HEY!! Where have you been? Ha ha.  After a crazy few weeks, which mostly involved dealing with an eye issue and a weirdo steroid treatment that has mostly fixed the eye issue (I’ll save you the details of the crazy side effects), and in which I did not write any blog posts, I’m finally popping in to give you a list…

1) I’m plugging away on the first pattern of the Shawl Society II series, the Fairyhill Shawl:

2) But in the meantime, the second shawl pattern has been released, Sprite’s Fen Shawl, and I really, really want to start that because it is soooooooo pretty (click on that link, it really is).  But I need to find yarn for it….

3) But I can’t start that one anyway because I’m also doing some commissioned knitting these days.  Here is the Amy shawl by Romi Hill that I am knitting for someone:

It has a garter stitch body, which is finished, and you can see in the upper right part of the picture that I have started the edging, which is knit at a 90 degree angle to the body.  Such a pretty pattern.

4) I’ve taught a few classes and forgot to take pictures (see aforementioned eye issue – I’m using that excuse for everything).

5) In gardening news, we planted the garden.  Really, Paul planted the garden. (See aforementioned eye issue in which for several days I wasn’t really doing anything but I could direct him where to plant things.)

Beans, San Marzano tomatoes, plum tomatoes, butternut squash, zucchini, peppers, eggplant.  In the middle tubs are pickling cucumbers and in the tiny planter, two lavender plants because I love, Love, LOVE the smell of lavender!

6) Did you catch the owl “decoy” up there?  My mother-in-law’s friend has one and says it keeps birds and other critters away.  Paul has been moving it every few days.  We hope it works.

7) I also bought marigolds to plant around the edges as I heard that helps keep some bugs away.

8) Look what came through the yard yesterday:

Sweet momma and baby.

9) And we woke up to this today:

(darn electric pole/wires…)

More craziness coming up in the next couple of weeks as summer gets started, but another post will come as soon as possible!  Do YOU have big summer plans, knitting or otherwise?