Witch Hazel

Bright blue skies have come our way. Soon the cherry blossoms will open, but earlier signs of spring have emerged. I stood under the pale, smooth limbs of a witch hazel shrub and looked straight up. If ever there was a plant begging to be transformed into stitchery, this is it. Fringed blossoms studded the branches. Surrounded by yellow, with that blue sky overhead, I contemplated the possibilities. How about short bits of embroidery floss, tacked down in the center, all fluffy and three-dimensional? No, that struck me as too literal. Instead, my mind wandered off into a celebration of yellowness and blueness knit together with delicate, dark lines.