Still new

New Year's Day, 2008, Fowler's Beach, Southampton. Weendy!

The sky was wild, the wind blew directly off the ocean, and I had to spend most of my time facing the dunes. It was either that, or inhale sand. I did get to have a few breathless minutes enjoying the ocean and the sky, and the bigness of the world, before it was time to turn toward home. Welcome, 2008!

By sunset things had calmed down a bit.

And in between, I began knitting this Japanese Vines scarf. The beautiful yarn can't be captured on a snowy morning like this one (hooray for snow on a day off!). It's the yarn that looks like dragonfly wings -- String Theory Yarn's Silk and Merino. I am enjoying this pattern, which I found on Ravelry. We all know how much I love stitches that tilt and tumble!

I had a wonderful first day of the year. There were a few end/beginning of the year things to do at the store, but they took just a few minutes in the morning, before I went to the ocean. I had a bit of a sore throat so I spent the rest of the day at home, quiet and comfortable (I didn't even turn on the TV until after dark!). By evening I was feeling better, and I'd finished three repeats of the vines pattern.

Everywhere I turn, knitters and friends seem to be making their New Year's resolutions. I'm more inclined to have intentions. I aim for things, knitting and otherwise. I steer in the direction of what I want. That way I get to meander a bit, and dawdle if I feel like it.

In that spirit, last year I didn't join up or swap or meme or anything -- I just wanted to wander. I learned new things and absorbed new ideas, tested myself, and had many new knitting experiences along the way. For one thing, who knew I would design stuff for other people to knit? And knit a tea cozy? Me? Ca-razy. [Oh! I was given the cutest little teapot for Christmas! I'll get a picture soon.]

This year, though, two projects caught my eye and my fancy. I'm not crazy enough to try to do something like blog every day, but these two little things, I can handle.


Margene has declared January to be NaSpiMoMo (Ravelry link) -- National Spin More Month. Since I do want to spin more, and I'd sort of thought that maybe I might spin more in January, this is right up my alley. There aren't any rules or guidelines to worry about. It's a Just Do It sort of thing. I intend to spin in January, on my Reeves wheel especially. Thank you Margene and Carole!


The second project is one I'll also enjoy. Vicki Knitorious has revived the ABC-Along, which I participated in in 2006. There's a Ravelry group, and a Flickr group too. I have a new camera that I want to get to know better, anyway. And I'm excited about focusing on photographs again, and spending more time thinking about them.

Our little snow has stopped now (I've been fiddling with this post for an hour and a half), but I think I'll pretend that it's still falling. Tea (in a pot!) and knitting are on the agenda for today. I hope your day, whatever it holds, is just as cozy.

Boxing Day

With Christmas Day already past, I'm beginning to feel the old year sigh its last, and sense the whispers of the new year to come. I'm ready to welcome it. Boxing Day is a good day to be at home, get some rest, and enjoy the beginning of winter. It's not too cold, but not warm; not exactly sunny, but not cloudy either. In between is a fine enough place to be.

Christmas was happy, peaceful, fun, and lasted just the right amount of time. This was the first of many lovely gifts I opened yesterday:


My sister Ellen knit this beautiful scarf for me! She modified Wisp from Knitty, making it narrower and without the button detail. It's so warm and soft, and it's even more special because this is the first thing anyone has knit for me. We three sisters are a crafty bunch, for sure.

I sent her this pair of Maine Morning Mitts, along with her very own signed-by-the-author copy of The Knitter's Book of Yarn:



I put the finishing touches on this Ripple Lace Linen Basket Liner (by Amy King from KBoY) for Judy and wrapped it up, but I knew that it was too small to fit her favorite bread basket. I'm going to undo the bind off row and add another couple of inches. She loves it, though, and I'm pleased that the whole family will get to enjoy something I knitted for them. The yarn is Euroflax Originals Linen in Mustard.


Sundara makes it very difficult to finish any of the knitting that is already in progress. The second mailing in the Autumn Seasons Yarn Club was this "Mossy" sock yarn. I might have to cast on a pair of Nutkin socks before the week day is out!

I hope your own Boxing Day is just right, whatever you're doing today, and that you're surrounded by the love of family and friends, as I am --

~:~

P.S. I almost forgot to report on my little mother (it seems like ages ago that she was back in the hospital, not just last week). She was home before Christmas, and spent yesterday afternoon surrounded by family and good food and lots of presents. Thank you to everyone who sent wishes and prayers!

