On the needles: February and March

I can't tell you how happy I am that we have crossed the springtime threshold, and that we eat dinner in daylight again. As I'm sure it is for many, this is the time when my thoughts generally turn to the outdoors, to cleaning up the yard, bike rides, and using the grill. It's difficult to find time to devote to knitting, but I feel a certain tenderness right now toward this standby hobby. I have been feeling almost bemused by my drive to start and actually finish projects, and then go out in public wearing them. Perhaps it helps that I'm mixing in some sewing projects that have a much shorter timeline to completion to then return to something slow and methodical.

Anyhoo, here's what's been going on:

May Cardi by Bristol Ivy. This is a laceweight cardigan that will probably take me 483 hours to complete. No, really - I timed how long it takes to knit a row (I'm down to 11 minutes from 15). I can knit about 2.5 rows during a half-hour television program if I don't get distracted. Or 8 rows over the course of Mark Knopfler's latest album.

The pattern, though, is lovely and completely worth it (probably - I never really know until the moment I try it on for the first time). I wanted a short-sleeve cardigan I could wear over sleeveless tops (like the Willow tanks I've been making) in summer. I'm using Quince & Co.'s Piper yarn, a mohair and merino laceweight blend in "Austin" - a sort of rusty shade - that will be luxurious to wear. My goal is to finish it by June. But after sitting in a chair for an hour, knitting just 6 rows, it's hard to see progress. I trust it's somehow gaining length.

Hermione's Everyday Socks. I swore I would give myself a good long break before knitting another pair, but I had so much leftover yarn from my Peace Project cowl, and I was waiting for the yarn to arrive for my May Cardi, and of course I have to do something when I'm watching TV or sitting in airports for hours. But rather than use my straight-forward, boring sock pattern, at least I opted for something with texture. Just adding a purl stitch to the 4-stitch repeat creates such an unusual design and looks more complicated than it is. I can't wait to put these on.