Friday, May 11, 2018

Sweet Days of May

Since my last visit here January has finally found its way into May,
where I admit I am much more at my ease. Although I appreciate the beauty that God gives to each month and season in turn, I really am in my truest element when I can feel the soft, sweet freshness of each new Spring awakening all of my senses once again. I enjoy the icy, more dignified beauty of January days but there's just something about the promise of May that quickens my spirit. 
The tiny early Springtime flowers with their magical fragrance make me feel completely alive again. I tread lightly as I wander amongst them and choose a few to bring in just in case there are fairies flitting beneath their delicate fronds. 
I look up to find myself under a garland of Crabapple blossoms.
Yes...
I'm fairly certain this is the exact spot
the fairies have chosen to make their home...
There are birds, bunnies and squirrels who run in and out of the garden throughout the day for a visit as well. All of these sights, sounds and smells quench my thirsty soul, give me inspiration and quite simply just make me happy.
As Winter slogged on and on, I kept knitting, kept crocheting,
kept sipping cup after cup of tea and returning to my old friends the Classics.
As always, Jane Austen, the Bronte Sisters, Louisa May Alcott, George Eliot and Elizabeth Gaskell to name a few, carried me safely through and delivered me, once again, into the promise land of May.
During this time many fibers, textures and colors have slipped through my fingers and soothed my soul as it longed for more open spaces, curtains blowing in gentle breezes and the sweet days of May and the Summer ahead on my porch swing.
In a two and a half week span of time just before Easter I made forty of these little knitted teacup bunnies. They were hopping in and out of my dreamland by the time the holiday rolled around.
I have one more to make this week for a baby shower gift.
No Spring is complete without a few bunny hat orders. 
I love knitting these in Organic Cotton.
It's so soft and snuggly for delicate baby heads.
Then I began to move into my "Shawl phase".
I usually try to knit and crochet a few large pieces early in the year to prepare for the Pumpkin Festival Craft Faire each September
and my December Christmas Open House.
This one ended up selling already, however.
It was a gorgeous golden color of 50% Alpaca and 50% Mulberry Silk.
It's soft and supple with the perfect amount of drape,
as you can see on my daughter, Hilary.
The next shawl was this lovely striped one is shades of dusty purples,
teals and a slight hint of grey.
It's actually finished and waiting to be wet down and stretched out
on the lace blocking wires.
I'll show you the finished results soon.
After knitting a couple of smaller sized shawls I decided it was time to get out my crochet hooks and work up a couple of larger ones. This is the first one I made. It's a lovely shade of Sterling, which is a grey with a slight purple undertone. The fiber content is 70% Merino Wool and 30% Silk. It's fingering weight, making it soft and light, with a slight sheen from the silk. 
You can find it for sale on my shop here or here.
It's a Crescent Shaped Shawl, meaning it comes to a gentle triangle. 
Click the links for full details.
The shawl I am currently crocheting is full of color.
It's definitely a happy piece of work.
It practically sings out Summertime!
I expect it to leap off my hook at any moment
and fly away into the garden
to join those fairies for an afternoon dance. 
Who knows...
when I get it finished,
maybe I'll wrap myself up in it,
just once,
and take a twirl in the garden...
"I would always rather be happy than dignified."
Charlotte Bronte
Jane Eyre

4 comments:

  1. Hi Danette! The shawls are lovely! I love the golden one best!
    So many bunnies! How fun!
    Take care and enjoy all those blossoms.

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  2. Welcome back, Danette! I've been thinking about you. :) Look at all the gorgeous shawls and bunny hats!! Love them all, so beautiful. And those blossoms! Definitely perfect for fairy homes.

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  3. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I really appreciate your efforts
    and I am waiting for your next post thank you once again.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Greetings! Very useful advice within this post! It is the little changes that produce the biggest changes.

    Many thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for taking time to chat with me ~
Your comments make me so Happy!
Have a lovely day.
Danette