Last week, a record warm day, this week snow and a 10+ day run of below normal temperatures.  Everyone says, “This is New England, what do you expect?”  I think, “Yes, but I can hope.”

I am spinning for the Tour de Fleece…

This is 60% merino/30% bamboo (rayon from bamboo)/10% nylon blend roving (aka Panda Top) in a blacks and browns.  I have a plan for this color and yarn to be. I do so love spinning this blend too.  I’m trying to make a heavy worsted yarn so it will probably be a 3-ply.

Spinning time for Stage 12, day 14… about 3 hours throughout the day some watching True Blood and some the live version of Tour de France

I am thinking… I wish I had central air and sleep where I don’t wake up feeling like a freaking super highway ran over me in the middle of the night would be nice.

I am thankful for… the slight breeze?

From the kitchen… very quiet – too hot to cook

I am wearing… plaid shorts and light green top, but I think I will change for later

I am creating… more yarn!

I am going… to bring B to see fireworks tonight

I am reading… I’m still reading The Gate at the Stairs, but I’m progressing!  I brought my mom to a Doctor’s appointment today (She is fine, cataract surgery.) and actually hit a more exciting part of the book. Sad, but a bit faster paced though it is has already slowed again.

I am hoping… for the weather to break (yeah, there is a theme here).  I’m trying to store up the essence of these summer days for later when it is cold and dreary but I would like to be able to walk through my house without sticking to the floor and sit without sticking to the chairs.

I am hearing… B coughing.  She came home from camp with a cough that just keeps lingering.

Around the house… Quiet except for the coughing. J is still in VT, and Dave and K are at field hockey practice.

One of my favorite things… day lilies

Hey – one of these is not the like the other.  Can you see which one?  Click here for close up.

Things are waking up pretty quickly this year.  I can’t even believe the racket going on out my window so very early in the morning lately.  How many different kinds of birds?  There are three that I can identify – the omnipresent crows, the dueling woodpeckers, and the wacky Canada geese, and then all that uninterpretable songbird twittering.   I am sure they are up to something.  World domination possibly?  Everything is progressing so fast this year, I feel like the grass is greener and the trees are fuller with each trip I take back and forth to The School (which can often times be several trips in one afternoon).

This is all is such striking contrast to last year, the year of rain and gloom with rare occasions of sun.

And I love it!

You always hear this talk of the possibility of “an early spring.”  I thought it was a myth.  It hasn’t happened in so long.  Spring used to be my favorite season, a long time ago and lately, I could not remember why, but so far, I like this spring.  It is making me happy.  Busy, but happy.

Oh and I have been busy!  This is the year of what I’m calling our “decade quell*” of living in our “new” house.  I’ve been a bit behind in some of the home maintenance so I’m getting everything done, that needs doing. Ever.  The list includes such fun things as getting the septic pumped and the furnace and chimneys cleaned.  It also includes getting the house and windows washed and anything else serviced that could ever possibly need servicing.  Some of this has been easy, but others are taking a while, especially things that need estimates from more than one person.  I can never decide, but I know I have to choose just one.  I’ve also been doing things too. So far I have scrapped, primed, and  painted all the outdoor trim around the outside doors and window mantels.  I have to say, I think it is starting to look pretty nice.  I wish I had a before photo but I see below for the the after. Let’s just say it wasn’t so clean and white.

I’ve also done tons of yard work, which, of course, is never ending…  Last year we had a ton of stumps pulled and grass seed planted.  I wasn’t sure it would come back as that was in November directly preceding ice, cold, snow, and more ice but it is growing and it is green!  I added some lime and fertilizer today just in time for tomorrow’s April shower.

Next week is finally spring break. I think the girls are ready. They have been so busy lately with homework and sports, but there were a few more smiles tonight; I think in anticipation of at least a few evenings without homework.

We are going to be busy though.  J is off to Bermuda on a school science trip.  K and I are visiting friends in Michigan (travel knitting: Hedera, travel reading: Life of Pi) and Dave and B are going to be home. I hear that he has some fun plans for her (she mustn’t despair!).

