I Think It's Summer!!!

Today (Sunday) was the first day that it's been warm enough to open more than one or two windows, so I think summer is here. The garden is also looking all filled in, and the pool is starting to look not gross and we can almost see the bottom in the deep end. Life is good!

My black eyed susans are the most immense they have ever been. This particular flower is about three times the size they usually are, and they must be at least three feet tall. I am assuming this is because of the amount of rain we have had this spring and summer.

I have spent the day making little braids of fiber for my samples for the July Phat Fiber box. The theme for this month is Non-Wool, so I dyed milk fiber, bamboo fiber and some mulberry silk. There are six different colorways, so it was a fun group of samples to put together. I didn't do any yarn because I don't have any yarn bases that are no wool. Here are the six colors, all braided.

Here is Gerard helping me. I went upstairs to print some labels and when I came down I found him holding onto this bag of fiber. He chose the mulberry silk to hold onto. He has very good taste in fiber.

And here are the braids in their little star spangled bags, all ready to be shipped to Phat Fiber Headquarters.

I am participating in the Tour de Fleece this year, and I think I must be crazy for even trying to do this. I am supposed to spin every day that the Tour de France is taking place. I still haven't spun tonight, but will spin for at least ten minutes before I go to bed. Yesterday I two-plied 492 yards of yarn that I had spun while Andrea and I were at the Farmer's Market. This is my "Fire on the Mountain" colorway. I'm pretty pleased with it. I'm hoping that spinning every day will get me back to being able to spin a little more evenly.

Send positive thoughts that Tuesday will be a non-rainy day so we will be able to go to the Farmer's Market. It is a pitiful thing that we have only gone two days since the beginning of June.

I'd better get spinning so that I can get to bed. Tomorrow promises to be a busy day.

It's Electric!

How can it be Thursday already?  This week has sped by.  I thought I was going to post every day, but the best laid plans often do not come to fruition.  I have to tell you how excited I am that I have my old stove hooked up in the basement, thanks to Andrea's husband John.  This means that I can really expand the ways I dye.  It will no longer be limited to hand painting, and I am excited about the world of possibilities this is bringing my way.  It's a good thing too, because I keep buying fiber, so having more ways to dye that fiber will be very advantageous.

John also removed some light bulbs that had been stuck in light fixtures on the ceiling and replaced one of the fixtures.  It is hard to believe how happy it made me to know that I will have more light down there when I am dyeing.  It is a good thing that simple things bring me much joy.

Spring has finally arrived, I think, but I still find it hard to contemplate opening our pool.  Usually by now we will have had a few warm days to make one think that swimming might be a good idea, but that hasn't happened yet this year.  Here's what the pool will look like in a few short weeks.

Today has been rainy and extremely windy, but not as windy as it's been in other parts of the country recently.  Jessie, who is the creator of Phat Fiber Sample boxes was without electricity for several days this week, but they are still going to go ahead with the box sale this weekend.  Exciting!!!

Spring also makes me think about going to our camp on Cranberry Lake.  We usually all go on Memorial Day weekend to clean and rake and take care of all that has occurred over the winter.  This year though, I fear it may just be Conor and me, although I am hoping some family members will change their minds about coming.  Several years ago my sister started a garden of found objects outside the back door.  It's kind of cool, and a lot of the objects in the garden make me smile because they remind me of occasions or people that have played a part in the life of Camp Fi-Be-Gar.   The tricycle at the top of the picture was my brother James'.  I won't say how many years ago he would have ridden that little trike.

I finished two pairs of socks a week or so ago, and forgot to share the finished product.  These socks are made from Knitpicks Superwash Swish yarn in the Squirrel Heather colorway They are a replacement for a pair of socks I knit my brother Tim for Christmas, which were inadvertently felted.  I thought it was best to go with superwash this time. Shhh! Don't tell him.  They are going to be a Father's Day gift for him.

These sock are knit from one of my Moonlight and Laughter sock yarns and the colorway is called Island in the Sun. They are knit for a friend from New Jersey and were to be an Easter present for her.  I'd better hurry up and get them to her before the hot, humid summer arrives.

Almost time for the Real Housewives of New York City reunion show.  I missed it on Tuesday. I'm sure it will be fascinating.  Then Grey's Anatomy season finale is on. I have a feeling that they are killing off Izzy's character and that I will need a box of tissues next to me as I watch the show.