global Report on Food Crises, there were 295 million people in the world who faced acute levels of hunger in 2024. Unfortunately, that was an increase of nearly 14 million over 2023. In spite of modern advancements, food insecurity is becoming a larger issue.

War’s Butterfly Effect on Food

Droughts, economic shifts, weather extremes, and wars have been direct causes of this insecurity. We may not be able to immediately solve the climate issues that lead to disruptions in the food supply chain, but what is unacceptable is how people’s ability to access food is being directly and indirectly affected by conflict. I see the indirect effect happening as a result of the Ukrainian War, where the conflict has disrupted grain production. Prior to Russia’s invasion, Ukraine was the seventh-largest exporter of wheat, with African and European nations being the most dependent on it. When the war started, trade routes were cut off, causing prices to soar, and the countries that depend on those exports were forced to find alternatives. Thankfully, new trade routes have been established, which has helped to ease the burden a bit, but the nation is still exporting less wheat than before the war. And that doesn’t cover the war’s impact on their barley and sunflower harvest. Prior to the war, they were the fourth-largest barley exporter and the largest exporter of sunflowers.

From 2023, a year after the war started, to 2024, there was a seven percent decrease in cultivated land in Ukraine. Also, 81.4 percent of farmers near the frontline of the war reported decreased yields year-over-year. Eighty-six percent of farmers saw production costs rise, and 18 percent said that their fields were affected by mines and other unexploded ordnances. That is the same tragic reality that Cambodia, Laos, and parts of Africa still deal with as the result of warfare. Finally, labor shortages in Ukraine have caused issues for the supply chain. And remember that a lot of the effects I’m writing about are indirect. Yes, life in Ukraine is much different now than it was prior to Russia’s invasion in early 2022, but at the same time, the nations that rely on European grain to survive also feel the impact of the war. Often, these nations are ones already on the verge of food insecurity, further escalating the problem and leading to starvation. But what about when a people group’s ability to access food is directly attacked during a war?

Using Starvation as a Weapon of War

The use of starvation as a war tactic has probably been used since mankind’s first conflict. It makes sense: humans are evil, and one of the most efficient ways to weaken and ultimately destroy your enemy is to deprive them of life’s necessities. If a group of people can’t eat, they don’t have the energy and nutrients to fight back or resist. In the United States, this was a tactic used by the federal government in its handling of the Native Americans.

Although there were many instances of this, the most famous was the Trail of Tears, which is the name given to the forced movement of members of the Cherokee, Muscogee, Seminole, Chickasaw, and Choctaw nations from their ancestral lands in the southeast to designated land west of the Mississippi River. Between 1830 and 1850, 60,000 people were displaced via the Indian Removal Act, which was signed into law by Andrew Jackson. It resulted in the deaths of thousands of Native Americans, not to mention the destruction of their culture. It was called the Trail of Tears because they were forced to walk the entire way, a distance of more than 2,000 miles. Unsurprisingly, starvation was one of the tactics used to murder the Native Americans in what we now label genocide and ethnic cleansing.

Advancing forward in history, starvation was a tactic deployed during World War I and II and by nations on both sides of the wars. There was some legal pushback against the tactic following World War I when the Allies attempted to prosecute the Central Powers for starvation tactics; however, the effort fell short. Later, after World War II, senior Nazi leaders were convicted of war crimes, including the starvation of prisoners of war, but the attempt to prosecute the Nazis for starvation as an act of war led to acquittals. Following the Allies’ victory in World War II, the Geneva Conventions were agreed upon to establish international humanitarian law during warfare. Specifically, they were designed to protect civilians (aka non-combatants) in wars. Unfortunately, for as good as the intentions were, the reality was that the Geneva Conventions didn’t establish a legal system for hearing cases when the laws were being violated. And even though amendments to the Geneva Conventions banned starvation as a war tactic in 1977, it remained decriminalized.

That finally changed in 1998 when the Rome Statute took place, establishing the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC is a permanent court with the jurisdiction to prosecute those found guilty of international crimes in four areas: genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression. Finally, there was legal precedent to prosecute the use of starvation as a method of warfare. In 2019, an amendment was added that further extended the definition by criminalizing it when used intentionally in non-international conflicts. Previously, it only applied to instances that took place in international warfare. This was a game-changer, as a large percentage of forced starvation takes place in civil conflicts in places such as Sudan, Nigeria, and other African nations.

