snow day

March came in like a lion; apparently it's going out like a lion, too.
Yesterday's rain turned into snow overnight. I awoke to a wintry wonderland. My poor daffodils were all set to bloom!

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Oh well, a few good things to keep our spirits up:

• The rain put no damper on a fabulous show by the Fruit Bats at Schubas last night. I expected a more mellow show, but they really rocked. Highly recommended! The older woman (seriously, 60+, how great is that) standing next to me waved a fruit bat finger puppet during her favorite songs.

• Ysolda's Whimsical Little Knits book arrived on my doorstep over the weekend, and it's just precious. As much as I love the convenience of pattern PDFs, there's something wonderfully tangible about leafing through a real book.
• My second Ishbel is nearly complete! The yarn is Malabrigo Silky Merino in Teal Feather. [I'm still seriously behind on blocking and photographing FOs -- the other Ishbel is first in the queue.]

• Capricha in another one of her trademark "cat yoga" poses. See those little paws peeking out?

• I made it to the Bohus exhibit at the American Swedish Institute while I was in Minneapolis last week. It was neat to see all the sweaters, but my expectations were a bit too high. I wish I had made it to the kick-off event with all the classes and lectures.

The Turnblad mansion, home of the American Swedish Institute

spring at last

Thanks to everyone for your kind comments on my first design! Please do let me know if you have any problems or questions (I know a chart for the owls would be helpful). The baby owl vest pattern is now available as a Ravelry download in PDF format, too. Figuring that out was perhaps more of a challenge than the design itself!

Something light and airy is on the needles:

Pattern: Gust, by Anne Hanson
Yarn: The Plucky Knitter Merino Lace, "Dashwood"

It's a lovely pattern, but I'm getting a little tired of it already. It's destined for my mother, who ooh-ed and aah-ed over my Woodland Scarf and requested something lacy for herself.

Even the cats have spring fever. Kylie has taken up her regular warm-weather position at the open window, stalking passers-by.

Despite her advanced age, she's also indulging in some wild hunt-the-belt action:
Sarah tagged me for the 6 Random Things meme a while back, and I'm finally getting around to it. What can I say, maybe I don't play well with others?

1. I love cars, especially classic cars. I can outlast the guys at the auto show. My dream car?
A classic VW Karmann Ghia (or maybe a Thing or an MGB 2-seater or a 1966 Mustang convertible). Sadly, I drive a tan Chevy Malibu.

2. Nothing makes me happier than a day spent outdoors in the mountains or by the lakes, with plenty of sunshine and fresh air. Sadly, I live in the heart of Chicago.

3. I was afraid of cats up until I was 10 or so. My aunt's cantankerous old tabby (with the oh-so-misleading name Tinkerbell) gave me a thorough scratching when I was little.

4. Dark-haired men, especially ones with beards or mustaches, also terrified me when I was little. I would run away screaming and crying. Apparently I'm good at conquering my fears, as Paul has dark hair and we have two cats! I'm still not big on facial hair, though.

5. I love cheese. You know how some people are wine snobs? I'm a cheese snob. I blame it on my years spent in Madison, WI.

6. I'm a very fast reader. I often devour novels in just one sitting. Nowadays I'm a little afraid to open up a book, as I know I can't stop once I get started. As soon as the quarter is over, though, I'm going to read with reckless abandon!

Want to share some random things? Consider yourself tagged!