Spring's almost here and a late WIP Wednesday

The last few days have been lovely and warm and, for the first time in months, Lucy and I were finally able to have some quality time hanging out in the backyard (as opposed to the quality time we spend on my couch or in bed or on and/or around my desk in the daily power struggle over who gets to sit in the desk chair (usually Lucy, of course)). I took the opportunity to take photos of the stuff I am working on at the moment:

My stripy blanket square is coming along really nicely. It is super warm and fluffy and I am very very tempted to keep it and use it as a lap blanket to keep on hand for those times when I get cold at my desk. The two markers are an equivalent distance from the centre 'spine' of the blanket. Each time I finish a repeat I move them. It allows me to tell how many repeats I have left but also is a really fascinating marker of how much faster the repeats go the shorter the rows get (I know duh, but still!). I love this stage of a project like this, when the rows just keep getting shorter and quicker all the time.

I really hate working with 5-ply crepe yet I somehow ended up with piles of it in my stash. This year I was desperate to finally use it all up so I finally finished the Moderne Baby Blanket I started five years ago. I used the leftovers to make a Blue Baby Surprise Jacket (which has adorable buttons!). In an effort to use every last metre I made a Scraptastic Spiralling Baby Hat, leaving me with less than 5g crepe in total.

Or, so I thought, until I was updating my stash details on Ravelry and found I had 80g of black 5-ply crepe listed. WHY IS THIS YARN EVERYWHERE AND WHY WON'T IT JUST GO AWAY! I found it and cast on straightaway...about four months ago.

I really really hate working with this wool! The pattern is cute, though (Soleus from Elinor Brown - rav link), and the socks will be good once I've finished them so I'll continue to carry this pair around with me, working on a row here and there until they are eventually done.

Lucy took the opportunity to make it loud and clear that, after being left on a bench throughout a long wet winter, her outside blanket is not up to scratch and must be cleaned.

I'm on to it, Lucy. I see a weekend full of weeding and outside-cleaning ahead...

I love spring :)