The 2020 Iknitarod

I'm starting this post with my 2020 Ravatar because if I led with the picture of the actual project, everyone would just pass on by because you've seen this yarn so. many. times.  

For the 2020 Iknitarod...I am knitting the Renny sweater!  

I think about the Iknitarod off and on all year long and some time ago I picked this sweet gray dog to be my Iknitarider.  I had originally planned to spin and knit a Jared sweater and have been tossing patterns around for months.  I could never settle on one though and I kept feeling bad about never knitting the Renny sweater and when it dawned on me that Charcoal had something in common with Renny, I knew what I was going to do.

"Are you sure?  That is a LOT of color!" ;-)

Like many animals on our farm, Charcoal was a rescue.  In his early life he had worked hard in a grade school classroom.  So hard that he ended up with a patch on his backside, just like Renny :-).  When his teacher retired, she took him home with her and kept him until she found a new home for him...and he eventually ended up with me.

With the dog connection to Renny - the bad dogs who caused her to end up here in the first place and the good dogs who took care of her for the rest of her life - and how old those dogs have all become, this year the dogs are center stage, along with Comby, who is a close to a dog as a cat can get :-).  And of course Renny is there, too, up in the stars.

I am knitting the Icelandic Star pattern.  The pattern is written as a bottom up sweater.  It's written to be knitted flat, back and forth, not around and around to then be steeked.  If you remember waaaay back, learning to do a steek was one of the original goals for the original Renny sweater.  I'd link all those old posts here, but even I don't want to revisit them (and I'm hungry and want to go eat lunch ;-).  

I have converted the pattern to be knit in the round.  I am worried about running out of yarn, so I've also converted it to be knit top down.  And, just to throw in one more challenge, I am between sizes so I've done the math to create my own personal size.  What could go wrong... ;-D.

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As always, I encourage you to follow along with the actual race at www.iditarod.com.  The Insider coverage is fantastic!  I'll be posting my usual daily Iknitarod updates on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter and the Iknitarod group is in full swing and we have several on the scene "reporters".  

Are You Ready To Treadle?

The 2019 Tour de France/Tour de Fleece starts next Saturday, July 6.  As always, the Punkin's Patch team will be loosely following the schedule of the actual race and the primary purpose of this world wide spinning challenge is to have fun learning something new or doing something challenging, but mostly to Just Sit Down And Spin.  

Maisie is going to be our team captain this year.  Yes, Maisie :-o.  We would normally never put her in any position of leadership or authority, but she's been exceptionally agreeable lately so I think our wheels, spindles and wool should be safe...mostly ;-).

The main group will be checking in and cheerleading here (the best fun), but you can spin along with us without joining the online group and just shoot me an email to let me know you are spinning and what your goal is and how well you complete it by the end.  There will be prizes :-).

Ready to start peddling/treadling?

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Challenge Yourself.  
Spin.  
Have fun.

This year, the Tour de Fleece starts on Saturday July 6 and runs until Sunday July 28th, 2019.

Guidelines (NOT RULES):

Spin every day the Tour rides, if 
possible. Saturday July 6 through 
Sunday July 28th. Days of rest: 
Tuesday, July 16th and Monday, July 
22nd. (Just like the actual tour.)

Spin something challenging on the challenge days (usually the toughest high mountain stage: this year, the first one is Stage 12, on Thursday July 18, when, Following the start in Toulouse the route travels flat to rolling roads for more than 120 kilometres before the first mountain appears. The Col de Peyresourde (15.2 kilometres at 6.1%) is crested at kilometre 138 and the riders plunge down to the valley. Up next is La Hourquette d’Ancizan, which is a 9.9 kilometres climb at 7.5%. . The second is stage 19, on Friday, July 26th, when the riders leave for Tignes on a short yet demanding route. Basically, the road goes up once the flag is dropped – not dramatically, but stoically. On rolling and constantly sloping terrain the riders reach Montée d’Aussois after almost 40 kilometres and following a short drop it continues like before. The route moves through Lanslebourg-Mont-Cenis and tackles the Col d’Iseran, a climb of 32.9 kilometres with an average gradient of 4.2%. Sure, the sheer distance is a killer, but even more so are the last 3 kilometres with double digit ramps

Wear yellow on Sunday July 28th to announce victory. Why not wear yellow on any day you feel particularly successful? (Yellow is the color of the race leader in the Tour - but here we are all ‘race leaders’) Other colors if desired: Green (sprinter - think FAST), Polka-dot (climber - as in uphill), and white (rookie).

