Springtime in Vermont

Ha, ha, just kidding. It might be springtime elsewhere, but here it's mud season. Oh, and ice season. Pictures from this afternoon:

It's a good day for staying in and huddling under a blanket, like Sophie:

It's also a good day for knitting. And guess what: I have finished the sleeves on my husband's handspun sweater. I have now learned why consistent spinning is important, especially in a garment with symmetrical elements. My first sleeve was fine but my second sleeve, from a bulkier skein, revealed a slight problem at the cuff:

I have since re-knit the second sleeve and moved onto the body. The sleeves are still not exactly identical, but I figured if my husband's not perfect, his sweater doesn't need to be either. I love the way the yarn is knitting up, at any rate.

I have also started my March socks. These will be boring because (a) I want to focus on this sweater and (b) I had to drop down to a size 0 needle to get my Colonial Superwash at a gauge I liked. I have no interest in knitting a challenging sock on 0s right now. I'm going top-down this time, but I'm still using magic loop.

I'm using two of my own hand-dyed skeins from my "factory seconds" pile. Both skeins had imperfections in them, but thanks to the magic of knitting, neither seems to be showing any faults in the knitted product itself. I'm going to do a checkerboard on the heel flap and a purple toe to match the cuff. (Purple and green. I'm so predictable.)

Yesterday morning was mild and sunny, and the brief taste of spring prompted the turkeys to take their first trip across the road in months. They complained loudly the whole time my husband was marching them back across our front yard.

In my spare time I've been mostly working as office manager/bookkeeper for my husband's business, which I have started to realize sucks up a lot more of my time than I give it credit for. In addition to the usual weekly bid-typing, bill-paying, and payroll stuff, this was tax-appointment week. Everything went fine but the whole concept of taxes and accounting always gives me a stomach ache and generally made me nervous and jerky all of Thursday. I am really not a numbers kind of girl. Thank God for Quickbooks.

In other news, I finished painting my stepson's room and his bed. Now I'm onto end tables and dresser and then I'll be pretty much done. (Hmm. At the current pace, that will be June.)

Milo continues to be evil.

There is one saving grace to his general love-you/chew-you demeanor, however.

As much as he'd like to eat us, limb by limb, he can't fight one fatal flaw:

He's easily distracted.

Comments

[--Deb]

Sophie definitely had the right idea!

[michelle]

Oooh, I'm just getting ready to sit and knit now, No ice here just lots and lots of rain. Glad to see your back to normal - I got the strangest feeds from you the other day, stuff from the London paper?

[sappmama]

That Milo!

[Mike]

Ha, Milo reminds me of my George - absolutely lovable one minute, drawing blood the next, with the attention span of a turnip.

[Cynthia]

Your yarn for your husband's sweater has been haunting me for days. I have some of the same color marled that has been begging for something...I think it is destined for some deep blue dye after seeing how gorgeous yours is.

[Teyani]

Your handspun sweater for hubby is looking fabulous! I, too, have knit a bunch recently with my handspun - and find it totally satisfying. Can't wait to see more photos :-)

love your "seconds" sock too - do you ever offer those in your shop? Those one of a kind beauties are such fun.
wishing you a rapid thaw and crocus soon.

[lindy]

There's something amusing about a man out walking his turkey's!
Milo just keeps getting bigger.

[Jessie]

I miss you when you don't blog. I realize how busy you are but it's so nice to hear from you. The way your animals relate to your hubby reminds me of exactly how mine relate to my hubby. They bite him, not me. I get to take the photos. And the sweater looks lovely! I'm sure he'll adore it. Keep warm up there and keep in touch.

[jackie]

Your spring looks like mine! Without the cool ice sculptures. Right now, we are getting what is trying to be snow, but it's not quite making it. I am so looking forward to warm days and sidewalks that are clear!

[Samantha]

milo looks and acts just like mycat! I love the way the sweater's turning out!

[lisa]

Springtime? Well, we've noticed it coming here too... the buds on some of the trees look just a tad brighter. You have to reach for it when there's so much snow still (we seem to have more than you, based on the pics from your yard). My tax feelings?, I'd rather sit on a nest of ants, with no pants on... And Quickbooks? HATE 'em! But that's because we have to charge all our time to a huge list of activities and accounts, and I am only sure where to charge about half of my time... some the rest goes to unbillable, but I need permission for that...so I'm usually months behind... grumble grumble grumble... I know folks that use it for their own small businesses like it though.

[aimeed]

Jessie, I laughed heartily when you mentioned spinning consistantly. Not at you, but with you. I'm battling that same demon as I work on a vest for Keith. It seems I'm better suited to small spinning projects, like socks. It's not that I'm more consistant then, but just that I don't have as long to get farther and farther from the goal. Your spring looks remarkably like ours.

[Debb]

The sweater is awesome. Sending good vibes for knitting all that lovely handspun. Magic Loop became my favorite sock/mitten technique three years ago. I'd love to show you how to work both socks, at the same time, on one (40 or 47") needle. Is it quicker...no, but the socks are much more similar and finished at the same time.

[Helen *****]

Lovely lovely ice. Lovelier still for not being on my driveway.
Lovely lovely "reject" yarns. Less lovely for not being in my stash. (So, is there a Piece of Vermont Seconds club that would let those of us with small Stash Enhancement budgets acquire PoV seconds yarns?)
Silly silly turkeys. Haven't they learned from the Peacocks? Or is it, perhaps that they learned too much from the peacocks?
Adorable cat, whom I am eager to meet.
(written by would-be spinner who is in awe of anyone who can spin a whole sweaters worth)

[Carol]

Predictable or not, the sock is fabulous! So is the sweater! Milo still cracks me up, though he has turned into quite the handsome cat.

[Laura]

hehe Milo.

Sorry for your frigid weather - how do you feel about size 0 for socks?! I'm a 1.5 kind of girl, really. I had to drop down to 0's for a pair of socks to fit my 2yo and still cast on the same number as I do on socks for myself in "normal" sock yarn. ha What's normal? I'm about to destash anything that I think will make me have to use 0's to get a decent fabric! Well... or I'll put it in a "to become a shawl" pile! :)

[Mary]

I know the ice is painful, and I wasn't exactly excited about hacking away at my car for 30 minutes to get enough off to not get pulled over while driving to work this morning...but isn't it just gorgeous? The ice covering the trees is just breathtaking around sunset.

[Julie]

One thing I learned about a biting cat is to never pull away. Instead push your hand that he is biting towards him. He won't like it. If you do this consistently he will stop because it isn't fun anymore. He will find something else to do to entertain himself. But will probably be just about as annoying to you!

[Bea]

Ahh the memories of our biting cat that Milo brings back for me! Including the cat scratch fever (it's a real sickness!) The pictures of the ice are amazing, as beautiful as it is, I hope you guys get some spring weather soon!

[margene]

You make ice look like art work and your handspun looks so good knit up!

[JessaLu]

Your over dye for the sweater turned out gorgeous! (it's almost like you dye stuff on a regular basis or something...hehe) ;o)

[Time and Attendance]

HR Capitalist- "Allen, we try and be as flexible as we can on the attendance front. It seems like your manager has been very flexible. She's tried to coach you on at least 5 occasions, and the formal counseling you received reflects 15 instances of you reporting to work late, from 10 minutes to 3 hours depending on the episode."