Large Family Plot in a Historic Worcester, MA Cemetery

We're offering a very lovely, huge cemetery plot for an entire family in Worcester, MA. This plot, which can accommodate up to 18 graves, is located in Rural Cemetery, often compared to Mt. Auburn because of its beautiful, park-like setting, impressive and historic monuments and rich history. This is very likely among the last opportunities to find such a large plot in a gorgeous, park-like cemetery in central Massachusetts. The plot is located in the older part of the cemetery, among large specimen trees and beautiful, historic stone monument and structures. Please visit the website for this Worcester, MA Cemetery's family-size plot for more information and to see photos.

The Brainless Gardener

The brainless knitter is also a brainless gardener. Especially around this time of year. Here's how the yard looks like right now.

This is the formerly shady spot down by the mailbox. The ash tree is dying and the birch trees already died, so there isn't so much shade any more. This patch was where massive trucks full of dirt and septic paraphernalia drove into my yard. Talk about compacted soil! The contractor moved the spindly rhododendron out of the way and replanted it. I'm hoping my Ligularia, May Apple and Sweet Woodruff can spread back into the devastated area.

The strip along the old horse fence. If there were any horses here now they'd nibble these plants to death. The climbing hydrangea seems to have reached its "leap" phase. The bed is mulched with brand-new wood chips - can't wait until they age a bit. They're kind of jarring right now. But hey, they are free.

All the wood I hauled up from our wooded area, as well as the wood (stacked) from our Norway maple. There's nothing like hiring a guy with a chainsaw.

This is what central air conditioning looks like when it first gets into your house. It's why I'm parking outside for a week or so.

The pathetic looking vegetable garden and the especially pathetic rhubarb plants I transplanted from the raspberry patch, where they were getting overwhelmed. All there is now is a bit of lettuce, peppers, kale and Brussels sprouts. And, I think, some garlic which I planted last year but have no idea how to really grow.

This also shows how horrible the lawn is where they put in our new septic system. This is after three attempts to seed grass. Really, only the clover seed took hold. It's a good thing we're not lawn nerds.

Bode posing by the perennial bed. The ajuga is about the only thing blooming now. The orange and yellow primrose was great a few days ago.

Felted rug - not square but at least it's done

My crocheted felted rug is finally done. I had to learn how to crochet to do this one, which is my excuse for why it's far from square. (Here's where to get the pattern.)

Here's what it looked like before felting. You can't tell the scale from the photos, but it shrank a lot, which of course is the point of felting. It also hides lots of sins.


And in pieces:

The cats don't seem to mind that it's not square.

Yarns Unlimited of Pennsylvania

I was happy enough to simply find some of my favorite hard-to-find yarn at an online yarn store. But then they emailed me after I ordered to let me know that it was actually on sale, plus they were going to charge me less for shipping. This was sweet -- I would never have known otherwise.

Hats off to Yarns Unlimited for super customer service!

Here's Bode modeling the new yarn:

The Bates College Moderne Log Cabin Afghan: Done

A mother's work is done. Last night I finished the Moderne Log Cabin afghan I started in January. Tomorrow I drop the boy off at college.

Am I crazy to put so much effort into something that's going into a boy's college dorm room? This was a true labor of love. Hopefully he'll look at it and think of mom knitting during all those episodes of The Sopranos we watched together as a family this year.

Now my tired hands can get a rest. At least I have three years before his younger brother will need a college afghan. (Or, rather, when I want to knit him one.) Unless he decides to go to school in Texas, as he threatens to do, the brat.

Graduation Girl Scarves

I'm so in love with Noro Silk Garden after making these three scarves for the girls who are graduating this year.

The center one is in the pattern from Brooklyn Tweed. The two outside ones are
the Multidirectional Diagonal scarf pattern.

All of these have been so much fun to knit - and easy, too. Now I better return to the Bates College Afghan and finish that up!

Take this cup and give us a yarn sample please

I have knitting and yarn on the brain. Today I brought my knitting with me during a doctor's appointment. While the tech was taking my blood I thought she asked me for a yarn sample. Heck, my scarf project was hanging out of my bag, so why wouldn't she notice it and think the Noro Kureyon was so lovely she wanted a sample of it?

But no, she said a URINE sample, not a YARN sample.

Oops.