More gratuitous Luis and Ken, please. Two hotties!

If you get really tired of winter, come down to Boquete, Panama, and knit with us!

I know that I should be excited, but I'm post number 3!

I meant to say that I shouldn't be excited. Love the yarn.

I very much enjoy reading your blog. The pictures are lovely and the handknits and yarns you spin are inspiration for my own projects. Thank you for sharing. -Elizabeth D.

"awash with jealousy". Always.

Even with the snow I am jealous! As a northern girl living in Virginia I miss winter with my whole heart. That being said, I'm certain that next winter when I am again living in northern Wisconsin and complain about the length and duration of winter, that my friends will remind me that I indeed said I missed it. Love the pics of your parties, everyone always looks to be having a completely fabulous time.

What a beautiful cake! Have you added cake decorating to your list of talents?

Good to read that another northerner is officially sick of this winter. I do like winter--I really do, I snowshoe, I go outside and get fresh air and walk in the woods. But enough is enough this year. Single digit temps in March are not right. The snow has started in Wisconsin--we're doomed.

So this is not the time to tell you that our daffodills are almost done, it was 72 degrees yesterday (down from 80 degrees last Thursday) and we'll have roses soon?

(ducks!)

You need to tour in the SE this time of year. Come and teach a class. Highs in the 60s/70s with Spring flowers popping out. No snow this time of year. I won't speak of tornado season. But really nice and sunny open the windows weather this past weekend. For winter training there are rollers and other options to connect your bike to for getting some mileage in while watching the TV. :)

We have missed hurricane Sandy, and three or four snow storms. people who love snow, seriously pissed, everyone else, just looking for the spring flowers.

Sweet Lou looks like excellent medicine for Ken's recent loss. Oh, and he's wrapped in hand-knits!

shake it shake shake it shake it like a polaroid picture

I love the Fiber Optics braid you're spinning up. I'm currently working on a couple of their braids that were the same colorway as the Evenstar they had hanging in their stall at SS11. Merino/silk. What's the fiber blend of yours?

Same craptastic storm heading our way in Kingston, and I don't even have any colourful knitting to cheer me up. Love your party photos. Inspires me to get out and organize some fun (especially in tax-filing season).

How cute! Instead of "sweater girls", you've got "sweater BOYS"! Looks like it was a great party, and it's great to have indoor fun in winter, but it's 74 and sunny where I am, and I did 3.5 miles today!(your turn to be awash in jellybeans!)

By "dressed up" do you mean you found your bra?

I am in West Central Wisconsin, sad to say we made the news because we are so far over our normal snow fall. The only thing keeping me sane is my yarn. But quite frankly I am going to go nutso pretty soon . . . seriously, enough already. S.T.O.P

Just know that it can always be worse. We woke up to -25 c and 6 inches of new snow on top of the 2 feet we have had since Oct. Must say Balzac Billy, our closest groundhog, made a big mistake this year. On the plus side, looks like you had great fun this weekend, use the memories to keep you warm in the storm we're sorry to send your way. Now the sun is shining and it is close to melting. Sending that your way, too.

I also spent the day taking care of stuff before the storm hits.
Here, we're supposed to get 30 cm of snow, with strong winds!
I'll stay home, knit by the fire and just hope that it's the last storm of the season... I'm trying to convince myself that I won't even shovel, that I'll just let it melt... ;-)

I feel compelled to share that we have already started complaining about the heat in Tucson, Arizona. It was 91* F/32* C last Friday, which is only March!

LOL - 'you should be grateful the photograph is blurry' - this made my day.

Here I was feeling a bit blue - the weather has taken a turn for the worse, a cold wind blowing through the night so a warm T shirt and shorts donned this morning - I need to remind myself that there have been times in the last week I have been so hot I have just kept wiping the sweat off my brow, wondering if I will ever be cool again, but now the autumn in New Zealand is beginning, I am not so keen.

I might have to borrow your mum sometime.

Not that it surprises you not to see blog posts on the topic, but thank you for the kick in the seat of my spinning...erm....pants. I've 9 oz of lovely white cori dk three-ply finally plied, washed, & ready for.....whatever one does with white cori dk 3-ply...as well as another 1/4 of the Tri-color Jacob fleece nicely carded into rolags of scrunchy goodness, 4 oz of Spunky Eclectic Targhee spun & chain-plied, and half of my Fiber Optics braid spun up to show for it. Shockingly annoying how the project-monogamy produces the results, no?

Thanks for keeping me sane in my horrible job! I would love to borrow your mom as well! Sorry about the snow, we are in a terrible drought here, so we will gladly take some of your snow.

I am thoroughly awash with jealousy, even over the snow. (Draught here in Colorado, send moisture in any form.) Love the uke duet and pretty much spewed my beverage on my monitor due to vagina/angina. Please tell your mum thanks for the best laugh of the month.

echoing sally above me- please send all unwanted snow to colorado. i don't want my lovely city to burn down again this year! (i hate winter. hate it with all my heart. but i hate fires more.) but aside from all that, your daughters have inspired me to learn the ukulele. tell them thank you.

