Now Is the Winter of My Discontent

I am sick. Again. Someone just kill me now, please.

Actually, I'm feeling somewhat better at the moment, which is why I'm taking the opportunity to kvetch write. I don't know what exactly hit me, but it hit hard. Both DH and I felt so ill last night that we didn't even bother coming home after work; instead, the whole family -- Baby M and doggie included -- stayed overnight with DH's parents, and they are graciously keeping Baby M with them again today and tonight so DH and I can get some rest. I'm a little nervous as this is the first time she's ever staying overnight without me, but if there's anywhere she'll be comfortable and taken care of and loved it's there. Besides, I was in no shape to take care of her myself for much of the day, and an evening's additional rest coupled with a good night's sleep might just see me rid of this cursed cold once and for all.

BUT...I'm not here just to complain. (No, seriously, I'm not. Stop that laughing.) I'm also here to give a huge THANK YOU to my SP9 pal, who finally revealed herself this past week.

Joni M, you ROCK!

Here's what Joni sent in her reveal package:


There are two braids of spinning fiber, the one on the right being 4 oz of superwash merino from Spunky Eclectic and the one on the left being 4 oz of BFL wool top from Hello Yarn. But the bestest stuff of all came from Joni's own shop, Union Center Knits. It's kind of hard to tell by my craptastic photo, but Joni sent along an assortment of wonderful little goodies: beaded stitch markers with -- can you believe it? -- little jingle bells on the ends (too, too cute for words!), pretty paper "Handmade By..." hanging tags for packages, a felted autumn-leaf pin, a Union Center Knits button, and two -- count 'em, two -- skeins of hand-dyed (by Joni herself) Whatnot Sock Yarn. Joni, you have completely and thoroughly spoiled me these past 3 months, and I really can't thank you enough. I hope you'll check in on my blog every now and again to see what all your fibers and yarns have been spun and knitted up into. I'll be posting photos, I promise....

And finally, my very first self-designed hat: the Top-Down Timothy Cap.





























Named for DH, the first (and so far, only) recipient, the Timothy Cap is pretty cool, if I do say so myself. I used the leftover alpaca from FIL's balaclava and took my design cues from Barbara Walker's book Knitting from the Top Down. It incorporates a couple of neat little features like a figure-8 cast on to prevent that annoying little hole at the hat top and wheel-like spoked increases for a streamlined, symmetrical look. It kinda reminds me of the caps that skateboarders wear (wore? do kids still skateboard? and do they wear caps? I am so out of the loop...), but it works perfectly with alpaca and forms a close-fitting, warm, comfy cap. Gratuitous Baby M comment: "Daddy hat! I like it!" (At 22 months old, the child is a genius, pure and simple. So says her completely unbiased mother.) Now I'm just waiting for some more alpaca to arrive from knitpicks so I can make one for myself, a second for DH and one for DH's grandfather as a birthday gift. And while I was using my February "free day" to order yarn for more hats, I took the opportunity to order some luscious alpaca to make myself the Cable and Lace Poncho from Just Wraps. Mmmmm...cable and lace poncho in Winterberry alpaca... *drool*....

Hmmmm...maybe I'm not quite as discontented as I thought.