THE FEET HAVE IT
Have you ever really looked at your feet? I can say with certainty that they look better with a cat wrapped around them rather than bare. Just saying.
While not taking photographs of my feet I've been knitting away. My sewing has all been UPS-ed to Phoenix and I will be right behind it come tomorrow afternoon. I enjoy sewing and I've loved my recent flurry but gosh, I really wanted to
KNIT something. So I cruised around and found the Boogie Vest from Knitty.com. I dug out some of my Rowan tweed and went to town. I also went to Ravelry and checked out what people thought of it and found that we were almost all in agreement that the neckline wasn't quite right. So, I went to my Green Mountain Spinnery book amongst others and worked out how to do a round neckline. I was sewing up the side seams as I loaded photos for this blog entry. I am pleased with it. It's also an amazingly fast knit. I cast on late Sat. and other than doing a ribbed neck and the armholes I am done.
The last several days have been quite strange. There are hundreds (really) of fires burning in California and most of them are in the northern part of the state. We are under a heavy blanket of smoke along with a health advisement to stay indoors. Try telling that to an energetic little dog. It's pretty dismal, smelly, and just downright unpleasant. No change in sight. Years ago I was on a fire crew for two summers fighting forest fires. It was hard, dirty work and I know how hard and how tired the men and women are who are out there working to put them out. They have my heartfelt thanks.
Just ahead of the smoke, though catching a bit of it on his last day of visiting, was our friend John from Boston. Check out the rental car. Mr. Cool.
Omar sucked up to him shamelessly.
Hubby and I took them both of them to our favorite swimming hole on the American River. You get to slide/slither down a steep embankment to get there. Yes, it's a lot of fun to getting down and then back up but worth it. The water was perfect.
I did a little knitting on my vest in between swimming. There were small fish and a large frog in the water just in front of me.
EYE CANDY TODAY
The Russian sage is starting to bloom along with the red and yellow crocosmia. Not a bad looking Japanese maple either.
Yarrow.
The Day of the Triffids oriental poppy has gone to seed.
Begonias and lamium.
There are lots of volunteer cosmos in many colors.
A green gladiola.
ZZEWWING "N" STUFF
I continue to sew up a storm and cut out things to take to the Phoenix Sew-In. Part of my recent stash increase.
Phoenix at the end of June. 112F. We've been experiencing mid 90's and thinking
"Man, it's fracking hot!". Well, I'll be indoors 99.3% of the time.
One of the things I've been working on is a very cute six panel skirt. I was making great headway with getting two different fabrics to work together by using one as piping along the long seams. I used Peaches and Cream cotton yarn as the filler. Perfect weight. Then I got a little crazy serging the seams and cut a whopping big hole in one of the side panels. That's my thumb being a little shy and fuzzy peeking out of the hole. I went back up to Fabrics on Mill St. and bought another yard. I parked in front of Sole Mates and couldn't resist going in afterward.
Aren't these the prettiest sandals ever? Dansko's, my all time favorite. I was wearing a brown pair when I bought these. Love.Them.To.Pieces.
I continue to knit mitered squares (I may scream) and the landslide jacket (I already am). That jacket just keeps giving me conniptions. I cannot seem to get the front just right. Must concentrate. The other day, while searching for just the right yarn for my piping, I came across a forgotten skein of Sundara sock yarn (Lenten Rose colorway). finding something like this is like finding a Kugerand at the bottom of your purse. Then
Wendy Knits! linked to a charity sock,
Guided by Love, that Was.To.Die.For and, well, I have sort of cast on another project.
We have baby birds -both house finches and bluebirds. This is a very assertive bluebird baby. No bug brought by loving but harried parents is getting by him. I've seen two other babies in the background looking frustrated and hungry.
Our berries ripened and were eaten fresh and as sorbet.
We did a little cleaning out of drawers and closets. His pile.
My Pile - and I added a lot more after taking the photo. Do I have more junk or am I more ruthless? We still have a lot more to clean out.
Eye Candy Today
There are bumblebees in this photo, honest. Lavender and artemisia - a lovely low growing type called "Seafoam".
A fern.
A pink rose.
Another type of lavender. It's supposedly "pink". See the bumblebee. Front and center. They just won't hold still.
What is probably the last of the amaryllis for the season.
Amaryllis and daylily at sunset. Love that glow.
Agastache (hyssop) and larkspur. I am particularly fond of this grouping for several reasons. 1) historically it's always been an awkward spot, hot, dry, poor soil, 2) the hyssop, (which overwintered just fine,) was grown from seeds picked from a yard in the bay area, (I have a cascading geranium that is going great guns and putting out fantastic purple flowers by the dozen that is from a snippet snapped off during my Coit Tower/historical tour of SF led by my friend Kate last year), 3) the larkspur - I have no idea where they came from originally but they volunteer every year without fail.
THEY LOOKED LONGER ON THE NEEDLES...
But, they are done. Nancy Bush, Knitting Vintage Socks - Gentleman's Half Hose in Ringwood Pattern. Done with Sundara sock yarn. Colorway: Dahlia on size 00 needles. Modifications: I made them shorter due to having less yarn than the pattern called for. Decreased as I approached the ankle. No breaking of the yarn as called for when doing the heel. I couldn't figure out why I would do so - I fudged it and it's just fine. I like the French Heel a lot, it fits me very well. The round toe is fine but I wouldn't choose to use it on another pair of socks.
I'm in a great state of Finish-itis and am working on completing my Landslide jacket. It is, um, a little small though. I think I can pick up stitches along the side seams and fake my way into having a great sweater. Then, on to Storm.
Along with my Tuesday knit night Sharon and I are becoming over caffeinated while knitting up a storm (small "s") most Saturdays at Starbucks. And me, a Peet's Girl.
I continue to prepare for my three day Sew-In at the end of the month by cutting out LOTS of pants and blouses, making up the bias strips I like to use along the edges and generally filling zip lock baggies with sewing stuff. Every now and again I sew something up for me. A very simple blouse for kicking around in the summer.
A nightie for those hot summer nights.
While sewing I occasionally get audited by the Kittie Police.
KP: Are you sure this fabric suits you?
EE: I love this fabric! What are you trying to say here?
KP: It's a little loud. Just saying...
After begrudgingly being unable to find any major items to cite me on the Kitty Police moved on. In the background note a rare sighting of the still yet unfinished Claude. For want of a few buttons...
AROUND THE GARDEN
Pushy fish.
Rudbeckia and something pink I was sure I would never forget the name of.
Some humble geraniums. There used to be a huge Dusty Miller just to the right of them. (There is a smaller one seen in the background looking very silver-ish.) It became very woody and was removed. This then gave the geraniums lots more light and they love it.
A day lily. It seems so unfair that the blossom lasts for just a day.
Alice, one of most favorite hydrangeas. She's starting to finally gain some size. Eventually she'll be close to ten feet tall.
