jak in the box: January 2009

Friday, January 16, 2009

Snow Angles @ Midnight

Happy New Year all!
So much has happened since I last blogged - I don't know where to start...  So, I'll start with right now - today.

Sipping on a hot coffee with a touch of left-over egg nog. (I know, how can it still be good? What do they put in that to make it last so long?  Don't want to know... just sipping.  It's good, and hot, and creamy.)  Sitting in our formal sitting room turned computer room @ the front of the house.  I'm looking out through the trees and over the snow for lil' jak to arrive home from school.  It's soooo cold out today, I'm worried about him walking from the bus stop. He's at the age where gloves or mitts aren't cool. When I had the dogs out earlier the skin on my hands froze in less than 3 minutes.

This is my view - I'm a lucky girl :)


YES, I said dogS.  Mr. Herb arrived just before Christmas.  He was born on lil' jak's birthday - and I couldn't resist getting a little brother for Mr. Harley.  He's a ginger & white Shih Tzu who is incredibly smart and spirited.  His nickname is Monster Mash & Harley's is Lover Bug - so there's a definite difference in personalities.  We love him dearly already.  Even Harley has warmed up to his little brother - on his own terms of course :)

This is my 3 boys - Pajama Day!




Before we go any further... Yes, I have definitely been knitting.  I have finished a scarf I LOVE:
















This is my Sears Winter Catalogue pose :)  This is the side of our house - more Trees!  
Ok - back to the scarf.  

Pattern:  Haven from Heartfelt, Kim Hargreaves
Yarn: Sub'd Rowan Cocoon with Ecological Wool, Cascade Yarns (undyed) 
Needles:  4.75mm

Knits up very fast and used the entire 437m!


Just finishing the toe on these...


















Pattern:  Log Cabin, Handknit Holidays
Yarn:  Pastaza, Cascade Yarns (again - humph)
Needles: 3.75 mm

Used one skein/foot almost exactly! (Knit to 6" before toe decrease.)  Quick knit and delicious yarn!

These are absolutely delicious and are my birthday present to myself :)
Happy Birthday Me!  I know it's not till next month, but I wanted to be sure I had them done on time.

Also finished one mitten.  Will start the other one and throw it in my bag for easy access when standing in lines, waiting for supper to cook, etc.  It's made with Opal sock yarn, and I quite like them for a liner in other mitts or by themselves for spring.  




And lastly, the namesake of this post. Isn't this fabulous? Over the holidays while sitting around sipping on a (few) Hot Buttered Rums with my family, my BIL and I decided to get bundled up and make a sliding path on the front lawn.
A few words of caution as a grown person who hasn't played in the snow for - oh, let's say 15 years.  First of all, it's a lot more difficult than we remember. Snow is deep, there's a lot of clothes that come into play - boots, snow-pants, scarves, hats, mitts (all hand knit, of course :) AND don't forget you have to climb back Up the hill after forcing your way down on top of fluffy snow on a plastic sled...  
Together we made two paths, accumulated many bruises, and exhausted lay in the quiet of the night to make snow angles. I must say, they are very hard to get out of without making a mash of the outline.