Fuzzy and Prickly?

Well, maybe not. Behold, the Teddy Bear Cholla - so named because from afar, it looks fuzzy...but in reality, it's densly packed with long sharp spines! Should you have the misfortune to ever get a segment stuck on you, take care in removal, so-as to not further get yourself stuck! I normally wear trail runners while hiking, though if I know I'll be a cholla-dense region, I'll usually opt for more rugged footwear, just in case I am not paying attention and wind up stepping on or kicking one of the fallen segments.

This healthy specimen was found in the Superstition Wilderness, on one of the First Water loops. I'm looking forward to further hiking before the weather seriously warms up - due to the rain, I'm guessing we'll be having one heck of a wildflower season!

Happy House Elves :)

I finally finished a pair of slippers for the Mister - the delay was only due to my getting terribly distracted. Once I buckled down (thanks to an afternoon of football at a friend's place) I finished off the toes and cuffs, and fed them to their feltastic washing machine. 15 minutes later, I was wringing them out and blocking them to shape over my shoes :D Due to the cool weather here, they stayed damp for a bit, so we were able to perfect the fit before they fully dried.

Unfortunately, they haven't seen much wear, I suspect I may have missed the coolest part of our winter...ah well, they're ready and waiting for the next cold snap!

Down the Rabbit Hole

Look! Snow, flirting with the desert! Somehow January has nearly passed me by. It feels like I've blinked and ta dah! It's February! How does this happen?! (and no, I haven't been whiling away all my time playing with my iPod ;) ) Stay tuned, I'll share a finished object (sadly not the Squirrel mitts, which have been languishing in one of my numerous knitting bags) and perhaps some lovely fibers from some very talented dyers (no, not me - and not for the shop either....I've been enhancing my personal stash, dreaming perhaps of another handspun sweater).

In the meantime, there have been some updates to the shop - most notably a bunch of new patterns and 5" tips for the interchangeable Hiya-Hiya set. Check out all the new goodies here.

Priorities

Look! My first FO in 2010 - a custom case for my my christmas present. I'm calling it practice for my Squirrel Mitts. Nevermind that I've still got some other knitting that I'm supposed to be working diligently on.

For more photos, pop on over here.

Here's to...

A healthy and prosperous New Year full of good fortune!

I keep this blue fish in my car - fish in my culture are a symbol of abundance and plenty - so perhaps the car isn't best place - but it's kinda one of those "lucky talisman" kinda things...

in the spirit of out with the old and in with the new, we say farewell to my trusty steed. The car I purchased fresh out of college and I have parted ways after 13+ faithful years and over 185k miles. The fish has been moved into a new fishbowl:

one that happens to be matchy matchy :D

Farewell, 2009!

As the year draws to a close, I find myself first wondering where the time has gone so quickly, followed quickly by positive hopes for 2010.

As December winds its way out, I'm enjoying some quiet time spent with my family, away from the craziness that is work and real life all combined. The crazy in the air seems to have (hopefully) worn itself out, and I find myself looking at a lot of things wrapping themselves up nicely.

The last year has been rewarding and challenging in different ways than years past - this year, I focused much more on my engineering career, rather than on dyework. I took on a new role, and it's proven to be challenging and rewarding, though it leaves me with much less energy to do production runs of dyeing.

It appears that while I have been knitting, I was nowhere near as prolific as years past...though I have to say, I think I churned off some pretty good projects, including an array of spectacular socks, a variety of sweaters and cardigans, and some stunning lace, if I do say so myself ;) Not to mention a wee bit of whimsy thrown in at the last minute :)

I attempted the 365 project, but sputtered out somewhere between 100 and 200....I definitely think those that complete the project are fantastically dedicated :) I also tried hooping - and while I've gotten much more proficient at keeping the hoop up, I'm no good at tricks...and I've discovered it takes a surprising amount of space to actually hoop and attempt tricks (I also discovered that my house apparently does not have such a space, and my cats do not enjoy my attempts at learning hoop tricks). Now that I've reached my mid-30s I figure I can throw caution to the wind, chop off my hair, and sample extensions of various hues - I'm ending the year with burgundy highlights :)

I'm looking forward to the "fresh beginning" that is associated with a new year - I hope to get back outdoors, renew my love of dyeing, learn new knitting tricks, and not go too insane with what I see coming down the pipe at work :D

Best wishes to all of you, for a most excellent 2010!

I can't resist...

a wee woodland creature, immortalized on a mitten. I cast on for these shortly before Christmas, managing only a cuff before getting sidetracked. Now that I have some time away, I am endeavouring to knit away and make solid progress before the new year. You know. Because a girl who lives in a low desert valley apparently needs Squirrel Mittens.