Out of Sorts

Spring has always been an introspective time for me.... a time to think about the year that has passed while making plans for the new year, time to make changes, time to begin again and move forward. Spring is not my favourite season - I prefer fall with its feeling of things accomplished and ready for rest.

I have felt decidedly out of sorts all weekend, and so I did what I would advise any of my patients to do when they are feeling down - get outside, get busy, get doing something. Patients?? Yes, well, I am a behavioural psychologist by training, and altho right now my patients consist of my own little family, it still counts! So I spent the afternoon cleaning out all the dead growth in the flower beds and garden, raking, hauling leaves and plants to the compost pile, admiring the new crocus blooms, and encouraging all the new growth of iris and peony, columbine, sedum, daisies, clematis, lilac and flax. I listened to the robins and sparrows - the robins were reminding me to fill their water dish, and enjoyed a rare visit from a downy woodpecker. I unearthed hundreds of ladybugs from their winter rest among my mint plants.

After clearing out all but one last flower bed, which will wait til later this week, I sat on the deck and enjoyed a hot cup of tea in the sunshine, and I felt decidedly better. Maybe clearing out all the debris of this past winter was what was needed - maybe just the work and sunshine - maybe realizing that it is all do-able again this year! Whatever.... it worked :)

You blink twice

and a week has gone by! Guess that is a sign of a busy life :) Spring is here this week - the tulips and daffodils are coming up, as are the iris and flax! I saw the early peony that lives right beside the house this morning, and a robin out in the back yard. Makes me want to get out and clean up the yard....... but that can wait til things are just a bit warmer.

Speaking of warmer - this is the pair of socks I just sent to my mom. Her feet swell by the end of the day, so I made them to be loose. They are knit of Online supersocke 100 yarn and were a fun project.

I am in a birthday exchange with a wonderful group of ladies, and since the March birthday girl has received her package, I can show the needlebook I stitched for her. This is from And A Forest Grew by Rosewood Manor, and is stitched on a 28 ct linen using GAST & WDW I subbed for the DMC.

Enough for today - things to do and places to go!

Yesterday it was spring....

but we had snow overnight, so we are back to winter again. The kids pulled on their boots and warm coats, and grumbled a bit as we headed out the door for school. I came back home and made bread - nothing like having the oven on to warm up the house that extra little bit! And nothing like fresh, whole grain and seed bread hot out of the oven.

That blue puddle on my stitching chair is my knitting project - I am at row 118 of Alita - a doily design by Herbert Niebling. I am limiting myself to 2 rows a day - and at over 600 stitches a row, that takes about an hour. My hope is that it will be a gorgeous shawl when I am finally done!

And finally, that is my darling daughter showing off the hat she finished last night on her knitting circle thingy - can't for the life of me remember what it is called. Since it is rather small we decided it is a toddler hat, and she plans on giving it away to the first eligible toddler she sees!

March Ornament is done!

I have stitched an ornament a month for the past 3 or 4 years - and this year's theme is tree ornaments. If you want a peek at my stitching, check out my webshots album. The ornament I stitched for this month is Woodland Snowfall, by Little House Needleworks. This little beauty appeared in the 2004 JCS Ornament issue. It is stitched over one on a 28 ct blue evenweave, using GAST & WDW that I subbed for the original DMC. I finished it today as a flange ornament pillow. It is a real little cutie!

Celtic Banner HD

March 11, 2007

Last night I made the final revisions to the alphabet of Celtic Banner - I frogged the purply bits of the Java waterlilies out, and restitched with the brown and gray bits! Much, much better! I am so happy to have this done! Now to finish it off as a bellpull - I have the beads to add and a nice branch of diamond willow to hang it on. Can't wait to see it on the wall - wait.... that means I have to find a space! That may be easier said than done.

And the details - Celtic Banner (c) MLI of Butternut Road Designs. Stitched on 29 ct natural glenshee linen, using DMC, Wildflowers and Java Waterlilies silk for the alphabet. Done March 10, 2007!