Thank you for the nice comments on the Giant Grey Sweater(tm).  Olivia found the perfect word, "satisfying".  As I was finishing it up, I was having second(third, fourth) thoughts about Pk's choice of materials.  I was worried about the warmth factor, the pilling factor, the fuzz/halo factor and the overall ability of the sweater to stand up to any kind of wearing.  He chose the material, he chose the style and when I found the pattern, he approved that as well.  It's really HIS sweater, I was just the maker.  And because he made all the choices and for once a project came out exactly as envisioned, Peter Kevin is happy. 

And now he's making noise about Sweater 2011.  I told him not to hold his breath although I saw one on a man on a television show that I like......
(if you're interested, it's the sweater John Watson is wearing on Sherlock.  It's got some cables but it's not fussy and he looks good in it) 

Did you ever see Sherlock?  I am definitely not a Sherlock Holmes fan.  The character always seemed so entitled and obnoxious and I just get annoyed with him.  This reimagining is modern day and he's young (and arrogant and entitled) so maybe the humanizing influence of Watson (who is an Afghan war vet) will make a difference.   We watched the first two episodes this past week and are waiting for the dvd for the last ones.  It's intelligently written and enjoyable.

I think we're at the boring stage of Winter right now.  All anyone talks about is the WEATHER.  I had a good laugh yesterday when I came out of my building and it was snowing.  Not anything that was going to accumulate but just the fact that it was snowing again made me laugh.  And the first thing I do when I turn on the computer is check with the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin)  website and see when/if the next snowstorm is coming (Tues/Wed if you're interested).  I like snow and have no real complaints because I know, come August I'll be wishing for cold.  It does make it difficult to get around sometimes and local towns did not plan for this much frozen precipitation and are running out of money.  And traditionally, our biggest snowstorms fall in February.  As long as I can stay home when I need to, I'm ok with this. And thinking about the fact that it's supposed to snow this afternoon makes me smile now.  It must appeal to the small child that often inhabits my soul.

Handle with Care training went well. This was our Trainer class. It was smaller than last year and it had mostly people who had done this before so there was a feeling of camaraderie.  I never hate the class (but I don't look forward to it).  It's one of those things that you dread and then when it happens, it's never as bad as you imagine.  I didn't do any full body take downs because it puts a good bit of pressure on your knees and I'm having a flare up of bursitis in my left knee.  I can do it if I have to but it would hurt. I have small bruises on parts of my body from where I was restrained.  Good times.  Since the class is mostly men, they all worry they're hurting me.  I tell them, "if you really hurt me, you'll KNOW".  I bruise easily and when we teach the class, I let the biggest guy grab me so I can show that the releases really work.  It means that he grabs my arms hard and I can get free but it leaves bruises. 

This is a grocery shopping weekend.  The sun is out for now (I say for now because it's supposed to snow this afternoon, no real accumulation, just gently falling snow.)  I've got to do some house cleaning and then I want to wind up some yarn.  I don't really want to. I don't like winding yarn cakes.  Inevitably, the yarn gets tangled around the winder and I have to back it off and it's a pain.  I wish yarn came in cakes already.  It might be me or it might be my winder, I only know it's not a zen like experience.  I've gotten some lovely yarns as gifts lately and I'd like to have them ready when the mood strikes so winding them is on the chore list for today.

It's my turn to vaccuum and dust the living room and dining room.  (and I have laundry and my bedroom to clean).  Pk will clean the kitchen and Elanor will clean the bathroom.  We switch on and off so no one has to clean the whole house.  It works fairly well.  And since it's just the three of us and we have all been trained not to leave our things lying around the house, it doesn't take too long to straighten up.

But first, a trip to the grocery store.  We only shop twice a month so it's a major endeavor.  If we do all of the chores today, tomorrow we can have a day off.  That'll be nice.

Enjoy your weekend.  And watch out for those snowflakes....they're everywhere!

I knew this day would come.  I knew it when I bought three pounds of soft alpaca roving that became this yarn. 

Today, the Giant Grey Sweater(tm) is finished.  And it made its debut as Pk wore it to work.  He loves it and it looks gorgeous on him.  It's exactly the way he wanted it to look.  It has a wide collar and it fits loosely and doesn't need to stretch to fit over his body.  The sleeves are long enough to cover his shirt sleeves. 

