Since my birthday in September, I have been trying to spin everyday.  So far I've been successful.  I even took a spindle when we backpacked the North Shore in September.

I've found that spindling has been the easiest way to keep on top of this resolution.  Many nights I pull out the spindle when the 10pm news is on.  (mostly because I forget until then)

I've been spinning fine.  Perhaps a bit too fine.  I'm not really sure what I'll do with 800 yards of lace weight purple merino? 

But it's soft and pretty and I'm very happy just petting it for now.

We've been hosting bees from Homestead Apiaries for the past few summers.  It's always a pleasure to walk up in the pasture and see the hives and hear the hum of the bees.

We just received our reward bounty.  Lots and lots of honey!  Maybe we'll make some mead this winter?

2016 Beginnings - A Few Too Many WIPs (and a BIG One Finished!)

A few two many projects on the needles this January.  

I jumped on the Knit Along bandwagon in a big way and I have a baby hat due by next weekend.  I thought perhaps I could slow it up a little and do a project for myself, but that's at the bottom of the priority list right now.

I am having fun, though!  So it's really a very minor complaint, eh?

All project titles have Ravelry Links.

An Enchanting Mystery Knit-along in the I Make Mittens Group on Ravelry

Winter Snows MKAL in the Just Crafty Enough group on Ravelry 

 Baby Bunny Hat with a January 16 deadline  

Silken Socks for Bekky

And one just for ME!

The Crazed Scandinavian Cowl by Wendy Johnson

I finally finished Claire's East Neuk Hoodie after struggling with the sleeve caps.  They were a full two inches short, when I wanted to sew the sweater together.  It went into the bottom of the basket for nine months, and when she mentioned she'd like to have it now that the weather is cold, I dug it out.  I put on my big girl panties, ripped out the sleeve caps, and reknit using a different decrease schedule than the written pattern.

She loves it.  

And she sent me a photo.

(I had to mail the sweater to college for her.)

Glow in the Dark Socks for Claire

One sock complete.

Crazy, crazy day-glo sock yarn.  Girl of the House is excited.

Julevotter is ready for next Christmas

Hey!  

I did finish these in February!

They were so irresistible to knit.  Like potato chips, I just wanted one more.  

The knit along continues, and it's fun to watch all the other variety of the Christmas Advent calendars coming along.

Hidden socks

We're sending this piece off to the spa.  

It will return to us fully renovated and ready for use as a media cabinet.  We've been using it for years as the landing spot in the entry.  

Baskets of mittens and hats were hidden inside.  The bottom drawer held all our table cloths and napkins.

We found another place for the table linens, but while emptying out that location, I found all my old socks that are desperately in need of heel and/or toe repairs. 

I have no idea how long they've been in there, waiting for attention.  Honestly, I totally forgot them all.

Darning is never as fun as knitting new...

Julevotter

These are like potato chips - I just want to knit one more.

The backs are almost better than the fronts.  

They're so pretty!

Yeah.  I accidentally started knitting from the second page of the instructions.  Didn't even realize it until I was done with the 13.

Fresh Snow!

We're just on the outer edge of the band of snow, but it's been so long since we've had any fresh snow.

Don't you love it when the snow sticks to the window?

January was NaKniMitMo (National Knit Mittens Month).  I finished two more pair, for a total of three pair of mittens in January.

Mittens for My Mom

Picea

And I'm starting a February KnitAlong for an Advent Calendar of Mittens.  I've got my yarn ready!

Facebook and Ravelry ate my blog

Has it eaten yours?  With the time I spend on Facebook and Ravelry, I just haven't had the ambition to update my blog.

Let's see if I can improve in 2015.

I've got one mitten project finished.  These are a gift for Paul's cousin.  She sits with our dogs when we can't take them on trips.  But her real loves are feline.

Pattern is Moggies by Barbara Gregory.  

Raveled here.

We had an amazing trip over the Christmas holiday.  For many years, we've been going to Grand Targhee with our children and this year we were joined by Paul's brother and wife.  It was our turn to have Ben and Bekky for the holiday, too.  We skied downhill and cross country.  We snowshoed.  We took an incredible flight over the Tetons, in a small plane.

Ben, Bekky and Claire

Our family

Don't look, Claire!

The views on this flight were unbelievable.  We flew over the Driggs valley, Jackson Hole, the Grand Teton, Teton National park and back over the Tetons to view Grand Targhee's ski area.  It was just us and the pilot, who gave a terrific informative tour.  I highly recommend Teton Aviation.

January Mystery Mittens - finished!

The final clue for the January Mystery Mittens was published on Saturday.

Here's the finished mittens.  The theme was the story from the book 'the Secret Garden'.

Mitten pair number 1 for 2014.

Scarfin'

I've been busy finishing up those 2013 projects that only had little bits left.

Details soon.

Hiding?

Looking out the window on Sunday, I saw a dark silhouette in the pine tree.

Hunting or hiding?

Oops

I'm knitting a second pair of mittens for NaKniMitMo.  I was so excited, all I needed was the thumb.

Then I noticed this:

Do you see it?  I entirely missed one of the chevrons on the bottom.

Rip, rip, rip.

Process, not product, right?

Eagle!

When I pulled into my driveway this evening, I startled an eagle.  

He was just sitting in one of our trees.

(Yeah, cell phone pic doesn't have great quality…)

First mittens started in 2014

I don't want to shock anyone, but I've started another pair of mittens.

Torirot January Mystery mittens

It is NaKniMitMo, you know!

(National Knit Mittens Month)

2013 wrapped up

Happy 2014!

I think I had 29 projects completed in 2013.

My Ravelry project page for 2013

I'm still trying to get some projects finished up before I start anything new.

I'll try to get back on the blogging wagon, too!

Hard Freeze

The outdoor flowers are soon to be a memory.

21° this morning when I left for work.

Sunday Hike

We had a really fine hike in the Carleton Arboretum this afternoon.

Fall prairies and woods.

Cool and overcast, but that's OK.

Full moon stroll in the Arb

Friday we took a late night walk through the arboretum.

Admiring the amazing full moon, we required no additional lighting.

Quaternity - into clue #3

The mitten is growing.  

I've started clue #3 on the first mitten.  I probably won't get both mittens done before clue #4 is released on Monday.  It's a pretty slow knit on size 0 needles.

Peppers before frost

Paul has been going out and covering the deck garden on the nights that promise a frost.

We've finally given in.  Let 'em freeze.

We did pick all of the remaining peppers.  Now, what'll we do with all of these?