Thesockladyspins

-34°C (-29°F) at 7 this morning, cold in either. Left all heaters on low over night but still nippy when I got up just before 7 am, cold enuff in my bedroom (with window shut) that I got dressed in bathroom. Sun just set (2:15 pm) behind the west mountains, temps predicted for -32°C again tonight. Might be cold and still enuff that Tatlayoko Lake might freeze, if it does will only be second time since I've lived here that it happened. More leftovers for supper, hopefully by Tuesday I can boil bones for a large pot of turkey noodle soup. Have started another pair of fingerless gloves for Isabel on Vanc Island, waiting to hear what colours she might not want. Hoping big hiway grader might be able to come down my driveway and make it wide enuff that propane truck can come down later this week, right now its just wide enuff that I might be able to get my car up, but at these temps am not planning on going anywhere.

Guessing that the valley got 16+ inches, some places more and some less, but certainly more than we got ALL of last year. Neighbor to the south (guy that bought the working part of the ranch) just came down the driveway back plowing, so now could get out in an emergency. Now all I need is to find someone to shovel my car loose. Not that I am planning on going anywhere. Temps have been falling since I got up just after 6, was -15°C now its -17°C (2°F), forecast is for -22° (8° below zero) for later today. Had a cold turkey sandwich for lunch, just mayo nothing else, its been so long since I had turkey forgot how good it is. Enuff of all leftovers for a hot meal for tonight. Just finished the 2nd red glove, just the ends to deal with, will get a pix later and add it to the blog. 5pm another neighbor Troy came along and cleaned up snow around the car, shoveled the steps, porch and access to car and plowed (with the big John Deere) spaces to turn car around should I go out (not pla...

Not very good pix but that is exactly what it looked like outside. Enuff snow (maybe 5+ inches) that Knitting Bee got cancelled, that's OK with me as Tatla Lake is a 20 mile drive and I haven't seen a snow plow come down the valley yet. Will prep kitchen for tomorrows turkey breast supper and knit on 2nd red glove. Since I took the pix snow has really let up, looks like it will soon be quitting. According to Environment Canada's weather pages temps are due to drop substantially in next 24 hours, down well below zero F, -17°F is the coldest showing up so far, so having oven on to cook turkey and squash will make kitchen feel pretty good.

Snowfall warning in effect, BUT temps already above freezing so if it happens will likely be heavy wet stuff. Mother Nature will do what she wants and all we can do is sit back and watch. Forecast (if they have guessed right) will be in the -25°C (-13°F) by Friday night, guess I'll have to shut bedroom window again. I finished my Koigu fingerless gloves while watching the mess in Ferguson, MO last night, hope all the burners someday burn themselves, (maybe in hell) and wonder where the seniors in the area will now shop, the people suffer for the radicals that don't think of groceries when there is a chance to loot stores and then burn them down. Off the soapbox now. Finished the first mostly reds gloves and have 2nd about halfway thru thumb gusset increases. Wasn't sure about using so many different shades of red, but now that glove is done I like. Second glove will be sorta fraternal, never did hear from MG on weather she wanted fraternal of identical. Another new ...

Have put my fingerless gloves into a time out and have started the gloves for Marian G in Arizona. I told her I would have them done in time for her to take on her Christmas trip, so thought since I'd be mailing them that I had better get to it. Have thumb gusset stitch count up to 13, need increases every third row to a total of 21 stitches. Football on the telly tonight so should get past increases. My fingerless gloves will wait at some of the ribbing done on second glove, have kept careful notes so can pick up when the mostly red gloves are done. Saw 6 deer come slowly walking down the driveway on the 18th, they all jumped the fence and I think headed to the river for a drink, then came back 10 minutes later to head back up the driveway before disappearing into the bush up across the road. Could only get 4 in the pix the first and last were just to far away from the four I got. Have a turkey breast in the freezer that I will get out on Monday the 24th to slowly thaw in f...

Pix of the socks I have left after several places that I take them for show & tell, will often sell a pair here and there but this year not so much. First choice if she is interested will go to Maggie in NY who wears her socks to school with clogs to show off to her kids. Neighbor just in to see about his cow, as soon as she saw him she headed for the river to cross to her side, Troy said river now has anchor ice so she may not be as eager to cross again. I prolly have a couple of hundred pounds of organic fertilizer scattered about in my yard. Will give the crows next spring something to do turning cow pies over to see what interesting bugs are underneath.

