The Tour de France will start next Saturday and Versus (the TV channel) is having a preview tonight at 6pm. Just viewing their web site brings the wonderful voice of Bob Roll. Can't wait to hear Phil Liggett (sp), too! They seem un-fluffable, so when they get excited on air - you know it's important!
With the Tour de France comes the Tour de Fleece. And we've got another great group of North Border Spinners on the Ravelry TdF. We're missing a few states and provinces but we've got an even bigger crew than last year. The North Border team was formed last year of the states and provinces along the Canada-U.S. border. It should also be the South Border Team, so maybe next year we should rename ourselves the NorthSouth Border Team. Or not.
I was so excited about the four minute day in February; we've had our first 'minus one minute day' this season. Happened a few days ago. The sun went from rising at 5:29am to 5:30am. Not a huge change but it was momentous. We're now hanging around that time with no changes but the slide has started. No earthly way around it. The days will begin their shortening routine.
My foray into raw fleece continues. I got 1# of Polwarth a month ago, washed it. Combed a bit, spun it, and found lots of bumps. A fellow guild member checked it - second cuts. Plus gave me some hints on combing. (Use the dog combs to flick out stuff rather than the handcombs.) I've continued the odyssey - expanding it a bit - and now have 3# of Cormo raw fleece. Sitting here next to me, smelling of eau d'sheep and begging to be washed. First things first, which means the diss. Maybe tonight during the TdF preview show. That'd be a good time, I think.
Off to the diss. TdF tonight. And more rain on the horizon. Good - cuz you can't have too much rain! (NOT!) But - it'll make weeding so much easier. (That's as good as I can get for the glad game today since the humid air is gushing through the open windows. But - the windows are open! I remember all those winter days when I wished for open windows and fresh air. Good grief. Even more Pollyanna!)
ps - I'm not really liking this new Blogspot template. Need to rethink it. AFTER THE DISS.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
4-minute day!
I never really thought about the fact that we gain/lose time each day as we go through the celestial cycle. And up North - we can gain or lose FOUR MINUTES per day! Pretty astounding. So today is the first four minute day that I've noticed so far this season - that's four extra minutes of daylight.
And today was one of those stunningly beautiful winter days that are picture postcards, ending with huge floofy snow flakes. Just gorgeous.
Plus - it's the beginning of the Olympics! The torch lighting is tonight - and from my out-of-country vantage, the buzz in Canada seems to be "Who will light the torch?" Whoever it will be - what an honor!
And if it's the beginning of the Olympics - it's also the beginning of the Knitting Olympics. I will knit a pair of Oh Canada mittens - and finish the data collection and entering for my dissertation. Plenty to do in the next few weeks.
Citius Altius Fortius !
And today was one of those stunningly beautiful winter days that are picture postcards, ending with huge floofy snow flakes. Just gorgeous.
Plus - it's the beginning of the Olympics! The torch lighting is tonight - and from my out-of-country vantage, the buzz in Canada seems to be "Who will light the torch?" Whoever it will be - what an honor!
And if it's the beginning of the Olympics - it's also the beginning of the Knitting Olympics. I will knit a pair of Oh Canada mittens - and finish the data collection and entering for my dissertation. Plenty to do in the next few weeks.
Citius Altius Fortius !
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
Winter morning
Beautiful beautiful morning. Cold (-9F), but it's February. Unofficially the last month of winter. Unofficially because it's my definition of winter, but here's the logic: March can be all over the board. March could bring blizzards or unseasonably warm temperatures. February? It's going to be cold. Very very sunny but cold and wintery.
The Olympics start this week - and life will be perfect for a few weeks! One of the many nice things about living up North is being able to get both US and Canada's TV stations. So I'll be watching the big ceremonies on NBC (US) and the actual events on CBC (Canada). Curling! Skeleton! Luge! Speed skating! Snowboarding! Downhill - moguls - and what's that one where you ski forever then shoot at targets then ski some more?! What a sport!
And the Winter Olympics means The Knitting Olympics. I cannot believe it was only four years ago that I first heard of The Yarn Harlot. Her crazy idea of getting knitters around the world to knit together during the Olympic games - it'll never catch on! HA! Life has changed wildly since then so it's a nice moment to slow down and reflect on the great power of working together, of having a common purpose and common activity.
It's winter - the sun is blindingly beautiful and brilliant. What a day.
The Olympics start this week - and life will be perfect for a few weeks! One of the many nice things about living up North is being able to get both US and Canada's TV stations. So I'll be watching the big ceremonies on NBC (US) and the actual events on CBC (Canada). Curling! Skeleton! Luge! Speed skating! Snowboarding! Downhill - moguls - and what's that one where you ski forever then shoot at targets then ski some more?! What a sport!
