Steady as she goes

I've been knitting on and off for the last week on two different, yet enjoyable projects. The first is this green Fern Lace Mohair Shrug from Ewetopia Yarn Shop. It's more of a mohair cocoon. First, you knit a central lace panel -

then, you pick up along the edges and knit two sleeves.

I've finished one sleeve and gotten about  halfway down the other.

It's mohair lace weight on size 13 needles so it has been going along quite quickly. And it feels so warm! I think it will be just the thing for wearing to hockey games.

When I don't want to be covered in fuzzy mohair bits, I'm working on a Lopi sweater for Youngest Child. It's a bit of a competition, you see. A "try something new" competition between friends.

GFMelissa is knitting an Evelyn A. Clark shawl design (the Prairie Rose Lace Shawl) and I am knitting a Lopi sweater.

The Hans sweater was meant to be knit in Monet blue but that color has been discontinued. Luckily, the ladies at Lila and Claudine's were able to help me find a substitute red/burgandy.

Outside of the knitting world, life in MN has been pretty quiet. Although a gang of us did give geo-caching a try last week in Como Park.

We found a fun peanut butter jar sized parcel which we checked out and returned. 

Hail the prize hunting crew!

Big city or small city?

As a belated anniversary present, my husband and I took a quick trip to New York City this past weekend.

We had a lovely time, walking and shopping and eating, visiting museums and seeing a Broadway show (Warhorse!) and even hitting up some yarn shops - Knitty City and The Yarn Company. 

A real highlight was this view from the top of the Empire State Building.

That little blue area? The skating rink at Rockefeller Center!

And then we came back to catch the last game of Youngest Child's outside Mite's hockey tournament.

Mite hockey tournament at Phalen Recreation Center in Saint Paul

It was just such a wonderful juxtaposition of winter experiences. 

I am starting another project that is a juxtaposition of sorts - the Teknika conductive thread glove pattern from Knitty.com. The pattern calls for a solid yarn and a crazy, multi colored yarn and these are my picks:

CascadeYarn's Heritage sock yarn in mustard

Schoppel Wolle's Crazy Zauberball #1701

Yes, I'm still thinking about a Drapey Tam for Oldest Daughter and I really just need to tidy up some finishing on my Turn of the Glass cardigan but this just looks lively and fun! Now, remind me of that in about a month!

I'm also participating in Knittymama's Monthly Apparel project (make something to wear every month!) and the Craftsy.com's Block of the Month quilting project , so it's time to get to work!

Spring, sprang, sprung . . .

Everyone's talking about spring. Mostly about where it went!

Yesterday, I picked up Youngest Daughter's bike from my neighborhood bike shop, Omnium Bike Shop. We'd refurbished an old bike for her; a beaut we'd bought back in Pennsylvania.

This is that fence today. I was really hoping for a spin to break in Youngest Daughter's new ride!

On the knitting front,  I've been working bit by bit on the Turn of the Glass pattern.

I thought this little guy might give my knitting some perspective.

I'm willing to have a knitting intern if he can keep my gauge.

Don't worry - I do wash them before I give them away!

This last Saturday Seven was simply a matter of cleaning up - a fleece blanket, jeans, pants,  3 shirts and a wool skirt. I have a new policy in place - if something has been lying on the floor for weeks, out it goes. So far, nobody has batted an eyelash over this . . . grrr.

Knitter's Delight

(With appreciation and credit to http://www.wordle.net/.)

I've been having more fund than I should on the Internet this morning. Now, it's time to get over to the gym for swimming. If Ladybug can do it, so can I!