Zeneedle...needleart as life

And So It Begins

Wednesday's multiple inches of snow was brought to us by the dreaded lake effect. That's an official term, a weather phenomenon of what happens across the Salt Lake Valley when conditions are just right.  I walked out of the office to find my car covered with 5" of wet, heavy, pure white fluff.  The dreaded lake effect is capricious, as one never knows what direction the wind will carry the bulk of the storm nor how long it will last.

The afternoon high temperature was down right cold...freezing in fact!  And so begins the winter of 2008-09.  I am not yet over the winter of 2007-08 and I am in need of an attitude adjustment.  How do I get through the next 4 months of cold, wet, cold, snowy, icy, cold, misery?  (See, just how big a shift in attitude is needed?)  I cannot spend the next 4 months hating the cold and hating winter. The only thing to do is to find what is good about the next few months and just what is needed to get me through. 

First there is the uncommon beauty of the mountains that surround us.  They do get the bulk of the snow (46" at Snowbird from this storm alone) and snow is much needed for tourism dollars.  It also fills the reservoirs with precious water so that the flora and fauna of the mountains, and those of us who live in the valley below, have plenty to drink. We're off to a good start. Visiting our favorite places in the mountains, during the coldest months of winter, also lightens the mood. I will make sure to do so as often as possible.

It's the beauty in little things that also uplift and bring joy.  As soon as I saw the stack of amaryllis bulbs I thought of Sandy and her beautiful bloom of last winter.  I bought one for my office and I'll enjoy watching its daily progress. It should brighten the sterile waiting area and, hopefully, my mood.

There will be hot cups of tea in beautiful new mugs. I also vow to try new teas and enjoy those I already love on a daily basis.  As with fingering yarn there can never be too much tea in the house, right Terry?  Oh, and my new tea cup just may help keep my green (or black) tea blue. It was hand made by Cynthia's son and it's a beauty.

The main thing to do this winter is to keep on knittin' up the warm knits and spinning up as much yarn as I can.  Knitting and spinning during the coldest months of the year is der rigeur.  While there are only two projects on my needles now, I will be adding to that number and can't wait to knit up some mittens, gloves and hats (along with scarves, sweaters and socks).  But first, I had better fix Smith's gloves!  They have been waiting for a new finger since last spring. How did winter get here so quickly!?

Enjoy your weekend!!

A Day of Pure Gold

It's never the same old Silver Lake.  Yesterday was as beautiful a day as we've had during this long, luxurious fall.  The days have been warm and the skies blue.  It's hard to find anyone who isn't pleased about the weather. A large group of grrlfriends went to Silver Fork for breakfast (a couple of husbands were  along, too) and we had a nice stroll around the lake.  Days this beautiful will be in short supply in a week or two.  It won't be long before the lake is frozen (we did see iced over areas) and covered with several feet of snow. 

Because the day was beautiful I found it hard spend time in front of the computer.  So this is all you get...pictures of a truly beautiful and spectacular day at a favorite spot.

Winter Weekend

Yesterday, as already reported by Susan and CherylS we woke to measurable snow. Above is the view from our bedroom at around 8:00am. The picture below is what the mountains looked like after the clouds lifted, around 1:00pm.  It was a beautiful day that ended with a touch more snow and it stayed below a record breaking 40 most of the day. The wind made it bitter cold.

What is a more perfect meal for a very cold day than soup?  I found the recipe from a link on Cheryl's blog, and it had also been recommended by Cookie.  The picture was taken right after I put in the mushrooms.  My additions were zucchini, mushrooms, carrots and  a handful of peas at the last minute.  We ate it with Parmesan toast and it was delicious!  This soup was quick to make (easy, too) and we'll enjoy it again throughout the winter.

You may not believe this but all my "goals" were met!  I finished Elysian and Good Luck Cowl (more on it tomrrow).  Yes, Daniel is finished and there is just a bit of the preview in the pictures of Elysian.  I'm saving him so you can oogle us both while I'm flying across country Tuesday night.  Back to Elysian.  The Suri Silk is soft, silky and beautiful, but I found it hard to handle (just a little).  The mitts turned out very nicely, so I'm complaining about nothing, really.  How can you not love a knit that takes about 5 hours total.  Susan's instructions are superb and you'll learn a fabulous new cast on, too!

I am so, so, so behind and must get going. Please bear with me as I pack and get other details under control...I'll be dragging out the FOs over the next few days. 

Weekend Gamut

What did I say about it not yet being time for fall or winter?  As if to prove me wrong, the weather ran the gamut this weekend.  Saturday it was 99 degrees...a hot, windy and stifling summer day.  Sunday was cooler, blustery and ended in a decidedly fall like thunderstorm.  Sunday morning it was hard to believe just how hard it rained, then hailed, with thunder and lightning involved, and then ended with snow on the mountain peaks.It was just a little too much like winter!

Monday afternoon the sky was clear and we ended the day by having dinner on the patio.   If you don't like the weather...

The knitting ran the gamut, too.  A nice little flurry of finished projects dropped from my needles one after the other. First was Lady Day . She'll have a proper photo shoot post later this week.Then the elegant and lusciously soft Malabrigo On the Vine Scarf blossomed into her full glory.

Handspun Not Quiet Morning Surf crossed the finish line and half a pair of the Knotty Glove brought up the rear.

Now it's on to glove two, another scarf (to be revealed) and the sweater slated to be worn at Rhinebeck this year, Daniel.

Details on all of the above will be coming.  Hope your Holiday weekend was relaxing and enjoyable. It was too short, eh?

