w.i.p. ...

Spring feels a bit like a work-in-progress at the moment. It's cold and chilly outside, but there are all the wonderful spring bulbs and seasonal flowers giving us a hint of better days to come.

I had to go into town last Thursday, and chose to follow the alleyway along the allotments that skirts the back of the churchyard. I walked under this amazing magnolia tree. And then I stopped, turned around and went back the way I'd come - just to have the thrill of walking under it again. Those big waxy flowers were so freakishly glorious against the perfect blue sky behind. I say freakish because they come before the leaves, and to my way of thinking that's just a little bit weird.

And, inspired by the promise of warmer days to come, I'm working on a spring/summer knit that can cover up T-shirts for relaxed days outdoors. Right now I'm loving this Cobalt & Lime variegated bamboo, which looks like it was inspired by a summer's day at the beach.

It knits up beautifully in stocking stitch, the colour adding enough interest for the textile not to look boring.  I've knit this in the round with 9 rows of stocking stitch followed by a tenth row of double wrapped knit-stitch, which unravels when it's knit out on the following round to produce this lovely drop-stitch row. I think it adds just enough extra detail (and ventilation) to make a perfect summer sweater. It's a really easy technique and speeds up the already speedy-knit by adding a couple of extra rows' worth of length each drop stitch row.

I've also got some wonderful organic cotton that I'm itching to knit into a  string of delicate summer bunting, but that's another story.

So many projects, so little time ...

All the best for now,

Bonny x