Cherry Knits

A Promise of Spring

Finally. Yesterday was snow-free. Beautiful blue sky. Comfortable temperature. The Colorado I know and love. Well, ok, I actually love the snow and all the fun things there are to do in it, but the last couple of months have been way too much of a good thing. I now have a major case of Spring Fever.

So, I went to the Denver Botanic Gardens.

  A light blanket of snow still covers the ground.

But ice on the little streams and ponds is now just a skim.

And droplets of water from the snow melt are falling from the roofs of pagodas like tiny jewels.

All the glittery bits from Winter's Blossoms of Light enjoyed their final glory but are now making way...

... The tropical flora inside the conservatory hint at the thriving greenery and riotous color that will overtake all outdoors, the long summer days and the evening picnics and concerts to come.

Can you just imagine lounging on these slopes when they are grassy and green, wiggling your bare toes in the soft blades, sipping something cool and listening to the sweet sounds of a chamber ensemble?

...The tea ceremony?

...The pergolas heavy with trumpet vines and wisteria?

So please come quickly Spring!

I was going to post one of these images for my Saturday Sky. But, I couldn't choose just one. And anyway, now it's Sunday. But today is equally glorious. I hope you enjoyed the little stroll with me through the Gardens and the promise of Spring to come.

And speaking of Sky

This was in my "rearview" on my last road trip -- Montana's Big Sky.

Knitting Notes

  I'm making good progress on the Simple Lace Shawl - at this point, all 367 stitches of it. It's been my travel project for the last few weeks. I am now beginning work on the lace border. Yay! I was afraid of lapsing into a garter stitch coma. The drape and subtle sheen of this Giada yarn is gorgeous.

  And finally, a big thank you to my good friend Patti from Sweetgrass in Helena, Montana. She gifted me with this lovely skein of her own Montana Fibers in a hand-dyed Blue Faced Leicester. The colorway is Ocean. The wool is gorgeous and has a beautiful soft hand.There are about 375 yards and it looks like it will work up to about 5 sts to the inch. This might make another lovely Forest Canopy shoulder shawl. Any other ideas?

Happy Sunday - and Happy knitting to you!

A Good Ice Breaker - Beyond the Snowplow

Snowplows are so five minutes ago. After weeks of navigating my street by slipping and sliding through the ice ruts. This is what finally came rolling down my street early yesterday morning. An industrial strength ice breaker on a bulldozer. Just in time for you know what...

Saturday Snow - er, Sky

Yep. It's snowing - for the sixth straight weekend in a row.

The doggies are loving it - especially Humphrey. He has to stay on a leash for short walks  only, but he's a happy dog. Happy Saturday to you! (sigh)

Hi from Humphrey!

Hi! I'm home recovering from my surgery. You know that I tore my ACL chasing tennis balls. What a bummer. So, Dr. Apryl shaved my whole backside (I'm doing my best to maintain my dignity) and operated to fix my knee.

My mom says I have to stay very quiet and rest for the next couple of weeks.

So my furry pal and I just hang out together when Betty and Gracie go out to play. But I'll be up and around again soon. I'm feeling much better and want to say thanks for all your good wishes.

...Hey, Cherry here. Just want to add my thanks to everyone who helped me keep my sanity last week since I had to be away from home when Humphrey had his surgery. He's doing well and will be able to start taking some short walks soon.

SATURDAY SKY

Since it's such a gray and bleary day here, this is the beautiful sky I enjoyed last Saturday overlooking the marina in San Diego just after sunrise. If you click and enlarge the photo, you can see Catalina on the horizon. Happy Saturday to you!

Saturday Sky - it's finally BLUE!

I was a little afraid to peek out early this morning since it was still snowing a bit last night...

...but look what came with the dawn! This glorious - and long absent - blue sky!

We're still digging out - but the operative word here is OUT! YAY! We're finally getting OUT! Snowshoes remain my preferred mode of transportation. The major routes are driveable. But most residential streets, including mine, were never plowed. So the trick is maneuvering from the residential streets onto the primary ones without getting stuck or high centered. 

But I'm absolutely giddy. As you can probably tell, a bit hung over still from a major case of cabin feverITIS. When you're coming out of a snow coma, it's amazing what a little blue sky can do to lift your spirits.

It all looks like a big meringue doesn't it?

Nature's needles. And in between shovels of snow - mine have been busy. I've actually been knitting! My next post.  Really. No more whining about being snowbound. Nothin' but Knitting. I promise. Happy Saturday!

Saturday Sky

Brought to you by Denver's Christmas Storm of 2006...

These photos were taken late Thursday afternoon. I had about two hours of daylight after the snow finally stopped and the blue sky miraculously reappeared.

So, I headed out on snowshoes and toured around the neighborhood with my camera.

 

We're still digging out.

Our street has not been plowed yet but I'm hoping to get my car out today. After an unsuccessful try yesterday when it high centered, we spent an hour digging it out of the middle of the street (I was really popular). Then a 3/4 ton Ford truck got stuck in the street in front of my house, so I didn't feel so bad.

