Greetings from Minnesota!

Wish you were here?

It's been a lazy long while since I last posted.  I think that by not knitting, I have nothing to post about, but then again, some of you have become bloggy friends and perhaps a shout out now and then is called for.

Last year, I had my garden in.  Potatoes planted, beets, peas blah blah blah.  There is almost 12 inches of snow on my other bird feeder.  The poor little creatures must be so confused.  I don't remember a spring like this in my 42 years.  Whole flocks of robins are demanding their money back on their north bound flights.  I don't even know what the geese and ducks are doing here.  The lakes are frozen.  Strange.  And oddly enough, I've been having dreams about tornadoes.  Do you know what happens when the warm spring air meets this very cold, weird stuff?  Big bad yucky storms.  And I'm afraid of wind (bad experience once).

We did manage to splurge this year on a vacation.  We took the crew and met a friend down in Florida on a tiny little tropical island I will leave unnamed so that no one can find it (the locals requested I say that).

Siesta

We watched dolphins swim right past our porch, fished, collected shells, tried to read and knit but the ocean was so darn distracting.

Captain and Lumpy with his first shark (catch and release).

Lunker with this baby shark (also catch and release).

It was better than watching Real Housewives.  Pelicans diving, schools of fish swarming and feeding.  Of course, growing up in the Midwest means that we think sharks are just waiting for us to put our feet in the water so they can rush up and gobble us in one gulp.  When two bull sharks were fished up right on the shore, we felt vindicated by all the happy, tanned bathers who merrily paddled around the water with their tropical umbrella drinks, dangling their feet over their inner-tubes.  I imagine they look just like big fat turtles floating on the surface.  No thanks.

Notice the natural shark barrier there?  No one from my family when beyond that.  BUT, do you see that floater in the distance?  Can't you just hear the Jaws theme cranking up.  I couldn't watch.  We didn't get the paper or any TV to hear of any shark incidents, so I'm hoping she made it back to shore.

The trouble with paradise is that there are large numbers of rats and cockroaches on tropical islands.  No one likes to talk about it, but the place was crawling with them.  One cockroach made its way up my husbands leg while we were sleeping.  10 minutes later, three cockroaches were dead, one went missing and I was doing my best impression of a haz-mat suit with nothing but a single sheet wrapped entirely around my body with only my eyes and nose sticking out (which is how I spotted another bug flying into the bathroom).  Mr. seemed nonplussed about the whole thing and fell to sleep in nothing but his boxers - spread eagle on the bed.  What's wrong with him?  My dear sister who lived in Maui told met me, when I called her at 2 am in a panic attack,  to sleep with the lights on and let the little lizards move in.  We kept the tiny lizards outside, thank you, but slept with the lights on after that and never saw another bug.

DOOOLLLPHINNN!!!!  (later: Dolphin)

The dolphin sightings reminded us of when our Icelandic friends come to Minnesota and see squirrels for the first time.  There is a lot of shouting and excitement, picture taking and squeals of delight.  By the end of the trip, when someone sights a dolphin (or said squirrel), the alarm is more like a mellow, "Hey guys.  There's another dolphin."  Barely a glance up from a book or sudoku puzzle.  And no one gets up to see because it's the 17th dolphin to swim by that afternoon.

We could watch the sunset every night from our front door and porch, but I was so distracted by absolutely nothing that I never took a picture.  This was just a really pretty sky later in the evening that seemed so romantic.  I felt like I should stand out on the deck in a long blowing gown and pine for my long lost love, but he was not lost and was sitting next to me drinking a beer and telling me about EVERY. SINGLE. FISH. he caught that day.  (think dolphin and squirrel theme).

And off daddy and daughter go on an island adventure.  She got so tired with the boys and all the fishing that she demanded that daddy pack a picnic and come and explore the island with her.  No fishing pole allowed.  Ta ta.

And so, I'm back in MinneSNOWta.  get it.  I said MinneSNOWta instead of Minne . . .  you know.  Cuz it's snowing so I changed the . . ok, whatev.   No knitting.  No crocheting.  At least nothing finished.  I hope all is well with all of you.  I will be checking my blog roster soon so I can catch up with you all!

LOVE!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I received a Valentine with the following quote and thought it worth sharing:

Far away in the sunshine
are my highest aspirations.
I may not reach them,
but I can look up and see their beauty,
believe in them, and try to follow
where they lead.
~ Louisa May Alcott

For Gail and Stacey

Spring Fever Strikes Midwest Woman Down

I'm not sure if I should be admitting this all out loud on my blog but I have been self-medicating my spring fever with an overdose of spring planning that includes but is not limited to worm farms, rabbit fencing and chicken coops.  This is not my coop - just a dream coop.

