Happy Earth Day!

Anyone going to a March for Science?  Do what you can, no matter where you are.  Little things help, especially if they become habit and make a cumulative positive difference!

I do apologize for the lack of postings.  My internet connection has been...less than ideal the last month or so (10-15 minutes to load a page?  Providing there aren't too many pictures.)  Too much wet and wind this winter apparently.  Ah well, it's given me tons of knitting time!  Hopefully I'll be able to upload pictures soon!

Happy Spring?

It's been gray and raining for most of March.  The whole household has had the cold plus cough thing that everyone has seemed to have lately.  Much to my shock, it's snowing as I type this.  My spring plantings are living on a windowsill for now.  I am pondering if there will actually be an end to winter.

I've knit a lovely hat and mitt set that I thought might be too warm for the March for Science on Earth Day, now I'm not so sure.

I may also have bought more yarn.

While that is not all of my recent yarn purchases, I haven't stopped to take pictures of the others.
The luscious skein front and center is for BooKnits Just Be You shawl KAL that starts in May.  The yarn is Claudia Handpaints in their Lust yarn base in the colorway Last Nights Wine.  I still giggle at the combination of yarn and pattern.
After a conversation with Husband discussing how he is quite all right with women with "edges" (yes I may be a bit prickly on occasion), I decided to go with beads that were cubes instead of round.

I love the combination!  Happily I have time to clear a few things off the needles before the first clue comes out...it's not like I can head outside to tend the garden...yet.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

This is the piece I finished today!  I think he is adorable.

The shiny squirrel wreath also turned out fairly well:

I also managed to get the Stormborn shawl off the needles yesterday.  It wasn't a difficult knit...I am just easily distracted; which is why it was on the needles for three years.  The piece is really lovely though.

I adore the yarn I used for the shawl.  It's Hawthorne from KnitPicks in the Ladd's Addition colorway.
Spot is decked out for the season and wishes you a wonderful St. Patrick's Day!

Growing Salad in My Living room....

And other ways I am attempting to cope with the year thus far, in as healthy a fashion as possible.

It's growing rather well considering how gray the weather has been.  I am decidedly looking forward to the warmer weather.
I made a wreath for the front door for February, luckily people laugh when they see it.

The one I have planned for March and April has a metallic, shiny squirrel on it...with daffodils of course.
I have bought far too much yarn, with plans for even more...that for once I do not feel guilty about.

The green is a colorway at the very front called Feckin' Leprechauns from Brew City Yarns that I got in their Lucky Charms (sparkly) yarn base.  How could I not with that combination?

Tomorrow, for International Women's Day  I will be wearing red and knitting brain hats for the March for Science in April.

Mostly, I have been spending far too much time worrying about others and listening to insane amounts of news trying to keep up with current affairs, (if I don't I'm afraid I will miss something I really shouldn't).
I'm hoping to start some Spring cleaning/organizing/crafting this week as well.  Who knows? I may actually get something accomplished besides stressing out or getting angry.

I am in awe!

Sadly, quite a lot of our household was not in condition to join in our (semi) local march this morning.
I spent most of the day live streaming bits of the marches from everywhere (these marches in case you missed them), wading through the amazing photos, and looking at getting more pink yarn (as I think the hats may be in greater demand as displays of minor protest for the duration).

I truly am in awe at the amazing outpouring that occurred worldwide!  You are all outstanding!

Thank you from those of us who couldn't manage to get to one in person for one reason or another.

Happy 2017!

The old year did not end the way we had planned.
The plan was to go someplace a bit warmer, be social, celebrate New Year's and then come home New Year's Day.
What actually happened was the doctors discovered a complication due to Husband's foot surgery, cancelling our plans to fly out the next day, effective immediately.  So, we spent New Year's at home, playing Betrayal at House on the Hill and drinking champagne.
There had also been a lovely coating of snow before we were supposed to leave.  And then it got colder, and it kept snowing.

We've been told it's been the harshest winter this area has seen in thirty years. We actually got partially snowed in as there aren't many snow plows in this neck of the woods.  Honestly, I haven't minded much.  It's meant getting out all my woolies and playing in the snow (even if some of that involved a snow shovel).  It means making stew and chicken noodle soup and drinking hot chocolate or apple cider.
And in my case, watching/listening to yarny podcasts to see what other people have in mind for the new year.
Inside Number 23 has been particularly inspirational to me, not just because I adore Katie and her pug Roly either.  Katie sews wonderful things, has wonderful taste in knit wear and has been known to serenade her viewers (always a happiness!).  And she may have come up with the most genius year long knitting venture to date; a Harry Potter (and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them) inspired knit along.  I am a Harry Potter Fan.  The idea of structuring a lot of my knitting around this fandom theme appeals greatly.  I'm still not sure I will officially join the knit along...but I may have sorted through my minor hoarde of Potter themed knitting patterns.  I whittled the list down to twenty patterns that do actually meet the knit along parameters.
One of which is the Fiona cardigan, knitted in KnitPicks Dishie in their Jalapeno colorway, that I have re-named: Pomona's Summer Holidays Cardigan:

The color is outstandingly spring-like and the sweater fits perfectly (size 38, no adjustments).  True, this cardigan will be useless till everything thaws out.  I look forward to wearing it all the same.
Mostly though, I've been cleaning house, putting away the holiday decorations and remembering Katie's word of the year (and one of my personal favorites); breathe.

