January 2012

So here it is, a New Year.   We are having a very different January from last year.  No snow on the ground, and the average temperatures have been in the high 20's.  Only one day of below zero, and that was -3 degrees.  It's not that I want all the snow and bitter cold from 2011, it just is such a contrast.   It also means no snowshoeing or cross country skiing to get me outdoors and active.  Jeff has been working on the wood piles, moving some and using his chainsaw on others.  So much easier for him with no snow.  And the chickens are happy--they hate snow.

Heel that I like

But to occupy my time,  I am working on my socks.  I started them quite a while ago, but knitting for myself takes a back stage around Christmas, when knitting for other people becomes my priority.  The socks are from the book Two at a Time Toe Up Socks  by Melissa Morgan-Oakes.  The pattern is called Peppercorn and is very easy to do.  I decided I like the way she turns a heel.  These are the second pair I've knitted from this volume and when I turned the heel for the first pair, I wasn't sure I was : a. doing it right and b. that I liked it.  But I think I do.  There is no picking up of stitches, which always gives me a pain.  However, I have been listening to the podcast Cast On with Brenda Dayne,  and she talked about a method she called the Sherman Toe and Heel.  It sounds intriguing.  I followed the links she posted in her show notes, printed out the method and am going to try it on my next pair.  I love the concept but am not sure how it will work.

Bit of shawl that is in progress

I also am working on the little shawl for Annie.  It is coming right along.  Its shaping is made by short rows with wrapped stitches.   The part I am looking forward to is knitting the leaf edging.  Looks pretty cool.
The other bit of inside work I am trying to focus on concerns the bags of fleece I have lurking in the small bedroom.  My hope is that over the winter I can go through all of them and start to card them up.  I have this thought that if the fleeces were batts ready to spin, then when I have an idea, I can get right to the blending and the spinning with no delay.   It sounds like a reasonable plan!  Now if I can only find something besides taking care of the chickens to get me outside each day.   Come on snow!  Just enough for me to play in.