4 inches

It is better than the one or so I was fearing but not enough to make me really happy. I had hoped for 8 or so. We drove out in it a little bit last night as the snow was falling very thickly. It was magical! Big, thick, sticky flakes falling so fast, you couldn't really keep up with it. So nice ......
Even my drive in to work today (which I did after rush hour) was very pleasant. The trees were all still thick with snow and the browns and greys of winter were hidden for a while.

I plied my BFL singles last night and decided that a) I have spun enough that it would impact yardage if I "waste" what I've already spun and b) once plied, I like what I've done so far. I resumed spinning. I finished spinning the black Wensleydale last night but haven't plied that yet.

Has anyone ever unplied yarn they have already plied but didn't like? I plied some of the black Wensleydale with the Perfect Storm colorway and don't like it. I need suggestions as to whether it is possible to unply a skein (short one - not 200 yds or anything like that) and use the singles again. I predict a disaster, but am willing to give it a try if I hear that it's been done successfully before.

I knitted on DH's sock and looked out the window at the snow. A lot. Very often, actually. It was soooo pretty! We have a red twigged dogwood that looks so awesome in the winter, with really red branches and when the fresh snow is sitting on the branches, it's amazingly beautiful.

I don't feel well today and I'm not quite sure why. I think it will be a short work day and then home and take some extra vitamins and rest. After exercising and doing just a bit of spinning. Actually, I can do spindle spinning from my bed .... I have the I pad and my knitting to keep me sitting still and yet busy. Sounds like a plan to me.

Have a good day.

Good weekend

Saturday: Nancy and I had a great time at The Mannings trying out wheels and browsing at yarn and tools and fibers, etc.

Nancy will be getting a Kromski Sonata! She bought some fiber to play with so that as soon as the wheel arrives, she can begin.

I was so good! I needed some size 1 circs for my winter sock knitting and bought those. I finally took the plunge and bought Addi lace turbos. I didn't buy anything else. I have plans for a sweater for after the new year but will buy at my LYS and didn't allow myself to get sidetracked into buying anything else - sock, lace or other yarn or books.

We made a day of it and once I got home, I was not motivated to do anything. We ate a wonderful dinner, I did the dishes and then sat and knitted.

Sunday was a morning of chores and then football watching. The Ravens almost beat Indy. Almost. Sigh.

The He Gansey front was almost completed. Then I discovered that, as I had feared, I missed some shaping instructions and I have to rip 15 or so rows. Bummer. It looks good, though. Bob's warm fishing hat is complete except for pompom making. One Spiraling Corialis sock is ready to be bound off. The purple Sunshine is longer - I think I have about 6 more rows and then it's time for some hell work. Swatches for a new year KAL (Mondo Cable sweaters by Chic Knits) are in the works.

The bag that my MIL had started for me (that I finished knitting) now has straps and can be used.

I enjoyed the sunshine yesterday and it's a good thing. I think we won't see any more sun this week. Ugh.

Ten Things

Ten Things I wish I knew how to do and the likelihood of learning/doing them

1. Sew - more than the basics. Not until I retire, maybe then.

2. Art - mostly drawing, but a little painting would be good. Not likely at all.

3. Ride a motorcycle safely. Not likely - tried it when I was in my 20's and it didn't go well ....

4. Fix my hair in a "style". Not.

5. Sing. This is actually a "wish I could do" it rather than "wish I knew how". My singing voice significantly deteriorated after multiple strep throat episodes in HS and college and disappeared for good with vocal cord surgery. I sound terrible now but when I am alone I sing anyway. Loudly and off key, but I do it.

6. Reverse directions. I am so tired of getting lost going home. sigh. Not likely at all. Thank goodness for the Mapquest reverse directions button.

7. Stick to a diet. Not likely.

8. Weave. I'd like to weave my own place-mats and table runners. There's a 50/50 chance, I would say, increasing slightly after retirement.

