Happy Face

I didn’t catch it swinging by, but here’s the Happy Face ball hanging from the crane at work, here in the 5 minutes of sunshine we had today after it snowed and before it clouded up again:

Isn’t it cute? And happy?

I can’t think the construction workers were overly happy pouring concrete today, but at least it’s over zero F.

My husband, who was a cement mason in one of his many former lives, says that concrete poured when it’s cold generates its own heat as it cures, and is some of the strongest concrete around, as the crystalline structure is very fine.  Concrete poured when it’s hot cures too fast.  That’s what he says.

Me?  I don’t understand how my car can freeze to the ground while I’m at work.

(Needless to say, the door was frozen shut too.) But I suppose it shouldn’t surprise me. Saturn is a frozen planet, after all…

(Groan!)

On that note, off I slink to do some more stealthy knitting, Gypsy Cold Care Tea in hand (just a touch of a virus, but it’s making me feel woozy). [Anyone else see the Veggie Tales videos? B.C., before children, I don't think anyone could have convinced me I would willingly watch musical videos about an animated tomato, cucumber and assorted other produce that retold Bible tales. But Veggie Tales are very good. One of their songs ("Pirates...") even has St. Paul in it. Anyway, if you have, every time I hear/say/type 'woozy', it makes me think of the French peas typing, as they declare they "air getTING a leetle wooZEE" in their Monty Pythonesque French accent. That's me. Well, this French pea is going to bed.  À demain!]

Big G in the Sky

No, that’s not a religious reference.

Though the Green Bay Packers are pretty much a religion in these parts; remember this?

And do you recall the Crane with Christmas Tree? Well, here’s the Saturday Sky this morning:

Forecast: Cloudy with a chance of G.

Looked a little more dramatic last night, I must say.

In other news of the realm, another weekend, another Show Choir performance:

Yes, that one in the center was born to perform. (Can you believe she’s only twelve?)

Today, I hope to photograph and upload some knitting progress, slow as it may be (spread out on too many projects due to a bad attack of startitis); maybe get some stuff done at home after working this morning; and go to an office party tonight, then possibly (if I’m not exhausted) go to hear my husband play really loud music in a smoky bar. Hmm. Husband = wonderful, music = great, loud = not-so-great, smoky = ick. Probably depends on if I have a couple drinks at the party, how I’ll feel about it! Either ready to party, or asleep!

Oh, yeah, and though I am not a Cheesehead by birth, I still wish the Packers well in their playoff game today. I suspect it will be a good day to go do almost anything if you’re not a football fan — groceries, mall. The streets of the city will appear deserted. (City? Heck, the entire state!)

But maybe we’ll just stay inside and watch the game like everyone else.

GO PACK!

Fashionista

Doesn’t everyone choose their outfit to match their socks?

Only you guys would understand! Of course I was going to wear my new old socks; so I had to pick pants and a (green) top to coordinate with the socks. Choose socks to match my clothes? Not today; try the other way!

Here’s a bonus view with the dizziness-inducing new carpet they’re installing at work:

You actually don’t get the full flavor of it there; try this:

It’s an innocuous enough color, and I’m sure a sample square of it looked fine, but the effect of all those undulating lines is to cause unsteadiness or even nausea if you’re susceptible.

Word of the day:

Ataxia

Means that feeling you get (for example) when you’ve had a bit much to drink, when you’re not quite sure where the wall is, and the floor seems to sidle a little bit, and you think you’re walking in a straight line, but it’s more of a serpentine.

That’s what this carpet results in; trust me.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

At least it goes with my socks.

“Knit on, with confidence and hope, through all crises.”

So said Elizabeth Zimmermann.

My knitting hero.

Like EZ, I knit when I’m happy, I knit when I’m sad, I knit when I’m stressed. I sometimes don’t have time to knit when I’m really busy, and then I get cranky (crankiER, I should say).

So, despite the recent sadness — I have been knitting.

Not so much Mystery Stole 3, I must say; travelling is not conducive to this kind of lace knitting, and neither was camp life for the most part. (Though the part I have gotten to now is the most straightforward of the stole, so not quite so difficult to do on the go.) Plus, deciding to frog and reknit clues 4 and 5, after I changed my mind about shortening it, made me lose momentum — I purely hate reknitting, so it’s a mental block. But I did wake up at dawn and go knit or read several mornings; here we* are by the lake:

*we = ‘Odile’ and I

At camp, then, I mostly knit four fingerless gloves, a good take-along project — here are two of them on their happy new owner!

This is handpainted yarn I purchased on Etsy: it’s fingering weight merino/Tencel, and the colorway is named “Goth”. I love it! The second pair of fingerless gloves in this same yarn is for the Gothlet….

And, as above, I knit a little on MS3, and a bit on the Ribby Shell (just divided for the armholes, no pic yet). And I made Saartje’s booties on the long ride home, no pictures yet. Two days ago, I made this cutie-patootie hat from this pattern:

(It needs a real head to show it off better.)

And I took my camera to work to document my work project:

This is a Log Cabin blanket (if you click the link, scroll down to February 15 post) made with sport weight hand-dyed sock yarn. I’m liking it so far. The only problem is that this yarn is not particularly soft (I don’t want to make socks with it, I don’t think, for that reason). So even though it would make a lovely bright baby blankie, it’s just not soft enough for me to give to a poor innocent babe. Maybe it will soften after washing — I should try washing a swatch. Otherwise, I suppose I could knit a really soft blanket the same size, then knit them together with a border or I-cord. Then at least the baby side would be soft!

So, I guess I have been knitting, though I didn’t realize till now how much!

Back to my garden now; here’s a floral picture or two for you.