Little Happinesses

A few things that are helping me look forward to Spring while waiting for the weather to stabilize so I can play in the dirt properly to replace all the plants that repeated below freezing nights destroyed utterly.
Mead:

It's something we like to get in spring and early summer.  These have the added bonus of being beautifully colored as well.
A new gardening book:

I think the title alone explains why this one had to come home with me.
An addition to the decor:

Because I needed this pillow. 

Another hurdle jumped

So, a couple of weeks ago, my much abused dryer decided it had had enough.  I attempted to be good humored about it, even if it was in the middle of laundry day.  I hung things up to dry around the house; we aren't supposed to use clotheslines and clothes dry better when it doesn't keep randomly dropping below freezing.  Honestly, it was easier to deal with than when a washer goes, so I pressed on. 
Earlier this week, timing met luck, the stars aligned and my lovely new dryer was delivered this morning!

Husband hooked it all up this morning.  Tomorrow, we will listen to it make happy beepy noises as it tackles it's first laundry day!

Releasing the Inner Frizzle

I've given in.   I have succumbed to the style influence of...Ms. Frizzle.  Realizing how much happier I am with eccentric over elegant, these are the fabrics that came home with me for skirts made from the Zinnia pattern.

While being personally reticent to put myself forward, I have no qualms about wearing star ships and brightly colored mixed cocktails on my behind.  No, I don't understand it either.
Being of a practical mindset as well, I remembered to get fabric to make aprons to cover my flashy handmade attire.

Husband laughed when he saw how sedate, by comparison, the apron fabrics were to the skirt fabrics.  In great earnestness, I explained how I didn't want to clash.  He laughed more, shook his head and helped me get the bolts of fabric to the cutting table. :-)
As I wait for my skirt pattern to arrive, I will be making a black and gold Ren Faire skirt to match the corset I bought last year and cranking out yet another pattern from Doomsday Knits, Fatigued went on the needles yesterday. :-D

Happy International Half-Price Chocolate Day!

My husband read about the suggestion for an "International Half-Price Chocolate Day" this morning.  It was described as "a holiday we can all get behind".   I totally agree! So does Hubby.  This agreement led to a store run.

We now have enough chocolate to hold us till close to the Easter holiday, as they are not small boxes.

I also bought the first yarn of the year today.  We ran down to Yarnivore to wish Tammy well on her move and since we were there....I may have bought enough yarn to finish three tops and a pair of socks. :-)

My excuse for this lapse is that I need new warm weather clothing and shirts without sleeves knit up quickly.  As for the sock yarn...well it's MadTosh, whose colorways ensnare me every time and Wendy over at Knitter's Brewing has her Mystery Sock Knit Along going....really, I just wanted that sock yarn. ;-)

Glad that January is over

January brought a goodly amount of stress and worry.  I dealt with it as expected, I knit.  Wading through my piles of unfinished projects, (I still have not bought any yarn this year) I found a fairly simple lace and bead shawl three-quarters finished.  Now it is all finished.

It remains unblocked for now.  I promise it will be truly lovely once that happens though.
Technologica from Doomsday Knits, potentially with a pair of matching Apocketmitts, is also on the needles in a gorgeous red-plum merino/silk.  Here is the top paired with the bright teal cotton a-line skirt that is making slow progress as my current purse project.

I may have to break down and buy more yarn for the skirt, but as I'm not overly tall, I'm hoping I can manage with what I have already.
I leave you with yet more proof that I really do buy wine just for the label. ;-)

It got cold and I finished hats

Where I live right now, cold that requires you to wear a coat is something that happens between December and January, edging into February.  A dusting of snow, (a suggestion really), or a bit of actual ice, is enough to shut down the city. 
So  imagine my surprise at seeing icicles in my front yard yesterday.

Today, it's thirty degrees warmer.
I finished my charity hats for Halos of Hope  They are going in the mail today.

I kind of love that they are going to a yarn store down the street from my in-laws old house.  A store I've been to and very much enjoyed.  Thank you Purlescence Yarns!

Feeling mildly productive

I've been knitting.  A lot.  I've also stuck to knitting strictly from the stash, while not purchasing any new yarn.
Husband's socks got done.

My first hat for Halos of Hope got finished.

I also finished a sweater that just needed sleeves.

And put a few more teeth on my Fires shawl.

I may have started planning for the warmer weather that's on it's way with a cotton skirt on the needles (right now a boring bright teal tube), three linen skirt kits have been put together, and a list of tops appropriate for the coming seasons, (a few out of my beloved Doomsday Knits).  The skirts are all yarn from the stash.  There is also a pair of merino/silk day gloves on the needles in a bright red, with more to follow in other colors (also from stash).  And I may have decided a bit of nerd wear would round things out nicely, so a space cowboy inspired long coat from Knits for Nerds in brown superwash merino(stash yarn again) jumped onto my needles.
Oh, I also decided it might be a good idea to finish this, as it's been languishing for a bit:

It's the Wrapped in Leaves from Botanical Knits and I'm hoping to have it completed soon. The leaves are so much fun to knit!  Yes, you can rightfully guess that it uses yarn from my stash. ;-)
At this rate I may successfully work my knitting project collection down to something manageable...or I may just insist on finding more things to add to it. :-D

The new year so far....

Is it any surprise that my new year has been wrapped in yarn? 

There's the push to finish Husband's socks.

Please note that each sock has a  10.5" foot with a 6"leg, for a grand total of about 33" of knitting.

There's the charity knitting, only just really started.

And then, there is the I really really want that project that got me to buy the actual suggested yarn (last year).

Our family holiday gift has also figured largely into things lately.

As a household of outrageous Terry Pratchett/Discworld fans, this game has been a huge hit.  We played three games back to back New Year's Day, with me giggling every five seconds at the cards in my hands.  It's quite difficult to plot a winning strategy that way. ;-)

Mostly, I've been trying to be consistent.  Scheduling knitting time for particular projects amongst the other daily things so I actually make progress and finish things instead of becoming intimidated by (and/or forgetting about  thus casting on even more things for) the leaning tower of unfinished objects is the big one. 

So far so good, even if it is only day four. ;-)

Happy New Year!

I hope you have enjoyed yourselves, whatever you celebrate!
Around our house there were stockings.

A lovely dinner.

And the cat nuzzling my new box of Welsh tea, (which is delicious!).

Today, there was much cleaning.  Tonight, there will be champagne.  And probably knitting. ;-)

Now I feel like less of a slouch since I managed to get this post up before next year.  Barely. :-D

Be safe and do enjoy the New Year!

Happy Winter Solstice!

Wow.  I am unbelievably behind.  I've managed to make a festive hat...

Husband got sick right after Thanksgiving with sinus nastiness that has lingered.  Between tending the invalid and lack of sleep, a lot of the holiday stuff hasn't gotten done on time.  Luckily, older kids are understanding and we're just going to celebrate through January. :-D 

This little gem arrived today...

This is my father's knitting bag.  It was re-discovered by my grandmother the other day.  She kindly gave him back the bag, holding his one, unfinished, project, should he wish to finish it finally. (It's been about fifty years.)

It was supposed to be a pair of slippers, in a cheery shade of olive green and minus the pom poms.

My father got about half way through one slipper. He was using the recommended needle size(the project was still on said needles), but looking at the fabric, I would point out I am not the only tight knitter in the family. The yarn is a thick and thin wool/nylon blend that has held up surprisingly well.  I would guess it was in a linen cupboard with scented soap to keep away the bugs.
The needles will likely be put with the wooden crochet hooks I have from my great-aunt, the yarn will be re-wound. 
Then I'll get out slightly larger needles and make some slippers. ;-)