9. Bake from scratch. My few attempts have failed miserably so far. Ask DH about his birthday cupcakes. I think there is hope .....

10. Do electrical work. I think I am going to have to learn being that DH is legally blind. Do I really want to trust that he can see which wires to connect?

I went to physical therapy today for the first time for my toe/foot problem. The first thing he did after taking my history was to re-align my back. Obviously my attempt to prevent back problems by having surgery to correct my walking didn't have complete success. Still he thinks he can help. I had several other adjustments was instructed on 2 sets of exercises to do (have you ever done foot arch exercises?) and see him again next week. I do feel better. : )

I've decided to change to size 1 needles for my ribbing on the socks so that is on hold for now. I am using the size 1 circs in my new sock. I will have to switch to DPNs for the Sunshine socks and rip out the inch of ribbing completed so far. That will likely happen over the weekend. Meanwhile, the hat I am knitting for DH can become a travel project. 2 X 2 ribbing in mostly beige, with random color added as I am moved to do so makes a simple travel project, if not quite as small. Maybe I need to get more size 1 circs.

PS The trip to Mannings is back on for Saturday. Nancy wants another look at the wheels before she makes a choice.

photographic proof of productivity

Here is a photo of the Berroco Jasper I was given as a Christmas present. The colors are wonderful and flow smoothly into each other




Here are the Fetching fingerless mitts I made with ONE skein of that wonderfully soft yarn.



Here is Calorimetry, also made with one skein of Jasper. This is a head and ears covering for people with long hair. When you pull your hair up to walk or jog or whatever, you can keep your head (you loose a lot of heat through the top of your head) and ears warm without getting your hair all tangled or pulling the head covering down so you can't see.





I did both of these in one weekend. What a great feeling of accomplishment to have started and completed 2 projects so fast. (Yes, I know, I did nothing but knit and rest and drink juice, but everyone is entitled to do that once in a while, right? ) I took a picture of Calorimetry "in action" but I looked horrible trying to get the camera aimed and hold still and not get the flash reflecting in the mirror so you will have to wait until there is someone else here to click the shutter. ; )

I mentioned the gloves I started - here is a photo of the planned project.


I detest doing swatches in the round, so I just cast on in the needle size I thought I would need ( size 0). I had almost finished the cuff pattern and decided I had enough to do a decently sized gauge measurement. I found that I needed to go up at least one, possibly 2 sizes, so I frogged it and this is what I have now.



I am trying size 2 needles this time. I have to knit several more rows before I can measure, but I love this kind of knitting, so it doesn't bother me at all. I hold the dark color in my right hand and the white in the left. I am using DPN's right now but may switch to 2 circs to get the tension right if it seems too irregular this way. I like DPN's though, so I will probably stay with them.

So, current projects in the works are Rob's work socks, (about 2 inches from completion), the Selbu gloves, (just started) the alpaca socks (about halfway) and the lace hemp top (not very far along since my dip in the frog pond). With my yarn order (Donegal Tweed for a cabled cardigan designed by me) coming in, I don't know whether I should put aside the lace top to concentrate on the cables or keep going with the lace top and put off the cabled cardigan I have planned. Decisions, decisions.

I think I will go do some knitting and put off that decision until another day.

My New Year

New Year's Eve was a quiet night spent at home. We don't go out much - most places are too noisy for Bob to deal with (hearing aids amplify all noise, not just the ones you want to hear) and this particular holiday is noisier than others. So we sat at home and did things we enjoyed. I knitted and Bob played on the computer and read.

