Love is: Pictures of knitwear in the snow

Looks like Elsa had a vendetta.

I am in a blanket fort right now. My dear friends up Nort' could make actual castle-sized snow castles from all the snow they have up yonder and even their normal unflappability when it comes to snow is currently being flapped. Our winter weather is by no means a comparison to being actually buried under snow, but still: My subtropical bones are cold.

We are effectively down to one car for the time being, since just the one has any sort of defrosting capabilities. That one, pictured here, was de-iced yesterday so Husband could go to work, which is fine, because I'm not going anywhere any time soon. School has been out all week and dance classes have been cancelled.

You don't know nothin'

And I am rediscombobulated. I was starting to feel well and truly combobulated again, but my routine and momentum are pretty much shot. I want to hunker down and eat everything. Tuesday was spent playing video games when I could have been doing pretty much anything else, but I did eventually manage some tidying and a bit of finishing and I've baked both muffins and cookies this week. Because cookies.

It's really very pretty outside, but I am (and have been) ready for Spring. I can tell that my plants are waiting to just bust out and be fabulous. So am I.

Summer's hanky got some attention this week and even though I've been having a little anxiousness about how it's not symmetrical, Summer was all awesome and beautiful about it and it's apparently fine. I've learned some very good lessons about symmetry, though, and how I'd do a similar project differently.

The biggest lesson I've learned is that the double herringbone stitch makes my eyes cross. The section I'm working on now is the biggest chunk of double herringbone and I can only really do it in very good lighting. Alas for old lady eyes.

I've also worked on the SoUP batts and midway through plying, the end of the bobbin was...

...no longer attached.
You can imagine my dismay.

Somehow, by the grace of blessed Athene, I managed to glue it back on without disturbing the yarn, assemble everything back again, and continue plying as though nothing had happened.

I like what the fractal plying is doing and I'm certain I can do something with an overdye that will improve the color, but I kind of want some warmer weather before that happens. I've got two ounces to go for this batch and then I'm on to the other half of the fleece.

In spite of this

This happened. 

I also finished the first link of the BFF cowl for Bekah and we're both now at the same place. I'd started the 2nd link, but it ended up being a false start. The pattern we'd chosen for link #2 was far too wide and I'm not a hundred percent certain I can fiddle with it so that it works out right. We may end up picking a different pattern altogether.

It's the color of love.

After vacillating about buttons for three days, I finally finished Baby Ruth's Classy Sweater.

Come visit, Roo's mama! 

There is nothing I don't love about this project. It was fast, fun, colorful, and for a little person I haven't met yet, but already love. This was an entirely self-indulgent knit, even though it's a gift for my proto-niece.

The pattern is Baby Sophisticate and it was knit in Plymouth Yarn's Fantasy Naturale Multi in the aptly named "Blue Purple Green" colorway. I didn't change a thing about the pattern, but I did contemplate pockets. Babies totally need pockets.

Since Roo is a summer baby, I worked the 6-12 mos size, so I'm hoping she'll get a lot of wear out of it.
This week's technique:

• The double herringbone stitch (embroidery). In the video below, Ms. Corbet does a fine job of showing how to make a beautiful double herringbone in a sensibly-sized yarn. I learned it from the Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Needlework and I'm using thread a quarter that size and stitches that are much, much smaller. I've always done small stitches because that's how I learned, but if I were to use this stitch again, I'd likely try to do it bigger than what's in Ms. Summer's hanky, just so I could see what I was doing.

I'm also working on:

• Fork in the Road socks in Andey Originals sock yarn - I'm at the toe of sock #1
• Paisley Fabulous DPN case - I have measurements and a plan, I need to iron the fabric and get to cutting

And I'm down to 5 WIPs. I'm sensing a great casting on of things come March.