Signs of Life

Today I took a look around the yard and found plenty of signs of life, despite the cold, rainy spring we've had so far. April was the second rainiest we've had on record here in T-Town, with about 6.5" of rain! I still have my furnace turned on, set at about 66*, and it kicks on at night most nights.

This tulip, all by itself, is out in my yard, not in the flowerbeds! Note the fact that we're into May and it still hasn't bloomed.



Hostas and Lilies of the Valley in my shady corner of the front yard



My lilac bush... not quite ready to bloom. It will smell heavenly when it does, though.



The crabapple tree in the front yard will bloom any second now. I can tell that it's Mother's Day, or nearly, when this tree blooms.



Bill loves these tulips planted in front of the house.



And don't forget the daffodils! I don't remember anymore what variety these are, but they are so ruffly and pretty.



So where have I been? Mostly busy with family. My Dad became very sick after the holidays, and was hospitalized in early March. After an infection that nearly killed him, a major, life-changing operation, 7 weeks in the hospital and rehab center, he is finally back home. He still has stage IV cancer, of course, but is more stable and has less pain. Bill has been a lifesaver for me through it all, helping with the kids and the dogs and keeping me sane (mostly!).

My beloved knitting friends knit me a blanket, to comfort me, and wrap me in a hug. Anytime I leave home to stay at Mom & Dad's it goes with me.



The pattern is Barn Raising from the book Knitalong by Larissa Golden Brown. Each of those squares is knit from sock yarn!

Of course, I am still knitting. Most recently, I whipped up some preemie hats for donating.



And I made a baby sweater for a knitting friend who is expecting this summer.



I learned something new on that sweater; applied i-cord! It was fun, and made for such a nice, finished edge. Another friend is expecting, so I'm deciding what else to knit, along with working on finishing UFO's.

Spring Happenings

The crabapple trees are blooming here. My front yard has two trees, but some streets are lined with them, almost making a canopy of blooms as you drive down the road. A strong gust of wind sends the petals flying, making it look like snow. They're beautiful, and I had to share.



My entire weekend was spent sitting at softball fields. Mayhem had her Pre-Season Tournament. Friday night it was cold and rained off and on; her game wasn't until 7:00PM. Saturday she played at 2:00PM and it was sunny, but chilly. We all sat bundled in sweatshirts and blankets. Sunday morning, finally, it was warm. Why so many games? They kept winning!

Mayhem had a great weekend. She had several hits, and scored two runs this weekend. Here's a photo of her coming in to home plate. Score!

Mayhem's team won the Championship for this tournament. Regular season play starts this week.

And what do I do to stay sane at the games? I complete my UFO's! Look: My Monkey Socks from last year's sock club. ~blush~ Size 2 US needles. Yarn is Muddy Maumee (custom dyed) from Perfect Day Yarns for Yarn Cravin's Sock of The Month Club.

They have been worn and are warm and comfy. My sock skills are definitely improving, as these fit better than any socks I have made so far.

I found Spring! (and some other things)

Isn't it lovely?

These were taken at Toledo Botanical Gardens. Buddy Bill and I had just come from the funeral home (a friend's father died) Friday afternoon and needed some sunshine. We found all the gorgeous daffodils in bloom.

I found the The Yarn Harlot in Ann Arbor last Friday night with knitter friends Sarah Lou and Becky. We had a great time. Once again, the Ann Arbor Library was packed with knitters having the biggest knitting party ever. Here's the Harlot:

And here's Sarah and Becky waiting in like to get books signed:

Some other things have been found in the past week: I find I am becoming quite proficient at knitting the toes of socks! College Kid's red and green socks have been so close to completion you wouldn't believe. On Tuesday, while at the pediatrician with my kids, I nearly finished the toe of sock 2, only to find that I started the toe too early. I frogged back, picked up the stitches and knit the toe again. This time I even go so far as to kitchener the toe shut. Yay! My joy was short-lived, however. While weaving in ends, I found a stitch back behind the toe area that had been dropped, probably when I frogged back and put stitches back on the needles. It had gotten lost in the k2p1 ribbing. ack!!

Today I will be un-grafting the toe and frogging back again, and repairing the dropped stitch so there won't be a hole. And then, I think maybe I'll knit a toe, just for kicks. I haven't done one in a day or so.

Before I forget, I found one more thing this week. A new camera. A Nikon D40. The photos above were all taken with my Kodak, so we shall see if anything changes.

On the line

My favorite doggy sheets

OK, OK. I know, it's not knitting content, like I promised. The temps outside made it over fifty degrees today and I had to take advantage of the breezy weather and blue skies. Who knows how long it will last? Besides, have you ever slept on sheets hung outside to dry in the sun? Not much compares, and it's one of my very favorite things on earth. Perhaps more than four or five hours of sleep is in store for me tonight.

My Cardinal friend supervised the laundry. He's a regular visitor to my backyard. Normally I hear him before I see him. Isn't he gorgeous?

Evidence of Spring (to convince myself)

If you have any doubt about it, Spring really is here. The calendar says so, and I have found signs of Spring outside. Photographic evidence follows. This is in attempt to convince myself and give encouragement to anyone else suffering from cabin fever and/or the Winter Blahs. I hope it helps.

So, without further ado, I present to you:

Crocuses in my front yard.

Cider Moon icicle in Mardi Gras along with those crocuses. Hmmm, maybe "Crocus" would be a good alternative name for this colorway. (There's a link to Cider Moon in my sidebar!)

And mud! Plenty of mud in my backyard. Notice the absence of the cold, white substance known as snow. Yep. All gone. If you look closely you may see many large-ish doggy footprints though.

What have we here in the corner under the kitchen window? Daylily sprouts! Only about 2"-3" right now,but keep the faith, my friends.

In June and July they will look like this:

Hang in there!

Progress

What do you know? It looks like a sock. Sort of. The heel is turned. I've picked up the gussett stitches and am working on the instep. Today was gloriously sunny (but cold) so the sock made a trip outside for a photo. I may actually get to start sock number two by the end of the week!

Spring arrives tonight and Bruno thought he would celebrate by parading around the yard with a very big stick. He thought he was helping me clean the yard. Then he whapped me in the side of the knee with it. Thanks, Bru-nut. I don't plan to photograph the large bruise that is already forming. Here's the dog and the stick.

Seventy with a chance of snow

Ahhhhh, spring is in the air. Today it reached 70 degrees in my fair city! Blue skies, sunshine and mud, mud, mud! Boor Bruno and Coco. They love the mud, but don't enjoy the rigorous battle with the towel to get the paws clean each time they come back into the house. The warmth won't last much past tomorrow, though. By Saturday we are to expect snow in the forecast again. Hopefully not enough to shovel.

I knitting news, the Booga Bag for Christabelle's birthday is nearly complete. I do have to do the miles and miles of i cord (OK, really it's 6 feet) for the handles still. Then into my trusty Kenmore for felting it will go.

The cuff of my Wild Thing sock is knit! I have begun the heel! Woohoo! I love turning the heel of a sock. I always feel so doggone accomplished. Plus, there's the bonus of knowing I'm nearing the home stretch. Work has really been getting in the way of finishing this beautiful sock. I've had to bring paperwork home from school the last two nights in a row! Hmmmmph! How rude.

That's all the news that's fit to print. Really. Everything else I have an opinion on today would involve really foul language. Trust me on this. Seriously.