First Flowers, Knitting & Anticipating Spring

I planted crocuses because I knew I needed to see the first flowers of spring as soon as possible. Whether the winter is especially cold or mostly mild and rainy, it always feels like a long time from the last flowers of fall. Here are the first crocuses of the year in my back yard.

I noticed them as I was clearing out two of my flower beds and my rain garden. I was unsure about whether I just wanted to leave the rain garden alone, but I was happy I cleared it out because I see some green popping up there too! Just a few weeks ago, the rain garden was iced over and there’s no guarantee it won’t ice over again. It’s nice to see some green anyway.

---

This upcoming week is my college’s spring break. By this time every semester, I am exhausted. I have been counting down the weeks and I feel like I have barely made it to this break. I usually have both planning and grading to catch up on. I always think I’ll have enough time to clean the house; I’m lucky to get all the dishes done and the stove wiped down.

I always have a good break though: lots of napping, walks with the dogs, and time to knit.

This semester, though, I am planning on taking spring break with the K-8 school at which I’m volunteering. It’s in two weeks and there’s no doubt I can make it until then. It’s possible I could survive even longer without a break. I’m much more relaxed than I am when I’m teaching full time.

I’m a bit nervous I’m not getting enough done on my sabbatical plan, and I’ve been taking my teaching at the K-8 school so seriously that I stress myself out. Nevertheless, I notice myself joking around with my husband more than usual, and I have had much more time to knit. In short, the pace of my sabbatical is great for me.

---

I’ve been working on a variety of yarn projects. I used a sock yarn and size 5 needles to make a small dice bag for my husband. I rarely knit with yarn and needles so small, so that was kind of fun. The bag turned out a bit too small, though, so I started a bag with worsted weight yarn and size 8 needles–sizes I use way more often. The bag is about double the size with the same number of stitches (60 around), so you can tell what a difference materials make.

---

I also finished this cute scarf. I used these colors for a shawl I knit a few months ago. I had quite a bit of yarn left over and I’d been eyeing the double cable scarf pattern for a bit, so I gave it a try. I’m really happy with how it turned out.

---

Finally, I have started crocheting a virus shawl with a ton of soft yarns I have— Red Heart Soft and Caron Simply Soft. I rarely crochet and I wasn’t sure I’d even be able to do something so complex, but the tutorials have been really useful. There’s no guarantee I won’t mess up as I keep going, but I think I understand the pattern well enough that I won’t get way off track. The only downside to crocheting is that I need to sit in front of the computer to follow the tutorials. I will print off the pattern this week and see if I can let go of the tutorials and just follow the chart.

---

I used to always say that my favorite season was summer, which is partially because I have so much time off of work to enjoy it. When work is lighter, though, like it is this semester, I have to admit that spring is my favorite. I love to see the smallest leaves just starting on trees and bushes. The warmer weather that’s not too hot also allows for some great hiking. I love seeing my dogs soak in the warm spring sun without getting overheated.

I hope all of you in the northern hemisphere are enjoying the longer, warmer days too!

Peace Out (and In),

Julie