Bunny catching some rays!

dec28_2008 005
Originally uploaded by fiberbrarian

Look what I saw when I opened my curtains this morning: A bunny, soaking up some rays! Obviously a very smart bunny, resting its back against a black rubber heat-attracting tire. (And his brilliance was reinforced by the fact that he took off when my neighbor showed up to get in her car.)

Post celebration shock. Or maybe it's mid-celebration befuddlement. There's so much to do and yet it's intersession - aren't we all supposed to be on vacation, taking life easy?

It's beginning ...

Christmas - front window/yard
Originally uploaded by fiberbrarian
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Snow and lights and cold. (and somebody's bike on the front porch)

I'm on vacation - just stopping in to empty the camera and check e-mail/Ravelry.

Not too much going on outside ... can you see my new green extention cord? The car LUVS being plugged in! Starts right off. And I love the lime green cord. Makes me happy just looking at it.











I'm sending off a big box to Macuwita sni today. Here's the contents:

17 hats, 7 mittens, and 1 scarf. I had hoped to find someplace to send them in North Dakota, but it's getting too late and too cold to hold out for preferences! These knits want to warm someone - NOW!

Off to the post office ....

Christmas knitting

I am spurred to write this because of the Yarn Harlot's annual I've got the Christmas knitting undercontrol post. This year's Unstoppable was posted Monday, Dec. 1...basically spitting into the wind.

My holiday knitting plan is different. I knit - and then decide who gets the item. A very simple solution. This comes from many years spent laboring over hand-quilted, -sewn, -crocheted, and -knitted gifts that have been treated as if they were bought at WalMart.* I admit to several post-holiday times when I'd find my carefully made item in the kids' toy box or under a plant or somehow in harm's way. It took me years to finally realize and accept that most people mean well - but they have been raised in a throw-away society.

We'll buy another one later.

And when they see all the cheap handmade items in the stores (and don't see all the poorly paid labor that went into making them) no wonder they don't respect my gifts! I'm not holding myself up as someone beyond this mentality! I can be just as wasteful as the next guy. But I am learning. And I am drawing a line.

This year's holiday knitting goes to afghans for Afghans and Macuwita Sni (South Dakota).

And maybe I should start thinking about my New Year's resolutions -

• be more public in my knitting/quilting/spinning
• start teaching these arts and crafts
  

Maybe. We'll see. In the meantime, I need to get some boxes packed and shipped off! Good luck, Yarn Harlot!

*NB: I do have a few people (only one of which is a Muggle, though) that appreciate and respect my labor. They've been known to get a present or two from me.

HolidaySwap 2008 from OzKnitter!

HolidaySwap 2008 from OzKnitter!
Originally uploaded by fiberbrarian

Here's the open box from OzKnitter that arrived on MY BIRTHDAY (!) November 22, 2008. Part of the HolidaySwap on Ravelry, we agreed to open only one present before Christmas. OK was nice enough to include some unwrapped snacks, too. The top left shows a magazine of beautiful food and tables. The silver envelope includes my card and ornaments. ORNAMENT PIX COMING!

Why did we agree to wait??? LOL

First frost on the car = First day of winter

First frost on the car = First day of winter. Or at least the slippery slope is viewable.

I hate scratching car windows. Brrrrr. A shiver of (negative) anticipation just went through me: shin deep in snow, trudging a path to the car. Starting the engine, hearing that annoying beeping sound as I leave the car running and get out to start scratching. Swearing, realizing I've got the wrong mittens on. (Yes, I actually have HUGE ungainly mittens for scratching. Warm but so bulky that I can't drive in them. Perfect for scratching.) Annoying dinging again as I dig inside the car for 'ice-scratching' mittens. Ding ding ding ding ding. (Like I don't know the car door is open.) Ding ding ding ding.

This is the about the only thing I don't like about winter -- scratching the car windows enough to be able to drive to work.

Because the first frost also means that I can put out the bird feeders and the suet thing. And only 66 days until Christmas! Plus this weekend I saw a gorgeous sugar maple just a few blocks away. And I saw a special display of lefse makers at a department store this weekend, too! And lights are starting to show up in windows.

That's one of the nice things about winter darkness - seeing lights in the windows. They are especially sparkly in the cold frosty winter air.

NOW I'm starting to remember what I luv about winter.

Summer happened - and back to winter!

Fake Isle in progress - October 2008
Originally uploaded by fiberbrarian

This is something I'm working on. The materials were a surprise gift from my friend Cyndi. The great thing about this pattern is that it lets the yarn do the work.

Snowy Saturday of spring break

Chester Fritz Library - March 8, 2008
Originally uploaded by fiberbrarian

Here is my Saturday picture. I've seen some of the blogs of the Saturday picture group. So nice to see a snapshot of the world on one day! I don't want to be that organized, but I carried my camera with me yesterday on campus. This is a view of Chester Fritz Library during a little snowstorm (officially 2.4", surely seems like more) on the last Saturday of Spring Break. All is quiet in this part of the world.