oh, the weather outside is . . . really nice, actually

As Gotta Knit pointed out, spring seems to be springing already, even though it's only mid-February. As much as I hate winter, I'm not ready for spring yet. For starters, I haven't nearly finished all my wintertime knitting; you know, the stuff you save for when it's really cold and miserable and you start to wonder if you'll ever be warm again. Apparently I will be, so I need to get a move on. I cast aside Hedera to start work on these two beauties:

This is Cherry Tree Hill that I got in St. Louisin the Sugar Maple colorway. I've swatched, cast on, and finished the toe. (Yes, I swatch like a fiend. Even for socks. I'm obsessive-compulsive like that.)

And this, the most beautiful yarn on the planet, is laceweight Malabrigo in Pearl. It's a soft, soft grey with touches of pale pink. I love this yarn so much it makes me want to weep. It's destined to be the Seraphim shawl by Miriam Felton. Initial swatching tells me that making this yarn work for that pattern might be interesting, but I am nothing if not stubborn.

When I get home this afternoon I'm going to give the kitties a thrill. When it's warm enough, we throw open all the windows so they can sit and watch the squirrels. It's their favorite thing ever. Anything to keep the kittens happy.