You know the saying…..Pink sky at night, sailor's delight.  Each night of our stay at the Cape we were enveloped in an amazing sunset, which in turn made for an equally amazing day at the beach.

Most of the pictures that I am sharing with you were taken by my daughter, Courtney.  She has taken a real interest in photography and I think she has a great eye for the angles that make a great photograph.  The longboard in this picture was her birthday present.  She turned 21 over our vacation….have I told you how much I enjoy my adult children…because I do. 🙂

The evening that I enjoyed the most on our stay, was our sunset night on the beach…I have always loved the beach at night and this week did not disappoint. I had my camera with me and snapped a number of pictures and this was my favorite.  As a child I loved reading a series of childhood books that dipicted women in history and the pictures in these books were always silhouettes.  I loved those books and I love this photo of Hannah and her boyfriend Shawn.

As we headed back to our beach home while the sun was setting, I knew in that moment that someday I would call this place home…..

Pattern:  Carole's Picot Edge Socks
Yarn:  Claudia Hand Painted Yarn
Needles:  US 2.25

These socks were finished just a few days before we left for vacation, but knowing that the stone blue and sandy colors of the yarn would somehow feel at home at the beach, I decided to wait until we were at the beach for pictures. 
A few years ago I picked up a number of skeins of Claudia Hand Painted Yarns and thought it was about time to use them up….this is the first pair. 🙂

Carole's simple pattern is one that I love to use because I can knit and chat all at the same time and you all know how chatty I can be at times. 🙂
If you look at these socks you can see that there is a little something different….click and you will definitely see it.
The first sock is completely done with one Claudia skein with just a few mere feet of yarn to spare…..the second one I was not that lucky.  I had to dig into my WR stash to find a yarn that might match.  I chose Pearl Blue Moon and it doesn't look too bad.  The thing is….I have pretty small feet and a skein should work, but in this pair it didn't….boo. 😦

 

Of course I used very little of the skein of Blue Moon, so I quickly cast on a new pair of socks, otherwise that wound skein of yarn would get lost in the rabbit hole of yarn here.  The pattern that I chose was Anne Hansen's Rimefrost….a lovely pattern that I really have to pay close attention to as I knit along…..so…..

as we were driving to the Cape I cast on another mindless sock with another yummy shade of Claudia's handpainted yarn (using up the stash).  This is not the best picture, taken from my daughter's phone, but now that the first sock is finished, next week there should be finished pictures. 🙂
Not everyone loves mindless knitting but me….I LOVE it. 😉

This is the house that we called home last week isn't it lovely? 

Ken and I have never taken time off for a real vacation since we have been married.  Over the years, we have taken a long weekend here and there and we sometimes squeezed a mini trip in with the kids during a dog show, but we have never spent a week on a dedicated vacation.  Why is that you might be asking?  Well, with 5 kids any time we had a little extra money something would come up…..braces times 4, house/car repairs, college etc….you know the drill.  This year however, I was determined to make it happen….and it was wonderful.

I thought I would take this week and share a photo or two each day of our time away.
This is the beach front that we enjoyed almost every day.  Located in Mashpee Massachusetts, South Cape beach is a lovely family beach that we not only shared with our family, but with our friends as well….so much fun!

The actual
Is only actual
In one place
And one time.
Deng Ming~Dao

Remember when I told you I was going to do some companion gardening this year?  Some of you asked to report back, so this is what I have found.
Rosemary in with the broccoli did not keep the cabbage moths away as you can see all of the chew marks from cabbage worms.  I have hand-picked them off and have not seen any new ones lately….which is good.  We will have broccoli for dinner this week…yay!

The lettuce/onion grouping on the other hand has worked fabulously.  Not one single bug on the lettuce so far all summer. 

We have been enjoying tender, tasty lettuce now for a number of weeks.  I just planted a second crop as the cut and come again plants are looking like they want to bolt.  It's been pretty hot.  If the new batch doesn't come up, I will start some inside for a late August planting and in it's place I will toss in some radishes or something else that will mature quickly. (any ideas?)

The corn is growing wonderfully!  I am seeing a little bit of yellowing, which is telling me it needs some nitrogen.  The beans hiding behind the corn does add nitrogen to the soil naturally, but the corn will need a little boost this weekend.

The tomatoes on the other hand have been very slow to take off this year, which is surprising as we have had a pretty hot summer for us up here in the north…also blowing the theory that basil helps tomatoes to grow bigger.  I took this picture last weekend and they have started to sprout since then, so hopefully we have turned a corner…..at least, knock on wood, I am not seeing the dreaded fungus.  They will be getting some added nutrients this weekend as well.

Even though they are not as tall as they usually are at this point in the summer, there are plenty of tomatoes growing.  Sungolds are a particular favorite in this house. 🙂

The carrots have been thinned a few times and will probably need one more thinning, but they are looking very robust.

The herb garden has been very productive this summer.  I have harvested and processed the different herbs a few times and have been able to use my own cilantro in our Corn Salad. 🙂

All in all, so far the garden is doing well.  Using raised beds makes for much easier weeding even though they need more frequent watering as they dry out faster.  I think that the consistent watering does help the plants along as well though…..but don't leave home for the entire day and leave your sprinkler on….oops (thankfully that happened only once).  Next week I will do a post on harvesting Calendula for herbal uses….until then, Happy Gardening!!!

….when you see this yummy dish on our table.

