Spring Sprung

The trees are bearing boughs of blossom, chicks are chirruping outside my window, and I have been experiencing a flowering or rebirth of interest in things stitchy. I went through something of a creative dry spell, and it was difficult to keep up a craft blog while I wasn't making anything to post about. There's nothing like a real, pressing need to do some work on my PhD to  make me engage in a variety of displacement activities, from knitting, to running, to putting together outlandish outfits, to emptying my penny jar (it contained £1.58). 

The weather was truly glorious today, so I dug out some crumpled summer clothes and took myself off on a promenade to soak up the Cambridge. I found my sandal-ed feet inexorably drawn to this fine fabric shop, where I managed to resist the temptation to buy, but did daydreams about handmade sun-dresses. I'd dearly love finally to befriend my sewing machine... perhaps this will be the summer of sewing.

Magnolia Blossom

Inspired by this clutch of beautiful ttv photos by Alli, I thought I'd share a little springtime loveliness of my own.

These are of a magnolia tree in the Botanical Gardens in Edinburgh, which is currently in exuberant blossom. My friend informs me of an eighty year old lady who calls blossom 'flourishes'; I think I might refer to it as such from now on.

Joys of Spring

New camera! Just in time to capture these fractious adolescents...
... and this limping old-timer...

... all of whom co-exist with this monster of the deep.
A little further a-field, here are some cows grazing by the houseboats along Midsummer Common:
As for what is on my needles, I am working on several things, but am sulking about how some of them are going, so for the moment will only share this with you:
It's the Hey, Teach! cardigan from last summer's Knitty, using Rowan Summer Tweed in the Rush colourway. This should be quite a straightforward pattern, but I am knitting it in a rather contorted fashion, as you may be able to see. As smallest size was too big for me I had to re-jig the numbers a little bit, so I did a provisional cast-on and am working the bodice first (seamlessly up to the underarms). I am head-over-heels in love with this yarn, though - it's is a really interesting silk/cotton blend in a pale, neutral green with occasional flecks of copper, and it makes the lace look so crisp.