New pattern teaser pic!

Isn't this stitch pattern neat?

This is a little taste of what’s next in the Knitting Matters line of FlexPatterns — it’s a jacket using the new Tranquility yarn by South West Trading Co.  (a blend of wool and bamboo).  I’m having such fun knitting this stitch pattern that I’m going to be disappointed when it’s finished.

I’m planning to release this design at TNNA next month, so it’s got to be done by June 10.   I’ve got one front done and am almost up to the armholes on the back.  Can’t tell you more, but I’m really excited about this design.  Sure hope it turns out the way I imagine it.

Think I can make it?

And just to add a little more pressure on myself as I get ready for TNNA, I’ve also cast on for a Rufflicious in my size so I can wear it in my booth at the show.  It’s a gorgeous blue shade of Bebe Cotsoy yarn that makes me happy — and it looks good on me too!  So  now I’m trying to divide my time between 2 projects that need to be done in — oh crap — only 4 more weeks.  With that kind of pressure, there’s only one thing to do: go work in the garden!

Garden Plans

At our last house I spent hours and hours working on my plan to turn the entire back yard into a garden, complete with secluded sitting areas and twisting paths.  I was making great progress too, as evidenced by this photo:

Garden at my previous house

But after we lived there for about 5 years, the next door neighbors built a HUGE addition to their house, including big windows that faced directly on our yard.  That took all the pleasure out of it for me.  You see, I really hate to have neighbors watching me in my own yard — and these neighbors liked to peek out the windows all the time to see what I was doing.  So it didn’t take long for me to start driving around the more rural parts of our suburb trying to find privacy.   We fell in love with our current home because it sits in the middle of 2 acres of woods and it just oozes privacy (at least while the leaves are on the trees and we can’t see the neighbors down the hill).  But because of all the trees, there isn’t much opportunity for me to work my gardening magic here.  I do have a small flower garden beside the front door, but not much else.

Yesterday I talked to Mom and got to hear her plans for her own flower garden this year.  Whenever I talk to someone else about their garden I end up saying how much I miss MY garden.  Well, today I decided that I’m tired of saying that and feeling sad about it, and I’m going to DO something about it.  Witness this, my new soon-to-be garden plot! (Click the picture to see a bigger version of my weeds….if you dare)

Definitely a work in progress!

This area is visible from a floor-to-ceiling window in our dining room and is west-facing, so I think it’s a perfect spot to put some flowers. (Don’t tell the deer!) There are some remnants of hostas from years ago here, and it’s usually filled with weeds and the ever encroaching ferns, pachysandra, and vinca from neighboring beds. Have you ever tried to get rid of freakin’ ferns? I’m telling you, those suckers do not want to die!

Anyway, this is what it looked like after I spent an hour or so digging up weeks and vines and ferns. I haven’t decided exactly what to do with it yet, but it felt SO good to start digging in the dirt again!!

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Tags: Gardening

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