At The Ceremonial Start

This is my seventh Iknitarod!  I always have to like to go back and count - Marcel/Woolliam, Keebler, Maisie, Baaxter, Liddy/Buddy, Baaxter and now Muffin/Biscuit/Mrs. Pepperpot.  

Each race has been different, but they've all been fun.  I've learned a lot about knitting each year.  I've learned a lot about mushing.  I've made some great new friends and we've enjoyed challenging ourselves and cheering each other on. 

I treat the Iknitarod very seriously.  Well, not like life and death seriously, but definitely seriously as in embracing the spirit of the Iditarod race itself.  I enjoy thinking about it throughout the year, planning my race.  I push myself to do something hard.  I choose my team carefully.  I get as prepared as possible.  

And on race day eve, I pack my sled.

My race map this year is the Dreyma sweater by knit.love.wool.  I took a bunch of pictures of the yarn and the color gradients (yes, there are colors if you look closely) and thought I'd already downloaded them to post here...but I haven't.  I'll include those in a future post.  

Before each Iditarod race, for a fundraiser they auction off the sleds for each musher and the winners  (IditaRiders) gets to ride in their musher's sled for the 11 mile Ceremonial Start. For the last several years I've carried a mascot in my sled throughout the race. My IknitaRider this year is that sweet little sheep I picked up off the road last summer.  

I didn't think sending a sheep to Nome wearing acrylic was a good idea, so I knit her a little wool poncho featuring some pattern colors and thereby getting to practice the increase stitch I was going to need to use for the sweater pattern.  I think she'll be toasty warm :-).

Muffin and Pepperpot came to watch the sled packing, but they won't be riding along.  The trail can be messy and dangerous (Oh, Graham, how we miss you!) and I would hate for something to go wrong.

Packed and ready...and without further ado...

This might be my favorite ravatar to date.  Like a Dreyma (dream), Biscuit and Muffin and I are at the Iknitarod, watching the Northern Lights and staring up at a bright shining star (Mrs. Pepperpot).  I have my hand on their backs to let Mrs. P. know I'm taking good care of her babies.

My project is too big, my hands are too sore.  Still, the pattern with it's bright shining star yoke is perfect and the ravatar is so sweet I just want to stand there forever...and so we once again hit the trail.  

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The Ceremonial Start begins at 2:00 p.m. EST today.  I believe you can watch live for free on Iditarod.com .  If you enjoy that coverage and want to watch video updates throughout the race (these are so fun!), I encourage you to sign up for one of the Insider packages.

Rocking The Ravatar

Coming up with the idea for this year's Tour de Fleece ravatar (Ravelry avatar) was no real stretch of the imagination.  

Enjoy!

And We're Off

Well, 20 loaded me down.  I knew he would.  We're alike that way ;-).  Since this seems to be the year of color, we settled on the Elizabeth blues, Chocula's light brown, Petunia's dark brown, Murphy's gray, some white over gray core roving from Allie and gray over white core roving from Billy Belly.  Those last three are from deep in the SABLE*. 

The colorful batt in the bag came from a friend and is for one of the challenge days.  Not that I think the batt is going to be challenging but the whole spinning red, green and white into one yarn...  I may have to add in a small ball of Plain White as an antidote.  This Tour will cure me or kill me!  

I think the team ravatar turned out cute.  Muffin and Biscuit grazing nose to nose in the blooming clover :-).

Side by side. #Biscuit #Muffin #friends #sheepfriends

A post shared by Sara Dunham (@thecrazysheeplady) on Jun 30, 2017 at 3:00pm PDT

Just like in real life.

Thank you for all the kind words for Jester.  The very first wool I spun was Punkin's.  I sat down at a friend's wheel one afternoon and she got me started.  And while I was very excited to actually be making yarn, I found myself choking back tears.  It goes fast, that wool through your fingers.  Those twelve years. Jester's seventeen.  I don't think I'll be spinning any Jester this year.

It's That Time Of Year...Again

It's time for the Tour de Fleece!  20 is still assembling my complete line up for this year's Tour (fingers crossed he goes easy on me ;-), but I wanted to share a sneak peek at my special "big" project.  

Last year, when I was organizing the wool storage/skirting area, I found an old fleece of Elizabeth's. It was from 2013...hence the wool storage area needing to be organized :-o.  Since I already have a completed Elizabeth project, I felt like this gave me a free pass to try something "dangerous".