But even the Rome Statute and the ICC have their shortcomings. Not only is starvation a notoriously difficult crime to prosecute, but the ICC can only operate in nations that are signed parties to the Rome Statute. As of June 2025, there were 125 signed parties, which is more than half the number of recognized nations in the world, which is somewhere between 188 and 205. All of South America and most of Europe are signed parties; however, notably absent are the United States, Russia, China, much of West Asia, including Israel, and many countries from Africa. This is likely unsurprising to most people who are aware of what’s going on internationally. We can assume why the majority of these nations have never become signed states.

Two of the most prominent people currently under indictment by the ICC are Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin has been indicted for two war crimes related to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Netanyahu has been indicted for war crimes and crimes against humanity, including the use of starvation, during the Gaza War. Because neither nation is a signatory to the Rome Statute, it’s unlikely they’ll ever face trial; however, their indictments limit their ability to travel, as other nations have the authority to arrest and transport them to The Hague to face trial. Additionally, of all the people who have been indicted by the ICC, only Netanyahu and his former minister of defense, Yoav Gallant, face charges of starvation. That only further affirms the difficulty of charging and prosecuting someone for these crimes.

Targeting Food as a Means of Destroying Culture

All of the above examples, whether in an organized invasion like what’s happening in Ukraine or a 19th-century death march, have one thing in common: The goal of destroying and removing a culture and people group. By deliberately blocking a group’s ability to access food, the intention is not just to win the conflict but to reduce or altogether wipe out a group’s population. Another way of describing this is ethnic cleansing. That may seem like an exaggeration, but the facts support it. Let’s look at what’s been happening in Palestine.

It feels like the conflict between Israel and Palestine over land has been a constant. And I guess that is the case, to an extent. But the current conflict started in Oct. 2023 when Hamas launched attacks on civilians at a music festival. I was on board with Israel defending itself at the time, especially because the victims of that attack were civilians. However, in the two-plus years that have followed, Israel’s response has moved from a defensive posture to one that is an all-out attack. They are no longer simply reacting to attacks they receive but instead are being the aggressor and are committing acts in line with ethnic cleansing. Roughly 1,200 were killed in the Hamas attacks; more than 70,000 have been killed by Israel in Gaza, and around 80 percent have been civilians.

Targeting the Olive Harvest

Since the Oct. 2023 attacks, the Israeli government has been ramping up its placement of Israeli “settlers.” These settlers are Israeli civilians living in illegal settlements located in the West Bank as a way to assert Israel’s claim on the land. The settlements are also protected by the Israeli military. The settlers are typically armed and attack Palestinian civilians, often leading to death. And even though the majority of the world sees their presence as illegal, the settlements continue to grow and spread.

One way the settlers have been targeting Palestinian culture is through the descruption of agriculture. In Dec. 2025, PBS published a report on the attacks, going into great detail how the attacks target Christian and Muslim Palestinians; their religion is irrelevant to the settlers. During attacks last fall, the settlers targeted the annual olive harvest that represents the livelihood for a large percentage of Palestinians living in the West Bank. In some cases, the trees and groves were burned. In others, the farmers were too afraid to go to their trees, which meant ripe olives were left to rot on the trees. Sure, the destroyed trees can be replanted, but when an olive tree takes a decade to reach maturity, it’s not a quick or simple solution. These farmers are the victims of a war they aren’t actively participating in; another example in a long line of civilians who pay a price that should never be asked of them.

Destroying a Seed Bank

Last July, the Israeli military carried out an operation of raiding and demolishing part of the Palestinian Seed Bank in Hebron. The facility housed equipment, tools, and the seeds that were being preserved and reproduced in an effort to secure food systems. The bank’s goal was to ensure a future with a food system that was independent rather than being controlled by the Israeli military and government. Somehow, this never made the mainstream news in the United States, which isn’t surprising. Elsewhere, the attack was criticized, with La Via Campesina (a global organization representing small-scale farmers) putting out the following statement:

This attack on UAWC seed bank is not an isolated incident. It is the second direct assault on UAWC in recent years, part of a broader colonial strategy to uproot Palestinian communities, displace Indigenous farmers, and suppress any form of self-determination.

