Snails and socks

I'm dressed for the garden and my tea's gone cold, but before I head off to deadhead the marigolds (and have more tea,) and ultimately end up back inside (knitting and listening to Melodica,) here's someone I met the other day out in my tray of sweet pea seedlings:Hello! He/She's looking at you with one beady eye-stalk! Cute!

I met another such fellow/lady last night as I was dividing a clump of Echinacea donated to my cause from my mom's back garden. I set him/her down in one of the mint patches for safe keeping. He/she can eat all the mint he/she likes, if he/she so chooses.

Plant-acquisition around here has been at an all-time high as we're finally working on landscaping the front garden. I've spent the past few days coated in a fine grime comprised mainly of dirt, sweat, sunscreen and bug spray (the latter two help the dirt stick better,) but the result is totally worth it.

Needless to say, all this gardening has cut into my knitting time. Still, I am dangerously close to finishing the (tentatively-titled) Balearique Gentlemen's Socks (which can be converted to Ladies' socks by going down a needle size. Or not, as you prefer.)When that occurs (oh, happy day!) they will depart to go live with their recipient, just in time for the summer months (my timing is impeccable.)

The pattern will be ready sooner than you think, should you be interested in acquiring a copy. I think I may actually have a wee contest with pattern giveaways to celebrate the release of this one. I'll keep you posted.

In other news, anticipation is high in these parts for the First Fall + Holiday Headstart 2010 issue of Knitty, (even more so than usual,) mainly because I have a pattern in it. You're going to want to check that one out. Don't forget!

Today was tomorrow yesterday

I've been spending a lot of time on the porch lately, so I've been very keen on the aesthetics of the place. The space next to the door needed something, so this is what I came up with yesterday:Six containers of trailing nasturtiums (my favourite,) in both proper and found pots, on a plant stand that's been travelling with me for the past decade (previously silver, now white.) I think it really suits the space, and it makes me happy whenever I see it.

More than a handful of you will be thrilled when you hear exactly what I've been spending all that porch-knitting time doing...here, let me show you:It's the Mittens With Pints On, and I'm pleased to say that I'm frantically (well, not really,) working to meet my self-imposed deadline of finishing the test mitten TODAY. The pattern is slated to come out this Monday, 14 June 2010 (but may be out sooner,) so keep your eyes open! I'll keep you posted.

And for you sock knitters, hold on tight. That's all I'm going to say for now.

State of the table

Exactly where I'm at on this Friday evening -- a veritable snapshot of my unsuspecting end table and the contents thereon.Clockwise, from top: Vanilla by Patricia Rain; Dream in Color Smooshy in Good Luck Jade (soon to be a new iPod cozy;) Two skeins discontinued Rowanspun 4-ply in Jade (soon to be the beginnings of Ene's Scarf;) some early spindle-spun handspun of Heather's (soon to be...a Scarfy, perhaps?); Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner (I can not get enough of her Riverside books;) and a lovely local red wine -- Mastronardi Cabernet Franc 2006 -- on one of Heather's handmade, gently quilted coasters (I told you I use them, lady!!)

Yes, it's another exciting Friday night at home.

In other news, my dining room is now sporting a very well-hung chandelier, the borage and I are on good terms and the vegetable garden is dug. Tomorrow, the herb garden. Pictures to follow.

Il faut cultiver notre jardin.

The settling-in process continues here at Pittsworth Manor -- I had no idea why I thought it would be over in a week. It's not like I haven't moved before, you know? I'm just so anxious for this new place to feel like a proper home! I know it'll happen, I just have to be patient. Trouble is, I've never been all that good at patience.

In any event, the knitting continues. I should be seaming up my Central Park Hoodie, but I'm doing this instead: These are Ulla's Gloves from Nancy Bush's Folk Knitting in Estonia, and I've already picked up three new techniques (the fringed cast on, the vikkel braid and the Estonian inlay technique) so far. I'm even looking forward to the finger knitting process, which either means that I'm a natural glove knitter or totally insane. You pick.

And in what might turn out to be another indication of the onset of madness I've joined twitter again. Keep up with my fibrey, housey and gardeny adventures right over here: spillyjaneknits. Yet another place for me to leave my mark online.