Pay No Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain

Remember I mentioned that the beads had distracted me again? Well, I am hoping that you, too, will be distracted by the sparkling, shimmering beads (and the pretty spring flowers) and maybe, just maybe you won't notice that I haven't knit a damn thing. (Even I can acknowledge that 5 rows of a sock do not warrant a picture or even much of an acknowledgement.) Of course, now I've gone and mentioned the knitting so you are thinking about it but I'd like to take this moment to point out that it does say, right at the very top of this little blog that it is about more than just knitting. This is the more part.

Spring, Spring, Spring

The roses up the front walk are blooming and beautiful. Mercifully, it hasn't gotten terribly hot yet and my stock of Allegra is holding out so, for at least a few more days, I can embrace the spring.


I've recently discovered EnnaVic (actually, I think she discovered me thanks to the Christmas ornament mini-sweaters) and she lives and knits and blogs in New Zealand AND (lovely, darling woman that she is) she posted a picture of fall leaves just this week so I have great hope that I can have fall and then winter vicariously through her while it is 4000 degrees in the shade here this summer. (Even if you don't care about the fall leaves, go see that post. Look at the jumper she has recently finished knitting. Fair Isles trains, people!! Correction: Enna tells me that the trains are actually Intarsia, not fair isles, but really how was I supposed to tell the difference from this distance?)

Ooowww...Look At Those Beady Little Eyes

Most of you will be pleased to hear that the beads no longer make me cry. (I am sure there are one or two of you twisted souls out there who relished the fact that crafting resulting in actual tears...for those of you, sorry to disappoint.) I've made several things lately, bead-wise, that I actually quite like. Most of them were for my mother and I didn't take the time to photograph them but trust me, they were lovely.


Several weeks ago, I bought some Swarovski beads on Amazon. It was a great deal 600 Swarovski beads for $41.99. How could I pass up that kind of deal?? Of course, now that I have them, my inner hoarder has kicked in and I don't want to use them. Because just like with yarn, as ya'll are well aware, once you use the stash - of beads or yarn or what-have-you - then you don't have them anymore. (Please, someone, tell me this makes perfect sense.) Sunday I accidentally used 25 of them to make a bracelet for Katy. Yesterday afternoon, I had to make a stop at Michael's because I had something in mind to make for me but it would have used up another 24 beads and I just wasn't ready for that.

I'm sure you never would have guessed but my favorite beads seem to fall into the same color scheme as my favorite yarns. (I'm nothing if not boring and predictable. For future reference, though, I prefer the term "consistent".)


Last night I made myself this bracelet and earring set.

I failed miserably at capturing the shimmering, sparkly goodness of these beads so try to use your imagination. I wore them to work today and was pleased to discover that the bracelet is low profile enough that I was able to type and be on the computer all day without it getting in the way.

So, knitting...

This weekend I need to get another row of the baby blanket done. And maybe a hedgehog. We'll see how that goes, though, as I really ought to get some laundry done. Damn laundry. I keep hoping one of these days it will learn to do itself.


Today's Quote

"If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things of nature have a message that you understand, rejoice, for your soul is alive." -Eleonora Duse


And for Monday, when I forgot to include a quote.

"When hope is not pinned wriggling onto a shiny image or expectation, it sometimes floats forth and opens." -Anne Lamott