In which a lot of things are wrapped up...

This past week has been full of activity.  I mailed off two projects, accepted another project (and finished knitting it already ... two more seams, and it's done!), and made good headway on a third project. 

Did you know there is almost NO data out there on how far above the 'thumb crotch' the tip of a pointed mitten should be?  To fix this problem - and to design mittens that have enough room, without having too much room - I am going to take a 7x8" rotary cutting mat to church tomorrow and get some photos of hands, then crunch the numbers.  If anyone would like to join in via the blog, please do!  Send me (anonymously or otherwise) your

• length of hand from just above the wrist bone to the tip of your middle finger
• hand circumference - around all four fingers
• vertical distance from thumb crotch to the tallest finger

 If you happen to have a Norwegian mitten (or Latvian) that fits perfectly, I'd be interested in the circumference, total length, and length from the thumb hole to the tip of the mitten.

Any guesses as to what I'm knitting? 

I got a book in the mail this week -- a delightful happening which often follows, as in this case, the ordering of a book.  Latvian Mitten Designs.  Delicious eye candy and knitting fodder.  I think I'll start with Mitten #10.  It reminds me of Michigan State University, so will probably get called the Michigan State Latvian.  Unfortunately, I don't have any proper greens, so I can't cast on yet.  Happily, I do have sock yarn, so that is what will be going onto the needles after I finish up a wee bit of something else first.

Soups -- This week, the tureen saw Cincinnati Chili with Beans, and will see Cream of Cauliflower Soup (from More With Less) tonight.  The weather has been perfect for soup. 

My efforts at the sewing machine to produce a nice duvet cover came to a screeching halt when I adhered to 'right sides together and you won't go wrong' on the third french seam on the back.  Oops.  I decided to cut my losses at that point and ordered a cover from Overstock, which arrived yesterday.  Yay!  A duvet cover!!!  The fabric that was supposed to be the cover may become Roman shades, or a bag to store the comforter in during the summer, or a thrift shop donation. 

Until next week!

It's WARM!

Southern Minnesota has once again emerged from a round of sub-zero temperatures, and today is going to be over 20 F.  As a comparison, it was either -9 or -13 when we went to church on Sunday.  The day on which Filius had a fire alarm go off in his dorms at 2:30 AM. (Burnt popcorn)  Brrrr.  Kinda cold standing outside in your jammies in that weather.

It's been a regular knit-fest around here.  As expected, no sooner did I finish up one project than I had yarn for the next.  And that next project was so wee and cute and charming that I actually have photos to share with you!

It's a sampler sweater -- big enough to fit a good-sized newborn or perhaps a 1-month old, but not much more than that.  For learning new techniques, though, it's a perfect size.  I know a new way to make pockets now, and weave in floats with both yarns held in my right hand - knitting OR purling - and put in zippers, and two ways to work a shawl collar.  I am just brimming over with new techniques. 

Speaking of brimming over ... If you are on Facebook, head over to here.  The red and white gloves were knit by me!  As are the greyish brown/white ones in the top leftish box here.  I am just full of Squee!ness.  And if you are as enchanted by Sanquhar patterns as I am, you absolutely have to check out the online exhibition.  If you get as far as page 3, and look at Beyond The Glove (which has a thumbnail of Wendy Johnson's gorgeous Sanquhar Cowl, which I absolutely want to make some day, if not sooner), you will find a pair of socks ... by me!

Which are not these socks.....

I needed to cast on SOMETHING to keep my head from swelling too much this past weekend, so I brought out my Christmas yarn from Filia, decided that the Atlantic Current Socks on Ravelry looked perfect for the self-striping pattern, and cast on.  (Totally skipping buying the pattern, and 'unventing' a new heel because I was feeling adventurous)  I like how the first one came out.  They'll be fraternal pairs ... the yellow of the second sock starts 2" closer to the toe than on this one.  Knitting this week holds polishing up a sweater pattern, contemplating some mittens that need resizing, finishing the second sock ... and finding something else to knit.  So many possibilities, so much  wisdom needed to pick which one to go with!  And I need to get working on the duvet cover (sewn, not knit) for our comforter, too. 

The soup tureen (my precious!  tee hee) was used last night for Hot and Sour Soup with Shrimp, and received rave reviews.  The soup, not the tureen.  It will get used again this week for chili, and a carrot soup as well in the near future.  

I'd rather be knitting

If all my blog readers were in my living room, cozily ensconced on comfy chairs with their choice of fiber (wool, silk, cotton, etc) or book, and beverage ... I wouldn't need to stand here at the computer typing a blog.  I could knit and we could all visit.  Except perhaps the book-readers.  That is a problem with reading.  I do not have the knack of processing written language and verbal language simultaneously, unless it is checking an audio against a print copy. 

But, lest I continue to avoid posting my blog until I get so good at it that it is next year or later, here is a short post. 

Minnesota may have settled into a routine of warm weekdays (warm = can shovel and walk to the post office in a sweater, no coat needed) and cold weekends (cold = double-digits below zero wind chill, and lows even without wind chill.  Fahrenheit.)  Today was delightfully warm and the walk is neatly shoveled.  Even better, Filia did the lunch tidying up while I did the outside work, so when I came home from the post office, all signs of lunch were cleared away.  ((hugs))

Yarn arrived in the mail today, more yarn should arrive tomorrow, and I have enough knitting to justify scheduling a few hours each day for it.  Scheduled knitting time means I can ignore dog hair on the floor, or a cabinet that could use a reorganizing, and things like that.  I really do need to get a cover made for the wool comforter I got Vir this Christmas.  I got started on it, but hit a bit of a block when I discovered that the stripes were not perpendicular to the selvedges, and I'd already cut on the stripes, and ... well, suffice it to say that I may be using that fabric to make Roman Shades (maybe), but will get different fabric for cover. 

One of my Christmas presents was a soup tureen. Did I say that in my last post?  (Goes to check.  Yup.  I did.  I'll probably mention it in the next post, too.)  It's still one of my favorites, and will make this a Year of Soup.  I feel morally obligated to use it at least once a week.  We've had Chicken Spinach Soup, Miso, and perhaps another soup or two as well since my last post.  I really should keep a list.  But that would take away from knitting time.  

As an aside, Chefs.com is going out of business.  Lots of discounts (and out of stock items, due to the lots of discounts.) No, the tureen didn't come from Chefs.com.  My garlic roaster did, though!  Mmmm.  Roast garlic. 

Living room sheetrocking is set for mid-February.  I am trying not to look forward TOO hard to getting a built-in bookcase sometime later this year, after the dust settles and the paint dries.  But really ... floor to ceiling, wall to wall, bookcase.... with a few non-booky shelves, and a spot for the computer, and utter homey COZINESS and a place to put books.... 

Happy January, all!