The robins have bodies

Finished! 

I didn’t care much for the large amount of duplicate stitch (I really stink at it). If I were to knit it from the complete pattern, I’d just knit it with the colors as they came up. I really LOVE the mittens, though, and am very happy with them. I didn’t reach the 11 stitches per inch gauge, I ended up at 8.5 per inch. My hands are bigger, and they’re just a tiny bit roomy. I will get a lot of use out of these, as I’m keeping them for ME!

I need a better daylight picture.  And, as luck has it, we may get snow in Minnesota tomorrow!

Changes

Now that's finally clear of ice and snow, I've been able to run in the Carleton College Arboretum for the past two days.  

(Woot!  Two days of exercise in a row!)

Carleton is gradually restoring the arboretum to a natural landscape.  This past winter they did some clearing out of an old pine plantation.

This was one of my most favorite spots on the trail, photographed early this past January.

Today it looked like this.

I'm sure it will look beautiful when it's completely restored.

Change is always difficult.

One mitten done

Embroidery and duplicate stitch is finished on one mitten and begun on the second.

I don't care for all the duplicate stitch.  Time consuming, putzy work.  If I were to knit these again, I'd knit all the colors as I went.  That wasn't an option with the mystery knit along, as only a few items were revealed with each clue.

I'll bite the bullet and finish that second mitten.

But I don't think I'll enjoy it any more than the first...

Amazing! Spring!

Temps in the 70s today.  

Finally!

After errands and chores were finished, I had some spinning time on the deck.

One of my chores today was giving the little dog his spring haircut.

Note the wire basket full of dog fur.  I'm hoping the birds will carry some away.

Girl with the Dragon Tattoo?

Girl of the House went off to the Arts ala Carte program at the high school tonight and returned with a dragon tattoo.

Well, maybe just a temporary one.

Get 'em at the source

He's waiting for the birds of spring to start their search for building materials.

Color Affection

One afternoon and one morning spent with extended family at the Mayo Clinic leads to a good start on a new shawl.

Color Affection

knit in Sweet Georgia Silk Crush Yarn

It never ends...

Six inches of snow this morning.  

Northfield schools were closed.  

Not just a late start, but closed.

On April 23.

I had to get the skis out for one last cruise before work.  With any luck, it'll be the only time I can say I skied in Minnesota on April 23.

Birds

Grackles came in on the south wind on Sunday afternoon.  We could hear them inside the closed up house.  

Noisy birds!

They flew from tree to tree, spending a few minutes in each group of trees, screeching the whole time.

Weekend mornings

During the week Paul wakes first and begins the day.  I'm slow to rise, reluctant to get out of bed.

The dogs wake at the same time each day, year round.  (How do they do that?)

On Saturday and Sunday I hear all the things I sleep through on weekdays.  I get up, let the beasts out, make the coffee.  Paul sleeps in.

Surprisingly I rather like the quiet house, all to myself for a short time, awaiting sunrise.

Skeletons

As the snow begins to melt (again), youngest dog is finding all kinds of bones to chew.

We took the deer skull away from her earlier in the day.

Distraction

When the weather is like this on April 19, 

you need this:

Foolproof ways to distract yourself from thinking about it

My favorite:

8. Teach yourself to knit.

Happy April 18th!

And it's coming down heavier now.

I'd get it myself if I only had thumbs...

All that's left of clue #3 is the thumbs.

I think there must be quite a bit of embroidery to come for this bird's back, don't you?

Slow knitting

Sometimes there are obstacles beyond my control.

Mitten Clue #3

AHA!

I think it's a robin, don't you?

I know there is embroidery in the next clue.  

Oooh, interesting.

Sunstruck Clue #2

Part two of the Sunstruck (sort of) mystery knit along.

Next clue on Thursday.

Clue #2

Clue #2 is complete!

Next clue on Tuesday.

Think that big red blob is going to be a bird?

That's my guess...

First time in eleven years

Imagine this:

A one pound package of frozen hamburger, left to thaw in the sink.

Beneath a heavy inverted mixing bowl.

It'll be ready to cook when we get home at the end of the day.

Girl of the House was the first one home.  She found an overturned bowl in the sink and these remnants in the dining room:

And one fat and happy old cat.

It's still snowing

April 11.

Still coming down.

My brother says you can't fully appreciate winter til you've had the full six months.

Inch by inch

Another big winter storm coming in tonight.

April in Minnesota.

Mitten knitting continues slowly.

A very little progress

I am reminded that exercising really cuts into knitting time.

This is all I knitted today.

A bit past the infernal cuff.

But I did spend time on the dreaded treadmill!

Sunstruck

Clue #1 of the Sunstruck shawl (sort of) mystery knit along.  (another free pattern)

Next clue coming on Thursday.

I'm using stash yarn (left overs from a previous project) so this one isn't costing me anything but time.  And it's a relaxing break from the frustratingly tight knit mittens.

Temperature scarves

Three months into the year, I've managed to keep up on my year in temperature scarves.

Actually got to add a new color to the Northfield scarf.  

We reached 50˚ for the first time last week. 

(Dark line is the month marker)

 

This one is 16 inches long, so I guess it should come out to 64 inches by the end of the year?

Different City, different stitch, this one wants to roll at the edges at this point.

This one is 21 inches long, so a final length of 84 inches? 

Sweet!

Hah!

Take that, dastardly mitten cuff!

You can't beat me!

It's snowing again in Minnesota

And apparently I have no knitting attention span.

I guess that'll do

The mitten cuff on the left fits better.  It's still only 9.5 stitches per inches. It takes longer to knit at this gauge too.  I could have done two more cuffs with the larger needles in the time it took me to knit one on these toothpicks.  I have no idea how someone would knit 11 stitches per inch.

Luckily, I have big hands, so I don't have to achieve the impossible. 

Second try

The first mitten cuff was not knit to gauge.  I got 8 stitches per inch - the pattern called for 11.  I don't know if I've ever knit anything at that tight a gauge.

However, it made a mitten much too large.

Tonight I started again with size 0 needles.  1.75mm.  Toothpicks.  Definitely makes for a smaller mitten cuff.

First mitten underneath second mitten:

But I'm not sure I'm enjoying the knitting as much.

Look! A Squirrel! (no, I guess it's another mitten)

At work, they say I'm easily distracted.  I chase squirrels a lot. You know, squirrels, the odd problems that pop up in a project when you aren't expecting any issues? 

I guess I'm doing that again.

Couldn't resist the mystery knit along in the Ravelry 'I Make Mittens' group.

I already had all the yarns.

(No additional cost.)

They have hearts on them.

(I love hearts.)

I'm on a mitten jag.

(Mitten pair #9.)

I just can't help chasing this squirrel.

(The Secret)

Actually, all the squirrels I chase make me the office puzzle  solver.  It's an actual talent.  

Trust me, it really is!

Home again

Four and a half hours in the car leaves plenty of knitting time.

So I finished the Never Ending Blankie!

Turns out it was warm and rainy at home while we were gone.  The river's come up significantly.  

Our gravel road had some washout damage in two places where the water ran across the road.