Spring

Hello all! Thank you all so much for your kind and thoughtful comments on my last post. I was delighted and interested to hear how many of you also enjoy handwriting - you really are a talented and inspiring lot. I haven't blogged for a couple of weeks now and I must say it's good to be back. Two weeks isn't long, but I miss this cosy, friendly and sharing world when I'm gone. Despite trying to be more organised in term-time I still struggle to fit things in (perhaps I'm too ambitious!). Anyway, never mind all that. I'd like to show you the most wonderful sunrise which I woke to yesterday morning. This was the view from our window - isn't it just beautiful?

Already it's almost the middle of March - here's this month's page of my calender. 

We've had some very bright and chilly days lately, as well as sleety showers and light snow-falls, but it's been toasty and warm indoors here. Clover has been very busy making herself comfortable on my crocheted cushion. There's nothing she likes better than to knead it well with her claws - oh dear. It's lucky for her that she's so sweet.

Last weekend I bought a bunch of anenomes and have been enjoying their jewel-like colours.

With their feathery foliage and inky black centres, they are so very spring-like that they make me want to do a little dance.

Something else that makes me feel rather giddy is the addition of some yarn to my already sizeable stash. There's no danger of me doing any stash-busting, but I generally only buy one ball of each yarn to make little things with (honest!). These are from my current favourite LYS and are 4 balls of Rico Creative Cotton in the most gorgeously muted, vintagey shades. I'm knitting the rest of my little napkin rings with them, and will show you when they're finished. 

The lighter evenings nowadays mean that when I come home from work there is a little time to wander out to my shed with a cup of tea. I sometimes just potter around it tidying and rearranging things, and generally chilling out. If I have more energy I sit and make things for a bit. One evening this week I just sat for half an hour and listened to the birdsong outside. Sparrows were chattering noisily in the trees and blackbirds were calling. The arrival of spring felt tangible, and reminded me of Mole in 'The Wind in the Willows':

'Spring was moving in the air above and the earth below and around him, penetrating even his dark and lowly little house with its spirit of divine discontent and longing ... the carol of happy birds fell on his dulled hearing almost like a shout'.

 Having a special place to go to to be creative and store my things in has been wonderful and I count myself as very lucky every time I step inside. I change the decor as the seasons come and go, an at the moment am loving the colours of spring. These bright blue grape hyacinths are blooming beautifully on the workbench. 

They're one of my favourite spring flowers with their neat little clusters of frilly bells.

Blue hyacinths have been filling the place with their heady perfume too.

The sun came out and shone through this little blue lantern.

As well as all this blue, Miss Blossom has changed into more spring-like attire and is decked out in emerald green,

and some jaunty pink bunting is up, a tonic after the muted shades of winter.

Just like Mole, I am very ready for the sunshine, warmth and colour of spring. Can't wait!