Just too hot to knit anything large. Wool yarn just sort of sticks to you and itches! I've been trying to teach myself to knit socks. All kinds of great books out there plus web resources. I splurged a while back and got "Favorite "Socks - 25 Timeless Designs" from interweave. While in VA last week helping out mom both in the hospital and back at the assisted living center, I managed to finish one sock and get a good start on the other which I finished up on the long drive home. They are basically the "eesti Trail Hiking Socks" by Nancy Bush with a different rib top. The yarn is Schoeller superwash Limbo in color 2528, a variegated blue green with some rust in it. They were knit on Brittany 3.5mm double points. I live in a cold climate and want warm feet in the winter. I'd use the Limbo again. The socks are actually the same size - success! but are not blocked yet. Hopefully they won't change size much after washing.





If it ever cools down a bit, I'm going to pick up the second sleeve on Erin. A fellow knitter suggested having both sleeves going at once - do a chart repeat on one sleeve, do the same repeat on the second sleeve. For some reason that really clicked in with me and seems like the answer to having a hard time finishing sleeves. I sure do have enough circular needles to keep two going at once.


The gardens continue to bloom something new daily. The Wigelia is stunning this year. We got home just in time to cut both dark pink and white peonies. The smell is so sweet is almost overwhelming. Missed most of the iris but the yellow loosestrife is in full bloom. Lots of work but the rewards with color and smell are worth the weeding time.

Erin's body is done! I will set it aside to work on the sleeves of the Shirt Tail Hemmed Fair Isle that has been languishing for no reason for a year. I seem to have developed an aversion to sleeves.






The Erin swatch looked fine, the dark red at the bottom of the mythical beast not being out of proportion to the other three reds to oranges. In the entire sweater, the red is WAY too dark and creates a line through the sweater that is distracting. Sometimes swatching just doesn't work right. The button is a blown up photo of the perfect button for Erin. Central Yarn Store in Portland, ME is about the only store left that has a large button selection. Fortunately there were 14 of these buttons so I have a spare. The white going down the front button band is thread set where the buttons go.

Long time since I blogged on this blog but we have been travelling in the RV. Recent trips at http://otrafrommaine.blogspot.com/ Can you believe that we made a 3,500 mile trip and never set foot in a yarn store? Too tired at night from all the day activities to knit so not much was done though I did have the Shirt Tailed sweater with me. Also had Joe's all over rib ragland since I can knit on it without watching. Well I should have been watching as the sleeve ragland is a lot smaller than the body raglands. Rip it!

Gardens are spectacular this year and not due to extra attention. They have been established now for six years and the perennials are so massive they choke out the weeds pretty much on their own. So nice to go sit on the deck off the sunroom among the flowers and just enjoy the warm weather and all the bird songs. Even what weeding we are doing is enjoyable.