On the way home from OFFF in late Sept. stopped at a new to me market in Chilliwack, produce and lots of gourmet goodies. Bought a big bunch of squash, acorn, butternut, spaghetti, buttercup and 1 pie pumpkin, all that are left I keep in what I call my pantry, verra cool. Last night got around to using the pie pumpkin, cut opening in top cleaned out seeds. Meanwhile I had been cooking a Lundberg 'Wild Blend' rice mix along with some Parmesan cheese, and a heaping T of dry onion soup mix, once rice mix was done added it to pumpkin and baked at 375° for just under two hours. Was delish, squash was cooked to perfection. Now wish I had bought several of the pumpkins instead of just the one. Finished the first of new fingerless gloves (for me) last night while watching the late football games, just have the ends left to deal with. More football on today so will get started on second fingerless glove. Leftover odds & sods of Koigu, my original pair must be 5 + years old and a...

Got all 6 of the skeins of Koigu ready to start knitting on gloves for MG in Az., may or may not use all the colors depending how they go together once I start knitting. Have several other reddish shades in smaller amounts that might work in as well. Just a pair of fingerless gloves for me out of Koigu leftover bits before I start knitting on the red ones, my fingerless gloves are almost see thru and not very warm during this bit of cold weather. -17°C (1°F) yesterday morning and just a touch colder this morning. Shifting the down comforter has allowed me to sleep plenty warm now and last night even put on wool bed socks. Sure makes a difference when my feet are warm. Went out to knitting bee yesterday in glorious downtown Tatla Lake, 6 ladies there, including a newbie and another that doesn't come every time, had a good time and learned all about chin whiskers etc. Stopped afterwards at the clinic about what I call a low grade earache, after looking inside just a build up of wa...

Made a run up to the dump yesterday, two bags and a bit of dead produce, once there a man and big machine were working and I couldn't get anywhere near to the pit for dumping the bags in, so left stuff neatly piled on the top near where his pickup was parked. So hopefully when he was finished with the digger he will spot and put it in the appropriate place. So very glad I went yesterday as today has broke out in serious rain. Weather forecast is for the nasty cold front to land on my valley for the next week or so, temps showing at -24°C (-12°F) for Monday night the polar vortex in the future. So when I changed my bed this morning (Sunday morning job) I flipped down comforter so more down would be over my tired ole bones, may even break out bed socks. Seriously thinking about vegetable soup for today, still have squash, celery, carrots, potatoes, not much but better than nothing. Wish I had cabbage, kale and some spinach but that ain't gonna happen, so maybe will add some can...

Cold morning but now the sun has starting warming room up hands still cold tho so slipped on my well used wool fingerless gloves that had been sitting in the sun. Oh my goodness almost as nice feeling as holding a warm cup of coffee, when I take them off will make sure that they are sitting in the sun. Black with lots of various red and oranges, 2nd sock almost to the heel, do want to get them done, have been floating about since June. Other things kept getting in the way. When my cold was at its worst I wore the shawl from Sheila K, all day, tied it around back so it would stay on but leave my hands free. Merino - Alpaca mix and even tho parts are lacy as warm as any sweater I own.

Woke up this morning to a skiff of new snow, shortly after sun made its appearance snow was all gone, expect any morning now to wake up to serious white stuff, November can be the ugliest month weather wise. I am as prepared as I can be, new snow tires, larder full of groceries, enuff wool to spin and yarn to knit with, only thing I wish I had is a head of cabbage, forgot while in Williams Lake. Won a gift certificate while at Desert Mesa and traded it for two different colors of Merino roving, and then traded away a pair of socks for more fiber, BFL-Silk mix and just plain green BFL. Bought one skein of sock yarn in special colorway from Mary-anne Smith of Smith & Ewe fame. Guess I just wasn't in the mood for shopping. Have the second sock of two pair to finish then once they are done will start getting the Koigu into balls for upcoming gloves, then a pair of socks for Isabel and for now will be all caught up. Then will get to serious plying, hoping belt on electric whe...