anemoi mittens, the beginning

Anemoi mittens! The yarn? Knitpicks andean treasure in colorways sunset heather, which is more orange than this picture shows and mystery colorway which is no mystery at all, it is dark grey.
And the palm side?

I mistakenly thought this was named ANEMONE. Because the swirls remind me of an anemone. But in actuality it is ANEMOI which are the Wind Gods. That is a much better name, I'm sure you'll agree.
This pattern is pure pleasure. I'm not sure why I ever stop doing colorwork because it makes me happy. Very happy. I love knitting it. I love gazing at it. I love wearing them. Mittens. They are good.
~~
Thank you for your kind words. I can't tell you the joy that having this here blog brings me. When I am down, you cheer me. When I am sad, you lift me. When I worry, you sit down and worry along with me. When I need advice, you are quick to advise.
What on earth do people without a blog do?
I'm glad I don't have to find out!
~~~
I cannot leave any comments on a typepad blog. Margene? Norma? Kate? Birdsong? COOKIE? (I did NOT forget Cookie even though she thinks I did. I could not leave a comment at her blog either )(There's more, don't worry. There's more!) It's futile.
Bitter? Yes, thanks for asking.

Rambles of my mind

I have a bad habit. (Okay, I have plenty of bad habits, but let's just concentrate on one today, okay?) Sometimes when I'm thirsty instead of drinking water, I'll drink diet coke. I know that a long time ago, I announced that I would be kicking the can. I did not. The can kicked me.
Anyway, thirsty is a curious state, is it not? Because, honestly, the only thing that can cure thirst is drinking water. Today I wondered how much water it would take before I felt good. Hydrated. Not thirsty. I have had 6-20 ounce bottles so far. And 2 diet cokes. Stop nagging. :) And today I have felt better than I have in a long, long time. I have been a bit worried about my tiredness and lack of energy lately. Today, after hitting the 4th bottle of water, I had energy. I felt good, my mind clear. I know that it's too soon to claim this a scientific success after only one day. But it certainly needs to be taken more seriously, don't you think?
Drink your water, knitters.
That is lesson one of the day.
Lesson 2? Is much more complicated. And it's about people and how I'm becoming a bitter old hag. I know. Who knew it could happen to me?
But really. How about rude people? Those people that are in a bad mood and feel that they can treat you any way they want? That they can ignore a person when they talk. Can you imagine someone saying "good morning" to you and you not answering? Not Answering? Over and over again for weeks on end? And everyone excusing it because this is "the way you are"?
No. Me either. I am sick to death of others treating people rudely. Sick. Of. People.
Lesson 2: Mean People Suck
And as a subcategory, mean people aren't worth the energy. Thereby leading to
Lesson 3: Surround yourself with positive.
Got it?
In review: Drink your water, if you are mean, you suck and let's try some positive.
Bitter?
Why yes. Thanks for noticing!
Now, excuse me while I knit a bit on my Anemoi mittens~ (lovelove lots of love for mittens)

Trekking socks finished

Mim's Simple Trekking sock pattern
Trekking yarn, colorway number 107, a gift from the generous Kimberly!
Needle size: US1
As you may remember, my feet needed a PAIR of socks to wear. I have not yet found any of the other missing handknit socks, but in all fairness, I have not looked UNDER things yet. I'm still waiting for them to surrender themselves.
About these socks? What's not to love? Trekking and a wonderful pattern. Love to knit them, love to wear them.



For full blog disclosure, the socks somehow came out different lengths. This picture shows the difference in the lengths of the tops:

Raise your needles if you think I care. Nope. I care not one iota. I said "oops" and moved on. I love them, imperfections and all!
And in other knitting?
I have been knitting the flyindales in Beaverslide Huckleberry Heather.

You should be sending out for the beaverslide sample cards. If you are on a budget, please refrain. You've been warned!

And I have successfully ignored the Green Mountain Spinnery sweater of the last post. Thank you for all of your sage advice. I will be ripping the button band out. In the near future. But not today. One must be in the proper button band ripping mood.
Enjoy your Saturday.

The sky is the limit!

Solve my problems, will you please?

This sweater truly does not want to be finished yet. I have knit and reknit the sleeves and reknit them again for good measure. And honestly? I can't make them better. After trying it on for the umpteenth time, I decided that I can live with the narrow sleeves. It really is all about how it fits, not how it looks laid out for the blogging world to see, isn't it?
I'd like to say that it is finished, this Green Mountain Mohair, V neck knitting pure and simple sweater. But.

How about those button bands. Specically the LEFT (your left) button band. Can you say bunchy? I posed this question to Norma, who said she needed to see it, which made sense, so I pose the question to the world as I know it:
Did I pick up too few stitches? Or too many?
I can't wrap my head around this question. I can't find the answer in the recess of my mind. But I knew where to go for help. It will be okay.

~~
