Two weeks ago it snowed about 4", and was impressed enough to take pictures, having spent the past several years in the desert.
This weekend it snowed 22". This is the most snow I remember seeing ever. I didn't enjoy the hours I spend digging my car out, but I did get a day off from work. Sweet!
Also in the news, my Christmas present should be arriving any day now:
I used Knitpicks Wool of the Andes Bulky, which is 100% wool and super warm, if a little scratchy, as wool can be. I used size 11 needles. This sweater turned out to be an excellent lesson in gauge. I made size L to compensate for my tighter gauge, and it worked out perfectly! I didn't knit the collar as written; it was a little too strangly for my taste. So, I picked up stitches all the way around the back and front pieces, and knit straight until I ran out of yarn (8 inches maybe?) I love the result!
I forgot to make buttonholes as I was knitting, so I crocheted loops for the buttons. One issue I haven't solved yet is how to keep the front piece that is behind the other from bunching up. (Does that make sense? The two sides overlap, so the side that is underneath doesn't have anything forcing it to stay flat.) I need to add a hidden button or snap, but I haven't figured out how to do that without it showing on the outside.
I also finished one super-sock, which probably has the stitch count of a pair because I'm using size 0 needles. The yarn is Schoeller+Stahl Fortissima Socka Cotton Color. I decided to do a basic toe-up pattern here so that I could use up all of the yarn - I divided the yarn in half and just knit until I ran out.
Also, I took these pictures of my own foot without using a self-timer. Let's just say I have very good balance.
The Park Service really plays up the fact that Alacatraz was one of the most hard-core prisons for the most violent criminals. I thought this notion was rather undermined by the fact that the prison seemed to have a lot of natural light, a library, a great view of the city, and the prisoners got to live in San Francisco for free. Do you know how much rents are in that place? Ok, there might have been some murders, but the tour focused a lot on a prisoner uprising that occured becauase the spaghetti tasted bad. Not exactly hard core in my book.
And, they had views like this:
After Alcatraz, we walked around the Fisherman's Wharf area. Although it was a little too commercial for me, I have to admit that the aroma coming out of Boudin was heavenly. They also have bread that is shaped like stuff - which is pretty impressive, if you have ever tried to make bread yourself. Also, the sea lions were totally awesome:
Sometimes nature freaks me out. Like, there are crazy huge whales that swim around in the ocean, and there are blubbery, slippery sea lions who bark and climb all over each other. I'm not necessarily scared of the animal itself, just blown by the idea that such a creature exists in the world. Don't even get me started on outer space.
I also visited the Museum of Craft and Folk Art. I say "I" because my sister and husband decided to do the more exciting activities of going to Gap and sitting on a bench, respectively. It was all for the best really, because one small gallery does not a museum make. I saw the "Open Source Embroidery" exhibit, which mostly I didn't get. (And I went to grad school for art history - so that has to say something.) In fact, there were moreinteresting things in the gift shop.
On our last day we drove back to my sister's house, and spent the remainder of our time just enjoying the view from her balcony. I also might have bought some yarn.
I really like having an eat-in kitchen. I find I'm watching far less TV than I did in our old house, and doing more reading and listening to music while I cook.
Pretty much my favorite things are the license plates on the wall. (The blank spot is for Jason's New Mexico plate, once he gets his car registered in Maryland.) I'm also working on some paintings for the red wall, but I kind of suck at painting, so we'll see how that works out.
Oh, and new countertops, too. These ones are white laminate, and I don't know who picked those out, but they're pretty much the worst color possible. They're covered in stains and cuts. I don't know what's up with that black dishwasher either. I'm kind of hoping it breaks so I can buy a white one. 
And finally, we need to devise some sort of shelving system for the pantry. Now, the shelves only extend halfway into the available space, and there is a trash can and recycling bin shoved in there as well. The cut-out in the wall is great for puppet shows and drive-through orders, though.
The upside was that I was not dragging a 9,000lb cannon nor wearing a wool uniform, which is what the Union Civil War soldiers did when building the naval battery on this mountain. Kudos, guys. How unfortunate that air conditioning was not invented in your lifetimes.
