Three things

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#1

I recently read an article about a family who started eating dinner by candlelight. The kids were calmer, less distracted, and more open to talking and sharing thoughts and feelings. Being calm and less distracted sounds like a good idea for meals.

#2 

Thou art dust and to dust thou shall return

Today is also Ash Wednesday, the first day of the Lenten season.

#3 I couldn’t wait to begin something new as my knitting mojo went on vacation with Pepper’s sweater so I started a new sock! It’s the Easy Mosaic Sock by Winwick Mum. It looks complicated but only one color of yarn is used for each row except one. To get the two-color look, a stitch is slipped from the previous row onto the right needle without knitting it and continues with the row pattern. 

Easy Mosaic Socks, Regia Tweed, Knit Picks Chroma Twist

I’m using Regia 4-ply tweed yarn in charcoal and Knit Picks Chroma Twist in Surf’s Up (discontinued yarn). 

Easy Mosaic Socks, Regia Tweed, Knit Picks Chroma Twist
Easy Mosaic Socks

The pattern is free and Winwick Mum explains the process much better than me.

Are you doing anything special for Valentine’s Day?

How do you observe Lent or is it just another usual time?

Have you started any new projects this year?

Patti

Some days

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I decided to knit another Botanical Yoke Dog sweater for Pepper. Instead of using dk weight yarn, I’m using worsted acrylic/wool yarn since I need to use that up. After knitting a gauge swatch, I decided to use the stitch count for the Extra Small sweater and size 7 (US) needles.

The Vivid Orange was in a grab bag from a friend and the Cranberry was from my stash. I wanted something bright/visible but not blinding so that’s where the cranberry came into play.

Everything was going great until it wasn’t. I had just vacuumed the carpet and Mr. Aitch and I were eating lunch. He asked if Pepper was curled up in my chair as he couldn’t see her. It was quiet. Too quiet.

I found her with these little bits of dark stuff. At first glance, I thought they were sunflower seeds from the bird feeder that came inside on her fur.

Then I saw this.

Knitter’s Pride Dreamz Circular needles that I was using on her sweater!

Fifteen minutes in the crate.

I ordered another needle that should arrive next week so I tried to salvage what I had using a pencil sharpener. 

It’s not the best solution but it will have to do.

Snow Day

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Winter Storm Ember brought about 6-7 inches of snow to our area over the weekend.

Snow storm Ember 2024
About 4 inches at this time. Two more inches before it’s all done.

Pepper got to wear her new sweater outside to play in the snow.

She followed Mr. Aitch down the driveway behind the snowblower. But she ventured out into the snow soon after that.

Snow storm Ember 2024

It was snowing pretty heavily before he finished. This was the last part and it’s already starting to get covered again.

Snow storm Ember 2024
Not boots…
Snow storm Ember 2024
…snow caked legs!

Pepper does not have booties on. That is snow caked in her hair! It took 20 minutes with the hairdryer to get all those icy clumps out!

2024 FO

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I have my first finished object for 2024!

I ripped out the Botanical Yoke Dog sweater on Christmas Eve and immediately cast-on in a smaller size. I also had to do some math to make it shorter while still getting the correct stitch count for the increases in the body. (My gauge was a teensie weensie bit off.)

This is the small size on Pepper. The first one was a medium. I wanted to see how high the neck was before knitting an additional 15 rows as the pattern instructed. It would have gone up to her ears had I kept going!

Pepper in sweater before ends woven in
Pepper in sweater before ends woven in

I think I knocked off about 4-5 inches from the length of the body. Huge difference. The original one is on the left and the new. improved one on the right.

The original (larger) one would be easier to get on her but I’m not ripping this out and reknitting it again. I took good notes so if this one gets damaged or has a hole I can’t repair (I’m looking at you Pepper!), I can knit another one that will fit without reinventing the pattern. 

Pepper in sweater
Pepper in sweater

Pepper’s almost 15 months old and I don’t think she’ll grow much longer.

Next on the needles: slippers for my sister-in-law.