Fibermania

Spring Arrives in a Big Way

And now for a bit of self indulgent photography...

The rain last night brought everything to LIFE including massive amounts of sturdy weeds. Nevertheless, they are overshadowed by the fabu Magnolias. Sigh. Springtime in IL is the best.

While I was away Dave mulched and landscaped like a mad man. I think it has something to do with earning sex points. Last summer I promised him gratuities if he cleaned out my flower beds. Like an elephant, he never forgets. I was delighted to see this area defined. I have it in my mind to have a settee and table back there, as the now bare locust tree will soon leaf out and provide a lovely bit o'shade mid-afternoon, say, around cocktail time.

The grass ceased to grown under the maple and now we have another cozy spot for a chaise lounge. Walking on this mulch is so much nicer too. Soft and spongy. And today, wet.

The morning mist. My shoes got sopping wet, but it was worth it for this shot.

Can you see the two birds in this tree? They are Mr. and Mrs. Cardinal, the two loudest birds in the neighborhood. At 4am they announce the impending dawn. I would put them in a contest with any rooster for insistence, tenacity and intolerable decibel levels. They are not afraid of cats.

I just finished the last shawl I intend to make. It is huge and I look like a refugee from a yarn store wearing it. I guess it will stay near the downstairs TV in place of an afghan, as it covers mostly everything.

I never meant to make it that large. Like who ever checks gauge on a shawl?
The directions called for Koigu which is pretty fine, and 10.5 sized needles. I thought, which was my first mistake, that if I used dk or worsted it would have more body. Hmm. One begins at the outer edges and then decreases to the hypotenuse. Mindless knitting. Used up a big chunk of stash, which considering my vow to never buy another speck of yarn, is just what the doctor ordered.

I am doing a lot of washing out/ironing/dyeing etc this week in prep for my next set of gigs. I will be gone from late April til May 19. So that means thinking ahead. Am I up for the task?

We'll see.