After a quiet January (the mildest weather in 70 years!), February has proved very Variable!  Snow storm on Friday and then in the 40s today with rainy/sleet mix turning to snowy mix tonight and tomorrow.  And then hi teens for tomorrow night! And this weekend?  40s again!

sigh… thank goodness for wool cardigans!

The 50 Heirloom Buttons book I won on eBay (at a really good low price) came last week – and was devoured in one sitting.  Some very interesting techniques for making the buttons – sewing, crochet and knitting are all represented.  Gorgeous buttons that are very inspiring.   The book says that hundreds of young women and children spent hours daily making these buttons in the factories in the 19th and early 20th century – and that after the introduction of plastic and wood machine made buttons, handmade buttons are only used for haute couture (which kept these techniques alive).  There are quite a few that will look good on some of my to-be-finished sweaters.

The Spring issues of the knitting magazines are beginning to arrive – Interweave Knits and Knit Simple so far.   Rowan came awhile ago.  Haven't read thru them yet – its too cold to look at short sleeves and beach scenes and besides I like to parcel out my knitting mags … reading them over a few weeks.

One of my "dream" magazines is the UK Country Living … oh how I love reading it – I had a subscription for a number of years but let it lapse over the last few.  Would buy them in the bookstores (Barnes & Noble mainly) but would often miss a month because there were usually just a few copies and unless you got there early in the month they would be gone.  However it was renewed for me as a gift this past Christmas and once again I am in thrall each month.   I rarely read it when it arrives – but flip thru for a preliminary peek and then save it for a special sit down and a cup of tea and a biscuit or two.

The photos are gorgeous – as is the allure of living a life on a farm or in a cottage by the sea or a lake or in the mountains – but of course the farm must be in the Scottish Highlands, or in Yorkshire or along the south west coast – maybe with a fishing boat too!  And there would be a dark good looking husband and a few children and lots of pets and… ah well!

Of course, the REAL country living magazine is Country Life.  The Granddaddy of all.  I actually subscribed for a few years – its TRES CHER for an American – but so yummy to read.  And has the wonderful Annie Tempest and her great cartoon.Tottering-by-Gently. 

Tottering-by-Gently is a village in the fictional county of North Pimmshire, where Lord and Lady Tottering reside at their ancestral home, Tottering Hall. Annie Tempest's prints are based on Lord and Lady Tottering (Dicky and Daffy), their daughter Serena and their grandchildren, Freddy and Daisy. Through Dicky and Daffy's extended family, Annie Tempest casts her gimlet eye over everything from inter-generational tensions, the differing perspectives of men and women, to dieting, field sports, and much much more.

See more at her website.  Cartoons here

Below is the one for the first week of January.

and from December 07

Back to reality and current knitting – working on three things in various stages of completion:

First, the Red Tomten Jacket for Walter, my nephew

As you can see, the body and hood are done and one sleeve started before I ran out of yarn.

Am waiting to hear back from the vendor who thinks she has the same dye lot available to send .

In the meantime, today I got the OK from Walter as to the color of the Pockets and the Hood and Front band … a pretty sky blue.

At first he said that he wanted green but both my sister (the mom) and I steered him to the blue (its one side of his reversible parka) as we didn't want the obvious Holiday connection that Red and Green may bring (He is being raised Jewish).

SO that means I can start on the blue – hmm, now I wonder if I have enough of that !  Will have to check and maybe order some more!

Its Brown Sheep Lambs Pride Worsted in Ruby Red.

The second project in my current rotation is my variation on the Central Park Hoodie for Walter's mom, my sister.

As with the Tomten Jacket, the hood and body and front bands are done.  So I find myself in Sleeve Land.  As I worked this in the round and am doing the sleeves from cast on at the steeks and knit down, I am having to make up a sleeve pattern as I go.

Will check some of my reference books – but I need to figure out the ratio of the decreases to get the sleeve size I need.

And then the decision to make button loops with I-cord.  Sister will have to decide if she wants them or a wrap belt maybe ?  (she is very thin and can carry that off).

The third project is my version of EZ's Aran Cardigan – I am still worki
ng on the body – so not much to report on that… just good solid cable knitting for a few more inches before the sleeve steeks.

PS If you didn't watch either Saturday Night live or This Week on Sunday, check my main blog for my take on the Clinton/Obama skits/talk.

PPS Reading Yarn Harlot today is dangerous – I found myself wandering the web looking for the same yarn – I already have the patterns she mentions and of course need to start two new cardigans like a hole in the head!