January

It looks as though I'm getting in the habit of posting only once per month and, in fact, at the end of the month.

It looks as though I can knit sweaters again without feeling guilty. After finishing a pullover for my DS2, we had a big snowstorm. The weather here was unseasonably cold and snowy until I finished a cardigan for my DM. Then the weather turned unseasonably warm. Well, it's turned cold and snowy again without me finishing any knitting other than dishcloths. So, it looks as if it's safe for me to knit sweaters again.

I'm just about finished with MMario's Hippo Birdies. I've got 3 rounds to go and then the bind off. The picture shows the shawl to rnd 100 or thereabouts. The only problem is that I ran out of yarn about 2 rounds ago and Knit Picks doesn't sell that particular color (Palette fawn) anymore. So, I'm using a skein of Palette nutmeg that was left over from Casablanca. I'll probably end up doing the bind off in half of skein of Palette apricot that was left over from Mystic Light. Then I'll probably have to learn how to dye in order to make the color changes less noticeable. I know that I could probably get skeins of nutmeg online, but I'm anxious to see what the shawl looks like blocked. It looks really nice already. I have a little trouble working on it, though. One of our cats loves to sleep on top of it.

I'm also about finished with Moni's Weihnachts shawl in KP Shadow sunset heather. The picture is to somewhere around Clue 7, I think. I've just finished Clue 8 and will probably stop after finishing Clue 9.

I've knitted 3 dishcloth so far this year - 2 from the Monthly dishcloth KAL and 1 from COTW, both Yahoo! groups.

I've found a couple of projects to use up leftover yarn. One project is a Domino potholder (to use up leftover cotton yarn). The other is a Fair Isle tutorial given in the EZasPi Yahoo! group (to learn new techniques and to use up leftover sock yarn).

I also have to give a plug for a crocheted potholder that I redesigned for worsted weight cotton. It's a sunbonnet potholder that turned out so well, IMHO, that I posted the pattern to Ravelry.

DS1 visited us for about a week. He wanted to see snow, and he wasn't disappointed. It just doesn't snow too much (or at all) in the San Jose area. It was great seeing him again. While he was here, he installed the new computer we had just ordered. He also helped us pick out a sound system for the tv. We may have to wait until he visits again to get it put together, though. We went to a Sabres v Blackhawks game while he was here. He, of course, wore a Sharks jersey.

On a political note: It looks as if I'll have to start listening to Rush Limbaugh. I don't like being told by the government what I should and should not listen to. So, I'm going to search for his name online and find out when he's on.