Did you see..?

I've just come in from my first attempt at Taming the Beast that is the gardens of Pittsworth Manor. The morning is bright but chill and though my nose is cold the rest of me is made warm by the sight of sprouts and buds. This winter has been especially long.

And so I give you, my dear readers, signs of Spring fresh from SW Ontario.

The lilac has budded:
Some of the 100+ tulips I planted are poking their noses up to greet the sun:
The Complementary Tulips -- which is what I call the ones that were "free" with the house -- are up a good six inches. You can actually see them now since the Offending Cedar met its maker last Fall:
And look! The Imperial Crown Lilies have survived the Great Purge and Planting of 2010. This is a welcome sight, indeed. I was a bit worried about that one.
But yes, the chill and the fact that my hand rake is playing hide-and-go-seek with me this morning has forced me back indoors. Which, of course, offers me ample opportunity to bring you up to speed on what I'm up to these days.

At present I am working fervently on a sock design for the Summer 2011 issue of Sockupied. While this is keeping me quite busy I am really enjoying the socks themselves, and I hope you will, too. More details will follow as they become available.

I'm also pleased to report that Pick Up Sticks is now carrying both my mitten patterns and the Sunday Knits kits to go along with them. This is good news for those among you who prefer to get all your shopping done in one go. Check them out here.

And look what I got a copy of the other night -- it's the Spring/Summer 2011 issue of Vogue Knitting International:
...notable, of course, for this feature:
It's a little surreal, opening a magazine and seeing yourself looking back out at you. Maybe more than a little.

I bought a new rose bush to celebrate. I think she's lovely.
Now I've got to get back to those socks -- they're not going to knit themselves.

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

Congratulations!!!

Unknown said...

Thank you! :)

Kelly said...

Congrats on the article! I'll have to go pick up the issue.

Kelly @ Creating a Family Home

Unknown said...

Thanks, Kelly!

Rachael said...

Oh, excellent good! You are in VK! I must really get myself a copy!

Unknown said...

Rachael -- Thank you! Yes, I can hardly believe it myself. :)

Bonnie said...

I know! I was so happy for you when I saw the article in VK. My first thought was, "Spillyjane! I read her blog!" I'm knitting your Owlmittens for a friend right now, and I'm loving them. Go forth and knit!

Bonnie said...

You know, now that I think about it, I'm not only knitting your Owlmittens, but I'm currently wearing your Naive Socks. Huh.

Unknown said...

Thank you, Bonnie! I hope you're having fun with the Owlmittens.

Cakewalk Yarns said...

VK is big time! Congrats - you deserve it.

Unknown said...

Cakewalk Yarns -- Thank you! :)

Voie de Vie said...

Oh, that's wonderful about Int'l Vogue - and yes, I might be a little unsettled too, but also happy. :)

Enjoy the flowers ... and Spring.

Unknown said...

Thanks, Voie! I am enjoying the bit of Spring that we're due to have any time now, because here brisk, fresh Spring morphs into hot, sweaty Summer very, very quickly.

Chantal Boucher said...

YOu deserve it! Congratulation for your work!

Unknown said...

WOW, COGRATULATIONS

tamara said...

That is made of Pure Awesome! I imagine it would be a tad unsettling to see one's own face peeking up from the pages of such an esteemed publication! Congratulations!

Purls By The Sea said...

I saw that write up in Vogue - very nice!

Maryse said...

Congratulations for the article! Well deserved and I too love your mittens!

Anonymous said...

YAY spring and Congrats on getting an article in Vogue.
http://pandabearofdoom-randomknits.blogspot.com

SouthFrontenacFibres said...

That's awesome. Vogue Knitting!!!

The rose bush is beautiful too. What great reward.

DesertSageRat said...

I've been so busy doing my thing I haven't taken the time to see what others have been up to. Congratulations!

Fran Harnage said...

Couldn't happen to a nicer girl. Love the pics. Make we want to travel.

Unknown said...

Congratulations on your Vogue spot! I have just started following you as I have come back to knitting after a 10 year break. Your work is beautiful.

Unknown said...

Thanks so much, everyone!