Happiness is...

sometimes... 
a cup of steaming coffee...
or a delicious piece of chocolate...
the smell of the air after a fresh summer rain...
or sunlight streaming in the windows...
today, happiness is a pile of lovingly hand-knit items...

I guess I am in spring cleaning mode, I have been going through our closets, sorting, evaluating, making piles. I feel a little invigorated by the warmer temperatures, I am back to making lists and plans.

In the process, I pulled out all of my hand-knits to, honestly, simply admire them. They make me happy. Is that funny? I guess it is, but knowing how much time and work has gone to making them, they feel like quite the accomplishment. It is rare that your accomplishments are this tangible.

The hat on top is for a friend, she asked me to make her, she was looking for a slouchy type hat, and after looking through countless options on Ravelry she chose Norie , another lovely pattern by Gudrun Johnston. I used Malabrigo Rastita in black. It is a very easy knit, a very straightforward pattern, and the hat looks adorable!

Anyone else feeling the spring-cleaning bug? Or at least a little less like hibernating? Tell me about your own projects.

Spring Inspiration

It’s finally happening. The temperatures are rising, the sun feels warm, and on our walk this weekend we saw crocuses and snowdrops. I bought a pink hyacinth for the kitchen windowsill and it smells incredible!

No knitting updates for today, but I can tell you that April will be an Easter-themed month, and I am even planning my first give-away!

Flowerpots need sleeves too

So I don't have any words of wisdom, no particular insights, no funny story for you today. I'm still waiting for spring but it seems I still have a long wait ahead.

I am planning to plant some flowers on our patio, to buy a new umbrella and coloeful pillows. I have this image of warm and sunny afternoons spent there, enjoying a glass of lemonade, my needles clicking away. That's not too much to ask, is it?

In the meantime, inspired yet again by Debbie Bliss' "The Knitter's Year", I made these three flowerpot sleeves. They just looked cute

Trying to phtograph this FO, I was wrapped in my parka, with my gloves and hat on, hoping the set-up would not get blown away by the -20C wind.

So really, under these weather-conditions, flowerpots DO need sleeves!

Cabane à Sucre

The days are finally getting a little warmer, so we were looking for a fun family activity. March and April are traditionally sugaring off season around here, so a plan was hatched. There are numerous sugar shacks in the Montreal region, pretty much something for everyone’s taste.

We chose the “Sucrerie de la Montagne”, as it was warmly recommended by friends. A little research revealed that it is designated a Quebec Heritage Site, so it was certainly going to be an authentic experience.  It’s about an hours’ drive from our house, and we passed the time listening to a medley of A’s favorite songs , such as “Whoomp there it is”, “I’m too sexy”, “Jump” (Kriss Korss), “Paparazzi”, and the Barenaked Ladies’ “Snacktime”.

As soon as we left the city I felt this sense of calm descend over me. I’m always surprised to see how caught up we get in the stress of everyday life. Try as we might, it always gets a hold of us. This is why outings are so important to us.

We arrived early, so we took a walk around the 120 acre forest of century old maples,  before it got too busy. It’s all old log cabins, some of which can be rented for overnight stays. They have their own bakery, where they make bread and sugar pies, and of course a distillery to transform sap and maple water into delicious maple syrup.

Brunch was served in a room warmed by a crackling fire, on long picnic tables. The waitresses wore traditional garb and we were entertained by two musicians singing French chansons. It really seems they are living life as they did years ago.

We feasted on pea soup, tourtiere (which is meat-pie, a local specialty), sausages and maple smoked ham, a delicious egg soufflé, mashed potatoes and meatballs. And as if that was not enough, we finished the meal with pancakes drenches in maple syrup and the most delicious sugar pie.  I personally enjoyed the tourtiere best, A was a big fan of the ham and S though the eggs were *eggstraordinary* ( ;-)sorry, I could not resist).

The drive home left us content and lethargic, ready to nap on the couch with the sun streaming in the windows dreaming of a spring that is…oh, so close!