Confessions of a Cold Wimp

A few weeks back, I was excited to feel that first crisp, ever so slightly damp & cool, night air move in. It was such a pleasant reprieve from the heat & humidity we were experiencing once summer finally decided to show up, here in the usually frozen tundra. That first refreshing sense of coolness had me reaching (too soon) for my wool sweaters, wool hats, and a more sensible alpaca & silk scarf, and dreaming of knitting and designing many more- or what may turn out to be 1 more, with the way my schedule has been working out lately, and that's okay...

But this- this high of 45 degrees, overcast and drizzly rain all day, the kind that just chills your very bones, well, mine sure feel chilled, especially my feet, even in my thick leather Danskos, -this is not refreshing. I'm a cold wimp, and I don't particularly care for the overcast skies, either- it's time to load up on full-spectrum bulbs. And blankets. And sweaters. And more wool socks...

It's also time for more roast chicken and more nourishing chicken bone broth. Then maybe some red chili, some white chili, and even some green chili- can you tell I love chili?! Hehe, thankfully, my children do too! Some chicken tortilla soup, stewed tomato & onion, garlicky potato, corn chowder, broccoli cheese, oh, my, how I love this time of year. I spend my summers waiting for soup season. We even host an annual soup party- (heads up local friends and family, 1st Saturday of November, mark your calendars!)

Early last week, in the couple days before life turned upside down for a while, I designed and knit a new hat for my little Mercy. It's so big and warm, knit with Blue Sky Alpacas Bulky, and as soon as I get my hands on some more of that yarn (which has to wait until I can decide on a color, ooh, that can be so hard sometimes!), I'm going to knit myself a monochromatic one, and I'm very excited about that. Could be a little too excited about that, giddy almost, which could indicate an intense love of big hats or an intense lack of sleep, possibly a little bit of both, well, maybe surely a little bit of both.

Ooh, in other news, there is this "Unique Boutique & Antiques Tour" (travelling antiques and boutiques!?! who knew?!?) happening locally right now- I stopped by a pole barn across the field from us (um, yep, we live in a pretty rural community, hehe) and oooh-ed and aaah-ed a bit today, falling in love with a chunky black bench which I think simply needs to be in my house, even though I'm really not sure where... but it's 5 1/2 ft long, very sturdy, has a nice back, and it's only $65!!, which, I'm pretty sure, is an excellent price for such a large piece of furniture. I want to go back for it, but I need to decide where to put it... seriously.

Ok, back to work,

happy knitting-

ali

**health update- the girls are still coughing quite a bit, still finishing up their steroid bursts, and will remain on albuterol nebs for several days, and controller meds for the entire winter, at least...

All in the family...

In other recent pattern news...
I'm finally getting around to posting a finished pic of the bulky jacket (Girls' Smocked Coat) I did for Blue Sky Alpacas- I think it turned out pretty cute, if I may say so myself (I've got some pink to make my little M one this fall...) The collar wanted to curl a little, but some good 'I mean business' blocking helped tame it. Cute models can really make just about anything look good, combine a cute model and a cute coat made from Blue Sky Alpacas' scrumptious Bulky (check out the new colors), and, well, there ya go!

My sister managed to crank out this georgous thing, knit up in 100% baby alpaca, Melange (so incredibly soft!) and adorned with that fabulous trim- the photo shoot turned out great! Oh, and take a peak at CathiPink's version in Relish... lovely, n'est pas?

And in the 'oh-my-goodness' (stop, remember to breathe...) 'that is sooo georgous!' catergory is our mother's latest piece-de-resistance- The Audrey Coat-

I've worn this coat, and (when I'm not pregnant) my frame is prety close to the frame of this lovely model, and, well, I think I seriously NEED to make, to own, and to wear one of these... seriously, litrally, for real, even... It takes a lot of yarn, but the weight and drape of that Sport Weight doubled is sooo loverly, it's not heavy like it would be knit up out of a worsted weight to achieve the same gauge... Um, yeah, I need one of these coats, move it up the 'must-knit' list...

We haven't managed to coerce the other sister, the baby sister, to pick the needles back up, and catch the plague, er, um, fever, yet- but she's keeping busy with working some and mommying a lot to this little bugger- my first nephew! Couldn't you just squeeze him?! Cute stuff!

TDFKAL2008 final update- my cardigan was my major accomplishment, with my 2nd project, my Loppem, only half-done... and a sock half done... the kitting ADD got me off course a wee bit... oh, and the 2 dolly sweaters, and that other unfinished sock, and the swatching for new designs... each project getting a minute of my time here and there as I lost my focus after the initial project completion euphoria... so there you have it, good enough, eh? At least I got something crossed off my summer list! (Congratulatory self-patt-on-the-back)

And that brings us to the next adventure... more on Team BSA to come (including a little competition, worthy of medal-type prizes!)

Happy knitting-
ali