My dandelion forest has almost defeated me. I admit it. There have been three skirmishes within the last week. I enter
the field of battle (i.e., my front yard) armed with a weeding tool and a surly look. The dandelions titter and dig in their roots a little more, just to irritate me. It’s as if they know how futile my attempts at organic weed control really are.
After each skirmish, I retreat into the house. My hands are aching from manipulating the weeding tool and I’m covered with dirt. After cleaning up carefully, I launch right into my knitting. My right hand can barely hold the needle at first, it’s so overworked. And yet I can’t think of another activity I’d rather be doing.
Sure, the knitting is relaxing; napping would be too, but that’s not the point. I am knitting to spite the dandelions. You haven’t licked me! I can go on with my life and my knitting. My battle injuries don’t even slow me down. Tomorrow I’ll come back even more determined than ever and I’ll repel your invasion. You’ll run crying back to my neighbor’s yard, where they seem to be running a dandelion hostel.
I knit and I defy you, oh dandelions. You’ve met your match. Come on. Make my day! (I twirl a knitting needle like six-shooter.)
And now, for the work in progress I promised you. The KO that is the symbol of my dandelion face-off. It really ought to be yellow. Well, you can’t have everything. The shawl pattern is the Panoramic Stole from Coastal Knits.
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All She Wants To Do Is Knit 
I say you defeat the dandelions through fear tactics… Come into my yard and I put you into the dye pot… You become an intimate part of my knitting and I WIN!
Love the look on the cat’s face! Yeah sure he/she is saying! With the flowers either make dye or dandelion wine. Imbibe the wine while pulling weeds! 😎 Use the leaves and roots to make dandelion tea. This will intimidate the plant knowing it is going to be cut up and digested! 😎
A couple of commenters have mentioned dandelion wine. I might try dandelion tea first. What do you do to make it? Do you have a recipe you like?
No no, don’t defeat them! You need to undermine them by baking them up. I just tried dandelion cookies which are pretty yummy, and I have a loaf of dandelion bread in the oven. You can also make dandelion wine which I’ll make as soon as I can get more dandelions. The wine does require a ridiculous amount of dandelions though. And you can make dandelion syrup, which is supposed to be delicious.
Recipes? 🙂
Sent from my iPhone
This one is for dandelion cookies – I just made them, they’re good (I added juice of half a lemon) http://www.publicradio.org/columns/splendid-table/recipes/dessert_dandelioncookies.html
Dandelion bread http://fat-of-the-land.blogspot.ca/2008/04/dandy-muffins-and-bread.html
Dandelion wine http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/dandelio.asp and dandelion syrup (I haven’t tried that one yet)http://fxcuisine.com/default.asp?language=2&Display=78&resolution=&page=2
I’ll put up a post in the next few days on my dandelion adventures
Wow thanks. I’m particularly intrigued by the idea of making dandelion bread.
I have to give you a lot of credit for coming up with an artistic and quite lovely photo of dandelions! I don’t even try to defeat ours; there are too many of them!
Your cat is definitely looking at you with sarcasm. I suspect many cats share this feeling about their people.
Keep calm and twirl your knitting needle like six-shooter! 🙂
Done and done.