more finishing

as i headed outside into the cold (it was a whopping 2) i realized that there was one more finished item to share. my moebius scarf.
it's not often that what i imagine actually turns into a wearable item. i mean, it seems like it would work in my brain, the math looks good, but the end product? not so much.
this didn't disappoint. i am continuing my love affair with lion brand's amazing. soft, pretty, cheap great price point.....it hits all the notes. this had no pattern, just a guess-ta-mit for number of stitches, a brief feather and fan pattern, and viola......

warmth. it looks like a lot of fabric around the neck, but it is truly comfortable under a coat and does a great job keeping the back of my neck warm.

finishing up....

i haven't been feeling at all productive lately. the more snow we move, the more snow there is. the streets and walks are so full that if i want to walk, i really need to chose the time of day carefully... and i need those walks to keep my sanity loving winter in new york! my only true winter complaint is what it does to my hands. they are raw & bleeding. i've been lotioning, balming, glove wearing, you name it, i'm on it. bottom line... dry, cold air = dry, cold skin. i can spin in small doses, and i keep on knitting, but it's a bummer.
so what is done? a cowl and a wrap, both from the knitting circle event. i came home so energized to make these items! first the cowl. this was starts and stops until i got a needle size that gave me the fabric i wanted....

love it, love it love it. dense, stretchy and oh so soft! i think i have enough yarn to make another ( and with all the longing glances it has received, i may need to make another for myself :)
i also had a wonderful time with my gnarled paws yarn. love the color, construction and feel to this fiber, and i even added beads!

this is the bench that i usually use for my shawl photos. i tried to get to it, but gave up when i couldn't stand the snow in my boots, the howling wind and zero temps. even the dogs stayed in their path looking at me like i was nuts.

so i tossed it over the pool fence and just laughed out loud. there is about two foot of snow on the pool shed roof and even more than that on the pool itself. spring will be an adventure.

i really modified the snot out of the basic pattern. i added more rows, put beads on the last lace section and made up my own border borrowing heavily on the medusa bind-off. i love it. can't wait to take it out, it's light, yet still holds the warmth. i thinking it will be lovely with a long sleeve t and jeans. and boots. and mittens. and a down jacket. and i may need to wait for warmer temps to enjoy it.
i'm turning my attention back to the sea-side rumpus. the best part of this winter is having a pile of wool in my lap :)

wintery weekend fun

i decided to knit an infinity scarf. it was another one of those bees in my bonnet, because i'm sure it will go unworn. i love the trend of oversize scarves wrapped beguilingly around the neck. well, i'm to short, and not really a beguiling sort. i looked through lots of patterns, without much success, when i got the idea to go moebius. dug through the real book self and found the cat bordhi book on moebius knitting. again, no pattern suited my mindset, but there were lots of parts and pieces that did. i threw caution to the wind and cast on. i've been knitting along for quite some time and i'm not sure if there is any progress. with 200 stitches, it takes a bit of time to go round the row!

it was perfect knitting for the winter piano recital (although the dude sitting next to me kept staring at it like it was going to bite him :)
saturday was the celebration of the knitting circle's first year. tina (the knitter behind the knitting circle) chose to celebrate at the century club with several vendors and lots of fibery people. i was there to help amythefibergoddess, and enjoy the warmth inside on a wintery rochester day!

lots and lots of fabulous stuff from many talented hands. i treated myself to stitch markers and some delightful dk weight sw merino dyed by gnarled paw.

i've wanted to play with her yarn for quite a while. i saw her yarn last summer at tina's, but there wasn't a colorway that spoke to me. this one.... screamed my name. i brought it home, balled it up and cast on! there was a sweet little shawl that winked at me during the event, so i tracked it down. it helps break up the monotony of the moebius!