Wow, it’s been a while!  I think the first 5 months of this year have been a bit of a blur! I love that the longer nights are here and the weather is starting to warm up.

We are into the throws of exam season here, my eldest son, Harry, is sitting his A-Levels and my middle son, Jacob, is in the midst of his GCSEs.  Grace has another year before her GCSEs and Leon is only 10, but he will have SATs next year too.  It really feels non-stop for Harry and Jacob at the moment, but, once the exams are done they have a lovely long summer stretching ahead of them. Do you remember the seemngly never-ending summers of childhood?  

I find my interests change with the time of year.  When it’s dark early and cold outside, I tend to favour larger projects like making a quilting or knitting a top or crocheting a throw.  I like to have a project I can really get my teeth in to and it doesn’t need to be very portable.  But in the summer, I move to smaller more portable projects or projects where I can take a small part of it with me.  I have an English Paper Piecing quilt on the go which is all hand sewing, so this is great to take a small amount of it out to the garden with me.  I also work on smaller crochet projects, like summer shawls, as I just need a hook and my yarn.  These are perfect when I am watching the children at sports events, or in the garden.  I have absolutely no qualms in knitting or crocheting wherever I am.  I spend a lot of time in the car waiting the children at school or clubs, so I always have a small project in the car too.

Did you know, in June on the 10^th, it is Worldwide Knit in Public day? This is celebrated on the second Saturday in June every year.  The purpose of the day is to show that knitting is for all ages and it is a fun and enjoyable activity. Every day is a knit (or crochet) in public day for me.  It’s really amazing how many people ask about it, and how many people I have shown how to knit or crochet over the years.  This I love doing, its lovely getting to know people that I wouldn't do otherwise.  There are so many benefits to knitting and crocheting.  It’s calming, it’s a creative outlet and there is a huge sense of pride in what you have created.  I love that I can knit or crochet anytime, anyplace. 

As I am sure you know by now, I love sewing too, although it’s my sewing that tend to slow down over the over months.  But…the sewing bee is starting again, it on the 24^th of May at 9pm on BBC 1.  So I will definitely be watching this, I can’t wait.  The contestants amaze me every year, it’s the timescales really, how do they make the garments, and fabulous garments at that, in the time they are given?  I have to confess though…I will be knitting or crocheting while I watch my favourite program of the year!

I would love to know how your interests change over the course of the year.  What are your “go to” projects for Summer and Winter?  Have you fallen in to a pattern of what you make or do depending of the time of year?  Do you have an all-time favourite make?  Comment below, it would be really lovely to hear, and it will inspire me and others to try new makes.