299 thoughts on “You know it’s cold when”

  3. It’s incredibly cold here in Central Illinois, I can’t even imagine how those of you in Canada can bear it!!

  6. Darn right!! I made a woolen hat this morning that resembles an overweight tea cozy, and I’m wearing it!!!

  7. You could try making them out of bulky weight – they might not be tights so much as leggings, but hey the 80’s are retro!

  8. I have a poem you might appreciate: My sister lives in South Dakota where I lived for 22 years until I moved to Jacksonville, Florida. Just substitute where ever you live for South Dakota.
    WINTER IN SOUTH DAKOTA
    Author Unknown
    It’s winter in South Dakota
    And the gentle breezes blow
    Seventy miles an hour
    At twenty-five below
    Oh, how I love South Dakota
    When the snow’s up to your butt
    You take a breath of winter
    And your nose gets frozen shut
    Yes, the weather here is wonderful
    So I guess I’ll hang around
    I could never leave South Dakota
    ‘Cause I’m frozen to the ground

  11. No, delusional is believing winter would be over too soon to justify the effort.
    Besides, as Rachel H. so memorably said,
    “Steph? How tall do you think you are?”

  12. Hmm . . . they’d feel great under my school dress skirts when it’s cold . . . 🙂

  13. It’s never too late for a woolen anything, considering where you live.
    I’m considering a wool house warmer
    Naomi
    -20 in MN

  14. Have you considered donning a pair of pantyhose/tights and stuffing them with yarn.
    This could be a bit unsightly but after all, you are somewhat housebound.
    Just a thought….
    Anna

  16. I think maybe you skip the knitting part and this is where you just burrow into the middle of your stash and let the skeins embrace and snuggle you!
    So…this means you’re counting down to Madrona? It’s a toasty 39 here today and we have 50ish on tap over the weekend. 😉

  18. Dude – condolences. But let’s be honest, it’s not like you could, you know, be out running, even if it weren’t so cold!!!!
    Myself, I loooove the cooler weather, and would willing trade our temps in the 70s for anything in the 40s or 50s….
    Maybe not so much the -25 below, however.
    Everyone keep warm.

  19. Elizabeth Zimmermann does give a nice woolen tights recipe. At the speed you knit, they might not be ready for this cold spell, but they probably would for the next one. 🙂

  20. *shivers* NJ has been around 20 deg F all week, and supposedly we will hit below 10 deg F tomorrow… woolen tights would definitely help!!

  21. Tights stuffed with roving and they could “felt” themselves. Actually it makes me itchy just thinking about it. I finished an afghan over the weekend. That was really nice to cover up with while I knit away. I might need to start another one. It’s pretty cold here in beautiful Ohio too. Stay warm.

  22. Go for it.
    Heck, I’m contemplating knitting myself a full woolen bodysuit (I’m in Ottawa, and our heat doesn’t work at all. Management supplied us with tiny little space heaters)

  23. Well? Couldn’t you? You should at least try…it would be highly entertaining to me. And that’s really what it’s all about.

  25. Love the poem.
    It’s +0/-0 in Syracuse NY and possibly 12-24 inches of snow coming up north.
    I knit a Felicity (Ravelry) this morning while staying warm in bed.

  26. I’m in Chicago and I think my ass has fallen off because it’s so cold here I certainly can’t feel it. It must be even colder for you! Sending you warm thoughts!

  27. I wasn’t going to say anything, but on our news here (central NY) they keep talking about this “cold front coming down from Canada…” Hey! I think it should just stay where it is! Anyway, while it is terribly cold, it is beautiful – here in the countryside the snow is so white and clean, it is nice to have a real ‘winter’ for awhile, as opposed to the usual slush and mud. I am knitting fingerless mitts because I can’t use the mouse on my laptop with gloves on. Plus, doesn’t just the act of knitting warm up your hands? Keep on!

  28. We’ve been in the -40s with the windchill for the last 4 weeks; however, there is hope for you – we are now +3. But you know Canadian winters – it ain’t over til April! At least in the Yukon…

  29. This will be an excellent addition to the 2010 “never not knitting” calendar.
    Jocelyn
    (+7 in Calgary and v. smug about it!)

  30. Laura was right- EZ does have a great tights pattern. My daughter knitted them for herself when she was a figure skater and they were fabulous! In worsted weight they went very quickly!!!

  31. Heh- its almost just as cold here in Ohio, and I have been knitting super long red wool leg warmers that go up over my knees under my jeans. Got one down and working on the other. Might actually finish them in time to use them. So no, you are not crazy at all. Or at least- you have another crazy person in solidarity with you.

  33. I agree, you should at least try. If you start both, and work a little on each, you could always stop at knee-highs if it took too long. It’s true- winter will indeed come again next year.

  34. Now is another great time to justify the stash – pile it all in the living room, burrow under it, and tell anyone who asks that you are “organizing.”

  35. I want Naomi’s “house warmer” pattern. It’s the third day in a row we haven’t even gone above 0 F. That’s less than no temperature.

  36. Throughout this entire cold snap, I’ve just kept reciting to myself “I’m a knitter, I love wool and I love cold weather to wear it in.”
    It hasn’t helped.

  37. I feel your pain…as I live near St. Paul, MN. I’m always fooled by the deceptive sunshine…it looks warm and wonderful, but is actually brutal when you’re outside. My survival tactics? layers of wool, hot beverages and knitting with more wool.

  38. Sorry you’re so cold. It’ unseasonalby warm here in Paradise, CA (Northern CA). It’s about 75 degrees, if not warmer. We’ve had our back door open all day for the past two days….it’s been really nice. – Feel free to come visit Stephanie. We’ve love to meet you….. 🙂

  39. It felt like -36*F this morning when my eldest child left for school. I was tempted to force her to stay home. And then I wanted to wrap her knits from head to toe.

  41. yes b’y? I understand completely. It is ass cold up here north of Fort McMurray and I’ve been trying to knit an alpaca scarf for myself. But alas, no matter how fast I knit I do not knit fast enough to beat the cold.
    good luck, Mrs. McPhee! stay warm 🙂

  42. You guys think you’re cold? Try Manitoba. My daughter didn’t go to school for the last two days because the windchill was -51 C and the school buses would run! They keep the schools open up to -45 C windchill. We’ve been this brutally cold for weeks now. Your nose not only freezes shut but your exposed skin (such as your nose or cheeks) can freeze in less than 5 minutes! Don’t you just love Canadian winters?