We had a quick photo shoot this morning before work.  This is all the yarn left over.  It's a little over half a pound so the sweater used 2 and a half pounds of yarn.  It's a heavy sweater but Pk said it's not too warm.  The stitch pattern (row k1p1; row2 k;row3 p1k1;row4 k) leaves a small gap so there is air flow.  It's probably what keeps it from being too hot to wear.  He spent the day with a small bag of roving in his pocket telling folks that "my wife took this (bag) and made it into this (sweater)."  Most people indicated that they had no desire to follow in my footsteps but were amazed at what I could do.  Pk was very proud.

We had to leave a bit early this morning because of this. Why, yes, that is snow.  It was snowing hard this morning and continued to snow most of the morning until about noon.  Then it misted/rained.  It's raining right now which will make the 8-10 inches of snow we're expecting tonight just peachy tomorrow.

I have requested the day off and once again will get up and decide if I want to brave the elements and go to work or use a vacation day and stay home. While I'd like a day to knit/spin/just putz around,  I'd rather go into work and not waste a vacation day on a nasty day but we'll see what things look like in the morning.

(90 minutes later)

We just came back from dinner at the diner and the sleet is falling and collecting on the ground as slush. This is the Winter Storm Warning from NOAA:

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW...

SLEET...AND ICE ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO
POSSIBLE. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE. 

We're up to 9-12 inches. 

Oh goody. I have a feeling we're home tomorow.  I just hope the college has the good sense to close so Pk doesn't have to go out.  And wherever you are, I hope you're inside and safe and dry and warm (but not too warm).

I noticed I'm coming up on 700 posts here.  That's a lot of verbage.

In November, Emily and Jim gave me a LOTR yarn club membership for 3 months.  My first month's yarn came yesterday and it's gorgeous.

It's called Weathertop and the colors are muted and lovely.  There are blues and greys and browns and beige and a bit of light yellow. 

Included in the package were stitch markers.  Made of unachite and lava stone, the unachite represents "truth" for the members of the Fellowship and the black lava stone represents Mordor. 

This is my copy of  The Lord of the Rings (illustrated by Alan Lee).  I have read this book more times than I can count. 

When I was in 8th grade, our reading/English teacher would separate the class into 'reading groups'.  Each group got to choose a book based on reading level.  My group chose the Hobbit.  I fell in love. 

That year I was hospitalized and had my appendix out.  Today, I'd be in and out in a few hours but in the 1970's, you were in the hospital for a week.  My English teacher came to the hospital and brought me the series to read so I wouldn't get bored.  I read them all that week and then read them to tatters over the years.  One year for Mother's Day, my girls gave me this book with the illustrations.  It's beautiful and I read it every year or so.  The movies are good but the beauty of Tolkien's words should be appreciated in their original format.

When Kate was learning to read, we read the Fellowship books to each other.  I always believed kids learned better if their abilities were stretched just a bit and so all of my girls read books just a bit out of their reach.   Of course, we read Harriet the Spy and The Borrowers and other classics but I wanted them to love Tolkien as much as I did.  And they do. 

This is my first attempt at navajo plying.  You can see the bumpy, uneven bits but there are spots where it's even and looks like yarn.
 

What I like about it is that the colors stay true.  Since you're making a three ply yarn from one bobbin, the colors don't mix.  This was so much fun to spin.  The tencel makes the merino so shiny.  I'm hoping that once it's washed and whacked, it will look a bit more even. If it doesn't, it'll make some nice, textured yarn for something.  I just need to practice some more.  What a hardship that will be

The temps here are more normal today.  It's hovering just around freezing (32 F) and it feels actually warm after all the freezing cold we've had.  We're in for more ugly weather tomorrow and then again on Saturday.  I think I'm tired of this itty bitty storm stuff.  If it's going to snow,  I want it to SNOW. 

I finished the Giant Grey Sweater(tm) but when Pk tried it on, he thought the sleeves were a tad too short.  At that point, I wanted to suggest we make his arms a tad shorter but I smiled and said of course I could lengthen them.  I have unravelled the end of one and it's just about done and the other will follow so he can wear it tomorrow.  And then I can knit something that is not grey.

 

My house smells like sauerkraut.  Pk loves kielbasa and kraut and pierogies so that's what we're having for dinner.  I don't mind the smell of the kraut but I'll pass on eating it or the kielbasa. I love me some pierogies, so that's what I'll be eating.

 

The sun is so beautiful today.  I realized I can't wait until we can go outside without layers of coats.  I want to sit outside.  Actually, I want to sit on a beach and put my toes in the sand and have a cabana boy bring me a pina colada with a tiny umbrella in it. 

 

Not terribly likely today but I can dream.

