Swirly Frogs

I had been pondering for a while what to do with the Froggin' Yarn. Very much not a color I'd ever pick myself and the pattern seemed too busy for such an already busy yarn. I found this Swirl Sock pattern a few months ago and thought it would be perfect, and I finally got around to winding the yarn and casting on this week. I had the sport weight so it was a very quick knit!


I have a lot of leftover yarn and I think I'll be making something for my 18 month old nephew with it. Probably more appropriate :) Though I am happy with how these turned out!

Lily of the valley

My favorite flower is the Lily of the Valley. It's a French tradition to buy sprigs of lily of the valley ("muguet") on May 1st, which is also Labor Day, as it brings good luck for the whole year and marks the arrival of spring.

I love the smell of this flower and am always looking forward to the few weeks when it blooms. We bought a house last year and I was happy to see that there are lots of them on our tiny garden patch!

birthday lilacs

Lilacs have always been my favorite flower because although they bloom in spring everywhere else, in Alaska, they bloom between my moms birthday and my birthday in June. Just about a week apart, I always looked forward to the week where we could smell them and enjoy them for my birthday. The very smell brings back the sweet memories of celebrating the summer birthdays. In winter in Alaska, that's a nice memory to bring up. It's more than just a favorite flower, it's a lifetime of memories!

summer indeed

when does summer end at your home? this year our last strawberries are still on on the first week of november. how would you like to have a few? add to these a little crushed meringue and a little whipped cream. summer indeed!!!

Favorite Flower

Hyacinths are my favorite flower! I don't know if its the fragrant smell, the gorgeous colors, or that they always seem to be a sign of Spring for me, but I just love them! In the spring, I always have hyacinths in the house and the aroma is amazing!

I've loved everyone's flowers so far!!!

Happy Knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Sunflower

If you never driven past a sunflower farm in late September, then this is something you should put on your 'bucket list'. This is my favorite flower for so many reasons. The way it turns its' face to the sun throughout the day. The many shapes, sizes and colors. The beauty of an acre of sunflowers and the same flower is beautiful in a simple kitchen garden. The way the yellow finches, juncos and chickadees flit about feasting on the seeds. And then, next spring, they've reseeded themselves and send up surprises all along the garden path.

Thank you

I haven't responded to this post yet because I just can't pick a favorite. It's like asking me which of my kids I like best! I just love, love, love flowers. Everyday I check this blog and everyday is a pure joy to see all the photos of the different flowers. I just want to thank all of you who have taken the time to post comments and such beautiful pictures to brighten my day!

Lilacs

My favorite flower is the lilac.
The village I grew up in is nicknamed the Lilac Village, there is a park as well as festivals in the spring dedicated to the flower.

Common Daisy

I am a huge fan of the very simple Common Daisy. I love them and grow as many around the house as I can. They have the ability to always bring a smile to my face. Great as a cut flower, or for "he loves me, he loves me not game". Daisies have so many purposes, they have astringent qualities, greens can be eaten, stems can be woven into necklaces, tiaras, etc.



Who can resist the daisy? Not me.

Me, Mom and the Johnny Jump-ups

I love flowers. I love their colors, smells and the way they change the landscape. And I love the way flowers and memories of my mom intertwine.

One of my very favorites is the little Johnny Jump-up.

We lived on a farm and my mom loved to walk around the place and explore all the hollows, woods and ponds. Mom and her copy of Ewell Gibbons', Stalking the Wild -- something or other. When school was out I would go along. We would hunt for all sorts of stuff; hickory nuts, elder flowers, day lily buds; depending on the season, filling her backpack before heading home. She would show me flowers and plants growing wild on the farm and told me their tricks and gave cautions. "Don't eat that Jewell weed. It'll kill you." or "Don't want to eat that persimmon before it's dead ripe, you'll be sorry."

But our favorite hike was in the spring when we would walk to a far field. As we went up the rise our conversation would stop and the anticipation would set in. At the crest we would stop and gaze down into the valley, trying to see through the trees to our clearing. Wondering if our timing was right or were we too early, or maybe we were just a bit too late or, heaven forbid, had the winter been too cold... then down the slope towards the bit of woods. There in the valley would be the Johnny Jump-ups, forming a pool of purple flower water filling the clearing between the trees. We would stand and look for the longest time. Our timing was perfect and the magic was back.

These little members of violet family grow wild, their petals arranged like the violet but with the coloring of a pansy. The purple in them shades from a deep rich purple to a light, almost lavender, the gold from old jewelry to pale yellow. Their little faces nod up and down in the breeze from lovely green leaves. They are not big and fancy but to me they carry memories of spring, a valley and my mother. They are magic.

Flowers and Memories of Hawaii

Bird of Paradise - just a simple gorgous flower with all the vibrant colors.

Hibsicus, these grew right outside our front door. They bloomed from the ground to the roof, they were absolutely gorgeous

Plumeria, we had a tree in our front yard that grew these wonderful flowers.

