Finishing up some projects

So I finished the felted slippers and one, yes just one, sock. It did take over a year so actually finishing one is an achievement. Besides, what do you know, I may just need one sock. OK just trying to evoke a little guilt. Sock two is cast on, ribbed and into the pattern, but the lady a couple of doors over had the audacity to have a baby and so a quick knitting project is in the works.  Not like I didn't have a few months notice, but she didn't know the sex of the baby and I really didn't want to knit something green or yellow, so here I am.

This is the most ridiculous plant ever.  This Japanese peony tree is just over the top.  Those flowers are almost 8 inches across.  In the heat they only last for a few days and then they're gone until next year.  This year there are a bumper crop of blooms, twelve in all.  That's a record on this nearly fifteen year old shrub.  Any more and the colour police would show up.  Best of all this year it's late to open, so I have an orange azalea and a yellow azalea going at the same time.  Can anyone tell mother nature to respect the colour scheme.

Hosta Love

My family knows that I have a soft spot for a group of plants known as Hostas.  If you have a shady garden, you likely have one of these reliable leafy relatives of the lily.  They are far more known for their leaves than their flowers, which is unfortunate as some produce beautiful large white flowers that are heavily scented.

The foliage is very compelling as it comes in a surprisingly large variety of textures, shapes and colours.  I love them partly due to the tropical feel these plants have, despite their hardiness.  Some of the leaves are impossibly large.  The one in this Photosynth is called Sum and Substance, which it has in spades.



You can see that some of the leaves are at least 18" across. Way cool!

Spring is Sproinging

My new child.  A Cornus florida Cherokee Brave.  This lovely flowering dogwood is now in my backyard.  I am so thrilled.  I understand that they can be a little tricky, but I will give it lots of tender loving care and patience and hopefully each spring these beautiful orange pink blooms will herald the bounty to come.

Europe Here We Come

  Booked the horribly expensive flights, and the horribly expensive tiny hotels for at least two legs of the trip, which means that since we are too cheap to spring for refundable anything,  we are going to Europe!

Joy, horror, trepidation and Joy!  We'll be seeing family we haven't seen ever.  Hi, I'm your cousin!  Again, a little bit nervous.  Should be so cool though too.

I am hoping to not only add to my family, but add to my knowledge of my family history.  This trip will be far to short and with the kids along, I won't have either the time nor the will to do any real digging in archives or records.  If I find a couple of grave sites and get a real birth date or two that would be something. 

This trip is really about me seeing something of my own family history and about showing the girls a little something about their heritage.  I really hope I don't ball my eyes out too much.  I guess I need to find where they sell waterproof mascara in pint containers.

Works in progress

i have been working hard trying to get things done. I've decided that multiple half finished projects littering my life and psyche are unacceptable, so the decision, resolution maybe to finish a few things. First stop my dAughter's felted slippers. Finished the knitting, but in my happy haste I forgot to put a ribbon in the casing at the top before felting. The pattern doesn't call for it, but in the five or six pairs of these I have made, I have found it to be highly neccessary. A quick revisit should fix this. Next finish a pair of socks I started last year sometime before the complex lace pattern got the best of me.

So that's the knitting projects in hand ( please ignore the new yarn I bought for a tank top and a bikini for my 17 year old ). Now I just have to deal with a 80 + piece stained glass project for my mom. Can't solder outdoors til it's warmer so that can go down the queue.

I have tonnes of paper projects on the go as well. Last year's doors open photos are destined for a mini album, last summer's and this March break's trip photos still need to be put into layouts. I've also started a project I am really excited to begin sharing here. It's a combination of art journalling, stamping, photoshop, humour, and storytelling. The subject is Zombies. Yeah, I know, so popular right now, so being done. I hope I am bringing something new and fun. I will start to share once I am into it quite a bit more. Stay tuned.