It's been ages

I have been knitting though. There were several scarves for Christmas presents (wool: ribbed, basket weave). There was a pair of fetchings for a friend. After Christmas there was a prayer shawl made for another friend who had just unexpectedly lost her Mom. NO PICTURES! As always life's demands are overwhelming. Kids keep me extra busy, there is the writing for children class and my full time job as always. I am also involved with some Block Print exchanges, one themed "rat" for the Chinese New Year and another is a Winter Solstice print exchange. I have carved my rat block but haven't printed yet. Need to get "sick" one of these days so I can get something accomplished at home! I rarely ever do that....

WIPs remain the Kureyon blanket that I might finish by the time I'm 90. It's at least 4.5 feet wide and getting to be 3 feet in length. This time of year working with Kureyon is definitely color therapy. And speaking of color therapy I have aquired some books: "Latvian Mittens" and
"Selbuvotter, Biography of a Knitting Tradition." Fair Isle has been calling my name again. To have something to work with I also broke my yarn diet and ordered some heather fingering and sport weight wools from Knitpicks. I cast on for a mitten last weekend but I was starting too many new things at once. I was learning to knit using magic loop, knitting an edge that would become a hem and knitting my first mitten. I sratched that and instead pulled out some Lopi-lite that I have had for 15+ years (!!!!) and knit my first basic mitten to felt. Finished it last weekend and attepted to felt but it wasn't going quickly enough so have laid it aside. Yes, one usually knits 2 but, well, mine was a narrow mitten and somewhat longer than the B+W image in the book and I wanted to see how much it could shrink. Will utilize the washer/dryer sometime.

Today's project lust has centered around a shawl/scarf based on this blogger's shawl. Thanks KnitDad! Sounds easy with a look somewhat like entrelac but easier for a fractured mom to put down then pick up, put down then pick up...

Last but not least our wee pup is growing up! Piper is now 7 months old and a young gentleman. He is a wonderful addition to the family! See Piper's pup-page here. Cheers.