Gorgeous coop from Backyard Chickens

The chicken thing is stewing on a back burner because despite the fact that New York City, Minneapolis and St. Paul allow backyard chickens, my little rural township does not.  I'm not sure if I will fight this one at city hall and call attention to my soon to be illegal flock of hens, or if I should quietly practice civil disobedience and risk getting by with a "don't ask, don't tell" policy.  Any advice?

Between obsession-fests, I crocheted a Valentine bunting.  I suppose that would also fall under "My Obsessions" catogory.  Here in the U.S. a bunting is something we make for babies to wear.  This is not a diaper cover but a party flag thingy.  Do we have a word for that?

Anyway, it is surprisingly quick and easy and cute and silly and a perfect time waster.  I was inspired by THIS and found a tutorial HERE.

Gotta go.  A seed catalog is calling my name.

Sub Zero

The wind is sincerely howling around the house.  I can hear it trying to reach down our chimney, but I have that fireplace so stoked with wood that there's not a chance it will get through.

What does one do as the temperature plumets from 35 degrees to -4 in just a few short hours?  If you're born and raised up north, you get the heck outside and get as much vitamin D as you can while the sun doth shine, my friends.  Throw on some extra clothes and play a little boot hockey.  (or sit in your heated car and take pictures of your husband and his friends - it really was too cold).

I took a stroll through our local park and admired the ice sculptures.  I guess it wasn't technically a stroll.  More like a moment of hopping up and down trying to keep warm with my back to the wind and cursing like a sailor.

This one was my favorite sculptures - a growler - what do you call them in your neck of the woods?  You know - a big jug of beer that you can have filled at your local brewery and bring it home to enjoy. Ours is The Excelsior Brewing Company - and low and behold, they have a blog.

This chilly day was also "Hockey Day Minnesota".  The highlight for me was watching a high school varsity hockey game being played outside -  "pond hockey" style.  Go Benilde! (they lost)  I watched this game

. . . from the comfort of my couch.  With half of my family and the half empty growler close by.  No judgement, right?  The other half was . . . playing hockey.  I prefer the spectator sports myself.

And now, the sun has set.  All are sleeping - I am here next to the fire working on a Valentine's Day bunting for a friend.  It's so cute, though.  This might find a home right here.

Happy Hockey Day to all and to all a warm and peaceful night.

I'm being swallowed by an afghan . . .

Does anyone remember the song, "I'm Being Swallowed by a Boa Constrictor"?   The song is about a snake that starts eating your toes, then knees, middle and so on.

Here at Chateau DeBris, we have our very own boa constrictor in the form of an insanely large and colorful afghan.

I'm being swallowed by a ripple blanket.

Oh no (oh no) he's up to my toe (he's up to my toe)
Oh gee (oh gee) he's up to my knee (he's up to my knee)

And that's as far as I've come with the blanket affectionaly known as Monstro - the ripple blanket from planet Acid-Trip.  I've gone through my first order of yarn and have just placed my second order.  I'm using Brava by Knit Picks because it's so darn cheap and it comes in a big bunch of colors.  And although it's 100% acrylic (shudder), it doesn't squeak - you know what I mean, right?

Are you seeing any color this cold dark January?

Goodbye 2012

Goodbye, 2012!

Today is the last day of 2012.  I think it's appropriate that I finish up my scarf and get it blocking before the clock strikes midnight.  It is a self imposed deadline (there's that dreaded word again).  I must finish this scarf before the end of the year and I'm oh so close.

And . . . I'm done.  There it is.  So pretty, a bit scratchy but DONE.

Solveig

Here's the scoop:
Yarn: Loðband Einband / Icelandic Laceweight
Pattern: Strik by Vedis Jonsdottir 
Published in Einband Icelandic Lace

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!

Memory Lane

While browsing my Ravelry notebook, I came across this little sweater I made and I thought to myself, in a lilting southern accent, "My goodness, I have a beautiful niece."  And then, "That is THE cutest little sweater I ever did knit."   That might have been Scarlett O'Hara.

 Soooooh (that's a Minnesota accent) It's sort of cheating to bring up knits from a million years ago and pretend like it's a new knit, but since it's so cute and I really don't have anything new to post regarding fiber artsy stuff, this will have to do.

