Snow and handknits
We’ve returned, finally! Colorado was great, but so very dry. I felt like kindling the whole time I was there, and I’m just beginning to moisten back up now. Houston is good for something, and that’s humidity.
There’s so much to do in the Denver vicinity - we spent some quality family time in the city, then did a little CO college town tour (Boulder and Fort Collins) and checked out Rocky Mountain National Park. The roads to the good, high peaks were closed for the season and we weren’t really prepared for some hardcore mountain hiking in the snow (and wind). But we did have an encounter with some of the cutest wildlife around.
Hello, hearty magpie, you’re so cute and plump for the winter!
It was cold enough to skip past the fingerless mitts straight to full mittens.
Brrr! I’m also wearing my Sarcelle and handknit socks. I grabbed a few pairs of socks, not realizing that I’d wear the Mad Color Weaves every night as house socks (Rob’s brother’s house was COLD). My favorite pair was the Hederas that Silja sent me for Sockapalooza. I originally thought they were a wee bit snug, but they fit perfectly and stay up the best out of any of my handknit socks. Note to self: knit socks slightly smaller in the future!
We got to meet our almost-four-month-old nephew on the trip, which naturally meant that I got knitting.
Remember my great spin-out this past summer? I knit these out of this Spunky Eclectic yarn. The yarn was crazy uneven, but they didn’t turn out half bad! The hat is based on the kittyville Little Devil hat, and the thumbless mittens (hee!) are sort of based on the Baby Mittens pattern here. I may have done a half-assed job writing down the mitten pattern, so I winged knitting them on the plane. In addition to being crazy uneven, the handspun changed gauge as I knit with it, from worsted-ish to dk-ish. I’m still pleased at how well the hat and mittens turned out, and they almost fit baby Isaac. Yay!
I leave you with the strangest thing we saw on our trip (well, besides the townies singing karaoke in an Estes Park bar):
This gigantor sculpture sits outside the Denver Art Museum. Um, Denver is a dirty, dirty city and needs a good sweeping?
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The handspun baby set so sweet! What a nice aunt you are to make sure your nephew will be so fashionably dressed this winter.
It’s funny that you thought Colorado was too dry. We’re heading to Boulder for Christmas, and I can’t wait for the dry mountain air! Having grown up in that type of climate, I am a big humidity wimp.
The magpie is so pretty. That baby set is so adorable. Love the handspun yarn you used. Wow, that sculpture is huge!
that magpie looks ready for a long winter! he is so round!!! the mitts are great - I really, really have to get knitting some!
I wish I could still spin uneven effortlessly…it is what makes it look like handspun and I think looks especially good with hats. Perfectly spun yarn looks like, well, just yarn;-)
That said I pretty much spin nothing but “yarn” nowadays.
At first, when I saw your post title, I thought…what?! Snow in Houston?! How’d I miss that?!?!
Great pics. Cool knits. :-)
All that snow looks like so much fun, and your knits are great!
Your pink gloves are great and Mr Magpie is a nice one. They are smaller round here!
Awww, such a cute baby set. I am trying to think of a good reason for a giant broom and dustpan but I’m coming up empty, sorry.
I love the unevenness of the handspun yarn. I think it’s so charming. Makes the yarn more “real,” somehow.
Oh, cute winter knits pic! I love the pink gloves you’re wearing with purple and green, good colors together…and the snow in the background, yum! And, yes, I’d say your baby knits turned out *very* well! I love how handspun looks for babies, and adults too…ok everyone. Those colors are perfect for a baby boy.
oh that picture of the bird is awesome!
yeah, isn’t Denver great?!
glad to see the handknits in use and what a great FO with your handspun! congrats!
:o) elaine.
I found your blog through the ADD Knitter and am really enjoying it! Love the cable-y mittens - And the baby set is adorable… I’m just starting out with the whole spinning thing so seeing finished projects like that really makes me want to get better at it!
Colfax isn’t the cleanest street.. maybe it’s for that. Or those damn dirty mountains, all covered in dirt and whatnot.
:\ I feel all dried out when I go to San Antonio.
Anyway, I’m jealous of your snowy adventures and I love those cabled mittens.
That’s a dustpan? I thought it was a kitty litter scooper. Heh.
Love the mittens! They looks so cozy!
Looks like you had a great time. I love that little magpie!
That plump bird is the cutest thing ever, and so are you with your mittens!:)
Sounds like you had a good time in Colorado! I think your handspun is perfect for the baby set - so pretty - and it’s fun to see your handknits in action. The fluffy bird looks like he could use a little hat and scarf.
I’m with turtlegirl76 — that would be a pretty ineffectual dustpan (though I’m sure that’s what it’s supposed to be), what with all the slits.
Let’s think of it as an ode to labour! I hope you liked Fort Collins - I lived there for two years and it had a couple of great yarn stores!
nothing like putting some handknits to good use!
This looks/sounds like a great trip!
I am so smitten by the chubby little magpie - so cute!
Hey, thanks to the link to my little mitt pattern! They look so great in the handspun. Since I was winging it when I made them, it’s more fitting that you should do the same :)
Glad you had a good time here. Yes, we sure do have some strange “art” downtown Denver, don’t we? Did you catch the big blue bear peeking into the convention center? Hard to miss!