The End of February

This week brought us more wicked weather.  On Wednesday nite, a storm began that mostly crippled the area for 24 hours.  Rain, freezing rain, sleet, ice and snow all came down onto trees and, more importantly, the roads.  Our Director called early Thursday morning and told everyone to stay home.  Even John stayed home.  By Friday morning, the plows had come thru enough to allow John to drive me into work on his own way to work.  And then our wonderful neighbor, and my office partner, dropped me off on his way home.  I'm such a weeny when it comes to weathery roads.  If it's cold and wet, I won't drive on it! That's just the way it is!

Remember how I said that 2013 is the Year of the Finish?  Well, the icy roads allowed me to finish another project that had been languishing in the studio.  These socks were a surprise gift from a designer friend in New York.  She named them Sally and there's a lovely story connected to it.  I won't tell you now because she hasn't published the pattern yet...once it's available for purchase, I can tell you the story.  Remind me if I forget!  My friend sent this pattern to me to test without telling me what it was.  When I got it in my email, and read the caption, I cried - this pattern was all about me! Now, you would think I'd be all about getting this one knit and photographed and sent back to her....It's been two years since she sent this to me and I am finally finishing it.  I'm sending the photos and the pattern corrections back today and she might have it ready soon. I chose a beautiful yarn dyed by another friend in Ireland - she calls it Wicked Witch of the West.  Aren't they pretty socks?  

I'm also knitting a shawl for myself..one that isn't a testknit....one that's just for me!  It's called Color Affection and below are the three colours I've chosen.  It's about 75% complete and I hope to finish it be the end of next week.  At least that's the goal.  You see, Sock Madness 7 starts sometime after March 1st and I need to have everything done by the time it starts....

Speaking of Sock Madness....they are scaring us even more than usual.  This year the supply list includes tiny 1/4" buttons (14 of them) and zippers!  ZIPPERS????? OMG, I am so screwed!  There is absolutely no way I'm going very far in this year's competition if the zipper socks are near the beginning...buttons I can do...easy, peasy...but zippers?  I'll get back to you on that one.

Well, I'm off to watch a movie and knit some more on my Color Affection shawl....Thanks for stopping by. 

Snow Days

They say that if you don't like the weather in Missouri, just wait a few minutes and it will change.  On Tuesday, we had temps in the 40-50 degree range.  We woke up on Wednesday to this!

By the time I got off work on Wednesday evening, it had melted and it looked as though it had never snowed at all.  We had temps in the 20's and 30's for 3 days and today it's in the 50's and 60's.   It's hard to make wardrobe decisions in advance these days...and one certainly can't put away the winter wardrobe yet...but I've pulled down the summer clothes.  it looks like a hurricane hit in the closet right now...no room for two different sets of clothes...I'm thinking the groundhog was right and we are almost done with winter.  

With the advent of March, it's time to be thinking about the madness beginning.  Sock Madness, that is.  Sock Madness 7 registration began on February 1st and will go to the end of the month.  The materials list has come out and there is a frenzy of sock yarn purchasing going on throughout the world.   I've got enough yarn to work for the competition so I'm good.  I DID need to purchase some tiny buttons and 2 zippers - you read that right...zippers!  That;s enough to scare the bejezzus out of any knitter...zippers.  Will have to put my faith in the designer for this one..I'll keep you updated when that sock comes out.

In the meantime, I usually donate prizes to the competition...would it be bragging to say that my prizes are much coveted each year? Well, they are...I've made 2 embroidered project bags and 3 zipper pouches this year.  The cup is only for perspective purposes...these pouches are a new project for me...they work up quite quickly...might need to make several more for friends and family and self!  

 And, finally, I've been trying to work up a wee tiny sock kit each weekend...I figure it will take me about 6 months to get caught up with all the kits that are awaiting attention but it's a nice goal, don't you think?  Here is a kit named Pink is Cool.  

And this one is called There Were Butterflies.  The patterns are from a designer friend.  I am excited about finishing these...they've been languishing in the bin for almost 2 years.

Well, I've still got some daylight left so might need to work on a knitting project....now to decide.  Will post once it's done.

Thanks for stopping by.