This was a winter with little or no snow here in the wilds of Southern New Jersey. I have listened to the people around me rejoice about this but I am not a happy camper. In my head, I know less snow is safer (unless it means ice storms) but if it doesn't get cold and freeze over, how are we going to survive the hot summer months? I need the contrast to help me get through. Spring has officially come but the poor bulbs didn't know they still had time to wait and we had many daffodils all blooming the day before we were due for a major winter storm.
I asked Elanor to go out and cut all of the blooming daffs so we wouldn't lose them all to the ice we were anticipating. The storm was a bust but we had vases and jars of springtime sunshine all through the house. We made it through St Patrick's Day with only 2 loaves of soda bread. It was yummy (and there's still a loaf in the freezer).
In a "swap", I traded these purple hand knit socks for a set of brass, hand forged dpns. I thinkg it was a good deal! Molly, of Celtic Swan Forge makes the most beautiful knitting needles and also other gorgeous hand forged items. She Enjoys hand knit socks but doesn't like to knit and I love her needles but don't know anything about hand forging anything. So we bartered. I will admit it took me a long time to make the socks (she asked for extra long cuffs) but I finally finished them and within a month, I had these beautiful needles in my hands.
It seems like a very craftsman thing to do. Trade the fruits of your labor for the fruits of someone else's.
This beginning of a blanket is evidence of all of the socks (and some baby sweaters) that I have made over the years. It's bigger now but it's growing slowly. Each stripe I add to a side takes a bit longer. I am in love with all the different colors and textures. I want it to be for the couch in our living room which is now all blue. I want some color in there. It's been so much fun to knit. And easy enough to do it when we're in company.Well, it's time for Pk and I to head out to the doctor's office for our checkup. Remind me to tell you all about the terrific gift idea we came up with for Em's birthday.
See you soon!