I have put my Etsy shop in vacation mode to get ready for these trips and to get this house stuff done as quickly as possible. I have been missing some great dyeing weather, but I just know there will be more to come. My plan is that when I arrive home from Michigan, I will finish up my house stuff as quickly as possible and get back to dyeing. I have some new stuff I want to try and I just can’t wait to submerse myself again.

Thanks for reading and hope you are also having a great spring!

* Yes, I’m going to “ thoroughly overwhelm and reduce [my house] to submission or passivity.”

[Edited to add just for the record:  We had record high temps here in CT yesterday on 4/7/10.  It was 93 in Windsor Locks which was warmer than Florida!  It was in the 80's here and it was nicer than summer!]

The other day, I was gazing out my window and saw these odd little tracks in the snow.

Since it was a cold, blustery day, I thought the tracks looked rather fresh and decided to investigate further.

I put on my coat, my gloves, my scarf, and my hat (all hand-knit of course) and headed out into the wind.

The first thing I noticed was that I was being watched.

Who was that watching me?  Mr. Barred Owl?  Were these his tracks? Was he watching me or did he have his breakfast in sight?

As he quickly became rather intent on something nearby, I gathered it was his next meal.

Whatever had made those tracks better hurry and run for cover lest he become Mr. Barred’s feast of the day.

I walked around my house  closely following the odd little tracks in the snow. Finally, I discovered the creature  not-very-quickly making his get-a-way.  A new one for my yard — definitely a life-lister!

Mr. Penguin!?!  He must have been blown off-course during his annual migration to Florida.  Being stuck in Connecticut with the hungry barred owls doesn’t really look like his idea of a good time, does it?   Mr. Penguin appeared to be very frightened.  He was frozen in his spot and didn’t know what do to next.  I decided to rescue him and carried him inside for a nice hot cup of cocoa.

Mr. Penguin Project details:

Pattern: KnitWhits Stanley Softie by Sonya Philip

Yarn: Louet Riverstone

Needles: Kollage U.S. size 8 – square

Thoughts: I enjoyed knitting Mr. Penguin. I bought all his components at Stitches East.  The KnitWhits booth had kits, but I decided to buy the pattern and the yarn separately as the kits had purple yarn instead of black.  I found the yarn on sale at another booth so the pattern and 3 entire skeins of Louet Riverstone ended up costing about the same as just buying the kit.  I think I can probably make 2 or 3 Mr. Penquins if I so desire.  The square needles seemed to be the *new hot thing* at Stitches East so I treated myself.  They were very nice to knit with and you don’t really even notice that they are square.

The most difficult parts of making Mr. Penguin are sewing on his feet and his making his eyes.  I think his eyes came out okay though I do think he looks a bit worried. But then, who wouldn’t be worried with Mr. Barred watching your every step!

After a few rounds of hot cocoa he is back on his journey south. If you see him, add a splash of Kahlua to his drink to keep him warm — he likes it that way.

June sky: clouds of gray

I wasn’t going to blog about the weather but then I decided that I need to write at least one post for historical information.  I just took this photo out my back door at 7 a.m.  This is pretty much what our sky has looked like everyday this month.  The last day we had a truly sunny morning was June 8.  We did have one morning last week with a couple of breaks in the clouds.  Overall though, dreary has been the predominant theme; sometimes with rain and sometimes with fog.  There has been no severe weather–not really even a scary thunderstorm and certainly no earthquakes, hurricanes, or tornadoes.

I was looking forward to June seeing as each of the previous months didn’t have much good weather to boast about either.  I was ready for really building up my hand-dyed roving inventory.  My plan was to dye at least 3 to 4 days a week.  I think I may have dyed only 2 or 3 times this month! July and August–I’m counting on you!

The weather is not doing much for bringing on the joy of summer vacation either.  Yesterday was the last day of school and it was rather anti-climatic.  It is hard to get excited when you can’t even imagine what it would be like to go swimming or even for a bike ride!  Agent J has had her last 3 softball practices canceled due to rain.  Agent K who has a job picking strawberries keeps coming home waterlogged.  When I talk to my dad every morning, the featured conversation is “yeah, it’s raining again…”  People are running out of clever and sarcastic things to say about the weather on Facebook even!  Sunshine – we need you back!

No sunshine for solar dyeing

Clouds, clouds, clouds...