When an aggressor is attempting to permanently dislodge a people group from ancestral lands and remove any serious ability to control their own food systems, we have a word for that: genocide. While the mainstream media in the United States and our country’s current leaders refuse to acknowledge this, global leaders are calling attention to it. In Sep. 2025, the United Nations’ Human Rights Office released the findings of an independent investigation. It concluded that Israel was guilty of committing four of the five acts of genocide as defined by the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. The acts were killing, causing serious bodily or mental harm, deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about the destruction of the Palestinians in whole or in part, and imposing measures intended to prevent births.

The use of starvation and the targeting of food systems as war tactics are intertwined in the last two acts. It’s obvious that the Israeli government’s goal is to bring about the destruction of the Palestinian culture and people. Thankfully, though, people are sharing stories of what’s taking place in the West Bank and in Gaza, so ignorance is no longer an excuse. At the same time, we’re also learning of how Palestinians are preserving their culture, and it’s a tale of resilience.

March 20, 2026 1

How I Duplicated My Favorite Pair of Pants

Have you noticed I am not sewing as much as I used to? As Marie Kondo instructs, if it doesn’t bring you joy, let it go. That’s been my relationship with sewing, honestly, since 2024. Sewing and I had hit a rough patch in our relationship. No longer in the euphoric beginning, nor going deeper and bonding through the big sewing wins. We were burned out in the grind of sewing, striving to be better but lacking the proper knowledge to do so. Therefore, we’ve been on a break – off and on since 2025, and it’s been good.

It’s given me time to reflect on what I want to pursue, sewing, specializing, and what I feel like I should make because of the internet. It’s given me time to ponder what drives me to make my own clothes. When I began sewing, I was intrigued by historical styles, and then I drifted into more feminine items like dresses, blouses, and skirts. Shorts and pants were made and quickly cut up for scrap because they were such enigmas for my mind to understand. On this break, I’ve given myself room to figure out what I like to wear, which is key to sewing your own clothes. You can chase all the trendy patterns and styles, but if you don’t want to wear them, then you have a very expensive wardrobe of your own sweat equity that is useless to you. My desire was to break this cycle.

Going into 2023, I wasn’t sure what to make anymore or what I wanted to sew, but I felt this compulsion to keep going because I was so committed to this new hobby. A hobby I wanted to become my future career. It’s been in the midst of the slowdown that my artistic point of view has recalibrated. I like pants (trousers), overalls (dungarees), denim (dungarees), comfortable silhouettes like that of Lucy & Yak, and that is what I want to make.

This has only intensified since the Trad Wife trend co-opted the flouncy dresses, giving me the ick at the thought of associating with something I have always strived to avoid. Growing up in communities dominated by the Reformed Presbyterian church (a denomination I do not belong to and never shall) and Christian Nationalism spreading its snakey tendrils throughout the Christian bubble – I want nothing to do with the Trad Wife and all it represents.

That brings us to the present day, March 2026. After 2 years of sitting in my fabric stash, I finally started to cut the trouser fabric I bought to make my own pants in 2024. Too intimidated by my own past failure, I let it hide in my crafting closet, all of 2025, for fear of failing again. I did fail at pants in September 2025 with another fabric, so it was not unfounded fear. But what is the point of living in fear, especially for something so small? Would I learn that I am not very good at sewing? Sure, and who cares?! Is crafting a competition? No. It’s about making incremental steps towards success through practice.

For my birthday, Kyle gave me two garments from Lucy & Yak, something I had dreamed of since 2019. A pair of denim dungarees and a pair of corduroy pants. And you know what I thought of looking at them folded? What a lovely thing to take a pattern from. Use brown craft paper or wrapping paper, and feel free. I traced methodically, marking the seam allowance, and back from the front pattern piece. I carefully laid out my pattern, mirroring the right and left pieces for the front and back. Then, over two weeks, I slowly sewed these pants together by hand with a fresh sewing needle, which makes all the difference. Don’t be cheap like I used to be; buy new needles regularly to save your hands. Sew with courage, because this might be the time it all clicks. What if you never let yourself succeed? That would be more terrible than failing again at doing the hard thing.

