"Let's Do the Twist", as the song goes!

The Tangerine Twist, that is....More below... But for now, here's a bee (lower left on the catmint) pollinating. Go Honeybee!

I have an actual knitting update...on my ahem, knitting blog, which lately, has had more pet and garden pictures than anything else. A return to knitting for today.

On my needles, I sound like a broken record...Central Air socks (sock #2) with Bella colorway Blue Moon Fiber Arts mediumweight yarn. I've broken 5 rosewood size 0 dpn's with the first sock...I THINK because with this arthritis,I find that my hand grip on the tiny sized dpns has changed, and I'm not aware of the tight grip, as I'm generally a very, very loose knitter. So...I switched to some unused needles in my stash...6"Prym Inox metal needles, and things are progressing smooth as butter. Wild, huh? I have second sock syndrome, which leads me to...

Continuing my Tangerine Twist sweater by Susan Todhunter, found in the Knitty Summer 2007 issue. I'm knitting this in Classic Elite Provence, a 100% mercerized Egyptian cotton, knit with Knit Picks Options. Tangerine Twist is worked in one piece to the underarm, then divided and the upper back and fronts are worked separately. The button band is ALREADY worked into the garment, and the cables resemble tiny vines. This great little sweater was in hibernation for a few weeks over the past month due to health reasons (couldn't knit)...and now it's being picked up daily to get a few rows in.

Here is MY problem, though. It's not the pattern, it's me. I'm just about to decrease at the armholes, and notice that...my pattern is off. As I've memorized most of the 12 rows of this pattern, I didn't mind frogging a few rows. However, I've frogged 12 rows (a repeat) 2 times...which is 238 stitches times 24...you do the math. :)

My problem...I'm usually able to multitask while knitting, but when I place my knitting down, I need to be acutely aware of where I left off, and READ my PATTERN correctly, even if it's "memorized!". I've "found" the deviant row, and I'm back on track. I'd really like to wear this sweater THIS summer. :)

I'm a knitter that looks forward to the next projects to be cast on when half way through the first project. Next...one of the following, perhaps:

The Voyager Lace Stole (will definitely be cast on very, very soon)

Celtic Knot Stole (most likely saved till July/August)

Chinese Lace Pullover (umm...the ordered yarn is on it's way...I couldn't help it...really)

Now, in the garden...

My dear hubby constructed 4 4x4 feet raised beds for my square foot gardening veggie beds. Our NH soil is great in some areas, but we live...on granite, and my own soil is unworkable. I do have a nice little perennial bed along a stonewall, but the soil needed so much amending, that I find it impossible to work the soil for vegetables. On the left, is my arch nemesis...the wild raspberry. Actually, we have acres of them. A blessing and a curse. Nice wild small raspberries, but roots and thorns and shoots are everywhere, poking up their heads wherever they please. I'm always on the hunt in the garden bed for new shoots. Nasty plants with tasty fruits.

After working together a few bales of peat moss, vermiculite and perlite, various composts, and a few bags of leftover Miracle Gro garden soil, I found that I ended up with a great, lightweight soil for these beds. Eureka!

In one bed, I have some of my 9 year old's favorite annual flowers, yellow peppers, and a few green pepper plants. In another bed, it's thyme, two types of basil, and curly parsley, along with some bush and vine zucchini and cukes. Trellises for the vine climbers are to follow shortly, but hubby doesn't know he needs to get them up for me, yet.

The third bed has mostly tomatoes...grape, Sweet 100, patio, and a Big Boy variety, along with some Dahlias in the corners.

Lastly, another bed has some cauliflower, more peppers, and I planted some beets, carrots, bush beans, and scarlet runner beans (also requiring a trellis to be constructed)

The haphazardly placed beds are placed on purpose where they are. Flat ground (sort of) and the best sunlight.

Make sure to look into your local WWKIP event. It's World Wide Knit In Public Day on June 14th. I'll be at our Derryfield Park in Manchester, NH. Come join the fun!