Best laid plans....

I think I used that title before.... But still, I planned on not starting any more projects. I really did. Then, life happened.... In the form of snow. We're into full winter here. Lots of the white stuff falling...blowing around into drifts. Which is a good thing, as far as my opinion about Christmas. I know, in the southern hemisphere, there isn't snow at Christmas time. And I know, in places like Mexico and other warm places, there isn't snow at Christmas time. But still, I guess I'm a romantic - I like the images of sleighs and snow and snowmen, and white puffy stuff on trees. And houses with smoke curling out of the chimney....

Anyway .... There is a drawback, of course. In order to have that white soft fluffy stuff, it needs to be cold. I don't like cold. And, even though those picture-postcard images always have nice clear walkways and rutted lanes.... somehow, the snow just doesn't ever seem to co-operate and not fall on walkways and lanes and roads and such... So, one needs to shovel. Or use a snowblower. Which is what DH did this weekend in our yard. And came in the house in pain - - - his store-bought mittens just didn't cut it against the icy winds....

So, I started knitting him some nice warm mittens. Double knit style. I've been wanting to do that for a while now. I'm chicken scratching out my directions, and with a little luck, will get them typed up soon. I hope.... So, I haven't done much work on the crocheted tree skirt, though. Or on any of the socks.... but I took pictures this morning anyway. Now, I need to try to describe something here. On our camera (and I'm sure many of you "pros" with digital cameras don't need to read this bit, but for those who want to learn) we have various settings for different conditions. Among them, there is a couple of night settings. I learned the hard way - well, someone told me about it but long after the fact - that you pretty much need a tripod or something solid, or a super steady hand, because it is like a long exposure, and if you don't hold the camera very super still, you get a fuzzy picture. So anyway, I've discovered that there is a night people picture setting - which you don't need quite such a steady hand as the regular night setting, and a candle light setting. Now, the candlelight setting is a good one for the low light indoors - BUT - it distorts the colour somewhat. The people at night setting is good, but again, it takes some time, and needs some steadyness. Of course, you've seen my efforts there, with some of the slightly fuzzy pictures I've been sharing.

One of the other interesting things - when it takes the picture, I have the view screen on the back to set up the shot, and it blacks that out, it flicker-flashes the light, then it tells me on the viewscreen, "capturing", then "processing". Now, the other interesting part.... Well, remember a picture I did a few months ago, of the flying squirrel? Well, the same kind of thing happened there - while it was "capturing", the squirrel moved, and for some reason, it came out as a ghost image. Other times, I get something like this:

That is a lovely picture of Mica's collar. It was supposed to be a lovely picture of the mitten.... That was what I saw in the viewscreen before it went all black....

This is a blurry sample, too....I was anxious not to get a second picture of Mica, so I kind of moved a little.....

I guess then, I should do some of the better pictures of the mitten. Outside view, inside view, and from the top.... it is hard to see exactly how I do the double knitting, when I'm not actually doing it, but it is the two yarns together method- first knit a stitch with one yarn, then move both yarns forward ready to purl, and purl the next stitch with the second colour, move them both back to knit, use the first colour again.... Every so often, (or as the pattern demands, so you can make pictures) you switch which colour you knit or purl with. This makes it look interesting, as well as anchors the two halves (colour a and colour b, in this case dark grey and light grey) together. Otherwise, you could make a pocket using this method, or (with a slightly different starting method) two socks at the same time, one inside the other.

Now for the basket weave sock. I really really really like this yarn. I know, I've told you before, but it is from a grab bag from Ram Wools. I just hope that they start carrying this yarn on a regular basis - Um, yeah, like I need to buy more sock yarn.... or any yarn.... or.... But I love this colourway, and I love the feel of the yarn. I'm dragging my heels (sorry, no pun intendend) on knitting these socks, because I know I've committed in my head to making them for DH. I keep reminding myself that the second grab bag I bought, I'll make the socks for me... it's a blue yarn. I haven't been able to keep up with every grab bag - between them selling out fast, me not getting to the store, and not much spare cash anyway... But, if they carry the yarn as a regular item, then I can get to pick the colours that I want to, when it is convenient to me. :)


Now, that tree skirt thing. I'm not sure why the colour didn't come out good on the skirt picture - I know, it is still small, still "in progress" after all, and besides it is for a table top tree, and doens't need to be huge - but the picture of the yarn with label is more of the true colour.










Well.... That's the post and picture sharing for today. I keep thinking of really cool stuff that I want to vent about or wax poetic about or blog about in the evenings, or at bedtime, or during the day when I am out doing errands, but by morning - all I can think about is sharing my craft stuff. Oh, well.... Maybe one of these days....I'll talk about something more interesting.... :) Ok, maybe not "more interesting", but at least, more diverse.