Brickless Scarf off the needles...

This scarf was project no. 3 on the needles and turned out to be the first project completed.  So now it's blocked and ready to wear.  And I think because of our vacillating weather, I might actually have a chance to wear it.

The scarf was knit on size 4 needles with Road to China by The Fiber Company.  It is incredibly soft, made with a combination of Baby Alpaca, Cashmere, Camel, and Silk.  Ohh, la.la.

Tweet, tweet...

The little birdies are certainly making their presence known today.  It's the first day I've been outside and could hear birds tweeting, even from a distance.  I had several jumping from branch to branch in my yard, but when I went outside to get a picture, they turned out to be camera shy!  Who would have thought? 


I had to be sneaky and take pictures from inside, through the window.  I'm guess these little ones are sparrows.

It's another sign of spring...so I'll take it...and bank it!

One Dragonfly ... Sock

One down; one to go!  I am excited to get the first sock completed.  I like this pattern, and I found that knitting it on size 1 needles wasn't too much different than the size 2 and 3 I have used in the past.  If I didn't have such a big (long) foot, it wouldn't take me so long.  At least "that's my story, and I'm stickin' to it."

Seasons

Summer is my favorite season

Because she invites me out… 

lets me sit in her warm sunshine,

 jet-ski in her refreshing lakes, 

4-wheel in her alpine mountains, 

Summer invites me out … 

early for an orange sunrise

and late for a purple sunset;

I cherish her warmth and her riches.

Fall invites me to watch dramatic changes of color, 

to remind me we are multifaceted, 

and that we go through various experiences to expand our horizons; 

We choose less-traveled paths, 

                                                keeping an eye on the undergrowth, 

                                               but focused on the possibilities ahead.

Winter. She’s a renegade.  

 Don’t expect you know what to expect. 

 She would attempt to hide progress, 

to hide our passionate work and its fruitage.   

She doesn’t invite us into the house; 

she sends us in, 

expecting us to use all our resources to survive.  

Winter does not want to loosen her grasp.   

She fights it with surprising ice storms, 

thunder with snow, 

strong, cold winds toppling garbage barrels and stripping pine cones from boughs. 

 Yet Spring, like a seasoned rock-climber, 

makes smooth, slow, but powerful moves forward. 

 She is cautious, determined, experienced; 

she knows she’ll arrive. 

She seems to love

              the challenge. 

Like a fisherman with a trout on the end of a line...

she toys with it, lets it think it’s getting away,

but reels it back in.  

 I don’t like that one bit. 

 She teases me with the possibility

that summer could get here by "overnight express."   

Challenges are like that. They are like Spring. 

What I need to understand ...

usually comes more slowly,

 by "special delivery."

 Sometimes I have to be very patient, 

discover that I need to see things from a different perspective, 

be more forgiving, 

be more patient, 

be more compassionate, 

be more willing to see the good in everything, 

be more willing to trust that what is spiritual 

is powerfully true and dependable.  

That awakening,

like Spring, 

needs nurturing, practice, patience, and then…

…with lessons learned …

 I am invited outside again.

Down to the toe...

I'm making steady progress on the first Dragonfly sock, and I'm finally down to the toe.  I might even be able to finish up the toe tonight.  I like this pattern, and I think it will look even better on the foot!  We'll soon see.

Hello...Spring?

Two days ago I saw (from my west window) another sign of Spring...a robin.  I suppose he thought it was quite nice to be back up here in the Rocky Mountains...

And later that afternoon...he may have had second thoughts...

Adding stitches, adding inches...

Dragonfly Socks pattern

I love each of my three knitting works in progress, but the Dragonfly sock and the Brickless Scarf got all the attention this weekend.  Stitch by stitch, inch by inch, they are coming along.

Brickless Scarf - This scarf incorporates a lace pattern, garter stitch, and rib pattern.

Here I go...Brickless...

I just couldn't stand it; I HAD to cast on a Brickless Scarf with the new yarn!  Oh, it's soooo soft. 

Sock progress

I'm making progress on the first sock.  I decided to knit 6 repeats of the dragonfly pattern down the leg before starting the heel flap.  I'm on that last repeat, so the heel flap will soon follow. 

I've got to stop blogging about the weather here...it's just too crazy!  Yesterday we broke a record for warmest day on record at 65 degrees.  I was out and about without even a jacket!  Then today, snow, wind, and temps back down to freezing.  I even started a fire in the wood stove. Sheeeshh.

It's a good day to be knitting...

I know you'll understand...

Shopping downtown...  parked near the yarn shop... walking right by it...may as well go in, although I don't need a thing.  It's just so fun to poke around and see the new yarns and displays.  You understand.

Oh look, a Brickless Scarf is displayed on this manikin.  I knit one a few months ago and vowed to knit another. . .  sometime. The yarn on this sample is a very smooth heathered-grey, and it shows off the stitch pattern beautifully. Oh, it's made out of Malabrigo?  Yeah, one of my favorites, for sure.  Yes, I see you have a variety of pretty new colors in Malabrigo.  I love this yarn.  What? You have a brand new yarn?  Road to China by The Fibre Company?  It looks so soft.  It's made of what?  65% Baby Alpaca, 10% Cashmere, 10% Camel, 15% Silk.    Hmmm...  let me just feel th........oh, it's like ... "butta".. . really!!   Girls, you've got to check it out. 

Wouldn't a Brickless Scarf be FABULOUS knit with this stuff????

Truthfully...I hemmed and hawed ...  almost talked myself out of it.  But I caved.  Bought 2 skeins...  and I might even (gasp) start a  3rd project soon!  It's in good hands till I get to it...