I wish you happy sewing and good-fitting pants that make you smile every time you wear them.

March 19, 2026

Our 2026 Garden Seeds: Tomatoes

In the final installment for my series highlighting the garden seeds we ordered for our 2026 garden, I’m going over tomatoes. I think we ordered more tomato varieties than any other vegetable. Below, I am including links to the previous installments of the series. Plus, here’s a post that showcases all of the seeds we ordered.

Links to Other Seeds:

Tomatoes

We’re changing up nearly all of our tomatoes from 2025. We had pretty good success with most of them, but we wanted to experience new varieties. In fact, the only variety that isn’t new is the Roma seeds we ordered. In choosing our tomato seeds, we wanted a large range of tomatoes, including multiple cherry tomatoes, paste tomatoes, and slicing tomatoes. One thing we didn’t want was tomatoes of unique or uncommon colors. Last year, we grew yellow pear tomatoes and found it difficult to see the ripe ones in the midst of the leaves. So this year, we’re only growing red tomatoes. I love tomatoes and want to grow as many as we can. I loved being able to make fresh pasta sauce last year and want to take that further this year by being able to can some.

Aichi First

A Japanese heirloom that originated in 1938 in the Aichi Prefecture, the Aichi First variety is a midseason that I would categorize as a slicing or salad tomato with fruits of around a half-pound. This tomato grows on indeterminate plants that mature in 80-90 days. Our seeds came from Baker Creek.

Early Cherry

This cherry tomato variety is one of the earliest ones to ripen in the garden. Its fruit grow in clusters of five on determinate plants. The flavor is described as “robust” and “full.” Successfully grows even in cool weather. These seeds were bought from Territorial.

Heinz

Yes, this tomato’s name is connected to the H.J. Heinz Co. This specific strand, the 1350 VF, was developed by the company in 1963. It’s a paste tomato with excellent processing attributes, making it great for canning and cooking into sauce. Grows on determinate plants, which produce 4-to-6-ounce round fruits, unlike the plum shape of Romas. These tomatoes come from Southern Exposure.

Korean Long

A Korean heirloom that is categorized as a paste tomato, the Korean Long tomato has a unique shape that is elongated (like a plum tomato) with a curved tail that comes to a point. Even though it’s a paste tomato, it has an excellent flavor when eaten fresh. A very meaty tomato that can weigh up to one pound each. Grows on indeterminate plants. These seeds came from Baker Creek.

Large Red

This is an old American heirloom that dates back to the pre-Civil War days, when it was listed in the 1843 Shaker seed company, which was based in their village in New Lebanon, New York. It quickly became one of the most popular varieties sold in the country. The indeterminate plants produce large 2×4-inch round tomatoes that have heavy ribbing rather than a smooth surface. Like most tomatoes with a storied past, the Large Red has a complex flavor that is sweet and tangy. These seeds come from Southern Exposure. And if you want to learn more about Shakers, their villages, and their businesses, check out this video from Kendra Gaylord.

Little Bing

We were drawn to this cherry tomato variety because of Chandler…Bing! As you can probably guess based on the name, Little Bing is a compact plant that will thrive in containers and top out at 24 inches tall. It produces lots of red cherry-sized tomatoes that are flavorful. It’s also an early-season variety that matures in 60 to 65 days. Our seeds came from Pinetree Gardens.

Martino’s Roma

When people think about tomatoes for making sauce, I’m confident that two varieties come to mind: San Marzano and Roma. Martino’s Roma is an Italian heirloom that is a perfect paste tomato. It’s a determinate variety, and the plants don’t need cages, just minimal staking. The plants produce 2-to-3-ounce fruits that are dry and meaty with few seeds. It’s a perfect variety for sauces, pastes, and salsas. Our seeds came from Baker Creek.

Mountaineer Pride

Although Mountaineer Pride isn’t an heirloom, it is the descendant of a variety that was developed in 1963 called West Virginia 63. Mountaineer Pride and its predecessor were developed by West Virginia University professor Mannon Gallegly. Mountaineer Pride wasn’t released until 2017, but it was now larger and with better disease resistance than the original variety. It grows on indeterminate vines with medium-sized fruits that have firm skin and store well. These seeds came from Southern Exposure.

