Early last week I got an email from a woman in the lower mainland who reads my blog - she was sending a 'get well' message about my hands, but she also wanted to know if I was interested in some tie-dyed gloves she'd created for herself a few years ago when she had a similar problem?

I sat at my computer with tears in my eyes. People who know me well think I'm a bit of a 'Pollyanna' because I absolutely believe in the basic goodness of people, but I still get blown away when I see it so clearly demonstrated. This complete stranger to me went to a post office and paid money to send me a parcel because she knew I needed a 'supply' of cotton gloves, and she knew these gloves would cheer me up. The parcel arrived on Thursday, with about 6 or 7 pairs, and I'm just tickled!
Thanks so much, Louisa, do you have any idea how wonderful you are?!

And then a young woman new to our Salt Spring knitting circle emailed me a pattern, that she hasn't even published yet, for a pair of very funky fingerless gloves. They're on the needles as we speak!

The good news is that the hands are much improved ... not 100% yet, but hugely better than two weeks ago. What a relief!

So day before yesterday I hopped into the van to go into Ganges, and as I drove up our little lane to the main road, I glanced (as I always do) at the 'upper' driveway to the house here on the property. I thought I must have been dreaming .... or reading too many knitting magazines, or something...

Excuse me? Sheep on our lawn??
So I called the owner, and his wife's response when she answered the phone was, "Oh, yeah. They come."

They do? We've been here for eight months, and I'd never seen them. But apparently they may be part of a wild flock here on the south end of the Island - there were even a few babies among them.

By the time I got home from town they'd moved on. What a shame ... isn't it pretty much shearing time?? :)

It IS spring, more or less. The neighbors were airing out their sails the other day...
... just before this hit us:
... which allowed me to start a little fire in our woodstove, and curl up with my knitting. I finished the Weeble-Wobble Cowl:
... which I have to say, after MUCH knitting, that I don't really love it. It's sock yarn, so it may get frogged; I'll wait a few days to see if it 'grows' on me. But this week I have to focus on a dog hair swatch (or two) and three more little doll dresses, all of which I committed to have done by the end of the month - which is Wednesday, I think.

Knitting circle at the Rock Salt today!