  43. I love it!!You make me laugh every time!It’s not too bad here-it’s 13 degrees Farenheit-although it’s supposed to be -2 overnight…hand knit wool tights are sounding better and better…

  44. I’ve been thinking the same thing. I don’t knit as fast as you do…but maybe if I made them out of bulky yarn…
    We have a long winter up here. We’ll have snow until middle of April. hummm…

  46. The next 36 hours are to be brutal here near Pittsburgh, PA with wind chills between -25 and -30 degrees F. I know it’s not like the Northern Plains of the US or like Canada, but it’s 60 degrees below average for us! I have been seriously considering those marvelous Fair Isle Nether Garments on Ravelry.

  47. of course, just stash diving for said yarn might be enough to keep you extra warm – surrounding yourself with nice woolly skeins while trying to decide what to use… mmmmm

  49. Jackie, a friend just sent me the same poem, but using New Hampshire instead! I think she wants me to feel guilty, having moved to California many years ago. Nope. I love seeing snow, but only on postcards. I love knitting with wool, but not our of sheer despiration. I’ll send some warmth eastward. Now, if someone would just send us some rain. . .

  50. See, now I was thinking along those lines, but going a different direction. I was wondering how long it would take me to spin and knit up some silk long underwear.

  51. I know how you feel. 30 to 40 degree below zero windchills here in Wisconsin. However, I am a teacher and we know we have off already tomorrow. Had today off too. This is awesome knitting time. I love it!

  53. Bet you could do it if they were Leyburn tights.
    P.S. It’s 66 degrees and GREEN here in Santa Rosa, CA. (remember your comments when you came to the book signing at Copperfields?) Wanna come back????
    Neener, neener to all of you who live in the frigid north ;o)

  55. I understand completely, here where the actual temperature was -20F (-29C) when I got up this morning. And, it only got up to -4 or so. I don’t even want to think about what the wind chill was this morning…

  56. I have bad memories of knitted tights from my childhood. They were 100% acrylic and the sparks when I took them off would have been enough to start a fire!! Bet you can come up with something lovely though. Sorry it’s so cold with you. Just indulge yourself with something deliciously warm and snuggly.

  57. I am somewhat jealous – here in Sydney it was 44C yesterday (111 degrees for those non metricky folk south of the Canadian border). We have no air-con and I found myself waiting in line with my 5 yr old for an HOUR to get into a pool while my partner took our twins to a shopping centre. Snow and knitting and rugging up under blankets seems to me to be a delightful escapist fantasy 😉 (good luck with those tights!)

  58. No, delusional is spinning the merino yarn to make Elizabeth Zimmerman’s Nether Garments. Go ahead I dare you 😉
    You can join me in this insanity as that’s exactly what’s on my wheel right now 😀

  59. EZ has the ones you want, there is a fantastic colourwork pair on Ravelry – you could use up all those odd bits of left over sock yarn. A pair of leggings under jogging bottoms is very much faster though.

  60. Actually, I’ve been considering doing that very thing… but it’s not really all that cold here right now. Still, maybe if I start them nowish, I’d have them done for next winter!

  61. and I’m not even as cold here as there but I was contemplating a fabulous blanket to keep me warm!

  62. It’s 7 degrees F in Detroit today and the office I work in has it’s A/C stuck on! Maintainence can’t seem to get it the A/C off and the heat back on!

  64. ha ha great idea. Loved the poem about South Dakota. I live there and it got down to -47 in some area’s last night. Anything warm sounds good about now.

  65. Don’t you have children trapped in the cold house with you that you might conscript into the effort? Just promise them that holding the yarn and having it on the laps and in their hands will keep them warmer.

  66. Another Californian longing for a real winter. It’s been downright balmy here in the SF bay. I’m not up for the sub zero temps, but some low 40s and thunderstorms would be awesome. Keep it cozy, see if your kids want to bake!

  67. If you really lose your mind you may try on your woolen tights you had a child praying they have enough give to fit over your adult booty. Definitely a FAIL on my part.

  68. I agree with Rachel — we’ve got balmy weather, pollen on the cars, but no precipitation. We’ll take the water, and get a bit colder here if you like!

  69. If you knit the stockings in the pattern from the “fast socks” you probably could get them done in time!!!!

  72. I have a pair of knitted woolen long johns I did in sock yarn and they’re amazing! I used EZ’s Nether Garment instructions. I did them in a month and a half at the same time as moving house, multiple Guide camps, holidays and my first ever lace shawl.

  73. Lived in a very cold, drafty cabin in northern WI one winter. Night after night I dreamed I was knitting logs to burn in the woodstove that heated the main room.
    That was cold.

  80. I could use a pair too! …just saying in case you have some extra time you don’t know what to do with. 🙂
    Stay warm!

  81. leg warmers….wool afghan…at least the sun was nice beaming in today….dealing with kids who had been cooped inside all day at school..for 2 days…..AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

  82. Do it. And knit fast. As soon as you are done the weather will change, but the longer you think about it the longer the cold is going to hang around. Its the law. Kinda like your confidence in the Christmas knitting you had in December.

  84. I hear ya. We just came out of a very long deep freeze and are now enjoying one of our famous chinooks – it’s +6 C in Calgary right now – sorry-There might be flooding we’ve had so much snow.

  85. I worry about the furnace. I know it is tempting the fates to bring it up, but are you sure the furnace is working properly? I would hate for another thing in your house to require a reno, but maybe we can avoid the celestial smack-down by contemplating the idea? (If that makes you woozy, cast on the leggings anyway, you know it will warm up as soon as you are halfway up the first leg…)

  88. I live in MN and I don’t have a decent hat. I’ve been staying up late trying to finish the balaclava I’m working on in the hopes that if I just go faster, I won’t have to freeze my nose when I go outside.
    It’s not working yet.

  89. You got our recently departed weather! For about two weeks, it hovered between -45 and -15 here in Wasilla, Alaska. I started a pair of traveling stitch legwarmers from Knits So Fine (also in Interweave Knits Spring 2008) to wear to church under my skirts, thinking I could surely have them done before I have to go to church again and brave the cold on almost-bare legs. Umm, two weeks later, the first one is about half done, LOL. And it is 45 degrees. (ABOVE ZERO). I am in shock at a temperature change of about 80 degrees in just a few days.

  90. It was 21 below (fahrenheit) when I drove my son to school this morning. I feel your pain and can understand the delusional thought process. I spent the day wishing I had worn more layers while at work.
    How about alpaca tights? They would be soft and warm.

  91. plz writeup the pattern – it’s -9 here and going to be colder overnight….one way to use up a stash!

  94. Or you are so despondent that you think the situation is going to last so long that you will have them done and it is still freezing!