In other mundane life news, yesterday I woke up having lost every single thing on my section of the computer. I toyed with the idea of restoring to a past non problematic day but did not because Andy's tax info was still stored on his section of the computer. Losing Uncle Sam's work would have been well, grump inducing. I lost all of my photos, links, you can imagine that it was only stuff but stuff that I loved!
This morning though, all is back to normal. My pictures are back. Links there. Huh. A computer mystery indeed. I did however, forget the old adage:
If the glove does not fit, you must acquit.
NO, no, wrong adage.
The other one:
Having computer problems? Reboot.

Photo Shoot Saturday

In which my toes get squishy

Well. Today we had snow, rain, ice, sleet and freezing rain. Leaving work, thoughts of our valentine's dinner that I am cooking dancing through my head, I arrived at my car. My car had a good layer of snow and ice and waterlogged ick on it. And it was raining down ice pellets of a good size out of the sky on my head. When I finished cleaning the car I was plenty wet from soaking hair to wet feet. That's okay. I have a Valentine's dinner to prepare. As I back out of the space, my car gets stuck on the pile of snow plowed up behind my car. sigh. Okay, I got out of the car, and chipped away at the pile of snow keeping my car off the ground. I chipped away at this pile of super snow (holding up a car, leaping buildings in a single bound) with a snow brush. Now, my hair is dripping wet with freezing water and ice chips. It's okay. Dinner, you know. I finally break through the super pile of snow and get on my way. My coat is soaked through, ice is falling off of my body and landing all over the inside of my new car and I notice that my toes are soaked and a bit numb. Dinner. It's okay. As I'm driving home (which, thankfully is only a 2 mile drive), when I step on the brake, all of the wet snow that is piled on top of the car slides down onto the windshield. You know, the thing I need to SEE out of? The thing that now has a mound of snow on it enabling me to see nothing. Which is highly discouraged not only during a snowstorm but in any weather. So, I pull over and get my trusty plastic snowbrush that has already dug my car off of a snow cliff and I put on my soggy, cold mittens. I brush the water that is dripping from my hair out of my eyes. And I clean off the windshield. Again. This time, pulled over on the side of the road. )What is coming at that moment? can you guess?) I'm almost done with the snow and he cannot wait one measly minute for me to move? A snow plow. And it IS plowing snow. But it is also plowing water. Lots and lots of water that cannot drain anywhere because there is waterlogged snow and ice clogging the drains. Frankly, it looks like he's plowing a mini tidal wave. And that mini tidal wave? Did not look so mini as it was washing over my feet, I'll tell ya! And that water is cold, my friend. Colder than my feet have ever been while in shoes.
The rest of the ride is uneventful, which is good because I have a friggin dinner to cook. A romantic one too, if I have my say. I pull into the driveway, relieved to be home. I swing my leg out of the car and step into a foot of standing snow/water/ice. Oh, goody. You think you are wet and cold driveway? You can't phaze me! I HAVE A DINNER TO COOK! I slog up the steps, bleary eyed from the water that is in my eyes, my hair stringy and dripping like mad. My feet actually making a squishing noise. But things look up because as I open the door, a box from Beaverslide is safely in there. Dry, thank you very much Mr. Mailman. My yarn for flyingdales. I cannot look at it yet because I'm afraid that my sogginess will felt the yarn. I must strip out of my clothes, shriveled up toes staring up at me.
And the kicker of it all? I cannot even find any matching SOCKS. I have plenty of handknit socks in my home but all I can find is ONE. This is the thing that tips me over the edge.
So, wearing one handknit wool sock and one plain old sock, I dry my hair and am now looking forward to a cup of hot tea and a nice meal with my honey.
But I wonder, what shape will Andy be in when he gets home? I'm thinking that steak, garlic mashed potatoes, butternut squash and homemade carrot cake with cream cheese frosting will help thaw him out. And I'll still be wearing my one handknit sock. Dammit.

Friends, I'd like you to meet Donna Lily!

Last night:

This morning:

Today at noon:

Bathed in sunlight! (the green tint to her petals is really a figment of the sun shining through her)
I'll take another picture later this afternoon. She's as pretty as I thought she'd be!

Fig vs. The Sweater

Round 1:
Washing day for the Buffalo Brownski Peace Fleece Everyday Cardigan. The washing was not the problem, it's the drying. Or trying. This keeps happening:

Fig Vs. Buffalo Brownski. Fig is quoted as saying, "but it's so comfy!"

Round 2:
There will be no pictures. Strap on your imagination hats, believe me, you'll thank me later!
Fig vs. Green Mountain Spinnery sweater, that is sitting neatly folded in the knitting basket next to the couch, minding it's own business, mind you. It has done nothing to provocate the attack. I came home from work yesterday and was witness to cat gak all over the sweater. Fig THREW UP on my not yet finished sweater. People, I thought of taking a picture. I did. But I could not make myself do it. It could have been the look of death that Bethany gave me when she saw the gleam in my eye. The look of death quickly became a look of disgust and I realized that she was right. College is certainly teaching her some things. Pictures of cat gak on a sweater are probably highly discouraged. Most definitely reviled and downright prohibited when people may have sensitive tummies.
