Ishbel gets the gold???

I'm calling the 2010 Winter Olympics the Shawl Olympics. As I watch the various sports, I knit either my Swallowtail shawl or my Ishbel. At this point, Ishbel is in the lead and may possibly achieve the gold medal by moving from WIP status to a beautiful butterfly of a shawl.

What makes this particular shawl extra special is the yarn. I purchased it at Knitty City, a wonderful yarn shop in NYC, where I had stopped to meet my blogging friend, Mary. The yarn is Schoeller + Stahl Fortissima Coloi Disco Socka and has a silver glint to it. The glint may be silver but the shawl, and the memories associated with the visit to meet Mary in NYC, are pure gold.

Film at Eleven?

Pictures of the Talia Vest from SweaterBabe.com, a.k.a. theBlizzard Vest, taken outside in the snow, sort of. Added an indoor shot, just for good measure.

The Blizzard Vest

One good thing about the Blizzard of 2010 is the amount of time I was able to knit and knit and knit. It is with the utmost pride and hope in the blocking process that I post these pictures of the Talia vest by sweaterbabe.com, now commonly referred to as the blizzard vest.

Hallelujah and pass the snow shovel.

P.S. The buttons were purchased at Rosie's Yarn Cellar in Philadelphia last Monday between snowstorms.

P.P.S. I love Rosie's :)

Knittin' honey :)

Dinner's in the crockpot and it's time to knit. After the massive snow shoveling we did yesterday, I am surprised I have any energy left to pick up the old needles. Funny thing, though... I have discovered there's always energy for knitting.

And, so it goes. I have so many WIPs that my head spins (no pun intended) when I think of them.

Lately though, I've been working on the Talia Vest by SweaterBabe for a few weeks and have reached the tricky part. Nothing like being snowed in to force me to dive in and try to figure out directions. After a few frantic pleas on Ravelry, it all started to come together. Stay tuned.

C is for Crepes.

Crepes. They're not just for breakfast anymore. One of the coolest places in town is Rachel's Cafe & Creperie, located on the Historic 300 block of North Queen Street. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and DESSERT crepes all on the menu and lovingly prepared. Yummmmmm! Fun decor includes the friendly mannikin greeting all patrons. (The letter C could also refer to one of the coolest block of shops in town. The Historic 300 block of North Queen Street is home to numerous antique shops, The Glassworks, Zap & Co. (more on this one later), The Onion Cafe, Mommalicious, and many more. Stopping in on a Music Friday adds entertainment to the mix. It's all good.)

As I waited for my crepe, I heard a voice ask, "Is that the Celebrity Scarf?" Sure enough, a fellow knitter recognized my cozy, warm scarf that accompanies me everywhere lately.

Can you believe that I'm at the letter "C" and this is the first mention of knitting I've made?

Let there be spinning!

And spinning, and spinning....

I finally got up the nerve to set the twist on all that fiber I spun. Into the warm, soapy tub of water went each hank of spun yarn, then a rinse, and then onto a drying rack with a mug suspended underneath each processed skein just to pull out any wiggly parts.

There are 13 different skeins hanging up to dry. How cool!

B is for Baseball.

It's almost February and the groundhog will soon see his shadow and plunge us into six more weeks of winter, but my thoughts are on baseball for this entry. Barnstormer baseball, that is.

Not that I am a great fan of baseball, but I do love all that the Barnstormers have to offer us. In addition to hosting our Stitch and Pitch a few years ago, the stadium is home to ice skating in the winter, music concerts, fireworks after the games, and has the most awesome entertainment area for children. When you're not glued to the game, you might take notice of the bumper boat section, the ca

rousel, a rock climbing wall and other play venues for the kids.

The Barnstormers' home, Clipper Stadium, is located on Prince Street, the entrance to the city from the north. Construction of the stadium, and the return of minor league baseball to our fair city, spurred an amazing renewal in the northwest area of Lancaster City. Creative reuse of many beautiful old buildings has taken place since the arrival of baseball. So, take me out to the ballgame and watch Lancaster shine!!!!!