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No, we didn’t drink all of them. Did a couple of dumpster dives at the recycling center (thanks, honey!) and got a little help from Freecyclers in the seemingly endless quest for empty wine bottles.
Finally done. And am now absurdly considering making new flower beds around the front porch using wine bottles. Please talk me down.
Let’s take a little garden walk, shall we? Oh, one other thing…the mulch…free. Called a local tree company and they delivered a load gratis. Saved so much $ and thrilled to not have 100 or so empty plastic bags.
Ok, let’s go!
Watching the crops grow. Almost as fun as watching paint dry…
A wee little Tickseed plant I picked up at Home Depot
Irises that we got from a Freecycler when we moved into our house in 2008.
I adore Irises
I also adore Rhubarb and Chives. Maybe not together-together, but together in a garden is a beautiful sight.
You can do it, little berries! Grow!
Asiatic Lily, another Home Depot buy
Isn’t the color intense? Hmmm…what can I do with color ideas from flowers?
Recently, the yarn shop owner suggested that I come up with a few designs using my yarn. That way people at the shop could see how fabulous it looks when it is knit up.
Baby steps.
I have never pictured myself as a designer. Rather, a supporter of designers. Typically it is all I can do to just knit something so that it fits someone – anyone that is willing to take it usually.
But to design? The thought of it makes my stomach hurt a little bit, honestly.
So, I bought a new Moleskine-an undertaking of this sort deserves its own Moleskine-and got out my stitch guide book.
I have been eyeing a new yarn at the shop, Punta Yarns Merisoft Handpaint. It is single ply and I am such a single ply ho that I can’t keep my hands off of it when I am working. I talked to the shop owner about the yarn and asked if I could design something using that yarn. She agreed and I was elated.
A few days later and behold…
It’s a cowl. The One Skein Handpaint Cowl for Skeins Fine Yarns. I have about 30g left over and I think that I will try to make short mitts to match.
Detail of the stitch pattern…
I then got to thinking about all of the babies being born in my circle this year. So many, I may have lost count. I realized that I really should stock up on quick baby knits so that I have something for everyone.
Thus, the Pointy Baby Set was born.
Using A Tree Hugger’s Wife Falkland Bulky yarn. One skein will make you two sets, newborn sized.
It isn’t exactly earth shattering stuff, but it is a wee start.
My dear friend, Estrella, moved away from us last week. It wasn’t by choice, she is a Coastie and her time in Juneau had come to an end. So goes the life of a military family. After a while, you get used to it. And I think that many of us don’t form too tight of a bond because we know that in just a few short years, we will have to say goodbye. There are exceptions to the tight bond rule. Estrella is one of them.
She was quick to be my friend when we moved here. She is as outgoing as I am shy. She is one of the most giving and loving people that I have ever met. When she loves someone, she does it with her whole heart. And, she wanted me to teach her how to knit. I knew that I loved her then.
So I did. Started out by teaching her how to knit a basic dishcloth. She had big aspirations. She yearned to knit socks, or even a hat. I held steady and encouraged her to do a dishcloth.
So she did. She tried her hardest. It ended up looking kind of like a dishcloth and a small fishing net combined. Last I knew, she plans on framing it which I think is super sweet. She still yearned to do socks. She bought the yarn (although a worsted weight), the needles and I was telling her the pattern as she went. A basic ribbed, heel flap pattern. That was 6 months ago. I kept telling her that maybe she should just do a hat instead to get used to working in the round, just give me the yarn and the needles and I would knit the socks for her.
You have to know, I don’t offer to knit socks for just anyone. My husband is still handmade-socks-less. My theory is that if someone wants handknit socks, they need to learn how to knit. Because hand knit socks are precious. I have only given them as gifts to a select couple of women.
Me, explaining to Estrella that she just needs to hand over the yarn and the needles and I will send the finished socks to her in Boston.
She finally relented. And moved on to another dishcloth. Knitting by a bonfire = sweet bliss.
For her going away present, I knew I had to do something that was related to Crown Royal, her favorite liquor. So I found this sweet flask (*hint, hint* I <3 it and would love one in my knitting bag) and had it engraved…
It reads:
For Estrella
Both Will Keep You Warm
Love Missy
(Both meaning the liquor and the knitting)
Goodbye, dear heart. I will miss you.
Just taking a moment to breathe. This past month has been bananas. Let me say it again: BANANAS. I have handled more yarn that I ever thought possible. Between dyeing yarn and working at our local yarn shop, I am in heaven. Boring, but true.
This has resulted in the children taking care of the babies…
And doing the housework…
Everyone has to pitch in when life goes 100 mph.
