My Summer Thus Far

I feel as though my feet have barely touched the ground in the past few weeks, what with working some extra hours at the shop; travelling out to Sylvan Lake to monitor my sister's garden and then visit her there while she was on holiday; tending to my burgeoning raspberry patch; and working on various projects.  Often I've thought of updating this blog to share what's been going on, but by the end of each day I've been too tired to put posts together.

I finally decided I'd best empty the camera...and share with you "what I've done on my summer vacation"!

Every summer I weed and water my sister's garden in June, while she's tied up at work (read: hospitality industry, Calgary Stampede...):

WD's veggie patch - July 16, 2017

This year I found a great pattern at the Central Alberta Quilt Show in March, and "shopped" my stash to suit the colours of my sister's "casa" at the lake:

I've been assembling throw-sized tops to send to B.C. for quilting and giving away to victims of the wild-fires there.

String piecing under construction

Stack o' string blocks

String Throw - finished

Rail Fence under construction

Rail Fence throw - finished

I still have one more Rail Fence from the same fabric (it was a kit of fat quarters given me a few years ago by an elderly friend who didn't want to make it up), which will be a crib-sized top once I get some more navy for borders!

I've been putting up Saskatoon berries -- some of which I picked locally and some of which were given me -- and raspberries from my own garden -- in jam:

I've been enjoying the garden's floral beauties:

Bee Balm!

Bee Balm blossom close-up

Hollyhocks and friends

Impatiens in a pot

Campfire Roses

I travelled to Canmore (3+ hours each way -- there was construction!) to meet with a SAQA friend and colleague from California, Susan who, with her husband, was finishing a week of bicycle touring in Banff, Canmore and Lake Louise.  We'd never met in person, so we had a very special lunch and are both thankful to her DH for giving us time together!

I look a little...ahem...snooty in this photo, don't I?!  Have no idea...but while the other photo her DH took with my camera showed me in a better light, Susan had her eyes closed -- so I had to go with this one! LOL!

I also finished some knitting projects, such as this commission:

"Shawl in a Ball" - materials and pattern
from Lion Brand Yarns (provided by client)

Shawl detail -- pretty, eh?

And this shawl for a good friend...shhhhh...she doesn't know about it!

Pattern: "California Skies" by Evelyn Uyemura
Yarn: Painted Desert by Knitting Fever
Colour #1601

"California Skies" - detail

And just yesterday, this wee hat in left-over "Oilers" yarn, for a tot who's having a first birthday soon:

Pattern: "Scraptastic Hat" by Windy Prairie Designs
Yarn: "Hat Trick" from River City Yarns
Colour-way: Edmonton Oilers

Also yesterday, this project -- which I began in May 2016 -- for another wee tot, whose first birthday she shares with my 65th...

Kit from Dimensions

Detail 1

Detail 2

Today...I'm off to the shop to fill in for our manager, who's gone to a conference.  It's often quiet on a Tuesday, but never fear...I've begun a new knitting project... 😉