"Properly practiced, knitting soothes the troubled spirit, and it doesn't hurt the untroubled spirit either." ~ Elizabeth Zimmerman

2/2/14

Snowy Sunrise

On Friday morning I got up just as the sun was rising. The view out my living room window was stunningly beautiful. The sky had cleared some and the sun was shining on the top of the mountain. I got the camera.

View down the driveway

We got about 8 inches of snow from the storm. The trees looked so pretty.



Something happened on Friday that is indeed rare. A temporary peace truce was formed in the interest of being warm on the fuzzy blanky.

Couch Detente

They were almost touching each other. It's amazing what can happen around here when it's cold and snowy.

I've decided to do the Ravelry Ravellenic Games during the winter Olympics this year. I'd been kicking the idea around in my head. First I was, then I wasn't, then I was, then I wasn't. Yesterday I looked into what the events, and rules, are and decided I will. That's my final decision. I joined Team Yarn Hoars. I'm entering the following events:

WIPs Dancing - finishing the Gansey. (Doesn't matter when I started it or if I'm working on it now. As long as I finish during the Olympics, it qualifies for a medal. Woot!)

Sock Hockey - Don't know if I'll actually get this done in time or not, but I'm gonna try and make those Mukluks for Susie.

Mittens Moguls - Since I'm making fingerless mitts anyway, this gives me an actual goal as to when to finish them.

Nordic Color Work Combined - the Mukluks are fairisle.

Single Skein Speed Skate - the mitts don't use more than a single skein.

Yesterday I prepared. I wound all the necessary skeins of yarn into nice yarn cakes. I wish I would have taken a pic of my set up (why didn't I think of that?). My dining room table edge is most unsuitable for clamping a yarn ball winder and a swift to it. It's curved. So I clamped them to the back of the dining chairs. I had the swift on the top of the back of one chair, set to lean a bit to the right. And the ball winder was on a second chair, clamped upside down to the top. I stood between the two, cranking with one hand, and adjusting the yarn tension with the other. Somehow it worked, wonderfully. I shall do it that way from now on instead of involving the extremely wobbly piano bench in a weird way like I have done in the past. Anyway, needles are gathered and sorted, patterns are printed out, yarn wound and ready. Let the games begin! Cast on is at 8 a.m. February 7th.



After all that ball winding, I sat down and did a bit of bead knitting. I'm teaching another beaded amulet bag class. It started last Monday. It was actually scheduled to start while I was in Michigan, so I had it postponed. I have one student. A very sweet young lady of 14 years. She is catching on very very quickly and was a joy to work with. I'm looking forward to our next session. I needed to knit my little bag up to the point where she is supposed to be at the next class so I can show her the short rowing steps. I like to knit along with the students, if possible.

I am starting to get back into this teaching thing. I've come up with more classes I want to do. The next one I'm planning will be for the Entrelac fingerless mitts pattern, A Rainbow For My Hands. I need to remember to take the model and class info handouts to the shop when I go in Monday.

Today is Superbowl Sunday! We have friends coming over to watch the game with us. It's the only football game we watch. We don't actually like football, hubby and I. But we do like to know who wins at the end of it all. Plus, it's an American tradition. So we patriotically watch the game just like the rest of the country does. I'm serving Nachos and Fahitas for game food. Yum! Besides, it's an excuse for a party. Being a Seattle born native, I will be cheering for the Seahawks, of course.

Live long and prosper. \\//

4 comments:

  1. Your pictures of the snow on the tress are exquisite! Thou art a brave woman the enter so many events in the Ravellenic games this year. Good luck!

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  2. Couch Détente, haha. Good luck with the games. I keep saying that I'm going to enter but I never do...

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  3. Pam Tyner pstinsc77@live.com2/8/15, 5:20 AM

    Hello, my dear, sweet, wonderful mother, who is 75 and going strong, knitted for me the most gorgeous sweater coat that is featured on the cover of Nicki Epstein's book, entitled Knitting on Top of the World. It was a fairly complex piece and it came out just beautiful. However, it does need to be blocked and pressed. This is a piece of art and I am terrified of damaging it. It is a large piece and I've done quite a lot of reading on the subject and I don't think we are equipped or capable of taking on such a challenge successfully. Would you recommend a person or business that can block and steam this finished garment? Thank you.
    Pam from South Carolina

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  4. Pam Tyner,
    Most professional dry cleaners block and steam finished garments. This is what I would recommend if you're unwilling to do it yourself. I don't actually know any knitters in South Carolina so I wouldn't know who else to recommend.

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