*sigh* Ken is just so....
And Lou is just...so....

Oops! Jan H is ahead of Steph in the fund raising.
The Blog can't let that stand!

I feel for you. I've about given up hope that this winter will ever end. We've had a good 6 more inches of white stuff added overnight to the multiple feet already in my yard. Seriously, the snow out front is waist high along my sidewalk. The words 'Alberta Clipper' and 'Colorado Low' are now top of the list of filthy phrases that should never be said aloud. I think the local weather reporters have entered the witness protection program for their own safety.

I'm so depressed. This date last year I was in summer clothes, flip flops and feeding the geese at city park :<

Enjoyable spins, good times and kool tunes!

Way to go!

I am completely wowed by that cake!!! It actually looked like a pile of presents until I noticed the candles! Any story behind it?

Hang in there - winter will eventually end. Had a spectacular weekend here in N. Cal...just enough to tease us before tonights dreary skies and rain *sigh* I went back to the March 15 post to see what I missed out on...the blue yarn is lovely - how talented u are! btw, I cast on a Koigu linen stitch scarf last night (for the second time haha)..love the colors of this (new to me) yarn. I may turn into a sock gift knitter yet!

Forgot to mention - is that a barbie doll head on top??

Just informed my family about the "craptastic" weather. My son said if the knitting lady says it will snow then that must be so.
Is there any chance we will get to read the limerick?
If not...must make up my own.

Ah...well, you have my sympathies. We had 2 Clippers back to back out here between Thursday and Sunday..."Keep Calm and Knit On"!

There is hope. Spring begins Wednesday! (maybe)

I know you don't want to hear this, but we didn't get any snow at all this winter in Atlanta, and I would have loved at least a little, so I am actually jealous of your snow! Anyway, instead today we got Tornado warnings ~ I think I like winter better ~ sitting by the fire, knitting, and curling up with a good book or knitting magazine; what could be better than that?

Snow will arrive here overnight too. At least it has melted down between the storms this year, so the piles did not continue to mound ever higher. I plan to knit through the day tomorrow enjoying watching the flakes fall while sitting in front of the warmth of the wood stove.

At least your family has returned to help out with the storm if necessary. Glad you enjoyed 2 family gatherings. And yeah for a picture with Stephanie in it - a rarity!

That looks like you all had a great time! sweet cake!

Snowed all night and all day here in Sunny Manitoba. So I abandoned plans to go into town to grocery-shop and pay bills in favour of staying home, sitting in the big south-facing window and lapping up the stray rays of sunshine while spinning and plying and having a simply wonderful time. Being snowed in has its benefits. The Municipal snow plough went down our road just before dinner time so now we can even get out once the lads shovel the driveway. Day VERY well spent; and now that I am on no one's schedule but my own, I look forward to being snowed in as an excuse to do whatever I darn-well please. Occasionally that even turns out to be going back to bed with a good book and a giant mug of hot coffee. Still, though...I really AM sick of winter!

In mid-morning, one of my co-workers came into my windowless office and said, "You have to come look at the snow. It's so pretty!" Well -- if it had been Christmas Eve, it would have been gorgeous, but it is mid-March, and it's supposed to be getting warmer, not snowing -- even though I live in Iowa! Here's hoping that Spring comes soon for all of us!

Craptastic is the word. Living in NH, I know I should not be surprised either, but I. Have. Had. Enough. Wednesday is Spring Equinox for crying out loud.
More pics of Lou please :) A happy baby trumps all snowstorms.

That "gratuitous" picture of Lou and Ken deserves to be on the mantle or in another place of prominence. After all, they are two of the most handsome-est guys in your life, aren't they? (Another two being Joe and Hank, of course!)

I am worried about how the Fiber Optics braid will spin and, eventually, ply out. It looks a rather radioactive shade of chartreuse in the photos. Is there any shade in that fiber that can tone the chartreuse down somewhat???

Happy Birthday, Erin!!

(You guys taking requests? Can you sing Lou-ie Lou-ie next?)

Yay! Happy birthday Erin, and what a great big sister you are, Stephanie! Looks like a fantastic time was had by all!

Good luck and good riddance! We are finishing up the storm that you're about to get. It was not memorable, I'm afraid. It's the 4th out of 5 weekends that we've had a blizzard or blizzard-like storm. I'm with you - there's still a bit of little kid excitement (admit it - the wind does make gorgeous snow sculptures) but I've got a growing stack of seed catalogs and a dream of warm dirt that's making me tired of winter. I want rhubarb and lilies of the valley and open windows with fluttery curtains. It'll come eventually, I know. sigh. Take care!

Any chance you could get the winners of your gorgeous yarn to send you a photo of whatever they make so that you could share the photos with us? I'd love to see what that yarn ends up being....

Well, it was snowing/raining in Dublin on St Patrick's day, so I completely sympathise with you :) Nothing like a good surprise party to boost the spirits.

Hiya, Just FYI, I saw this and thought of you. I know you're not too fond of kitchener, so this is called a Russian bind off. This is a link to a youtube tutorial for it....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1mReJQX1wk

Looks way easier than kitchener! (I hate it too but I love to make socks!!)

