Snow and Knitting

Despite record snowfall this winter, I've been keeping myself really busy the last few months!

The snow is absolutely stunning. I'm not used to seeing the white stuff every day all winter long and it's been a real treat. Every week we get some kind of major snowfall and precious little of it melts before the next storm. There have been a few incidents, but nothing terribly serious. Snow is safe as long as it is respected and we prepare for it. That means we need to slow down on the roads and keep the pantry well stocked. The snow mountains in the parking lot where Steelblaidd works are almost two stories high! I'll see if I can get a picture before it melts away.

Since the snow has been too deep and unstable to do any serious hiking or geocaching, the Munchkin and I have mostly kept indoors. I've been busying my hyperactive hands with learning to knit. I'm really having trouble learning to keep my stitches the correct tension and size, and I tend to get impatient with the whole concept of "practice makes perfect." My first project was a pair of mittens for the Munchkin that took four tries to get mitten-shaped. The final product is still not quite proportioned correctly, but I figure he'll loose at least one of them soon enough and I can make him a better pair!

Since I don't have much need for the simple projects myself (hats, scarves, dishtowels, baby blankets, etc), I've decided to get a head start on Christmas gifts. For my mother-in-law I'm making a wool-blend scarf with a fairly complicated cable pattern. My mother is getting a light and lacy cotton scarf to help cover up her scar from her recent neck surgery. My grandmother is going through chemo which is starting to affect her hair, so she's getting a all cotton baby-soft chemo cap. Yesterday I got started on the cable scarf; I spent all day long and only have 6 inches to show for it! I know most of the reason for the slow going is because of the complicated pattern, but this makes me glad that I started so early if I want it done by Christmas!