(0.5 FO) X2 = !!

Where there are toes on cuff down socks...

...there must be cuffs!

You know what that means?
One sock of each pair has now been completed!

Happy Tuesday!!

Arte y Pico Award

Oh my! I've been honored with an Arte y Pico award from Needlefingers!! Thank you ever so much. I'm touched and honored!

Here are the rules from Farmwife and Needlefingers:

1) Show the award. Link back to the blog that gave you the award.

2) Pick 5 blogs that you consider deserving of this award because of creativity, design, interesting material, and contributions to the blogger community, no matter of language, and link to them.

3) Leave comments on the blogs to let them know you've given them an award.

4) Show the link to the Arte y Pico blog , so everyone will know the origin of this award.

5) Show these rules.

The following are blogs and bloggers that inspire me with their endless creativity, joy and imagery:

Black Dog Knits: What can I say? Nora is incredible...her photography, her knitting, her creativity, her writing...every post and every image is infused with her spirit. I can't tell you how much I look forward to reading every post and taking in every image from Nora! Beautiful, beautiful...

Rani Knits: Rani has to be one of the happiest bloggers out there! Her posts are peppered with family, travel, knitting, and fun!! I have never met her, nor heard her voice, but her writing is filled with such joy and smiles that I love reading her posts! I always leave her blog with a giggle and a smile on my face!

Moonstitches: I found Alex's blog a little while ago, I don't remember my path to her blog as it wasn't via a conventional link...however, after reading just the first post I was hooked. Alex has posted several series of images on different subjects that are so intriguing and thoughtful.

Smitten Kitchen: I'm new to this blog, too. It's easy on the eyes, the writing is fun, and what can I say...it's about food! Deb recently did a tutorial on baking a wedding cake! Heart it!

A Walk Through Durham Township: I can't remember how I first found this blog either. It's a photoblog and is definitely worth your time to peruse Kathleen's archives. Her images are lovely...and you get a chance to visit a part of the world you might not ever visit in person! Happy travels!

Thank you all for all your kind words and return visits to the blog!
They mean so much to me!

We have done some knitting over the weekend...but, you'll have to wait just a wee bit longer to see what has been finished (!) and what's on the needles now!! In the meantime, I'd like to encourage you to check out the above bloggers ... what's a Sunday afternoon for if not a little bit of bloghopping with a fresh cup of coffee* in your hand!

*I bet you thought I was going to show you a steaming cup of coffee, huh? Nope...it's been long finished!! I'm working on the last of the blueberries from the garden now!! :)

Friday's Flowers: Queen Anne's Lace

Her body is not so white as
anemone petals nor so smooth--nor
so remote a thing.

It is a field
of the wild carrot taking
the field by force; the grass
does not raise above it.

Here is no question of whiteness,
white as can be, with a purple mole
at the center of each flower.

Each flower is a hand’s span
of her whiteness. Wherever
his hand has lain there is
a tiny purple blemish.

Each part is a blossom under his touch
to which the fibres of her being
stem one by one, each to its end,
until the whole field is a
white desire,

empty, a single stem,
a cluster, flower by flower,
a pious wish to whiteness gone over--
or nothing.

William Carlos Williams

Cool Treats

What goes better on a hot August day

than popsicles and Gumdrop socks?

Nada, that's what!!

In my little book of rules regarding tolerable weather...anything over 70F is hot. So you can only imagine my feelings about days over 90F! Say it with me, "Oy!"

Ahhh, yes...the RSC July Gumdrop socks are on the needles in all their wonderful glory. I love the yarn. I love the pattern. These socks are clearly vying for my number one favorite socks of the year!! I heart them all over the place!

I think Mr. NK and I better go finish up these popsicles before nothing is left but a puddle!!

Steppin' Out

It's hot around these parts...and I'm not talking about these socks! Although, they are pretty hot themselves IMHO! The STR 'Brick' "Fall Back" (i.e. the Spring Forward pattern) socks are coming along quite nicely. There was some concentrated knitting effort at dinner Friday night while here...yum! The sock was a piquant accompaniment to a delightful Peruvian dinner with family and friends.

I was listening to Mark and Brian on the headphones this a.m. while out for my morning walk (ahem, yes, I said headphones, not iPod). They apparently hosted Foreigner in a web concert yesterday and were playing bits of it on the radio. I heart Foreigner...remember, I still use headphones...It was a total blast from the past listening to them. It's good summertime music and a perfect way to start what is destined to be a blistering hot day here in PDX!

So, what music puts a spring in your step?

Through the petals

Stick a fork in 'em! The watermelon monkeys are done!! I love these socks.

Specs:
Pattern: Monkeys by Cookie A.
Yarn: Claudia Handpaint 'Watermelon' in short sports (3 skeins)
Needles: 2.5 mm
Mods: Picot edge and 4 pattern repeats on the leg.

Look at these darling mini vegetables that were at the market on Saturday! Yum!

Happy Monday!

Friday's Flowers: Summer Crops

Isn't it wonderful how with a little sun and water the buds of spring

transform themselves into the fruits of summer?

Given enough warmth and time this little flower

turns into these juicy berries.

Summer has been generous with her bounty. The blackberry bushes are laden with fruit and finally coming into their prime. Our one dwarf blueberry bush is overflowing with gigantic berries. The tomatoes are growing plumper and plumper on the vine, soon to turn red (hopefully!). Our mini strawberry plant has been bearing mini fruit since early June!

Tomorrow is Saturday. Market day. We have a ritual of going to the local cafe for breakfast and walking across the street to the local Farmer's market. The flowers and produce have been phenomenal.

We're still getting tomatoes from the grocery store. But with a little more time and patience, we'll be picking them from our own vines!

Happy Friday! Have a great weekend!

Soap TV for Socks

"As the Heel Turns"

Neuf Knitting

Who's that new kid on the needles?
Clearly the picot edge is ruling this summer's knitting.

Here's a better view....

Correct! Spring Forward socks...however, in this beautiful STR Brick color I have dubbed them "Fall Back" socks! You know how I love autumn!!
Not to worry though...the Monkey sock wagon is still going strong here at Chez NK...we aren't quite done with them for this season! :)

Fruity Fiber Goodness

Don't you just want to stick a fork into that "watermelon"? Yum.

Friday's Flowers: Red

I just had to pepper the lily images with these gorgeous red dragonflies! Our garden has been a hotspot for them after we had some trees removed. They sit on these bamboo posts (which are actually stakes for the tomato plants, which will hopefully be red before summer's end!) and bask in the sun all afternoon into early evening. Most of them are pretty friendly and let me snap away...others are a bit shy but eventually agree to having their picture taken! You know the secret phrase here at chez NK..."If it isn't red, it just isn't!"

Happy Friday!
Have a wonderful weekend!

Field to Needles

Yep. Pair number 3. Of Monkey socks, that is! This pair is knit from "Watermelon" by Claudia Handpaints. This yarn was a lovely gift from L-B! Thank you again L-B :)

The market to table diptych challenge on Flickr inspired this post!

Don't stand on ceremony...dig in!