Barely Made It

Alex is now all knitted up. I ended up with very little yarn left but just enough to sew seams and the buttons on. I pinned the sweater yesterday and tried on and so far it's a winning fit! I went on a button search yesterday at Joannes - what did I expect - junk. The few I did like, and only a few, there weren't enough of them. Just as well. I went to a LYS, omitting the name for various reasons, she had some nice buttons and some that would possibly work too - but the price tag was ridiculous. I came home and googled and nothing interesting was coming up so I tried a group in Ravelry and sure enough I found a source for some really great buttons and great prices too! I ordered 24 buttons for about the same price as the LYS was going to charge me for 6.


Alex, by Debbie Bliss. I used Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran Tweed - 12 balls. I always find I need a ball more than what the pattern calls for with Debbie Bliss Patterns. This was an easy knit. I needed something somewhat mindless to do after 2 fairisle hats. I started this January 16th and here it is just over 2 weeks later and almost finished. Can't wait for those buttons to arrive!

Some Days Are Good

Finished the Amanda Hat by Gina House last night. This photo is not showing the beautiful colors or yarn of Noro Silk Garden very well. The problem could be with the dark and gloomy, wet and windy weather we have going on outside. I found this pattern from my Ravelry friend Monika. This hat knits up fast and its fun too.

The furnace died yesterday so I have been sitting in a house with no heat other than the small space heater that my husband bought yesterday to keep us sort of warm. A house that is 4000 sf is really hard to heat with one small space heater! I have it now in the bathroom heating it up so I can go and take a shower when the room gets nice and toasty...unfortunately, where I am now is not in that warm room but here freezing at my computer. My fingers are stiff. The repair man is coming between 2 and 4PM today, I hope. The weather is really bad, flooding, etc. I really hope he doesn't call with bad news of not being able to make it here!!!! and worst, hope the power doesn't go out.
I am still cruising along on Alex by Debbie Bliss. The collar is taking longer than I had expected...lots of short rows.
I am just too cold to sit here any more...off to the shower!

Mid-Winter Blues

Just finished my Blue Plate Special hat, aka Red Light Special by Jared Flood. It turned out quite nicely and I believe it will actually fit my husbands large head! I was heading out side this afternoon to clean up the mess from last week's storms but I am losing my interest rapidly. The sun had faded away to high clouds making everything look steely grey and down right chilly out there. Maybe tomorrow will be a nicer day?

So, the hat...used #3 for the ear liner and #5 for the body. The pattern calls for 4 colors but I used what I had on hand as this was a test to see if I wanted to change anything or even liked the pattern before I knit it up, as promised, for my stepson...a late Christmas present. We will be skiing in March so I have plenty of time to get this done. The Blue Plate Special only took a couple of days so no sweat. I am going to order the Telemark Yarn from Knit Picks this week so while I am waiting I can work on a few other WIP...i.e. trying to finish up The Russian Coat and all those socks I have started.

Just In Time

Just finished the Inga Hat...purrrfect timing. The Sierra's have so much snow now from the last few storms. This hat is the perfect ski hat. I was a little concerned that the hat would end up too small and the braided edge would forever roll but after a gentle blocking with the steam iron it smoothed right out and the fit is great. It is snug but for a ski hat that is what you want. I am not modeling because it is Sunday and my day off...aka no makeup and straggly hair day. I used a size 3 needle throughout the entire hat. The pattern suggested doing the body in a size 5 but after reading all the comments on Ravelry about this hat being too big I decided to stick with a 3. Now the second one I am planning on making I am going to use a 3 for the braid and 5 for the body. The yarn I used is GGH Wollywasch 100% wool. I am quite pleased with this hat! Now finished with this...time to clean the house. What a mess from what the dog brought in after the storm. Lots of yard leaves and twigs.

New Year Turkeys

After riding out one of the worst storms I have experienced here (Northern California, San Francisco Bay Area) what should appear after the hurricane force winds and sideways rain subsided- Turkeys! Hope that isn't any indication of what my new year will be filled with! They are so prehistoric looking, something you might find at Jurassic Park.

The power came back on last night around 2 AM after being out for almost 12 hours. I tried to knit yesterday afternoon in the dim storm day light but didn't get much done before my eyes and body gave out...hard to get going from no sleep and all the tension from that horrible storm.
I live in Fairfax, CA...on a hill surrounded by over 30 very large oak trees and lots of California Bays and Madrones...I was terrified that one of them was going to fall on the house or take out a window. I wasn't too afraid of flooding because we are on a hill of rock, just the wind and it's damaging force. I lost only one oak that fell and at least it was on the back side of the house and fell down hill away from any structure. I haven't walked around the rest of the house to see if there is any other damage...shingle house. I did find a few shingles in the driveway but they look like an easy repair.
Now we are into the next storm. Started just about an hour ago and so far it is like a baby version of yesterdays nightmare, there is wind and lots of rain and hopefully the power will stay on. I was so cold last night.

Knitting wise I am trying to finish up another pair of Dashing Mitts for my stepson so he can take them with him to Shanghai when he goes next Sunday and I am half finished with the Inga Hat. Pictures later.
What a start to a New Year! But ya know, I think its going to be a good year, I really do.