Knitting With Violet(s), The African Kind

I have been knitting.

Really.

I have.

But I have also been playing with my green thumb.

In the garden.

In the house.

At friend's homes.

Anywhere and everywhere.

Invited or not.

It is like a social disease.

"Oh, look! Here comes that crazy plant lady again!"

"Run! Run! Quick!"

"Hide the Daffodils!"

Just don't understand it.

Anyway, the knitting first.

The knitting has been a shawl.

The Madli.

If you are on Ravelry, I have a picture of some cobweb weight lace yarn that had been languishing in my stash for some years now.

It has come into the light and onto the needles.

Making a very nice, squint your eyes when you knit, shawl.

What do you think?

And, when I am not knitting, the garden and my little plants begin to talk to me.

Lately I have been reviving my African Violet collection.

When we moved I gave my friend all of my violets. Didn't want to stress them out with a long move.

Now,

I am back to collecting and thought I would share them in my little room.

Have you ever seen a semi-mini African Violet?

What about a micro-mini?

They are just about the cutest little plants around.

Perfect little doll house sized plants.

In the pictures I have put my cell phone for perspective.

They are really that small!

First,

is a little one called "Lil Periscope".The flowers rise above the plant as if peering around, searching for something.

Then we have A little number called "Teeny Bopper".

This little plant has the smallest leaves imaginable in an African Violet. It is also a trailing AV. Rather than grow into the common circular plant, it sends out little runners. If you put a small pot next to it and pin a little plantlet to the soil, you will get another little Teeny Bopper.

This one is called "PeeWee Purple".

PeeWee isn't in bloom right now. But, when he is, he has the cutest little purple (of course) flowers. So tiny...

This little cutie is "Rob's Twinkle Pink".

Rob has a nursery in Naples, NY, where he developes new micro and semi-micro plants. I want to take a trip up there and grab a few more of his little hybrids. He has developed one that looks like a small opal plant! But for now, Twinkle graces my collection beautifully.

Here is "Lil Ballerina".

She likes to dance so much that her flowers went away. But they will be back. And when they do, they are tiny white, with a hint of lavender flowers sporting bright yellow centers.

And here

Is "Pip Squeak". Need I say more?

And "Irish Flirt" with her green flowers.

The next one is a semi-mini trailing type violet. It is much larger than the micro minis, but still small compared to the standard sized violets. It is called "Ramblin' Lace". She is ramblin' so much that you can barely see my cell phone beneath her trailers!

And lastly, my one and only standard. The cell phone is there somewhere beneath all those leaves. I have no idea what this one is called, but I call it Happy. Happy is a very happy violet and keeps sending out blossoms. She can't help herself when surrounded by little cuties.

Thanks for taking the time to look through my little obsession.

And, plantlets are going to be available soon! Don't make me turn into the "Crazy Cat Lady" with my violets. Don't be shy. If you want one, let me know!