Happy May 1st (Zinnias)

Zinnias a flower I used to plant often, as did my Mother. Wonder why I got out of the habit? Funny, as I think back so did she. Zinnias are annuals, though they do come in both seeds and plants; most often you see them in seed. Perhaps that's why we both changed our habits. Annuals require more work then perineals do. Seeds though cheaper require more work then seedlings/plants. We planted seeds back in the day. There are many varieties, many sizes, many colors and once they grow, quite easy to care for.

These make wonderful flower beds whether you choose a mix as above or all one color and all one variety. There are small shorter single varieties that make lovely edges, the larger double and giant flowers are great to cut. Zinnias will continue to flower after you cut and bring in doors. In addition, they will continue to bloom if you dead head regularly. They'll branch and be more bushy if you pinch them back. They attract Butterflies and Hummingbirds to you yard, as well as beneficial insects. Indoor bouquets do best if you cut the flower blossom before it's fully opened.

I live in planting zone 5, which means seeds could be sowed indoors as early as late in the month of March; or sowed outdoors in late April. Burpee suggest planting in full sun after the threat of frost is mostly past. Plant seeds 12 inches apart with 1/4 inch soil covering them. Water frequently keeping them moist during seedling stage. Generally you'll see your seedlings within 7-10 days, at which time you're suppose to thin them to 18-24 inches apart. I can't say I ever did that, and doubt Mom did either. Who wants to pull out a plant that's trying to grow? Not me.

I've not thought about these flowers in some time, and need to review my yard to see if there's a place I might like to plant them again. I do love to attract Butterflies.
And Happy Birthday Chuck, my oldest brother. Shall I pick a bunch of flowers for you?

Starts

It may not look like it, but I have in fact made headway on my Red Scarf Project Scarf. Think maybe it's doubled from when I previously showed you.

The blue worm, geessssssssssss. I've now started this project for the 3rd time. Yeah you got that right, that means I've frogged it twice. The first time I decided I didn't like the pattern. The 2nd time, I decided I couldn't count. I really frogged a whole week's worth that time. I had a mess. With 300 stitches on the cast on, I apparently couldn't count. And...yeah you see me now cheating with the plastic ring thingy's every 10 inches. Good grief. I'm really only making a scarf, but, x number of knit, and x number of pearls with each row being different has caused me to have a headache. Now on the positive side. I LOVE this yarn. I LOVE the color, which I bought with someone else in mind....might keep for myself...hum, just don't know. I wanted to do the scarf lenthwise instead of the more traditionally widthwise as I think it stretches less and a larger pattern would show up better. The yarn is Ultra Alpaca, 50% Alpaca and 50% Wool (Laine), a Berroco hand wash made in Peru. Yeah....I think I'm gonna keep it. The person in mind is not a hand wash person I'm thinking. So with my cheater markers I've now started over the 3rd time; but have chosen a less involved pattern. The stitch repeat is 5 stitches vs 9 in the previous attempt, and a 6 row repeat vs 14. I guess it's "Baby Steps". Still amazes me how long it takes to complete 1 row.

The pink-blackish gray triangle blanket is coming along with quite a bit of headway since last you saw it. No worries with counting with the traditional dishcloth pattern. This yarn Jazzes up the the basic garter a bit too.

What are you working on. I can't imagine I'm gonna have anything to show you for Finished Object Friday. Just saying..........

The Friday Night Knitting Club

Mr. Linky below.
Add your name, blog about a book you've read about knitting or crocheting or any book you've recently read for that matter, and remember to add a link to this post.
The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs. I recently read this while lounging about the pool in Aruba. You can read about Aruba on my travel blog by clicking on the word Aruba.

One really can't knit or crochet by pool side, you don't want the yarn to get wet; nor can you do either well when you're hot and the yarn sticks to your hands and or to the needles and hooks. Sooooooooo, why not read about your craft instead. I had started The Friday Night Knitting Club previously on another vacation, and while I enjoyed it, I did not feel compelled to finish it when I return home. I tossed it on my shelf to have it ready for the next vacation. So, I guess that means I didn't think it was all that good. If so, surely I would have wanted to finish it, instead of waiting several months for the next vacation. It was a NY Times Best Seller. There are 2 additional books now in this series I understand, "Knit Two", and "Knit the Season". I probably will get them eventually....to take on vacation and read at poolside again; but don't feel the need to rush out and get them and stay up all night reading them. I had some issues with the book. Firstly, one of it's selling points is that it's about strong women; but I'm not sure I thought the main character Georgia was all that strong. On one hand, yes she was. She raised a bi-racial daughter on her own, and had her own business. On the other hand, she took back the no count father who'd not been around in years! I have a problem with that. She came from what apparently was a pretty dysfunctional family, not getting along with her family; choosing almost strangers over family. I like knitting, but I don't think it takes the place of relationships, replacing family the way they seem to infer in the book. It's a hobby and everyone should have one. I thought they made knitting far more important in the book then it is in real life. Recommend it, yea I guess so. Just don't expect to be transformed. My daughter read this and gave it to me, so that made it worth the $16.00. Save yourself money and don't buy it, it's not a keeper. Go to the library.

