In Knitlob's Lair

March is definitely a spring month; even though the scenery will stay about the same (snow and then some more) there is going to be more and more light. Somehow the leap towards the Midnight sun seems to start in earnest. Already today when I woke up little after six, I glanced out of the window thinking that it was much later and thus did not even look at the watch, just hurried out of bed to discover that it was only 20 past six, almost my normal waking up time. Some people have difficulties in sleeping during the light months, but I was a child who was scared of dark and to me summer months always relieved me from my scares. I sleep very well when it is light out, but sleeping through the light hours during the summer feels so wasteful.

The temperature is usually well below freezing during the night but March is the time when the sun is slowly taking over and wins the battle and the temperature has to surrender during the day some digits. I am not sure what it is with the wind this time of the year, it is as if it is so much stronger and as if it blows from all directions the same time. During the midwinter, the wind is like a whip on your face but if you turn your back to it, you are fine. But at the moment no matter what direction I am going, it is as if the wind is always on my face. It blows broader and stronger somehow. 

I had quite a lot on my plate these past weeks (health issues in the family) but now all seems to be on even keel - I hope. I was sorely in need of some pick up and yarn therapy and my friend and I woke up early on Saturday, traveled few hours towards south to visit The Knitlob'sLair. What a lovely treat! Tuulia has open hours in her studio for a few times this coming spring and last Saturday was one of those days (you can follow her Facebook).

I was so happy to see all her yarns in person. Her colors are beautiful, very saturated and rich and I especially love her blues. Her sense of blue is close to mine. I wonder if it is because she lives quite far up in the north as well and she sees the same hues as I do during the winter months. I was determined to see other colors as well and decided beforehand to concentrate on those and all her colors speak to me. 

I bought way too much but since I am not travelling anywhere knit/crochet related this summer (it looks like it so far) and have not bought yarn for a long time, I gave myself a permission to get lots of different skeins to sample on. I feel like purring when I look at my yarns and you will see them used in the coming months. But I have to point out two that I cannot wait to try:

Falkland

These are Finnwool worsted singles... I am always delighted to see singles as they work so well in crochet.

I cannot go before I show you this. It is my latest crochet swatch and I am totally in love with it. It is done with 2mm hook and fingering weight BFL (Renaissance Dyeing) and the outcome is just beautiful. I think it is single crochet linen stitch but there might be other names attached to it too. I am trying to build up courage and determination to make a cardigan with crochet for me.  If only I can come up with a strong design, the courage and determination are going to be there, but to find something good to carry through thousands of stitches is always a challenge. I have some kind of an idea but it keeps changing every time I look at it, so I am letting it mature.

Väinö and Ruusu have truly been bonding this past week. Ruusu washes Väinö with her big, doggy, watery tongue few times during the day. The little kitten's head looks quite soaked afterwards but he seems to take this as an act of love. When she did this for the first time, the kitten charged afterwards under Ruusu tummy in search for milk. No matter how hard he sucked, none came and Ruusu looked quite puzzled, but did not move at all. Such a sweet little moment, I am happy I was there to see it.

I hope you have a good week. And thank you for reading and for commenting and for sending me good wishes while I was away, xx.

Wool with you,

Lene

PS. Every now and then I get questions about my name... how it is pronounced. One pronounces every single letter in Finnish and L and N are the same but E is pronounced like E in hen in English.