Friday's Flowers

Common Wild Sunflower

The strip of yard on the back side of our privacy fence doesn't get mowed very often. The grass has grown tall and the wild sunflowers are thriving there.



The plants grow taller than the fence and I enjoy seeing the blossoms that peek over the top.



Some believe cutting a sunflower at sunset while at the same time making a wish ensures that this wish will come true the next day. Click here and here for more sunflower folklore.



Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow. It's what sunflowers do. -Helen Keller

Sand and Socks

Ladies, when your husband calls from work and asks you if you want to go to the beach, the answer is always yes. Stop what you're doing, gather up a few things and be ready to go when he gets home.

Bring some shade.



And don't forget the knitting. You'll need something to do while he fishes.



Search for the perfect shell.



Enjoy the scenery.







Make friends with the beach creatures.



You never know when one of them will want to help you knit.



Stay until the sun sinks behind the dunes.



Then thank God for a husband that keeps life fun.

Unexpected Surprise

A couple of weeks ago, pictures of Colorado Columbine flowers on my blog promoted an offer from Danielle to send me some seeds from her blue columbine plants. I agreed to send her some Texas Bluebonnet seeds in exchange. I was expecting an envelope of seeds only, so imagine my surprise when a box showed up instead. Inside were the promised seeds and more.

Beautiful wool roving hand-dyed by artisan Susan Hensel.



And the most amazing needle-felted columbine made by Danielle herself. She said she modeled it after one of my pictures.



I love this flower so much! It's displayed on my computer desk where I can admire it often and be reminded of my trip to Colorado, the mountain wildflowers I saw there and friendships that begin in the most unexpected ways.

Danielle blogs at One Day at a Time. She's looking for the perfect pattern to use for a beautiful skein of laceweight yarn and has turned her quest into a contest. It would be great if you could stop by and share your ideas.

This weekend I went to my favorite yarn shop, Twisted Yarns, to search for just the right extras to go with the bluebonnet seeds I'll be sending to Danielle. I was very excited to see that they have started to sell roving. Of course, I couldn't leave without adding to my stash.



Roving by J. Knits, 100% Merino Wool, Iowa Colorway

Friday's Flowers

Passionflower

We have a passionflower vine in our garden, but it is not blooming yet. However, I found these beauties in South Texas last week. They were growing on a fence near the entrance to Seawind RV Resort in Riviera.



The name Passionflower refers to the passion of Christ. Each part of the flower is symbolically related to the crucifixion. The cornea is the crown of thorns. The stamens represent Christ's wounds. The knob-like stigma are the nails. The curling tendrils suggests the whips and cords that tormented him.



You may know this flower as a Maypop, one of it's common names. When we purchased the vine we have in our yard, I remember the lady at the nursery telling us that as a child she and her sisters used to pick the flowers and play with them, imagining them to be fairy skirts.

Basket Weave Rib Socks

Another pair finished brings my total number of hand-knitted socks to 15.

Stitch Pattern: Basket weave rib worked on 64 stitches, short-row heels and toes



Pattern Book: Sensational Knitted Socks
Yarn: JaWoll Cotton Superwash (49% wool, 35% cotton, 16% nylon)
Color: 8872
Needles: US 1 DPNs



Each ball of JaWoll sock yarn comes with a spool of reinforcement thread. I've never thought it necessary to reinforce the heels and toes of socks, but since it was included, I used it. It created a nice tight fabric that should wear well.

The next pair of summer socks is already on the needles. More on those later.

July

007 Snap a Dozen Days


The Lincoln Memorial
Washington D.C.

July is the month the United States celebrates its independence. Last week we found time to drive from Baltimore to Washington D.C. to see some of the sights associated with our country and the freedom we celebrate. We were limited to only three hours, so we parked on a street near the National Mall and started our tour with a visit to the Lincoln Memorial. Designed to resemble a classical temple, it is a quiet and reverent place.



The Washington Monument is visible from all parts of the park, but the most common view is from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial across the reflecting pool. The Capitol Building can be seen in the distance.



Next we walked to the Vietnam Veterans War Memorial. The wall of names reminds us that the cost of freedom is great.





At the opposite end of the reflecting pool is the World War II Memorial.



The Freedom Wall contains 4048 gold stars, each one representing approximately 100 American lives lost during the war.



Walking a little farther, we came to the base of the Washington Monument.



You can go to the top, but we didn't have time. From the ground you see the Jefferson Memorial on one side...



...and the White House on the other.



Soon it was time to leave, so we headed back to the car. It was a quick tour, but we made the most of it.

Friday's Flowers

Musk Thistle

Weed or wildflower?

Thistles grow just about everywhere, I suppose. To most they are a weed. I wouldn't plant one on purpose or allow one to grow in my flowerbed, but I do happen to think they are beautiful.


Creamy Thistle




Genesis 3:17-19

17 To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,'
"Cursed is the ground because of you;
through painful toil you will eat of it
all the days of your life.

18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you,
and you will eat the plants of the field.

19 By the sweat of your brow
you will eat your food
until you return to the ground,
since from it you were taken;
for dust you are
and to dust you will return."