This month’s dishcloth, was an “illusion” cloth! That means we knitted the design twice, once in the lighter color and opposite in the darker color. So, when it’s on an angle, you only see the design rows, to make a picture. Here’s the front of the cloth. You can sort of see the design.

Here it is, from the backside. You can see the design, this way, too.

Here it is, viewed from more of an angle.

Another view from an angle. Isn’t it a neat effect? I’ve never knit an illusion cloth before!

Officially, this winter, we’ve had 82 inches of snow. However, that amount is again inaccurate, since we have 5-6 inches of new snow, out on the driveway, yard and sidewalk. Argh. It’s been snowing for about 12 hours now! Might I remind you, that it’s officially spring now, too? I might have seen a robin, but I’m not sure. I saw a bird in a tree, that looked like the right size and the right shape, but I couldn’t see the color of the breast feathers, since the lighting wasn’t right. Darn it!

Pictures of the socks. Finally! I finished the second one, on 2-27-08, but was too busy, to get the pictures posted. They keep my feet warm, and are very pretty. I wore them to my knitting group last night!

Yarn: Sandnes Garn Sisu Fantasy #6547
Needles: Size 2 dpns (Chia Goo Bamboo)
Pattern: Silver’s Sock Tutorial

I already did another Finders/Keepers cloth. I think it’s as addicting as a ballband is! Although it will probably look better with 2 solids, than a solid and a variegated, since the variegated yarn would be hard to see, in the “hidden” row! This one is in blue and ecru, to match my kitchen.

Here is the 2008 March KAL, from Monthly Dishcloth KAL. It’s called, “The Empty Tomb.”

“They found the stone rolled away from the tomb…” ~ Luke 24:2

The stockinette stitch in the lower left-hand corner, is the stone being rolled away. The purl stitching, that resembles a tree, is the empty tomb and the rays are the radiance of the Lord rising from the dead! It’s very appropriate, since Easter is at the end of this month!

Man, it’s cold outside. The last time I was outside, I about froze, and the last time I checked the temperature, it was about 13 degrees F, outside! Brrrr. It’s supposed to be MARCH, not January! On the plus side, all the roads, that had deep, frozen ruts, have greatly improved, so driving around is fun again. One had to drive over those rutted roads, very slowly, or take the long way, driving on better roads.

Our neighbor is a sweetheart. He’s been coming over to help us chop the ice and packed-down snow, that was covering our driveway and at the moment, it’s 90% dry and clear. He’s also been big help at keeping the storm sewer free and clear of snow and ice, so our street doesn’t flood. We’ve had about 80 inches of snow this winter and the snowbanks were starting to take over the road. Then we had one warm day and 1-1/2 inches of rain, and the water had nowhere to go! That’s all better now, too. Tonight, we are supposed to get 3-inches of lake-effect snow, meaning only the east coast of WI is supposed to get snow, with winds from the East. The clouds pick up moisture off the lake and dump it on us, as snow!

Oh yes, and all of Wisconsin is in mourning right now, since Brett Favre decided to retire. So, it will be interesting to see what happens with the Green Bay Packers next season. I think it was time for him to hang up the cleats. He had a good run!

This morning, I asked a kindergartener, who was talking about football, if he wanted to be the next Brett Favre, and he nodded his head enthusiastically. I thought that was so sweet.

While I knew it wouldn’t take long to finish the toe and do the kitchener, at the end, last night I was just too tired and after lots of frogging, finally got it all good and just set it down for the night. Today, I finished the sock, over a 2-hour period, while watching Barefoot Contessa and Paula Deen on the food network, until I had to find a computer to get kitchener stitch instructions.  Today, knitting went without a hitch!  It helps to be more alert and wide-awake!

Will add pictures, after supper!  I promise!

This was designed by Susan Schaefer of Harvest Moon Designs. It was a fun knit. I loved working with 2 colors and how the pink made little windows, for the green to show through.

Here’s a close-up of the stitch detail.

I used Sugar’n Cream rose pink and dark pine, with US6 needles.

From the newspaper today:

76 inches of snow this season
35-3/4 inches of snow in February alone
Measurable snow on 11 of the last 18 days.

With Monday’s snow of almost three inches, the season’s total rose to 76 inches and moved into the No. 6 spot, only 1½ inches behind 1961-62. First place (94 inches, 1904-05) seems safe — for now, anyway.

It’s just too much snow! LOL! We are running out of places to put it, and it’s way too early to think we won’t have anymore snow! Argh! I can’t remember such a snowy winter.

Back in 1985, right after I bought my first front-wheel drive car, Marshfield, WI got 17 inches of snow. It was the weekend of November 30th/December 1st. We didn’t see grass again, until spring. That was the big kahuna, though. No other snowfall that winter, had that much accumulation!

In December 2000, we got 51.9 inches of snow, in that month alone, but in January, February, and March, we hardly got any snow, so the roads were clear and dry and it wasn’t such an inconvenience.

