Zeneedle...needleart as life

Between Blue and Gray

(Pictures of sky and scarf are through February 18th)

Much of February has been gray, but as you can see from the pictures, I have a tendency to photograph only the blue skies or the interesting skies, and not the plain, boring, flat gray. Some mornings the clouds catch dawns early light and, sometimes, at the end of day, the sky will clear. However, for the most part, the skies have been gray.

Knitting this scarf is a challenge because of the variable nature of the sky. I've always loved that ever-changing nature, but now, it means I have to knit ONE row of blue and ONE row of gray.   Knitting the sky brings its constancy of change into focus and I no longer look at the sky unencumbered. The scarf has had a tendency to drag me down, as in, "oh no, I'll have to weave in more ends!".  I am ever hopeful there will be solid streaks of blue in the near future.

Now, my friends, if you look closely you'll see, except for the last few rows, all of the ends have been woven in. The scarf is far less "hairy" and I plan to keep the ends under control, just to keep the sky from driving me crazy.

Zen Ziggity

The minute I saw Ziggity she was on my "to knit" list.  I waited while Kirsten had it test knit and watched daily until she published the pattern.  I felt sure the colors I had set aside would blend, would look like part of a piece, as was my vision of my version.

Ziggity had her way with me, as she was entertaining, interesting and enjoyable, whist being easy and charming.  In fact, Ziggity finally took over my knitting desire completely and kept me rapt and enchanted. Her pretty upper border (you can see a tiny little bit in the photo below) attracted me in the the beginning, but when the knitting started I was slightly intimidated. It didn't take long before I had the hang of the repeat and found it very easy to remember.

The yarn also has an ease about it, with its subtle shading and warm hues.  Ziggity and madtosh danced through my fingers and swayed my heart.

Now that she's finished I love her more.  Ziggity is easy to wear, her shape is long enough to wrap and stay, plus she can be worn in many versatile ways.  I love this shawl and have been wearing her daily.

My Ravelry Zig

Lazy, Busy? Who Knows

Before I do anything else I need to let you know about JessaLu's annual blogiversary contest!!  You need to get over there and comment.  You should also do all you can to tell the world about the contest.  JessaLu's contests are legendary and well worth your time...so just DO it. 

You did it, right? Went to JessaLu's...ok, well, then you can continue reading my saga of laziness and blog ennui. Well, truthfully, this isn't much of a saga, either.  (Speaking of saga...you did watch Downton Abbey, didn't you? What a wonderful "soap"!  I'm not a soap opera fan, but I did enjoy hanging around Downton this season.)

Hey! It finally snowed, but it barely made 4".  There isn't much winter around here, but it is cold, very cold.  The skies have been mostly gray, but the blue skies show up almost everyday late in the day.

Cookie has been pulling for the gloves knit with Joan's handspun and I have been knitting the beautiful Blue Sky gloves from time to time.

However, right after I took this pictures I found a mistake and had to take it back nearly an inch and a half. Forward progress has slowed....well, actually, it has stopped because I need to find my place.

This is the No Longer a Mystery Sock, now renamed Kelmscott. I love it, the pattern created by traveling stitches and bobbles is lovely and I will continue to work on them when the muse calls.  They are low on the knitting priority list.

There is more knitting to report, more about the sky scarf, more on a beautiful finished project, and the beginnings of another (one or two), but I need to get going and you need to get over to JessaLu's.  Tell her I sent you.  Start spreading the news!

It's That View Again

Well, actually, I stood in the same spot, but took a picture of the mountains just to the south of "my mountain".  Even though, from this vantage point, "my mountain" looks higher, the peaks to the south are the tallest mountains in the range. I've been fearful our view would disappear, as next door is a horse property a developer would love. However, a new barn has been built so the fear has evaporated.

Friday the day started out very gray, but by the time I got home from work, it was 55! Sadly, it has been raining, snowing, or gray and cloudy ever since.

Inside the house, I'm waiting for a little bit of spring to appear. Suzy planted a pot of crocus bulbs for me and they're just breaking through the soil. Everyday I check their progress and I'm enjoying the anticipation, the mystery of the wait.

There has been knitting, but I seem to be enjoying it "behind the scenes". While I like to hearing about the process of a project from other knitters, my own tongue has been tied. One project has worked its way to the fore and has taking the bulk of my attention, while another has had a tiny bit of time. The rest of have been abandon, although, they are never far from my thoughts.

This obtuse project report may not be worth sharing, however, it is all I can muster at the moment. A full knitting confession is marinating in my head, but may take awhile before reaching fruition. It will happen, my friends...soon--ish.

A Little Something Extra

I feel very fortunate to be given the chance to tell you about a wonderful little book that's receiving lots of buzz.  It's quite a charming, albeit quirky, story which even the NY Times Sunday Book Review thought worth a mention.

