Lately I've been working a lot. That includes nights, weekends, early mornings - just about every time a normal person should be sleeping or not sitting at their work computer. If you're cooking dinner, I'm frantically checking my files. If you're fast asleep on the couch, I'm putting the finishing touches on my last designs. It's all a bit much really.

This weekend was slightly different. I've recently migrated my emails to Outlook so I don't get them at all times of the day (this is good) and I recklessly took Saturday morning off work. Yep, I did it. And guess what I did on my morning-off-work?

I sat outside and caught up on some knitting.

It was a beautiful spring day and as you already know, I really am full of the joys of spring at the moment so you'll just have to excuse all of my happy-that-it's-spring-gushyness, okay?

We got up early and took a leisurely stroll down to Walthamstow Market which is a little bit like Greenpoint Market from back home: it's packed with all sorts of things from haberdasheries (good) to hosieries (odd) to household goods (expected). We walked through the market, did an about turn, and walked back through past WH Smiths to pick up a Saturday treat:  a magazine for morning reading. There's really nothing nicer than catching up on one of your favourite magazines when sitting outside in a breakfast nook with one of your favourite people.






















Add to that one of my other guilty pleasures: obsessively-neat knitted rows of knitted garment that is coming out exactly the right shape, size and stitch count.

















This is what I'm knitting, by the way. It's a rather charming jumper that was specifically chosen by my very own Mr Darcy who insisted that all of this knitting is all a bit silly if he doesn't benefit from it. Who am I to complain? He picked his yarn as well - it's 'airforce blue' wool/acrylic blend that's easy to wash and has a bit of give in it. I've been working on this on-and-off in between my other Large Knitting Project which should be finished very soon, so perhaps this jumper might actually get finished before summer.

















In case you were wondering which magazine I chose, here it is - in all of its very-bright-green glory. It's what I like to call a 'happy magazine', always full of lovely patterns and ideas, although I've yet to stitch one up. I do like to choose something to make from every magazine I buy to justify the purchase (even at £3.99, it feels just a little indulgent when I look over at my already-enormous pile of reading materials).

















This is the project I'm going to eventually make from this magazine. It's a lovely brolly brooch that's quite a happy little project despite the drippy raindrops. I must admit, my dear friend Anne has inspired me to get stitching, so I'm pretty sure you'll see some stitched loveliness on this blog soon!