And the Winter Olympics means The Knitting Olympics. I cannot believe it was only four years ago that I first heard of The Yarn Harlot. Her crazy idea of getting knitters around the world to knit together during the Olympic games - it'll never catch on! HA! Life has changed wildly since then so it's a nice moment to slow down and reflect on the great power of working together, of having a common purpose and common activity.
It's winter - the sun is blindingly beautiful and brilliant. What a day.
Friday, January 29, 2010
An Experiment
I have spun, plied, and knit with Frabjous Fibers before. This time I decided to try to keep the colorway intact as I plied...and I also wanted to see what the natural order of the fiber's colors would do. So I created this little experiment/ensemble: mitts/hat in plied yarn, scarf in singles (garter stitch).
I think the experiment is a success. The singles indicate what the colors look like straight from the BFL fiber braid; the plied indicates what the plied/mixed version looks like. I just plied the singles together - I did no special plying (i.e. navajo) to try to keep the colors more tightly within the colorway.
Pretty!
I think the experiment is a success. The singles indicate what the colors look like straight from the BFL fiber braid; the plied indicates what the plied/mixed version looks like. I just plied the singles together - I did no special plying (i.e. navajo) to try to keep the colors more tightly within the colorway.
Pretty!
Monday, January 25, 2010
My favorite tree survived!
A blizzard this time. We had two days of 34 degree weather with rain, sleet, and freezing rain. Snow and high winds were forecast for last night and I didn't know if 'my' tree would survive. There it was when I looked out today!
I tried to catch the blowing snow with the camera but that didn't work. The temp is low; the wind is high. I-29 is closed up and down the state. Not pretty out. Well, it is pretty as long as you're inside and don't think ahead to the shoveling that'll be required soon.
January is almost over. Much as I love winter - this one has already been too long!
I tried to catch the blowing snow with the camera but that didn't work. The temp is low; the wind is high. I-29 is closed up and down the state. Not pretty out. Well, it is pretty as long as you're inside and don't think ahead to the shoveling that'll be required soon.
January is almost over. Much as I love winter - this one has already been too long!
Friday, January 01, 2010
Happy New Year!
It is a stunningly beautiful (and cold) day in North Dakota. Temps will remain below zero all day and drop dramatically tonight. But we're safe and warm and inside, napping like cats in the sun.
Black eyed peas are about to boil. New Year's dinner will soon be prepared. LSU is ahead of Penn State but only by one point. The outside hockey game in Boston was great. Only would've been better if it had snowed.
A great day for the beginning of a great year.
Happy New Year! Happy 2010, World!
Black eyed peas are about to boil. New Year's dinner will soon be prepared. LSU is ahead of Penn State but only by one point. The outside hockey game in Boston was great. Only would've been better if it had snowed.
A great day for the beginning of a great year.
Happy New Year! Happy 2010, World!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Christmas (and New Year's Eve) 2009
That's my car. The white one. In the snowdrift. Several more hours (and inches) of snow followed this picture.
It took me a couple of days and the strong back of a neighbor's son who helped push the stuck car, but I got it dug out Monday night. Actually drove it to work Tuesday morning. Intersections are so piled with snow that seeing oncoming or entering traffic is tricky. The city works director says it will take four to five snowless weeks to get the streets cleared to their full width.
25.1" of snow. Crazy.
When is spring going to arrive? I've gotten my federal tax forms. I've been getting emails from Burpee. (BTW: Their new zinnias - Jazzy Mix - look great. Yellows. Reds. Bright colors. NOT WHITE!)
But. With all my whining. It is gorgeous. There was a sun dog this afternoon as I drove to Target to get ingredients for my new invention: home made pizza! I haven't gotten the whole recipe figured out, but so far: fresh mozzarella, fennel seed, artichoke hearts, spinach, and garlic naan as the pizza bread. So far so good! Oh. And black eye peas. Gotta have black eye peas for New Year's Day!
Happy New Year!
Rabbit, rabbit!
It took me a couple of days and the strong back of a neighbor's son who helped push the stuck car, but I got it dug out Monday night. Actually drove it to work Tuesday morning. Intersections are so piled with snow that seeing oncoming or entering traffic is tricky. The city works director says it will take four to five snowless weeks to get the streets cleared to their full width.
25.1" of snow. Crazy.
When is spring going to arrive? I've gotten my federal tax forms. I've been getting emails from Burpee. (BTW: Their new zinnias - Jazzy Mix - look great. Yellows. Reds. Bright colors. NOT WHITE!)
But. With all my whining. It is gorgeous. There was a sun dog this afternoon as I drove to Target to get ingredients for my new invention: home made pizza! I haven't gotten the whole recipe figured out, but so far: fresh mozzarella, fennel seed, artichoke hearts, spinach, and garlic naan as the pizza bread. So far so good! Oh. And black eye peas. Gotta have black eye peas for New Year's Day!
Happy New Year!
Rabbit, rabbit!
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