Hi, there, dear reader. Glad you could drop by after my long absence. It’s been awhile, I know, so let the excuses begin!
The last several weeks I have been caught up in spring. This season makes me feel light-hearted and yet, ready to take on the world. Out in the garden everyday, buying flowers, potting soil, and seeds, spring cleaning, clearing out the fountain and raking away the tons of pine needles that threaten to take over my roses, and in general, just being outdoors; enjoying the sun after months of a typical gloomy Californian winter. Granted, in just a very short while, I will be posting about summer’s relentless, grinding heat and moaning for autumn; however, in the meantime, I will bask in this mindset and weather.
I finally finished the flame stitch bag and gave it a strengthening liner to turn it from a bag to a purse. I didn’t do the pom-poms because I am really tough on my purses. They’d need to be taken off after a week! For the handles, I purchased some at Joann Crafts and Fabrics. Attaching the handles did turn out to be problematic, but I went with it anyway!
I was supposed to get the $2.99 rings only. $65 later….eeesh!
With the temperatures climbing higher on the thermometer, all the fresh, new growth has attracted deer, especially to the aforementioned roses. I’ve babied those bushes because they have to 
be; the pine trees block all but about 5 hours of sun, even on the summer solstice, so I’m always sure to prune them, nourish them, ensure they’re disease-free. Anyone who has had a serious interest in roses knows how hard this can be. With the drought conditions we’ve been having, my roses have become a food mainstay for the hungry deer. To combat this, I’ve been using Must Garden natural deer repellent. During the winter, it didn’t work so well. The deer were starving. So my poor babies were beat up. I didn’t think they would make it this year. But lo, and behold, they’re blooming. Not a whole bunch, but it’s a start.
Colors are Malabrigo Ravelry Red and Spun Right Round Newsprint
And now that we’re finished with my easy purse, I’ve moved on to another Malabrigo project. I know, I know. I love that yarn and it was on sale. At least, today’s purchase was on sale….But I digress. I’ve been working on a pattern for a sweater that I bought on Ravelry, Zweig, and I can’t wait to finish it. I’m realistically shooting for November, when I’ll need it! I intend to do some more planned pooling on a new brand of yarn – I will report the results! I’ve also got some more fan art to do. Never thought I’d be that kind of a fan at my age! LOL Life’s too short not to do the things you want when you can.
See you in the funny pages!
For many knitters and crocheters in the northern hemisphere, September 22 is an auspicious date. Having taken a hiatus from the beloved craft because of the heat, September usually brings cooler temps, for some, only slightly, but it’s enough. Out come the hooks, the needles, patterns and yarn, and the crafting season is on!