Several months ago, Miss B and I separated out some dark, some light and some mix of the two and then dyed it various shades of blue in hopes of ending up with a "denim" color.  We then ran it through the picker to start blending it and I planned on carding it all.  

I have no idea what made me try combing it the other day, but I'm so glad I did.  I hadn't been jazzed about the carded samples.  I loved it combed.  My only issue then was the amount.  How much would I have to comb to get enough to make a shawl (my planned project).  

Turns out you can comb an entire fleece if you just stop whining about it and do it!  Who knew... ;-)

You can click the "combing wool" label at the bottom of this post or on the right side bar for more detailed information about "combing wool".  I'm just going to share some quick pics for curiosity and posterity.

Messy to "faded denim".  I love this color...and I think we nailed it :-D.

I still have no idea how this works, but it does.  You start pulling the fiber through a diz (yes, this one is straight from my recycling bin ;-)...

...and keep pulling and it all comes out in one long, ready to spin, wool [thingy].  What would be a descriptive word I'm looking for here besides "top"?  I then wound/rolled each [thingy] into a "bird nest" (man, this post gets more confusing for non-spinners all the time :-o) and tucked it into a basket.

Natural gray/brown, white, medium blues, dark blues...

...and a couple brighter blues...that I may try to tone down a bit so they are a little less "dangerous" ;-).

That's a big basket of wool!  17.2 ounces total.  I had more waste than I should have, but I learned a whole lot for next time.  The trick now is actually making myself spin it.  I'm so enamored with the basket of un-spun fiber that I'm worried I'll just keep petting it and never move on.

Another similar shot, but with Tilly helping pose for scale again ;-).

The colors are more accurate in the previous picture, but I like the light on the flowers and our old truck in this one.  

I finally finished this year's Ravatar/cartoon this afternoon.  Anyone already in the Ravelry group can get a sneak peek.  I'll post it here tomorrow...which most likely means Saturday morning the way things go ;-).  It's pretty cute!

Because Some Things Once Seen Cannot Be Unseen...

As I didn't catch this on camera, I thought I might create a yet another Maisie cartoon for creative documentation.  This is a family friendly blog though and rather than post an embarrassing picture of Saint Tim, I'm reposting one of my very favorite pictures of Maisie from the early days.

If you remember back a few posts to my story about "edumacating" Maisie (and are a long time follower of this blog), you probably won't be at all surprised to see...an update.  What follows might be Maisie's Finest Funniest Moment.  

Saint Tim was in the barn with me last night because we needed to catch Burrnie and trim his feet.  I had my back turned and missed what happened, but heard Tim squalling, using some, um, grown up words and turned to see Maisie hightailing it out of there.

Honestly, I was surprised.  She's been good lately.  Really, really good.  She hasn't butted me, pawed me, even gotten in the least bit snarky.  We've had many good evening chats, lots of tummy rubs and even ear scratches!  What on earth had happened?!?

"She pulled my pants down!"

Maisie drops mic and [runs] away :-D

Interview From The Trail

One of the best parts of the Iditarod Insider is watching all the musher interviews.  20 thought it would be fun to do an interview from the Iknitarod Trail.  He promised I wouldn't have to actually be on camera,so I agreed to answer a few questions.  

20:  So how's the race going so far?

TCSL:  It's going pretty well.  I'm not as far along as I thought I'd be at this point, but we're doing okay. The weather's been really nice. 

20:  Are you liking your project?

TCSL:  Yeah, I am actually!  Well, I assumed I'd like it before I started or I wouldn't have started it,  you know, but yeah.  I'm really liking the yarn, too, so that's especially fun.

20:  Any surprises on the trail?

TCSL:  Well, not really a surprise at this point, but I've had some gauge issues.  Not sure what's going on with that, but it's plagued me for several projects lately, so in anticipation of that I picked a project where that wouldn't be incredibly important.  Definitely something to work on for next year, but at this point I'm running the course I'm on and trying to not worry too much.  There will be some adjustments to make later on once I've made it up the coastline, but I've got a good team.  We'll figure it out.

20:  Do you think Liddy knows what you are doing?

TCSL:  Liddy is an interesting sheep.  I think she knows more about what's going on all the time than anyone would believe and probably knows more about what's going on than a lot of sheep.  All sheep are smarter than people give them credit for, but Liddy is exceptionally smart.  She has been since she was a tiny lamb.

