Here comes the sun, here comes the sun,
and I say it's all right
Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter
Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here
 Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
and I say it's all right
Little darling, the smiles returning to the faces
Little darling, it seems like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
and I say it's all right
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...
Little darling, I feel that ice is slowly melting
Little darling, it seems like years since it's been clear
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun,
and I say it's all right
It's all right
`Lennon/McCartney

The lyrics to that song were running through my brain all day yesterday so I thought maybe if I put it here, it might go away.  Probably not since the sun is out and shining for all it's worth again today.  Not that I am complaining.  It's almost 50 degrees. (10 C) and it feels good.  I stood outside and just absorbed the warmth and it lifted my spirits.  The robin in the photo stood in my front yard looking toward the sun, too.  He stayed there while I ran to get the camera and let me take photos of him (or her?).  When I was a kid, the robins were a sure sign that Spring was here.  Lately we've seen them all winter.  And there are green shoots coming up.  Crocuses and daffodils are on their way.

Peter Kevin standing outside in the lovely spring sunshine.  He worked in the garage (workshop) all day yesterday and loved it.  It's been too cold for him to do much woodworking since that area is not heated.  Em made him some fingerless mitts which he got a lot of use out of but still, it's not smart to operate machinery that can separate you from various body parts when you can't feel your fingers.                                       

I spent yesterday sitting inside in the sunshine (it was still a little cool to sit outside for very long) and finished clue number two of my shawl kal.  You can see the green lifelines there in plain sight.  This clue was easier because there were no strange stitches.  Strange, you say?  Well, how about a K3tog K1pl 7?  It's a decrease which is really a an increase and makes a nice little bunched up effect. (You knit through 3 stitches k1p1 7 times and then take the original three off the needle).  It's not as hard as it sounds, just different.

I like the way it's coming out.  There are 1,000 (yes one thousand) people knitting this all together.  I'm not usually a joiner but this was a chance to work with a designer that I know and who is really creative.  Susan started her design company (Sunflower Designs) only a short while ago but if you look at the number of things she has available, it's astounding.  They're all clever and beautiful.  She's also a nice person.  My shawl is being knit from the yarn I bought from Colourmart.  It's a cashmere/silk/merino (heavy on the merino, which is probably a good thing since Bells told us how easily the cashmere breaks) blend and it's a 2/28.  This makes it thin.  The knitted fabric feels weighless.  The shawl will have a beaded edge (after all 7 clues) and I bought some matching beads to give it a whirl.  I know there are mistakes in here but I can't see them without microscopic examination so I'm going to pretend they're not there.

This is the bag it lives in while it waits for the next clue to be released.  I got it at the bookstore that was closing for 70% off.  I paid two dollars and I love it.  They're all various Super Monsters.  It's plastic coated nylon and has two large pockets inside and a zippered pocket.  It holds everything and snaps shut.  Personally, I just liked the monsters.

While I was looking for a photo of the Ott light, I read some reviews and they're not good.  These things seem to have a lot of problems (which seems odd since they're just lights and have no moving parts).  People report the balast not lasting long and the bulbs burning out after a short while.  One person reported sparks and smoke.  Great.  I finally find a light that I like and it may cause a fiery conflagration.  I love it.  .  I'll just keep an eye on it, especially since it sits right next to my head.  And Hobbes?  He loves it.  When I put it on, he comes over to sit in the light.  That's him sleeping on my lap under the light. 

Today I hope to finish the Embossed Leaves socks and start a pair for Pk out of some red and yellow yarn.  He admired it and said he'll actually wear them.  This is HUGE.  When I met him, he only wore white socks.  He's gradually moved onto beige, brown, black and blue.  Black and brown stripes were daring.  This pair will be tomato red with bits of yellow interspersed.  He has firm ideas of what "guys" wear and what they don't. (He'll never wear a pink shirt). 

 I'm going to make a beef pie for dinner.  Last night we had a roast done in the crock pot and there's some left over.  (I made popovers, too.  They are like magic!).  Because I have pie crust in the freezer, this will be an easy meal.  Just cut up the meat, add some vegetables and some gravy, put it all inside the pie crust and bake.  I love pot pie. 

Other than that, today will be a pajama day.  I showered and put on lounge-around-the-house clothes.  I slept for 9 hours last night and feel like I could go back to sleep so maybe a nap is in my immediate future.  I'm still throwing off the sinus infection and it's kicked my ass.  No strenuous work.  Just some knitting, maybe a movie and some more sleep.  Tough day, huh?