Sunshine with a chance of Cloudette

A little dirt and sunshine

This is the fastest project I have ever knit. In fact, I finished so quickly, Little Knotty couldn't wait to try it on -- so in this picture, it hasn't yet been blocked (that's why the sleeves are curled under a bit). After this picture was taken, Little Knotty covered herself in dirt. I washed it and it blocked easily overnight.

Little Knotty picked out this yarn herself. The colors are Firefly and Ice Cream, by Spud and Chloe. I think she looks like a little burst of sunshine -- which fits her personality quite well.

Recently, we had some storms come through at night. The thunder and lightening put a bit of a scare into Little Knotty. But I found the perfect book to alleviate her fears: Cloudette by Tom Lichtenheld. It's a story about a small cloud who learns to make a big difference. We've read it a few times and, the last time some thunder rolled through, Little Knotty called to her daddy, "It's Cloudette! And her big mommy!" No tears, no worried-face, just smiles. Thank you, Mr. Lichtenheld.

Spinning a tale

Looking for some fluffy, knitty reads? I just read Casting Spells by Barbara Bretton. It's a supernatural romance set in a magical knitting store in a small town. Bretton does a wonderful job of creating a detailed atmosphere and likable characters. Several days after reading the last page, I'm wondering about the characters and wishing I could visit the town. Luckily, it's the first in the Sugar Maple series. The second is Laced with Magic, followed by the recently released Spun by Sorcery. I'll be checking them out.

It's not a desert

But we do have horses, as you can see in this photo...

So we've been off work today. First the sleet, then dozens of accidents, they shut down 169 and both the museum and the library are closed. Well, everything is closed. So I knitted, MrKnotty read, I cleaned the oven (so you know I was really bored), we played with the dog, we played board games, I watched an old DVD of Two Fat Ladies (still hilarious). Then we were all CABIN FEVER!!!!! So despite the snow, we walked the doggie and then, as you can see, the boy and his dog played Romper Room in the back.

Oh, and I got a chance to pull out my Alaska gear (notice the beaver and seal on my head -- a gift from a Yu'pik Eskimo in my old stomping grounds of Bethel, Alaska):

Le Slouching on the job

So I finally finished Knit and Tonic's Le Slouche', a gift for my younger sister's birthday (yes, the birthday which occured three weeks ago). Modeled here by Gina Y of Loops and Marie of Five a Day. I used Debbie Bliss Aran Wool -- very squishy and soft. Loved it. Hate to mail it off. Now I just have to finish my brother's socks for his birthday (two days ago) and a purse for my other sister's birthday (a month and a half ago).

.....Um, scheduling issues, okay?

FINE! FINE! You want the truth? I'll give it to you! I've been reading Twilight, okay?!?!?! Is that what you wanted to hear? I, like every fourteen year-old girl on the planet, am now obsessed with a melodramiatic fictional teenage vampire, who, if the author can be believed, is just dreamy -- in a You Are My Density, I Mean My Destiny - like way (thanks to Adrienne for using George McFly to illustrate the point).

I'm halfway through the series, and terrified to look anywhere on the Internet for fear of spoilers.

Gawd. So embarrasing.

Pictured: teen angust is so sexy. Enough to get over the creepiness of a one-hundred-year-old dead guy in love with a seventeen year-old-live-girl. I wish my husband could carry me on his back as he ran through the woods. Wait, ... he can. ..."Training for a marathon" or vampire hiding as astronomer? He works in the dark, loves red meat. It. All. Makes. Sense. I'm the luckiest girl in the wooooooorld.