Sub Arctic Plenty

This tomato is one of the earliest varieties to reach maturity, doing so in only 60 days. It was developed in Canada, so you can feel confident that it will grow in cool weather and late springs. It’s a determinate plant, and they can be planted close together so that staking isn’t needed. The fruit grow in clusters of two-ounce tomatoes, so bigger than a cherry but smaller than a salad tomato. These seeds came from Pinetree Gardens.

Umpqua Beauty

The images of these tomatoes in the Territorial seed catalog and on their website show one of the most beautiful tomatoes I’ve ever seen. They’re perfectly round with smooth, vibrant red skin and pink flesh with few cavities. The Umpqua Beauty comes from the Umpqua River Valley in southern Oregon, and both were named for the Umpqua Native American tribe that has lived there for more than a thousand years. The tomato is a determinate variety with fruit that can grow up to two pounds and are versatile. It is great as a slicing tomato on sandwiches and salads and also makes a great paste tomato due to the low number of seed cavities it has. I’m very excited to grow these.

And there you have it: Our 2026 collection of seeds. Were there any that stood out? Are you growing any of the same varieties or are there any that you think we should grow?

March 17, 2026 6

Our 2026 Garden Seeds: Pumpkins & Squash

In a continuation of my series highlighting the garden seeds we ordered for our 2026 garden, I’m going to combine two vegetables into one post. This post will go over our pumpkin and squash seeds. Below, I am including links to the previous installments of the series. Plus, here’s a post that showcases all of the seeds we ordered.

Links to Other Seeds:

Pumpkins

Pumpkins are one of the most enjoyable crops to grow. We had a blast with them last year. It was delightful seeing the bright orange fruit jump out from the dark green backdrop. But equally enjoyable was the success we had. We harvested multiple midsize pumpkins last year that we used to bake pies for Thanksgiving. This year, we’re growing one variety that we grew last year as well as a new one. We also have some seeds from last year that we may try to replant. Our focus on picking pumpkin seeds is flavor over everything else. It’d be great to grow the biggest pumpkin possible, but if it isn’t flavorful and can’t be used for cooking and baking, we aren’t that interested.

New England Sugar Pie

We grew this variety last year and loved it. The plants grew beautiful green vines with massive leaves and put on multiple volleyball-sized pumpkins. The pumpkins stored well, and we processed them into puree for our pies at Thanksgiving. It produced the best-tasting pumpkin pie any of us have ever had. We can’t recommend this pumpkin variety enough. Like last year, our seeds come from Baker Creek.

Winter Luxury

This heirloom variety dates back to 1893 and was improved in 1917. Grows medium-sized pumpkins that have the traditional orange skin. It’s described as being a great pumpkin for pies. This is our first year growing this variety, and we bought our seeds from Southern Exposure.

Squash

We love squash, both winter and summer. Last year, we grew zucchini and White Scallop for summer squash but didn’t do a deep dive into winter squash. We eventually started buying butternut squash (a winter variety) from the grocery store and fell in love with the flavor, so we’re growing it this year. We picked multiple zucchini, yellow squash, and winter squash varieties.

Black Beauty

One of the standard zucchini varieties, I think we grew Black Beauty last year. If so, it was extremely productive and flavorful. We got a late start planting the seeds, but in around two months, we were harvesting zucchini. I love that the plant stays contained yet open, which makes it easy to harvest. These seeds come from Territorial.

Burgress Buttercup

An heirloom that dates back to 1925, after the Quality and Essex Hybrid varieties were crossed, Burgress Buttercup first appeared in a seed catalog in 1931. The Buttercup is a winter squash with sweet orange flesh. It can be used in savory and sweet recipes. However, it does not store as long as other winter squash. Our seeds came from Fedco.

Burpee’s Butterbush

The Burpee’s Butterbush is a butternut squash similar to the popular Waltham variety but produces smaller 2-to-3-pound fruit. The flesh is sweet and moist but not watery. It matures in only 87 days, which is early for a winter squash. Although a determinate variety, its vines can still reach 10 feet long. It stores very well. We started eating butternut squash last year and fell in love with the flavor. We’re really excited to grow these seeds this year. Our seeds come from Fedco.