Have you read it? What did you think? Are there other knitting or crochet books you've read? Love to hear your take.

Let's share some linky love, and maybe work up a reading list in the process. Don't forget to visit each other too.

Red Pearls, not just any Cotton

I'm trying to show you the texture of this yarn in this picture. Fat, and skinny, flat and shimmery.

This picture, though a bit blurry shows some of the shimmer this yarn has. I held this up with the light of the computer behind it with one hand while taking the picture with the other hand. But, I think you still see the texture and difference in the shimmer and the not shimmery portions of this yarn. I've never used it before, but will be using it again.
Again holding it up with the light from the computer screen behind it. You can see it's sorta lacy. Nothing fancy, straight garter stitch on size 8 knitting needles. I used Cascade Yarn Pearls. I'm NOT a fan of using cotton yarn. It's hard on the hands, rough and tough and often blah...flat in color. This however, is 55.7% cotton and 44.3% Viscose. This Cascade Yarn is made in Brazil and I loved working with it. Felt nice in the hand, moved nicely on the needles and I love the shimmer and non shimmer contrast, as well as the thick and skinner portions of the yarn.
This terrible picture makes it look orange, it's not. It's red. I like light weight summer scarves for accessorizing and to keep the neck warm in air conditioning when we go out. Though I am rarely cold, the arthritis in the neck really aches and so often a light weight scarf is just the ticket. The edges look awful also in the picture...I must have laid it down badly because they don't look so lumpy. My indecision now is whether or not to keep this for myself or to donate to the battered women's charity, Scarves from the Heart that like soft, frilly, feminine scarves. I generally make my summer scarves a bit more narrow, sooooooooo...hum, just not sure. Will think on it.

Have you used this yarn before? If not, I highly recommend it.

I might also add this fun scarf traveled with me to ARUBA. Was a good plane project.
Click on Aruba to go to my Travel Blog and read about/see pictures of Aruba. Here you see where I laid it on my tray table to take a coffee break. We had a really early morning flight. Yikes! I really needed the coffee.

**Catching up after being gone takes time, but am working on it. Got all 300 drops done for my friends on EC, and visited and commented on all 20 on FO. Made some visits and comments on The Hive. And now need to throw another load of laundry in. Whew**

Working Ahead for The Red Scarf Project

A beginning, not the best picture, but you can sorta see the pattern. Actually guess it's more of a texture. This is a nice reversible stitch called checks and ridges. Using Plymouth Encore knitted worsted weight yarn which I love. It's 25% wool and 75% acrylic. It washes and wears very well and has a nice soft feel to it. It will be nice and warm because of the wool, and because this is a nice solid stitch. Using size 9 knitting needles. The red looks a bit more orange here in the picture than it really is. Had this yarn at finger tips and decided I needed a knitting project to give some relief after so much crocheting which is more bothersome on the arthritis etc.

This is working ahead for me as it will go to The Red Scarf Project which isn't due to be mailed until this coming fall. This is a charity I used to do a lot for, but in recent years my list became too large, so it's nice to have worked my way back to this part of my list. The pattern is a 4 row repeat and shows up best on a solid color in my opinion. I also like it because there's 2 rows of good old garter stitch.

I should also add this will be traveling with me to Aruba (be sure and check out my travel blog, will have lots of pictures and info there in the future).

What are you working on?



This was last weeks WIP, but I never got things officially posted, so am using it this week, now that I'm back in town and trying to play catch up. In my effort to play catch up this am before heading to work, I did manage to drop 209 for my EC friends (think I got all of you who dropped in my absence), and a few more. I also managed to visit and comment on 21 of you in the WIP--all that had signed in before my time was up. And now, to work. Keep stitching.

Hanging Art

A while back I mentioned I needed some art for the wall in this post. I couln't get the angle on the picture to include the bed, window, etc for you to see this, so please click above link to see. Took this picture several times trying not to get the flash reflection on the glass in the above picture. Seemed the only way to do that, was to take the photo at an angle. I put one of the bed pillows there with the picture so you could see the colors. The mat is grayish, and there's lots of that in various shades in the Monet Print. The frame is brassy looking to me, as is the bed post. The tan border on the print and mat seem to pick up the tan in the window treatments, the carpet and the tan in the print on the bed. Still need something behind the bed; but it's a start. We had these print with a really cheap frame previously hanging in this same spot. Hum, wonder if I have a picture of it anywhere. Anyway, having it re-framed wasn't cheap and hubby thought I spent too much. But, nice mats, and frames aren't cheap. And, I think it turned out really nice. He thought since the print was cheap to begin with I shouldn't have spent much on it. However, I think I added to it's quality.

Someone suggest a plant/tree behind the bed. Well we had that in the previous arrangement, but after fighting trying to keep it dust free, I don't want to go that route again. A collection of pictures is what I have in mind currently. Small prints probably, but will I make the corner interesting by doing this, or will I highlight further how offset the bed is to the corner? Thoughts? Ideas? Anxious for some input folks.