Dragon's Orchid Garden

My first design! With thanks to Barbara G. Walker for her fabulous books, especially Charted Knitting Designs : a third treasury of knitting patterns.  I'm working on another one with a peak and a tassel.  I've made a pattern for this batwing lace bookmark which you can find here .  I've become a bookmark knitting maniac.  Guess what ya'll are getting for Christmas this year, family.  That's right...books.  With a little something to mark your place. I've made 7 bookmarks so far out of one ball of Crystal Palace Yarns Mini Mochi, and still have enough left for at least 3 more.  This pattern is the first lace I've knit where patterned stitches are included on both sides (yarn overs, increases and decreases).  The goal is to become confident enough to knit the Pretty as a Peacock Shawl .

Our garden is filled with faces. I like to think of them as guardians of our little patch of earth. They watch from every corner, and are sometimes unexpected. We've found some of them at garden shops, like Wild Birds, Unlimited (Moai, and Lion head). Some were gifts from friends, others found at yard sales. They have all gathered in our yard to watch over us, much like the legend of the Green Man .  Here are pictures of some of the inanimate (with one animate) faces in our garden. From Garden From Garden From Garden From Garden From Garden From Garden From Garden From Garden From Garden From Garden

I am easing myself back into the habit of knitting every day.  I've had 5 unfinished projects sitting in their bags since February.  Is it a coincidence that I stopped knitting when I bought this imac?  I think not.  I've poked in those bags, and knitted a row or two here and there, but have become bored.  It took something fun and small to get the feeling of passion I have for the craft to resurface.  I'm crazy about knitting lace.  In the last week, I've knitted three bookmarks out of a ball of Mini Mochi sock yarn.  I think I can knit 10 bookmarks from one little ball. From knitting I bought the yarn last year at Fiber Art, Inc.   Knitting a bookmark is a great way to practice a lace pattern.  I can make one in just a couple of hours. I love the way the subtle color changes work into the patterns so that each bookmark is completely different. I have two books with fantastic charts and designs for lace patterns. One is Charted Knitting Designs by Barbara G. Wa

Yeah, it's Friday.  I'm working tomorrow.  Our library is open 7 days a week, so some Saturdays and Sundays are work days for me.  But tomorrow, I work with two of my favorite people, Michelle and Annamae, so it will be a good day.  I decree it. It's mid-summer in central Florida, and it's been rainy (even more than usual).  That means rampant growth of not just the stuff we want to grow, but the weeds and the fungi and the algae.  Pulling weeds for most people is a chore.  For me, it's therapeutic.  Algae takes a pressure washer and that's the hubby's job.  He likes it, and takes it to the max by pressure washing anything that's not moving.  Watch out, Caliope! Orchids in bloom right now include these beauties... From orchids From orchids From orchids From orchids All of them have captions with their names, which you can see if you click on the picture. The names just go to show that you can't judge the color they will be by the nam