The Inauguration

How proud are you to be an American today? I hope you all watched and prayed and were profoundly moved today. Say what you will about this country when we do it right, we really do it right.

Yes We Can!!!

When the world gives you snow, make socks and shawls and vests.

This isn't even the worst of it... we have had 6" more inches of the powdery stuff fall on us since I took these pictures yesterday. The dog is having a hard time finding a spot with enough clearance to take care of "business" if you know what I mean. And he is a Labrador, not a breed usually considered too short to take care of "business."
Mace, you have to imagine this with another 6" on the deck. This is perfect skiing snow, light, fluffy and powdery. Too bad my skiing days are behind me.

I finished my Norwegian Woods Shawl from Sivia Harding. I love, love, love this shawl. It is drapey, and beaded so there is weight and it is gloriously beautiful in Handmaiden Sea Silk. I wore it to church on Sunday and got a few compliments. The only real downside, and this is a problem with all triangular shawls, is the point highlights a part of my anatomy I try to hide. DH said he thought it was beautiful and bragged to our girls about it so they would be impressed. Gotta love him. I don't even think he likes lace but he has been very sweet.

The beading was really fun an easy. I just crocheted them on with a wee tiny crochet hook rather than stringing all the beads on before I started to knit. Much easier, and the beads stand at attention just the way they should. More pictures on my Ravelry page.


Also finished DD#2 vest but not before she left and she wouldn't be using it in Costa Rica. The tempts are in the 70's there so no need for the woolies. Am happy with how it turned out and think it will be becoming on her.

Pattern: My own
Yarn: Debby Bliss Donegal Luxury Tweed
Color: Grape
Needles:US #5,3.5 mm Addi Turbos

I have also finally finished Caty's Fair Isle vest but need her to model it for the full effect. She is happy with it so I am happy.

Finished a pair of socks out of Sundara sock yarn, yummy, while watching the inauguration today so I am feeling very chuffed at all the finishing taking place.

Started another pair of socks during the AFC championship game on Sunday, GO Steelers, but am not happy with the coarseness of the yarn. It feels very stiff and hard and am not sure washing will soften this up. So back to the drawing board for those.

Have started another pair in Schaeffer Anne so am certain they will be soft and squishy.

And just for Mace... another snow shot.

Happy New Year

I hope you all had a lovely holiday and are looking forward to the new year.

Finally can share all the things I spent the last month hiding from my kids and consequently all of you. (That sounds like I have tons of readers, actually I think my kids are the only people paying attention...)

A pair of gloves for DD#1. She asked for gloves but I don't think was expecting anything this elaborate. She loves them and was showing them off during the holidays.Very bright girl our Cate, she knows the correct way to warm the cockles of a knitting mom's heart.

These are knit at the smallest tension I have ever knit a garment, 9 stitches to the inch. I loved making them, especially playing with the design but my hands were very cramped after working all those fiddily fingers.

Mittens for DD#2. I also changed these up a little . The original pattern is in Selbuvotter but of course couldn't leave well enough alone and added a corrugated, two color cuff and some Latvian braids just for the fun of it. She also loved them so another home run .
This is a scarf for DD#2 made with Knitpicks Gloss. Gorgeous fiber which had been percolating in the stash for a while so was thrilled to use it for something other than the another pair of socks.


A cabled vest for DD#2. She has been clamoring for cabled garments so thought this would fill the bill quickly. My hubris knows no bounds. I started this about a week before Christmas thinking that such a big knit would whip along and I would crank this out before she came home. Of course I crashed and burned. I would have had a chance if I hadn't ripped the blinking thing out 3 times each for the front and back trying to get the neck opening started at just the right place and the cabled situated just so.

I am happy with it now and she was very happy with the fit. "Negative Ease" is her new favorite phrase. Unfortunately, she has abandoned us for a semester in Costa Rica and has no need for woolies. She even left before it was dry so I couldn't get any money shots.


Yes the little stinker has moved to the Cloud Forest Mountains of Costa Rica where she will be student teaching in the special ed classroom and helping with science education throughout the school. She is over the moon happy and so we are less anxious. She has called twice and regaled us with stories of the warmth of her host family, the intensity of her immersion Spanish and the beauty of her surroundings, to say nothing of the temperatures in the 80's. It is 24 degrees, gloomy with freezing rain here in western PA today so I am relieved and jealous.

DD#1 has also flown the nest... she is interviewing for architecture jobs in Virginia Beach and looking for apartments. So far 2 concrete offers and another interview on Friday so things are looking up all around. Of course this means she will be moving very soon. This nest is emptying and I am not sure how happy I about this.