Spring Fever

I'm currently on my spring break—that is, I'm on my week-long break that the school gives during the month of March. Unfortunately, they're making us come back on Easter Sunday, so I won't be able to spend that holiday with my family. However, I'll be going back a little early so I'm not traveling on a holiday. The bus ride that I take to go home and go back to school is very long and tiring, and I refuse to travel on a holiday, especially for that long.

It's hard to believe that summer is coming closer. This winter has been the longest in at least three or four years—it's almost April and there is still snow on the ground. I think my step-grandmother shares my spring fever, as she is already breaking out her plants and gardening. My grandparents, who I'm staying with for the majority of this break, have a garden, and I know for a fact my step-grandma is just itching to get her hands back into the garden on the weekends. I know my grandfather is also itching to take his motorcycle out for a spin; after all, he brought his tractor out yesterday for a quick drive, but he said it was really too cold to drive it.

I myself have something of spring fever: I'm getting ready to plant some flowers and try to start them from seed. Right now I have no plants—my gorgeous cactus died last fall, and my roommate accidentally killed my chicks and hens I gave her to babysit over Christmas break. I really want to start some forget-me-nots, simply because they used to spot all over our yard the entire summer when I was growing up. They really are pretty flowers. Just to be safe, though, all of the flower seeds I bought from the co-op (local/organic food store) specifically state to “start indoors.” I really want to start from seeds to flowers, but we'll see. I know it takes a long time for some of them to flower, but I'll be patient.

My cactus last summer. Unfortunately I killed it last fall.

Speaking of plants and flowers and stuff, apparently I got a job for the summer at a local farm (not too far where I'll be living for the summer). My grandfather got ahold of the farmer down the road (apparently this farm is huge), and got my sister and I jobs at said farm. Decent wages too. I hope it all works out.

I've also been crocheting a lot. It's pretty funny, I swore I would never crochet, because it was too difficult and so different than knitting. I'm afraid I've become quite addicted, however. I've been crocheting mostly small things. I'm not skilled enough to do amigurumi or anything bigger than dishcloths or 'media device covers.' That is, I have been crocheting a lot of iphone/ipod cases. I made three for three of my friends.

An ipod touch case I recently made and gave to a friend.

Despite my earlier misgivings about the art of crocheting, I really like it. In fact, when I went to Barnes and Noble the other day (IT WAS AMAZING), I bought a book called “The Crochet Answer Book” by Edie Eckman. Seeing as I rarely, if ever, buy books brand new, I think this gives me some promise as a crocheter. I bought the book mostly because it's so hard to remember all of the stitches for crocheting, as well as the specifics of finishing, blocking, and whatnot.

I'd really like to start selling the things I crochet and knit, but for now I think it's going to be more of a hobby and a gift-giving thing than anything else. It really relaxes me, so as long as I can continue to knit and crochet, I couldn't be happier.

In all seriousness, though, spring needs to be here already!