Blooms

I thought I had killed the hibiscus last year when I put it back outside too soon, and that last frost nipped it. It didn't bloom at all during the spring/summer, but at least it didn't die. This time I was very careful not to put it on the deck until the last freeze threat had passed, and look!


Do you see the little friend peeking over the top leaf? I didn't until I downloaded the pictures, and there he was! (Actually, as cute as he is, in all his buggy-eyed wonder, he's probably the one responsible for the little nibbles taken out of that petal.)


I also have the first canna bud to show off:





As for knitting, I apologize in advance for the slightly blurry picture of the first River Rapid sock. Sock numero dos is cast on and into the second repeat on the leg portion.

Whew

Finished with the first sock, second one cast on. Pictures to follow. That is all. LOL!

Socks cast on!

Okay, I admit it, I'm bored with my stoles -- for the moment! To combat that, I knit my friend a scarflet for her birthday, and still needing something different, I cast on for the River Rapid Socks by Sock Bug. This is a wonderful pattern, not too difficult but not boring. And it knits up fast! I just started the other night, and I'm already close to the heel on Sock numero uno.



I'm using a yummy and delectible yarn from Dream in Color Smooshy, Gothic Rose colorway, on size 3 bamboo dpns. I love how it feels to knit: soft yet not limp (great stitch definition), springy yet not "sproingy", if you know what I mean.




Yes, I know -- this makes four WIPs on the needles. I'm sure you all understand!

Migration "scarflet"

The scarflet for my friend's birthday is happily blocked and drying. Turned out to be 8” x 36”, using only 15 pattern repeats of 8 (much less than the 40-ish suggested in the pattern).

I ran out of time and decided it would become something like one of Anne Hanson’s “little nothing” scarves. The Migration pattern is a Deb from Fearless Fibers original and was knit from stash FF sock yarn, which began life as, you guessed it: socks. There’s enough left over still to make mitts or another scarf out of it. When you order Fearless Fibers yarn, ya gets your money’s worth!
















And here it is, showing off its cuteness in natural sunlight, lounging on our hibiscus plant:

And draping over the deck railing:

And around my neck!

Yikes!

Just looked at the calendar, and my friend's birthday is this Sunday, the 18th. I have to finish knitting and then allow for soaking/blocking time. This could get interesting!

Yet another WIP

And Scarf makes four. WIPs, that is. I got a bee in my bonnet, and decided to knit my friend at work a scarf for her birthday. (It's in seven days -ARGH!!) I think I can finish this, as the pattern is lovely yet simple. It's from Fearless Fibers, and called Migration. I'm using some of Deb's beautiful sock yarn from my stash, in the Wildflower colorway.



Must get to knitting, I have about another 32 pattern repeats (@ 8 rows/repeat) to go.

Love

This last weekend, May 4, my daddy got remarried. He is 85, and a wonderful man. My mom passed away many years ago; I miss her every day.

This is Daddy's third marriage (there was a second wife, we don't talk about her much), and also the third marriage for his Bride. She is a lovely person, quite like a gentle southern lady. They married at her daughter's beautiful house in Oklahoma City, and the reception was there, too.

I am so happy that Daddy and Oralee found each other. Love never gives up, and the desire to be with someone, to make someone else happy so that you are happy, is as strong at 85 as it is at 18. I present to you, the Happy Couple!!!

Knit knit knit

I've gotten to where I knit primarily on my daughter's Wings of a Dream stole. The cat's paw section (middle) is complete, and I've begun the first wing.

The wife of one of my co-workers is having their first baby in September so I think I'll make my first baby hat as their gift. Should be a good way to use up some of my stash and they'll need a way to keep the squidlet's head warm in the fall/winter.