Ostara was Friday, so spring has officially sprung. I celebrated with food, as I usually do. I made a nice risotto with a spring greens salad. I did not take any pictures so I’ll leave that meal to your imagination. I will admit, though, that I totally cheat at risotto. I live at high altitude, so proper stovetop risotto takes a lot more time and I’ve never been too successful at it. Ever since I found the Barefoot Contessa’s oven “risotto” recipe, I’ve been riffing on that. I’ve drifted away from the original recipe over the years and I switch up the ingredients according to the season and the vibe I’m craving, but the oven method works well and makes things so much easier.
But enough about cooking. Spring is the season of air, and here in Northern New Mexico that’s pretty literal. We get some serious wind this time of year. Still, it’s warm enough to walk the dog without a sweater and the trees are lovely with flowers and new green leaves. Nights are still cold and it’s not quite hot enough for air conditioning, so we’ve had the windows open. I’m typing to the sound of chirping birds. It’s pretty cozy.
As spring warms up I’m, ironically, knitting a sweater. I’m making the Alchemist Slipover by Wool & Pine. I honestly don’t remember saving this pattern on Ravelry but I’m glad I did. So far it’s an easy project and it should be a cute layering piece when I’m done. Right now it’s just a large violet swatch but in a couple of weeks it should really look like something. I’m loving the color, Crow and Crescent’s Midnight Dreary. I love dark subtle violets and blues but I also fell in love with the Edgar Allan Poe reference. I’m a sucker for literary tie-ins.
As usual, my phone has dialed up the brightness on my knitting by a million percent, making the color look a lot lighter than it really is. Next time maybe I’ll borrow my kid’s camera and see if that captures the color better.
From now on I’ll aim to write a bit every Sunday here, and of course my sister and I post reviews every Friday on Darker Books. This week’s post might feel a bit like I’m marketing Ina Garten or shilling for Big Knitting but seriously, none of those people know I exist. I just want to give credit where it’s due and spread the word about things that have worked for me. I hope your Ostara was lush with new beginnings. Until next time.
Cauldron Comforts 