All the leaves are brown
And the sky is grey
I’ve been for a walk
On a winter’s day
I’d be safe and warm
If I was in L.A.
California dreamin’
On such a winter’s day

That’s what I’m calling this finally finished sock yarn. It’s to be part of my loopy ewe swap package. We are supposed to add a taste of home element and this is mine. The colors remind me so much of home (California) but it was spun in New York, where I’ve been living the past 14 years, so I have both places covered. Yes I realize I’ve been here for 14 years and I still call CA home, but you know what, it still is :)

Overall I’m happy with it. If i get down and dirty when looking all I see a comedy of errors. I had such a hard time plying for the first time that I think I now have jaded eyes. I just hope my swap buddy gets some enjoyment from it, she does like blues and greens.

The yardage may be a little short for a large pair of adult sized socks, but she does have kids so I’m thinking it will still be useful. I got either 235 or 245 total yards (yeah I’m technical like that) at about 18 wpi, so a good fingering weight for myself. It’s Sakina Needles superwash merino in Bioluminescence that I acquired from the Loopy Ewe of course :)

On this gray, and very, very cold winter day, I really am California dreaming while hankering away on finishing the actual knitting part of this swap package. I’m this close.

I’m still knitting away on my lace and the end is in site. This excites me to no end. Never before have I remained so monogamous with a project. Could be that it’s a gift with a deadline, but still so not me.

I can’t wait to start something new! I even have a few wayward UFO’s calling out my name. My fingers are just itching to work on anything but this lace. Don’t get me wrong, I’m loving it, but still need for it to be over and done with.

Project Spectrum is in full swing again so I’ve been thinking much about fire, the first element we are working with.

Oh the possibilities….

Is that not what the day after super Tuesday should be called? I like it. It makes me giggle. Yes, I’m easily amused.

The above is just a sampling of the yarn I have acquired this past month. Can you say crazy lady with a fiber fancy. The last of the to good to pass up local yarn sales happens tomorrow,( Colorful Stitches, the idea of scoring last seasons Rowan colors at 50% off is just to much for this wanna be Rowanette to handle) then I’m claiming no more yarn.

First there was the Wonderful Things sale where all was 40% off. Then the Warm Ewe had their sale. Most of the store was 20% with a bit of the selection up to 50% off. Then there was the initiation of Tina to Webs. Then, well does there really need to be another then? Please no more thens. Forget about last nights purchase during the sneak up at the Loopy Ewe - that totally doesn’t count.

For once it all was planned purchases, and most (notice I did not say all) has been acquired for a specific project. The webs trip did put a couple of wayward skeins into the stash. But now, when I look at it all, (because most of it has not been put away because it’s waiting to be photographed for Ravelry) I shudder a bit.

Sometimes it’s a happy shudder, oooh (in super high squeak), look at all the pretties. Let me just give a quick smoosh to my new smooshies (Smooshy is my new favorite sock yarn). Then other times it’s an oh my shudder. As in, Oh my, look at all that yarn. All. that. yarn. Am I really going to photograph it all and add it to my stash page? Should I not just put it all away and get the bags out of the living room? Then there is still at least one more type of shudder. The oooh, (lower, with more of a w sound at the end) that skein is so calling my name. Must start a new project now. No, I can’t. Yes you can. No I can’t, I really can’t. I have crazy mass quantities on the needles now - I must finish something. Oooh, what am I going to start first? Maybe I’ll start two, one big and one little project.

Yes, it’s a bit crazy in my head.

Now for the letter “B”. Not only have I been buying a bit of yarn but I’ve also been on a crazy button binge. Try as I might, I could not get a good, decent shot of them, so I’m going with my original one which was blue and brown. My new favorite colors together.

This picture was taking a couple of weeks ago, but boy is it deceiving. It looks like a beautiful here comes spring soon day. Look at that sky! But it was not, it was like less than zero out there.

.

I finished spinning spinning the singles I’ve been working on this morning, and the plan was to start plying this evening. Oh my goodness! What happened to the zen of spinning? I’ve already had three breaks, just when I thought I had this chain plying thing down. I’m stepping away from the wheel.

But the singles do look pretty. They are sitting on some material I picked up today while running around. I’m really loving brown and blue very much lately.

So I guess I’ll be working on the lace tonight instead of plying. Which really isn’t a bad thing at all - I have so much further to go still. Awhile ago I calculated that I would need to complete at least 3 inches per day to finish in time. Three inches takes me about three hours - yes I’m behind a bit.

Now Hurly has me crying again…

Architecture

Art and science melding together, what’s not to love?

I’m lucky enough to live mere moments away from Hudson, NY. A city filled with character and charm mostly of the 19th century.

These were all taken on Warren Street last week on a very cold a gray day.

This house (picture taken on the same cold and gray day) is my dream house :) I was all excited a couple of months ago thinking the sign in front of it was a for sale sign. Not. It has been freshly painted and it was just the painters sign. Which I guess is a good thing, considering I’m totally not able to buy a new home at the moment. But a woman can dream can’t she?

One day she will be mine :)

The first post after an unintended break is so hard! This is attempt #5 and no matter how much I sound like a blathering fool I’m keeping it, otherwise this cycle can go on forever.

I was going to put all in one large post - but I’m thinking now it’s better to break them up a bit.

I’m once again participating in the ABC along - it was so much fun the first time a couple of years ago. This time I’m actually going to make it all the way through! Don’t let my lack of starting fool you. The first two letters are done and just need posting.

I think I was battling a bat of depression. With all that’s been going on that totally makes sense - but still does not make it any fun. I just needed to totally disconnect for a bit and I really did not mean to leave anyone hanging.

Christmas was wonderful! I’ve not gone back and read exactly what I wrote on that last post but I think I must have left out some details from the few emails I received. The kids and I were secret santa’s for a couple of local families in need. One was starting life over with nothing and ready to be released from a shelter right before the holidays and the other had just lost everything due to fire. That was the reason for the burnout :) We had two solid weeks of madness here making, buying, shopping, and scheming.

The other day this was just to much for me

“Mark all as Read” I did indeed do. So if you posted something that I really should have not missed in the past few weeks can you please let me know. The last couple of days I’m still trying to catch up on.

My inbox is just as scary and I’m still weeding my way through that too.

And because every post should have a bit of craftiness in in it. Here’s what has been taking every available moment lately.

My Loopy Ewe swap project that has to be sent in a couple of more weeks.

Thanks all for sticking by :)

Now I’m off to attempt to catch up on what all you have been doing :)