WHERE DID JUNE GO?

I can't believe June is over. Where did it go? It is already the start of the second week of July.

I have been busy in my new place and I have some new photos to share and also some videos of my Solara's first time outside. I wish I could have taken photos or videos of her while putting her harness on but alas, I couldn't do both at the same time. It was quite the ordeal. I left it on her for a while and then when I put it on her the next day to go outside I didn't have a problem but getting her outside was an entirely different story. I have some belated knitting goodness to report. It is not overly belated getting on the computer more in the receiving end. NO it is NOT my Knitters Scavenger Hunt Swap Package but by Spring Fling Coffee and Yarn Swap Package. I have been so focused on not receiving my Knitters Scavenger Hunt Swap Package I have yet to receive and my move I seemed to have forgotten the Knitters Coffee and Yarn Swap Package. I did send mine out on time.

I will start with weekly question #4 from Secret Pal 12.
1) What yarn (that you don’t have/haven’t used) would make your stash “complete”?

Noro Silk Garden sock yarn. I know it isn't out yet but I sure would love to have some when it finally is available. Indie dyed yarns also as I have only a couple of those. AND more lace weight yarns. There are so many nice ones out there. I have very few lace weight yarns so more of them would round out my stash and fill the area where I am keeping them.

2) What yarn do you never want to be without? Mainly sock and lace weight yarns but I wouldn't want to be without wool that felts either.

Knitting Goodness

I received a lovely Spring fling Knitters Coffee and Yarn package from Jessica this past week. I finally have some photos to share. I really had a devil of a time uploading the photos from my camera??????

Here is a photo of the all the loot minus the Starbucks Expresso Chocolate Truffles which I sadly must say are no more. BUT they sure were delicious. So what is all in the photo. There is lavender scent, a little book that lists favorite sock yarns and sock patterns (a good thing to carry around when you go yarn shopping), and a sock blocker key chain something I have always wanted. HMM I wonder if you can get just the little key chains somewhere for after I make the first one

AND the yarn. OH MY MY MY... It is just gorgeous. It is Rohrspatz Wollmeise Fluffy Sockenwolle Handgefarbt 150gm (350m/574yds). This would be great for one of Cookie A's longer sock patterns. Look at these two lovely stitch markers that was in my package. Looks like I learned how to take close ups but don't count on me always figuring it out. A required item in this swap was to send a handcrafted item that shouted SPRING. AND I agree this shouts SPRING loud and clear.
You can see there is a full pound of coffee also. It came just at the right time as I had one more serving of what I was using. The coffee is very very good. Of course, I have it with honey, Splenda and cream or whitener When it is HOT HOT HOT out which is only occasionally I pour it over ice and have iced coffee. Unfortunately today wouldn't qualify as a warm day. Its only resemblance to summer was it wasn't snowing. One day I hope to get myself a Toddy Maker and have my iced coffee taste better. You turn your coffee into a syrup and then you can serve it up hot or cold I gather. I have had it cold at my friends and I loved it. One Day.

I have been busy continuing to put stuff away in my new home. Today I finally got all my yarns put where they will stay. Solara helped me. Can you find her?

When I finished putting it all away even the empty basket next to Solara has some yarns in it, I went and put one of Solara's little mats in where she is now. She always seemed to like to go into that one spot so now it is "her" spot.
When I finished I ended up with one large clear blue Glad XXL plastic bag filled with yarn I will bring to the next destashing or just donate. When I finished with my yarn I then sorted out patterns and put them in some new binders my friend brought over for me.

Today is also Avon night so I will have to put my order in online. It has to be submitted before 11PM central time or you get charged a $2.00 late fee and there is always the threat hanging over you that your order won't show up on delivery day.

I have some new photos of my garden. These photos were taken June 30. I was so concerned that yellow beans weren't going to grow I bought more bean seeds to plant and when I went outside to plant the new seeds the little wings of my beans were starting to come out of the ground. BUT I planted the new seeds anyway. I planted purple beans. I have green bean seeds also just in case I need or want to try for a late crop of fresh beans. Look at how much they have grown in five days. I wish I could say the rest of my garden is doing as well. I lost two tomato plants to cut worms I think. My big Sweet 100 Cherry tomato looked like it was going to give up but it now seems to be surviving the transplant from the pot to the ground. Only the the other tomato plants aren't doing very well.
The mint and lavender seems to have taken in the long planter but the curly parsley has turned almost completely yellow and I didn't take a photo showing how yellow it is.

Even these lovely pink petunias aren't doing very well now that they are transplanted into the garden. I finally swept up most of the pine needles and dead weeds from the patio and it looks much nicer. It is more pleasant sitting outside now except for all those mosquitoes that like to feed on me. AND the pine tree drips on you also. So here is my yard cleaned up.
Yes that is a citronella coil hanging off the tree. Isn't it a big tree? It is about six inches from the gate of my fence.
OOPs you can see some yellow curly parsley.

Of course, I know a lot of you want to see photos of the little Miss so here she is on "her" chair. That is why the back is covered b/c it is hers and she has scratched it to H---!


What have I been knitting. Same old same old. I am still working on the Clapotis Shawl using Hand Maiden Sea Silk. I think I am going to knit more increase rows so it is wider since the yarn I am using is fingering weight. I am itching to start or finish some socks also. AND I found three bag patterns I want to knit, one of which will be felted. Then my girlfriend's friend asked if I would make her a felted bag. She saw one I did last year and she wants one also. I don't know how she will feel when she hears the price as I will charge her which will be for the cost of the yarn and then some to cover my work. It won't be cheap.

AND lastly I have a video of Solara's first visit out in the big world. The day before I took her out I put her harness on her. I didn't want to put the harness on and take her out all at once. When I finally got the harness on her there was so much fur about. I kept the harness on her for a while. She didn't seem to mind when I put it on her the second time but it was the going outside that was quite funny. ENJOY I put them on you tube so make a comment over there. I don't know why I couldn't get a still photo of the video to show it but it just wouldn't do what it needed to do to appear.