  95. Crap! I finally talked the Mr. out of a trip to Toronto for my birthday and it is colder than ever… Please let there be some nice snow so the wee (sorta) ones with me aren’t mad!!!

  98. Yup – I’m with ya on that one. Contemplating a sweater or two in the next day or two! (Even though you are far faster at knitting than I, and half my size, and you finished a full Norwegian sweater in 16 days for the Olympics.) I’m just as nutty as you are! Must be the cold weather freezing normal brain activity. (And temps are about -20 here today. I did have some fun freezing bubbles, though!)

  99. You have my deepest sympathies for enduring the cold. Up here in Fairbanks, Alaska we just got released from a 16 day cold snap of -40 F (-40 C) weather. Those would be the highs; I won’t bother with the lows. Just think on the positive. It will pass, we are past solstice 🙂

  100. Well, it’s coastal Maine, so while it is cold (0 F last night), it is not as bad as some places. Our new pellet stove is doing its best, although it was 37 in the laundry room this morning… I actually knit some “socks” that go half way up my thighs to deal with the cold knees problem. I used Knit Picks Swish and they are really comfy – no itchiness. Since they are worsted weight they didn’t take that long – relatively speaking – about as long as two pairs of socks. Just K2 P2 from toe on up, with calf/knee/thigh shaping. Have at it!

  101. Steady on your course – the cold is getting to many of us. I have dropped and had to go back three times, and find stitches on the heel flap of the sock I am laboring over. Getting through this sock is like wading through chest deep snow. Delirious, unconscious knitting. We need some sunshine.

  102. I feel terrible(but not really)! I had the nerve to complain about San Antonio’s 39 degrees this morning. I despise cold weather! I’m a tropical bird and I did not move this far south for this crap! I think the stash warmer is a great idea!

  103. Oh My god, I had that very thought when I saw it was -20ºF this morning and I had to go out with the dog. It was so cold the other day that I sat down and cranked out a gator to cover my nose, mouth and neck in one sitting. There was no point going back outside without it.

  104. We moved to Wisconsin to get away from the winters in North Dakota. Right now it doesn’t feel like we moved at all. Everyone in the house is in double layers. Handknit socks are way warmer than store socks. Knit on.

  105. Woolen tights won’t warm you much while you’re knitting them. Much more efficient to knit a blanket.

  106. I have had the same delusion lately, though it’s only -2 F here in Indiana today. I went out and bought Cuddlduds for now but am still dreaming of those woolen tights…

  110. My county has closed the schools tomorrow because it’s supposed to get down to 5 degrees tonight. They’re afraid that students won’t have sufficient warm clothing when they wait for the buses. We don’t do cold very well down here in Tennessee.

  111. It’s only just beginning to resemble something like a NC winter here in Chapel Hill; the worst was that for the last few weeks, the temperature has been bobbing in a way that makes you feel like winter already happened and now it’s spring. Talk about your torture. Convince your body it’s warm…

  112. I was thinking the same thing about thrummed mittens today. And I’m working on a cowl… My thrummed mittens from last year are still just a couple inches long. I should get on that.

  113. PattyM at 5:51 wrote: >
    Patty, tell Maintenance to use the [insulated] wire cutters to turn off the A/C by cutting the connection. Then they can work on getting the heat to work.
    Thanks for the time estimates, people; I’m considering the knitted legwarmers. Somewhere I have a pair of very loose slacks I could wear over them to hold the body heat.

  114. Sending you warm wishes from sunny Colorado. Of course, the stock show is going on now and it is traditional to have below 0 F weather during these weeks in January. Going now to start some work on some wooly something………

  115. Wool. Nature’s perfect insulation. You need to convince the family that you need to line the outside walls of a room with bins of wool. Preferably the one that you are in most of the day and I’m not thinking the basement or kitchen. Pretty insulation in stacking plastic storage bins. And so much more accessible for shopping than the storage cupboard or closet. I lined my studio and the room has to be about 10 degrees warmer than the rest of the house. Warm enough that I can take my Lopi off. It’s -1F right now and I’m off to get warm.

  116. Ummm….what do you mean? Are you doing them in rib? ….because my stockinette ones are FLYING off the needles …

  117. I’m so cold I’m crazy enough to be knitting a bulky alpaca camisole to keep me warm (bulky seems like it will be done sooner than laceweight). Tights sound like just the thing to start next.

  120. aw! get your a pair of smartwool long underwear. I know its not the same as knitting them but they’re awesome, I use them when I go skiing and stay nice and warm.

  121. Sorry no sympathy here… was -37 cel. when I got up this morn… and that was b4 the wind chill!!!
    -Saskatchewan girlie… thinks woolen tights would be great sometimes!!!

  122. Hm… if you knit them out of chunky wool, you could do like a closer fitting sweat pants, and then wear baggy sweat pants over them and you should be right as rain.

  125. Is it bad to want to take your child’s woollens (that you have made for them) and drape yourself with them in whatever way you can?

  128. I did up a cute garter stitch hat in a lovely chunky yarn in preparation for the cold snap. Next thing I know, my husband and stepson were fighting over it… At least you don’t have to knit in triplicate… or do you?

  130. This is not to rub it in in any way. I’m worried about my old college pal who lives in Toronto…and much of the US. I don’t know what I would do if it was REALLY cold where I live. We’re having unseasonably warm weather…it’s been in the high 80’sF all week.

  132. Dudes, it’s -12 C even here in central Virginia. Hey, you Canadians, keep your #*(&$ cold fronts to yourselves!

  133. Heh Stephanie. I’m sure you are cold and miserable not being able to get around too easily and therefore being forced to stay in the house all day. It got me to thinking – Joe must be cold too. I don’t recall ever seeing that finished Gansey. Just wondering.

  134. I have a pair of EZ’s longies I knit last year. Ugly they are, and I wouldn’t be caught dead in public in them. However, in this nasty cold they are wonderful. That EZ was such a clever broad!

  135. I know you’re complaining about cold… but it was 75F today… it’s January! And the closest we’ve had to rain in almost two months has been the fog! I’m ready to move elsewhere, this dry weather and lack of seasons is driving me crazy!
    PS: Go for the leggings. 😉 You know cashmere completely covering your legs would be amazing. Warm is important… though you might wanna follow the lead of old school bloomers and nix the crotch for ease.
    PPS: Feel free to disregard my suggestions, I’ve been known to instigate where ever I can… just don’t think of how soft and warm they’d be. 😉

  136. Funny, I’ve been thinking something very similar about sock-weight knee socks. Not so speedy a knitter over here.
    I love -LOVE- the Winter in South Dakota poem earlier in the comments. It bears a striking resemblance to Michigan winter.