This year, it snows like every other day and the plows can barely keep up, not to mention that every city is running out of salt! Argh. I can’t wait for spring!

On Sunday, we had temps in the mid-30’s and 1.56 inches of rain! It turned our sidewalks into mush, for the day and flooded the street. In the picture, you can see some city workers, with a shovel and a front-end loader, cleaning the snow away from the storm sewer, so the water could drain off the street!

I just realized I didn’t post my February KAL dishcloth, and I have a smaller version of it, to post, too! LOL! It turned out to be a heart-shaped box of candy, with a ribbon! What a perfect design for February! It was designed by Susan Mrenna of Knit A Little, and entitled, “Valentine Candy Box.

My second dishcloth is done was finished a few days ago! It’s called Diamonds on Lace. Yarn was Peaches n Creme Fiesta Ombre and was knit with size 7 needles.

I’m also on my way, with my second sock! After a few false starts, I got the “join” right and I got an inch done, at the knit-night tonight! I’m past the awkwardness of getting started, with the double-pointed needles and knitting has gotten easier. It was fun to show off my completed sock, to the knitting group, at Bahr Creek tonight!

My market bag, Elisa’s Nest Tote, is all finished with the knitting part. I need to get my crochet hook and the instructions ready, to start seaming up the sides. I haven’t had a chance to get that done yet.

Last week, I made a Baby Genius burp cloth, from the Mason-Dixon book, but I already gave it to my cousin, last Saturday, without taking a picture! Argh! I used Peaches and Creme Sea Mist which is blue, green and white. It was pretty. Now, I’m working on the Mason-Dixon bib! I’ll get a picture of that, before I send it off.

At the knit-night tonight, I was skimming through Stephanie Pearl-Mcphee Casts Off. I was laughing so hard I was crying! Emily and I will have to see if it’s at the library tomorrow!

We missed the last 2 knit-nights, due to bad weather, that only seemed to be occurring on Thursday nights! Two weeks ago, we had snow and last Thursday, the snow happened more during the day, but it had been warm and was supposed to be much colder in the evening, leading to all the wet spots freezing up. Well, that seemed a little too scary to be driving in, so Emily and I stayed home. We love going, so it was hard to just stay home, although, we did knit at home, but sure missed the social aspect of going to the yarn store! All those women are great company!

Amy, one of the usual women who come, is going to Mexico this weekend on a mission trip! Our group knit over 50 hats, for her to take with her, for the orphans! Emily and I knit 2 of those 50-some hats! We can’t wait to get started on new hats, for the next need that comes along.

Tomorrow is supposed to be in the 20’s. I almost don’t remember what that feels like. After the single digits and sub-zero temps of the past week, 20’s will feel like a heatwave. Then we get 30’s to possibly 40, over the weekend! Woohoo!

It seemed appropriate to me. It seems all we hear about is football, in January, especially since the Green Bay Packers get to play the Championship game at HOME! DH and I watched the last 2 minutes of the Giants/Cowboys game last night, because the suspense was killing us. I wanted the Cowboys to lose, so the Packers could play at home! I’m staying far away from Green Bay next Sunday. Sounds like it could be a crazy place!

Recess duty for my lunch job, wasn’t too bad today. I think we are going to be inside, later in the week, though, especially with kindergarten kids, because it’s supposed to be good and cold! I’m not looking forward to that!

I finished my first sock tonight! Woohoo! Now, to cast on for the second one! It’s Sisu Fantasy yarn (6457) and it’s 80% wool and 20% nylon.

The last KAL was beautiful! It’s a partridge in a pear tree, which makes it appropriate for Christmas, but I made it in pink and wish it was red or green! LOL! I think I’ll be making another one! Mine will be used for a towel, more, I think, since it’s about 14″ wide and 13″ high.

My market bag, Elisa’s Nest Tote, is now 16″ long, of the 24″ that is required. I’m using Araucania Patagonia Nature Cotton, in pink and blue, which is color #213, with #9 needles.

I’m way behind on posting! I’ve just been so busy with other stuff.

Squirrel dishcloth from the November dishcloth kal. We were supposed to use brown, but I just used soft teal, because that is what I had in the house. It was Sugar N Cream yarn.

Mid-November KAL gave us 2 cloths, one of which says, “Friend” and one that says, “My Pal.”

This one is for a secret pal. She will get it tomorrow night. It was fun making candy canes! Pattern purchased from Harvest Moon Christmas Cottage.

So, I’ve been busy knitting! Plus, I started a market bag, too, out of some cotton yarn that comes from Chile and has some pink and some blue throughout the fibers. I need to take a picture of that one.

We also had our first snowstorm, over the weekend. We got about 4-6 inches. Then it got warm and sloppy on Sunday, so we make all kinds of footprints in the snow, that are now frozen. It’s so hard to walk in the snow, in the backyard, now. Argh. Jasmine can move much faster than I can! It’s supposed to be cold, over the next week or so, too. So, conditions are not going to improve much.