20:  I see you are wearing your Maisie sweater.  Can you tell us a little bit about why you like to do these individual projects?

TCSL:  Well, I think it's neat to raise a lamb, or any sheep really, and watch their wool grow and then when they are sheared, use that wool to make something useful and enjoyable.  And it can also be sort of memorial to those special friends.  Like the Ford sweater you are wearing.  

20:  Who's your favorite sweater?

TCSL:  I don't have a favorite.  I have some I wear more than others, but I wouldn't call them favorites.  I like pullovers more than cardigans, so for example, my Elizabeth sweater doesn't get worn as much as say, Maisie or B. Willard.  

20:  What is your favorite part of the Iditarod and Iknitarod?

TCSL:  You know, I really like a lot of it, both races.  I think part of why I really like following along with the Iditarod back stories, like watching the musher interviews as they are getting their dogs settled in for a rest, is because I take care of animals here.  So while I don't know exactly how hard it is to take care of that many dogs in subfreezing conditions, I do know what it's like to take care of animals.  How they are partners on my team and not just for the two weeks of the race, but all year, just like the sled dogs.  I walk up to check on everyone at night or set out some fresh straw in the barn and I think, you know, there is probably a musher in Alaska doing the very same thing right now.

The Iknitarod, again, I like a lot about that, too.  The group on Ravelry is really fun.  Lots of support and encouragement for the knitting, but also updates on what's going on with the race that I can't keep up with during the day, answering questions...    Like yesterday.  I had to work the lamb barn and someone was texting me about who was coming through the checkpoint they were watching.  I feel like I've missed a lot of the coverage so far and that really helped.

I had hoped I'd picked an easier project this year so I wouldn't have to push so hard to get it finished and could enjoy more of the coverage and watching the live feed as mushers come in or even just participate in the online chats.  That hasn't really worked out so far, but I'm hoping between maybe being able to eliminate a pattern repeat or maybe even two that I'm going to feel a little less stressed.  Once I get off the coast (the lace and cable border) and into the interior, as long as my body holds up, that's a lot of nearly mindless mushing so I can probably do that while I watch and catch up on the podcasts.  The podcasts are really good.  In the meantime, I'm doing the best I can and when I'm tired or sore or having to rethink my strategy...it's sort of like taking care of the dogs.  I get a tiny feel of what it is like to take on that long race.

20:  So how is your body holding up?

TCSL:  Could be worse.  I know that.  Could be a lot better, too.  My back and my right shoulder is a bit achy and my right hand, especially my thumb, is kind of sorer than I'd like.  Heck, I'd like to not be sore at all, but the only thing that's kinda worrying me is my right elbow.  Feels okay right now, but it hurt some last night.  Taking the morning off to do chores and this interview gives everything a little break.  I hope.

You know, back to the actual race, it sort of goes without saying that beauty of Alaska just can't be beat.  It just so incredibly beautiful that I usually start crying when I watch the Run Dog Run updates where they take a few minutes to show the surroundings, the teams, the dogs close up, aerial footage of teams, the sun setting...add some slow motion shots and cue some beautiful music and you better get me a box of tissues.

20:  What you'd better get is back to knitting!  It's been fun chatting though.  I may have some more questions for you further down the trail.

TCSL:  Okay.  Yeah, I'd better keep moving.  

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If you have any questions you'd like 20 to ask, leave them in the comments.  It's been fun posting a blog during the day before my brain is completely shot and my eyes crossed.  

We're Ready!

Finishing up the yarn - here is one the batts from Wednesday drafted/pulled out into spinnable roving. It's mate is sitting just above it and one more pair off to the right.

I usually spin all my "singles" and then at the end mix and match thicks and thins to hopefully end up with a consistent batch of yarn.  This time I plied each batt as I went along.  It actually worked out pretty well and probably not significantly different than the mix and match method. 

My trusty sled dog, resting up on her comfy rock pillow ;-).

20, getting ready to wash the finished yarn this afternoon - 975 yards.  That should be enough even if my gauge is a bit off. 

The pattern I picked is a shawl from the same designer as the first Liddy shawl, Tales from the Isle of Purbeck.  I started her Stories from Snoqualmie Valley shawl a year or two (?) ago, but got sidetracked and never picked it back up.   Not really sure why as every time I look for shawl patterns it catches my eye.