  138. As my best friend is fond of saying, “It’s cold as a witch’s titty,” in New Hampshire right now.

  139. It’s been so cold here, I haven’t even wanted to know what the actual temperature is. If I know, I’ll just feel colder. It’s just way too cold is how cold it is.

  140. I have a pair I started in Fort Collins 15 months ago. Sock yarn and angora. Alas I don’t have enough yarn to make more than bike knicks, and double alas they are not needed here in sunny California (where it was 20C today 🙂 though we really need rain.

  141. Oh the cold! They canceled school here in central Indiana because the buses won’t start easily at -23C (-10F). Good think my latest online yarn order arrived yesterday!

  142. I am seriously thinking about knitting myself a pair of knee cowls for my hour-long commute. The rest of the car warms up fine, but the steering wheel column has some space in it somewhere that lets frigid air blow right on my immobilized knees and thighs. If I’d just stop thinking about it and start knitting, I’d be warm at some point. Same goes for you.

  145. I feel your pain… I’m 7 hours northwest of you where it’s -31.2C here right now and is supposed to drop another 5 degrees overnight.

  147. I say go for it. It isn’t like it won’t ever be cold again in Toronto.
    Or so they tell me. It depresses the heck out of me, having moved to Ontario after 12 years in Tennessee. There’s going to be snow for how long? Really? Wow.

  148. LOL – I just posted on my blog, then came over to see what you were up to, to find I used the identical title to my post. Minnesota really is almost Canada!

  150. Just a wee nippy even for Canadians who should be used to it. BUT this is why we knit is it not? Temperatures such as this brings out hoards of new knitters and the yarn shops and eveyone receiving knitted items are happy happy. Do it —-knit the leggings. You will start a whole new trend for these winter months I just talked to my friend in North Bay Ont. and she was looking at her outdoor thermometer and said it was showing -40-Lordy that’s the same in Fah and Cel.!!!! Where I am , compared to that I guess we are having a heat wave. Keep on knitting –I’m going to the LYS tomorrow to get some yarn to send up north.

  153. On the other hand, we are having unusually warm weather here in the SF Bay Area. The predicted weather for tomorrow is:
    Weather for Palo Alto, CA
    Thu
    Clear
    76°F | 36°F
    The local fruit growers are starting to worry that their trees will get confused and start blooming now in January and then further wintry weather will kill this year’s blossoms.
    (And the pundits are starting to mention a possible drought if it doesn’t start raining again soon)

  156. Tights! Wow. Along those lines, I’ve been knitting Dickey’s a la EZ. Talk about what not to wear but very warm and nice and quick!

  157. As I write this it’s -26F in central Minnesota. I don’t know about all of you, but I’m ready for some warmth…even if it does mean that I don’t feel like knitting wool leg warmers! I can’t seem to drink enough wine to stay warm either! Stay warm Steph!

  158. I have the same question as Lil–did you ever finish Joe’s sweater? I just saw a knitted hamster house in a magazine ($18) Maybe you could make one for your deranged squirrels and keep them happpy!

  161. I completely agree! They are closing down colleges around me because the school does not want to have lawsuits of frostbite! My college actually turned off the heat in all of our classrooms to save money because we are going under. I have wool mittens and a scarf, but I wonder if a hat is managable before 7:30 tomorrow morning? haha

  162. i would love to swap with you so much right now trying to knit here is Sydney in 110 degree weather is like trying to swim through marshmallows while wearing a sleeping bag…. yes pretty much that impossible and sticky but i hope that you all stay warm 🙂

  163. Bwahahahaha! I’ve had that same experience living up here in the Himalayas. Wake up one morning in winter freezing and think – hmmmm… I have all that extra mohair, I could make longjohns. Right. I’d say I’m even more delusional than you – I’m a very hefty 6’1″ tall! We are talking acres of knitting.
    OTOH, people DO regularly knit and even sell, handknit leggings around here. They’d simply only go up to what in US or Canada would be a medium size since the people are pretty small. And it is quite a sight to see somebody going around in a pair of thick grey MOHAIR tights. The urge to sneak up on them with a razor is enormous! Oh the tales I have to tell of clothing choices and combinations here in the mountains in the winter. I have seen sights you would not believe, sights to make even stout hearts tremble…
    At least I’m surrounded by knitters!

  164. I cannot recommend the SmartWool tights enough. Yes, real wool tights. I was going to knit some, too, but when you compare prices it’s actually cheaper to buy them, especially when you take into account the cost of all the psychoanalysis you’d need after knitting an entire pair of fine-gauge women’s tights. I pretty much have not taken mine off all winter. (I’ve also convinced several friends to buy them, and they all rave about them too.) They’re a little steep, but a layer of wool on your stems is like a gift from the heavens when it’s -13F. I daresay I’m kind of preaching to the choir here.

  165. When we got up at 6:30 this morning, it was -28F here in Iowa, and tomorrow at the same time is supposed to be around -31F. God only knows what it is with wind chill — I’m blanking it out. My husband and son have been thanking me profusely for the scarves I knit them for Christmas, one in alpaca worsted held double, and one in Cash Island. My husband is also becoming much more appreciative of the yarn stash as a result, because it suddenly looks like a sensible move on my part.
    Meanwhile, I’m wearing store-bought thin little acrylic gloves, and still have no hat. The one advantage of being so poorly kitted out is that the guys end up shoveling all the snow and walking the dog, but I do bundle up with a blanket wrapped around my head like a shawl in order to take food and water out to our garage for the stray cats we feed. We’ve been leaving the garage cracked open every winter for 13 years, and the neighborhood cats all know to come here.

  167. Option 1: Fat yarn, big needles
    Option 2: Felt, felt, felt
    Did I mention it has been in the 80s for weeks here in southern California? It is shorts weather!

  168. I guess you don’t want to hear that it’s 63 degrees here at 10:15 PM? 😀 Come down to AZ to visit. Winter is a beautiful time to visit. 😀

  169. Please send the Canada weather down here. A few days ago it was 66 degrees on my way to work!! Freaky freaky. Bugs everywhere, moths going nutzoidal, plants not happy at all. My knitting is making me too hot – crazyness. Think I’ll open up the fridge and sit there and knit. Sending best energy for your bones!

  170. Dude an adult onesie with back flap in alpaca with footies, mitts, hoodie and face guard! Its been -57 up here in North Bay with the windchill. Froze the car solid even with the block heater plugged in.

