What a little sunlight can do.

It's amazing what happens when the sun comes out. All of a sudden, people are smiling. Everything is starting to bloom. Spring is not only in the air, but in everyone's step as well.

If you live in Ontario you know we have abruptly gone from 20 below to 25 above and people are delirious with the change. In one weekend, I watched the ice go out of the lake at my cottage. And it seemed like 10 minutes later, our two loons landed. They must have been circling waiting for the last bit to go. It was magical.

Up and down my street in the city, the colours of spring are everywhere. The yellow of forsythia. The pink, white and fuscia of magnolias - always the first to bloom and then drop their petals on newly-green lawns. Everyone's urns are filled with tulips and hydrangea in gorgeous vibrant hues. Palettes are changing. Textures too. It's like coming out from underneath all the heavy winter fabric and snow and grey skies. Spring gives us all permission to go a little bit brighter - celebrate and be a bit more daring.

For me, the same shift in colour and texture happens in my hooking each spring too. All winter I have used comfort colours and patterns that are cozy and plaid and warm and wonderful. Spring demands a colour change.

The purse front in this picture is the perfect example of that change. These colours are fantastic for spring and summer. They remind me of sherbet and ice cream, beach towels and umbrellas. They feel different when you work with them. And in this case, they feel very different because I switched from wool to panty hose.

If you haven't worked with pantyhose, give it a try. The results are amazing. You can ask friends to donate old ones and overdye them. You use all parts - the legs and the control top (which gives that little sparkle you can see - from the lycra, I guess). The other bonus is that it is cooler to work with than wool, especially if you use a rug warp backing. Even the hottest summer day doesn't keep me from picking up my hook.

I know that the weather is supposed to get cold again in the middle of the week. Someone even said that there may be flurries tomorrow. This is Ontario after all. And it's still April.

But in the meantime, I've enjoyed the sunshine, the smiles, the flowers and the switch in my hooking. Spring and summer don't last nearly long enough, so I'll enjoy every loop of it.