Midsummer's day

Are you going to be leaping a bonfire for luck and fertility tonight? I may skip over a candle in the backyard just for form's sake. It's not every solstice we get to see sunshine, but today looks glory-ous! Look!










The plum tree is trying to survive in the shadow of a walnut and a willow. There's a little more sunshine over here to the right, so it leeeeeans for it. The roses and clematis have twined companionably around the plum. See the spots of red and blue?









Since we have morning sun, I thought I might as well do a solstice self-portrait. Roxie with apple tree. Maybe next time, I'll ditch the fluffy robe.











On the knitting side, I hate lace. I am not good at lace and lace is not at all forgiving. You have to read the fricking pattern exactly right on every dog-blammed row. Teresa Ruch of Teresa Ruch Designs yarns wants her yarn sampled in a lace pattern. In exchange for which, she will give me yarn. It's lovely yarn, and it's perfect for lace. I have already sampled it in the right angles scarf in blue, and the little neckpiece in lavender and grey. Now she wants samples of the bamboo, the tencell, and the bamboo/tencell combo in a pretty little lace motif. I, however, am lace impaired. I worked for five hours on one stinking 30 stitch, 45 row repeat, and now have to frog the barstid AGAIN! Thank God I get to do the same motif three times. God help me if I had to learn a different motif! The yarn is worth it.







And I got beads for a few more neckpieces. They should make nice little kits.