Tinkerbelle

(click to enlarge)

It snowed 19 inches yesterday. There was very little traffic at the airport. Tinkerbelle was the only passenger plane that made it out and that was only because it had landed before the snowstorm started. Dave took some pictures of the plane being deiced on the apron. It was deiced again while it sat in takeoff position at the end of the runway. The snowplows made a sweep down the runway, pulled off to the side and the jet followed the plows on a takeoff roll. A Fed Ex prop plane took off and that was it for the day.

The Cul-de-Sac

Pretty but Cold

I am a shut in. My brave neighbors are out skating and skiing, snowmachining and sledding. We went for a walk and our skin hurt. Our legs felt bare and moved stiffly.

So, instead of winter sports, we have savory dinners, with spicy sauces over rice. We have Netflix and Blockbuster and NPR podcasts. I have melancholy poems to read. The phone rings and it is one brother hauling fuel on a Nevada highway, then it rings again, another brother hauling a whole tanker of fuel across the Atlantic Ocean. Heading for Spain, driving to Elko.

We shared a turkey and all the sides with friends downtown. Katherine was with her mom on Thursday so we will conjure up another feast with her soon. Thanksgiving is a holiday with a false history that somehows keeps an intact core. Most of us are thankful for our rich lives and that is what we celebrate.

St Peter Port Stripes

I have been neglecting the blog and the knitting while watching The Sopranos on DVD. It would sound better if I was busy staying in shape or learning to speak Spanish but it wouldn't be true. Tony, Carmella, well, they do speak a little Italian...

These socks, St Peter Port Stripes from Folk Socks by Nancy Bush, are my third pair from the book. I have pair number four on the needles, but they are mostly just sitting there. I like to have this link with the past, these very traditional socks in my hands as I knit them and then on my feet as I wear them. These hail from the island of Guernsey and were all the rage in the seventeenth century. They were knit by the islanders for export. The hand knitting industry provided a major source of income in the Channel Islands for more than 200 years. Apparently Ms. Bush created this pattern based on a written description found in a letter from a Parisian merchant. History comes alive.

A Hat for Gabrielle

Here is another hat with skulls and crossbones. Katherine's friend, Gabrielle, saw her hat and asked for a black and white version. I was finished with the first row of skulls before I realized that the background was white and the pattern was black. That was not my intention, but sometimes projects just are what they are. I used Lang Jawoll yarn, US 1 needles and the chart from We Call Them Pirates.

School was canceled today for the second day in a row as we are getting a lot of snow! Shovels, hot chocolate and snow forts are on the agenda. We don't really have to go anywhere so we will leave the snowy roads to the other drivers.

Embossed Leaves Socks

Pattern: Embossed Leaves Socks

Interweave Knits Winter 2005

Mona Schmidt

Yarn: Opal UNI

Color: Teal

Needles: US 1

I used the tubular cast on recommended by the designer. I liked it. It is stretchy and it was nice to learn a new technique, especially one that works. The yarn is also a new one for me. It comes in many solid colors and I want to find a good "go to" yarn for color work. I will compare this with Lang Jawoll after a few washings. I also have some Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock yarn in the cupboard, which seems to be a favorite amongst knitting bloggers. Maybe a new favorite will emerge.

Misty Garden Scarf

Yarn: Knitpicks Alpaca Cloud

Color: Smoke

Pattern: Misty Garden

Jo Sharp

From the book: Scarf Style

Needles: US 8

I was going to use this yarn for another pattern and make this pattern in another yarn but this is how things ended up. The yarn is doubled but the fabric of the scarf remains very light and soft. It looks good with a black coat.

Thunder Mountain

I'm loving the snow!

Good Dog, Carl

Pattern: Multidirectional Diagonal Scarf

Karen Baumer

Yarn: Knitpicks Shimmer

Flower Garden (1 skein)

Needles: US 5

This was a quick and easy project, trying to make the best of a yarn that is really just too bright. I wanted to make a scarf for a friend and she picked out another scarf entirely. It looks like she will be getting two scarves now.

This yarn is 70% alpaca and 30% silk and is nice, other than the color. It makes a very soft, lightweight scarf that is quite warm and comfortable. The yarn was cheap ($4.99) and easy to work with.

New Paneling

Our trip into the cabin a week ago gave me a first look at the new wood paneling upstairs. Dave went in with our friend, Pete, in September for a week. Those two guys did a tremendous amount of work. I think it only took one bottle of gin and two new saws but I may not have been fully informed.

We will trim the windows next spring and do the baseboards, etc. We will still need to build bookshelves, finish off the closets, and do many other finishing touches. But it is good to get the paneling and insulation done now as we will be much warmer when we go in for our winter trip in February.

Highland Schottische Kilt Hose

This is another pair of socks from Folk Socks by Nancy Bush. A series from this book is in the works but I keep veering off the path, distracted by other patterns and ideas.

The yarn is Sheldridge Farm's Soft Touch Heather in colour Opal. My lousy flash photograph does not do the yarn justice; it is a lovely multicolor blend yet it reads as a solid. It is a bit heavier than some sock yarns so I used a US size 2 needle. I modified the pattern by starting at the toe, shortening the leg and removing the calf shaping.