Costata Romanesca

An Italian heirloom zucchini, the Costata Romanesca is renowned for its flavor. Its plants are more vigorous than other zucchinis, and the fruit are best when picked at 12 inches, larger than most zucchini varieties. Still, the fruits remain tender even at 18 inches. We’re very excited to learn how the flavor differs from the typical zucchini we eat in the U.S. Our seeds come from Southern Exposure.

Crookneck Early Golden

This heirloom yellow squash variety is one of the standards for summer squash. It has been grown in North America since before Columbus arrived and has been one of the most popular varieties ever since. Matures early at 50 to 60 days and stays contained in a bush-growing habit. We’ve never grown yellow squash, but we love eating it and are excited to have a large supply of it this summer. Our seeds come from Baker Creek.

Lebanese White Bush

We stumbled upon this summer squash variety late in our seed searching process and are intrigued by it. It’s an heirloom that is similar to a zucchini, but the skin is light green and the flesh is white. The fruit appears to be pretty small, perhaps the size of a hand. It has a bush-growing habit and is supposed to be prolific. This is a new variety for us, and we’re excited to grow it. Our seeds came from Pinetree Gardens.

Ronde De Nice

This is another variety that we haven’t grown before and found it in the catalogs. It’s a French heirloom that dates back to the 1800s. It’s a summer squash, but it has the shape of an acorn squash, which is a winter variety. The plants are compact, vigorous, and produce lots of small, 4-inch fruit. These seeds come from Pinetree Gardens.

Turk’s Turban

The Turk’s Turban winter squash first caught my attention in our 2025 seed catalogs, but I didn’t highlight it and wasn’t confident enough to grow it. This year, it caught my attention again, and we’re giving it a go. It’s bright orange with green and white stripes on the top and sides. It is shaped like a butternut squash and categorized as an Aladdin-style squash or even a gourd, but I would describe its shape as being similar to a mushroom. It is stunning and can be used for decorations but is also edible and delicious. Our seeds came from Pinetree Gardens.

White Scallop

We grew this variety last year after never eating a patty pan squash before. It immediately became our favorite type of summer squash. The White Scallop is an old heirloom that was grown by Native Americans as far back as the 16th century. The plant produces many 5-to-6-inch round, flat fruits in compact bushes. They’re also delicious. We love slicing them and roasting them in the oven with a bit of oil, Season All, and pepper. My mouth is watering just thinking about them. The seeds come from Baker Creek again.

Yellow Crookneck

Similar to the crookneck variety described above, this variety has warts on its skin that come to mind when you think of crookneck squash. It’s an heirloom that was grown by Native Americans in the Northeast/New England region before Americans started growing it in the 19th century. We’ve never grown this type before. These seeds come from Fedco.

What are your favorite types of squash to grow? Have you ever grown a patty pan squash? If not, I recommend giving it a try. It’s a game-changer.

March 12, 2026 6

Our 2026 Garden Seeds: Peppers & Potatoes

In a continuation of my series highlighting the garden seeds we ordered for our 2026 garden, I’m going to combine two vegetables into one post. This post will go over our pepper seeds and seed potatoes. Below, I am including links to the previous installments of the series. Plus, here’s a post that showcases all of the seeds we ordered.

Links to Other Seeds:

Peppers

Gochugaru

We love using Gochujang in our cooking, and this is the pepper it’s made from. Gochujang is a fermented red chili paste used in Korean cuisine, and while it’s spicy, it still has flavor. We’re really excited to grow these seeds. The peppers grow to four inches long and are narrow. Our seeds come from Sow True Seed.

Jaluv an Attitude

Each year, Fedco Seeds designates one seed as their Seed Without a Price variety. It’s usually a seed with a unique backstory, and any profit that they would normally earn for the seed goes into their Seed Farmers Resilience Fund. This money is used to help Fedco’s seed farmers who face crop and livelihood disruptions. This year’s Seed Without a Price is the Jaluv an Attitude pepper. It’s a hot pepper that was developed by a breeder named Relentless. It looks like a jalapeno with a thicker skin and the flavor of a jalapeno. Jalapenos can be hit or miss for me. I love jalapeno poppers, preserving them into cowboy candy, and throwing them into salsa. But it isn’t a pepper I reach for just to add spice to a dish. That being said, I’m still really excited to grow these.

