Light Speed

Since getting home from Virginia, spring seems to being coming along at light speed!

Green grass and more buds on the maple tree:

Crocuses up and open:

Daffodils almost open:

One of the turtle family in the pond was out sunning himself:

He's over there on the right.

Then, yesterday, Paul saw this guy trekking across the yard:

The shell was about 8-10" in diameter and he was very muddy.  And its head is huge.  I think it might be a baby.  Anyone know what kind of turtle?  It took about two hours to go past the pond and into the woods.

And we hear all the peepers at night!  I love that.

Also, on our way to Virginia, I finished my LightSpeed shawl:

 

My Aunt K. wondered how the colorwork got into the shawl, so I took a picture of the back to explain:

It's actually a very simple pattern because for each row, you are only knitting with one color and slipping stitches for the other color.  For example, I would knit (or purl) two navy blue stitches, then slip the next two light blue stitches.  "Slip" meaning just passing them from the left needle to the right needle without knitting them.  You do have to be careful to then carry that navy blue yarn behind the light blue stitches fairly loosely so you don't get puckering.  That can take a little practice, but ultimately very simple!  Then the next row reverses the process and you knit (or purl) two of the light blue and slip the navy blue.  The yarn being carried behind the slipped stitches is what you see in the above picture.

I love it! I love the colors, especially the light blue. I have a lot of that left and may try to make a pair of short socks.