Compulsions

Lately, I have been rummaging under the eaves to unearth things stored there which, for the most part, have been forgotten. A few treasures were found - certainly a treat - but stored papers (why are there so many?) and bits that were shoved in one door or another at random are now reunited or tossed. My cache of yarn is bigger than I remembered.

I am reluctant to open the can of worms on the other side of the room. Over there are all the boxes of pictures and mementos of life, children and momentous moments. I know I will get lost in memories and not really clean up a thing. Perhaps that is a job for a chilly winter day; not one for today which is blazing with sunshine and the new growth outside
compels me to stop.

Our yard is coming to life. The forsythia is a yellow so intense, one feels lost in the color if standing close and looking into the bush. Muscari gifts that popped up a few years ago (not of my own doing) have now expanded their family along a ridge of rocks and a few have jumped ship and are happily blooming in the grass, too. The quince is orangy salmon and full of blooms. It won't be long before the lilacs, azaleas and rhododendrons open up. While I am looking forward to their release, I am quite content to revel in the color already here. This is a great time of the year!

Pick Up Sticks

Just put the fringe on a thick seed stitch scarf a few days ago and started on a luscious raspberry Berroco Comfort raglan sweater for my granddaughter. Apparently she has found her baby sweater and is wearing it again. She's five.

I love knitting raglan sweaters. They work up so neatly and have only two underarm seams to sew. Gotta love that! The one I am doing now is in Debbie Macomber's Twenty Wishes pattern book. Found a great pattern for a zip cardigan for her brother in my stash (since I want to have one for each of them). Knobby denim colored yarn. This will test my zipper sewing abilities again - or not. Maybe he would never zip it up at all and can just run around with sweater tails flapping in the breeze. I'll give him pockets instead - boys need pockets.

I am debating on either picking up sticks in the yard or heading up to the seashore this weekend. It is supposed to be in the high 70's - bliss.

The sticks will still be there on Monday and it is staying light later in the evening. I am sure it is better as an after-work chore. Maybe I'll do some tonight.

Simplify, simplify, simplify

My mantra. Not one I actually adhere to. Ever. New threads, lovely bamboo knitting needles, a paint color I just have to have - they all tempt me into excess.

Stash - isn't it the most wonderful word? Heaven forbid I should actually reduce my stash! What if I need it? So what if my Irish linens in multiple colors and counts fill an entire drawer? There are plenty more projects in my future and I just might need it.

Now, the rest of the house...and garage! We have a huge garage - bigger than any couple should ever have. It is lovely to have all that space, but we have been in this house for eight years now and there is a lot of stuff in that garage that hasn't seen the light of day since we got here.

A Spring garage sale is in the offing. It promises to be an event of major proportions. I mean, I need to make room for more stash....