Bring on the bunting!

I love Christmas--even now that grief has made it a little more complicated than I prefer my holidays to be. But during those first, clean, blank-slate weeks of January after Christmas has been tucked away again for another year, my mind easily drifts to the next sweet thing: Valentine's Day.

I didn't have a proper valentine until I met My Beloved 15 years ago, so for most of my life February 14th was about familial love. That meant a velvety, heart-shaped box of chocolate from my grandma, cinnamon hearts for my dad, Laura Secord treats from my mom, and, of course little folded paper valentines for my friends at school.

I never really got past the excitement of Valentine's Day. Partly because I love chocolate so much--and any holiday that features chocolate prominently is pretty awesome in my book--but also because it's just so pretty. Pink, red and white everything.

I'm having a group of friends over in a few weeks for our monthly charity Yarnapalooza (a topic for another day), and I thought it would be rather appropriate to use yarn to decorate the room in which we'll be happily hooking and knitting (and laughing and talking and eating!).

My frilly Valentine's Day wreath is already hanging up nearby, and I've decided the fireplace mantel, newly divested of its Christmas trappings, is the perfect spot for a pretty little heart bunting to make things extra festive and sweet.

Because I love bunting. Love it. Even though there's not a single scrap of bunting in my house. Yet.

I found this sweet and simple Valentine's Day bunting pattern on Sarahndipities (whom I know nothing about other than the fact that she obviously makes kick-ass bunting patterns), and dug through my stash for some valentine-y colours.

Could I have attempted something sophisticated (as sophisticated as bunting can be, I suppose) by using a cream coloured yarn--or at the very least just one colour? Sure. But since Valentine's Day is traditionally a riot of pink and red, that's what I'm going for here too. January is so devoid of colour (especially if you live in an area where everything green is now covered in white), so it's nice to usher in February with something bright and cheerful.

I whipped up the first three hearts during my lunch break today. And I'm totally feeling the love! I figure I'll probably need between 10 and 20 of these little motifs, give or take, so this is a pretty quick project depending upon the length you require your bunting to be. It's also a great way to use up little odds and ends in your stash basket (or closet...).

My poor half-finished sweater is just going to have to wait until this bunting is finished, I think. Luckily there's still all that white stuff outside, and lots of time for sweater wearing...and finishing.