Chenille Worms & Thorny Flower

Once upon a time, I was easily seduced by chain-store novelty yarn. You know the stuff - fuzzy, soft, colorful, and unbelievably cheap. I couldn't resist Caron Feathers, a twist of chenille and eyelash, so I just had to substitute it for a S. Charles Collezione pattern that uses Fiero yarn. Well, the ponchette knit up just fine, but the row gauge was a little tighter, so I just add more rows. Before beading the thing, I washed it, and suddenly, little chenille worms started squiggling out all over the place. Every time I tried to tighten one, another would pop out. The hopeless battle has ended in my frog pile.


This bloomed in my parents garden the other day. They have no idea what kind of plant this is. They've had it for many years, and this is the first time it has flowered. The mystery plant is almost like an aloe vera plant, but with flat leaves that have needle-sharp thorns running down the sides. The flower looks like a miniature version of the plant, but pink and with soft thorns.