Yes, we have snow

We've had over a foot of new snow this week. It's pretty, but I'd rather have it in smaller doses. My car doesn't have skis. I think this planter in my front yard has reached its limit too!

I've been thinking more about the emotional ups and downs of designing. It's sort of like a puzzle. When the pieces go together nicely, you're happy. When they don't you're frustrated. More frustration leads to depression and the feeling that you're never going to get it together.

I've been working on my Noro cardigan. I knit one square a day. I'll finish on Feb 5th. This is the second sleeve and I have one more button to make. I'm using the contrast color yarn for those.

A baby sweater is in the works. The body is finished and ready to cast off. My own pattern.

Socks are nearly finished. The contrast color doesn't always show up well. The pattern is Onion Domes from KnitNet.

Next week will have finished projects and a chance to start again. Next up, more socks and a shawl design. I also have to write the pattern for the baby sweater. This is the second time I've knit the design. Time to get it out into the world.

Digging out

I've fallen in love with fagotting. The shawl border is almost finished. I started for the final time on Thursday night at the Susan Yarns sit and knit. The diamonds continue the body pattern, even when doubling up the attaching points, everything fits together really well. I've steam blocked the border, but think when I block the whole shawl the border will stretch more.

I'm finding the snow depth gives interesting images. I really miss walking the dog. It's interesting, sometimes I don't want to do it, but she loves the snooping, and the walk is contemplation time for me. My legs miss the exercise, but most of the walks aren't cleaned and I refuse to take her in the street.

Today the sun shone and it got above freezing. There is some interesting scenery out there. There's the icicle jailhouse look from our upstairs porch.

The depth really shows on the bench and birdbath. Bronte really had fun running around the yard today. It's hard to get a good picture of a fast dog.

I have started another sock, and am plugging along on my Noro mitered square cardigan. I still have 1/2 sleeve to go on that. The sock is Onion Domes from KnitNet July 2002. The pattern has a short leg, with the heel starting right below the color pattern. I prefer a longer leg. The pink yarn is Bernat Hot Socks in Hot Tamale color. I don't know what the contrast yarn is.

Knit, knit, reknit

Designing and redesigning can be hard work. I'm reworking a shawl designed by someone else. The design and pattern are yarn support for the company, and they had a parting of the ways with the original designer. I need to put a new border on the shawl and rewrite the pattern.

I had what I thought was a good border pattern. It took about 4 tries to get it to work. Depression, depression, joy! But no joy! It didn't work with the rest of the shawl. Try again! I think it was the 3rd try with the second pattern that I was happy with! Make sure you start at the correct corner, so the pattern works easily. This is a triangle, so I need to double up on the attaching points. It's looking really good now, and the border picks up the body pattern. Pictures later.

I haven't started the pattern rewrite. The border will be fairly easy, but translating the body of the shawl will take some time. The previous designer does not write clear, easy to follow patterns.

Updates
The scrap yarn scarf is no longer finished. The second end was wider than the first and it was a little short. I'll keep working on it. There's no deadline.

The Widdershins socks are finished and wrapped in birthday paper. They'll go out in the mail tomorrow. Eighteen yr. old grandsons don't get much mail and our schedules don't often match up.

I am knitting my Noro sweater at the rate of one mitered square a day. I should finish the second sleeve by the end of the month.

I've started another pair of socks for another birthday. They're Onion Domes socks from KnitNet in2002.

Weather in NE Ohio is white and deep (about 12"), but temps are now up into the 20's. Of course, that means it's warm enough to snow some more. We don't get snow when it's around o degrees.

It's Dark, It's Grey, It's Snowy

The first week back at work went slowly. The world has been white and cold. Customers tend to stay home in this weather. The first few inches were beautiful and quiet. I like walking in fresh snow. Now we have about 10". We need some snow removal.

The bad weather has meant a little more knitting time. I've started a stealth sweater, so there won't be a lot of other knitting to show. I do have a couple of things finished.

A scrap scarf in garter stitch. Use 3-5 yards of each yarn on 25-30 stitches. Row 1: k1, k2tog, k to 1 st before end, inc. 1, k1. Row 2: k. Repeat. Leave all tails. This was fun, I think I'll do another one, but longer.

I'm knitting more birthday socks. The Ravelry SKA group has a January option of socks from an online magazine. That fit my need for grandson socks, so I'm doing Widdershins from Knitty Summer 2006. I made a number of changes to fit the target foot, but one is finished.

My November SKA sock entry won me a skein of sock yarn called Chewy Spaghetti. That was the pair of socks that has the cuff redone and I ran out of yarn twice. Winners are picked by random number from the finished socks.

I knit some swatches of new yarns for the TNNA trade show. I sent pictures of the swatches to the yarn companies, and one of them wants me to knit socks for them. They are coming out with a new solid color sock yarn.

My stealth project is for another yarn company. The swatch is done and washed. I can start this tonight. I want to get farther on the sock first.

Dinner is cooked already, it's black bean soup. I just need to add the tomatoes, heat up and eat. I like easy dinners! The extra will go in the freezer for future meals.

Knitty New Year

I've been sort of working part time for the last two weeks. My dressmaking shop is officially closed, but I'm doing work for a couple of ongoing customers, so I work a couple of hours many days. I go back to normal Monday Jan. 5. That'll cut into the knitting time.

Since Christmas I have finished another pair of socks. This pair will be a birthday gift, unlike the last pair where I ran out of yarn and just finished them with what I had. The pattern is available in my Ravelry shop.

There was a rumor that we'd see my sister and her two daughters for the holidays, so I made two pairs of wristwarmers. Just finished the second one yesterday. They are put away in the gifts for the future basket.

I've had a lot of lazy time during this "vacation". I'd hoped to do a lot of things that remain undone, but I've relaxed. I'm trying to get a headstart on gifts for this year. When searching records of last year I found that I finished the first Christmas gift in May. Planning ahead does reduce stress. We have 3 January birthdays and 3 February birthdays. January score so far; one gift knit, one goft bought, last knit gift started, but it's not ready for its baby picture yet.

February gifting; MB - one small gift bought, need more, JB knit socks planned, KG ???

I bought me a gift today, a new crock pot. My old one is still good, but the lid is cracked. CVS had Rival Crock Pots in stock and I had a handful of coupons. I bought the new one for 40% off. I have a shelf where it can sit for a couple of months. It was too good a deal to pass up! I do quite a bit of slow cooking now that I rediscovered the gadget. It's great to come home form work and have dinner all cooked and ready to eat.