Booties and Weeds

My dear friend Kathy just had her first baby, and I am going to knit little Ada some cute booties! Here's the problem: I have this great pattern that I used when my cousin's son Miles was born nine months ago, but that book has disappeared. I am hoping I lent it to one of my crafty lady friends. Ladies?

Anyway, here's a pic of the booties I made for darling Miles:



They actually stay on, believe it or not. This last pair I knit with two yarns held together: a soft, lightweight sky-blue merino wool, and a fuzzy, soft chartreuse mohair. Not a bad result from my first attempt at bootie-making. They're difficult like socks, but take much less time owing to their adorably tiny size. You can knit both in a day if you're determined.

If the book doesn't turn up, I can just search the web for another pattern. The downside is this: the pattern I used was difficult enough the first time, so I was really hoping to use it again rather than try my hand at an equally difficult, but new, pattern. They're socks, so the cast-on is difficult (two-needle) to avoid an itchy seam at the toe. I have found a new pattern online already, but it offers a different cast-on method that I'm hesitant to try. Wish me luck in my book-sleuthing.

In other news, I have decided to attack the front lawn this week. There are a lot of crazy, chaotic tree/weed/bush plants under the large first-floor window that have to go - I don't care if they will perhaps eventually grow into something worth admiring. They look terrible right now and I won't be in this house more than four years. So I will tear them out. I'm thinking of planting more hostas, perhaps some ferns, and a couple of attractive bush-type things. I need to do some research, obviously. Our front yard is on a steep slope (so whatever I do is purely ornamental - no one would ever walk on it) and is covered in shade so deep that moss grows where the ivy doesn't cover. I'll be visiting my local gardening shop this week to get some ideas and price out my initial plans. I promise before/after photos, for sure.