Our "nature break" this week was going to be at the local nature center that's "right in our own backyard," but instead it turned out to be -- literally -- IN OUR OWN BACKYARD.

Garden clean-up underway! Truthfully, it was mostly Kate and a little Rusty, with observation by me. It doesn't look like much, but there was a lot of cleaning out. Soon, we'll get some mulch for the path and a few more plants.

I'll also be picking up herb & tomato plants from my CSA  in just about 3 weeks! (I'd better start getting ready.)

I had a few more packets of the stuff, so did a little more Kool-Aid dyeing -- also with a couple new ones that I snagged on our last trip to the store -- and just found a couple more that I'd stashed a long time ago. But I think I'm pretty good with what I've dyed so far. I need to spread everything out and double-check all my colors.

I joined Mary's Sunday Knitters Zoom Meet-up yesterday and someone sounded the alarm about Kool-Aid dye and colorfastness! After a little research, my method was good/recommended, but as an extra precaution I'm going to pop it all back into a hot citric acid or vinegar bath.

I finally put stitch markers in to mark the repeats in Romi's Mystery Shawl and, as you might expect, it really helps!! I still have a ways to go before I begin the most recent clue... but I keep plugging away.

I'm also plugging away at my "practice piece" for Safe At Home. It looks a little scary! A lot of those ends are already woven in and just awaiting trimming -- or maybe just a quick run back in the other direction first. I need to knit roofs and skies, and then a border... and then a back (or maybe that could be fabric). I'm thinking rectangular/bolster pillow... and I'm thinking of one for each of my homies. Heh.