Two finished projects with a side of snow

As you probably all know, the UK is under quite a lot of snow at the moment. It hasn't snowed over here since Wednesday, but given that the temperatures have not been above zero for the last week and a half, everything is still as white as it was on Wednesday.

The snow on Wednesday completely halted a lot of the country. Public transport wasn't running (no buses or taxis) and, as I wasn't going to walk to work (although some people did), I had a quiet snow day at home. I spent most of it knitting, and managed to finish not one, but two projects! They are the first projects I finish since October, so I am doubly pleased with them. I have tried not to flaunt my knitting too much: after going off knitting when I was so tired, I have tried to preserve what knitting mojo I have so it doesn't disappear, like preparing a fire.

The first finished project is the already-mentioned Peaks Island Hood. I selected the yarn when Ysolda was visiting Get Knitted, and it was a monogamous project: I didn't knit anything else while working on it (preserving the sparks). I took it with me during the holiday break, and finished it on Boxing day (the knitting part). I finally wove in the ends and blocked it on the Wednesday, to make sure that I had something to protect me from the weather on Thursday! (you may be able to see that I don't have buttons for it yet, but I'm holding it with a shawl pin)


It was a simple knit, but with the right amount of exciting to keep me entertained. I discovered I really like seed stitch! The only problem is in my choice of yarn, at least for now: Blue Sky Alpaca's Organic Cotton. It is absolutely lovely and soft, buy oh my Bob does it shed! My black winter coat as a subtle orange fuzz to it, and the entire house is covered in orange fluff!




The second finished project was cast-on, knit, bound-off, and finished off all on Wednesday! Now I have moustache! I have been wanting to knit Incognito since the latest Knitty came out, and it was the perfect opportunity. I used bits of yarn I had laying around: the blue-grey is my last ball from Wisteria (I have gotten a lot of mileage out of that yarn), the orange is left-over from above, and the black is from a jumper's worth of yarn I bought last year, for which I've not found a proper use for yet (it's Debbie Bliss Stella, suggestions welcomed).


Incognito was a very fun and quick knit, and I am very proud with the way the duplicate stitch came out.


I can wear both things together when it's really cold, and I have been keeping my moustache on at work (I have a cold and it's nice to have a warm throat). Sadly, my co-workers don't find it nearly as funny as I do. I love my 'tache!

I have been knitting, after all

On a strange turn of events, today I not only had energy to do things I both wanted and had to do, but to take pictures of things and update!

I've admitted to myself that I'm only knitting the Peaks Island Hood, so I set everything else to hibernate, and took pictures of it. It is a strange feeling to only be knitting one project, but, at this point, it is exactly the right number of them. I also love this project, the yarn, and the way the seed stitch looks.

On exciting health news, I had an MRI last week. It didn't rip my dental metalwork out, and I found the experience incredibly relaxing. The MRI machine is loud, but with the ear defenders it just feels like a low rumble, and it nearly put me to sleep :)

There are only 5 more work days until I have two weeks holiday. It won't all be relaxing, but the beginning and end should be fairly quiet, and hopefully I can stock up on rest and knitting for the new year.

Lil'Cthulhu ate my sanity

Lil'Cthulhu ate my sanity. What about yours?

Energy is back to "normal", I think. By normal I of course mean me-normal, still requiring to be in bed by 11 pm and not going out, etc, but at least I do manage to be awake for most of the day, and even do stuff beyond the basic. Go team!
The plus side of the slumber of energy is that my doctor has got herself in gear (I think I scared her), and I'm having more prodding and poking this week than I've had for a while. Something may yield a result, and that prospect both makes me happy and scared.

I have been knitting again, but nothing that is nominally on my knitting list (see sidebar top). After I met Ysolda at my LYS (that was the first time I knit for 3-4 weeks), I got some orange yarn and cast on for the Peaks Island Hood (rav). It is a good mix of mindless and interesting, and I have just started the hood part.

I have no idea when/if I'll pick back up the knitting list, but at the moment I'm not going to push it: I'm just happy I kind of feel like knitting again.
One of these days it may even stop pouring down like the world is going to end, and I may have enough light to take some pictures. But I'm not holding my breath on the rain thing.