Half A Sheep: It's Spring, and I'm Sprung!!!

A wretched soul, bruised with adversity,
We bid be quiet when we hear it cry;
But were we burdened with like weight of pain,
As much or more we should ourselves complain.

William Shakespeare

WARNING: Picture heavy post!!!!!

You know, a well turned quote is worth a thousand words. Suffice it to say that I've been buried under mountains of obligations, both at work and at home. As much as I've missed all of you, I had to make some hard choices...to blog or to knit. Guess which I chose!

Christmas was wonderful this year! We had my DIL's brother here from Chile, and, despite my utter failure in willing my eldest daughter to fall madly in love with this guy, so I could keep him as a real son, a wonderful time was had by all! And DH FINALLY GOT IT! (By IT, I mean that he now finally understands that the only thing he can get me to make me very happy will be fiber-related) After much ordering, returning, ordering again, phone calls, and a personal relationship with Otto Strauch, these arrived the Friday after Christmas:

Isn't it prettyful!

Makes my little plastic ball winder and plastic/wire swift look like children's toys! I heart them with great passion, these!

I knit hats with great abandon all through the holidays, so that each one in the family got one. I even knit an emergency one for our Chilean kid! But, as children do, they ran off with them before I thought to get the camera out!

January rolled around. Kids went back to school. I actually thought I might have a little extra time, but wound up teaching a sock class at my LYS! (Yeah, I couldn't believe it, either!) While I was there, I saw a beautiful 4 harness LeClerc loom for sale, with bench, shuttles, books, etc. I managed to resist it until Valentine's day...but the price was so good (less than a third of new), that it had to come home with me! Ladies and gentlemen, my I present...

Now, those of you that know me, know that I've never woven. In fact, some of my Tuesday night group seemed to think that it was really funny when I announced that I didn't have time to take weaving lessons, and that I planned to teach myself. They even posted about it. All I can say is:

THAT THERE IS FABRIC!

I warped it myself (which is an ungodly long and tedious process)! It may not be perfect, but I think I did rather well, and certainly learned why you never want to lose your cross when warping! Next project will be slightly more ambitious, I think. I hate the idea of warping that thing for a scarf!

Some of you may know that I have been expecting a new granddaughter. I've been knitting like crazy for the grandchildren, in hopes of having everything done by Christmas. Well, it was done, but not sent until this week, when we were presented with Princess Sophie!

Lungs like her Grammie, I think! And, of course, a BSJ to wrap our little Sophie in!

E.Z.'s "Baby Surprise Jacket" in Sublime by Knitting Fever. (70% extra fine merino, 20% silk and 5% Cashmere). Gotta absolutely love it! It feels like knitting clouds!

Of course, something was in the package for the big brother, as well....

Of course, this is the Weasley Sweater from "Charmed Knits" by Alison Hansel. The yarn is Kathmandu by Queensland Collection. This is 85% wool, 10% silk and 5% Cashmere.

Guess y'all can figure out how much Grammie loves those kids!

Coming soon: Sock smack-downs! Spinning circles! Fiber progeny!