You cannot possibly tell us there is a poem that rhymes vagina with angina and not give us the whole thing!

How is Ken doing? Did his birthday socks help wrap him in your love during his loss?

This looks like the recipe for a wonderful weekend!

Down here in New England, we scarcely HAD any winter (in terms of snow) till February, so I hardly feel entitled to complain, yet. Canada and Minnesnowta, on the other hand, have just been slammed constantly. We are getting the Craptastic Snowstorm today, but the Craptastic Snow of March 7th melted off almost entirely, and I could see snowdrops in the backyard from the kitchen window. And a snowy winter means glorious spring flowers eventually. Sort of karma for the natural world. My son, who likes to figure these things out, calculated that Punxatawny Phil's record of prediction is actually significantly worse than random chance--about 11%, versus 50/50!

I know it's nowhere near the same, but I felt a defiance for March when I lived in Kentucky. The snow, cold and wind is so much crueler in March than in any other month! I definitely don't envy you that!

I'm glad I'm not the only one who is almost in tears when I walk out into the gale strength wind with accompanying wind chills. I keep trying to figure out where the closest warm place is I could escape to only to realize that they're not within a day's drive.

PLEASE don't ride with ice/snow on the road!!!

love the pictures, and especially the Lou/Ken smiles! I'm heading East from the West Coast for a visit with family after about 4 years. Can't wait!!
Nancy FP

That was so sweet of you do a 40th birthday party for your sis...any special birthdays I've had to do on my own. I've come to learn that if you want to do celebrate the day of your birth, you're going to have come up with cake, candles and a box of matches. So I've done that with great joy. It would be a surprise if someone else did it (and really, the only one who would 'surprise' me at this point in my life would be my mother, who always remembers special birthdays). That said, why does NO ONE give me yarn for my birthday?? NO ONE. Despite special requests. I mean I nearly beg. Oh well, I've my own stash. Sigh.

Why are there no videos of Hey Ya and mum's poetry?

Lovely pictures! Hope it was a blast~!

We're -15 plus windchill right now, although it's supposed to warm up. I'll try to send some warmth your way via the power of my mind!!

At least enjoy hunkering down with your yarn and having the excuse that you can't go out! haha

Katie =^..^=

Am all envious- I've got snow today too. Nothing says spring in New England (or Canada, I suspect) like a foot of soaking wet snow.

Also I can testify that biking in snow and ice is particularly craptastic. You need to have your feet free to use as outriggers when you hit a patch of ice and the bike wobbles. (Clip-in bike shoes pretty much guarantee falling under these conditions.) Plus the cars shower you with slush and freezing water. And even then I can offer only even odds that you won't do a face plant in a snowbank. Not recommended.

Good job on the surprise party. I hosted a surprise party for my husband's 50th on Saturday. I know how much work it is and also how much fun.

Hey Stephanie! Just wondering if the Sock Summit will be happening this year. I'm starting to make holiday plans to work against the snow gods a little, and am really hoping to make the summit the highlight of my summer. I was at Summit 2011 and am just coming down from all that I learned and enjoyed.

van harte gefeliciteerd, Erin, which means as much as congratulations from my heart and May the road meet (I forgot how it goes on, but think it is a beautiful saying). If it is a comfort to you, here in the Netherlands the winters are not as severe as in Toronto, but boy, does this winter outstay its welcome! We are sick of it and tomorrow it is officially spring. It is freezing tonight (again) and the wind is a real coldfactor. I helped somebody on her way today with her ancestry tree and the first thing she saw was that from her grandparents down everyone married at age 17 to 20, but secondly, that her father had two babybrothers born before him, one got 17 days old, one died before the birthcertificate was filled in, maybe stillborn?
Over here we are not allowed to see the cause of the death, as in England, America and Canada, if you ever watched Who do you think you are? It was kind of a shock to her, her father never talked about this, might be he never knew until his death, she has already let me know her sister did not know either, in earlier times one did not talk about this. I think we should acknowledge their having been with us (or our forebears) by mentioning them, at least in our familytree. After all, they are family.

I'll gladly swap some snow for the never ending summer that has descended on my part of the world! Who wants weeks of 30'sC in March?..

Your yarn is beautiful.
That sure is some cake. Looks like your family knows how to share a good celebration.

I'm even jealous of the snow :)

Is that a doll jumping out of that cake?

I'm with you on the long, awkward goodbye of winter. I've had enough, and I believe I shall act out by wearing my shoes outdoors, instead of my boots.

Margreet- isn't it funny how we get a bit of a story and we have more questions than we did before? here in portland, oregon, at least in the 1970's and 1980's, our death certificates showed the cause of death. maybe they don't any more. i was born in the 60's, and my original birth certificate has cool things like my parents' occupations and their ages at my birth, and whether it was a single or multiple birth, and my birth order in the family. by comparison, my childrens' birth certificates are very plain.

Love that cake! Sounds like it was a really fun party...don't we all need one like that when this winter is going on and on!

Oooh, I love both of those. Which would you be more comfortable in? I know that you adore wearing tights and those types of tops, nevertheless the maxi would be very summery!