The author, Mac Bennett, shares the tale of a dreary little town which is changed by the generosity of one little girl, Annabelle, who finds magic in a box. The "yarn" continues from there as Annabelle knits for everyone she can from this one treasured box.

As with any good tale, this story has a villain, an evil, greedy archduke, who fancies lovely clothes. But as you might guess, things don't work at has he'd planned.

While the story is to the point, and the writing is spare, it evokes the message of Annabelle's care and how she changed her world with two little sticks.

The illustrations by Jon Klassen are a perfect complement to quiet little story, as he includes whimsical detail, which highlight the colorful impact Annabelle's box of yarn has on her community.

The Sky Report

I may be stuck in a picture rut, as the only sky photos on my camera are of the mountain, the mountain which is the predominate part of my view, Mt Olympus.  Even when we walk along the Jordan River, miles from our home, my eye searches out Mt. Oly. 

If you live on the east side of SLC, and your view looks towards the Wasatch, Mt. Oly will encompass a large part of the view, albeit, not necessarily the same vantage point. As close as we are to the mountain, its majesty awes, even though it is not the tallest of the range.

This may turn out to be an amazing fail of a project, but my hope is to see it through until the end of the year.  The ends of this grand experiment may or may not be under control by then, but they show just how variable our sky has been.  I knit the weeks sky colors every Sunday night, so this photo represents the sky through Feb 5.

A Post About Knitting (SHOCK!)

Out of the caldron of burbling WIPs, an FO comes to the surface. The darling Duffers didn't take long to knit and they turned out to be charmingly cute.

A button that matches my two color Duffs "to perfection" was serendipitously found at the LYS, which is the advantage of a large button selection.  I like the slippers well enough, but I will not be one of the many who have made whole hoards of them.  I can see the attraction, but I'm dusting my hands off with one pair.

I'd rather be knitting a shawl, as shawls are part of my daily wardrobe, and I'm of the opinion one can never have too many shawls.  The second WIP to come to the surface of my churning caldron of WIPs is Ziggity!

The colors of Tosh Merino Light, Sequoia the darker of the two and Amber Trinket the light, work better together than I'd imagined.  A failed project left them to marinate in the stash and they came to mind the minute Ziggity was publshed. While there are many more knits to report, this shawl has my rapt attention and, because I love it so, there maybe no forward movement on other knits until this one is complete, which the way I'm going, may not be long.

The Best Cupcakes!

You'd think I'd given up spinning by the looks of things around here, and it's true, I've not spent much time with my wheels. However, lately I've picked up the spindles and have started to spin them again. I love the romance of a spindle and the awe I feel as a bit of fluffy fiber turns into a string of yarn. There is magic involved and believing in magic is good for the soul.

As fortune would have it, my return to spinning coincided with The Cupcake Fiber Company's one year birthday celebration! ONE YEAR in business! Our Joan has been quite successful in her endeavor and I have, on occasion, been enticed by her offerings.

It's been awhile since I've purchased anything because of my lack of will to spin. But, with the enticement of the Cupcake birthday, I decided to check the shop. And, there it was a box of blue fluff in the most amazing blue, a stunning blue that made me gasp, as it sang, it danced, it beckoned… and I flipped.

My simple little purchase was very fortuitous, as I ended up winning a contest prize from the CupCake Fiber Co forum. The stars much have aliened because the prize was a SPINDLE bag! A JessaLu SPINDLE bag! With cupcakes all over it! And it’s blue with cupcakes all over it! And, when the package arrived, it was full of all things cupcake! How cool is that!?

Thank you, Joan and the Cupcake Fiber Company! Thank you, Jessalu! My desire to spin has been buffed up and will soon be shiny and bright!

I Love Letters

Two dear friends, who rarely take (or have) time to blog, sent the first letters to arrive in my mailbox. Two friends, who joined A Month of Letters, found the time to write and share a few minutes of their busy lives (one which was a complete surprise!) and I was so delighted! I loved sitting to read, and savor, their notes whilst sipping a cup of tea.

Sunday we met Smith's cousin (from New Hampshire) for dinner at Alta Lodge. He is here to ski and, while the resorts have little snow, the sky is clear, so blue and bright. Just as we arrived, the moon, nearly full, caught the last rays of sun. 

The weekend weather was amazing (a sky scarf update later in the week!) and we put several miles a day on our walking shoes.  The days are too warm and it does not feel like February.

Eye Candy Sky

Wednesday's dawn was full of fire. The rest of the week has been gray and cold, sans snow.  Ground Hog day was yesterday, but how can there be 6 MORE weeks of winter when we haven't had winter at all? 

(I need to find a pink/salmon yarn to use in my scarf!)