My Easter Weekend

It was pretty lazy.  I decided to treat my 4 days off like a mini (and much needed) vacation, so basically alternated between knitting, napping, reading, napping, playing with the cat, napping some more, etc.  I feel much rejuvenated today!

I accomplished one quick and simple little craft project after noticing this ...

... in my latest "Irish Quilting" magazine.  The Saint Brigid's Cross pictured is quilted fabrics, but I thought to myself:  "Self, why couldn't a Saint Brigid's cross be made with pretty paper?"  (Traditionally, these crosses are made with straw on February 1st, and are believed to protect one's home from fire and evil.)  Since I happened to have some pretty scrapbooking paper on hand ... no, I don't scrapbook, I just happened to come across some scrapbooking paper at 5 cents per sheet ...

... I got busy creating.  First, I tore some strips about 1 inch wide ...

... then folded the outer edges of each strip inward like you would bias strips of fabric ...

... and once I had a bunch of folded strips, started weaving my cross:

Do you remember the Mexican / Latin American "Ojo di Dios" made of colourful yarns wrapped around crossed sticks back in the 60s and 70s?  A Saint Brigid's cross is more or less the same kind of thing.  When I had at least 4 "straws" in every arm, I "tied" each arm together with another strip ...

... then trimmed the arms:

Finally, I glued a small strip of ribbon on the back for a hanger, and VOILA!

Yes, I do realize it is 2011 and not 2087!  Apparently, one is supposed to reset the date after the battery in one's digital camera dies.  Oops!

Saint Brigid's Cross took less than an hour from start to finish, and since I still had 3 more days of long weekend in which to entertain myself, I did a little knitting too.  One of my blogging friends is expecting baby number SIX ... and with 5 boys already, hoping for a daughter.  Since I love baby knitting more than any other kind of knitting (except maybe socks), this sounded like a perfect excuse to start a little girl sweater ...

... using my favourite neck-down method.  The coolest part of baby knitting is the speed ... here I am with the arms divided off already, and only a couple of hours into the project!  It's quite pretty yarn and makes its own pattern as you knit.  Want to see a close up?

Miss Boots was feeling left out ...

First you play with paper, then you play with yarn and you tell me "PAWS OFF!"
When is it Bootsy time already???

... so I had to call it quits for the day and spend some quality time playing "fetch the ping pong ball" with her.  (That would be with the cat swatting and the human fetching the ping ping ball, naturally!)  Despite multiple breaks for cats, naps and meals, this is how far I had knit by last night ...

Does this make you think of sunshine and peaches?

... body complete, one side of the button band sewn on, and with button placement marked.  I'll have to dig through "Stanley the Button Jar" for 6 pretty buttons!

So that was my Easter weekend.  What did y'all do???