Summer Things

Lately, I have been immersed in all things summer. I had a friend staying with me for a few days, and since she had never been to Michigan, I did my best to introduce her to the best we have to offer. We went blueberry picking, and since she wanted to know how to can, we made some jam.

We drove to the west coast and spent a perfect day on the beach. The ranger at the state park was out for a coffee break. The above sign explains what to do in just such a situation. M found this hysterical. She lives on Long Island where the honor system doesn't really come into play that often.


Ah, the beach. Ok, so we got a little crispy. We wore sunscreen, but it turns out that in the process of carrying things to the beach, some of it wore off, and we didn't think to replace it. Luckily, I have olive skin. Unluckily, M doesn't. But just look at that expanse of perfect water! I had a blast reverting to my childhood. Things I had forgotten about being a kid? Um, yeah, the amount of sand that accumulates in uncomfortable places at the beach.

Speaking of kids, a woman my mom works with is having a baby. I got invited to the shower. I kind of forgot about it, but a fast Ravelry search turned up these free patterns. On the left are Saartje's Bootees and on the right are Ruth's Perfect Baby Bootees. Clearly, I couldn't decide which to make. The pink ones are very lightweight (Cascade Heritage, US 0, larger size) and use some vintage buttons I picked up in a thrift store. The purple ones are much more substantial (Cascade 220, US 3). I asked specifically if this was the kind of baby that would be dressed all in pink, and my mom thought probably. Though I don't really go for "baby" colors, I think these are appropriately girly while being fun and modern. If it was my kid, I'd probably swap out the pink ribbon for something a little less predictable, but I had the ribbon lying around, so why not use it?

I have some other projects backed up to show you in a bit. How's your summer going?