My world in sepia tone...

Yes, I wear glasses.  But I must have picked up the sepia tone lenses and placed them squarely on my nose, because that's the way the world appears today.  No blue skies, no green grass, just muted shades of what once was...and a wide array of varying shades of brown.

Mother Nature lends me these lenses for several months, and I obediently wear them. I've learned to appreciate that  about every four months she surprises me by setting out a different pair.  I like the change.

But for now, it seems my world is set in sepia tone...

Unfinished Project

Gee whiz, I started this project, a needle-felted juniper mat, in  early December for a class that I taught, and then left it lay.  I need to finish this piece!  I got totally distracted with all the holiday plans and activities, but if I don't get to this while it's still winter, I know I won't finish it.  So... this is my way of putting on the pressure ... twisting my own arm, so to speak.

 I'm might get to it later.

The storm has passed...

Another snow storm has dropped a couple of inches of snow and has moved on, to your area, I suspect! Ha.  We usually get a few days to thaw out before the next one hits.  And today we've got sunshine and slightly "above freezing" temps; it's all good.  The thaw has begun.

You can see who ventured out in the snow before I did.

My little rabbit friends got up extra early and happily drew a maze of tracks all over my property... perhaps finding joy in making the first tracks...or looking for grass...or keeping their appointment for morning exercise...I don't know.  But they were busy! Perhaps they were just enjoying the view!

I've seen  two rabbits and a few birds, but otherwise, it's been pretty quiet around here.  Looking for excitement... you might watch smoke swirling out my chimney against the blue, cloudless sky.

...or check out the neighbors.  Who's got their fireplace roaring this morning? There's very little outdoor activity to be seen, except for the traffic moving along on the highway in the distance.

Much of the busy-ness of winter is going on inside. 

I'm always amazed at hearing how many knitting projects are flying off the needles! Keep the needles clicking, gals! It's the sound of winter's percussive instruments!

Winter busy...

Yeah, I'm "winter busy."  Know what I mean?   I am finding a host of things to take care of or to start or finish, and I've not been particularly concerned with cold temps or brown landscapes.  So that's good. I'm enjoying inside projects (and a few remaining Christmas lights),  although I've not spent much focused time on writing and blogging--at least not like I'd like to.  I'm going to try to do better. 

In the meantime, I appreciate the bloggers that I follow...and am encouraged and inspired by your humor, your thoughtfulness, your creativity, and your openness.  What great gals!  Keep making a positive influence in your families and your communities!

I played around a little bit with my NYC photo in PicMonkey.  That is a fun place to do some editing.  Do you like the painted canvas effect?
 

One sock off the needles...

Tidalwave Socks in Noro sock yarn

One sock is finished.  Even the ends are all weaved in.  So, I'm ready to cast on sock no. 2.  I haven't found any more knots, so I hope that's the case as I begin knitting the second half of the skein.

This Tidalwave pattern is really a nice one to knit, and I'm thinking about knitting another pair already. Of course the pattern would show up more if the yarn was all one color, so that's something I'm considering as I'm "thinking" through my stash. 

To be, or knot to be

I'm down to the foot of this sock...but I'm pretty cranky that I ran into 3, yes THREE, KNOTS in the cuff alone!  What the NORO is going on??  If I were working on a lace pattern I'd undoubtedly have to rip out the whole thing and start over with a different yarn.  I'm very disappointed with Noro on this point.

Knitting for a friend...

I'm knitting socks for a friend who really wants a pair out of Noro Silk Garden Sock Yarn.  I have started the first sock...and I'm using a pattern I've used only once before: Tidal Wave Socks.  They are easy to get on and off the foot...and that's important for this pair.

Here's what the pattern looks like on the pair I knitted previously.

Purple Alpaca

Love Alpaca.  Love purple.  Love fingerless mitts. 
So, the obvious solution for a very satisfying project is to combine them all into one!

I found this pattern called "Cabled Mitts" and wanted to try it.  However, because I know how I want my mitts to fit, I added the ribbing at the cuff, at the finger tips, and on the thumb.  The pattern does not call for ribbing, and the picture even shows that the ends all curl up; this doesn't work for me.  But I really like the cabling pattern.  Plus it adds a little bulk and warmth when hanging on to a cold steering wheel.  (These were knit on size 2 needles.)

One last taste of NYC

Pretzel? Roasted Chestnuts, anyone?  

(Dee, does this look familiar?)  

NYC at night...

Looking through trees in Central Park at the sun setting behind skyscrapers.

What a fun time to be in the Big Apple.  Here are some night time photos.  We really enjoyed seeing the Christmas trees lit up and all the beautiful windows along 5th Ave, as well as the flashing bright images on Times Square.  Sensory overload!

Times Square

We attended the Christmas Show at Radio City Music Hall, and it was SPECTACULAR!  Below is a picture of the chandelier in the lobby of the Music Hall.

You can't miss the big Christmas tree, the skaters, and all the lights in Rockefeller Center.  It's a must see, but there were a lot of people, so it was a challenge to get to a spot for good photos.  And I wasn't feeling the need to aggressively capture the best angles.  So, I got what I could.

Here's a glimpse of the skating rink at Rockefeller Center.

Another angle of Rockefeller Center -- and a sea of humanity.

This is my favorite photo, looking at this beautiful skyscraper through the lit trees at Rockefeller Center.

The Empire State Building looked magical in the night skies.

We saw three shows:  Kinky Boots, the Rockettes' Christmas Show, and Motown, the Musical.  Each one was FANTASTIC.  

NYC in Christmas finery...

I never would have guessed I'd be making this trip to NYC in December.  It worked out that our flights (both in and out of the city) were snow-free; I'm so grateful.

On December 26th, we took a bus/boat tour of Manhattan.  What a great way to see many sights of the city.  Our tour guide was not the greatest, but it was OK.  Here are some shots taken on the tour.

A life-sized statue of Abe Lincoln outside the New York Historical Society building

John Lennon was killed in front of this building where the tour group is gathered.

Riverside Cathedral

The famed Apollo Theater in Harlem

Little Italy - where the tour stopped for lunch.

Artwork on the restaurant wall.

Artwork on the outside of the building that houses Cafe Roma (best pastries ever).

Financial District

Brooklyn Bridge

NYC skyline with the new 9-11 Memorial Tower.  It's 1776 feet tall.

Isn't she something to behold? !!

Let's get those Facebook photos updated!

The Empire State Building is still one of my favorites.

Ellis Island