August 5.  Today Kathryn Margaret, my baby, is 24 years old.  She has grown into such a lovely young woman.  Kate has a charm that draws people to her and she lights up a room when she smiles.  She is smart and funny and endlessly creative.  Can you tell I'm proud of her? so

Happy Birthday Katie baby!!!

Patrick had a bbq for her yesterday and we spent the afternoon at his mother's house eating good food and laughing.  Instead of socks, I made Kate these

mitts.  They are Christina's Mitts.  A simple pattern.  I changed the edging (which was originally 3 rows of purl stitches which rolled) to a few rows of 2x2 ribbing.  I like it so much better.  I'm making a pair for one of Pk's favorite coworkers next.  We also ordered her some cones of angora and cashmere for her loom.  She needed large quantities of yarn to weave with so I headed for Colourmart and found some lovely tourquoise and another blue color.  She'll put them to good use.

And here are three red things.

First, a red potato shaped like a heart.  Pk asked for kielbasa and eggs for breakfast and I added some fried potatos.  The weather was a bit cooler so standing over a hot stove wasn't too bad.  I pulled the potatos out of the bag and went to wash them and found this one.  A little extra love in the breakfast.

Next, red socks.  Two finished objects in one weekend.  I have been working on these red socks for a very long time if you count their previous incarnation as Bayerische socks.  I had one and a third done and decided I didn't like them.  I ripped them out and found a pattern I did like.  Simple Lace Socks.  It's easy and looks amazing on my feet.  And I love the bright red color.  They're made with Shibui sock yarn.  I like the way it holds up and how easy it is to knit with.  The stitch definition is great.  I think this could become one of my favorites.

And last but not least, two Jersey Beefsteak tomatos from out garden.  We ate these on Saturday night with dinner and I don't think I've had such tasty tomatos since the last time we had a garden years ago.  They are sweet and slightly tart with a firm texture.  I absolutely love tomatos but they don't love me back so I limit my intake of them.  Usually, that is not a problem but with these I had to hold myself back. 

I was going to make pickles this weekend but didn't get around to it.  The past week had felt stressful and I needed some down time.  We have a counter full of cukes just waiting to be added to a bath of brine and seasonings.  I think maybe one night this week while I'm cooking dinner, I'll chop them up and put them into the glass jars and then brine them.  It's been years since I last made pickles and I can't remember if they came out well.

Today is supposed to be a gorgeous summer day and then the rain returns for the rest of the week.  I can't wait to get home and spend some time outside.  Pk is going to play in the garage and I think I may spin outside.  Gotta take advantage of the sunshine while we have it.

Sunny days to you all!