Lots of Opportunities to Wear my Knits . . .

I suppose I shouldn't complain about the snow. It does, after all, give me the chance to wear all the stuff I spend so much time knitting.

I know by other standards (Michigan, or Norway) this isn't a lot of snow, but as I have noted before, Baltimore does not deal well with snow. Despite the fact that it snows every year, there are no snowplows or salt trucks roaming around to take care of the roads. The guy on the local news was boasting about having "2,000 pieces of snow equipment" out, but I think he meant snow shovels. Perhaps at the governor's mansion. They sure as **** weren't (and aren't) in my neighborhood!



The above photo is what slid off my awning last night. I have aluminum awnings front and back, and yesterday, it sleeted for an hour, then snowed for five hours. I guess it wasn't cold enough for the ice to adhere, because it all slid off all at once -- whatever six inches of precipitation on a 16 x 8 awning equals, that's how much snow and ice came rattling off the awning last night. It was ferociously loud! Then it slid off the back awning, and I think this is a good time to point out that five or six stray cats shelter under my awnings. "Freaked out" doesn't begin to describe their reaction.

I went out and shoveled my walk and a path to my car, and about 1/4 of the way around my car, then gave up. It is just too heavy, too wet. The temperature is above freezing, and the sun is coming in and out, so I am hoping it will just melt. I can hear it falling off the roof and rolling off the awnings every few minutes.

On to the knitting -- NaKniMitMo accomplished!

These aren't meant to look like the USMC colors, but they sorta do. And I know it's not in the spirit of NaKniMitMo, but I didn't follow a complicated pattern or make a lovely Norwegian pair, I just bashed out some mittens with some KnitPicks yarn (I have three dozen skeins of this yarn, I bought a sample pack). I think they're 50 degree mittens, so I won't be wearing them for a while. (I haven't blocked them yet, which is why they look a little off in the photo). If anyone is wondering, the easiest way to block mittens is to put them on, stretch your fingers out a little, and hold your hands over a vaporizer.




A hat, modeled on my wall light fixture. This is the merino I spun on my spinning wheel a few weeks ago. The picture doesn't do it justice, but I haven't even brushed my hair yet today, so I'm not about to model anything. Trust me, it's a really pretty hat, very soft and so light I don't even feel it.

Some lovely, fun to spin alpaca from my favorite supplier of well-processed alpaca rovings, the Wonder Why farm. I ordered another bundle the other day, in a similar color. It's so much fun to spin, and the way WWF skeins it makes it so easy to get started. No pulling apart, no pre-drafting, just spin it straight from the "ribbon." (Miranda, if you read this, keep it in mind for when you want to start spinning!)


Well, I am going to find some way of occupying myself while waiting for the snow to melt. If someone could send a few hours of sunshine this way, I'd sure appreciate it.