I had to hoof it out with a backpack to do some Christmas shopping -- YAY, the stores were able to reopen so my family will not be receiving IOUs in their stockings...

But look at the Christmas eye candy!

Stay tuned. I'm putting an album together of all my snow photos to post up here.  After weathering that amazing storm, its incredibly beautiful and we will be enjoying a White Christmas!

Tonight's forecast:  SNOW (no kidding)

Saturday Sky with Bare Trees

Saturday Sky

I made a comment this morning on Dave's blog about how pretty I think bare trees are. So then it got me thinking how nice it would be to take a stroll through the park to capture some beautiful bare trees in my own Saturday Sky:

...Nature's own lace knitting.

And More about Needles

For once I'm not blathering on about my foibles with the knitting kind... here's Humphrey enjoying a little TLC from Dr. Holly. He's getting regular acupuncture treatments to help him recover from the ACL injury. He just relaxes and really seems to enjoy the beneficial effects of being a canine pin cushion.

And, since I brought up the subject of the knitting kind of needles, mine actually have been pretty busy although how would you know that since there has been a major lack of anything related to knitting posted here lately.  A progress update will be coming soon.

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Passing Fancy

Vail,  Rabbit Ears... to name a couple of the mountain passes I've traveled this past week. While you  may be enjoying  glorious autumn or even Indian Summer, the previews of winter finery are everywhere if you're near 10,000 feet. 

So my Saturday Sky is brought to you  by my travels yesterday in the Colorado high country:

a view from my windshield south of Steamboat Springs

Flat Tops outside the passenger window

   Vail Pass

I enjoyed a quick lunch in Vail Village:

  the clock tower

  Vail Mountain - those runs are looking ready to ski!

  and a parting shot of the view from under the covered bridge before refueling at Starbucks, and then I was back on the highway for a few more hours of driving under lovely Colorado skies.

Happy Saturday!

To my Dad...

... and to all veterans who have so honorably served our country. Thank you.

And especially to those who currently serve. Regardless of the personal feelings that deeply divide our nation over the reasons you have been asked to serve now, and that may find you in harms way. Your commitment and sacrifice should never be diminished and are deserving only of our heartfelt respect and gratitude. Thank you and return safely home soon.

Saturday Sky

Here's my Saturday Sky framing statuary on the Esplanade near an entrance of Denver's City Park. It's a glorious fall day, but there's a bit of a blustery wind and clouds are moving in over our beautiful Rocky Mountains. Looks like a change in the weather is coming.

And so...

Hudi found a perch with a good tummy warmer to watch the birdies and all the other goings on that kitties find so entertaining.

  He wishes you a warm tummy - bird watchy - clicky needles - fuzzy - loopy - yarny kind of day!

Saturday Skies

Since I was on the road last Saturday, I wasn't able to post the picture of the lovely Saturday Sky I enjoyed in Tucson AZ. Here it is a bit belated and I hope you can see the little bird perched on this beautiful blooming cactus.

Here's today's sky, and that's Castle Rock just south of Denver. It got really hammered with by the snowstorm this past week. It was in white out conditions. What a difference a couple of days makes. That's one of the reasons I love Colorado!

And here's my sky at sunset...

Hope you're enjoying lovely skies as well...

In with the old

I'm trying really hard to resist the urge to start anything new until I get some of my UFO's off the needles first. I'm totally running out of bags, baskets, drawers, cubbies and hidey-holes to store that ever increasing number of "well-under-way" and "almost done" projects that are the evidence of my periodic bouts of startitis. I think its like the flu - someone gets it and we just pass it around - am I right?

Here's something that's becoming an "unfinished" tradition for me. Every year at the end of January/early February there is a creative needlearts festival at the Merchandise Mart in Denver CO. Every year I make a pilgrimage to the Philosopher's Wool booth to visit friends Anne and Eugene Bourgeois (IMHO, the highlight of the show), and purchase a new PW kit for the year. I usually have just enough time to get it "well-under-way" before spring fever sets in and I lovingly place it in hibernation (in the distinctive PW canvas wood block art tote bag). I can look forward to pulling it out of slumber after the summer swelter is over to finish. For me, resuming that PW project officially and joyously welcomes the fall.

This year I am doing a Kilim Cross Shawl (begun in February 2006). Here it is "well-under-way" and I expect hope to finish it by Thanksgiving. My travel schedule for work is heating up so we'll see. But it doesn't hurt to set a goal - am I right?

 

Don't you love the way the color work transitions from hot to neutral to cool colors? Obviously this is knitted with steek stitches in the round. It's really not a stocking cap on steroids. The big cone will be cut open into a triangle and then fringed.

It will look something like  this:

BTW, this was last year's "I'll finish it next fall" project:

It's become my constant companion on the road.

Saturday Sky

This photo is set up basically the same as last Saturday - but I took this shot again because Fall color is in its glory here at a mile high. You can see what a difference a week makes! Happy knitting! Happy Fall!