My little Lizzy moved away to Utah.   I miss her terribly, but we all make a valiant effort to see each other.  Oh, and I gave her the sweetest little toy mouse.  I'll tell you all about it in the next post.  Am I sounding southern again?  Debbie H. - do I capitalize southern?

If you'd like to make an adorable sweater like this for your favorite little one, here are the specs:

Cable Yoke Jacket
by: Kyoko Nakayoshi
Needles: US7 and US8
worsted weight yarn -

GREAT pattern - online help if you get stuck, but you won't.

Ice Time

Remember when I got those contact lenses for the first time in my life. . . hmmmm . . . back in October, I think.  Getting them in has been a trial.  I managed to get them in myself two days in a row over Christmas.  Tenacious vanity won over easy practicality.  But now I keep losing my glasses.  So this morning, I tried to get them in without glasses and it's the blind leading the blind only it's just me and myself because I got a little cranky with Mr. and he left for work and so it's just me and my blurry fingertips and somewhere on there, an invisible contact lens.

Anyway, found my glasses, so it's back to easy practicality.  It's a million degrees below zero here in the tundra they call Minnesota.  However, it's never too cold for our state pastime.

Last year, the lakes were frozen and there was no snow, so it was like having the world's largest rink.  This year, we had (ok, my brother-in-law) to shovel a little rectangle to fit the family and someone got a little crazy and shoveled a path along the lake.

Even our dogs play hockey.  True story.

Merry Christmas (a day late and a cup of coffee too short) to all of you and happy holidays to the rest.
ps.  If you're wondering about my knitting, I did not finish the scarf for my niece.  Instead, she'll be getting a nice little package in the mail.  Hopefully before New Years.

Þorláksmessa

Tonight we celebrated Þorláksmessa with my husband's family.  My sister-in-law and her family hosted all of us at their beautiful home - decked out for Christmas. 

Þorláksmessa is an observance of Iceland's only saint and is always celebrated on the 23rd of December. 

Þorlákur was a 12th century Icelandic bishop, who was revered as the patron saint of Iceland after his death in 1193. He was (finally) canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1985. - Jol in Iceland

Traditionally, we would have eaten fermented fish, but in reality, no Minnesotan of sound mind would consider this a meal.  I've tried it.  I don't want to talk about it.  As with most immigrants, our family has modified certain elements of tradition because of what is available (and edible) here in Minnesota.  So the menu will include hangikjöt (smoked lamb), creamed potatoes, sweet/sour red cabbage and fried flat bread called laufabrauð.  

I just learned tonight from my mother-in-law that the cream was used to cover up the potatoes which were 

often bruised, rotting and 'unsightly' this time of year.

Those are my twerps.

That's Lumpy and me.

Good times.

All is calm. . .

What is everyone up to tonight?  I feel like the Christmas deadline is looming and the fact that I think of it as a deadline makes me mad.  But there it is.  I have the Robert Frost poem replaying in my head,

"And miles to go before I sleep.
And miles to go before I sleep."

Screw it.  My house may smell like stale laundry and the gifts are not under the tree but unwrapped and stuffed in big store bags in my basement.  But gosh darn it.  I want myself some peace and quiet.  And just now . . . right this very moment, I have it.  To my left, a football game is bounding along with a father/son audience.  In front of me, my girl child is reading a book.  A real live book . . . on my iPad.

And over there, at the kitchen table sits 12 year old Lumpy and his online medieval battlefield game.  Just now he moves in front of the fire and tries to displace her majesty.

And I in my kerchief am merrily (yes, merrily) knitting along on a Christmas gift for my gorgeous auburn haired niece.  She will love this.  She's cool that way - being a college kid and all.  She appreciates the hand-knit variety.

Merry Christmas to you Christmassy people.  And for the rest of you:
" Happy Festivus for the rest of us."

Dreadlocks and Redheads

Nothing like a little dreadlocked Anne Lamott to invigorate my holiday spirits.  She spoke at a local church here in the Twin Cities.  She was a delight and a breath of warm air (she flew in from Cali).  She makes me think of what a really cool aunt/mom would be like.  I want to be a really cool aunt/mom with dreads but they sound like a lot of work, so I'll stick with my boring mom hair.  I'll just be a kind-of-cool aunt.  

And up there, I'm working on a lacy scarf with some gifted Icelandic Lopi.  Remember those cool Icelandic ladies and the pope I spent the evening with at the Italian restaurant?  They gave me this pretty yarn.  Aren't they sweet?   That's the true color, thanks to my nifty camera.  I have a beautiful red-headed niece who may bet getting this for Christmas if I get it off the needles on time.