Mother's Day Around Here

Is not a big occasion. This year even less so as Husband had to work.
The kids did bake me an awesome cake.

When Husband came home, he walked in with these:

The roses went with the wonderfully classy shirt that I wore the rest of the day:

It ended up being a lovely, relaxing day.  I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it!

A little productivity

Last weekend all other knitting projects were put on hold so I could make the baby socks Husband requested for a co-worker.

And then I decided I needed to join, at least in spirit, the Orange KAL dreamed up by Amy Beth over at The Fat Squirrel Speaks.

I just happened to have this yarn sitting in my stash, all ready to go.  It has tried to be several other things but the Spiral Blanket of Awesome by Sharon McMahon is apparently the perfect pattern for it.
Monday I decided it was time to rearrange my closet and bedroom, to make all those projects in waiting a bit more accessible of course.
Worn out with all the, "yay it's finally warm for a whole week" cleaning, I decided to do the finishing work on the Octopus Bag.

With it's happy shrimp lining. ;-)

Which means back to work on lace shawls and new summer tops for awhile.  At this rate I might actually get them finished! :-D

Maybe a little unfocused

The last couple of weeks flew by in a blur.  I know they happened. I even have photographic evidence of things accomplished.
I've picked snap peas.

Cross stitched up something for my front entry. Yes. I know exactly how rude it actually is. Rather why I adore it. There are more in similar vein on their way from Subversive Cross Stitch.

I've also knit two shawls on very large needles in mostly mindless patterns that I haven't taken pictures of yet, but I used the yarn I got for my birthday. There's also a pair of fingerless mitts and a tank top, both about halfway finished.
There probably would have been more completed items, with more pictures if I hadn't found the Octopus Handbag
How could I possibly resist that? I chose the Henna colorway for the base of the purse.  It's a color that makes me happy right now and happens to also match my new favorite lip gloss!  The Evening Glow shade is perfect for making me look bright and painted without much actual effort.
Then I decided I should probably line this lovely new bag. I went and found happy shrimp fabric.
My kids and husband all announced that that was weird, even from their point of view.  I bought it anyway.
I figure something entertaining was warranted as a distraction from worrying about others, friends and strangers (rough couple of weeks on that front) and fretting over my oldest getting her wisdom teeth pulled in a few days.
Needlework, octopuses and happy shrimp it is!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Lovely daughter started my day with homemade pancakes, berry syrup and orange juice. Dear boy did the dishes and helped finish doing the laundry.
My darling husband took me to the yarn store .  I was pleased and picked up these lovelies less than five minutes after entering the store.

I was slowly but surely herded towards the back of the store where this was waiting!

I was totally gobsmacked! I had to ask the wonderful ladies in the store what I should start spinning with.  Two ounces (each) of basic wool in four different colors got added to the pile.

And then it was off to the pub for a pint or two, chips with beer cheese and sticky toffee pudding to help me recuperate from my blissful shock.
Fantastically awesome does not even begin to cover it! :-D

An Interesting Easter

We had lovely cinnamon rolls that were caramel coated.

There was the obligatory candy, which is still pretty much sitting where I put it Sunday morning, minus only a few pieces.

This was all well and good, except I forgot to take pictures of the roast leg of lamb and herbed cheddar mashed potatoes. Clever me.
There was something rather unexpected though...the evening hail storm!

Golf ball sized hunks of ice falling from the sky, bashing against windows and setting off car alarms. More than a few families in the neighborhood stepped outside to enjoy the storm, with at least one person from every one of those households running out into the downpour to pick up a piece of the hail, with hunched shoulders and occasional "ouches" to be heard.   I'm still not sure why they did it, but it was quite entertaining!

Happy Spring!

Happy birthday Mom!

Yay for green growing things!

Let the good new things continue!

Productively un-focused

The last couple of weeks I have had a difficult time concentrating on anything for more than five minutes.  This is not good.  It is particularly not good if you have multiple things that need finishing.
For me, the resultant mess looks something like this:

I've cut out a RenFaire shirts for Boy and Girl as well as a new Faire skirt for Girl, Boy will be wearing one of his father's old kilts this year.  I also put a new front panel in an old RenFaire skirt of mine that's been unworn for the better part of a decade.  While rummaging through the fabric stash I came across some lovely pale sage tencel...so I cut myself out a skirt since I was at it.  I knit and felted a new purse, it needs a wee bit more felting.  Decided a new hair clip was in order, because brass and peacock feathers are awesome, out came the glue and findings.  Just had to cast on this top immediately upon finding it, especially with perfect yarn to make two of them just sitting in the stash, where it had been lingering for years. The happy inducing purple piece is a shawl whose color and extra beaded sparkle were inspired by the Fae Winter Court out of the last Dresden novel but the pattern is one inspired by Game of Thrones (Ravelry link).  I finished knitting a hat for a friend.  It is still in need of one fabulous button.  Progress was also made on hero themed fingerless mitts for the kids, Wonder Woman for Girl, War Machine for Boy, their choices, with Green Lantern and The Avengers pairs waiting in the wings.
It seems to have been a flurry of activity. And yet...nothing is actually done.