The Rain in Maine

falls mostly on the Coast! Snow all around us, but bare ground here. It poured, and the wind howled, and if it had been snow we would be buried. Instead the sun is actually trying to come out and the ground is bare. It's a little scary to think what March may have in store for us!






I won a Ravelympics Gold Medal for my baby kimono - the pattern
is from Mason/Dixon Knitting, and the hat pattern is from Last Minuted Knitted Gifts. The yarn is Sugar N' Cream Stripes.
Also received gold medals in the Stash Dance for my Sunray neck scarf and WIP Dance for my sister's shawl. (photos in previous posts).

On the needles and hooks: A felted Easter basket and a crochet bunny to go in it.

On the bookshelf: I just finished a perfectly delightful book, "Aunt Dimity's Death" by Nancy Atherton and enjoyed it so much I've already ordered the next in the series.
I'm currently reading "Perfect Match" by Jodi Picoult. Like most of her books, tugs at the heartstrings. And I'm listening to "Weekend Warriors" by Fern Michaels, where in the tradition of The First Wives Club, an angry group of women take the law into their own hands.

Knitting, Unlike Life......

Knitting, unlike life, can be ripped out and started all over again the next day.

And...crocheting is even easier to rip out! I finished another "Sister's Shawl" by Lisa Gentry - this one in KnitPicks Comfy Worsted, Flamingo. It's a really soft yarn and I love the color. I really didn't do much ripping out on this one since it is the third one I have made I pretty much have the pattern down! Hope the sister this one is for loves it too! There is a surprise on the front so I won't show it for now.

Also reached the finish line in one of the Ravelympics Events I'm doing - the Stash Compulsary Dance - This is the Sunray neck warmer in a herringbone pattern that I have never done before. I debated putting buttons on it but decided it would be fun to change out the pin, since I have quite a collection of pins.

Ravelympics

I'm entering the Stash Compulsory Jump on Team Whoduknit in the Ravelympics and have finally decided on my project and yarn I dug out this great vintage yarn, given to me by a friend. It's 100% wool in a Natural color. The project will be a neck warmer scarf called Sunray in a diagonal herringbone stitch. The idea is to Cast On during the opening ceremonies and to knit the project while watching the Olympics, finishing up by the Closing Ceremonies.

I've been doing more crocheting lately. This is called Earth and Sun by Lisa Gentry and is the February Contest Project on the Lisa Gentry Ravelry Group. It's meant to be a baby blanket, but I think it will become a lapghan for me instead. It's crocheted with some more of the vintage wool gifted to me (thanks again Roni!).

Six more weeks of winter?

If only! I'm afraid it will be more than that for us! The weather has been freezing, and it is snowing again today. Since I'm not a skier, snowmobiler or other winter sport enthusiast - what do I do to get through the winter - knit and read of course!

I knit up this little bear sweater for one of Tori's build-a-bears and added the heart that I made for the "Lisa's Designs" contest on Ravelry. I love knitting miniatures - much faster than the real thing!

I'm almost finished with the vest I'm making for DD - I will have her model it for a photo when it's finished - I think it may actually fit her after being blocked!

I've joined the Ravelympics, Team Whoduknit, on Ravelry and I'm entering the Stash Compulsory Dance. I haven't quite decided on my project yet. I'm thinking about an afghan using up all those partial skeins of wool in my stash, but not sure I can make it to the finish line on time with such a big project. It might end up being a stash busting scarf instead.

Recent reads - Murder on a Girl's Night Out by Anne George, Black Hills by Nora Roberts, Shall We Tell the President, by Jeffery Archer (the February Whoduknit pick) and I'm currently reading Nighttime is My Time by Mary Higgins Clark.