Since coming back from New York City, the birds have sounded different. I'm hearing spring in the birdchirps, and seeing winter out the window. Yes, March is always the cruelest month, and the aural/visual disconnect is uncomfortable.
Mr. Cardinal has been at the feeder at different times all day. He usually is a dawn or dusk visitor. I assume this means that he and the Missus may be expecting. Overtaken by optimism, I took a walk around the yard, and was confronted with desolation. The only thing poking up her nose is a lonely chive plant; I suspect she jumped the gun during the prolonged January thaw, and now has been forced to live with the chilly consequences.
This small FO is my first set of mittens. They are fraternal mirror-twins. On the left thumb, I cast on two fewer stitches to see what a more streamlined thumb would look like. By the time I understood that the fat thumb was more aesthetic, I would have had to rip most of the second mitten back. When one's OCD tussles with packrat pathology, it's interesting to see the packrat win. The mittens stay as is. I love the yarn (Plymouth Suri alpaca 50%/merino 50%). The Knitigator saw that I had not blogged mittens, and included the Norling pattern for any-gauge mittens in her thoughtful gift when she came over to learn drop spindle spinning. I'm still scratching my head over how she figured out that I like blue.
Bunnycrack in Blue Lagoon, 2 1/2 ounces, covers the first bobbin. Lincoln cross from Barneswallow Farm explains the second. The Bunnycrack will be plyed with itself when I get the other 2 1/2 ozs spun. I think a simple lace pattern scarf is in its future.
I have no idea what I will do with the raspberry Lincoln X. This is going to direct my spinning more closely, as I am running out of bobbins. Buy more, you say? Did. I think I should plan what I will ply with what, and get them off the bobbins, rather than behaving like a spinning bee in the meadow, flitting from roving to roving without thought or care.
I've had bulbs up for weeks, the poor things. And I've also seen a cardinal at the bird feeders every morning. Isn't it great to hear the birds singing their spring songs? We should be seeing red winged blackbirds anytime, too.
Posted by: Carole | Thursday, March 02, 2006 at 07:16 AM
Moving from roving to roving without thought or care is also good. ;-)
Posted by: Norma | Thursday, March 02, 2006 at 07:33 AM
I have some of that lovely bunny crack in the same color - if only my spinning was as beautiful as yours!!
Posted by: Jackie | Thursday, March 02, 2006 at 07:54 AM
I've only seen Mr. Cardinal lately as well so I'm thinking the same thing as you with the misses. I just can't wait to see a Robin or Oriole (they are my favorite but only here for a short time) out there, then I'll really know spring is here!
Posted by: Kate | Thursday, March 02, 2006 at 08:55 AM
No I can't imagine where she might have gotten the idea you like blue. What insight! What perspicacity!
And just be the bee.
A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin, etc.
Posted by: Juno | Thursday, March 02, 2006 at 09:21 AM
Flit, flit, little bee! It's a lovely meadow you have to flit in.
Posted by: Martha | Thursday, March 02, 2006 at 09:51 AM
Packrat friends don't let packrat friends worry about OCD.
Two words: Storage Bobbins.
Two more words: Bobbin Winder.
http://www.villagespinweave.com/IBS/SimpleCat/Shelf/ASP/Hierarchy/0601.html
What fun is it if you can't flit?
Posted by: mamacate | Thursday, March 02, 2006 at 09:52 AM
March is my favorite month and not because of the obvious. The weather changes from day to day but more often than not there is a steady warming trend. Birds come out of hiding and start their songs and insects appear. The first bits of tulips and daffodils come out of the ground and the days are noticeably longer. You can watch the earth reawaken...albeit slowly.
You spinning is looking good! Make it into yarn soon, OK?
Posted by: margene | Thursday, March 02, 2006 at 11:14 AM
My daffodils are doing okay with the warm/freezing, but some of my other poor bulbs (anemones? or are those the grape hyacinths?) seem to have had their poor little leaves burnt by the latest-but-one cold snap.
And ditto to Juno's initial sentence.
Posted by: Cordelia | Thursday, March 02, 2006 at 12:26 PM
Flitting is absolutely seasonally appropriate. Very spring like. It's the only way to go really.
And after seeing yours, I want to learn to spin just so I can justify getting Bunnycrack. Then again, getting some to just keep in decorative little balls to pick up and pet every now and then doesn't seem like a bad idea either.
Posted by: Rachel H | Thursday, March 02, 2006 at 12:30 PM
I like your blue mittens. You can never ever have enough mittens. Just ask Sandy. :-) Maybe now you need a handspun raspberry-colored pair, too.
Posted by: Beth S. | Thursday, March 02, 2006 at 01:30 PM
The mittens look wonderful. They are just right :-) The raspberry spinning looks just yummy.
Posted by: Kathy | Thursday, March 02, 2006 at 03:40 PM
I am SO relieved to be done with February! March is wonderful...even though spring never does come to Michigan in March, one can hope. By the way, next time you go to NYC, you must go to Seaport Yarns. The selection is fabulous, and I guarantee they won't snarl at you.
Posted by: Sharon | Thursday, March 02, 2006 at 08:44 PM
Although I'm generally in favor of flitting, I do think that having a finite number of bobbins helps to control the ADD thing with spinning. At least I told myself that until I bought three more bobbins....
The mittens look great. The larger thumb is aesthetically more pleasing worn or sitting on a table? I'd say the fit is more important than anything else.
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