snapdragon crafts: 2008

dahlia daze

Wow. I can't believe how well my experiment of planting dahlias on my patio turned out. I foresee many more in my gardening future!

Hey, Teach! Such a fun, fast knit! I highly recommend this pattern. I opted to use the pattern's recommended yarn, and I loooved it. It feels so good to knit with recycled yarn! I'm in the process of seaming and picking up stitches to knit the button band.

Grape (aka Cherry) Just cast on, and using Elann.com yarn for the first time (Callista). Great yarn! (and you can't beat Elann.com's prices!!)

Currently stalled ...

Requires too much concentration ...

Lacy Little Top, allhemp3 in Aubergine
Ravel it!

Attempted to add some waist-shaping, and my decreases are looking wonky ...

Petra's Blunder, Nashua Handknits Sassafrass
Ravel it!

Finished, seamed ... waaay too big.

Lime Mondo Cable, Lion Brand Cotton Ease
Ravel it!

Summer Roundup: FOs

I may have disappeared from the blogosphere, but my needles were on fire this summer ...

My first pair of socks!

Lion Brand Yarn Sock-Ease, Rock Candy
Details on Ravelry

The Flintstones Bag

Before ....

and after!

Very Pebbles and Bamm Bamm ...

Lion Brand Landscapes, Rose Garden
Details on Ravelry

resurfacing

Summer vanished on me. Here are some highlights ...

I left my heart in Chicago.

Chicago skyline at night.

The famous sky-cloud sculpture (aka the bean).

Such amazing juxtapositions of old and new architecture.

Great art. Phenomenal art museum.

New Orleans captured my heart, too.

St. Louis Cathedral

Mmmm ... beignets. Powdered sugar, anyone?

Bourbon Street

Both trips were waaaaay too short. I'd go back to both cities in a heartbeat--so much I didn't have a chance to explore!

digging in ...

Agapanthus or "Lily of the Nile"

My blistered hands bear the proof that I spent an unwise amount of time in the sun yesterday, hacking at our sun-baked front flower beds. Although our beds are brightened by the presence of the beautiful "Lily of the Nile" and flourishing azalea bushes, I wanted to add more color--and fill the large portions that go empty. Here's a look at "before" (but ignore the white flowers and two pentas bushes ... the true before shot would just include the two meager boxwoods in the middle of the bed) ...

before, perspective one

before, perspective two

I then added some of the following:

yellow coneflowers

pink pentas

angelonia

red pentas

And here's the "after" ... these beds are so huge, it's kind of sad to see how empty they still look! But this satisfies me for now ... I want to invest in perennials, and this freshens up the bed while I research my options.

after, perspective one

after, perspective two