a squirrel is born

Look at my squirrel mitten!


What's that? You can't see the squirrel?

I started the mitten for real yesterday, and (thanks to Helen, and fortified by a cup of English Breakfast tea and a tart cherry scone), finally got enough of an idea of how to work with two colors of yarn to knit one and one-half rounds of the corrugated ribbing.

I'm almost (NOT QUITE) to the point of "ahhhh... THAT's how you do it" - that lovely point where something I had thought unattainable (such as knitting socks!) becomes do-able. "It's only knitting," says the Tsarina (who graciously picked up some stitches that had slid off my 2-circ sock). Yes, of course, it's only knitting -- but sometimes I develop a mental block the size of an asteroid a dwarf planet (say, Ceres), and it's a big deal to get around it.

The Ravelry women I knit with at Panera are as excited as I am about these mittens! I can't let them down. I won't let them down. (Ryan, I won't let you down...)

Of stars, mittens, and Miss Marple, if you please -

Caitlin has organized another wonderful read-and-knit-along! Do join her for some reading, knitting, and a spot of tea ...


Did you visit Anna at Knit-Write in November? Did you see this Norwegian Star Cap? It's mine!- and it's going to be the inspiration for my first stab at colorwork. Yes, the squirrel and oak mittens. I'll cast on as soon as I get yarn to match the hat. Carrie, of these gorgeous Selbuvotter, has agreed to cheer me on.

I can not begin to tell you how glad I am that Barak Obama won the Iowa caucus. Onward!