Snow Day!

I still cannot abandon the excitement of a snow day - empty nester or not - I just love that shake up to the routine. My morning was full of meetings with mommies - had to re-schedule all of them to accommodate the two hour school delay - I hope they are all home enjoying their kids. And, don't you just love what a fresh coat of snow can do to a dreary winter day - that's my back yard - yesterday it was brown and dead-like, today, gorgeous. Nothing says "welcome snow" as this beautiful window display from the Manhattan storefront of the Lion Brand Yarn Studio at 34 W. 15th Street (http://www.lionbrandyarnstudio.com/). This knitted snowman, well snowlion, is larger than life.

When it comes to knitting, this has been the season of all things lace for me - I fell in love with lace knitting back in the fall and just can't seem to break the attachment. Last night I took the latest scarf off of the needles - the Fiddlehead Scarf from Knitspot (www.knitspot.com). I love every pattern I have ever used from this site. I knitted this scarf with Misti Alpaca Handpainted Lace yarn - it is a very fine / thin yarn - I think I should have used a smaller needle (used a US4) to achieve more definition in the pattern - my fault, not the pattern.

Today I'm back at the machine quilting my younger daughter, Olivia's, graduation quilt. Graduation was in May, her high school graduation - and, yes, I know it's late. Liv and I had a number of conceptual differences in the design of the quilt. Am I having fun quilting this - NO - it's a full size quilt - I don't like quilting something that big. Is it free motion - NO - straight line quilting with the walking foot. And, yes - I need to spin the quilt to achieve my quilting pattern. I have found every excuse not to work on this quilt, but I am determined to complete it before the end of February, come hell or high water. I do admit that I am planning a break in my day - a trip to the Hayloft in Morgantown - if you've never shopped for fabric at the Hayloft (www.hayloftfabrics.com) you don't know what you're missing.