Springtime in Vermont: Flowers, Fiber, and Frolicing

The green mountain state is actually living up to its name this week. Spring does not emerge slowly in these parts, but rather explodes like an energetic toddler waking up from a long nap. One day, the world is a frozen tundra and you feel like there is no way that any of the plants that are drooping with the heavy wet spring now could possibly offer a feast of chlorphyll filled colors. Then, seemingly overnight, you wake to find yourself diving head first into purple lilacs in the hope that you might be able to take that smell home with you. Then, there are the bleeding hearts. Every spring I look at these amazing plant and can't believe that nature could create something that looks exactly like a heart. Perhaps, the symbol of love was inspired by these plants instead of vice versa.
In addition to staring at all the new flowers, I have been enjoying some other spring adventures. I got a chance to visit Jessie, creator of beautiful yarns that you can find at A Piece of Vermont and peacock owner. I picked up some beutiful hand-dyed bamboo/merino/nylon and an additional skein of Weybridge (all vermont fiber yarn), which I am planning on dying myself. It was one of those perfect Vermont days when hanging out on the porch of an old farmhouse chatting is really the only reasonable thing to do.
In other knitting news, I am working on a scarf with a lacy eyelet trim. Look what happens if you follow directions. All YO, PSSO, stuff isn't as scary as I thought. I used the stitch pattern from June 14th of the 365 Knitting Stitches a Year: Perpetual Calendar. This yarn is also from Piece of Vermont (50/50 merino tencel). Not bad for a first try at lace. There's lots more in non-fiber fiber/flower news, but I'll that for another post.