Snowy finish ~

Another snow and ice day, as the power just came back on but still icy on the roadways. We were an entire day without power, and we made the best of the situation by all the neighbors sticking together for meals and support and relaxing fun. The kids are still having a blast, and the adults are enjoying some down-time as well. I have finished Trillian, and I love everything about it! I love the yarn with the hard twist and the colors are fabulous. The Signature Needles are a dream with this yarn as well, plus the pattern is easy enough to work on while having a conversation (however be careful on the phone, don't drop any stitches!!!) Since the colorway is Zinnia, it seemed perfect to take a finished picture in my garden. I had to clear off one of my sweet pinkie birds for the photos. Aren't they lovely! As I was casting off, I started thinking about two other skeins of Shibui Sock that would make another lovely Trillian... would that be too obsessive to cast on another Trillian so soon??!!???

Power outage knitting ~

Another snow day on our hill, but this one begins with no power - yes, lights out in the wee hours of the AM so we have plenty of time to get ready for the night. Well, we are still the hub for the neighborhood kids, sledding and snowball fights and lots of cocoa and marshmallow consumption. Also lunch and dinners, and we are having a blast. I did finish my mango handspun shawl, and as you'll note by the wee ball in the picture, I had just a teeny bit to spare! The thick and thin yarn makes it look rustic, and I'm excited to see how it will look when blocked. Very satisfying to knit with one's handspun! Even more satisfying to finish a project with one's handspun! Knitting with a headlamp worn as a necklace is the secret to knitting in a power outage. If you don't have a headlamp in your knitting bag now, I recommend you get one soon!!! Also took a picture out in the snow, just so you could see the shawl in more light...
Note: the power is now on while I'm posting this, as I am not yet clever enough to figure out how to post to the blog without power...my phone just won't do it!

Snow day knitting ~

Since I had a bonus day home early from work, which turned out to include a bonus evening where I could stay up late since I didn't have to wake early... I decided to cast on with my hand spun yarn which is oh-so-soft mango, a blend of merino and tussah silk. The pattern, Chastain Park Shawl, is one I found on Ravelry, searching under the category of 150 yards or less, as I only have 149 yards of this lovely yarn. Since this is only the second (third if we count the sample Corriedale) that I've spun and plyed on the Pocket Wheel, it is still thick and thin, yet lovely and soft. The shawl has a rustic sort of look to it so far. I almost finished knitting it, as I was knitting into the wee hours, waiting for the snow storm to hit...by 2:00 AM the predicted storm had not hit...so I went to bed with only a few more rows left to knit....so I should finish this tomorrow, right?!!

Snow day spinning ~

Lucky and cozy are we, as the snow falls around us and the schools get closed, and my job sends us all home early...my mind turns to what bonus activity I could be doing now that I have a snow day.... so we are safely off the roads, and cozy by the fireplace...and I'm spinning a new blend on my Pocket Wheel. This is a blend by Rain City Fiber Arts, the same company that I bought the yarn for the Track Star socks, and I love that yarn and I LOVE her color blends....So I've been thinking of this blend, as I bought three 1 ounce samples of 50/50 merino tencel when I was still drop spindling. It looks lovely spun as a single on my wheel! I am wondering how it will Navajo ply, but that will be tomorrow's project, since I'm hoping for another snow day at home!

Snowy knitting ~

We have finally received our first snow. Much has fallen, and there are deer hanging out under our cedar trees to keep out of the falling snow. My youngest and I walked to the grocery store, but no driving on our hills, so that is a relief. The chickens have enough food and their water has not frozen. The cat is happily sleeping in her warm bed in the garage. My sweetie said he would "chain up" and drive me to work if the roads are still covered...so nothing to stress about....Just some knitting on this snowy day! P.S. I think I've fixed the two stinkin' dropped stitches, but they don't look perfect...so I'm not showing a picture of the "fix" but I am hoping that it "blocks out", right?

Heart stopping drop ~

I have never learned how to weave a dropped stitch back up to the "live" stitches on the needle. I have never learned the difference of weaving a purled stitch from weaving a knitted stitch. I have never learned how to be calm and not freak out when I have dropped stitches. This nasty dropped stitch business happened while on the phone with my folks, I was reaching for a notepad and pen to write an address, and pulled out at least eight stitches of Trillian off my needles. Six stitches were easy to get right back on, but those last two stinkers... I may need an intervention....however, I am still breathing into my paper bag...trying to stay calm.....note to self: perhaps a good New Year's Resolution would be to learn how to get dropped stitches back into place...

Packers and socks ~

As the Packers battle New York, I'm knitting away on these very bright socks. This yarn has a great twist and the colors are bold and happy. I had to switch to size 1 needles to get a snugger fabric of knitting, and I think that will be better for these socks... but it might take me that much longer to knit them with smaller needles!P.S. Dropped many stitches on my Trillian in an unfortunate event, and was able to get all the stitches back on the needles except one stinker...I may have to take them all off and reload them *gasp* to get that stinker back in line.....