WHAT A DIFFERENCE A WEEK MAKES!!

Yep, they are back at school....and back outside playing where they belong! It was pretty warm here the other day (mid 50's) and now its getting colder with alot more wind....
You can see the remnants of the storm in the branch lying behind the basketball hoop. And that's the tiny pile....the large pile is out back. Our neighbor graciously asked if he could cut it up for his wood burning stove.....uhhhh like YEAH! Some recent knitting. A quick knit hat for a dear friend recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Its made from Berrocco's Chinchilla (1 skein) and its a quick one my friends. Here it is modeled on my daughter, Delia, who had to come home early from school today due to illness....yeah right, I think it was the shock of actually being back at school!

The beginning of another hat for my friend. This is just an easy 8 row pattern repeat with the cable in the 5th row. Really easy--no pattern, just eyeballing it. There is something so freeing about that. This is worked in the Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK. I've said it before and I'll say it again--I love this yarn! It's soft and the color is beautiful--it doesn't split and it knits up great. I promise I don't work for Debbie Bliss--if I did I imagine that every pay day, they would look at me and say "how would YOU like to pay for that?"

Which brings me to this.......

Yes, its a large blue pot...but its not just ANY pot...its a Le Creuset pot...the big one, the 9.5 quart pot! The one that Ina Garten aka Barefoot Contessa uses...the one that I have been wanting forever...the one that has always been out of my price range...well, I saved several gift cards from Williams Sonoma and finally picked this baby up. And let me tell you, this thing is HEAVY. Its enameled cast iron and I LOVE IT. I have resisted the temptation to light votive candles around it--that would just be a little weird, huh. But I am leaving it out just to look at it (sorry about the dirty stove top) and for all to admire.

Ok, so that's about all for today. Back to the cabled hat, the pomatomus sock and Beef Bourguignon!

ICE STATION ANNAPOLIS! You should have heard the trees when the wind blew....it was all this twinkling and then when the wind blew HARD...the sounds of limbs breaking under the weight...it was pretty scary. The kids were home yesterday and again today, as about 50,000 people in our county are without power....luckily not us!

Finished 1 Pomatomus sock...cast on for the second......here we go.

SO this is what 3 hours early dismissal from school looks like: The kids were actually shocked this morning when schools weren't closed at all. I know anyone brought up in areas where snow is common place are probably laughing right now. I mean, really, it's barely on the ground much less on the roads. And the main roads are fine! There is a concern that it might turn to freezing rain in which case, that is a whole different ball game. But the kids are happy. Here is what a 3 hour early dismissal looks like from the kids perspectives:

There's John proudly cheering with his crutches. He just took his younger brother and sister to lunch at McDonalds! Lunch at 11am you say....what the heck...it gave him something to do!
There's Mickey and no, he's not in pain...that is actually his "look at me, off from school watching King Kong in High Def" happy face! Oh, I should also point out, that they have NO homework either. So, its not like I can send them off to their rooms for awhile until homework is finished. Nope, I'm pretty much the cruise director now. Of course, having a new big flat screen tv with loads of HD channels helps to ease the pain!
On to the knitting front--here is a simple ribbed baby hat for my nephew Stephen...it is made out of Debbie Bliss's cashmerino. This stuff is a dream to work with, I tell ya. I would love to make an entire sweater out of this.....the Pomatomus Sock is almost finished..although I have to say that I am dreading the second sock with this one. The pattern is hard and I think I need something mindless. So I either have to look for a fun-loving amputee, or suck it up and knit the other one. Stay warm friends...and watch that snow for heaven's sake!

SOOOO--my Local Yarn Shop (LYS) had its Winter Sale this past weekend and of course I went...like I need more yarn?! Anyway, here is what I bought...some navy wool to make a USNA hat for someone special...
Some more Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn, because it feels so excellent, the colors are awesome...and doggone it, I'm worth it....these are the special colors that are created by the good folks there at Cherry Tree Hill. Expensive but worth every penny. (sorry for the blurry picture) and a skein of Ultra Alpaca...not sure what I am going to make with this...but I LOVE the color. And it feels great. Maybe a cool scarf--or thick gloves...not sure, but I know its there when the inspiration strikes me.

I also got a skein of Debbie Bliss's cashmerino to knit my precious new nephew a hat. He has been wearing that hat they gave him in the hospital...you know the white, made out of...well...you know....the "A" word....my nephew should only be in the best--so ribbed baby hat, here I come. Will post that soon.

It is 20 degrees here in Annapolis today and it will pretty much stay that way through the whole week. Its supposed to get to 8 tonight--oh boy! And yet, NO SNOW--I mean if we are going to be this cold, how about a little snow to pretty it up. I guess the cold is good and necessary...our old family doctor used to always say that we needed a long cold snap to kill off all the bad bacteria. Looks like we got us one of those.

Stay warm cyber-friends.