No, that’s not me being distracted by a new project. That’s just what it looks like around here.

Here’s the recipe:

First, you have a messy, sleety storm to put down a sheet of ice on anything that wasn’t cleared, salted, or sanded. Allow to rest for two days. Then, have another storm to add an inch or so of snow. Blend rain with sleet and pour over the top. Add massive amounts of wind to polish, and then drop the temperature dramatically to freeze everything solid.

The result is that, while our roads are clear, everything else is completely locked in this slick, smooth, shiny coat of ice. (I drove past a car dealership earlier that looks like it’s not going to be able to move any new models for months . . . literally.) It’s not a deep layer, mind you, but it’s strong and can support a person’s weight without a crack.

It’s really very, very pretty. How often do you get to walk through a world that looks like it’s made from blown glass?

But cold. Did I mention that it’s cold?

There are a couple of new projects in the works, though, but not of the “ooh, shiny!” distraction variety.  The only active knitting project I’ve got going right now (other than the ongoing socks in my purse) is my lace shawl, which is nearing the end. Then, I’m halfway through making a Tudora, which is a nice, quick little knit, and I’m gearing up for my next sweater.

Yes, yes, I know, my Autumn Rose isn’t entirely done since I haven’t finished off her seams, but she’s definitely off the needles, the ends are woven in and that makes her an Alteration project, not a Knitting project any more, so I need a sweater on the needles. And I’ve got the perfect one.

Remember a couple of weeks ago when Silvia posted pictures from the new Phildar book? Well, I fell in love with that cardigan, and Silvia, while an enabler, is a helpful enabler. She bought two copies of the book–thus saving a fair amount of money on the postage from Canada–and is forwarding on my copy. Not only that, but she scanned the pattern and e-mailed it to me so I could get a head start. Can’t complain about that, now, can I?

I’ve got the perfect yarn in my stash, too. At least I hope I do. Eleven skeins of Karabella Aurora 8 in a lovely, dark denim blue. I fully expect my gauge to be different (when is it NOT), but it should be in the ballpark and certainly close enough to be reasonable to tweak the numbers if necessary.

The only question is whether I have enough yardage. Let’s see…Phildar Partner comes 72 yds to a skein, Karabella Aurora 8 comes with 98. The pattern calls for 13 skeins of Parter which is (tap tap tap) 936 yards and I’ve got (tap tap) 1078 yards of Aurora . . . even allowing for (cough) differences of gauge, I think I’m okay, there!

Though . . . drat . . . I just realized that (thanks to Silvia’s scan that I should have looked at more carefully before I picked up the needles) I should have done my gauge swatch with 1×1 rib, not stockinette stitch. Oops!

• Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning, Weather • Permalink:Ooh, Shiny! // 10 Comments »