So lately I've been spending all of my free time (what little I have) either knitting or trying to tame the jungle that is my front flower/herb bed.
It's really hard to tell what's all there in this picture but here's a few things I'm excited about:
1. The peonies I thought made not have even made the transfer from Dad's house not only made it but actually bloomed -- 3 flowers. And more new growth is still coming!
2. My herbs are finally starting to reach their full growth. The sage (the purple in this pic) smells wonderful, the mint makes VERY refreshing mojitos, and potatoes are awesome with the thyme and oregano.
3. Finally managed to get catnip growing...sort of. Now I just need to rig a way for the neighborhood kittehs not to eat until it gets established.
4. I can't wait for my rose to bloom. I'm not much of a rose person but this rose has a special connection for me. My grandpa was a grower for the rose society for a while when I was little. I remember searching his yard for the flower that had my name attached and the many family parties where we were totally enveloped by the smell of roses. So I ordered the rose that he put my name on. Maybe this is my way of welcoming my grandpa (a constant gardener) into my garden.
In other more craftier news, I have finished Knitting Challenge #4. The lace shawl actually went really fast. I had a few days where the weather was rainy and yucky so I knit away. Here's the finished project:
All in all, not a bad project. Simple enough to not make me frustrated, lacy enough for me to feel girly.
After this and having my knee socks (Challenge #1) still irking me a bit [why oh why did I have to get gauge on a size 0 needle?] I was craving to do a simple basic sock. It feels like I haven't done one yet this year. So here ya go:
This little sock was came into being in just a matter or 3 days. It flew off the needles but sadly, it's mate is not so lucky. That one is mostly done but is struggling through the leg. (It may be because it's been very summer-y outside :) )
This little sock was came into being in just a matter or 3 days. It flew off the needles but sadly, it's mate is not so lucky. That one is mostly done but is struggling through the leg. (It may be because it's been very summer-y outside :) )The next big knitting project is on the needles and some have seen it but that's another story...
I was going to put my rose back here but I decided that there just is not enough sun for a rose to do its best. So I enlarged it -- just a little and have decided to make it a bed of color and cut flowers.
My old one doesn't match!
We left her in the capable hands of the 19 and 6 year olds! 
Looks sorta like spaghetti, no?
I tried a combination of dip-dying and what I guess is called the hot-pour method. When I was about halfway through the yarn in the dip dying fashion, I poured more dye over what was still heating in the crockpot to achieve a really strong kettle dye effect. Hard to tell in this pic tho.
it's extremely fast and she 
A year ago she wanted handmade socks so badly that she wanted to pay someone to make them for her. Now, she's come a little further to the dark side and will be making socks forever.
