Smatterings

  • oh! canada

    Am I the only one, or is everyone having a hard time figuring out what day of the week it is?  With so many people having a long weekend last week and now more holiday this week, Wednesday felt like Monday, Sunday like  a work day, and well…. this morning does not feel like a Monday to me.  Nine inches of snow was forecast to fall during the night.  C and I went out for a walk around 7pm. to see the Christmas lights before they are gone for the year.  It was snowing lightly.   Made for a really pretty walk, snow falling in front of all the lights and felt rather well… Christmasy.  A bit late to start to get into the mood, I know.  My season is delayed.  I work up to and through the season, not really getting much of a slow down until the poinsettias are ready to be given the heave ho or disappear from workplace to homes.  Then, along comes New Year’s Eve…ooops!  Here we are!  Another year has sped on by and this time tomorrow we will be on the other side. 

    I spent some time this weekend plying from full bobbins, checking the status on projects and yep, starting something new.  If it were anything else I might have waited for the New Year.   That plan was dashed when Anne emailed me a copy of the Oh! Canada pattern she’d just finished up.  Go check it out.  She did it again with a soft, warm wrap, a shawl to keep shoulders warm or be scrunched for a cozy scarf.  And, though I haven’t seen one finished, the pattern includes a scarf version.  We had talked about doing a kit.  I thought it over and decided that although kits seem to be very popular, NOT with this yarn.  I have such a limited supply spun for me that I couldn’t see dyeing the same color over and over with it.  Besides, it felt right for everyone to put their personal taste on this special project by at least choosing the color that they’d prefer.  Instead, what I decided to do is this, Ball and Skein will give a 10% discount for the yarn if you buy the Oh! Canada pattern from Knitspot.  There is a code on the pattern that you can use when you check out for your discount.  This is for a limited time only or until I run out of this run of yarn.  You have to buy from the website, and from the yarn available.  No special orders unless you check with me first.  It is sort of a make your own kit, fair enough?

    pictures??? next post.  Have a Happy and Safe New Year’s Eve!   See you on the other side.

    9 responses to “oh! canada”

    1. Pat K

      I what you mean about being messed up on days. It will happen again this week; Tuesday will feel like Sunday, then instead of having two more days off I’ll be back at work. (I usually have Sunday – Tuesday off.) Bummer. You have a safe and happy New Year too.

    2. Manise

      Happy New Year! My days have been discombobulated too.

    3. cyndy

      Oh Canada looks so nice! Your yarn is beautiful! We lost a big maple tree in last nights storm…took a transformer down with it! Happy New Year!

    4. Diane

      Happy New Year Judy!

    5. Marianne

      Gelukkig Nieujaar !
      Oh!Canada looks great, and so does the yarn it’s knit in !

    6. Leigh

      Your’re not the only one having trouble with the days of the week! Happy New Year!

    7. Laurie

      Happy New Year! I know what you mean about what day. I’m thoroughly confused and hoping to get back on track next week. (Pun intended.)

    8. DebbieB

      Happy New Year, Judy – wishing you a peaceful and healthy 2008.

    9. Debbie

      You mean it’s a new year?!! Just kidding. I am having trouble knowing what day it is as well. I love the shawl! Thank you for the pattern. Please, don’t run out of End of Winter, until I can buy some!!

  • by the fire

    After one of the most hectic seasons I can remember, Christmas day found us at home.  I can only think of a few years in my adult life that I have not made my way to visit family.  It is a long trek, 10 1/2 hrs if we make good time, in good weather, on dry roads.  Hard to predict this time of year.  Flying, it has its own set of problems.  So we stayed home, and lit the fire and ate, and walked, taking in the better part of two cold sunny days.   

    Ember_sock1

    I started working on my Ember socks.  I swatched and ripped back pattern after pattern.   I wanted a not too complicated texture.  One that wouldn’t compete or be knocked too far into the background by the darkly variegated yarn.  I was thinking about the name of the yarn colorway, Ember, finally settling on a pattern stitch that I’d used years ago in Sandy Turner’s  Blueberry Waffle Socks.  This great free sock pattern was originally written for dk yarn and size 5 needles.  I think it works great with the #2’s and sock yarn.  The reduction in the pattern size combined with the striped fabric, creates a bit of a vibration, not unlike the flickering light and color of the hot embers warming my feet.

