Getting Some ZZZ

The crunch is finally over. Unlike past years (and decades), when I’d send in finished work by making frenzied trips to the post office with speeds that would impress a NASCAR driver, I now heave a sigh of relief and click the “send” button. (Ain’t technology grand.) I happily did that this morning and so, I’m a free woman again in the sense that my time is my own. There is still some work to do, but no doubling up to get two assignments done at once. I may even take this weekend off. And I hesitate to say it out loud, but I may not work on Labor Day.

I can now attend to my garden, the accumulation of chores that has mounted up while I did nothing but work, and perhaps, a sock project. I did sign up for the Summer of Socks, but I’ve yet to cast on or even decide on a project. Well, the summer isn’t over, and so there is still time. I had expected to knit three pairs, and it actually is still possible to do that.

Bee Fields has been consuming. There are nights when I think it has been too demanding for my level of alertness, but I’ve plugged on anyway. The payoff hasn’t always been worth the effort because I’ve made too many careless mistakes. I’m now back at row 20 of the Bee Hive section, and you can see the cute little bees amassing.

This is about the halfway point on this section of the shawl, and the rows are getting long. If I have to rip a row or two, it takes the entire next night to fix it. That prospect should tip me off that I need to be more careful and consider a backup project that requires less focus. But this is a captivating design and hard to put down, so I haven’t even had the energy to contemplate something new. With all my newfound “leisure”, perhaps I will.

The garden has been moving along despite my neglect, although weeding is certainly in order. I’ve never gotten all the zucchini jokes. Even though my plants start out well and bear some fruit (well, vegetables), they succumb to the squash vine borer and collapse in a heap before I have so many zucchini that I’m pushing them on friends and neighbors. My late start this year might save me from this peril, according to the books that claim the vine borer isn’t a threat after midsummer. And I’ve been rewarded by my first squash blossoms. We should have some zucchini for dinner round about Thursday—and I can hardly wait. (This is not an invitation for those of you with excess summer squash to overnight them to my doorstep.)

And because there’s not much knitting to show, here’s a gratuitous pet picture. Addi is becoming quite at home. I leave the cage door open most of the day, and she flies wherever she wants. She is still resistant to being totally finger trained. She will get on my hand when she wants to (but always for food). She is now stick trained, though. And she is molting. For a tiny bird, she sure loses a lot of feathers. Why are birdies always doing the cute things the second before you snap the picture, and then looking dumbly into the camera?

Comments

[robin]

Awww, great birdie pic! I like Bee Fields too - that bee pattern is really neat. Don't even think about working on Labor Day!

[tiennie]

Yay to be done with the work stuff and you can go back to enjoying some fun stuff for a bit!

[Dorothy]

My brain has been so fried this summer, I haven't even attempted lace. I really do need to get back to it, though. I have two shawls started and need to get them finished. Addi is so cute.

[Lorette]

Your "bees" are looking wonderful! And that bird is just the most gorgeous color. I want a shawl that color green.

[Caroline M]

I bought courgette plants that grow to marrows more or less overnight. In previous years they've stood a few days at the small stage before they ballooned but this year I haven't stood a chance.

Those bees look very pretty, I started the stole pattern but ripped it because I didn't like the yarn.

[WoolEnough]

Ooooh, squash blossoms! I just discovered this lovely taste treat at our farmers' market this summer and have been sauteeing them, chopping them into omelets, etc. for weeks.