The next time you see this (enormous) sweater, Pk will be wearing it.  I have 2/3 of a sleeve to finish and then I have to weave in the ends.  I will say that while sleeves that are picked up and knit in the round are nice, having to turn that bulk of wool over and over is a pain.The sleeves look short but that's because the shoulder is a slouchy one and comes halfway down the upper arm.

Pk saw that it's almost done and asked if it would be done to wear to work tomorrow since it's so cold.  I said that while it might be done, it should be washed and blocked first. (I really want to block it and even it out)

His face fell to the floor. I guess wearing an unblocked sweater won't kill him and he's excited about it so I'll leave it up to him.  It makes me feel good that he's excited about it.

It is cold here.  The air is crisp and when you look outside everything is so clear.  I haven't left the house since Friday and have no plans to do so today.  I sat in front of the window and spun for a while yesterday enjoying the light.  I wanted to learn to navajo ply and I watched a video and tried it.  I think I finally got the hang of it but it took an entire bobbin of slippery merino/tencel to get it.  It's a bit lumpy in parts but the parts where I got it right look good.  I'm going to try it again but not until the Giant Grey Sweater(tm) is finished.

We have been so slack about going to the gym.  We plan to start back into a routine again tomorrow.  I know once we go for a while, it just becomes Normal Routine (or what passes for normal around here) but getting to that part is hard.  Mon, Wed, Fri are our planned days.  Tues and Thurs will be harder since Pk is in class those days and has to work longer to make up for it.

I have almost finished last season's Dr. Who and I figured out why Matt Smith doesn't do it for me.  First of all, he looks all of 12 and I have a hard time taking him seriously.  Secondly, Mr. Tennant brought such compassion to the character.  I don't feel that now.  I miss that quality of really caring about what's going on with the people around him.  I don't get that vibe anymore.  It's still enjoyable, just less so and in a different way.

When we replaced our microwave last year, we got one that looks like this.  It had "inverter technology".  Now, I have no idea what that really means other than it's something to do with microwaves (duh).  There's an actual button marked Inverter Defrost. 

It's the best button ever.  You push it and put in the weight of your frozed meat/bread/caserole  and hit start and it figures out how long and at what temp to defrost your meat/bread/casserole.  It's wonderful.  I took some steak out of the freezer for breakfast (Pk is jonesing for steak and eggs as a last meal before the gym tomorrow) and put them in the fridge.  They won't be defrosted this morning so I'll use Inverter Defrost. It's made forgetting to take something out for dinner a little less of a problem. 

Gotta love the technology. 

Look!  And now for something completely different, Ice!  Actually this photo is from Tuesday morning.  It's the electrical wires at the train station.  Those are tiny little icicles.  It was an interesting day and funny thing was, by the afternoon, the temp was over 35 degrees (1.6 C) so most of the ice melted.  The rain continued to fall making for a miserable day. 

We're due for some more snow tonight into tomorrow morning.  Probably about 6 inches, not enough to stay home but enough to make the commute difficult.  And we're expecting really cold weather over the weekend.  12 degrees (-11C).  Makes you want to pack right up and move to NJ doesn't it?  We have no plans other than to shovel the snow off the sidewalks (Pk just went outside to put some ice melt down to make that easier) and stay inside to keep warm. 

I would like to wake up and see that it snowed way more than expected and it'll be an easy call to take a day but 6 inches is really nothing to get panicked about.  Fortunately, it's a slow day for me and I'll just make my way in and spend the day at my desk doing paperwork.

Peter Kevin is a college student again.  He's taking a computer programming class on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  He drops me off at the train, comes home and works for 3 hours, goes to class, works some more in the afternoon and then picks me up from the train around 4.  We went to buy his book and it'll be shipped to the house next week.  We had to go to an outside bookstore since the school store didn't have any copies (and we got ours cheaper!)  He's only a few years younger than the professor which is weird.  All the other people in the class are in their late teens/early 20's.  His supervisor really pushed him to take this.  Hopefully, the next two can be at night.  Less running around for all of us.

Things here are quiet.  They usually are in the middle of January.  We are in huddle mode right now and I'm ok with that.  I miss picnics at the lake or by the river but I know we'll do that as soon as the weather warms up.  I'm enjoying knitting the heavy sweater and wearing my warm woolen shawls. 

Pk is a little bummed since it's a little too cold to work outside in his workshop.  He was out there last night enjoying the relatively warm air. 

