Garnets For January

I know. I barely made it. Today is the last day of January. And if it weren't for the fact that I have forced myself to post a birthstone colored project every month I wouldn't be here. But just for kicks here's the garnet baby sweater I've been working on since last summer. Just so you know (as if you couldn't tell!) my camera takes awful pictures of things red.
Good news! Emma's Wonderful Wallaby is finally finished. Pics later.

Have you ever noticed how cold your right hand gets when you've been working on the computer all day?

Our Unusual Winter Snow

We've had some snow. It's not been too bad this time, but I really like it when I don't have to go out. Today was not one of those days. Instead I hoped that the roads would be clear. And they were. But it was freezing cold! Since I like to park in the economy lot (that turned out to not be so "economy") I had to walk. It would have been better if I had been more prepared with a hat. At least I had my gloves and boots. All said and done and back to the warehouse with my NEXUS intact. Yes, we can finally go over the border without those incessant waits. That is if we have no commercial goods. Hmm.

I almost didn't make it for January's birthstone color project. But here is the progress on EZ's baby sweater from the top down. The color is not true. Just think of a very pretty cranberry red.

Of Nori, Chopsticks and Pickled Ginger

On Friday we had a delicious Japanese Dinner at the meeting room. RB was in town for a special meeting and we always like an excuse to get together! So Lily came up with this brilliant idea of a meal from Japan. Turned out great, as you can see.

Garnets

I repent. I now realize that garnet is January's birthstone, but can also be rose quartz! I thought it was aquamarine. Good thing I already have a baby sweater that I started last summer that is just this color. And I'm almost done! It's the same sweater pattern that I used before and it only took me two or three days to finish the sweater.

European Yarn, SS Verses, Wallabys and Scraps

My "girl" in Europe came home Sunday night, none, the worse for wear. Thankfully, no Italians nabbed her. Her horror stories were worse than the blog let on, though. Ask her what they really went through in Barcelona...really. I guess they didn't want us to worry.

Among many other things this is what I got from Italy! Yummy yarn, unfortunately, not one of my colors. Um, I wonder whose color it is anyway? I have one "autumn" daughter and this yarn looks like it's an autumn color. And she went to Europe. If not a hat, it will end up being a scarf--for the next trip to Europe?

I'd say they have interesting names for their yarn. It's probably not a name they would get away with in the States or Canada. At least with the younger set.

Finally! Emma's wonderful wallaby is just about done. The hood, the underarm seams and the loose ends are all that are left. I think she'll still fit it. Good thing I make the small size--they are much quicker to make. If you look at the underarm you'll see six stitches on each stitch holder. That and the hood are the only "seams" that are in this sweater. If you look at it when it's done you would be hard-pressed to even find a seam. That's because it's sewn up with the "kitchener stitch"--a technique well worth learning. It appears that the sweater is actually seamless. I highly recommend learning it.

We were over at G and D's last Saturday nite and as everyone knows this is the last chance to practice your Bible verse before you say it in Sunday School.

Good thing big sister went first!

Sometimes I think the kids saying their verses is to give us adults some much needed humor.

Everyone needs some mindless knitting. I mean really mindless knitting. Not something that has twists and turns, shaping, cables and even counting. Something you can do at stoplights while driving and even in the dark. And something that uses up all those skeins and parts of skeins that you've been collecting for 25 years.

Some of my yarn I bought but most of it has been given to me. And a lot of that is scrap--left over from some long forgotten project that some gramma discarded years ago. Some I picked up at the Thrift store. Who can resist a bag of yarn for 25 cents? Especially when you're a yarnaholic. The purple in the middle is the only yarn in the afghan so far that I remember buying... I think.

This afghan is so much fun! I really like to play with color and I love stripes. This afghan is the perfect project to use up all (read: some--I have enough scraps to make 10 afghans as well as oodles of sweaters!) of my scrap yarn. Sometimes I choose the color to go next; other times I just reach into the bag and chance it.

Gotta go knit, I mean, go eat lunch.

Getting Bored

I was getting mighty bored working on the on-line catalogue and thought I would clean up my photo albums a bit. Here's what I found that may or may not be of interest.

The one in europe.





"Peter, James and John": A Sunday School Favorite.

Perhaps I can finally finish these. My January 2008 project: "Jaywalker Socks". I think January is Aquamarine. Close enough then.

He works near Tom.

"Barn Shoes"

What to do with all my scrap yarn:


The unfinished hat that went to Europe with LeAnne: (finished)


Trying my hand at sepia:

An 80's sweater that I took apart: 100% wool!

Nephew antics: Aren't we clever?

My early morning "work station number one"

From our meal preparation for our last conference

One of the many kitchen helpers:

Nuts for the salad:

Cranberry Bogs near the barn:

My favorite knitting helper:

A Saturday afternoon ritual: (almost)

Gotta go get a pizza.