    This skein of "Ember" is a second. What a strange thing to call something that is perfect, just unlike the others, even more unique.  It has a bit more of the grey and a less vibrant red, than the rest of the run.  When I find a skein unlike the rest, I will put it aside,  frequently using them for my own projects.

    Ember_waffle_weave

     

    One of these things is not like the others,

    One of these things just doesn’t belong,

    Words and Music by Joe Raposo and Jon Stone


    Sesame Street

    19 responses to “by the fire”

    1. Manise

      Oh it SO belongs! And perfect for your socks!

    2. Carrie

      Gorgeous.

    3. Donna B

      Sometimes a yarn and a pattern just come together perfectly. I love your Embers.

    4. Laurie

      That hard-won pattern works beautifully. Sounds like it was a good holiday.

    5. Cindy D

      Good choice…………it works well with the dyed color way! Viva la difference!

    6. Carole

      I think that yarn and pattern are a perfect match. I’m glad you had the chance to relax over the holiday. Now that things have slowed down I hope the four of us can get together.

    7. Kim

      Beautiful colorway! Nice to read that you had a quiet and relaxing holiday.

    8. Barbara-Kay

      OOh, That’s a keeper!
      So, tell us: how many stitches did you use, for what size sock? I’ve admired that sock pattern for years, but I don’t wear any heavier than fingering-weight socks. (My sad feet are wide enough that there would be no hope of getting heavier socks under shoes, even Birks.)

    9. cyndy

      Embers in the snow…nice contrast!
      and I agree with Manise 😉

    10. Mary

      Perfect choice of pattern. Beautiful! The waffle stitches are like pieces of coal. I recognized it straight off even though I knit my waffle socks waaayyy back when the pattern first appeared. Perhaps I’ll need to revisit the pattern. Hmmmmmm……

    11. Anne

      But it is still gorgeous, a “second” or no. And it’s working up very very nicely with that pattern. I love the squooshy texture.

    12. Mary E.Dadds

      Im sure you missed going home.
      But it sounds like you had a lovely peaceful christmas.
      Still enjoy your blog so much,It is still one of my favorites.
      Happy peaceful new year

    13. iris

      “One of these things is not like the other…” – your new banner brings that song to mind as well! Missed wishing you a Merry Christmas, but I’m here to wish you a Happy New Year.

    14. Pat K

      Excellent choice of yarn and pattern. Sounds like you had a marvelous day.

    15. valerie

      “embers” is knitting up beautifully!! What an interesting fabric.

    16. Sara

      Lovely sock. So how many stitches did you use? I’m about to start a waffle sock myself, and am just figuring out the conversion from DK to sock yarn. (My yarn’s nowhere near as pretty, though.)

    17. Carol

      What a beautiful yarn and a perfect pattern! Hope you’re enjoying the holidays!

    18. Diane

      I’m with everyone else, perfect name for that colorway! Enjoy!

    19. Marianne

      Glad to hear that you had the time to relax a bit. The yarn is just perfect for this pattern !

  • hump day

    The shortest day of the year.. that means, for all you daylight deprived, it is all up hill from here.  The solstice is officially tonight, December 22nd at 1:08 am.  I don’t plan on staying awake to mark the occasion.  Tomorrow is soon enough.  All the snow this year has kept the landscape bright enough with reflected light that the dark days didn’t feel quite so dark.  For me, anyway.  Tonight, it will be enough for me to light a candle and contemplate the new.  *  The all night fire can wait for the New Year. 

    I’ve lit another kind of fire.  Out of the Ball and Skein stash, came the last skein of Ember sock yarn. 

    P1040437

    * Cate says all of this so beautifully, go over and read her post.

    7 responses to “hump day”

    1. Carole

      Happy Solstice – let the light return!

    2. Cheryl

      You’re right, the snow has brightened things up. Have a wonderful holiday!

    3. claudia

      A yarn after my own heart.

    4. Kate/Massachusetts

      I love the picture in your banner! Guard llama is so proud of his/her flock! Are they your animals?

    5. mamacate

      Yum! That’s a nice woolly sort of yule log. Merry solstice!

    6. Laurie

      Thanks for the link. Very necessary when I go to work and come home in the dark. Happy Solstice.

    7. Marianne

      It’s so nice to know that daylight will be longer from now on !
      A Merry Christams to you and your loved ones !

“Our lives are dyed the colors of our imagination.” ~ Marcus Aurelius

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