Garden Tour

Okay, so I need a little help here.  I'm attempting to green up my thumb this summer.  I need some help identifying some plants that are growing in my garden and some tips on what to do with the rest of them.  Here's what we've got:

This one is in okay shape.  I just wish it had more purple blooms.  Don't you like the milk can it's sitting on?  I do. :)

Our little curbside tree is greening up nicely.  What are these things called?

Here are some of the hostas I transplanted from my sister's farm yesterday.

The hanging basket on the left is blooming and beautiful.  The other one is getting too much sun?  I just drenched it in water, picked off all the dead-heads and I moved it to a shadier spot.  Hopefully that helps?

  Now we venture into the scraggly backyard.  Until last weekend, this was duck territory, so I had to abandon all hope of getting anything done back there.  I like how even the weeds look pretty when a few forget-me-nots get thrown into the mix.

Taking the prize for both the ugliest and prettiest thing in the backyard, here is the clematis that was blooming and tangled in the debris from last year.  I scooped it all up and tied it to the trellis.  I guess it will have to do for this year.

Here's the other clematis.  It hasn't bloomed yet, but it's a lovely rich purple.  I scooped it up and tied it, too.  The hole is the duck den. :)  Dan cleared it all out yesterday.

More hostas that I plunked in amidst the ground cover and some purple "stuff" at the back that I transplanted.  Anybody know what this is called?

See what I mean about prettiest and ugliest plant?

The pretty part of the clematis again.

Weeds?  What is this stuff?  I think the lighter stuff is Bishop's Weed, which we have as ground cover in the front beds.  As for the rest....please help me identify it!

What's this green stuff?  It's growing in a pot in my backyard.  Should I plant it or kill it?

Please identify these purple thingies.

There are some pink thingies beside the purple thingies.  They look similar, but the pink ones are much shorter.

...and the white ones.  Are they the same stuff, too?

Is this thyme?  (Non-edible?  And anyways it's by the sidewalk so everybody's dog has "watered" it...I'd never eat it anyway!)

Is it just me, or is something digging in my front beds?

Is it just me, or does my dinner look delicious?  (While I watered and fixed up the flowers tonight, Dan made dinner.  YUM.)

Eight Dollars Well Spent

I went to the thrift store with my mom today.  I found mom a $20 Michael Kors lime green trench coat...and I found all of these treasures for me:

Clockwise, starting at 12:00, we've got:  4 polka-dotted bowls that match our mix-and-match IKEA dishes (50 cents each), one "Canadian Pacific Hotels" suit hanger (50 cents), a creamer (25 cents), a Crown mason jar (25 cents), a coral-y pink doily (50 cents), and a lamp base with a wrought-iron look (4 dollars).

 Here's the lamp base on its own.  I love those lines!

And here's the best part: the creamer matches the print on this sweet little bowl I found at a different thrift store a year ago.  We intended to go buy fabric (I'm going to attempt to make a dress!), but I couldn't find any fabric I liked.  Ah, well: after finding all this stuff, it didn't really matter!

To do this summer: try a craftsy course, possibly this one to do some funky quilting.

Fibres Crocheted While Watching A Few Hours of Downton Abbey

I tried to be a little Wordsworthian in my blog post title.  If I didn't succeed, there's no need to tell me so. ;)

I'm calling this my Downton Abbey Jacket not because it necessarily looks like anything that might be worn on the show, but because I watched the entire first season of the show while completing this project.

Thanks to my niece, Maddy, for loaning me her baby doll for the big photo shoot.

People often ask how long it takes me to complete a project.  This little jacket was worked up mostly in one day, but it was a very relaxed day.  Before attaching the buttons, I was at 6.5 hours of work crocheting, sewing seams, and working in ends.  This was my first sweater.  I've often looked at them and thought they just seemed too complicated, but I liked the idea that this one was all crocheted in one piece.

I documented the jacket creation step-by-step to show just how easy crocheting a project like this can be.  The biggest tool to have in your tool box for a project like this?  A measuring tape.  You can pick up a cute retractable one at the counter of your favourite fabric store, or you can keep your eyes out for a freebie like this one (given out from an insurance sponsor at a teacher meeting I attended last year).  Actually, a measuring tape gives me no more excuses about staying away from symmetrical projects.  (Socks, mittens, gloves: watch out here I come!)

The pattern is a simple one from Lionbrand.com.  It's crocheted using an I hook and Bernat Softee Baby yarn in "Flannel."  One ball is enough to make the the sweater and it looks like there's enough left over for a hat and maybe even a pair of booties or no-scratch mittens.  It was meant to be a 0 to 6 months size, but I think it might be more of a 6-12 months...hence the oversized look on the teeny baby doll.

Construction begins with a simple rectangle.

Add additional chains to one side and work back across.

Once you reach the other side, extend past the rectangle with extra chain stitches.  Then turn and stitch all the way back across.

This makes the back of the sweater and the back of the sleeves.

Extend the sleeve on one side.  (This is the front of the sleeve.)

Extend down the front of one side and fasten off.

Join on the other side and extend down to complete the rest of the front of the jacket.

Here's what the main piece of the sweater looks like.  All one piece!  Nice and easy. :)

Fold over and stitch the side seams and sleeve seams closed.

Stitch around the collar, lapels, and bottom of the jacket

Stitch several rows (around 6) for cuffs.

Here's the completed jacket.  All it needs is some buttons!