To get to the trailhead, you hike part of the Appalachian Trail, which isn't as cool as it seems when you realize that the trail is just a railroad bridge across a river filled with hundreds of drunken college students in inner tubes.
The whole point of this hike to reach the overlook, where you see:
At this point, I wasn't even all that impressed. I had drank a liter of water and didn't ever have to use the bathroom because of the intense sweat situation. The sun was beating down, and my view was being blocked by more college students (although thankfully these ones were not intoxicated.)
I thought I was tough, but I can't handle August. All hiking is hereby postponed until October.
I have been scared of knitting lace pretty much since I started knitting, but after finishing my February Lady Sweater earlier this yarn, I was prepared to try something more complicated. Enter my knitting group, who rightly has formed aRavely group called "Enablers Anonymous", where, unlike other 12-step programs that focus on preventing you from doing something, enabling is downright encouraged. (Witness my recent spinning activity.) All I had to do was mention I was interested in knitting lace, and I inexplicably found myself holding a very long, pointy needle and a triangular diagram.
Because it isn't the 18th century, the shawl in action will most likely look more like this:
I know now why shawls are knitters' crack. The whole time you're knitting, you have an amorphous blob on your needles. Then, as if by magic (magic = blocking), the whole thing flattens out and becomes light and airy and beautiful and warm, even though it's full of holes. You suddenly want more and more, convieniently forgetting the three hours you spent ripping out an entire night's worth of work because you made one extra freakin' yarn over. And when you're done, you'll sit out in your yard wearing a winter coat and a wool shawl in 90-degree heat, trying not to let your neighbor see you, even though he smokes pot in his yard and drives a sketchy van.
This is probably my favorite room in my house, and one of the reasons why we bought the house. I think this room was originally the master bedroom (it has a full bathroom and skylights), but we are using it as our office. The stairs go up to a loft, which the previous owners converted from an attic.
It's great to finally have most of (notice I didn't say all) my books in one place. Yes, I organized them by color. I like the rainbow effect against the turquoise wall.
My future plans for this room include curtains, a rug in front of the big bookcase, and maybe a different chair and reading lamp. Unfortunately I can't take credit for the wall colors, but I am glad the previous owners did all my work for me!
Next up: the garden.
My Catherine socks have been seeing the most action. They are small and portable, and the design is interesting enough to keep me motivated. I'm almost finished with one sock... but again, wearing sandals everyday doesn't necessitate new socks.
I also started this plain 'ol sock, and I'm getting tired of typing this post, so just look at the picture. You'll get the idea.
Ishbel: I is making one.
(I am now spending inordinate amounts of time thinking about random grammar issues; this apparently has impacted my ability to construct coherent sentences outside of work.)
I'm pretty sure the cat is around here somewhere...
I also planted some flowers. I can sort of see how gardening might become addicting. Aren't the black leaves on this one great?
Here's the one room I have finished: my craft storage room. I'm not calling this my craft room, because I doubt any actual crafting will happen there because of lack of a window. On the walls I installed some eye screws and ran hemp string through them to serve as my revolving art gallery. I think this would be a really great way to display kids' art, since they seem to be mass producers.
In knitting (spinning?) news, last week my knitting group held its monthly spinning off-shoot. Just look at all those wheels! Somewhere many sheep are enjoying their summer haircuts.
Yesterday I went strawberry picking, and came back with nearly 7lbs. Half have gone into the freezer, and half will go into my mouth. (But not all at the same time.)
There was also spinning! For years I have put off spinning for fear of acquiring yet another fiber hobby. But, many of the ladies in my knitting group are also spinners, and they made me do it. I believe there were threats of violence. So, I borrowed a spindle and mooched some fiber, and got to work.
Above are my first and second attempts - not too bad! But, man, is this time consuming. I don't know if I will ever become addicted to spinning, but I am glad to be learning. When we run out of oil and the rest of you are cold, I will be wearing cozy hand-spun-and-knit sweaters.
