Most mornings the dog and I go out for a walk. I love walking on our road at this time of day. it's always so quiet and even with the campground open for the season, there's rarely anybody out yet, just an occasional runner or dogwalker, but they're few and far between. The birds are singing and calling to each other, new flowers and wild plants are blooming all the time. I often wish I had either brought along clippers, to cut bouquets, or a camera to take pictures.
Well, this morning I remembered to bring along the camera, so here are a few of the things I saw on this morning's walk:
Spring phlox...I love the sweet spicy scent of this flower.
Deep purple columbine...I think this beauty is a volunteer from the yard nearby. I know to look for it every spring in the same spot along the side of the road.
When I was a kid, my mom showed us what Jack-in-the-pulpit looked like down by the stream that ran near our house. It's such a cool looking plant, I love to find it every spring. But I'd never seen ones that grow so huge until we moved up here. I've found both small ones and big ones growing in the woods around here. you can't really see Jack so well in this pic, but the next one shows him much better.
Wild, eh?
Okay, I noticed this tree last year or the year before...or not really the tree per se, but the pile of deep red sawdust at the base of it. Wow! What is making that?!
This image is alittle blurry, but it's the pile of sawdust made at the base of this wild cherry tree.
If you click on this picture for the full-size version, you should be able to see the ants that do all this handiwork. I was looking up at the tree this morning wondering how long it would be before it falls over from being hollowed out on the inside!
This beautiful, cobalt-blue dragonfly was held still long enough for me to snap a picture.
And, last, but not least, new knitting. I started an ankle sock yesterday with Patons Stretch Socks.
I've done enough socks to have a basic sock recipe in my head. I wanted a folded over cuff rather than a ribbed one, so I tried Cat Bordhi's "Hansel's Cuff" from New Pathways for Sock Knitters. Really cool way of starting the top of the sock. You use Judy's Magic Cast On (with double the stitches needed for the cuff of your sock(,which creates a seamless cast-on. You knit this for several rows, then join the two sets of stitches together with p2tog. Very easy! Then you join for knitting in the round and continue with the sock. The only part i don't like so much and want to fiddle with, is that you have to later weave together the small part of the cuff at the top there. I want to find a way to use this same or similar technique, but have it in one piece rather than joining it later. Do. not. like. to. sew. my. knitting. much.
My other question is, this being my first ankle sock...will this cuff be tight enough to stay on?
I'll let you know!
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