The 5-year-plan sweater

Hello Nancy and Jeni.  I'm happy to report a major (in my mind) achievement - I've finally knit an adult sweater - and it's for ME!  I didn't mean it to be a 5-year-plan sweater - but this picture of it in process was taken in February of 2007 BGS (Before Grad School).  I must have been knitting on it for awhile.

In progress at Copperwood Court - 2 houses and 4 years ago.

I think what inspired me to finish it was finishing another piece of knitting that had been languishing for several months - Nancy Woodruff's small shawl.

Finishing that inspired me to get out this huge project.  Since it's all knit in one piece, you have to carry the whole thing around.  It's all garter stitch from Sally Melville's The Knit Stitch.  I've knit a few things from that book - scarves, and a poncho for Katie (I'll have to get a picture of that).  Ok, I'll just post some pictures of it now, because Elliot is starting to pace back in forth right under my nose, giving me an unwanted mustache of loose cat hair.  Mmmphht!

In progress in June - Elliot approves.

Bonus: you get to see the vertebra from the Bowhead Whale.

Home at Last

I got home about 6:30 last night. It sure felt good to be here. I was surprised at how green it is. When I left we had hardly any rain for a month, but now Jim says they have been having rain since I left.

Before I left I took some pictures of views I like at 4425.

The east window in the morning. It is a favorite sight for me with the tree Dad planted shading it.

The clivia plant in the front bedroom with TWO blooms. This is the most open one in the sunlight.

and Mary, computing in the 'sitting room'.

And finally, one of the two things I absconded with. The first one was the yellow stretchy exercise band. I got caught on that one. This one has remained undetected.

Someone had started to use one of them for dishwashing. I am going to use it for its intended purpose. The FACE!

Love,

Nancy

Knitting and one other thing

Dear Nancy

Yess, I want to try the mitten recipe. And right now I'm making a hat that will need mittens to go with it.

I knit at Knit 'N Needle today - here's what the space looks like:

except it was crowded with 3 knitters and Aimee, who owns the shop. One of the knitters was finishing her first-ever project: a hat. And all of us got excited about it.

Anyway, I'm knitting the Maltese Fisherman's Hat from Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitter's Almanac. It's a goofy looking hat - maybe that's why I like it. I'm using up some of the silk-mohair stuff you bought eons ago on sale from Lee Ward's, mixed in with some Noro. They're nice and soft and FAT together, between 5 and 6 stitches for every TWO inches. That's fat.

I did a bunch of other errands today, and one other thing. Here's Amanda with a clue:

Lots of love, Mary