Snow Day

Compared to what we had in Newfoundland last week, this is nothing... but I guess here in Ottawa this is considered a bad storm. It's not horrendous outiside, but it was enough to shut down the schools and snarl the transit system this morning. Since I have plenty of reading and marking that I can do from home today, I decided to declare it a snow day rather than stand around waiting for delayed buses while having my face pummeled with ice pellets.

Here's the progress photo of the now very belated birthday sweater that I promised:


That's the front and back and slightly more than half a sleeve. It's not blocked yet, so I expect the cable ribbing to open out quite a bit. It's very stretchy, so I think it will fit well.

I've also been playing with Kool Aid dyeing again. This is a 2 oz skein of really soft vintage Bernat Nylo-germantown (50% wool, 50% nylon):

It used to be a really ugly light grey colour called Sky Mist. I should have taken a picture. It was truly awful. Anyway, this shade (only slightly darker than in the photo) is the result from two packets of tropical punch, one grape, and one cherry. After a few Kool Aid experiments, I've come to learn that you really can't have too much pigment, unless maybe you're going for pastels. I like vibrant colours, so I consider this my best result yet. I was worried that the nylon wouldn't take the colour as well as the wool, but it's actually really even. I'm not sure what I'll use this for, but at least it has now moved from unusable stash to usable stash!

Thanks for your encouragement with the Swallowtail Shawl, especially to Leanne who left me several helpful hints from her experiences. I was planning to run a lifeline after the rosebud lace section. And I will take the hint and add a few stitch markers when I get there. Good to know.

Marianne asked about the Regia sock needles. Here's a link to a photo of them. They're 6 inches long and come with cute rubber point protectors. I think they're made of aluminum, but they're got a nice smooth coating that slides well. They seem pretty sturdy, but then I'm used to knitting my socks mostly on bamboo. I like them enough that I may buy them in another size or two. I've been coveting the Lantern Moon polished wood dpns lately, but I'm a little put off by the $30+ price tag.

At the moment my carpel tunnel problem is acting up, so no more knitting or typing for me today. Back to my reading.