I'm back.

This morning when I woke up the news lady said that it was plus 5 degrees outside. Now that, my friend, is biking weather. I got a used mountain bike off of craigslist, and it has big knobby tires and, well.. it weighs about 6 thousand pounds (OK, maybe not exactly that much). I figured it could keep it on the road on ice, snow and slush.

Mostly, I was correct.

The bike path was really excellent for a while, and I thought to myself that I could have easily ridden my road bike. In time though, the path was covered in packed snow, and I was busy congratulating myself on my excellent choice of vehicles.

That was before the slush.

Excuse me, but CRAP that's a tough slog... At some points I was trying to make it through up to 4" of slush and ice and frozen tracks. Next time I'm taking myself back to HOME ROAD and, traffic or not, it has to be better than what I rode through today. We'll see.

The good part? I saw geese, I smelled the river (most of it is still open) and trees and one person's breakfast joint. I breathed fresh air, and although I'm not in as good condition as I was 2 months ago (we'll call that PRE-HINIE), I got that 6 gazillion lb. bike up hill and dale, and I arrived at work without falling.

Win.

In other win-ish news, I spent a few nights over the weekend working on the Miralda triangular shawl. I'm mid-way through the diamond charts (which means I have knit 6 quadrillion nupps). The yarn is Bison, handspun on Donna's Rose and is absolutely perfect for the project. Gosh it's soft.. and beautiful. This is the year of Estonian/Orenburg lace, afterall, and it's about time I got serious about it.

Last week I finshed spinning the Qivuit and I have about a thousand yards (I estimate). My plan is to knit an Orenburg shawl (ie: no nupps), and I have what I think is the perfect pattern. We'll see...

I've been juggling Fleece Artist merino socks with fingerless gloves for Jim... there's all kinds of knitting going on these days.

My 1st anniversary with TKR was Jan 5th; gosh time flies.

Life is productive.

Happy in Paraguay

Do you know of Post Secret?

Here is my secret. I believe that what I love most will go. Because of that belief I ruin relationships through fear.

Please don't tell me that I'm wrong. Just know that this was my secret.

Spin, spin, spin

Besides my work day, that's about the sum total of my accomplishments yesterday. I spent a few hours spinning Shetland, and I think that it will be a really nice addition to my year of Estonia/Orenburg lace knitting. We'll see. So far it's looking like a 2 ply lace, but a bit neppy and noilly due to second cuts. I think it will be good in the long run.

I didn't ride yesterday.. as I was about to leave I heard 'chances of snow flurries', and rejigged my plans. Instead of snow flurries there was a quick, fierce blizzard, and now the roads and sidewalks are in pretty poor condition for a safe ride home from work. I think I'm going to have to use my fluid trainer for the next couple of months. I had to laugh tho.. on the way home, as I was stopped at a light, I saw a young man, sans helmet, lights or even any warm clothes, riding home on his unicycle.

He is the winner.

The do nothing weekend

Fail.

Instead we discovered that Banana's 13th birthday party wasn't next Saturday, it was THIS Saturday, at the very same time that BFML was scheduled to be at a hockey game with BGA, and a fund raising bingo directly afterwards. Did I mention that the Banana had invited approximately 10 girls? After a great deal of house cleaning and schedule shuffling we indeed held a birthday sleepover, serving gourmet hot dogs with home made chili, and numerous other toppings; strawberry cheesecake to follow. There were movies, there was much loudness, there was very little sleep.

Simultaneously all three dogs came down with something horrendous. Rox very nearly ended up at the emergency vet clinic, but by 5am she stabilized. Chicken broth and rice for the bunch of them today. We're reconsidering raw feeding in general. I don't believe her constitution can handle any surprises. Could it have been an extreme case of stress? That many teenage girls can be the last straw for a human, let alone a skittish dog.

Somehow, in the middle of that, I spun a good portion of the shetland that I washed, and Correna and I picked and carded. It's a nice light grey to charcoal... kind of an uneven lace weight, as the fiber was peppered with second cuts. I tell ya.. a little bit goes a long way (by the way, this isn't one of Tracy's shetlands).

I've been knitting on a little red hat that I found in Piecework. I like it, tho I suspect it's about 10 sizes too big. I'm also working on a Cowichan sweater and hat set. It's the first and the last that I'll ever knit... just not my bag. The sleeves are left to do, and.. well, 6 million ends need to be dealt with.

We did a little Christmas shopping; I'm pretty well done with Mug, Dida and Katerina. Otherwise I'm making progress.

The dogs are fighting... that's a good sign.

Think the back roads and pathways are clear enough for a bike ride tomorrow? We'll see.

Hi Christine!

I would love to talk with you regarding LQT. You can write me at: spinknit at me dot com. Only.. well, you know.

I look forward to hearing from you.

I'm at work right now because I can't get home

Well, I can't get home before my head explodes from frustration. At the moment I can't actually get out of the parkinglot because the road in front of it appears to be glare ice. I had a plan B, but the guy on the radio just told me I was smoking something funny if I thought I was driving home that way.

Does the universe not know that it's pizza night? Geez.

So, now I'm going to explode your head by saying that last night the two tea cosy silent auctions ended, and I am thrilled beyond reason to announce that our two cosies sold for $300.00. My donation page isn't updated completely, but I believe I'm approximately 60-something percent done on my goal. My plan is to keep fund raising and to send my results to IK.. cuz we're a team.

Right now I have a hand woven Noro scarf to sell; several pairs of socks and mitts that Martha knit, a pair of socks for Trisha, sock blockers, stitch markers raffle tickets... Kayla designed the most beautiful shawl and she's going to let me sell the pattern.

I just don't know what to say. I'm so proud and thrilled and blessed and touched. I know so many good, giving people. I'm grateful.

Cancer? The knitters/weavers are after you. Look out.