I started watching Dr. Who last fall.  I started with the 9th Doctor and moved right onto the 10th.  I wasn't used to the whole "regeneration" thing and was sad to see Christopher Eggleston go.  I liked him.  And then I got used to David Tennant, and after all, what's not to like.  He's adorable.  I got to watch all of those on instant download on Netflix.  I just got the discs for the 11th Doctor and I'm not sure about him.  I know I'm a season behind everyone else since I have to wait for them on dvd (not having a television) and maybe he'll grow on me.  He's ok but he's no David Tennant.  I have two more discs coming for the weekend.  I'll have something to watch while I'm stuck inside with the knitting. 

Pk and I watched Despicable Me over the weekend.  Everyone I know said "you'll LOVE this movie".  And so I didn't.  It's like when Close Encounters of the Third Kind came out and I didn't see it right away and everyone said "you'll love this movie" and it didn't live up to its hype.  This one is cute and it was a decently animated movie but I didn't love it.  Pk liked it a lot.  He laughed through the whole thing. 

I love animated movies.  I love cartoons and comics.  I don't think I ever saw my parents read the comics in the newspaper but when Pk and I got married, we chose our newspaper by the comics it had.  (it had Doonesbury, still our favorite).  I don't understand people who don't like comics.  I have my collection that I read online every day.  And we have shelves full of our favorites like Calvin and Hobbes and Pearls Before Swine.  I like to laugh. 

I've been following some of the drama on ravelry with the closing down of one of the Big 6 boards (remnants if you didn't already know).  As usual, it's quite a big thing.  As Emily says, the drama llamas are out in force.  Some people will jump on any excuse to get upset. 

They need to laugh more.

Ice.  It's wonderful in July when the temps are high and you need a refreshingly cold drink.  It's wonderful when you fall down and injure a joint and need to keep the swelling down.

It is not wonderful when you are trying to drive to the train station and get on a train that travels on the outside of the bridge on a thin rail (without a real side rail) to get to work.

We got a winter storm of "mixed precipitation" last night.  It started as snow around 9.  It was snowing hard and soon the streets and cars were covered with about an inch and a half of snow.  Then the "mixed" part started and it sleeted and then rained.  If the temps were just a few degrees either way, it would have kept snowing or just rained and melted everything.  Ah, but last night, we were balanced on the edge and the rain fell as a liquid and froze everywhere it landed. 

This is truly beautiful to look at.  Trees look crystalline and everything shines.  It is also a colossal pain in the ass.  Pk made sure to put melt down last night so the steps wouldn't freeze but it didn't make any difference.  He went out this morning and had to pry open the car doors which were covered with a layer of ice.  He started the car to warm it somewhat so he could scrape the wet ice off. 

When I get off the train in Philadelphia, I have to walk about a block and a half to my building.  Not a bad walk usually.  This morning was an adventure.  No one had shovelled or sanded or salted or anything and the sidewalk was an ice rink.  I tried to walk where there was still some snow underneath (I really like the crunching sound I make walking on crunchy snow) and made it in without mishap.

The rain is supposed to keep up on and off all day but the temps should rise just enough to stop the freezing.  It's just ugly. 

But here's a pretty.  It's the swatch I finished for the In Dreams kal.

The color is warm and blocking the swatch made a lovely, drapey fabric which has a soft sheen (from the silk) and a slight halo (that would be the alpaca).  It's more beading than I have ever done and I am approaching this with some excitement.  I liked the beaded edging of the evenstar but that was only a bit of beading.  This is a fully beaded piece and I have a feeling I'll be working on it until the end of time.  This small bit (and the photo on the right is about full sized) took 3 hours.  It takes time to put those beads on your stitches. I couldn't get the beads I originally wanted, when I went back to the website to order them, they didn't have the color anymore.  Fortunately, I found these and I like the way they look.  They're actually cranberry lined with gold accents.  (and of course they're tiny and I will find them for the rest of my days in every crevice in my house).

I expect a lot of folks to cancel their appointments today.  We have a fair number of people who have physical disabilities as well as mental ones and it's probably safer if they stay off the streets/sidewalks until they're cleared.

Have an exceptional Tuesday (and if you're in the northeastern US, stay safe and dry!)

the view outside my kitchen window

It's Sunday morning and it's still fairly quiet around here.  El is still asleep (but that's normal, she stays up quite late playing games with her online friends), Emily is here (because she came down for my cousin's 50th birthday dinner and is spending some time with her friends today and I worried about her driving back and forth and back and forth so I suggested she just stay here) and she hasn't stirred yet.  Pk just left to go to the bakery for our favorite donuts.

