Late Summer Thoughts

Petunias - summer 2018 on Patio

Although it is still plenty warm outside, the neighborhood kids have returned to school and soon I will have to bring in all of the plants. While it is still warm, I am enjoying watching the hummingbirds visit my flowers. I gave up trying to raise any vegetables on my balcony patio because I just don't get enough sun in the summer.  It is nicely shaded most of the day and plants that like partial sun/partial shade do well out there. I figured that even if I could not actually grow vegetables I could help the birds and bees. I was pleasantly rewarded with a little family of hummingbirds that visited several times a day. That did make a little extra work keeping the kitty in though because she loves being on the patio as much as I do.  Unfortunately, she also thinks it is ok to attack birds.  

Zenias - summer 2018 on the Patio - Hummingbird Favorites

Outside plants did well, but none of the orchids rebloomed this year.  Not sure what is making them unhappy so I may have to visit an orchid specialty shop and get some information. I did receive a couple of new mini orchids as gifts so there were some orchids in bloom for a little while.  

New orchids to my collection.

I have been writing up some knit patterns and trying to describe things I just do so that someone else could duplicate the work easily.  That is much easier said than done.  Here is the latest knit project.

I think it is easier to knit, making up a pattern as I go, writing some notes and duplicating it from my notes than to actually list things like CO X# of stitches, work in K1P1 rib for 1 3/4  inches etc. Once I actually write it out I think I have a few things to add to it that will make it easier for others to duplicate. This yarn is kind of wild and crazy, but someone suggested these colors and it has actually turned out much prettier than I thought it would.  Here is a photo before I finished both sides and started weaving in the ends. 

Mittens in progress.

I highly recommend stitch holders over waste yarn. There is a stitch holder on the one on the left above for the finger stitches and waste yarn on the thumb. This is such a quick and easy project - even for beginners. I think the fingers are far easier to do than turning the heels on socks, but mitten and sock projects are wonderful small projects that can be worked on the go. I am also working on a sweater - with a chunky yarn. This is the first time I have worked with a chunky yarn and the project is going very fast. I am working to have some things for an upcoming craft fair, but really I need to be working on what I would like to give away for the holidays. 

I am sorry not to be blogging much, but there are a lot of items in progress right now plus several things I plan to sew soon. It seems to be one or the other, either just do it, or talk about it.