Takii’s New Ace

For our sweet pepper for 2026, I wanted a red, orange, or yellow bell pepper that matures quickly and succeeds in cool weather. Neither of us is a big fan of green bell peppers since they are often bitter and can lead to stomach aches. We tend to have inconsistent spring and summer weather where we live, so it’s hard to trust that we’ll have a hot summer that peppers love. Takii’s New Ace seems like the perfect pepper. It sets fruit in cool weather and has high disease resistance. Our seeds come from Pinetree Gardens.

West Indies Red Habanero

I love Jamaican jerk chicken, which traditionally uses Scotch Bonnet peppers. Unfortunately, Scotch Bonnet peppers and their seeds are difficult to find. Last year, Baker Creek sold them, but this year, they weren’t on their website. The West Indies Red Habanero was the closest variety I could find and happened to also be offered by Baker Creek. I’m curious to know if we can successfully grow this variety since it requires hot weather and lots of sunshine, but I think it’s possible.

Potatoes

We had some difficulty sourcing seed potatoes this year. In 2022, we ordered from Fedco and had great success growing them in containers. Last year, we ordered from Fedco and High Mowing because Fedco had sold out of some of the varieties we wanted. We weren’t able to harvest any potatoes, and the ones we received from Fedco were moldy and rotten when they arrived.

So, this year, we weren’t sure if we wanted to give Fedco another try. There’s a chance we could receive rotten potatoes again, plus their shipping costs are very high. High Mowing didn’t have all the varieties we wanted, and their prices are high since they’re all organic. That led me to search the web for specific seed potato varieties and resulted in me finding Urban Farmer, a seed company located in Indiana. We bought all our seeds from them.

Adirondack Blue

This midseason potato has blue skin and blue flesh and retains its color through the cooking process. The Adirondack Blue potato has antioxidants that can lower the risk of heart and neurological diseases. This potato is a fresh-eating variety with a short storage life.

German Butterball

The German Butterball potato is a quintessential late-season potato. It has yellow skin and flesh and is great for roasting and frying. It also stores well.

Magic Molly

The Magic Molly potato is one of the most beautiful varieties you can grow and eat. It’s a late-season fingerling with purple skin and flesh. We recently bought a bag of these from the store, and they made wonderful smashed potatoes. We grew these in 2022 and were amazed at their flavor.

Red Norland

The Red Norland is a wonderful early-season red-skinned potato. They are delicious, uniform in size, and store fairly well. My preferred way to eat them is boiled with butter, sour cream, salt, and pepper.

What are your favorite potato varieties to grow, if you grow your own potatoes? Also, have you had success growing hot peppers? If so, please share any tips.

March 10, 2026 6

Catch of the Day Sweater

In 2025, sardines and other tinned fish became more than just food; they appeared on beaded bags, shirts, and prints. They also made their way to the fiber arts community, which inspired me to make a fish print sweater for Kyle, who enjoys fishing IRL and in video games. I just like the video game version.

The Design Concept

When planning a garment with a colorwork motif, I always consider scale, placement, and repetition. To do this, I use what I learned in art class many years ago – the seven fundamentals of art. So I consider line, shape, color, value, form, texture, and scale. In the catch-of-the-day sweater, it was important to make the fish wearable and to ensure good form and function. How do I make the fish on this sweater make sense? I decided to hang freshly caught fish on the sweater to help with the scale of the art. I placed them in the center, on the front, only to keep the perspective of this in focus. I thought placing more fish would become overwhelming to the eye and become unwearable.

Adding more fish would have required adjusting the scale and the color, meaning I would have simplified the sweater down to two yarn colors only, with sections of fair isle colorwork, which is a smaller, more concentrated technique. But I like the color contrast of using two colors, representing two types of fish with slightly different scale patterns. How big is too big? How do you represent a fish, with their scales and texture? For this, I went to Pinterest to find cross-stitch or knitting colorwork charts for inspiration. I believe I settled on a cross-stitch pattern because it had the detailed lines and scale I was looking for. I wanted the fish to look realistic, although it could be in an imagined world like Animal Crossing New Horizons or Stardew Valley. Whimsical? I think that is the best way to sum it up.

