Places to go...

Swallow Falls in Western MD

Crown Fountain, Millennium Park, Chicago

Every year I talk about places I want to go. Rarely do I ever make it to most of them. Half the time I forget until the timing is all wrong. So.. this year I've made a list of places I think I can make it to in '08. And I'm putting it up here, because this little yellow sticky on my desk is losing its stickiness.

Chicago, IL
Richmond, VA
Lancaster County, PA
Philadelphia, PA
West Virginia
Western Maryland
Louisville, KY
Florida
some part of the Appalachian Trail - perhaps NH?

Now, I guess that's a rather funny list, since I've already been to over half of the places on it, and many could be just day/weekend trips because they're so close. But since we just bought a house, and since we want to explore every bit of the US, it seems like a good start to me.

on top of Spruce Knob, WV

part of the Japanese garden at Maymont, in Richmond, VA

Zeebee #3!

I can't decide if I love winter or hate it. The cold, crispy days make me almost feel it'd be okay for winter to be the only season - days with snowball fights and hot cocoa. But then, most winter days, at least in Baltimore, aren't like that. They're drippy, soggy, icky days where you feel far colder than the thermometer says you should feel.

Today is drippy. But that's okay, because I have a goofy pony to keep me company, and a Zeebee to keep my head warm.



That's my Zeebee in action.. knit up in one night with Beaverslide's fisherman weight wool, it's the friendliest of hats. Everyone should have one.


And a trio of hats.. since '08 thus far is the year of the hat. The Zeebee's on top, followed by my Koolhaas (I swear the Koolhaas wasn't intended for me - it just fit!), and a Cap Karma hat for a friend.

Koolhaas, by Jared Flood
Interweave Knits Holiday '08 issue
Dream in Color Classy, "cocoa kiss"

This hat, thanks to both the yarn and the pattern, is subtle and sophisticated. It's also just damn cool. I plan on making another for myself in some unruly color of Malabrigo when I get a chance.

The Cap Karma is done in Manos del Uruguay, in "olive." I'm happy with how it turned out, and love the color.. but was less-than-thrilled with the yarn (which is rough and doesn't show the cable pattern well). Oh well, time to move on!

Metamorphosis (Birth of a Stole)

This baby's been done for awhile, but I keep waiting for a pretty day. Unfortunately, since it's snowing now, and supposed to continue being gray and dingy for the next few days, I'm not sure when I'll be able to get photos of her "in action." So.. here goes anyway.. a short journey in snapshots!

1 skein Malabrigo laceweight in "polar morn" colorway. (And not pictured - the pattern "Autumn Vines" by Jess Saven, both picked up at Lovelyarns in Baltimore.)


After day 1 of knitting.


Skipping ahead a few days.. does she sink or float? (She only went swimming after, of course, I bound off using a few tricks from an excellent post by Anne Hanson, and threaded thin, white cotton carefully down each long side - thanks to a post of the Yarn Harlot's! Isn't the interweb fantastic?!)


After a 30 minute soak, she ended up bundled in a towel.. then got stepped on a few good times (to get all that now unnecessary water out).. then plopped on the clean bed.


I carefully untangled her, and stretched her as far as the bed would allow me. Please excuse my unevenly scalloped edge...


But she did turn out quite pretty, if I do say so myself! Too bad she's a bit too much of a princess for me to actually be seen with...



But man oh man, is she soft and squishy! It's really a shame I don't wear lace, because all I wanted to do after knitting her was cuddle with her!

The transformation from the crumpled thing straight off the needles to the lovely stole that my Autumn Vines became was just so much fun. I can imagine it would be even more so with a more intricate pattern!

Good times!

Lookie what we did over the weekend:

Got hitched! :)

More boys

Well, the date's all wrong, and I haven't yet taken the 30 seconds required to Photoshop it out. But other than that, this is one of my favorite pictures. This is what I used to wake up to every morning.. how lucky was I?! Now my boys are scattered across the US - good for them, I guess. But what a cute band o' boys they made!

From left: Dragon's Lair Pjoey, DL Banner, DL Dunkirk, DL Pagan, and DL Bogart. Half Welsh (Sec B x Arabian), 2 Welsh Cobs, Welsh Pony (Sec B), and Welsh Cob.

Decisions

(Sorry for the crappy picture - my old monitor was forcefully retired, and my temporary replacement is tinged pink. . which makes color/contrast correction rather difficult.)

My Malabrigo lace project is nearing completion - hopefully by the end of the day it will even be blocked! Then comes the hard part.. deciding what to do next! Luckily, I have many options. My stash of yarn isn't huge, but thanks to Ravelry, I have projects to go with most of it. And then I have things to finish up - like my brother's long-awaited Crime of Fashion, my Elisa tote, and a "long and pink" scarf requested by my youngest niece, Lilly.

I've always been indecisive though. How do I choose?

Speaking of.. how do I choose which cookies I want to bake next? Should I give in and make them all, and bring batches to all of my new neighbors? That just seems so.. Wisteria Lane.

Options are nice. Except when you're indecisive.

(Despite what she says, she's no help at all.)