Seeing red

The red pest continues to vex me with its orneriness. I've talked to it nicely. I've scolded it sternly. I've even asked Sister Mary Bodacious to threaten it with her ruler. Nothing works. After finishing the knitting, I was preparing it for blocking. I pinned both fronts to the board, side by side, and then noticed something was amiss. They were not mirror images as I had expected. Seems I must have been distracted and waited too long to decrease for one of the front neck edges.

So more frogging was necessary, but at least I'm getting good at it. And now I am more humble. I will no longer call a project just simple mindless knitting.
This morning, in a quest to find something red that would be more cooperative, I stopped at Joann's where I found an easy jacket pattern and some red fleece. If it comes out nicely I'll take it along on the upcoming cruise--for which, you may remember, the weather is forecasted to be either hot or cold. I just found out today that my good friend Claudia is going to this very same part of the world the week before me, so I'm counting on her to email me a weather report before I leave. Let's hope it's not hot though, dear Claudia of lurkdom, because I hear they charge $15 for a beer in Norway....

And now that I've got my garden beds looking better, I spent a few moments browsing the yard-ornament aisles at Joann's. I still haven't figured out if that's a fabric store or a garden center. I took a shine to this little bee plant poke and I think he'll keep a good eye on my black-eyed Susan--the only one remaining since the deer mistook my poor struggling garden for a salad buffet.

I finished one of the wreaths for the front door. I'm not crazy about it, which is probably why I'm dragging my feet about doing the second one.



I don't think there's a rule that says they have to match, is there? Maybe I'll just put a few ladybugs and dragonflies up there. I'm pretty sure I could whip up some of those in my sleep......