In a few minutes, I'm going to go downstairs and fix breakfast.  We're having sausage gravy and biscuits, a favorite of everyone in the family.  And for the first time in a while,all 5 of us are going to sit around the breakfast table and enjoy a meal. 

Nothing much has been going on but it feels like we've been busy.  Friday night we registered Pk for a computer programming course at the local community college.  His boss was keen on him taking this and they'll pay for it as soon as he submits the receipts.  It's Tues and Thurs mornings so he'll be working from home those days. 



on our way to the college



We made a trip to a local bead shop to buy some beads for my shawl kal.  I found some pretty beads that coordinate with the color of my yarn but will give it some glimmer.  I bought all they had of this color (2650 beads) only to find out I need 5000 for the project.  I'm not sure if I want a beaded anything with 5000 beads.  The swatch was released yesterday showing a part of the pattern with beads and I think I'll make mine with fewer beads.  It's kind of up in the air at this point.  I'll see how some of the swatches look and decide later. 

 We did the grocery shopping and took down the Christmas tree (finally) and then went to a local Pizza Hut for my cousin's birthday party.  I don't have a lot of family that I'm close to.  There's my brother and his family, my one remaining aunt (who's now moved in with her son and we'll probably not see much of), and my cousin.  I have other cousins but we've lost touch over the years.  I don't see my sister and her family at all by mutual choice. (Pk has 5 sisters and a brother but we see them sporadically). 

When my cousin's boyfriend said he wanted to surprise her for her 50th birthday and have a small party, we said of course we'd come.  El, Em and Pk and I went to the place and ate pizza and talked to her friends.  There was cake and candles and presents and it was nice. 



January's artwalk sock yarn

 There has been some new yarn in my life this week.  This little beauty showed up in my mailbox on Wednesday.  It much darker than the photo shows but my camera insists it's lighter.  I actually took the photo in a variety of light settings to try to get a close approximate of the color but this is the best.  It's a dark brown and dark burgundy color.  The January club yarn from artwalk.  It's really pretty, like dark chocolate covered cherries.  (which have to be my all time favorite candy aside from nonpariels).

Today is supposed to be a pajama day.  Unfortunately, the laundry is piled high and needs to be done.  I got the spinning wheel back in front of the window downstairs, so between loads of laundry, I can spin and watch my neighborhood go about its day.  An altogether satisfactory plan.

Any qood plans on your end?  I hope Sunday is good to you.

In keeping with the changing photos of trees, here's a photo of my neighbor's tree (the one that looks so beautiful in the fall).  It's from the snowstorm we had over the weekend.  The tree is so beautifully shaped and gives such lovely shade.  I'm envious of it.  We have some pine trees in our yard but they are dying and we soon won't have the shade we've enjoyed for so many years.

I'm home today due to snow.  I could be at work.  It only snowed 8 inches and we could have shovelled our way out without too much trouble this morning but chose not to.

Pk got up when the alarm went off and said, "well, you could go to work but I wouldn't".  So, I didn't.  He admitted later that he just wanted me to stay home while he worked from home.  Since I had made arrangements with my supervisor, it wasn't a problem.  I didn't have anything pressing at work today since the schools are closed and that means our day program is closed so no clients/groups.  I have paperwork (there's always paperwork) but that can wait until tomorrow.

So, now I'm sitting here on the bed, enjoying the sight of the blue sky behind the snow covered trees.  It looks frigid so I'll keep admiring it behind the comfort of the windows.  I'm going down to put some jambalaya in the crockpot and some herb bread in the bread machine and maybe an apple pie in the oven.  What is it about being home in the middle of the week that makes me want to cook?

Elanor wanted to go to the mall to get a haircut on Monday night so she invited me to dinner and then she went off to get snipped and I sat in the food court with my sock and mp3 player and people watched. The people watching was slim pickings since this mall isn't very busy.  It was built in the early 70's and I remember it being crowded when I was a kid.  Slowly, over the years, it's lost people to other local malls.  Now, it's a Towne Centre and they have built apartments and such surrounding it to make it feel like a "downtown" area.  It's all very nice and upscale but somehow Disneyesque and sterile.  There's none of the "grit" and reality of a real downtown.

  These socks have been moving along very slowly since most of my time has been spent on the sweater.  I love the colors and the thinness of the yarn.  It feels like string.  It's a superwash merino but there's no fuzziness, no squishiness.  It's knitting up into a lovely fabric though.  I think these socks will last longer than some of the soft squishy ones. 