Sweet tree

Here's my little Christmas tree, all decorated and sparkly, on my (finally) neat and tidy kitchen island. Isn't it sweet?

These are some of my snow people, and the little cardboard houses given to me by my sister Sarah. She thought I needed a little group of houses like this to remind me of the village we had when we were children. That one - with its very tiny houses, mirror lakes, and porcelain skaters - was our mother's when she was a child, and now it lives at our sister Ellen's house.

These are the beautiful wool felt trees made by my crafty and talented sister Sarah. She was inspired by this pattern. I just love them!

This is the Koolhaas hat I made for my coworker C. It's Malabrigo worsted merino in the Roanoke colorway. I used size 7 dpn's and knit the pattern exactly as written. I had such fun knitting it, and it took me just a few days from start to finish. I hope it will keep C warm all winter.

Here's a soft and cushy close-up.

I've also been working on a couple of top-secret last-minute Christmas projects. I photographed one before I sent it off, but I hope I remember to snap the other one!

So it's coming on Christmas. At about this time last year I was in a deep, dark funk. I was tired, melancholy, and uninspired by the season that had always brought me joy and hope. This year, though, I'm more myself. Not quite the Santa's elf I've been in years past, but my heart is in it, and I'm looking forward to what comes after we close up shop on Christmas Eve.

I've filled my little home with all the things that make me happy at this time of year - little bits of old and new that mean Christmas and Winter and Joy. My few shopping trips and a couple of knitting marathons mean that I have special gifts to give to the special people in my life, and there's wrapping to be done.

On this evening I'm surrounded by my Christmas while I wait for news about my little mother's latest hospital admission. What else can happen, we ask ourselves? She is in good hands, we're not too worried, and both of my sisters and one of my brothers are there. My heart is a little tattered, but safe yet.

Catching up

Where did all the days go? Wasn't it just Thanksgiving? It's already the Remarkable R's birthday! I have gifts for my favorite fourteen year olds, and there's a party this evening. Until it's time to go I'm happy to be home, and to have a chance to write.

I have been away from the blog, but there has been knitting. I've been meaning to take some pictures and post. It's just that the days are getting so short, and my time at home in the daylight is almost nonexistent. When I am home it always seems to be cloudy, or else I am under the weather myself...


This is my version of the Palindrome Reversible Cable scarf, which I found on Ravelry, naturally. My yarn is Foxfire Fiber and Designs Cormo and Silk DK. I made a couple of modifications to suit this yarn, including adding two rows to the repeat to give the cables a little room to relax, and I'm really pleased with how it's going. I began knitting on Monday night, in anticipation of needing a few days of mindless knitting.

On Tuesday I had to have a wisdom tooth "extracted." I hate that word. I suppose I must have thought of myself as lucky back in my twenties, when everybody else had their wisdom teeth taken out and I didn't have to. But now? In my fifties? Yikes. I'm okay and healing quickly, but this was the beginning of a long process of repair that will last for months. That's where mindless knitting comes in.

Last night I began a little not-so-mindless Christmas knitting for my coworker C:


It's Jared Flood's Koolhaas hat from IK's Holiday 2007 issue. I'm using Malabrigo in Roanoke, which is a rich chestnutty brown, and US 7 needles. I love the pattern, and it's another one of those complex but not hard knitting experiences that I enjoy. C deserves a special gift. It's been a long and crazy year, and he's been our first line of defense against any and all insanity.

I haven't found either good enough light or a teapot-like object that does justice to my cozy, but here's a little cable (and cat hair) close-up anyway.


I'm blessed with yarn bounty these days! The luscious Malabrigo, the luxurious Foxfire Cormo Silk, and two more yarns dyed by Sundara. The first is the final Petals Collection yarn:


It's named Magnolia. It will take its place in the stash next to some other gorgeous sock yarn for the time being, because of this:


It's the first installment in Sundara's new Seasons Yarn Club. I chose Autumn, and received 1000 yards of Copper over Bamboo Silk Lace. This amazing yarn is hard to photograph, especially on this grey day (there are many more beautiful examples of it on Ravelry). I'm thinking I might make Mim Felton's Juno Regina.

I'll decide in the New Year, because I want to begin something lacey and different. I have many possibilities in my queue and yarn in my stash to make whatever I decide on.

In the meantime, it's back to the cables and laundry for me!