It's Wednesday again!

Seriously, where do the weeks go? When I posted my update last Wednesday I thought, 'well, perhaps I get another post out before the weekend...'. Clearly I've been too optimistic!

Right now, we are all enjoying spring - how did it arrive so quickly?

So many flowers! And where flowers are not already out or about to burst open, there are plenty more in waiting...





Can you believe that the bluebells are already almost out?!?

The chicken ladies are enjoying the warmer weather too - dustbaths seem to be the way to celebrate when you are a chicken... ;)



Otherwise, life continues much as it has the previous weeks - busy, busy, busy. Boys #1 and #2 are back at school of course, and I do try to at least keep one day a week free to spend some time with boy #3, but apart from that it's pretty much been all work and no play. I do try to do a bit of knitting in the evening - if I am not catching up on more work, that is - but even that has been slow. Progress is made, but it's so gradual it almost doesn't seem worth reporting. 

I've tried to bring spring into the house whereever I can. A few days ago the boys came back from a bike ride and brought me this flower:



Isn't it lovely. Such bright colours!

I've placed it on the mantelpiece of the now unusable fireplace - a pair of crows have decided to raise their numerous offspring on top of our chimney, so warm weather or not, the season for cozy open fires is officially over...

I also got more of these lovely yellow blooms from a shrub at the back of the garden:



Looking at the photographs earlier I realised that I've subconsciously replicated the colours of the flowers and spring decorations and the colours of my knitting. Look at this:

OK, so ignore the mess, but look at the yellow/orange of Liesl, and the pale green of the Eyelet Yoke Sweater, and also the greens and yellows and purples of the mystery blanket in the background and compare them to the flowers? See what I mean?

Clearly I have spring on the brain!

In actual knitting news, I've done some work on Liesl - I've been trying this on as I've been going along, to see if I'm happy with the length and I think another 2-3 pattern repeats and the  body will be done. This has been such a joyful and quick knit - big needles, cheerful yarn, interesting but easy-to-remember lace pattern... What's not to like?

I have the sleeves to go of course. I'm planning on mid-length sleeves that end somewhere below the elbow.

I've also done more work on the Eyelet Yoke Sweater. I love knitting with this yarn, it's so soft. I've completed the yoke now and have separated the sleeves off. Right now I've done one of the required body decreases. I've tried it on too, and it seems to fit OK... Hopefully this will continue - will have to try it on again once I reach the end of the decreases I think.

Here it is, amidst all the chaos of our coffee table. :)

Close up of the neckline and eyelet pattern:

I've also slowly worked away at the weekender blanket, but I have no picture this week. I've pretty much given up on the add-as-you-go-along approach because swapping between different yarns all the time was so fiddly. Instead I've gone back to my trusted method of crocheting a few patches in each colour to add together later. This means that there is nothing much to show for, but I have actually finished quite a few hexies. I might try and add a few rows to the blanket this week so I can show some progress for the next update.

With Totoro such as success in our house (he gets a different bed to sleep in most nights), and with little desire to crochet another 2 large Totoros straight away, I've been looking around for other interesting patterns to try out. I've come across the Roly Poly Pill Bug pattern, which looks great. I've shown it to my oldest and he is already requesting one... I'm thinking this might finally be the project that will rid me of my Noro Silk Garden. This has been lying around for years and there isn't enough for a jumper. Plus, I'm not actually that keen on the colours but the different shades of brown and purple would be perfect for Roly! 

Anyway, watch this space... ;)

Shared with:

A Year of Projects

Keep Calm Craft On

Yarn Abroad

Stitch Along Wednesday