A Cold Butt!

Every winter I vow to not complain about the weather. It is what it is - we live in Michigan and it gets cold and grey then stays that way for 8 months. Ok, maybe not 8...but it seems like it (more like 6 months).

The pond is now completely frozen over. I guess there is a lot of work to be completed toward not complaining and I'm starting by thanking God that I don't have to sit my butt on the cold ice. It astounded me that there are Seagulls in Michigan where there is no Sea. Maybe they are fooled by the many bodies of water and the Great Lakes are huge - you might be deceived into thinking you're at the ocean.

Seriously, when it dips below freezing and the water becomes ice, I'd be heading South to visit my Seagull family for the Winter.

Don't you think this Seagull looks much, much happier than his Northern kin on the ice?

...I am a warm-weather Seagull!

My Hemlock Ring

My family was here for the Holiday and Mom just left this morning. A still sadness creeps into my body on the day that they leave. It's hard to explain, but it is a realization that we're away from the things that matter and after 5 years this new 'home' is still entirely foreign to me. I had finished the Hemlock Blanket just as the majority of the family arrived for Thanksgiving. It sat in the living room looking like a sad, dried up octopus and left me wondering how something so blob-shaped could turn into something so entirely beautiful. After mom's departure, it occurred to me that blocking that blob could be THE thing that drove aside the loneliness for a little while.

Blocking this item is a monumental task. It took quite a bit of time (over an hour, easy) and I believe it will be blocked again after drying the first time. Anyway, it was impossible to resist taking some 'before' photos while it was blocking.

Particulars:
Yarn: Briar Rose Abundance
Needles: Size 9 DPN's and various lengths of circulars

Dream Weaver Shrug

DW Shrug 15
Originally uploaded by kniterella

It's been a few weeks since something was complete for Bugg and this shrug knit up in 2 days.

Made with Dream Weaver yarn from Briar Rose Fibers - this knit up quickly on size 15's. The yarn is a perfect mix of thick and thin which gave me a couple of ideas for other projects using the same fiber.

I've blocked the border for Brown Tilly and all of the math is complete. I should have time to start putting the border on this week. Also, I cast-on the Hemlock Ring Blanket using Abundance. This pattern was modified by Jared and seems to be all the rave of Ravelry. His photos are fabulous!

My family is coming for Thanksgiving and everyone is bringing their dogs. All of the doggies are below the knee, but there will be 8 including our 2 -- what a challenge!

Give me something to cast-on

I have truly developed cast-on-itis. This is usually offset by my need-to-finish-obia, but it seems the balance is tipping to the favor of beginning new things.

A shrug in Briar Rose's Dream Weaver will knit up quickly on size 15's.

Eunny Jang's Ivy League Vest proved too much to resist. I don't usually knit fair isle, but it calls to me. Knit Pick's Palette was dug from the stash for this project.

The yarn for Eunny's Autumn Rose Pullover was acquired at a semi-LYS last week and I am itching to cast that on as well. I've been able to resist...so far.

Brown Tilly - a Briar Rose sample has been languishing on the needles for awhile. Cast-on's described above were only begun once Brown Tilly (BT) had been blocked. The knit-on border for BT will be priority once it is dry.

Oh, that Handmaiden Silken that was on my lust list came in the mail...where are my needles?

It'snow Joke!

Surprising weather to this point has helped my roses along. All of these were on the bushes this morning and I thought to bring them in.

After arranging them in a little vase, they went on the porch so they didn't get too warm quickly.

And then....

The snow came...

Tis true, God does have a sense of humor.

Remember my first handspun yarn?

Well....I whipped up this hat. There was only about one inch of yarn left after fastening off the crown stitches - I was sweating that one!

The ISE 5 scarf is also complete. The pattern turned out well. There are a few goodies to pick up and it will be off in the mail.

You're what? ...disappointed in ME?

Is there a 'right' way to quit your job?

I've dedicated 3 years of my life to this place...sure, I take the summers off - but I work my butt off the rest of the year. I take calls outside of work- answer questions, use my personal cell phone (and never expense a minute). Many of these little side interruptions go unbilled. I didn't secretly line something up before leaving, I didn't use company time to surf the internet, steal office supplies, or do anything immoral/illegal/unethical...

They are disappointed in me? (incredulously)

So, I've never - ever quit a job before. Don't you write a letter resigning, sign it, give two week's notice, and walk off into the sunset?

Apparently NOT!

Is there another way to quit? I need help!

....by the way, it looks like I have a lot more time to knit in my near future.

My Veritable Rhinebeck?

We're off to Grand Rapids (or thereabout) for the Holiday Open House for Briar Rose Fibers.

I've been waiting for this all week!

MY yarn! The yarn in this photo is my first yarn spun on Georgia. We went to an Alpaca show a few months back BG (before Georgia) and I couldn't resist the roving which became this yarn. Really, this is my first attempt at spinning and plying (2-ply) and I am pleased at the beginnings. I'm thinking a class in my near future would help a lot.

The roving came from North Star Alpacas in Ithaca, MI. There were 2 ounces of Berringer with some light blue hand dyed silk added. Maple, from North Star, invited us out to the farm and that is something I would love to do. She was super-nice! Check out her etsy shop here -- PLUS, she has 15% off roving right now.

On another note - there isn't much yarn on my 'lust list'. Of course, anything from Briar Rose is fair game. Handmaiden Silken is the only other yarn that has been on this list for awhile. Let's face it, it would take a stronger lady than myself to resist the Tuscany shawl or River Rock Scarf in Amy Singer's No Sheep For You. When one of my favorite IYS (internet yarn stores) started carrying Silken AND had a 20% discount, I folded! Sometime soon, a package will arrive with 5 shiny skeins of Handmaiden Silken will arrive on my doorstep...all for the price of 4 skeins - what a deal! My lust list has just gotten a little smaller.

Good goobldy goo

...My 100th post! Lots of bloggers have giveaways at their 100th post and I should too, but there just isn't time right now. In the upcoming weeks I will be coming into a lot of time and will make the effort to giveaway then.

For now, I've been knitting away on a couple of things and finished the Summer of Love Lace socks from the Rockin' Sock Club. I love the yarn, I love the colors, I love the pattern. This was a fun knit...on size 0 needles, it took a little while.