May all the good things find you in this new year!

Woah December!

I thought I had had a grip on things.  The fall decorations came down the day after Thanksgiving, much to the chagrin of my cat.

Gifts were already stashed away for holiday giving.  Stocking stuffers were bought.  And then Husband had foot surgery.  I lost a solid two weeks in a flash of doctor appointments and end of year plan making.
We've had snow:

For the first time ever, we had to go buy a snow shovel!
It's also easier to see what animals hang around our house, mostly birds at this point.

Clothing picked for various seasonal shindigs has been thematic in it's color scheme:

I also knit a hat for a cause:

Now, there are a couple of days to knit, drink hot chocolate, and eat all sorts of lovely things.

Merry Everything to you and yours!

Happy Day Before Thanksgiving!

Or, as it's known outside the United States, happy Wednesday in late November!

Things have been a bit busy, what with potlucks and the like.  Which is why I only realized a couple of days ago that I was going to need to start thinking about my winter seasonal decor.  After a mild bout of panic, I pulled out a bunch of my winter embroidery patterns and got this one in the hoop.

It's the Winter Ambigram  from Urban Threads.  (Please excuse the poor lighting in all the photos as we are due for our first decent snow of the season, all light is currently gray.)  I'm hoping to get it done in a couple more days.

After having to rip out the Erica that was too big, I needed a palette cleanser.  I ripped out a hat that I had made too small and re-purposed the yarn into some Olivia mitts.

The yarn is Maverick Fiber Company DK in the Sedona colorway, (bought directly from the dyer too).  The yarn is gorgeous and warm.  The pattern worked up quick and beautiful.  I love these mitts!

I did re-cast the Erica sweater...I just haven't had the drive to get very far on it...again.  Even if it is knitting up faster at a smaller size.

I may have also let myself get slightly distracted by a couple of Hunter Hammersen patterns...can you blame me?
First is the Petiole  hat in Malabrigo Rios in Hojas (leaves):

The mitts will follow.  I may also have a cowl in this colorway already.  My excuse for casting on the hat and mitts was that I needed a full set.
And then she came out with Conflagration.  I immediately went looking for yarn.  Lava Flow from Lorna's Laces seemed just perfect!

Leaves and fire?  How could I not want to knit these?!?!

The last project that has my attention is a knit along called Project Peace.  This is a need to do for me personally.  It's difficult not to be pleased that so many others agree!  I went stash diving for this one, which is why I can't tell you what yarn this is, (the ball band went missing ages ago).  It is beautiful blues and teals and turquoise as well as sparkly.

Hopefully, I will make progress on my sweater as well as potentially finish the hat, mitts, and embroidery piece over the long weekend...I have other things to get on the needles!

I did finish a sweater...

This is Peregrine.  It looks well on, though it's a slightly deeper v-neck than I normally wear.

This was the body of an Erica sweater....that I made too big.  By about four inches around.

So it's been re-cast, as I love the sweater and want one rather badly.

I also had plans to make a dress for a family shindig in December....but I got a notice yesterday that the fabric won't get here till January.  I may have pouted at the bag of cut out pattern pieces for said dress and then run to look at different fabric.  I found nothing.
I decided to look at  it as a chance to buy a new dress. (The dresses already in my closet are too informal, cocktail, or decidedly costumes.  None of which work for a church event).  Found a perfect dress...but they were out of my size.  Kept looking.  Found yet another dress, not quite as ideal, still lovely of course, only to find out it's back ordered till January.
I may be getting a wee bit frustrated.

We were also told that the office holiday party was going to be Great Gatsby themed.  I can do that! Velvet and pearls and spangly bits!

Most of the ensemble readily pulled from my closet.  Not shown are the elegant opera length black velvet gloves I was going to wear with...till Husband announced yesterday that the only time he could get his foot surgery scheduled was the day before said office shindig.  Guess what we aren't going to now?  (I'm not upset about the surgery.  I am irked at not being able to play dress up.)

All of this has occurred in less than twenty four hours.   Does it hurt anybody? No.  Is it somehow a major event?  Only in my brain.
Mostly, it's me getting angry and being frustrated that weeks of effort and planning on at least three different projects got obliterated, mainly before lunch yesterday.

So, the election happened...

I stayed up late, watching the returns come in.  I sat shocked, stunned, and rather terrified when I realized the results.  It was difficult not to be saddened by the evidence of so many people voting in fear and hate.
 As a country, we are fundamentally granted the right to believe as we like.  Though, if those beliefs hurt and demean other people, they may require some re-thinking.

People are NOT things.
Different does NOT equal bad or wrong.

More folks are going to need help, do what you can.  Little things do matter.

And now, a picture of my cat with a toy mouse on her head, as well as stuffies made for a friend's wedding a few years back, because adorable helps!

They are Forget Me Knots by Phoeny.

Knitting and making stuff pictures to grace the page soon!

I finished the dress in time

Even if we don't go out, I still dress up.  I think the dress turned out rather well.

And it glows beautifully!