Swaps and things

Yeah! It's looking more and more like spring and I'm thrilled, really thrilled! The trees in front of my house are in bloom. I'm still not sure what they are, but they only have a few days each year when they are pretty, the rest of the year they aren't. In fact I'd call them down-right ugly. So here they are pretty, I like to take a few pictures when they're pretty, just so I can remember those few days!



Aside from admiring my trees, I've kept busy finishing a square for a swap on Ravelry. It's been lots of fun! This is the square I made. I used a yellow wool that was hand dyed by a guy I met on ebay named Karl. The yarn felt a little scratchy at first, but after washing it was much softer. The pattern is called Lily of the Valley.

Yarn, yarn, lots of yarn!

Well, I've been going through a manic cycle, and that means I'm doing more housework than usual, and buying yarn like it will all be gone tomorrow! Here are some pictures of my newest yarns. Soooo pretty! I'm not sure what will be made of them yet, but I do have a good idea for the Malabrigo. It's going to make a cardigan for me for this fall/winter. The color is Autumn Forest and it is simply scrumptious to touch! Then there is the Rowan Colourscape chunky by Kaffe Fassett. So lovely and the colors are beyond description. I don't know what I'll use these two skeins for, but it will be something very special! (This yarn costs a fortune!) The Malabrigo chunky in Lettuce was sort of a last minute addition to my order, but I just love the color and I have several other chunky yarns I think it will go well with. I know I'll have lots of fun deciding what to make with these beautiful yarns!

Aside from buying yarn, I've spent more time volunteering at That Place on Market. I've got the yarns in pretty good shape as I spent last Friday and Saturday organizing and pricing all the yarns. And others have been organizing the rest of the shop, so we are looking pretty good.

I've also had a surprise in my backyard. We had a dogwood tree that had died out, and over the past couple years a little tree started growing up beside it. We cut down the dogwood this year, but I didn't want to cut down the little tree until I knew what it was. I had no idea what it was, but it was plainly not a dogwood. I sent a picture to my sister who knows far more about trees and plants than I do, and she tells me I have a crabapple tree. I think this is amazing as there are no crabapples anywhere in the neighborhood as far as I can tell. The only way I can think of that it could have gotten there was from the bird seed we had put in the bird feeder that was on the dogwood tree. We always managed to get seeds on the ground when filling the feeder, so I guess it could be possible. Regardless, it's here now, and is rather pretty, as you can see from the pictures.

Sliding up and down

For the most part recently I've been fighting a pretty severe depression phase, and then during a change in medicine, I've been riding a manic phase. Wheeeee! The manic phase wouldn't be so bad if I could keep myself from buying yarn while I'm in it. I'm afraid I visited ebay and Knit Picks and came away a bit poorer.

On a slightly more positive note I've been working on Mom's sweater. If I don't have it done before her birthday, I'll give it to her for Mother's day, I'll just wait and see how it goes. I like the Lily of the Valley stitch pattern I'm using instead of the one the pattern called for, much prettier.

I'm starting work on the helmet liners for the troops that I had worked on in the past. A KAL was started in one of my Ravelry groups so I thought I'd join in.

I'm also getting ready to cast on a blanket for the living room with some Lion Brand Woolspun I have, should be very soft and warm. So much knitting, I'd better get back to it!