I was looking for something profound to say, but this year’s crab apple blossoms can speak for themselves.
I love Spring. (I know, I know, I’ve already said that.)
Flora & Fauna
Change of scenery
Just thought I’d give you something more pleasing to look at than a photo of my chest with tubes hanging out (of course, you can still see this if you continue to read the previous post, but at least it won’t be front and center).
These were taken the other day. It’s peony season in our yard right now.
It’s also round #2 of bunny season in our yard. I did my best to sneak up on this little guy without startling him/her too much. I was successful only long enough to snap the picture, and then all that was visible was a little white cotton ball disappearing into the bushes.
Playing Catch-up
It’s really quite astounding how quickly time sneaks by. There are several crafty updates that I want to share before the next round of goodies (which are finished — just waiting their turn in front of the camera).
I’ve finished spinning the 12 oz. of Corriedale (dyed four colors in 3 oz chunks). You may recall earlier posts (here and here), charting the progress. It really wasn’t that big of a project, it just took me a long time to finish.
These are also 3 oz. skeins with approximately 300 yards a piece. In total I have about 1,300 yards of 2-ply yarn in four colors that could very well work together, or on their own. No project in mind, yet…
Virginia wrapped up another pair of socks. This time using a stitch pattern from the book “Sensational Knitted Socks” and knitting with three colors of ShiBui yarn.
A few more pair nearly fell off the radar because I have been so slow in updating this blog.
Last, but certainly not least, Virginia celebrated her birthday last week.
Nothing brightens the home like the last flowers of the farmer’s market season.
Back to Normal?
The dust is finally starting to settle on our bathroom project. In fact, with the exception of a couple of tiny items on the to-do list, we’re calling this one done.
Once again, I did not take a “before” picture. But, let me tell you, the “before” was quite a stark contrast to what we ended up with. Imagine yellow/tan linoleum on the floor, walls and ceiling covered with dark cedar paneling, a giant two-sink vanity (complete with an expanse of mirrors, large globe lights a la dressing studio) and shiny gold-plated fixtures for that extra-fancy touch. I wonder why we waited 8 years to do anything about it. Nonetheless, we (with the aid of a very helpful carpenter/plumber/tiler/all-around-handy-man) finished our project, and are enjoying not having to run down to the basement in the middle of the night anymore.
Not pictured is the bathtub, which we kept and surrounded by white 3″x6″ subway tiles.
Also not pictured entirely is the new toilet, which now only uses 1.6 gallons per flush, instead of the guzzling 5. Who knew toilet technology would continue to improve so dramatically.
With normalcy comes, of course, more knitting. And what is more normal on this blog than seeing another pair of Virginia’s socks. These are knit with leftover Trekking and Elann sock yarns.
Lots of Goodies
Despite our house being in chaotic limbo (we’re putting the finishing touches on our bathroom) the craftiness must go on. And, we’ll both represent in this post (as well as our yard).
Socks-a-Plenty
Virginia wrapped up two more pairs of socks.
These are from her never-ending supply of Meilenweit.
And, these are knit from Socks that Rock lightweight from Blue Moon Fibers (sorry, I can’t remember what colorway I bought for her — ’twas a long-ago birthday present).
Yes, That’s Spinning Below
I debated posting this freshly-spun yarn, since I still have 9 more ounces of this Corriedale that I dyed up in four three-ounce segments. But, since they are all very different in color, I’ll post them individually. Once they are all spun up I’ll probably revisit them as a group for a single project.
This is a single skein. There are approximately 319 yards of 2-ply yarn from 3 oz. of top.
Garden Delights
Our yard is pushing through the various floral stages, with new surprises practically every day. We are fortunate to have plenty, so bringing some indoors to enjoy makes hardly a dent on the supply outside.
Our neighbors think this shade-loving ground cover is a nuisance and keep whacking away at the ones encroaching on their property. We, however, love the Lilies of the Valley. Grass is sooo over-rated.
And, I think the Irises are early this year. These come and go quickly, so we really have to be present and enjoy them while they bloom. I love how intricate these flowers are, and have tried to capture that in this close-up photo.