So, no picture. But you can see the mental mess, can't you?
What does fig have against a good handknit, anyway?

green sweater, green thumb, green arms, green buttons

I mentioned my green mountain spinnery sweater, colorway moss coming to an end. The sleeves decreases are all wrong, rather clownlike. I "tried" to "fix" it, see the difference in the top/left sleeve? Yeah. Great job fixing that problem, huh? Most of my problem, which took me until I was done the second sleeve is that I used the wrong needle size when I got down to DPN's. Wrong needle size by 2 too small. You can see that in the knitting can't you? Yes, so can I. Now. I kept staring at it and rubbing it with my hands, hoping that the yarn would tell me what was wrong, why did it look so....you know...squished? Brilliant. Well, it's nothing that can't be fixed. And wouldn't I love LOVE to put Moving Mud buttons on this gorgeous sweater? (the pattern is the knitting pure and simple v neck cardigan) I wonder how THESE (CLICK) would look? The bottom row, second to the last?
I will ponder and see what happens, buttonwise.
Speaking of pondering. I ordered the Blue Beaverslide yarn. What a wonderful company to deal with. The poll was fun and thanks for chiming in! 3 of you, though are tired of my unproductive knitting! :)
AMARYLLIS CAM!
Donna Lily looks as if she may not grow extremely tall, I think she's just perfect!
Day 10:

Day 11:

Hard to tell if there's any difference in her height. But look at her bud!

How exciting!
I was asked if the plant next to Donna Lily is a basil plant. It is not. My kitchen is not condusive to growing herbs. I've tried. It is a kalanchoe plant. It has gorgeous flowers when it blooms. I find that any blooming houseplant goes through a shock when it comes here. It loses it's flowers, looks kind of pathetic for a while and then settles in and will bloom again. I figure it's like a freshman at college, longing for home. They all adjust! So, Ms. Kalanchoe is still in her adjustment stage. It's hit or miss for her right now. I love a challenge!

Leggy little thing!

Hoping, wishing and planning: all fun stuff

As I near the end of the Green Mountain Spinnery sweater, my mind has started to look forward. Let's ignore that pink elephant in the corner of the room dressed as unfinished knits. I won't look. I won't. You shouldn't either. Don't encourage him!
Let's get right to the chase, shall we?
Flyingdales. *click on the word "flyindales which is underlined to visit the website*
(Yarn pictures lifted from Beaverslide website) Click the color words to go to Beaverslide
Cream colored?

Or
Blue.

What do you think? Speak now or forever hold your peace. (I reserve the right to totally change my mind and listen or not listen as
dictated by my mood du jour. Just so you know!)

And Donna Lily? I forgot (GASP) to take her picture over the weekend, but here are the previous 2 days of Amaryllis Cam!!
Amaryllis Cam, Day 8 and 9!

She's getting so tall!

And look at how the bud area is changing. Our little girl is growing up so fast!!

What color do you think she's going to be? Manise, commenter and friend extraordinaire thinks RED and in time for Valentine's day! That would be good.
I'm not telling the color though. You'll have to wait and see for yourself!

You're as cold as ice

Get a blanket before I begin my tale. Go ahead. You'll need it!
My story starts at noon on Sunday. This is what the weather conditions were. Very very cold. Frigid even.

That's farenheit, just so you know.
Around noon, I dressed as warmly as I possibly could, which you know to mean that I put lots of wool on. But some days, there is not enough wool.
I drove in my heated car down to the beach, where there was a Polar Bear Fundraiser for the homeless. I got out and walked to the water's edge seeing this:

Ice. On the ocean. It's okay to pull your blanket a bit tighter now. I understand.
This is how I looked.

I was shivering. The wind was biting. My feet? Were icy.

Actually standing IN ice.
Brrr. Right?
Over 50 people took a swim this day in the icy ocean, my friend, all to raise awareness (and money) for the plight of the homeless.

All in!!

I'm amazed that no one froze to the spot.

I'm impressed with these people! Because you know all I did was open my checkbook. I'd gladly do it again, too!

A poem

It's the second annual Silent Poetry reading. I would love to share one of my favorites with you.

~~~~~~
The Daffodils
or
I wandered lonely as a cloud
by William Wordsworth

I wandered lonely as a Cloud
That floats on high o'er Vales and Hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced, but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:-
A poet could not but be gay
In such a jocund company:
I gazed-and gazed-but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude,
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the Daffodils.

Answers, who doesn't love them?

Amyrillis cam, day 8
And the baby knitting is nearing completion. The pieces are finished and steam blocked, awaiting being joined.

This has been the type of knitting that has consumed me. So enjoyable with the wonderful yarn (debbie bliss baby cashmerino). I'm almost sad that it is coming to an end!
And the answer is?
The trivia question was:
What happens at least once a year but not more than 3 or 4 times
Answer: Friday the 13th!