This is the view of my backyard that I am currently enjoying.  Beautiful, huh?  It just needs someone to go out and build a snowman.  Kate and Patrick bring Kobold over and let him run loose in the yard since there's a fence.  To watch him run is to see pure joy in motion.  Kate has a cold but Pk offered to stand outside and play with the "grandpuppy".  He gets such a kick out of throwing snowballs and watching the dog chase them. 

Time to go put the startings of dinner on.  Enjoy your day wherever you are.  I have a book of zombie stories that my brother game me to read that I just might endulge in for a while this afternoon.  Snow days and zombies.  What a wonderful combination.

Good Tuesday Morning.

You may find yourself really feeling like the black sheep, donna lee. And it may well be something you've known before. Don't let this get you down. Even if you don't fit the norm, would you really want to? Yours is usually a distinct and unique approach, much to the envy of those around you (even if they don't openly say so). Celebrate who you are. After all, you can't be anyone else.

I get my horoscope in my email every morning and I read them every morning.  Most mornings I half read them because they're so vague and meh.  If I had a "meeting of people with like minds" at my house as often as the horoscope says I should, I'd be a regular entertaining queen!

This morning's however, was a little interesting.  It's kind of what my mother used to call a "left handed compliment", something that isn't necessarily said in a positive way but is meant in an overall positive manner.  I never think of myself as the black sheep (that doesn't have much of a positive connotation, now does it?).  I think of myself as pretty much just one of the crowd.  I do sometimes find myself wondering why someone thinks the way that they do because I can't see where they're coming from but usually a few well thought out questions can clear it up for me. 

Evidently, today I'm supposed to feel like I'm separate from the crowd and like it.  I think I'll have to work on that one.  I like to fly below the radar here at work and keep a very low profile.  I do my job and help out where I'm needed but I am trying not to stand out.  People who stick their necks out can get them chopped off around here.  So, wish me luck.

I'm putting in a request for a vacation day tomorrow just in case I need it.  If we get a foot of snow, getting to work will be very difficult.  It gets hard to dig out the car and to dig through the 3 feet of snow the plow will leave at the bottom of the driveway.  Since the snow is supposed to fall all night and stop sometime tomorrow morning, it's just easier this way.  If the storm passes us with a light dusting, I'll just come in to work.  If not, then I have a preapproved day and it's not a dreaded occurrence.

And let's all spare some thought today for the victims of the Queensland floods.  That much water is unfathomable to me.  I hope the rains stop soon so the waters can recede but I think the forecast is for more and more rain.  My thoughts and prayers are with them all.

There are another one of these photos in our forecast for tomorrow into Wednesday. 

I like snow.  It's so pretty and for most of my adult life, rare enough to get any accumulation that it's novel and a change from the same old same old of winter cold.

Then came last year with our record breaking snowfalls (which was really cool by the way) and this year we've had two snowstorms with enough snow to cover the grass.  That's the measurement I use for "enough snow", if it covers the grass so no bits of grass are sticking up through the snow, it's enough.

And now tomorrow's forecast is pretty firm on the fact that we are getting snow but they won't commit themselves to any numbers.  Numbers are very important during the workweek.  I want it to either snow so much so that there is justification for calling out of work on Wednesday  morning or be a dusting so we can make it in with minimum fuss.  I have this feeling that it's going to be one of those judgement call kind of things.  The kind where I stand in front of the window in the morning agonizing about whether I "should" go into work.  It used to be easier before we had swipey machines to swipe into work.  The machine keeps track of all of my time and if my supervisor has to override it, he has to explain why. 

I'll just talk to him today and explain that because of the fact that I take the train over the bridge, I may have to call out on Wednesday.  Fortunately for me, he's a good guy and won't give me a hard time.

All of this over a bit of frozen precipitation.

I finished one sleeve last night and then promptly ripped it out.  I changed to dpns in the middle and you could see the difference and I didn't like it so out it came.  I'm mostly finished reknitting it and then will cast it off and start the second one.  I make Pk try the sweater on over and over to make sure the sleeves are the right length or the shoulders fit well.  He never wants to take it off so this is risky.  This is what I started with and I'm down to just one of those cakes with some small bits and bobs left.

It took most of Saturday to take down the decorations but now they're packed away in their plastic boxes until next December.  There are empty surfaces in my house again and I love it.  In a few more days the enormous tree will come down and then there will be light again, too.  I'm all for that.

I have a full day of clinics today but I spent a few hours on Friday getting ready so it should flow smoothly.  The sidewalks around here are mostly clear of snow and ice (Philadelphia has an ordinance about clearing your walks 24 hours after a storm) so most people should be able to get in.  I have one woman who is in a motorized wheel chair who might have a problem but I'll deal with that if it happens.

