Don’t let that first picture fool you, for it has been a long week, and it is only Wednesday. Some weeks are like that, I suppose. They are the types of weeks where you dream of knitting and tea, of warm baths and long naps. You don’t actually get any of that, but you can still dream. They are the types of weeks where your kids cry, you cry, and life goes on.
There have been smiles too, of course, thankfully. Baby smiles make everything better, and this babe can sure smile bright. These golden days we are having make me feel dreamy about the turn of the season. It is hard to believe that Spring is truly almost here, and that flowers, and color, and warm nights, and long days, and lazy moments are just around the corner. Oh I can not wait.
My knitting seems to be dominated by texture right now. Do you all ever go through periods in your crafting where you see a pattern to what you like to work with? I find that the more texture I come across at the moment, the happier I am. I am working on a knitting pattern for a beautiful eBook that friends are putting together, and I am just giddy to finish it up. It is simple but fun, and a great piece to wrap up after a long yoga practice or a cool spring evening. The only hard part of these coming warmer months is saying goodbye to the wool that has been slipping through my fingers this winter. I knit all year round, but that heavy and warm knitting of thick wools is generally only saved for colder months. I will miss it. I think that I will turn my attention to light cardigans in vibrant colors to ease the transition. I see an adult Tea Leaves in my very near future, and perhaps a simple dress for Emma Jeanne.
My embroidery basket is still never far from my feet, and my love of this art was certainly the surprise of the winter. I have been embroidering for many years, but never to this extent, and never with this must desire to learn about the fundamentals. I have piles of samplers from Rebecca that are keeping me busy, and I am taking a thread to a few of my sketches as well (the one of the left). So much vibrancy and life in embroidery. It is certainly a craft that cultivated patience as well as beauty, for I could knit an entire sweater in the same time it takes me to complete a simple sampler. It is worth it, though, in the end.
I planted all of our greens last week, and this is by far the earliest I have ever done so. I wonder how much I am going to regret that one in a few weeks when an inevitable snow storm comes roaring in. Oh well, I will take my chances for now. I am craving fresh vegetable from the garden, and I am going to follow in the inspiration that many of you give, and expand our garden this year. I can’t wait to walk Emma Jeanne through the sunflowers and zucchinis, beans and lettuces, and let her taste each one. What a joy that must be for a baby.
I am procrastinating on returning to this crazy week, can you tell? I need some good book recommendations. I haven’t read much since Emma Jeanne was born, and I am ready to get lost in the evenings inside of a great novel. Again those dreams of warm evenings, soft candles, and a fresh picnic blanket are creeping into my thoughts. What have you read lately that you just love?
Okay, I must get back now. Perhaps I should bake a chocolate cake, that always helps. I swear I think that I saw a post from someone last week that talked of making a chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting like my Nana Catherine use to make. I need to go and find that recipe. Yes, it is a chocolate cake kind of week.