It has been a long time since I’ve blogged regularly.  Way too long. The weather this spring left so much to be desired, and most days I just didn’t think I could remain upbeat long enough to get through a blog post. But today, today is a good day. The weather is fantastic and I should be outside planting my second flat of marigolds* so this is going to be just an oh-so-quickie post!

So, I bet you can’t guess what I got!!!  Ok, here is a clue:

So, I’m off for now. I’ll try to be back sooner rather than later this time, ok?  Have a great day and if you live in New England, enjoy the weather!

* I always feel like I have to defend my love of marigolds.  Yes, they are ordinary, but they are also wonderful little plants.  They bloom all year, grow well in my yard, few things eat them, and I have just always loved them…

Last Thursday was cold and windy and there were still very, very few signs of spring in my yard. Since then we had a mini heat wave and spring is everywhere!  It is truly a beautiful day!  Not too windy, not too hot, very few clouds, the leaves are starting to come out so everything is covered in a blanket of green haze.  Gorgeous!

We are also on a home maintenance marathon this spring. We are trying to get things done that we should have done 9 years ago like finally getting our water fixed.  Our well water is way too acidic and needs to be neutralized.  Thusly by altering the pH, we must also condition it so it is soft enough for soap to lather.  While acidic water may not be good for copper pipes, it is really good for dyeing wool.  Of couse pH is easily altered with citric acid, so I wasn’t too worried, but I was happy to learn that the netralizer has a bipass valve.  Happy day!

I have some great new yarn and fiber photos to post soon, so stay tuned!  I hope to get back to at least posting once a week as soon as we catch up a bit.  Thanks so much for visiting and have a great day!

I finished my Jaywalkers today! Woot!  After 2 years, it is about time!  My dad was watching my progress on these.  I had been determined to finish them before he came home from Valerie Manor, but he beat me and came home on Tuesday and I didn’t finish my knitting until today.

I wanted to take an “artsy” Jaywalker photo, but I just couldn’t find a really good background so all I have to offer you is this rather silly one. Oh the things we do to display the objects of our obsession.

Happy Spring everyone and have a great weekend!  Guess what I saw on my first day of spring?  Do you remember Rotund the Woodchuck? Well, now I have 2 woodchucks. I saw them out grazing in my field.  I thought that one was possibly a baby though it would be pretty large to be a baby. After reading about woodchucks in Wikipedia, I think they might be a mating pair:

The breeding season extends from early March to mid- or late April, after hibernation. A mated pair remains in the same den throughout the 28-32 day gestation period. As birth of the young approaches in April or May, the male leaves the den. One litter is produced annually, usually containing 2-6 blind, hairless and helpless young. Young groundhogs are weaned and ready to seek their own dens at five to six weeks of age.

What does this mean? That I could possibly have 7 to 8 woodchucks in 6 weeks?  I think it may be best to not put too much effort in my garden this year, don’t you?

There are days when the weather is so bad and it is so gloomy that you think you just can’t take it for another moment, then there are days like today.  Every branch of every tree in my yard is covered in ice.  The sky is blue and the sun is reflecting a million glittering prism rainbows in through my window.  Even a glistening vampire is no contest to the beauty of the winter wonderland out my window.  I’ve tried all the settings on my camera and I still can’t capture the dazzle of it all.

The close-ups come out better – trying to capture the full glistening just disappoints.

It is way prettier than this.  I don’t know if it is that my camera lacks or if it is just not possible to photograph glistening.  I’m almost ready to buy my new dSLR, maybe I’ll find out then.  (I’m also taking camera recommendations if anyone has any…)  I’m pretty sure that once I get one, a class will also be in order.

The birches are bowing. So far we have not lost any trees; we’ve just had some bendies which may or may  not recover.

I just went out to try again and I think what my main problem is that my camera can only show just a small subdued part of all the glitter and sparkle around me.

So my kitten kitten, Mr. Snickerdoodles, is obsessed with my homemade lightbox.  Perhaps it it the rustle of the tracing paper combined with the intriguing shadows from inside, but I do think I’m going to need a new one soon…

Yes, he sliced that hole and the proceeded to try to stick his body through it!  He is a funny one, that Mr. Snickerdoodles.

And lest you think I have forgotten, I do know that today is Frog it or Finish it Friday. I’m off to take the photos now!