It Smells Like SPRING!

Popcorn is Popping on the Trees

It is SPRING here in the rainy Pacific Northwest.  We've had our share of crazy weather this spring, with some late snow and some beautiful sunbreaks.  But mostly we've had our usual companion:  Lots and Lots of RAIN!

What fascinates me about spring here is that when you DO get a relatively clear day, and you walk outside, there is the most AMAZING fragrance in the air.  Like an exotic floral perfume, mixed with a hint of grass.  Thanks to our soggy climate, instead of a gradual spring, we get a sudden, magnificent explosion of blossoms, all at once.  Just everywhere!  There's nothing in the world like the smell of spring out here. 

We decided to take a walk, and look for "Popcorn Popping."

One of our favorite things to look for in our old neighborhood, is wild violets that grow in the grass.  They are really tiny, often overlooked, and rarely survive the spring lawnmower, but we manage to find them every year.  Not the houseplant kind mind you, but the old-fashioned, grow-in-grandma's-garden Victorian variety. 

The fragrance of those violets is simply amazing!

Off the Needles

We finished the 'Gnome Home' finally!!!  It was easy enough, I was just really intimidated about needle-felting for the first time.  Thanks Alyssa and Naomi for helping me with the felting -I was too intimidated to do it all alone :)

Here's what it looked like after it was knitted, and prior to felting. I placed my blue pen on there for scale. 



 The top made a nice GNOME hat for Charlotte - that might be an idea for another project. 

Then it took a few cycles in my washing machine to shrink down to size, and we used a needle felting tool and mat to apply the spots and the finishes.  The roving needle-felted beautifully, the yarn that I used, not so much so.  Learning experience, to be sure.  Charlotte ADORES IT!

This is an adaptation of a free pattern for a felted birdhouse bag.   http://www.elann.com/Commerce.web/product_freepatterns.aspx?featuredID=118810
And for Ravelry users, look here:  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/felted-bird-house-handbag

Capturing a Moment

On our spring walk, we stopped to admire a tree full of pink blossoms.  The wind was blowing them off the tree, making it look like pink snow.  Alain is admiring here, but also trying to catch them the way small kids try to catch bubbles!

Comming soon...........Our complete kitchen remodel.