A truthful New Year

To be entirely truthful - the Palindrome reversible cable scarf did not get finished in December. That makes it the first project of the New Year.

Nico says, "Give me that muffler or I'll bite you!"

It's lovely and warm but rather short so Mr. R. wears it like a muffler (folded) rather than a scarf. I actually used up all the yarn (all 436 yds but doubled) so my only other choice is to sew up a loop on one side and a button on the other. He thought that seemed a little "old man ish" so - we'll see.

The cables are really nice - I recommend this pattern!

I do have an excuse, though. It's hockey season in MN and with tournaments every weekend (OUTDOOR tournaments!) that really cuts down on my knitting time.

8 degrees F.,  two overtimes, a shoot out and - a goal for Youngest Child!

At least the daylight makes for a more pleasant occasion. This past weekend, our first game was a night game.

A chilly chalk talk from Coach Frank.

And I have started my first sweater of 2013 - a Breezy Cardigan from Hannah Fettig. 

It's a top down cardigan with lots of stockinette stitch. As it happens, it looks more like a cowl than a sweater so far. I'm using up some Davidson Domy Heather - this is the never ending yarn. You can use it for anything!

Also since Youngest Child saw my  QuoVadis mittens (I wear them with liners to hockey games), he wanted a pair. Well, I showed him SpillyJane's pattens and he chose . . . 

Owl Mittens. 

Those are queued up with Cascade Yarns fingering in orange and grey to match his coat. So, I've pretty much covered any and all knitting occasions right now.  Time to pick up those sticks!

Waiting for the band

I received a lovely new tensioned Lazy Kate for Christmas and I was spinning away, just getting ready to use it and - bing - the drive band broke. Now, I'm waiting eagerly for my replacement band to arrive and I ran across this poem about Saint Distaff's Day on January 7.

 I thought I would share with you - historically, it was the day after the Christmas festivals ended (the 12 days of Christmas), and most women went back to work with their spinning… but it was also a day of pranks and horsing around.

Saint Distaffs Day, or the morrow after Twelfth day

by Robert Herrick,

Partly worke and partly play
Ye must on S. Distaffs day:
From the Plough soone free your teame;
Then come home and fother them.
If the Maides a spinning goe,
Burne the flax, and fire the tow:
Scorch their plackets, but beware
That ye singe no maiden-haire.
Bring in pailes of water then,
Let the Maides bewash the men.
Give S. Distaffe all the right,
Then bid Christmas sport good-night;
And next morrow, every one
To his owne vocation.

You can also hear 12 lovely versions read on Librivox here!

And, now, I'll go back to my knitting - not spinning, sigh!