Spring has sprung,

the grass is riz

I wonder where the flowers is?

My next door neighbor Linda's yard is lined on each side with these Bridal Wreath Spirea. When these bushes bloom in the spring they are covered in masses of white blooms and are quite a sight to behold. The spring I'm still waiting for just doesn't want to arrive this year. It is cold and it is cloudy and it is rainy and the forecast hasn't changed for days, nay, weeks. Who'd have imagined that I'd be still longing for spring in the middle of May but there you have it. I miss the sun. Even the lilacs blooming has failed to cheer me up, it's just not the same when you're not able to catch wiffs of their fragrance in the breeze through an open window. I have done no gardening to speak of. What can I say I'm in a bit of a funk over all this cold and damp weather.

I've managed to get through the second washcloth pattern that I'm knitting. It was a humbling experience. I'm going to try something less complicated for the next one.
I've been working on the monk's travel satchel. I've decided to do both the front and the back at the same time, it's like when you knit both sleeves or both socks -(oh yes, I meant socks, and yes you can, I've done it). The front and the back are in plain stockinette stitch. The back has a outside pocket on it (which I'm double knitting on as I did the side pockets) and I got to thinking... I think it would be cool to put a design on the pocket in red, which is the trim color. I was thinking maybe a red dragon or something, or maybe a Celtic creature like a Lion. I was checking out Beth's sun design on her booga bag and thought that could be a possiblity too. Nicky Epstein has sun faces design's in her Knitting for Your Home book. What do you think? I'm open to suggestions. I'll set it aside for awhile while I ponder the pocket design.

I looked at the Rogue Hooded Sweater that I started for Ani. I'm thinking I'm going to start over. I was looking at the Ani in her sweatshirt and I'm thinking she would probably like the Rogue to fit a little more looser like her sweatshirt. Fortunately I'm not that far along, I've knit the body and hem and have started the kangaroo pocket. You know that although ripping out your hard work is annoying to say the least, at least with knitting you have the option of starting over with the same material, no so with sewing or quilting.

It's just as well, I need to get cracking on the Fair Isle sweater for Caryn. Ani has her Violin recital coming up and ideally I should have Caryn's sweater finished by then. Ideally. The sweater I am knitting for Caryn is a service exchange we agreed on. Caryn is Ani's violin teacher
and when my husband got laid off of work last fall I wasn't able to afford her lesson's. But Caryn and I agreed that it would be best if Ani continued her lessons because she has quite a talent for it and it would be a shame if she didn't continue to better her playing. So Caryn graciously offered to continue with her lessons at what ever I could afford to pay her and in return I offered to knit her any sweater of her choice. She chose a really pretty Fair Isle pattern, called Winter Sunset from Jamieson Shetland Knitting Book.

I have a few free days this week I had hoped to get some gardening done but that is looking dubious. I want to play around with my blog a bit, there are things I would like to do. It will require taking time and reading and learning more about the whole blogging deal which I haven't really been able to do as I like.

I have to go, My husband isn't home so I have to remember to meet Katie as she gets off the bus. She get's so mad at me when I forget.