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Monday, February 9

A Peaceful Cold...belated happy new year's!

I'm finally taking some time to sit down and get a blog post written! So sorry for the two month delay--I meant to, I meant to! Lol.

In December, J and I visited his family in Orlando, which was delightful, and we also took a couple of days off to visit some friends who recently moved from Chicago to Ft. Myers. It was a lovely, but short, trip. I managed to do okay with the migraines--kept them at bay by taking a pill 4 out of 5 days.

In Orlando, we stayed at Ben (J's nephew) and Emily's (Ben's wife) beautiful house! This is the second time we were lucky and blessed to be able to stay with them.

They are a lovely couple and we both enjoy spending time with them. Here they are opening up the socks I made for them. Their dog, Kaylee May (or Kayleigh?) is a Wheaton Terrier, and THE sweetest dog you will ever meet! That is the dog Barack should get for Sasha and Malia! ; )

I will do a longer post in the next couple of days, with more Holiday pics and pics of the coast.

As always, click on the pics to enlarge them!

Then, it was back to a nice cold and snowy Vermont! My, we've had so much snow this winter, and I am quite sure that it's been colder this winter than last. Many, many nights with sub-zero temperatures. Down to -15 to -25 F on several nights! Luckily, we have a nice soapstone woodstove that helped keep the cold from seeping in.

I've been working on handspun, handknit swatches of alpaca and alpaca blends with wool, and some merino wool with tencel. Pics later about that! In the meantime, I've been working on Herbert Niebling's 'Lyra' using Grignasco merino/silk lace, and finished a couple pairs of socks. Here's a link to a site with lots of beautiful finished Lyras!

Mr. Niebling designed amazing doilies for German knitters I think in the '20s and '30s. They are now being translated into English and Italian. He has quite a following among Ravelry'ers. They are very addictive to do! Here is a pic of my almost finished one. My version has not been stretched and blocked yet.

Socks: I made a pair in dark blue angora, and one in a lovely blood-red yarn Kenny gifted me. Pics follow. For you knitters out there, the red cabled socks have: Judy's magic cast-on, I used the Magic Loop Method, a ribbed sole, expansion stitch triangular gusset in seed stitch, short-row heel, reinforced heel flap, and split cable at the ankle. It (I have just one done right now) fits wonderfully!

Congrats to Kenny, my knitter friend from Houston! He designed a scarf pattern, and it was published in Interweave Knits! Visit his blog for the same pics in the magazine. Click here --> Boiknitblog.

So go out and buy a copy if you don't subscribe, and/or visit his blog and send your warm wishes!

More later, keep in touch! I'm on Twitter, as Vtknitboy, and Facebook as Chris French from Jericho, Vermont. Friend and Follow me! Mwah!

Chris

3 comments:

Chris Tolomei (alicethelma) said...

Those red socks are fabulous! I need you to write that pattern up for me. I love that expansion triangular gusset - you combined it with a short row heel. Aren't you clever. Please please please! write the pattern up for me. Love you!

Alpaca Granny said...

Chris, keep posting.... I love/need to see what you are doing. Everything knitted here looks lovely, of course.
Maple

JelliDonut said...

Your Lyra is gorgeous. I love black lace knitting--gives the lace a lot of mystery.

So glad for Kenny. I just adore him--I've already bought the Interweave Knits, and I've also started the lace scarf he did for Lorna's Laces. You both are fabulous--just wish you would blog more because I love seeing your FOs and WIPs.