Pretty, eh?  And I think it kind of looks like an icy river with chunks of ice floating along a snowy bank :-).

Washed and drying in the wintry air.  It actually spit snow for a bit this morning.  Looking at the 10 day forecast, that looks like the only snow this Iknitarod run is going to see :-(.  You never know though. We've had a least some snow every year I've done this knitting challenge.  Maybe there will be an Iknitarod miracle this year, too!

 I'm very happy with the yarn :-).  Whew!

I'm even happier with my ravatar (Ravelry avatar).  Liddy was such a snuggle bug lamb who loved nothing more than taking naps curled up in my lap.  I miss those days.  She was just one of the sweetest lambs I've raised.  

I'd thought all along that my ravatar this year would be her sleeping out on the trail curled up on a straw bed like the sled dogs do.  It's sort of her theme.  She was the sleeping baby Jesus in the manger  on last year's Christmas card ;-).  

It didn't seem right to just have a solo sheep sleeping unprotected in the Alaskan wilderness.  Should I put Hank on there with her?  I usually put myself in the design.  Would I be sleeping, too?  Wait...I'll be knitting...by the fire...under the Northern Lights!  

I. just. love. this.  

And I love the yarn.  And the pattern.  And Liddy of course.  I think it's going to be a great race!

If you are interested in following along I'll be posting updates quick updates throughout the race on Instagram (which auto posts to Twitter and Facebook).  Instagram and Twitter are easy to navigate and enjoyable.

There is a wonderful Iknitarod group on Ravelry full of knitters, spinners and weavers of all experience levels. Several members have direct ties to the race, whether living along the route or at a checkpoint or even have relatives who have raced.  Getting on the spot updates is Very Exciting!  You are welcome to lurk even if you aren't a knitter.  You'll probably need to sign up for full access, but that's easily done.

If you are interested in learning more about the Iditarod, Iditarod.com is a fabulous website.  I highly encourage you to watch some videos and read the daily updates.  I think there is quite a bit of free coverage, but the Insider packages are worth every penny.  I hope they have the daily commentators like they did last year.  Fun!!!

Here is the "funnest" part.  I have a couple very sweet stories to share about Liddy.  I have some very cute stories to share about Buddy.  I also have a funny story about  spinning the yarn.  Since the name of the shawl is Stories from Snoqualmie Valley, I am going to share stories.  It can be Stories from Equinox Farm.

We all cast on tomorrow.  Stay tuned!

Bullwinkle's Badge

Duh... Bullwinkle?  Rocky and Bullwinkle?!?  Thanks to Cappy for pointing out the obvious.  I don't know what I'd do without you all!  

The red at the bottom is from something that happened yesterday.  Bullwinkle was playing around in front of the barn and the next thing I knew he was standing in the red manure spreader (!).  He had to have half climbed, half jumped under the metal beaters (think sharp and pointy).  There was no way he could fit back through the other direction.  

Luckily Saint Tim was still home and could lift him up and over and now it makes the perfect spot to customize our ravatars :-).  

Let the Tour de Fleece and France begin!

Good Point

While everyone was in agreement that the Orneries were pretty darn cute, it was quickly (and frequently ;-) noted that Maisie would surely not be happy about wearing that [stupid] red bow.  True dat.  I think this tag (which could actually be it's own ornament) would help meet her approval.

While I am very happy to make Maisie Orneries for you, I think having a kit option adds some extra fun.  

Each kit contains a cut out sheep shape, enough Maisie wool to wrap it extra fluffy, a piece of Maisie's yarn leftover from the sweater for her tail, a piece of red Lamb Camp yarn for the [stupid] bow, a tiny brass bell (because you know she'd love that haha), a piece of fishing line I pinched from Saint Tim for a hanger and a Maisie Christmas! tag.

I didn't print out a set of instructions for each kit because I think the tutorial from the other day works pretty well.  It's noted on the back of the tag and I've posted a "blog button" for an easy link.  I also didn't include a felting needle because you really don't need it and leaving it out makes this a fun project for children of all ages ;-).

The kits are $5 each.  A completed Ornery (also with matching tag) is $7.50.

Here's where it starts to get a little weird.  Shipping...  I tried really hard to stick a Maisie Ornery in a small padded flat mailer, but I couldn't go through with it.  Yes, I realize it's not a real sheep, but the thought of Maisies running through the rollers at the post office, possibly several times...even though that Does Indeed sound like something that would happen to Maisie....  

