The flakes they are a-flying

It's definitely a wintery day in northern Vermont today! We woke up to highway closings both north and south of us - black ice was the enemy of the morning it seems. I got up early to meet my mom before her surgery - poor thing had to deal with a scary commute in on the highway - nothing like windy white outs on the Bolton Flats to get that heart racing.

Sophie woke up with a fever, so Marc is working from home with her so I can go back and forth to the hospital. He sent me this picture of her this morning:Maisy sure looks excited to have a pal for the day! (Note the kitties playing with yarn balls on her pjs!)

I had my knitting this morning at the hospital, but I wasn't going to work on it while I was waiting with my mom in pre-op. After all, the socks are a gift for her birthday on Thursday and I didn't want to ruin the surprise. But after my dad and I were joking with her about how she wouldn't even be ABLE to put on her own socks after today, and how her feet might be a bit swollen, I whipped out the one finished sock and told her it was an early (and unfinished) gift. My reasoning - I wanted to make sure it was the right size, and since her feet will possible be larger after today, I wanted to get an accurate measurement! The result? The sock fit perfectly, and she loves it. So I was able to knit for a couple of hours while we waited for her surgery time. (Photo is on my foot - she wouldn't allow a camera near her this morning.) I'm so glad I used fewer stitches than the pattern called for.

The Piece of Vermont Bamboo Blend sock yarn really has a gorgeous sheen to it. It has been so nice to work with, I will be sad when this project is over. But how can you mourn any yarn for too long when there are ALWAYS new ones arriving? Last Friday we received Dream in Color Smooshy sock yarn. And wow. I mean WOW! We sold a bunch of it before it was properly unpacked! My favorite color is the November Muse, followed by Dusky Aurora and Midnight Derby. It is just gorgeous. I'm going to have a hard time keeping my hands off this yarn.

Speaking of last Friday, we had a really nice time with author, Alison Hyde. What a genuinely wonderful person - so interesting, caring, and thoughtful (she made me a scarf! thanks Alison! I love it!) She had a really nice time relaxing with knitters and friends, and we hope to see her again in the near future.

We still have a few of her signed copies of Wrapped in Comfort: Knitted Lace Shawls left, but we have received several emails from customers who pre-ordered a signed copy of Alison's book. We mailed them out on Saturday morning, and these customers are just thrilled with how wonderful the book is. Beth from MA wrote, "I just received my signed copy of Wrapped in Comfort. That name just does not do justice to the exquisite collection of shawls between the covers! Wow—they are gorgeous. I can’t wait to sit and soak up the pages." Thanks, Beth for the feedback, and thanks to the others who commented, as well.

Unfortunately, I didn't even think to grab my camera until the very end - I did have to leave in the midst of her visit to pick up my girls and take them to a Girl Scout function. But here's a picture of Alison, with Kristine and Lucy. Kristine and Lucy were here for more than 4 hours, and Lucy was her lovely little self the entire time. What a pleasant little knitter-to-be!