Still Winter Here

March is certainly coming in like a lion in Wisconsin. At 6 p.m., the temperature is 8, but it feels like -6. Monday's high is predicted to be 1 degree -- that's before a 12-mile-a-hour wind is figured in. 

This cold weather has helped me stay home much of the weekend to write IEPs. I'm not complaining about the weather -- not yet at least. Winter is the best time for knitting. Someone went to town knitting and crocheting this yarn bombing not far from my house:

In between work sessions, I've done some rows on my Free Your Fade shawl, which I want for summer travel. I have quite a ways to go, but I think I can finish by July.

I love to sit by the window and do the hand-embroidery on my latest quilt. Here's a sneak peak:

Cold weather is perfect for reading with a cup of tea, don't you think? I picked up these two books yesterday at my LBS (local bookstore), and had the honor of being the last customer checked out by the founder of Room of One's Own. I thanked her profusely for this amazing bookstore, which has been in operation since 1975. Thankfully, the employees bought the store so it will stay open.

I really should take notes when I read blogs because I'm pretty sure I heard about the TV show "Trapped" from one of you. It's set in a remote town in Iceland during a blizzard -- and it's very good. Last night, the cats both hung out on my lap while we watched. This is a rare treat as Nagi generally prefers Keith.

I do want to thank whoever mentioned this show. Keith and I are really enjoying it. The first season is streaming on Amazon Prime right now; there is a second season, which The BBC aired at the beginning of the year.

The dialogue is in Icelandic (with English subtitles) and English. The characters switch frequently between the two languages. So, I have been able to knit while I'm watching.

By next weekend, I hope that the temperatures are milder and that my IEPs are finalized. Then I will feel like spring is around the corner.

Some Quilting, Some Knitting, Some Cats

Honestly, it's a miracle that I have any crafting to share at all. I have six IEP meetings in the next two weeks -- I know a few of you know how insane that is. But those six weather days really put me behind, and now it's catch-up time.

I worked quite a bit at home yesterday, and I was planning to work again today, but around 10 this morning my mom called. She'd fallen, so Keith and I went to the hospital with her. Luckily there were no broken bones, but she has some nasty bruises.

I have been focusing more on quilting than knitting lately. For one thing, I'm trying to stay on track with my Collage Cat (Pattern: Purrfect). I have finished cutting out all the little pieces and fusing them onto the base.

Next I have to cut it out, put it on a background and free-motion stitch the cat. My free-motion skills are not very developed, so I think a very busy piece like this is perfect. I'm hoping the stitches won't show too much!

I've been hand sewing and embroidering brightly colored art quilts that make me happy. This is my favorite so far:

It's called "Fractured" because it's made of fractured circles. The only part that's done by machine is the binding.

I went to my LYS with a non-knitting friend, who picked out these gorgeous yarns for me to make hat from. I'm going to improvise a Fair Isle design. I'll probably throw in some white to make it work.

My adorable gran-kitty (i.e. Rachel's cat) was neutered last week. She is not enjoying wearing a cone at all.

It has been cold and wet all weekend. During my breaks from working yesterday, I had a cup of tea and did some reading. I am both reading and listening to Iron Curtain by Anne Applebaum because there is so much to absorb.

During my trip to Eastern Europe last summer, I realized how little I knew about the Soviet era, and I am enjoying this book -- though it doesn't seem quite right to enjoy a book about such a grim subject. It is terrifying to learn how quickly countries like Poland and Czechoslovakia fell under totalitarian rule. I wonder if Americans would vote differently if they knew more history?

Kola and Nagi know how to make the most of a winter weekend:

Snow is predicted for four of the next seven days. It has been a long time since we had a real winter like this. And speaking of snow, our school days will be seven minutes longer starting tomorrow to make up for all those weather days. 

Welcoming the Cold

The weather here went from summer to fall overnight, which gave me the opportunity to cover myself with hand knits:

I am wearing a hat from a Vogue Magazine pattern; mitts from a free Internet pattern; basic ribbed leg warmers knit with Kidsilk and Cascade 220; and a very simple shawl. I love fall!

We ate outdoors last night -- in a temporary structure called a sukkah. The sukkah is part of the Jewish celebration of Sukkot, a harvest celebration.

It was a potluck, and most of the dishes were vegan. It seems like more and more people I know are vegan, which I find challenging to cook for. I make a lot of vegetarian dishes, but many of them have cheese or eggs.

Are you running into this, too? My friend Tsela recommends two books: Vegamonicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz, and Vegan Planet by Robin Robertson. I am going to check these out. It's not that I plan to ever become vegan -- no more cheese? forget it! -- but I  want to be able to make food for all my friends.

Are you running into more vegans these days, too?

Knitting On The Cover

The theme of the June issue of Smithsonian Magazine is food, but the cover featured knitted, not real, morsels.

It's nice to come across knitting in unexpected places, don't you think?

And by the way, there are some good articles inside!

An FO At Last

Yes, I realize my hair is a mess in this photo but it was really windy!

More importantly, for the first time in a long time, I have an FO to show off. This is Coleus by Kirsten Kapur of Through the Loops, and I am thrilled with it. It is a larger shawlette, which took me close to two skeins of Madelinetosh Sock yarn in Lapis. I picked up the yarn a few years ago at the amazing Article Pract in Oakland, California, which makes the shawl extra special to me.

Kirsten is one of my favorite designers. Her designs are not only beautiful, but beautifully written. This was much easier to knit than I expected, thanks to Kirsten's skills.

Other great Kirsten patterns that I've knit are the Reykjavik Mittens and the Ida's Kitchen hat. I've knit both of those twice and am working on my third Ida's Kitchen. I highly recommend both!

I wear jeans a lot, so I plan to show off this baby!

P.S. Many thanks to my good friend, Debbie, for shooting this photo when she had more important things to do!

Happy Endings

I spent much of my weekend in Beloit, keeping my mom and dad company. My dad is in a rehab center after having surgery on both his knees. Both he and my mom are facing a long, painful process!

When I got home, I was mostly concerned with cleaning the house and getting my life into some sort of order before the work week. By Sunday evening, it was all I could to do weave in ends:

I'm always surprise by how long the process takes me. However, it does mean I have a pile of FOs to share!

In parting: You know winter is around the corner when you have to resort to crummy flash photos!

An Experiment

Favorite Cowl has been in my queue for quite a while. It's an incredibly easy pattern, perfect for a gift.  The versions I like the best on Ravelry used Noro Silk Garden. Seeing as I haven't had time to shop for yarn, it seemed like a good opportunity to check out Lion Amazing, which is available at a nearby store. It goes for a similar look -- longer stretches of each color that change gradually.

I think the finished product is quite pretty, although the colors lack that amazing Noro brilliance. What I really want to find out is how well this yarn softens. In its just-knit state, it is somewhat scratchy.

Hopefully I'll get a chance to soak it this weekend. Today, though, I'm in my hometown (Beloit), hanging out with my dad at the rehab center.  He'll have to be here for four to six weeks, until he is mobile enough to go home. At this point, his legs are in braces and he can't even stand. It's going to be a long haul!

Also, when I get back to Madison, I'll do some stash-busting to reward those of you who correctly guessed that the swatch in the picture was Wingspan.