Out Ruining My Hands

Yesterday the weather was beautiful, so although I printed out the second new Sampler CM pattern, instead of doing any knitting, lace or otherwise, I went outside and worked on ruining my hands for knitting.

The high temperature here in SW Michigan hit 71 degrees F. Monday and 66 yesterday. That brought out a carpet of scented purple and white violets under my old sweet cherry tree.

I walked around with the camera for a while, but then I found myself ripping away at the invasive myrtle or periwinkle that took over part of my lawn a couple of years ago during a very dry, hot summer.

Naturally I was bare-handed. The gardening gloves were inside. I very often start out wearing cotton work gloves when I garden, but just as often I lay them aside for one reason or another, and find myself later with completely black fingernails.

In the case of ripping up the myrtle vines, I end up with a sore, dirt- and plant-stained spot on the side of both my index fingers and the pads of my thumbs, where I work my finger under the vines and pull them up. This is exactly the spot where the yarn or thread I'm knitting runs. It takes pumice soap to scrub my fingers clean when I come in!

I won't take a picture of the myrtle, because it doesn't deserve it. But I did stitch together pictures of the columbine leaves coming out, a patch of the white and purple violets growing together, my double daffodils, and a couple of the last crocuses.

Luckily for the knitting, today it is only 44 degrees and I've built a fire in the soapstone stove.

And the taxes, which have been hanging over my head, are done, hooray! Now I can play and not feel too guilty.