  171. I am pondering the time it would take to knit myself a pair of long woolen undies. I am freezing! I thought that my pregnancy would make me warmer, I could really use that right about now.

  172. Umm…you could crawl into your fridge to keep “warm”….;-)
    Chris in Sunny Las Vegas, Nevada.

  173. You have two choice:
    1. Move south.(I would do that)
    2. Knit those thights
    I always kind of tought someone who lives so much north, by their own will, in such a cold climate must be… well I was about to say masochist, but then I thought, it might be hurtful to some, so I will not.
    All I am gonna say that I hate winter. HATE it. I would gladly give up all the Xmas stuff and my BD, and knit only from cotton and linen, just to get rid of that cold season…

  174. Sadly, I was thinking that this morning (or technically yesterday morning) as I was walking from the train three blocks to my job. I hate thermal underwear because they’re always itchy, but I was thinking of knitting myself some thermal-like underwear to wear under my jeans. I would never do this, cause I don’t want to see the number of sts my waist would be.

  175. It’s -7 here right now, not counting wind chill so I understand what you mean! I live in a very old house (hand stacked field stone foundation) so we usually have on at least 2 layers. I have 3 layers at the moment because my computer is in the coldest part of the house. I think that the leg warmers are a great idea, especially since I’ve knit myself a shawl and pair of half gloves to wear at my computer. The best cold story is from my friend who lives Louisiana. She recently had hip replacement surgery and was lamenting that it was supposed to be 20 degrees down there. I cracked up and was poking fun at her when she indignantly said, “You don’t understand! I know 20 degrees isn’t a big deal to you Yanks, but it’s damn cold when you can’t even put on your own socks!” I laughed till I cried and then agreed that yes, I could definitely see the problem there. So, I guess the moral of the story is that at least we can put on our own wool socks LOL! Stay warm!!!

  176. at times like this, it is worth looking at what non-knitters do. my sister is a snowboarder and swears by icebreaker stuff. pure wool thermals.

  179. It’s -31C this morning in Ottawa. Our public transit system is still shut down (on strike). Nortel (a major employer) declared bankruptcy and screwed all its recently laid off workers out of their severance payments. It’s a long chilly winter in Ottawa, that’s for sure.
    So I’m knitting socks. I’m on my third pair since Christmas. Knee socks sound good, combined with leg warmers, toques, scarves and warm mittens. Maybe a new afghan or two for cuddling on the couch as the dogs have my old ones.
    The weather forecaster predicts slightly warmer weather here by next Monday (maybe).

  180. Thankfully my oh-my-god-it’s-so-bloody-cold-I-must-knit-something-quickly-to-keep-my-family-warm guilt project wasn’t as ambitious as tights. It was a mini scarf for my toddler (an adult-sized muffler pattern works perfect for a kidlet-sized scarf, dontcha know).

  181. Hah! I’m in the middle of a Zimmerman pullover that I started when the really cold weather did. I think I should have the thing finished and ready to wear just in time for the spring thaw 🙂

  182. I’m in Waterloo Ontario… I can relate
    Now, I’m off to walk 45 minutes to my classes and pray parts of my face don’t fall off along the way

  183. Me too! And a pair of thrummed mittens to go over the other ones. Bitter cold. Freezing your nose hairs cold. Can’t breath cold. Florida sounds so good right now.

  184. As I prepare to venture forth into – 24 F with -45 wind chill (-31 C with -42 wind chill), and hoping my car doesn’t get stuck like it did yesterday —
    wool tights sound really good right now. Yesterday I was wool from head to toe. I think that, with layers, my ‘dress’ wool coat (which has a faux fur trimmed hood and also goes down past my knees) is warmer than my down coat, it cuts the wind better.
    Wish me luck. (And BTW, I don’t live in Alberta, or International Falls, Minnesota, where one expects this, I live in SW Wisconsin. It’s colder than it oughta be. But the cold snap is supposed to end tonight….)

  185. So cold in my basement workroom that I have wool socks, 30 below socks and felt clogs on my feet (heat vent in the ceiling, feet under a work table in an uninsulated basement) No way to have a space heater as I’m working with a lot of loose paper. This too shall pass. Methinks you’re a west end girl I hope you’re not one of the unfortunates with no power this morning
    As you’re in park, it seems the newspaper was wrong and the Battlestar 4th season replay is today (Friday) on Space. Starts @ 10 AM. Sounds like warm drinks, blankie, knitting, parked in front of the tube day to me. I’m working so that’s not on for me but I’ll have the recorder fired up.

  186. Actually, I have been contimplating knitting me some, forget wool, I am thinking an alpaca blend. Thought I’d do them sort of like chaps with no feet…don’t need to wash as often!
    Or….just past the knee length. Then my knee highs would meet up with them.

  187. What an awesome thought. As I sit inside with -20ish wind chill temps outside I think about the mittens I’ve been dying to knit and the scarf that is half finished in my right hand desk drawer in which I don’t even have enough yarn to finish. That extra scarf on top of my wool and mohair one would be really nice leaving work today….to bad I’m too lazy and cold to even go buy more WOOL. Pathetic.

  188. I actually knit a pair (thigh highs) from worsted weight for the living history interpreters at Plimoth Plantation. Didn’t take too long. 🙂

  189. My sister got me thigh high thick stockings from a Portland-based store called Sock Dreams (they have a website and tights too), and they kept me warm under a wool skirt the other day waiting for the bus in 6 degree temps. I love smartwool socks too as Shaina says above, but I refuse to do tights as I don’t like tummy-pinching tops. It’s thigh-highs and comfy garter belts from now on!

  190. I laughed so hard at this entry. I seriously was wondering if I could do tights on Monday when I wore a skirt to my sister’s wedding. Now it’s even colder here in Minnesota. I will be going out only when Absolutely necessary.

  194. I was just telling a co-worker that I used to have a pair of the softest merino wool tights from Italy – they were the most awesome things EVER. I loved them, baggy ankles and knees and all, and wore them until they fell apart.
    I’ve never been able to find anything like that since!

  196. Actually, I have a pair of woolen knee-highs. They’re not itchy and are ridiculously warm.
    Although I will admit it kinda feels like wearing Cookie Monster’s pelt on my legs (it’s blue wool)

  197. I am totally knitting myself some of the Traveling Stitch Legwarmers to wear under pants or with skirts. This burst of cold has only made me more motivated to finish them. Our sad old furnace can’t keep up with the cold and I’ve been wearing hats and scarves in the house. Stay warm up there in Canada land!