This Could be an "R is for..." Post...but it Isn't

It took me one full day and two nights of good deep sleep to recover from all the fun of last week.  Keeping up with Norma and 6 to 8 other friends is a bit tiring, but it was so much fun it was worth every tired bone in my body.  We tried to do everything a visitor would want to do and yet, there were a couple of things we missed, a good reason for Norma to return!  KimG will be back soon for the Great Basin Fiber Festival in October and it will be wonderful to see her, along with dear friend Judy.  Anyone else want to come to Utah? Now that I'm recovered, recuperated and refreshed I'm ready again.

This weekend was the opposite of last and I did a load of relaxing (between loads of laundry and loads of knitting).  Smith and I found another colorful Mexican restaurant to love and enjoy. To make it even better, it's very near our home.  They have the best fish tacos I've ever eaten and it was a delightful evenings entertainment to sit on their patio and enjoy a yummy meal.

Summer's end may be near as Tuesday as there will be bit of fall in the air (from what we've been told). However, after the last two days of temps near 100, one cannot complain, eh? And, because the days of summer are limited we headed to Silver Fork (you can never have too much of a good place) and Silver Lake (its beauty is never ending). I never tire of taking pictures of this lovely place and I hope you don't get tired of seeing them.

There wasn't a hint of a color change in the leaves, but it won't be too long before its there, Silver Lake is at 8,750 feet, you know.

Just as we were leaving we spotted a moose in the willows. It was an immature calf so the mother must have been near by, but well hidden by the willows.  It's the time of year the young plants make good eating and the moose to bulk up for the winter ahead.

As we enjoyed a lovely stroll around the lake (just as we usually do) a few beautiful pictures were collected for the Saturday Sky Saturdays to come (you'll need to come back and see). Because sitting at the computer time was limited I'm leaving you with that.  I'd love to hear what your weekend was like, there must be preparations for school going on for many of you.
Happy Monday!

The Best of Everything

Two things I love most...the mountains of Utah and grrlfriends.

Quick Weekend Quickie

Because I'm having too much fun to sit in front of the computer and write a post, you get a quickie.  Saturday was spent with friends, likewise Sunday. 
Smith, CherylS, and I went to Silver Fork Sunday morning (just beat the crowd by arriving early). The hummers were very active in the cool morning air and one ruby throated guy was very possessive of the feeder by our table. There were wars doing on over heads while the morning serenade was the screeches and the scream of wings. The little devils are good at dive bombing, and  missing, human heads.  After breakfast we walked around Silver Lake and I know how you love it when we do that...because you get pictures!

   

How was your weekend fun?

Anticipation

The weekend went by so quickly! Here it is Monday (and now Tuesday), the weekend is gone as if it evaporated in the summer heat.  The plans we had for the weekend were changed, morphed or undone. The ABC Along "N" post went up in smoke (figuratively) and lack of internet connection (darn cable anyway!) didn't help matters. Despite it all, we had an enjoyable weekend...just went with the flow, ate, drank and made merry when we could and let it go. It was all good.

The weekend started Friday night with new haircuts (I've got "new do") and a trip to Roy to the Burger Bar with a friend. You'll see the "new do" later in the week along with another "new". The Burger Bar was easy to spot as the sign is large and so are the crowds!  The lines went quickly, but the wait for food is long as they cook everything to order. The meat is ground fresh daily, the buns are made by hand (and toast them, too), and the fries are cooked (fried) 3 times.  The onion rings are freshly made, dipped in buttermilk and then fried when ordered. This is the way to eat greasy comfort food if you must...it is worth every single calorie.  Elk and Bison burgers are available (I had Bison) as are other favorites like hot dogs and their specialty, the B Burger that comes with as many patties as you want (on the TV show one guy ordered an 8 patty burger and ate every drop). We'll go again as it was that good.  It's that we eat fast food (as it should be) and this is an extra special treat, worth the drive and every drop of grease.  The little containers hold an affectation of nearly every Utahan.  It is "fry sauce" and is de rigueur if you're eating fries in Utah. It's basically Thousand Island dressing (shhhhh that's a secret).

Part of the weekend was spent cleaning the "junque/studio" where the perfect "N" presented itself.  Some how, without any planning or stressing on my part the letter needed has a way of making it's presence known at the right time. You'll have that to look forward to this week as well. I will keep the faith throughout this project and see how it goes. 

With all that we fit into the weekend there was still time for knitting and spinning.  I spun and spun and spun and spun (for the Tour de Fleece) and still have more than 1.5 oz. of the roving to go! Hot and Shocking (Pink) Salina  also grew (endless miles of stockinette) and now needs only sleeves! A report on both projects should come later in the week (and you should be getting a little excited with all the build up for the week ahead.) 

So, with that...there's more to come.  Happy Tuesday!

Purple Mountains Majesty

Enjoy your 4th!!

Should be back Saturday with a(nother) Sky picture and to let you know what the prize is for the contest.  Happy Holiday!!

Why I Love Living Here

It has been beautiful here in Utahland. The skies are blue (just a little smoke from the California fires), the temperatures are hot (after the long winter it feels great!) and the mountains are starting to fill with wildflowers.  While walking around Silver Lake on Sunday we found one of the tiniest of flowers. The Shooting Stars are short lived but showy.  The last time we were at  the lake (June 8th) it was still half frozen and the trail around the lake was snow covered (plus, it was down right cold!).  This time the path  was free of snow, the temperatures were heavenly, and the lake was gloriously beautiful.

On our way up the canyon we saw a mother moose and calf. They were eating reeds that grow along the creek around Jordan Pines. Just as I walked up for a picture a motorcycle went by and scared the mother. She ran to the babe and they took off toward the forest. This time of year is prime moose spotting season.

Next weekend the canyons will be full of the Holiday Only Users.  It's a good weekend to stay home (if we can stand it) and enjoy a few quiet days.  July is a crazy (not lazy, but often hazy) month.  We stop, relax and regroup as we can.  It's prime knitting and spinning time, I say!