Knitting Exchanges & Iris Gardens

Dang it, there is never enough time from mid-March until mid-June to get everything done that I would like to do. If I knit I feel like I'm cheating on gardening, if I garden I feel like I am neglecting my knitting. I love each hobby so much that I want to give a 100% of my time to each of them and of course that isn't possible. Once the weather gets really hot, it was 'only' ninety degrees yesterday, I don't do a lot outside and of course from around Thanksgiving until mid-March it is to cold to work outside very much. If I could learn to managed my time, I would devote Mid-March through mid-June to gardening and the rest of the year to knitting but I'm sometimes a selfish person wanting all good things at all times; both knitting and gardening is a good thing to me.

I'm trying to decide which bag I am going to knit and felt for my Spring Felted Bag partner. I have a pattern (I won't say which) that I ordered from Knit-Pick planning to knit it for myself this of course hasn't happened yet. It is such a good looking bag I may decide to knit it for this partner. From reading her questionnaire she hasn't made or been given this one. However, this is an entirely different type bag from her others so perhaps it wouldn't be a good choice for her? Lo-the trials and tribulations of knitting for someone else but oh Lordy, how I love it.

I've heard from my upstream partner in the Knitter's Treat Exchange to let me know she/he hasn't forgotten me and that my package will be arriving from the US. She/He has been very thoughtful to post to my blog and let me know I'm going to be spoiled. Thank you "Partner' for this kindness. I think it is important to stay in touch with whomever you are partnered on these exchanges. No one wants to be left wondering if they've been forgotten or whether or not the upstream partner has reneged on their commitment.

This morning I finished up a shrug I knitted for my sister. Hubby has gone to the post to mail it for me right now. I really would like to post a picture of the shrug but I'm considering submitting it to Mag for a fall issue of the MagKnits magazine. I want to knit it once more and make a few improvements before I say for sure that I am going to submit it, but I love the way it looks. I want to knit it with a different yarn than the one I used this go-around and of course pay closer attention to noting for a pattern. Since I'm not going to post a picture of the shrug I will post something from our garden for you to enjoy.

The iris were popping like crazy in the heat this week. Our garden is about one-third at peak right now and would probably have peaked by the weekend except we are back to cold weather this morning. Yesterday was ninety-two degrees, today its fifty-seven; what a change. The iris are really telling us about the crazy season. Many of them are blooming down in the foliage or on very short stalks instead of putting up the tall stalks that identifies a tall bearded iris. The colors are still vibrant and its a joy to look out the window and see the many colors in bloom at one time. Mr. Rō and I love walking through the beds early in the morning with our first cup of coffee to see what is going to open each day, and again in the early evenings with a glass of wine and having the neighbors come over and join us to see what is in bloom. What a pity this excitement only last for a few weeks, it such a joyous time for us.

Gold Smoke, Snow Goddess, & Color Carnival Tall Bearded Iris

It has begun raining again. Shall I drive into Richmond and do the shopping that needs to be done or shall I knit. I think knit, its to chilly to be outside.