  201. I’m right there with you, too (in Buffalo, NY) – have also been contemplating a nice long pair of woolen legwarmers.
    I noticed all the Canadian-US temps in the comments and tried converting some to get a sense of relative temps.
    Did you know -40C converts exactly to -40F?

  202. I actually pulled out the Elizabeth Zimmermann pattern last night. But you’re right, I can’t possibly complete this project in time for this afternoon’s walk home from work.

  204. Well shoot, Steph, if anybody can do it, you can!
    Besides, your Christmas knitting list is done; it’s not “Tuesdays are for spinning” or gansey day; you’ve got time!

  205. Steph – you weren’t hit last night with the power outage, were you? I’m terribly sorry for you if you did!!!

  206. Oh, so Canada is why my heat is on in FL…now it’s making a little more sense to me. We’re supposed to be getting a low of 32 tonight…my fiance is kind of excited because he might get to see snow for only the 2nd time in his life. Real snow that is, not FL snow (rain).

  209. Are you in the power out area? If yes, obviously you can’t read this. If no, please remember to check on your family and friends who are. Bundle warm, either way.
    I am just outside the affected area, thank goodness.

  210. I agree with you. Those thoughts really do start to go through your head; I’m trying to hurry a wool sweater along so that I have more layers! It’s -20 here in MN so I feel your pain. That’s colder than Antarctica!!

  211. I’m leaving for a meditation retreat later today. My felted slippers died about 2 months ago. Anyhow, this retreat center is chilly and you can’t wear shoes inside. For a good 10 seconds (which is actually a fairly long time) I contemplated knitting myself a new pair AND FELTING THEM before I leave…in about 6 hours. Delusional or really optimistic. You choose.

  213. This morning was so cold the cord on my earbuds was stiff and imovable. How fine a wool do you think one would need to knit an earbud cozy?

  215. I hadn’t given much thought to the EZ pattern for longies so far, but with this winter in Chicago I am actually considering knitting some.

  216. Wahoo! Isn’t winter lovely. Greatings from Rochester Minnesota where our low was -24. I am originally from Ely, MN where we have become used to this type of weather. The local Ely hospital where I used to work even provided electrical outlets so we could “plug” in our cars. Unfortunately, when purchasing my last vehicle I failed to put in a block heater thinking that since I now live in the “south” I wouldn’t need one. Does anyone have a pattern for a double knit engine block heater????
    At least the sun is shining and the sky is blue. We are expecting a heat wave of +20 on Saturday. Isn’t life wonderful.
    P.S. Chunky silk or alpaca yarn would make a groovy pair of tights!

  217. You know its cold when your car blinks a headlight at you and rolls over to go back to sleep rather than roaring to life.

  218. You ain’t the only one with that dilusion, sister. I was fingering some lace weight alpaca last night that would make wonderful tights and/or (under)vest.

  219. I live in Iowa and I have a friend in Texas who calls and says,”Girl, what’s the weather doin’ up there?” (Six inches of snow and thirty below with the wind chill.) “Oh, well it’s seventy-eight here; we’re fixin’ to head to the beach right now.”
    Justifiable homicide in my opinion.

  220. isn’t there a great elizabeth zimmerman pattern in the opinionated knitter for knit tights? with stirrups on the bottom. she was in wisconsin, where i grew up, where it is insanely cold right now, and they totally make sense to me….

  221. The last two days I have worn watch caps I made for DH (who has decided he doesn’t like them).
    As for woolen tights, they’re not ichy, any more than woolen socks; I’m wearing some now (machine knit)…though I, too, have considered making my own this year.
    But by the end of next week I will have two new WARM sweaters.

  222. Hopefully you don’t live in the part of Toronto that is currently having a blackout, otherwise those woolen tights sound like a good idea now.

  224. I’m in PA right now and it went into the minus F last night and early this morning. Growing up in Ontario means that this is the first “real” winter I’ve had here (6yrs). I’m loving it, to be honest, however walking the youngest to the end of our long driveway reminded me to make us all some DK mittens.

  225. I see things smoothng out for you and peace & calm restored. I’d send you warm weather but it’s 13* here today.
    Knitting = movement = A little bit warmer.
    Stop by and see my silly little blog sometime.

  227. When it finally got to 19F here in the south, I gave it up and cast on wool knee-high socks. Those who knew me and what I was doing laughed because two days later it was 70F again (as per usual here). Three and a half days after that, we were back in the teens and I had wooly socks up to my knees, wooly scarf around my neck, and wooly hat on my head to match my wool coat while they shivered. They no longer doubt the power of the knit, even when you only need it 2 days out of 7!

  228. I am currently wearing a down jacket and drinking cold coffee while doing laundry and working on the computer. Have you seen the FedEx “nordic tuesdays” commercial?

  229. Ah, but I’m on my way out to buy yarn for wool tights now. Just got a message from my LYS that the yarn has arrived. I will be casting on tonight. If they’re not finished this winter, there’s always next winter, and next, and…

  231. Here on Long Island, it’s 10 degrees F, which is a whole lot colder than Austin, from whence we moved lat year. I am freezing my rear off.
    I considered tights, then factored in my weight gain due to winter inactivity and decided on wool socks. Cast on yesterday and I’m almost done with the first one! It’s amazing how motivational cold feet are.

  232. i have pulled out handknits for my whole family and insist on wearing them all.
    🙂 including non knits… longjohns.
    its 13 degrees farenheit or -10.5 degrees celsius

  233. Well I count myself lucky…it is 11 AM Friday…and it’s a balmy 5 degrees outside. My relatives in NH are at 10 degrees…nuts, right?
    It’s 50 degrees in my house… (friggin’ heat pump)
    but I AM BLESSED… I HAVE A WOODSTOVE and I have WOOD!!! Our woodpile has 2 cords in it…nice clean hardword…all cut/split/and stacked!!!
    And I am able bodied enough to feed the stove!!!
    I have good warm food I made on my woodstove!
    And I have good friends to share… May all of you be as blessed!
    Stay warm!
    Elisa
    ps I loved the Dakota Poem! Hardy folk there!!!

  235. Go for it, it shouldnt take you long with your knitting speed. And besides even if you dont make it for this one, Feb is yet to come! Its a balmy -29C (without the windchill), up in Northern Ontario, and my sympathies to the other -40 to -50(at least here!) suffers of late. Only 3 to 4 more months! ya wool!

  236. umm yeah- go for it Steph…
    Since I have legs like TREE TRUNKS I’ll skip this round….
    NOT ENOUGH STR in North America to cover these babies:P
    I’ll stick with cowls TYVM:P

  237. Hang in there! The warmth is moving across the continent. It’s swinging down through Alberta/Manitoba to North Dakota today…it’ll get to you soon! (And I promise not to use any more heat than I need to, just to make sure you get some!)