New Year's Day, though, we drove up to NY city. Our main intention was to go see Rockerfeller Center and the tree, and we did that, but we also went to the Jacob Javits Convention Center to see the boat show there. Yes, the boat show was open on New Year's Day. Isn't that a bit odd? I thought so, but it was convenient for us so we attended. We browsed at boats bigger than ours - what else is the future for if not to dream of what we might have/do in the future? When they threw us out at the end of the show we headed over towards the tree. I have not driven in Manhattan in many years and was a little stressed about my abilities, especially when it comes to parallel parking. I found a spot a little further away than would be ideal (due to the wind and cold) but I could get into it and there was no risk (we thought ) of getting blocked in, so we stayed there. The parking meter machines take credit cards - imagine that! We tried to use ours but the card got stuck. Gulp. Manhattan on a holiday and the card won't come out of the machine. What are our chances of getting help any time soon? Finally, after turning the cancel button several times and squeezing my fingers in the opening I was able to remove the card and we prepared to push quarters into the slot. A very nice lady told us that we didn't have to pay on the holiday, though. All that worry and we didn't have to pay.
We found a place to eat that was cozy and warm and not too expensive and had dinner (at 9 PM), then added a few layers of clothes and walked to see the tree. It was breathtaking, as always.


No matter how many times you see it or think you know what to expect, it is still awesome. It is sad that a tree has to die for that, but since no one asked me before they cut it down, I think the least I can do is to really appreciate it, right?













I took lots of pictures with my new camera - that was so much fun! No guilt about wasting film and the ability to view the pictures right away instead of having to wait for film to be developed added to the fun. St. Patrick's cathedral is another must place for us to visit, but it was closed. It looked like renovations were underway.







I didn't know, until that night, that there is an M & M store in Manhattan. We visited, of course, and it was jammed! The amount of waste was really something! There were trash bags of candy on the street and several had been torn open and were scattered over the sidewalk and street. That helped explain why the candy was $9.00 per pound. A litle pricey for my taste. We looked at the Saks window displays and watched the skaters for a while but we got cold and headed to the car. As we walked down the street we had parked on, my heart started racing. I couldn't see the Explorer. I saw a dumpster, but not the vehicle we had arrived in. We had been towed once before (even though we were parked legally - even the transit cop said so) and I had horrible thoughts. But someone had pushed a dumpster on wheels right in front of us and that hid the car. Phew! With a little work I got us out of that spot and we headed home. We arrived home at about 3 AM and headed straight to bed.

Bob and I had taken the 2nd off, so we slept in. In the afternoon Bob got to work installing the new range he bought for the kitchen. The one we had was the original in the house (about 20-25 years old) and was definately "well worn". We hope to sell the house in the next year or two and thought this would be a good investment towards that goal. It looks good and despite being a basic model, has many more options than the one we removed. I especially like the self cleaning oven option. No more evil sprays to use and wipe out, climbing half way into the oven in order to get it all out. Christmas gifts were put away, other things were put away and the house was vacuumed. I got in my 4 mile walk despite the cold wind and my very strong desire to stay cozy and warm. It is so much harder without my walking partner. Thank goodness she got home last night. Actually, knowing her, it might have been this morning when she arrived home. She is a night owl. I finally sat down to knit at about 9:30. The alarm going off at 5:15 this morning was not welcome.

Knitting and spinning news - not a lot, but some progress has been made. I have gotten halfway up both feet (toe up socks) on the new alpaca peds socks. I tried two different patterns and ended up choosing the one on the left.












I have a pair of socks that I started a while ago (2 socks on 2 circs at once) in Trekking bamboo that I had put aside for holiday knitting and I will try to finish those up. I would also like to finish the sock I am working on for my son for work. That's 3 pairs of socks in progress and I would like to decrease that number. I feel pressure with that many pairs in the works and I want to enjoy what I am knitting. I didn't try to knit on the lace hemp top - I was too tired last night, but I hope to make headway with that this weekend, and maybe have some photos to show you. It is an enjoyable knitting project with 5 different but easily memorized patterns in each pattern round and a round of knit in between. I finished spinning the yellow sock yarn single
and I am now ready to ply that with the variegated single to make my sock yarn. Hopefully that will also happen this weekend, and I wil have photos to show you.

Happy knitting.