It is just perfect in Michigan right now. Some days we get rain, some days clouds, some days hot sun. No matter which of those, the ground is green and it seems everything that could bloom is doing so.

Our house was landscaped, for the most part, in the 1920s. We have lots of old fashioned flowers. The climbing roses are nasty, mean, grabby, and garment-eating for 11 months of the year. In June, I forgive them for all of their irritations. We have them on two sides of the house and one side of the garage.

In addition, we have peonies just finishing up, daylilies everywhere, and a hydrangea/snowball bush blooming. On Thursday I finally planted the last flower in a container. Last year we had some very sad tomatoes, no flowers in front and a few geraniums (in the pots they came in) on the back. This year, Geraniums and petunias with yellow-green sweet potato vines in back. Impatiens in 3 colors in front. I feel rich.

Last year I planted 3 types of tomatoes. One was called “Early Girl.” She never made a single fruit. In fact, the first tomato I got last year was in late October if I remember right. Several I picked green and ripened on the windowsill. If it were not for my knitting friend Rita B. who is an amazing gardener, I would not have had any home-grown tomatoes at all. Hers more than made up for my lack, though.

This year, we had a gift certificate to VanAtta’s Greenhouse in Haslett, and I was able to buy nicer things than usual. My geraniums already look wild and alive. And I splurged on a “Patio Tomato” which was about a yard/meter tall, already blooming, and had a few tiny fruits already growing. Here she is this week:

Can I jump up and down in glee? I’m pretty happy with this. No wonder I keep singing “June is Busting out All Over.” It’s true!

Whew. Yesterday I finished my new pattern and got it uploaded to Ravelry. Today I just uploaded it to Patternfish (though they have to push a magic button before it will go live on their site).

I have had so much fun, knitting this in all sorts of yarns and color combinations, that there is only one pair finished in the world. It’s the pair my test kniter, Emily, knit for me (huge hugs to Emily). Here is a new and exciting view on her take on this pattern:

And just to see how it would work out, while I was at TNNA I knit this version. It uses Regia solid/Uni in fuschia for toes/stripes. The “solid” foot color is Regia Flusi Das Socken Monster (a gently-striped cool-toned sockyarn, mostly turquoise and blue with a tiny bit of hot green).

I suspect this yarn combination is either “Adore” or “Can’t Stand It” territory, but it was worth the experiment. I’ll probably make another (they are fast to knit up) so that I can have a pair to actually wear. That is, if Rae doesn’t want it for a sample at her shop. She has not seen this one finished, yet.

If you are interested in the PDF, it is $6 right now with instant download through Ravelry and Paypal. (You don’t need to be a member of either business… a credit card works.) The link that works right now is this one: Summer Striped Socklet

I expect for PatternFish fans, it probably will be available there tomorrow if Julia is on her typical efficient schedule. I can not find a link to a designer page (it seems a search feature rather than a static location) on Patternfish. However, the link to my Chippy Socks pattern is here: Chippy Socks on PatternFish. If you scroll down, there is a link at bottom right where you can click on SHOW ME MORE by this Designer. If you click “Designer” it will show you my currently active patterns on the site.

WOOHOO!!! After 2 pattern deadlines taking over my life for 3-4 weeks, I took several hours off today and called it “vacation.” It felt like one, too. I even planted some flowers.

I’m drowning in photos I want to share with you. Let’s hope I can catch up on them, now.