Sunny Sock!

We got hit with another blast of winter weather this past weekend - another foot of snow (luckily more light and fluffy stuff that's easy to move) and more bitter temperatures. This week seems to be a break in the pattern of snow every few days though. Sunny and bright all week, though this weekend the temps are supposed to plummet again. When does Spring start?

In order to warm the mind (and the feet) I finished up the first Gent's Shooting Stocking for Naomi. The pattern is really easy to memorize and makes for a really textured and super duper stretchy sock.

I'm really happy with how the yarn is not pooling at all. None, zippo! A very pleasant surprise! I decreased a bit more in the toe to add a few rows of length where I needed them, other than that, it's knit to the pattern.

In the mitten department, I scrapped the design I was working on. Frustration led to real annoyance with the pattern so I just put it aside. It's on a big time out for now and maybe I will pick it up again in a few weeks. So, instead, I turned to the miracle worker again - Nancy Bush. Kalev's Mittens (Rav link. Flickr link here) struck both my sister and I as a pattern we thought dad would like. Plus, to me it looks like little coffee beans, and his winter walks often take him to Starbucks, so I thought they'd be perfect.

So I have plenty to work on right now in the knitting department (yes, for me two WIP's is plenty!). Plus, I have to fix hubby's first sock (that will make it three!)which will involve ripping back to the heel and making the foot longer.

On Saturday, Ace and I headed to New Hampshire for an AKC agility trial. Just one day indoors with single digit temps outside all day. It was a fun trial, although it ran a bit long (the trials with only one ring tend to be very long even though they limit the entries). We did our last run around 6pm. I am proud to say that Ace came away from the day going three for three with a second and two first places! He also got his Novice Standard title which moves us up into Open. He is so much fun to run - I get really nervous and excited before every run! Thinking about it, we've only actually had 9 runs together so we are still in the infancy stages, but I can only imagine where it will go from here! His speed is also coming along too. As he gains confidence out there, he has gained some speed too! Our next trial isn't until March. We tried for one in February, but got wait listed. Boo.
Open Jumpers (1st Place)

Novice Standard (1st Place)

Pile on the Woolies!

It is cold. Beyond cold. Way beyond freezing even (heck, if it was 32 degrees, we'd be breaking out the shorts!). Yesterday was cold. Single digit temps, with a bit of a breeze. This morning, it was just brutal.

It actually dropped to -7, but my hands were too cold to get out the camera again. It hurts to breathe outside. The air is so dry that the snow is now "squeaky". I piled on all the fleece and handknits I have to make the trek from the parking garage into work (about a 6 minute walk). I was still cold. Luckily today there is no wind.

The dogs (except Ace, he is Arctic dog!) only go outside when they absolutely have to. Poor Otis - his paws were so cold yesterday afternoon, he plunked himself down in the snow and lifted his feet off the ground! He'll get booties on this afternoon. It is a big day for him - he gets his stitches out! He'll still need to wear the E-Collar for a bit longer, but I'm hoping he can get back to normal soon!

With the chilly temps outside, evenings have been confined to inside activities - like knitting and, for Naomi, spinning!

This is some superwash Merino in Blue Raspberry she got from Jessica's Esty shop! Since she has pretty much spun up all the fiber she had, she bought some different things to try. She also got some BFL in a beautiful yellow. Anyway, my holiday gift to my mom was a cowl. I wanted to let her pick the pattern, and Naomi offered to spin the yarn! This is her first attempt at spinning thicker than fingering weight. She's really, really good at spinning thin - she can spin cobweb weight if she wanted, so this is a great challenge for her! The thickness of Malabrigo is what she's going for, along with the same, single ply (it's the yarn used in the pattern my mom picked). I think it's coming out great, and the color is just amazing! It's a bluish-purple with hints of a dark pinkish-burgundy color. Dying genius!

Her sock is coming along well - I'm into the gusset decreases The last two socks I did had short row heels. Not my favorite. Heel flap, I have missed you! Short rows are just not my thing. Never have I gotten them to come out really nice. Many methods have been tried, there is just something about picking up the wraps and that whole second half of the heel. Just not pleasant for me. Give me a good 'ol heel flap any day!

The mittens I designed are another story. The corrugated ribbing was done, I had the pattern designed and tweaked and started knitting. Ick. Double Ick. Super Ick. It was just nothing like I wanted and it was not fun to knit.

The previous mitten and cuff are now two balls (beautiful center pull balls, may I add) of yarn again. The cuff will be changed to a ribbed cuff (better for keeping out the weather as my dad is a walker in all sorts of temps) and I have to re-work the design again. Back to the drawing (Excel) board.....

Comfort in the Familiar

When things are up in the air and seem hectic and unorganized, we find comfort in the familiar - be it a dinner we've loved since childhood, a cozy blanket or even, in my case, socks. I have been trying to start a sock for my sister. I've tried the Herringbone Rib Socks, but the pattern and I just didn't click. I also tried the Stansfield 304 pattern, but no luck there either. Things just were not jelling and it was getting frustrating. I finally took a deep breath and went back to what is comfortable and familiar. For socks, that means only one thing - Nancy Bush. I pulled all the books by her I had out and thummed through them. After showing my sister a few options, we settled on the Gentleman's Shooting Stockings. The texture in these socks is wonderful.

It's more of a texture than a pattern, so I think the variegated yarn is going to work ok with it. It's knitting up nice and cushy, and Naomi would like some longer almost knee socks, and with about 500 yds on the skein, I should be able to do that. I have knit so many of Nancy Bush's patterns that the language, her pattern style and everything is just so familiar and comfortable. It feels good. Eventually I hope to knit most if not all of her sock patterns. I'm making my way slowly through them!

Today is also an anniversary of sorts. Four years ago today I learned to knit! It's truly amazing how much I've learned and how many fabulous people I have met both on line and in person. A hobby that has really changed my life! From my first project to the most current, I have to say I have learned something from each of them. Here's to the next four years!