Hullo, Friday!!
Who else besides me, looked at the calendar and got excited that next weekend is Memorial Day weekend?
This weekend is the kick off to so many good things!
- Summer
- Book Bingo
- My Summer Knit Along
In preparation for Book Bingo I spent a good bit of time yesterday on Goodreads and on my library website looking for books for my squares and I have most of them plotted out. One book has a mile-long waiting list – so that moves to the “purchase” category. Two books have a short waiting list and I got on the list now so I know I will be able to get it before Labor Day! All the others, I am golden on and this is a very good start, don’t you think? I still am pondering a few categories: A Banned Book (outside of the US), a Biography of a royal (which royal will I pick?), About art/artist(s), and recommended by a family member (I am hoping my Blogging Family will chime in and give me a recommendation!!)
Today, the real prep work for Summer Knit-Along begins. I will be going through my projects I want to get done and put them in some kind of order. Unlike last year, where I had lots of things with little bits to finish, this year I have things that are either barely begun or not begun at all to finish! I am hoping that the pairing of knitting with Audiobooks will help kick the knitting into overdrive! And, as you can see above, the KAL knitting is moving along smoothly – I love the fabric this stitch pattern is making! This is not my usual yarns to knit with either, but I love them all stranded together and I am ready to wind another ball of the bamboo yarn.
And, that brings us to summer. We got the rest of the vegetable garden planted yesterday and we had a few surprises…we thought we got zucchini and summer squash, but we got an “unknown squash” and bush cucumbers. Yeah, bravo on my reading skills…NOT! Our neighbor gave us a dozen tomato plants – some of which got in the “deer proof garden” and a few will be testers in a couple of new beds that are not deer proof. This will either be wildly successful (okay, I know I am fooling myself here!) or the deer will get some treats of heirloom tomatoes, but can they possibly eat them all? Perhaps a bit of sharing is an okay thing to do…amirite?
I also have some perennials to add to the bed we did last year. Some things did not make it over the winter, but as you can see – the Foxglove certainly did! It is just loaded with blooms! I probably should have divided it earlier this spring…but, I can’t wait. I also moved a yarrow plant from the front beds that was just not thriving at all. I am hoping this move will be good for it and it is happy in its new home!
So, with lots of things to do today, I think it is time for some links:
- Oh Svetlana…
- Knitsburgh Cowl (I just wish this shop were closer, because I love Knitsburgh!!)
- Fresh Start
- Laine Magazine has lovely patterns in this issue
- I am not sure I want to knit something named “Betsy” but I love this sweater…
- My Daily Brioche is stunning, and is the perfect starting brioche pattern.
- And, finally in the Holy Crap Category: House Dressing
That is all I have for this week! See you back here on Monday – have a great weekend everyone!
P.S. Please don’t forget to share your book recommendations! XOXO
You’ve got so many good books to look forward to and your flowers are gorgeous! My $0.02 in books recs: The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson, The Shipping News by Annie Proulx, The Children Act by Ian McEwan, Still Alice by Lisa Genova, and Home Cooking (also More Home Cooking) by Laurie Colwin. (I may also be asking for book recs. next week as the book I was planning on using for that same square is really kind of … awful!)
Hooray for summer and all the good things that come with it: reading, flowers, home grown vegetables and knitting!
I’ll offer up Jonas Karlsson’s The Invoice. It’s a short book, translated from Swedish, about a 40-something video store clerk who unexpectedly receives a bill for his life in the mail. Turns out, someone is keeping track of what your happiness and sadness is worth.
I’ve got a Bingo card (or two) and I’m working on how to fill the squares. There are so many great things in store for us to share this summer. Good luck with your garden! We’re hoping the last of the frost has come and gone and we can start to plant. I think almost everything survived.
Woohoo! I was working on my Bingo card yesterday, too. (Must organize in Goodreads!)
A thought for the Art/Artists category: ORCHARD by Larry Watson
I believe I have a Royal, too (or is it Presidential)? The mind swims…
I think I’ve read four of the books on your list and all were excellent! I’m not doing book bingo because my to-read pile is too long, but I will be trying to get more reading done during the summer.
That dress is absolutely amazing!
A gold mine of a post—wish we were closer together so I could sponge off you…need some gardening assistance ????. Thanks for the getting ready for summer tips & inspiration. TBC!
Cheers ~
Your garden looks awesome! as does your lineup of summer books. I must say, you’re ambitious – there are at least two “bricks” with Patrick Melrose (which is really FIVE, so maybe you’re only planning to read one or two) and Game of Thrones. So maybe something short and light for the banned book like Green Eggs and Ham?(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_books_banned_by_governments)
I read The Real Elizabeth two summers ago and enjoyed it. (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12160828-the-real-elizabeth)
I’m working on my Bingo card, too.
I always have so many books on my TBR list or on hold at the library that Book Bingo is beyond me. I might recommend American War by Omar El Akkad for your speculative fiction square.
Yarrow: likes full sun, drought, and poor soil. I know, right? But it grows wild everywhere.