Look What Followed Me Home, Can I Keep Him, Huh?

Look what I found on my walk this morning!! He was crossing the street and I just had to rescue him. All those times I could not save the turtle crossing the highway but this one I could. I brought him home and placed him in the cool shade of the garden. Once I got out my camera he got much shyer and would not stick his head out of his shell. I hope he decides to stick around-I have plenty of bugs for him to eat and lots of color for him to look at in the garden. Alas I probably don't have a mate for him or her so I am sure he/she will move on.

The garden is doing well and putting on a great show. My grape tomatos are really setting well and I should have some to eat very soon. I actually harvested some fresh basil and made a great roasted tomato soup with it. I got the veggies mulched and that should really get them growing if the sun would only shine for more than a few hours a week. I am seeing some nice butterflys but still no bees. This week one of our mockingbirds attacked our sliding glass door in order to get my cats attention. I guess he bothered them just a little too much sleeping in the sun right inside the door!!

On the crafting front for the week, I completely finished the socks I started in Paducah. They were simple top down, knit5/purl1 rib out of Opal on size 0's. These are comfortable socks and it is too bad I have to wait for winter to wear them for the first time. Things that worked well on this pair is casting on with long tail over size 2 needles then switching to 0's to start knitting. That I will definitely do again. I also knit alot (and I do mean alot) on the lace shawl. I only have 5 repeats to do to be ready to do the edging. I will take it with me to OKC this week to work on over my call weekend. I figure the quiet of my apartment is the perfect place to start the complicated part of this project.

I was just waiting to be done with the Paducah socks so I could cast for more socks with the yarn that I bought while in Paducah. This is Louet hand dyed sock yarn in a springy colorway. Even tho it is 50g it does not seem like a very generous yarn so I felt like I just had to do top up socks for the 1st time. I sifted thru some web sites I had saved on the web trying to find a set of instructions for toe up socks that I liked. I finally settled on the Sherman toe/heel toe up sock. I followed the instructions to a T and after several tries I mastered the steps. I muddled thru and knit thru to where the sock is finally on all 4 needles. I was not happy with how pointy this toe style was so I am going to frog and look for another method. There is certainly no shortage of methods on the web and I know I will find one to use.

I am still reading the Outlander series. I am about 1/2 way done with The Fiery Cross. In this book we are about 4 years away from the war of Independence and of course Jamie is being drawn in to it on the wrong side despite what his wife, daughter and son in law know will happen in the future. At least Jamie and Claire are finally getting old enough that they do not need to have sex every other page!! Until next week then......