Spring teaser...

If you saw the pictures in the last post... some blue skies, clouds dropping moisture in "isolated" spots, warm temps... here's the follow-up:

Later that afternoon, while it was delightfully pleasant, I decided to lay down and read for about an hour.  After a short span of time, I heard rain hit the roof.  I smiled.  Oh, it sounded so good; I hadn't heard rain in months.  In my mind's eye I imagined a very nice shower which would leave the ground a bit muddy, sure, but the air would be be fresh and the moisture would be gently coaxing new growth to emerge later in the spring.  The rain continued... I listened...I may have drifted into a nap for a few minutes.  But then, it was time to get up, and I was looking forward to ...

"What???"  Snow???  Sleet???  Rain???  The ground was covered in white slush.  

Seriously???

"Mooooo..."

Those little black dots are the vocal cows grazing in the fields.

I stepped outside this morning to get the mail, and I was greeted by the cows in the valley sending up welcoming "Mooo's."  The herd was very vocal, and it's the first I've heard from them in months; I think it's one of the first signs of SPRING. 

Yesterday's storm clouds began to brake up early this morning and have begun to move slowly east.  But a stubborn cluster has gathered in the west to leave one last dump of snow. Possibly rain. 

To the north... the clouds are putting on a show of fluffy forms, varying in color from the whitest whites to the darkest greys. 

And it's so pleasant out...it's a real spring teaser!

Two projects...

I know... I know..., I'm one of the few who only have one or two projects on the needles at one time.  Since I had the lacy dragon scarf on the needles, and it's not a project I could reasonably take somewhere with me to work on, I had to do something.  You know how it goes: I try to listen to a conversation or be part of a conversation when I should be paying strict attention to the chart! How many times have a brought something home to frog all the progress I had hoped to make!  Oooo, that makes me cranky! So, I HAD to get another project on the needles, and socks are always a good choice.

I love the sock pattern Dee in Florida is working on...and since  she made it easy to get the Dragonfly Socks pattern, I decided to give it a try.  I usually knit socks on size 2 needles, and this pattern calls for size 1. I'm using Opal sock yarn (75% wool superwash, 25% polyamid), and the color is sort of an eggplanty-brown.  So far, I'm loving it.  Thanks, Dee!

Back to knitting

Ok, I admit it, I took several days vacation from knitting.  I was just too busy or too tired to follow the chart, and I didn't want to make any mistakes I'd just have to frog.  

I'm refreshed and back at it...that is ... back at knitting the lace scarf.  Slow and steady.

March on...

Ah yes,  let your humorous inclinations lead you on... it's helps lighten the mental load.

We made it to March...and I've often said, "If we can just make it to March, we will have made it through the worst of winter."  And here we are.  Suddenly, the temps are more moderate and then nights are not dipping into single digits or below zero.  So, now, the march through March is ON.  And we'll need some humor.

I remember when I was teaching high school that the month of March was a tough one.  If you're involved with school in any way, you know that it's tournament time for basketball and wrestling.  And I noticed that the students are usually pretty exhausted at this point...and not so responsive in the classroom.  Grades tend to be at their lowest for the entire year; 3rd quarter grades (due in March) are usually a disappointment. And, it's state testing time.  Enough said.  Add to that, teacher contracts are renewed or terminated...and the news comes in March.  Most of the seniors are gone for a week to see the sights in Washington, D.C. on the Close-Up trip.  Teachers are also launching into plans for their final activities of the year --  speech contests, banquets, theater productions, concerts, music festivals, prom, and the like.  Oh, and Track season begins. 

We'll soon have Daylight Savings Time, and that makes it appear that we are opening the door for spring...but let's be honest, she probably won't arrive for another month and a half.  So, enjoy a good chuckle. Prance around in antlers.  Tell a funny story.  Knit something whimsical.  Cook a favorite dish.  Whatever it takes...to keep Marching on...

On with the show...

Here's the cast warming up on stage before the house opens.  It's a beautiful facility...and anyone new to the community would be pleasantly surprised that we have such a big theater; it has served the community well over the years.

And, again, here's the orchestra warming up before the show.

It's been said before, that our county, though meager in population, is rich with artistic talent.  It's been proven time and time again.  As a kid, I was under the impression that big talent came from big cities.  The concept is ridiculous; talent knows no boundaries; tremendous talent can be nurtured even in the remotest areas.

I feel very fortunate to be able to play in the orchestra for the college's spring musical right along side musicians who range from college band and choral directors, to high school band and choral directors, to members of the community band or symphony.  A few others in the orchestra are outstanding high school students.   I admire their talents!

From my vantage point, I am at the back of the orchestra with Carl on my right.  He's a great percussionist and keyboard player; he has taught music for many years and has performed in various bands in a variety of venues.  He blows a mean train whistle in this show! Plus, he's the guy with 2 bags of bite-sized chocolate bars.  It's great for us keyboard players...too bad for the horns and reeds... a distinct disadvantage to have to wait to nibble on chocolate!

Then, on my left is the ever entertaining saxophonist, Jason.  He is the band director at the college, who has been fantastic in leading student and community musicians, both as a musician and director.  But if there's a little down time between his playing three different instruments in the show, he eases the boredom by donning various hats and wigs. 

 Wish you could hear both he and his wife Laura play some of the licks in the show.  The passages are furiously fast, fun, and lyrical -- you have to be damn good to play these parts well. She's on clarinet and is pictured below center (with long brown hair).

Well, time to get ready to go.  We've got two shows today.