Well, here we are in May!  And whatever is opening up or will be opening up or will not be opening up anytime soon, Nature herself is opening up all around us.  For which I am grateful!  May is when Spring becomes not just a season of hope, but a season of fulfillment — as leaves unfurl, filling the trees, and flowers erupt in colors I had almost forgotten.  Birds and bugs keep us company all day, waking the sun and hanging about even as the twilight fades.  The childlike insistence and wise persistence of Nature sweetly reminds me that we are not alone on this planet — and that even if human beings are struggling at present, Life goes on.  And that means Life goes on for us as well.

Which leads me — as all things inevitably do, it seems! — to knitting projects which suit the day and celebrate the season.  Chilly evenings still find me enjoying our gas fireplace and my Hinterland sweater (by Jenn Steingass).

Though, like Bootstrap Bill Turner (of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies), I find I am in danger of becoming “part of the ship!”

However, after the mental fog and blur of the past weeks, I am finding my creative energy returning.  I have begun a design project — an oversized lace pullover inspired by a darling sweater the Starbucks barista at the drive-thru window was wearing one day!  The yarn is Spud & Chloe’s Sweater Worsted — a wool/cotton blend which, in the airy stitch pattern, will suit warmer days.

The upper stitch pattern swatch is for the sleeves and the lower one for the body of the sweater. I have begun knitting and it is a pretty delightful project — a simple intuitive lace stitch worked in relatively thick yarn on relatively thick needles makes for relatively fast knitting 🙂 I realized that I needed to figure out the decreasing — for the neck shaping and the sleeve shaping — for both laces and sat up in bed until 12:30 am the other night graphing that out!  It was a complex and totally engrossing process — and I enjoyed it so much!  Though it was hard to settle my brain down after all that analytical thinking so late at night….  Kinda like having a double espresso on the way to bed.  Ooops!

As May is my birthday month, I usually treat myself to a knitting project.  This year, I ordered yarn to make a cardigan (probably using slip-stitch colorwork).

The gray yarn is Tosh Merino in “Smokestack” and the multi-colored is “Stay Out Of The Forest” from Spincycle Yarns.  They are both delicious yarns and I am so excited to let them loose together!  It should be a dynamic combination 🙂 I have been perusing slip-stitch colorwork patterns — but I haven’t begun working out the actual sweater design yet.  

And I am still working on my Baby Knitting for Sasha’s and Dave’s little guy due mid-May — which means really any time now!!!  And that will be the most welcome gift of May this year for our family!