bee season

Do you see that sweet bumble bee feasting in the sunflower below? He must have been completely drunk with pollen, he's hardly visible because he's covered in it! {This is a photo from last summer since this year's sunflower crop was enjoyed as salad by the deer. A few of the stalks which were left over from the deer's feast have sprouted some blossoms, but they're stragglers, late bloomers. Ah, well.}I have a thing for bees. Their buzz is among my favorite sounds, along with the sounds of the breath of a sleeping child, rainfall, chirping crickets, wind in the trees, laughter, waves.... I like achieving the point of quiet at which a bee can be heard.

I also have a thing for stripes.

Bees + stripes = happiness!These are my Skew socks in Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Bee Stripe. Socks only a bee-loving stripe-crazed knitter could love because they are busy in a dizzying way! Do they ever make me smile. I can hardly wait to sport them in my clogs this fall, but I will be patient as there is still a bunch of summer to enjoy.This pattern is genius, really. Mind bending. A leap of faith. Blind following is required. And the reward is plenty. Not entirely unlike the life of a bee, right? I really enjoyed knitting these and will probably make others. I highly recommend it to you! How are things with you? Bearing the heat ok here in the northern hemisphere? Just warming up down under? I'm wishing you well from my part of this wonderful internet bee-hive. Buzz... buzz... buzz...