Shipping in a Small Flat Rate Box is going to be $5.95.  I hate that, but it keeps Maisie safe (and thecrazysheeplady a little saner - shut up! ;-) and if you wanted, you could stick a bunch of Orneries or some Christmas note cards or something else small in there for no additional shipping cost.  

P.S. I've really stressed over this (shipping cost), but finally realized that the folks who aren't going to understand this...are probably not reading this blog in the first place ;-).

The Burled Arch

Remember when I was complaining about how long it was taking to spin Maisie's yarn? And then how long it was taking to knit a fairly straightforward sweater?  It finally dawned on me that it took forever for her to grow up enough to move out of the house, so what did I expect? ;-)

We finally made it!

I took the finished sweater out to the barn yesterday to show Maisie.  She was standing behind the barn with several other sheep.  I kind of flipped it over the back gate to hold it up and all the sheep scattered.  Except Maisie.  She didn't even flinch.  She just looked very intently at the sweater.  And looked.  And looked.  No one else was in the least bit interested.  

I am hoping to do the "formal" pictures tomorrow.  It's supposed to clear off and be sunny and 44 in the morning.  Almost sweater weather :-).  In the meantime, here is a sneak peak...

This was the easiest blocking job Stella and I have ever done.  It washed wonderfully and fit perfectly so all we had to do was set it out, measure to make sure everything was even and placed a few pins, pink of course :-).  

And as a special treat for Maisie, I let her come out and eat with the boys last night.  Her Iknitarod Banquet.  Look how small she is next to them.  I never think of her as being that small.  My silly little girl :-).

Yarn Along - The Lights Of Nome

I love designing the fun little "buttons" I use on the blog here (on the right) and on Ravelry, for special challenges, events...  On Ravelry they are called Ravatars rather than avatars :-).  I especially love Maisie bucking along the Iknitarod Trail with her Cheerio boxes flying out of the sled, but 2014's was nice too with the three dogs safely pulling me into Nome...on time.

The Iknitarod race committee asked me if I'd like to create the Ravatar for the "winning" Iknitarod mushers this year.  I thought a little on it and came up with our dog mascot, Blue, standing under the Burled Arch wearing all sorts of completed items.  I loved it when some of the close, but not quite there knitters saw it and decided to push on to the end so they could "win" it.  

I had planned to make my own "finally got there" button with me and Maisie standing under the arch by ourselves.  I'd be wearing the sweater and Maisie would probably butting me or kicking me in the kneecap.  I knew though that so many of my Iknitarod friends were still knitting just as hard as I was and came up with this "still out there" button.

And I think I actually like this button better than the winning one because it tells the real story of our wonderful, fun, interesting, supportive group who is indeed standing at the finish shining the Red Lantern for us and cheering when they can see our headlamps off in the distance.  We're almost there! That's me!  I'm almost there!

Two days ago I had the back done and was starting on the front.  I wondered how the split was going to be worked and how on earth you'd do that with only one needle.  You use two separate balls of yarn!  

I used the front and back of the same skein instead since being handspun spun by me, each ball was a little different and I didn't want that to show...just in case.  Anyway, you just knit across the right side, jump across the opening onto the left side and as long as you make sure you're using the correct yarn, easy peasy.  

Here is the complete body and sleeves.  See how curled up and wonky everything is?  A quick soak in some warm water relaxes all that and if you apply the proper amount of cat weight, it all lays out flat and orderly, ready to be stitched together.

Yesterday.  It took me a little while to teach myself how to properly seam knitting.  I used a good book I have and also some videos on YouTube.  I put in some stitches, pulled them out, tried again, pulled them out, tried again, that looks okay...  Good thing the yarn is as tough as Maisie!  

I kept getting confused as to which row I was using, so ended up running a piece of thread down the center to mark the exact spots I needed to pick up the stitches on each side. I won't be afraid to seam anything again.  I love how each project I pick teaches me something new :-).

I'm a little worried that maybe I pulled the seaming stitches too tight.  I haven't woven in any of my ends just in case.  I know that the safest thing to do is try it on and see how it feels, but I just can't bring myself to do it.  I am knitting on with confidence, but mostly hope even though it's a little tough with my head buried in the sand ;-).  All I need (I hope!) is the collar, which I'm going to start on as soon as I get this posted.

I can see the lights of Nome!

Joining in with Ginny.  Oh, and my books the last two weeks were The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and the companion/sequel The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy.  I loved both.