A few years ago Carole brought this dish to a spinning event that we both attended and ever since, it has become a summer staple in our house.  It's a dish that I frequently bring to parties and it is always well received.  Perhaps you might like it too. 🙂

Corn Salad
(This is how I make it)

3-4 ears of fresh corn, cooked and cut off the cob
package of sweet grape tomatoes (cut in half and seeded)
3/4 c. of feta cheese
1 can of black beans

Combine all above ingredients and top with dressing
Dressing
1/2 cup Olive Oil
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
Small handful of cilantro
small amount of sweet onion
pinch of cumin
Toss it all into a blender and pour…

Enjoy!!!  Have a wonderful weekend!

It's been a while hasn't it?  Yep….that fabric is going to be something awesome very soon. 🙂

~
I am still here and hopefully posting more often.
A while back my friend Margene and I were discussing how we don't think with our blog minds any longer.  That blog mind included a camera that was always available, but as my interest in photography increased the heavy Nikon DSL camera arrived and there were less photo opportunities because I was always leaving the big girl behind…..she.is.heavy.

In all honesty I miss the connection to my near and far friends that my blog has always afforded, so I picked up a small, toss in my bag camera that will always be available for "that" blog moment, so look out….I will be posting soon and often. 😉

…and if you were wondering…..

I'm still knitting. 🙂

Talk to you soon! xoxo

 

Now that everyone has probably received their June Yarn club package, I thought I would share it here.  This year the theme is on the Roaring 20's…and I think it will be a fun year.  Of course I am working on the 1/2 year, starting in June, which is probably confusing, so maybe next year I will change it, but it will be fun all the same. 🙂

I am so fortunate to have 6 amazing designers on board, all with fabulous ideas.  For the first installment Anne Hanson's lovely pattern Isadora was featured.
Anne writes this about the design:
The wide scarves of the 1920's were worn long and silky to accent the new slender figure and clothing of the decade, but probably came in handy, too, for those baring shoulders for the first time.  This fine silky rectangle features a shimmery damask pattern that relies on changes in stitch direction for the play of shadows across it's surface.

…and it is absolutely LOVELY!

Anne did tell me that the magic in this design really came to life in the blocking….and we all know what a master blocker Anne is…simply amazing!
Thank you Anne!!!

In every club package I always send a little keepsake card with a quote that fits the mailing and also touches my spirit.  I also include a little extra gift that compliments the yarn and design as well.  The little gift this time was a beautiful hand made silver stitch marker with a bead that matched the yarn.  The stitch marker is made by Plover Designs Jewelry Company.  I love how the small loop is for a smaller needle and the larger loop to accomadate a larger needle…..SO beautiful!
Thank you Donna and Colin!!

The next mailing will feature an up and coming designer,
Bristol Ivy.  I was introduced to her designs via Jared Flood and her amazing Winnowing Shawl, and had the fortunate opportunity to meet her at SPA…she is delightful!  I have seen what she has cooked up for August and it is wonderful…stay tuned…it's lovely!

Can you believe I just got my garden planted last weekend?  Me either!
We had that incredibly warm April, then a cooler and very rainy May.  I guess I should have started in April…sheesh!
Anyhoo, I took a full day off and finally got it done.  This year I am doing a few different things.  First, I am not planting any squash or cukes…boo.  The beds need a rest from those pesky squash bugs and cucumber beetles.  I am also trying some companion planting.  In between the rows of tomatoes, I have planted some carrots.

…and in the center dividing the 2 different kinds of tomatoes is some basil which is supposed to help the tomatoes grow bigger.

This is my favorite spot in the garden….my herb bed.  In the back you can see some sage and oregano along with some tarragon that has already had a full clip.  These all made it over the winter, a second time..yay!

The thyme survived the winter as well…what is a little different however in the herb bed is the addition of yellow pepper plants.  I read that the pepper plants like humidity and by allowing some of the ground covering herbs such as thyme to grow around their roots it helps the pepper plants along, so we will see.

I also read that Rosemary repels cabbage flies and actually geraniums trap cabbage worms, so I have some rosemary sprinkled around the broccoli and I think I will pick up a geranium to see if it traps the little suckers.  Anything to help getting rid of bugs is totally worth it.  So we will see again here as well.

The lettuce and onions are sharing the same bed along with a small potting of mint, which is supposed to repel slugs and the onions repel aphids…hmmm.

…and the last bed, replacing the squash and cukes this year is going to house 2 different types of corn and some bush beans.  The beans will add nitrogen to the soil which will help the corn.  Corn is a heavy nitrogen feeder, so they should play well together.

I also added some Calendula plants to a few of the beds.  I want to make a calendula salve this summer, so I am excited about this addition.  Yep, that is bird netting over my little basil plants. 

I love that my yard is a natural habitat for my little bird friends, but I absolutely hate the way they like to break my basil plants up when they are small and tender.  Hopefully this will help them along.  In this picture you can see one of our little fledglings along with his parent.  There are never less than 15-20 of these little ones wandering around on our property.  They make me smile. 🙂

Whew….that was a lot of work and it was super nice to be able to sit back and enjoy the fruits of my labor, along with a nice cold lemon martini and some knitting.  Yes, my knitting mojo has finally returned after a very long hiatus.
Fingers are crossed for a successful garden this summer. 🙂

A while back Ashley and I were talking about my shop and she had suggested doing a color of the month.  I thought it was a great idea!  Currently my webcart limits me in so many ways, so I can only offer the color in one yarn base right now with the discount taken off at checkout, but when the new shopping cart is completed I am hoping to be able to offer the colorway in all yarn bases. 🙂

This month…..it's a new colorway called "Viola" in Pearl
I love the soft gentle purples that Spring gives us.  The lovely lilacs and the perennial geraniums….and of course the soft pansies and violas.
I hope you enjoy it too!