Woodsmoke and wool and the sheer exuberance of spring

We've had a series of beautiful days here: wide blue skies, a cacophony of birdsong, the sudden, somehow unexpected explosion of cherry blossoms. The maple tree outside my window is afroth with chartreuse buds. It's been five years since I moved home from Nova Scotia, and I'm still gratefully surprised by the timing – and the sheer exuberance – of spring in southern Ontario.

In other news, I finished my Duke St. Shawl last night. I washed it up and set it out to dry, and went to sleep with the tang of wet wool in the air.

It was all dry this morning, perfectly soft and drape-y, the colours singing in the early morning light. (The yarn is Tanis Fiber Arts Orange Label in Teal. Well worth the investment.)

Maybe it's silly to be excited about a shawl on the cusp of summer, on a day that promises to be just one in a string of warm, sunny days, but there's still plenty of time for shawl wearing yet. Cool evenings out on a patio; late nights around a campfire; misty early mornings down by the lake. The intertwined scents of woodsmoke and wool – I'll always have time for that.

Have a wonderful weekend. I hope the sunshine finds you, too.