signs of summer ...

it was truly one of those perfect northwest days yesterday ... sunny ... light breeze ...

i spent a few hours in my garden, planting and weeding ... as you can see, my rose of sharon is very happy this year ...

and what is summer without napping kids and cats? ...

some say it's a dog life but i think miss millie smiling above would disagree ... it's definitely a cat's life for her ...

so, enjoy your day ...

sneak in a nap ...

happy knitting as always ...

and, before we say adieu, yes i have been working on those unfinished projects, as promised ... here's the first of many ...

my "hello betty" corsage ...

dare i say it out loud ...

we weren't sure it was coming ...

had those lovely days we enjoyed but forgotten about in winter and spring really just been an early summer ...

but then it arrived ...

with record-setting heat ...

summer in seattle ...

we welcome you with open arms ... arms still pale from what felt like endless overcast days ... when i swore i could reach up and touch the clouds looming overhead ...

but we look ahead and not back ...

and what is up ms heart's short sleeves these days? ...

i have titled this "my summer of unfinished projects" ...

i have a lovely antique dresser that i found at one of my favorite shops in duvall (tuxedos it is called for those of you who love to rummage around like i do) ...

it came just as you see it ... with lovely glass knobs ... i lined the drawers with some beautiful paper ...

and it was ready to hold treasures ...

i have a drawer that holds works in progress and this is the drawer that i hope to empty by summer's end ...

there's a pair of socks, a crochet market bag, pairs of guantlets ... to name but a few ...

and let me not forget the shroud ... the shroud is a project that has traveled near and far with me ... a simple knit two, purl two afghan that i fondly call "the shroud" because i joke that i'll be dead by the time i finish it ...

it's a lovely fisherman's yarn ... and i think i have about one foot of knitting left to go and then i plan to crochet something lovely around the outside ...

so wish me luck ... i'll keep you posted on projects as they get checked off the "to do" list ...

and, in the meantime, happy knitting everyone ...

after the break ...

ms heart and her knobby knees took a wee break after the By Hand show was over ... to pause a moment or two and reconnect with friends and family ... it's been such a frenzy of activity here in the fiber hive that i felt a hard-earned break was necessary ...

but before we move on, i thought i'd best share my final works with you ...

these are the two pieces i made for the opening of our gallery show ...

the grand finale of the certificate of fiber arts program ...

the piece de resistance ...

ok i'll stop now ... you get the picture ...

they were framed in vintage frames, discovered in the "back room" of one of my favorite antique shops ... other than a bit of elbow grease and murphys oil, there was no work needed on the frames and they were a mere $10 each ... i think they are perfect ...

so life has resumed ... around the knobby knees household ...

kids finished school ...

in our household that can only mean one thing ...

NO RULES DAY ...

the day most anticipated in our household, next to Christmas ...

a day when the cherubs go to bed after dinner, set their alarms and arise long before the rooster crows ... they can play xbox, watch tv, be on the computer, do whatever they like ... inside our home ... as long as no one gets hurt ...

the day gets off with a bang ...

one needs a lot of sugar to keep fueled for 24 hours of no rules ... so the kids place their orders ahead of time ... this year the request was for butter tarts and fudge, chocolate cake and brownies and a good helping of ice-cream ... clemantines and mangoes made it on the list too ...

the table has been set ...

let the games begin ...

needless to say, after twenty-four hours of no rules, the next day is pretty much a wash as well ...

so we waited a few days to head out on our first adventure ...

i'll tell you more about our summer adventures later ...

for now, ms heart must do a bit of work in her studio ... it's been sadly neglected ...

Bernie, my trusty sewing machine sits quietly in the corner waiting for her turn to shine ...

and i've recently added to the family ... i bought a spinning wheel from one of my fiber friends ... along with the spinning wheel, came lots of lovely fibers to work with ...

so more fiber tales to come ...

in the meantime, enjoy the sunshine and ...

happy knitting ...