Rainy day

I bought myself some flowers to combat the gloom of a rainy day.

I'm also on my second cup of Irish Breakfast tea, which is modestly more caffeinated than my usual oolong or green tea. Some days you just need a little extra something.

Here is a peek at the plants I finally got onto my pots. My town now has a mandatory water ban on outside water use, so I've been shuffling the pots out from under the overhang when it is rainy. I also dump my dehumidifier water into them when that fills up. It is actually easier to move the pots than it is to get the hose out around the house anyway. I also planted some others in the beds--I'll get some shots of those soon. I also tried my hand at some giant pumpkin seeds. I'll let you know if anything grows.

This weekend is our town's annual strawberry festival. As usual, my strawberries are growing nicely but I never get to see one ripen. I always blamed it on the bunnies--but this year we've only had one bunny sighting. What I have been finding on my hill of strawberries when I park my car in the driveway are some very plump chipmunks and today a squirrel munching away. Why they are eating all of mine and not my neighbors? Who knows.

And, for a change, here is some knitting.

Since graduation I've been able to take a deep breath--and make a Deep Breath! This is a laceweight sweater, with a few modifications. My gauge is 5 stitches per inch rather than 4 stitches per inch, and I've added the Hanami cherry blossom pattern. The sleeves go just past my elbows.

I'm using Valley Yarns Alpaca Silk, right off the cone, and I'm really enjoying it.

Just a few more inches to go. Maybe it will actually be warm enough to wear by the time I am done.