So, let's get out there and have a good Monday. 

Today: Snow. High near 29. Calm wind becoming northwest between 7 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible

I'm not sure how this snuck up on us.  We're a watchful people when it comes to snow.  We knew it was supposed to snow yesterday and it did.  An inch or two and it was sunny by the afternoon.

Pk and his brother in law Brian are on their way to Baltimore for the wood show.  Brian called last night and said we were due for some more snow today and did Peter Kevin still want to go?  Of course the answer was yes but I didn't know it was going to snow more.  I looked at the NOAA site and sure enough, snow up and down the east coast.  It's coming down heavy right now.  I leaned out my bedroom window to take the photo.  I will worry until he texts me and lets me know they got there safely.  It's only about 100 miles but people drive like crazies in the snow.

And if you can ignore the messy bedroom, here's a photo of Pk in the nearly finished sweater.  You can see where I started the right sleeve.  I ripped that one out last night and picked it up again.  I picked up too many stitches the first time and it was puckery.  He didn't mind but I wasn't satisfied.  It's much better now and I have about 9 inches of sleeve left and then the other side. 

Pk is over the moon with this.  He loves the rolled collar and the overall bumpy texture of the handspun.  I can't describe how soft this is. I've moved the sleeves onto dpns and it's a bit of a pain to keep turning the large sweater as I knit them but it's nice to see the end. 

I have a quiet weekend in store filled with inside chores.  Cleaning and laundry and putting away of the decorations.  The kind of things that are routine but make you feel good when they're done. 

And I have a feeling I'll have to shovel some snow.

Peter Kevin and I went to the gym on Tuesday.  I managed to do a mile in 15 minutes on the eliptical machine and was pleased with that.  I then did some leg and arm and torso exercises on the torture machines (also know as circuit weight machines to the less knowledgeable).  I felt a little sore yesterday but overall pretty good.  I was patting myself on the back.

And then I got up today and everything hurts.  It hurts to just sit still.  A few advil and some gentle movement today should get me ready for the gym again this afternoon.  All this to "feel better".  I think I shall spend some quality time with the hot tub this afternoon. 



metallic gold and copper beads



Kate and I are taking part in another kal.  Same designer, different shape shawl.  It's called In Dreams and you can find it on Susan's website, A Few Stitches Short.  It's a mystery kal and the design is another LOTR based pattern.  I ordered an alpaca/silk blend from Webs. (photo is from their website).  I love the color and I've found some copper/gold beads to use with it.  It's a step out of my usual comfort zone and I think I'll enjoy it.  I love the yarn.  It's soft and slightly fuzzy and slightly shiny.

Kate chose copper colored yarn that is in the same family but a lighter shade.  I just have to finish Pk's sweater first. 

And speaking of his sweater, I have sewn up the shoulders and knit most of the collar.  It finally looks like it just might be a sweater after all.  I had him try it on last night and he loves it.  I was afraid it was too big but his request when asking for the sweater was that it hang and be loose and he's a big guy so it had to be a big sweater.  It fits perfectly.  I have a few more rows on the collar and then the sleeves.  It's been a year and some months since I bought the roving to make this sweater.  A true labor of love.

Kate and Patrick took us to dinner last night.  It was really nice.  Nicest part?  That I raised a daughter who is able to be grateful for things and wants to be generous in her turn.  And that she found a mate who is just like her. 

And we have another French Toast Alert tonight into tomorrow.  The weather service is saying a few inches of snow but I overheard several people yesterday talking about getting "wallopped" with snow.  The hysteria begins slowly and will build to a fevered pitch by the end of the day before the first flake has even thought about falling. 

And yes, I bought my milk last night so I can stay away from the stores this weekend.  Thank goodness it's not a grocery shopping weekend for us!  Pk is planning to go to a wood show (just like a wool show but with wood) on Saturday with his brother in law.  I hope the weather is good.  They're both looking forward to it.  Snow would put a crimp in their plans.

Me?  I'm planning to put away the holiday decorations.  Pk asked if we could leave the tree up for another week.  We probably will.  It's so pretty but it's taking up so much room!  I can't wait to get my space back.  But for him?  I can wait another week.

Greetings from slugville.  Yes, I am a slug, or at least I have been all day today.  And I'll tell you, it was glorious.  This was a wonderfully restful vacation and today was the perfect way to end it.