  238. It was -20F in town today, but a balmy -7F at my house this morning (ah, the joys of living near the top of a south-facing hill!)
    On a cute note — the blue jays were so puffed up this morning sitting on the tree branches eating their seeds that they looked like blue and white puff balls with heads and tails (mostly tails). At least I have woollens and can come inside.

  239. It’s incredibly cold here in Central Illinois, I can’t even imagine how those of you in Canada can bear it!!
    Posted by: Sandy at January 15, 2009 4:59 PM
    Sandy is right in Central Illinois the wind chill has been so cold that kids have been out of school for 2 days straight.

  240. I’m not mad at the thought at all, it was -32 in Detroit this morning, it has warmed up to -4 so it would be well worth the effort!

  242. Funny, a couple of years ago I made a pair of thigh high 17th century stocking for a costume, I came across them as I was searching for knee socks this morning.
    “There’s more of that yarn downstairs, I wonder how much it would take to turn these into tights?” flashed through my mind. The thermometer was reading 2.3 degrees at the time.

  243. Hey, did you get caught in the blackout last night too? Our power didn’t come back on until about 7am. What a pain! A cold, cold pain!

  244. If you want a good laugh with a kid’s book, Ellen Tebbits by Beverly Cleary was a winner when I was 9 and a beginning ballet dancer. The removal of winter tights, read out loud to my daughter 30 years ago, sent us both into convulsions of laughter. It’s a must read for 1st and 2nd graders who are just learning to read or dance.

  245. It’s only 15F (-9C) here right now, but our house is old and rented and has no insulation under the floor, so I’m actually sitting here with my feet ON a heating pad set on warm. It’s amazing how much it helps. It’s cold enough that even my dogs didn’t want to spend much time outside this morning.
    I’m just hoping that the temps in this area (Washington DC) warm up enough by Tuesday that the folks who have come in from warmer parts of the country for the inauguration don’t freeze their tuchuses off. Not to mention President-Elect Obama’s Kenyan relatives, although presumably they won’t have to stand in the long security or public transport lines of ordinary citizens!

  247. Stephanie,
    I am sorry that it is soooo cold there! I live and knit in Palm Spring, CA. Today it will be a cool 78, with a low of 51…brrrr! Sending you some warmth.
    Todd

  249. Horribly cold in Minnesota. 2 weeks ago I lost my nice felted cloche hat (left it in a restaurant & when I went back it was gone! Given the quality of the stuff that was in the lost/found, it wasn’t thrown out, and I’m pretty sure I will eventually spot it on the street.) I had to make a new one fast, but got it done in the nick of time.
    Oh well, 2nd time for this pattern & I got to put in all the tweaks this time. Color’s nicer, too – no more GI flapper for me.

  252. The quickest way to get warm is to sew polar fleece or wool yoga/pajama pants from new fabric or a blanket. For extra warmth, layer long underwear beneath. Then start knitting on the tights.

  253. Last winter I made myself a pair of legwarmers to wear around campus. I usually wear skirts and it gets cold walking to the different buildings. I made them with 2 stands of worsted wool from Brown Sheep held together on #13 needles in a ribbed pattern. I did not foresee that they would make my legs look like large tree trunks. I did not think to try on the first one before I knit the second one. I would not wear them in public until now. It is finally so cold here in Bethlehem, PA that I have been wearing my legwarmers without caring how fat they make my legs look.

  254. I hear that!! It was 2 below zero here in Connecticut when I got up this morning. It’s probably colder where you are, but I had to complain anyway. Stay warm!!

  256. oops…meant ‘trap’ door as in the classic candiana image of red long undies with the trap door.

  257. I was wondering what button you pressed when you got 245 responses to your comment about it being cold in TO. I had a great time reading all the responses especially the poem from South Dakota and the comment about wrapping the yarn around your legs! Anyways, greetings from Vancouver, BC where the fog is so thick, the dampness is going right through us. Hurray for the woolies!!! (sweater, hat, scarf, and socks)

  258. Living in the South, as I do, I am spoiled in regards to the lack of cold weather. I like it that way. I like it somewhere between 45*F (7*C) and 90*F (32*C) and there aren’t many days outside of that range. This means that I’m quite prepared for hot weather and own several things that help a body shed heat.
    However, this also means I am decidedly **unprepared** for cold weather. It’s all of 16*F (-9*C) right now and while it should be noted that I’m more prepared than I used to be, with a number of wool socks and a very nice wool sweater, this is well out of my range of optimal functionality. I had a very similar notion in regards to a pair of fair-isle mittens I’m working on and wish that a hat would magically jump off of my needles and on to my head. Dear Gods, this is inhumane.
    I send you many warm vibes, and also to anyone homeless or without heat. As bad as it is in my electric heated apartment, this is a killing cold.

  259. I went and looked up the Toronto temperature. I don’t understand it’s only around 0°F. I guess it’s relative. On the other hand how cold are your hands? Will this impede the speed of accomplishing your goal?
    Yesterday at lunch it was -15°F which allowed us to through hot water into the and watch it float away. Video here http://www.flickr.com/photos/7960694@N07/3198953529.
    Helpful guide to converting to F to C with a Firefly reference: http://xkcd.com/526.
    –MN

  260. That’s funny–I’m doing it too! I started the Lion Brand thigh highs a week ago, thinking I could use it for this freezing weather. Haha, maybe next year.

  261. Amen Sister. I know Michigan isn’t as cold as Canada, but I could use some wool tights to go over my long underware!!!

  263. are you thinking this way because you are one of the ones in the city today without power??

  264. I moved to florida from wisconsin to get away from the cold and gray. I can’t imagine the cold you are going through. Ever thought about moving?

  265. Are there fewer wool allergies in colder climes? When I lived in Maine everyone had, not just wool, but layers of wool to wear. Now I’m in Virginia and know several people who say they are allergic.

  266. Woolen undies were mostly what got knitted, once upon. Undies and stockings. Perhaps you are not delusional, but rather, in touch with the great mass of knitters who came before you.
    (I didn’t say it was a *good* rationale)

  267. I feel your pain. At noon here in Atlanta it was about 25. I thought I was moving to the South but it is better than Iowa or what you guys are getting. I’m ready for spring.