I lived on the island of Oahu for about a year and these are just some of the gorgeous memories that I have of the island. It was a special treat to have the plumeria and hibiscus growing right out my front door.

2ndsock Loves Daffodils

C'mon gang - the most beautiful flower is the daffodil!
You CAN'T help but smile when you see their bright yellow blooms chasing away the gloom of winter!
And I have a passion for those folks who naturalize them all over their yard or pasture - it takes your breath away.

Carly's Contest #3 Entry

Well, I love all sorts of flowers, so choosing a favorite is hard. If someone is giving me flowers, I love yellow roses or a bouquet of tulips. For years I mostly had a brown thumb but I admire others' gardens - especially Irises. However, when we bought our most recent house there were lots of flowers planted, and the only flower that grows and looks beautiful despite my lack of gardening skills are Day Lilies. I have them growing in several colors, but this is my favorite one.

It makes me sad that the flowers don't last longer, but they are beautiful when they are here!

(You can click on the picture to see the full photo. . . I can't get it formatted to fit in the blog view fully!)

Purple Sweet Peas

Looking through the various entries for this contest, I thought I could easily pick my favorite flower, but then I would go "Oh, but I love that one too!" Any flower, I think, is more than worthy of becoming a favorite. So my entry is a sentimental favorite. My family has for many years planted the simple sweet pea in our various gardens every spring. Their abundant flowering, always made them a favorite picking flower and who doesn’t love their "sweet" scent. My father, being a child of the depression, would harvest the seed pods and sow them the following year. Over time, his sweet pea patch was overtaken with purple blooms. Although it was probably a more-dominant and hardy seed, I couldn’t help but tease him that he had purple dirt. He even tried buying new seed, but purple always seemed to prevail. My father passed away a couple of years ago, and we miss him dearly. But it is always a good day when the sweet peas start to bloom... and still there are always more purple than any other color. It may even be that one day we plant only the purple seeds to pay tribute to Dad and his "purple dirt."

Second post

It did it twice, sorry! Maybe soon I'll be able to post finished socks on here!

And just because I hate it when people delete stuff before I can see it, I'll leave the picture on here until someone asks me to remove it. I can't decide if it's a cute baby or not....



What do you think about my little new baby Baby?
MakeMeBabies.com - What will your baby look like?

Ack!

Umm, sorry about that to anyone who saw the baby picture.... it posted to the wrong blog and I'm not sure how to delete the post entirely.

Pansies

For as long as I can remember the Pansy has been my favorite flower. I love that the blooms come in many different colors and they make a perfect tiny bouquet. I also LOVE that they can be planted in the fall and then survive a mild winter to bloom again in the spring. The perfect lazy gardener's flower. :)

My Favourite Flower

I have several favourite flowers (what's not to like about flowers).... daisies, echinacea, peonies (I LOVE peonies) and so many more but I have to say that one of my true loves is the Rugosa Rose. We have several bushes we started from seedlings and they are wonderful for so many reasons.

Living in a Canadian zone 4A these babies are hearty and thrive despite wind, snow, spells of no rain, too much rain, my son Nick's multiple attempts to mow them down with the riding lawnmower.

The flowers are delicate, beautiful, plentiful and bloom more than once. The fragance of the flowers is sublime - there is a purity to the scent of the rugosa never quite captured in any rose fragrance I have ever smelled. The bushes grow well and the leaves are a beautiful dark and shiny green so it looks wonderful even when there are no roses to behold.

Besides being hearty and aesthetically pleasing, the rugosa rose is incredibly giving. The petals can be used for jelly....and it is sooooo delicious. They can also be used for pot-pourri. After the summer, the rosehips can be harvested and used for tea that is both flavourful and full of Vitamin C, iron and antioxidants, as well as jelly, marmalade and even mead.

I sure do love my Rugosa Roses.

Roses

I love flowers, all flowers really.

But I have a very special place in my heart for roses. Not the standard florist-variety hybrid tea, but the big old gals - Chinas, Bourbons, Albas, etc. These are the Grande Dames of the flower world, in my opinion.

Each rose has such a distinct personality.

Some of them are floozies - too much scent, big garish colors and will shed all their petals if you brush up against them. Some are regal and mysterious - delicate plants that throw their scent, you must keep you distance in order to smell their lovely musky perfume.

Others are workhorses putting on a magnificent show of color all summer long.

And their names hint at their rich and mysterious pasts --

White Pearl in Red Dragon's Mouth

Cuisse de Nymphe

Chapeau de Napoleon

Tipsy Imperial Concubine

And my most recent favorite - Four Inch Heels

I dearly love these gals!

Lily

The lily is my absolute favorite flower. There are a lot of varieties of lily and I have yet to see one I don't like. Of course I had a peace lily with a beta fish until the fishy died, but the flower never bloomed. I love the smell of lilacs too