Do not try and re-adjust your monitor

Yes, this knitted item is really pink. Yes, I intend to wear it, as it fits beautifully. It also knit up super fast, so made a nice diversion from some of the more complex pieces I am currently working on. The pattern is Ophelia
This is my first true foray back into the realm of pink in many years. I was convinced to give it another go by one of my Darlings and now will likely be making a hat out of the leftovers.
It is the first of many summer tops that is not black, green or red. Those colors will not be left out, they just won't make up my entire wardrobe selection. I feel so daring. ;-)

Now that Valentine's Day is over

Happy New Year? This is the lovely display that greeted us at the Natural History Museum out here that we visited while my in-laws were out. Back at the end of December.

January just kind of bowled me over. There was too much to process with no real transition to the new year. It just kept coming. Some was personal, some was like the earthquake in Haiti. For this reason, I decided to skip January all together. Acknowledge what happened, fixed what I could, helped what little I could, but refuse to accept the past month as the start of, what in my science fiction consuming little brain, should be some sort of fantastically, amazing year. Not a re-do, rather more like a delay of game.

I've gone through two and a half books in the last month. I have my father in law to thank for the introduction to Christopher Moore. Lamb entertained my husband and I so much, we went out and bought one of almost every title he has out.
I've finished two sweaters, cast on for two more and have been knitting on a lace project that makes me go cross-eyed. There's also a hat with matching mitts and half of a pair of anklets in there somewhere.

Can we celebrate New Year's at the beginning of March? I should be ready by then. ;-)

I think I missed something

Like most of the month of December. There was Thanksgiving, quieter than expected, filled with parades, football, and too much food. Then all of a sudden, I'm making Yule dinner and worrying that I don't have the presents wrapped. The house is decorated. There is gingerbread cookie dough in the refrigerator waiting to become gargoyles and reindeer. The shopping is done. The cards will be going out late as I have to figure out where I put them last year.
Anyone else looking forward to January?

It snowed again!

This time it even stuck around for a bit. There were still patches in the backyard this afternoon. I loved the way the snow clouds obscured our view, it was like the storm rolled in and ate the mountains.

It's also my dad's 60th birthday. Happy Birthday Dad!

I don't just knit

No, this is not standard flowers and little girls embroidery. While the apron itself needs to be washed and ironed, I was rather pleased with how it turned out. The cupcake was going to be a plain one, albeit purple and green, until one of my friends sent me a picture of another friend's tattoo. We both fell in love with the skully cupcake. So of course I just had to re-work the design so at the very least, I could have a skully cupcake of my very own that didn't involve me running out and getting a tattoo right this instant.
The designs are from Sublime Stitches whose stuff I just adore! My love of their designs vies for my love of good yarn. Which is why the apron is done and a sweater is not. ;-)

Just a bit earlier than expected

These were taken today, a month before we normally get our first dusting. I have been attempting to convince my children that trick or treating in this weather, especially if it continues, will be far less fun, with a decidedly shorter round trip. I would prefer to stay in, eat cheese fondue with homemade bread and a side dish of Halloween goodies.
Most of my plants have croaked, with only the spinach and kale enjoying the sudden drop in temperature, but since they thrive, I continue to garden.
Wool has become a necessity. Maybe I should actually finish a project that isn't lace?

Very Happy Yarn

Finally broke down and bought some Malabrigo the other day. My downfall was actually getting to touch some of this amazing yarn in person. I could resist the gorgeous colors on the screen. I could forget all the lovely descriptions given by other people. And then, I got to pet a skein. It was yarn my darling husband wanted to sleep on, not a standard response to yarn from him. On the same day The Loopy Ewe sent me an e-mail announcing their latest shipment of Malabrigo. I had hubby pick a color he liked, which took awhile as the list of colors he didn't like was much shorter. After much deliberation, he picked Azul Bolita 80, a rather electric blue with purple tones to it. I personally decided on Stonechat 173(deep reds/olive greens/browns) for a little vintage look cardigan that I have wanted to make for ages, but kept putting off the yarn purchase.
The yarn itself really is just beautiful and soft as can be. It's been lovely to work with, because of course I cast on the first of Hubby's two hats almost immediately. My reasoning being two-fold: first, it means there will be no actual addition to the yarn stash as it is immediately being worked up into something, and secondly, with the way the temperatures have dropped recently he could use a couple of warm, wool hats.

That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!

Finally getting some Fall things done

The picture is of the wreath I finally managed to finish and hang this morning. Very rustic and simple, a little expected and boring really, until you realize that I doused the whole thing in glow in the dark spray paint. I can't wait for this evening! In a few days it will also be draped with spider webs and fake spiders. I'm still trying to figure out how long I might be able to get away with leaving the webs and spiders on the wreath.

I also have to point out that Sense Sensibility and Sea Monsters was authored by Ben H. Winters. I got that wrong last post in my hurried enthusiasm to talk about my new books.

There has been a mass amount of feverish knitting, along with some yarn acquisition brought on by the rather sudden drop in local temperature. Pretty lace shawls have been temporarily put aside, (yes, all of them), in favor of wool hats, sweaters that cover as much as possible, and thick knit socks. Thusly attired I can return to knitting beautiful wisps of elegance that will be perfect once the forecast is a little less frosty.

I do love my books!

I found two books I had been hoping to get my hands on and one that, while an impulse purchase, is a very handy tome to have around. I was squealing in the store as I picked up Pride and Prejudice and Zombies as well as Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters both by Seth Grahame-Smith. The impulse purchase was Alton Brown's Good Eats The Early Years which contains lovely recipes and fantastic tips from the first six seasons of the show Good Eats, much beloved viewing around my house.
Those were just the literary finds on our outing today. We also got our hands on a couple of boxes of maple leaf cookies, an almost perfect pumpkin and a deep red mini hybrid rose with Halloween inspired decorations in it. I also managed to acquire the bits to make my fall wreath whose inspiration came from The Haunted Mansion.
Why yes, this is my favorite time of year! How did you possibly guess?

Fall is in the air

So why is my garden of summer things finally growing? The picture is of a squash. I have no idea exactly what kind it is, as it's from a mixed packet of heirloom seeds. I also have cucumbers, a melon (again no clue as to kind for the same reason as the squash) and tomato plants that are suddenly and unexpectedly downright prolific.
It also is a time of major housekeeping for me. The summer always is rather free form, with warm weather making you think of the beach and picnics, not about what is in your pantry or making mass amounts of stew. Let's also not forget the holidays right around the corner. Menus must be planned, windows washed, painting finished, plus all the standard fall house things of cleaning up the yards and stocking of the pantry and freezer before it gets too cold. All the while trying to finish my woolen winter wear before the temperature drops much more. Did I also mention the much anticipated company that will be arriving in another month or so? I'm really hoping they don't mind the rather informal accommodations!

I really love hiking

I really do! The mountains north of us are just amazing! Full of aspen, blue spruce, wild flowers and the obligatory poison oak. There are chipmunks, squirrels, woodpeckers, ravens, mule deer and black bears (we only saw the bear's tracks) to name just some of the local fauna we came across in our hike. The hike that my Darling Daughter had at the top of her birthday list for things to do. The lovely hike in very cool temperatures at eleven thousand feet. In boots that took the skin off both heels thanks to blisters, (I obviously don't wear shoes enough), while recovering from a seasonal cold, whose cough still lingers. The almost four mile hike, (which isn't really that much) that I may not have enjoyed as much as I normally would so I am thinking we need to do it again. With me in boot socks and band aids from the beginning for starters.