  269. If you will allow another poem, this one sent to me by a friend who knows I like hiaku:
    Shit! It’s cold.

  270. You know it’s cold when:
    The snow squeeks
    Your nostrils freeze upon inhalation
    and
    you have to beat back your husband (aka–the human furnace) from turning up the thermostat.
    Really though, something about living in a cold winter state make me feel like I’m “super tough” which is sort of a joke.

  271. All those posts are making our 3F start this morning seem positively balmy. I figure I’ll finish my alpaca turtleneck sweater in time for a summer heat wave.

  272. Yep. 0 degrees F (-15 C) here this morning. I keep blessing all those wool socks I’ve knit. If nothing else, my feet are warm. Gave a friend a pair of thrummed mittens for Christmas. She has called and thanked me three times since then! Says they are the warmest things she ever found for shoveling snow, and we’ve been having at least one storm a week for the past month!

  273. Here in Las Vegas, I’m wondering if I can knit a sweater for this winter (it’s 60 degrees right now). I am tempted to move somewhere cooler for more knitting options.

  274. We set a new record low here in Iowa overnight; it was -29F temp with wind chill temps not fit to discuss. My feet are warm in wool socks covered by my felted wool slippers. My torso is warm with a turtleneck and wool Fair Isle sweater. Probably should think about knitting some wool tights as my legs freeze when I have to take the dog outside. It’s supposed to warm up into the 20’s over the weekend and I think that will feel like a veritable heatwave! Ha!

  275. I was looking at the 60 degC temperature differential between my family and friends in Australia and here in chilly Montreal. Seriously, can’t we all just share? C’mon, just give us 10 of the Aussie degrees and we can all stop complaining about our respective extreme weather.

  276. I HAVE two lovely pair of thigh-high knitted legwarmers. I only wear one pair at a time (albeit over my wintersilks long underwear and regular knee-high sox….under my two petticoats (one is flannel). And that’s to BED! (It was -19f this morning.) But as a knitter of (what seems like) thousands of toques, would you believe I had no woolie cap? However, I’ve discovered I can knit a Knitty “Calorimetry” headband in a couple of hours, and they’re fabulous under my (raccoon-fur-trimmed) hood on my down-filled coat. Yes, we in Wisconsin are conceding that it IS “on the chilly side” this week.

  277. I’ve been sitting on the couch this morning, still in my jammies. The house is 65 degrees. Do it get up to get myself dressed, or turn up the thermostat? No! I tell my husband “I want to finish this sock because my feet are cold!”

  278. I hear you! I started a scarf at 10:30 last night because I wanted an extra that would go with today’s outfit and was feeling really cold after walking the dog…did I really think it could be done in an hour?!

  279. This morning, at minus 8 degrees, I contemplated knitting an afgan, so that it could cover me whilst I knit. Duh — by the time I got that far, it would be time to turn on the air conditioning. It’s a symptom of hypothermia,you know, when the mind goes… 🙂

  280. Frigid here the last two nights and days – It was -26 farenheit yesterday morning and -22 this morning. My older sheep look uncomfortable. Poor old Bob in particular – he’s going on 14. I think he could use some woolen tights too! two pair – front and back! I feeding him extra grain and alfalfa pellets and even apples, but he’s mostly fleece, skin and bones – no fat reserves left. Good old guy, tho’. I don’t want to send him away, but hope he goes gently some night,

  281. I’m with ya, sistah! Any one know of a good pattern for tights? I am so serious! and so cold!

  282. EZ has one in the Knitter’s Almanac. I’m really leaning that way myself. -40 degrees Fahrenheit last night. There was no wind chill, that was the ambient temperature. I’m glad that I finished my wool cardigan a few days ago. On to the tights!!!!

  283. Now you know this wouldn’t be the only winter they’d come in handy!!! (And I’m thinking, ‘what a perfect project for several years of sock yarn leftovers!)

  284. Maybe if we each knit an inch we can clone them and send them around? Definitely a winter like I remember we used to have.
    If you can get out of the city it is quite beautiful… crisp clear air with the sun making sparkles on the white white snow, actual blue sky instead of grey, snow covered evergreens. Like a postcard.

  285. My mom spoke of wearing horrible brown woolen stockings growing up in Kansas during the Depression. She hated them and always had the most lovely matching lingerie for the rest of her life! That was the case even when we suffered from the winters of northern New York. My daughters are now in grad school (Edmonton) and undergraduate (Chicago) and are starting to believe me about cold winters. They spent their childhoods in a very mild (for the most part)Oregon.

  286. I haven’t knit woolen tights, but I’ve knit woolen thigh-highs (Lorna’s Lace Shepherd Sport) for a friend who is _always_ cold. Occasionally she calls me just to tell me that she’s wearing them, along with a goodly bit of flannel, and has finally gotten warm. I agree, though that prior planning is required. they took a long time.

  288. I have rather enjoyed this weather–there’s hardly any wind, the snow is dry and light instead of wet and heavy. But I’ve thought about knitting up some stockings on my standard gauge machine. I do think it’ll still take too long, so I’m contemplating some leg warmers 🙂

  291. I know I’ve spent too much time on Ravelry. I keep wanting to hit the (agree) button!
    Here in PA it’s now “warm enough to snow”. Yay. At least the teeny ice clog in my water pipe that prevented cold water from reaching my bathtub yesterday (and forced me to transfer cold water from the sink only two feet away so I could get a bath and wash my hair the old-fashioned way with a cup to rinse with)had disappeared by this morning when I could do a proper job. Now to test the last thing on the pipe, the washer.
    Note to self: when remodeling the kitchen, be sure to move the sink to the back wall so IT’S the last thing on the line and water can be allowed to “trickle” on cold nights!

  292. Sorry you got our Fairbanks cold. That -45F (about -43C) was far better than the +48F that shortly followed it! We’re now hoping for snow to get our skiing back on track… Besides, cold is good knitting time!

  293. Well, how about wool leggings? The project would go much faster if you didn’t knit feet. And it’s not like you don’t have any wool socks to wear with them.

  294. You know it’s cold when:
    You find yourself saying: “Gawd, the poor little shrimps must’ve froze their tannies off in N’Orlens….”

  295. I’m sorry you feel the need to knit woolen tights… I’m going to enjoy my California winter while it’s a pleasant 73F/23C. ^_^

  296. I couldn’t agree more! Actually, I decided to revisit a thrummed mitten pattern to make it even more dense with more thrums. 250 thrums per mitten. They’ll provide no dexterity but when it’s this cold, does one care?

  297. I live in the south, and it’s cold enough here that we’ve had snow – over the weekend I actually have knit 1 1/2 legwarmers (over the knee). Almost wool tights. I plan to finish the other one… before it warms up again…

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