Yay! It's spring!!!

Not only is it spring by the calendar, but the sun is shining and it looks like spring as well! I biked through the quad this morning and the big cherry trees are that close to blooming. The gardners were there, trimming up the edges of the lawn so that it will be picture perfect in the next couple days. Unfortunately it is supposed to start clouding up and raining by Wednesday, but that never stops hoards of people from showing up to take pictures of the trees. That is the only time of year that my bike route through the campus varies -- I take the scenic detour through the quad for the week or so that they are in full bloom. I should be able to get a good shot on the way in at least once this week. Oh -- one reason my camera phone pictures have been so bad lately, I found out, is that I had the settings on automatic rather than indoor (or outdoor). The two pictures I post here today had the setting indoor and they're much better than the last couple. Although I should just quit being so lazy and take them with my digital camera. It's just so slow to download them onto my laptop. What I need is a NEW digital camera and then I will put the software on my work PC as well as my home one, and then I can take pictures on the way to work or whatever and now have to fiddle with my dodgy laptop.

So .... I actually ended up having a very disappointing weekend, unfortunately. Not only did my plans get cancelled on Thursday, but Friday as well (and at the last minute!!) AND again on Saturday. Friday was easily forgiven because the person cancelling was in fact really sick, but Saturday? Unforgivable. Rude and lazy and unforgivable. And so there I was - 5 o'clock, no plans, and VERY angry. Little Tink got an extra walk because I was so steamed I couldn't sit still. So we walked and I burned up the airwaves ranting and raving to my sister and my friend Mikie in Arizona. Luckily for me my Secret Pal had sent me two books. Thanks Secret Pal!! She send "Knitting Over the Edge" and the new Sarah Dunant book "In the Company of the Courtesan". Good job! So I changed my clothes and took myself off to the new pub at the end of my street. It's underneath and a part of a new/used bookstore and coffeehouse so the lighting is great for reading, the food from upstairs is pretty good, the music is great and the wine and beer selection is not bad.

With all of that extra time you might think I could get some knitting done and you'd be right. I worked on my socks on Friday and finished one whole repeat of the lace pattern and a few rows into the second repeat (of 4). I am still not entirely sure I know what to do when it comes time for turning the heel and doing the gusset. I'm going to solicit some help. I am using the Columbine pattern from the "Two Socks Soar..." book and Koigu yarn. The picture is tight so you can, hopefully, see the pattern.


Also started was my top-down raglan cardigan. I had left-over handpainted thick and thin bulky yarn from my big top-down purple and green thing because I ordered extra, so I cast on and actually finished the whole body! Things go so fast when you're using size 15's as opposed to, say, size 2's!! I used all of the green and left two skeins of the purple mix for the arms, then I'm going to use mohair for the bands. Cables really pull in a LOT so I'm going to have to make, like, 2 or 3 in button bands. Still, I'm quite pleased.