To make my pattern, I used the cross stitch reference and transferred it to graph paper by hand, tweaking some areas to make the inspiration my own. I did this in the same application for my Red Velvet Cosmic Knit Tank project. Next, I needed to determine the scale of the fish within the sweater pattern. It’s important to plan out how many stitches you need to complete the colorwork section across your rows and keep it centered. To do this, subtract the number of stitches in your colorwork pattern from the number of stitches in your row. Divide the sum by two and adjust to keep the stitches on either side equal, to keep the pattern centered. It is also important to note how tall the color work pattern is compared to the garment you are knitting, to allow enough room above and below that the graphic motif makes sense and doesn’t look misplaced on the garment. I think I literally held my pattern up to Kyle’s chest to figure it out.

Fiber Content

For this sweater, I went in a different yarn direction to try something new. I chose a wool and acrylic blend from Knit Picks called Mighty Stitch. It was underwhelming. The yarn, while soft, pills something fierce. It is also a slim worsted weight, which was exaggerated by the large needle size I used – US 10 or 6 mm. This created a breathable, airy sweater, but dang, did it throw off my pattern and design. Eventually, I had to face my fate – I was running out of yarn, and my panel was too narrow. Not exactly the outcome you want after spending a week on the front panel with the intricate fish design. I would rather start over than frog the color work, always.

I had some decisions to make. I originally purchased the Mighty Stitch on sale, but when I ran out of yarn, it was not on sale, and I wasn’t interested in doubling the price of this already too expensive project that was in the process of failing. So like Miss Frizzle recommends, I got ready to “Take chances, make mistakes, get messy!” I went to my closet of yarn and fabric and began to dig through the stash for something else I could introduce into the design. I found a warm-toned gray and neutral black yarn from Big Twist that was also worsted weight. Because the Mighty Stitch is a washable yarn, I felt comfortable combining the two yarns. I had already introduced acrylic yarn to the project through the mint and teal fish, using scrap Big Twist for those sections. Always check your fiber content, though, to avoid incompatible fibers that will make the project hard to care for over time.

Making a Change

The original design was changing from color palette to overall concept. This sweater would need to have color blocking sections now, to stretch the main green color. I decided to not only change up the design, but to change up my technique, opting for crochet on the sleeves to make the sleeves go faster. Knitting is a slow craft, and for some reason, knitted garments for Kyle have this curse of going horribly wrong and also knitting up slowly because of the hiccups. I wanted him to be able to wear this sweater for the bulk of the winter season of 2025-2026, and I was knitting this in August-October, so I took a shortcut. But in my defense, the texture of the sleeves, ironically, looks like fish scales to me. Especially with the gray and black colors!

The second change I made was adding width to the sides of the front panel to make the sweater a drop shoulder. I then knit the back panel wider from the start, and added a section of gray on the middle to upper back panel. It adds a nice contrast to the overall composition of the sweater, while making the sleeves feel cohesive.

Men vs Women Shoulder Shaping

The shoulders gave me such grief in this project! I’m used to making sweaters for myself and my female form. The bust makes the shoulders rest differently than I realized, and this came back to bite me. For a man’s sweater, the back needs to be longer. Especially the shoulder section on the back of the sweater is going to ride up the back, and be too long in the front. This happened, and I was bamboozled on how to fix it. Enter short row shaping and the principles of perspective and scale.

I learned that I needed to add short rows, meaning only working a section across a row to add length to a specific portion of the back panel, the back middle. To do this, you work back and forth on the section, evenually go back to working across the entire row. In addition, I made the back collar and back ribbing longer to compensate. These simple changes made the sweater appear the same length back and front, draping across the shoulders pleasantly, even if one side was technically longer. It doesn’t matter because of the role of perspective. Magic!

Final Thoughts

I learned a tremendous amount of knowledge from the Catch of the Day sweater, and I am grateful it all came together in the end to make a sweater that Kyle enjoys wearing. I have saved my patterns to attempt this again in the future with better yarn and proper dimensions to make the pattern fit well from the start, instead of scrambling to adjust at the end.

March 10, 2026