Pk and I got up and showered, (we're slugs but we're clean slugs).  He watched Harry Potter videos all day and I played on the computer and watched The Princess Bride.  I made breakfast and dinner and he cleaned up.  And now, the day is winding down and we're facing the reality of going back to work.  My work bag is ready and my gym bag is packed.  The alarm is set.  And my brain is slowly accepting the reality of work.

I showed you one of the handmade gifts I got for Christmas but I actually got two others.  Elanor made me some new stitch markers.  I tried for years to help her find a creative outlet because I believe it's good for the soul.  When I was coloring mandalas, she found that she enjoyed that and now does some beautiful pieces of her own.

And then she discovered beads.  She made Emily a necklace and bracelet and earrings set for Christmas.  I helped her pick out the ornaments but she did the work and it was pretty. 

I love beaded stitch markers.  These will get lots of use.

This is my other handmade gift.  These are darning eggs.  I asked for them and Pk made two different sizes for me.  The light one is pear and the dark one is black walnut.  They are so incredibly smooth and silky to the touch.  Unlike the yarn harlot, I will darn a pair of socks that have a hole.  I want to get as much wear out of a pair of socks as possible.

The roving they're on top of is a merino/tencel blend that Em gave me.  I started spinning some of it this past week and it spins like a dream.  It's silky and smooth and shiny.

I did a good bit of knitting on the alpaca sweater this week and I'm almost ready to bind off the shoulders.  I measured it on Peter Kevin and I need to make it a few inches longer.  After all this, I want it to fit comfortably.  Now that it looks like a sweater, he's showing increased interest in it.  His birthday is in February and I'd like to finish it by then. 

Have a good week.  I hope this first week in January finds you content, healthy and ready to face a new year.

1/1/11. 
New day.  New year.

I was thinking in the shower (where all the most profound thoughts seem to come from) and I was thinking that I really like January.  I know that there aren't any holidays from now until Easter (unless you cound MLK's birthday and Valentines' Day neither of which I get off from work) but I like the putting away of the holiday excess and the clean, openness of January.

Our Christmas tree takes up a good bit of the living room and while I love it and its shiny self, I also like when it goes away and I get my space and light back.  I've been sitting in the living room all week to admire the lights of the tree knowing that my time with them is limited.  There is a part of me that would like to put the decorations away tomorrow but they'll stay up one more week and next weekend I'll pack away Christmas for another year.

My last fo of the year.  I finished my cowl last night and just wanted a photo of me wearing it.  Pk was in a silly mood and was playing around and this is the best one I could get.  You can see that it's long.  I made the  long version so I could pull it up over my head like a hood and it feels perfect.  I like the pattern.  It stretches enough to hold it close to my head but won't mash my hair down or make my head itch.  I think it makes me look like a babushka. 

The pattern is Strider from Susan Pandorf's LOTR patterns (the Fellowship of the Ring collection).  She gave me the collection last year for moderating the Evenstar kal group.  I gave one of the patterns to Kate and this is the only other one I've finished.  She's releasing a large, warm wrap called Argonath sometime this week that I may take up.  One can never have too many warm things to wrap up in in January.

The yarn is polwarth/silk from drk.  It's light and oh so soft.  I used most of the skein and took one week to finish.  The chart was so easy to follow that there was very little ripping out.  I think part of it was the large blocks of time that I was able to put into it.  I think this will get a lot of wear.

Kate and I are taking part in a mystery kal called In Dreams.  It's another LOTR inspired shawl, but not round this time.  I bought our memberships and we ordered some alpaca/silk blend laceweight yarn in rust/copper/sienna colors.  Not a color either of us uses often so we decided to shake it up a little.  It starts in February so I have the month of January to finish Pk's sweater.  It's totally doable even with going back to work and all. 

We had a good time last night at my brother's house.  I love his kids.  They're funny and bright (aren't all kids?).  Maggie likes to have one of those skinny hair wrap things in her hair and they usually get one when they're in Disneyworld every September.  Pk found a kit for her to do it herself and she really liked it.  They were planning what to do when we left.  Daniel got a Science Experiment kit for little kids (he's only 4) and my brother promised him they'd explore it today.

We watched Dick Clark last night.  He is amazing.  I wasn't sure he was still alive.  All those years of looking very young caught up with him in a rush.  He's such a part of New Year's eve to me.  It's sobering to see him now.

We're going to Em's house for dinner.  She's roasting a chicken which is one of my favorite meals.  It's simple and warming and my idea of comfort food.  But first, I want to make the potato salad for dinner tomorrow.  Then all I'll have to do on pajama day is put the ham in the oven.

Have a wonderful weekend.  Hugs and kisses for everyone.