Snowshoeing and Tahquamenon Falls

There is little time for vacations these days - only a day or two to put off what should be already done. P put down all his work for three days straight to enjoy the cold and the snow in the U.P.  - where they had recently had a 38-inch snowfall.  Snowshoes were mandatory - without them the snow was thigh high.

straits of Macinac

virgin trail

breaking trail

trying to be patient

frozen falls

Tahquamenon Falls - lower falls

the Mackinac Bridge

We stayed in the log cabin again - snug as bugs!

Remembered sunshine

Painted Desert, Arizona

Winter Husks

I could really use a little sunshine.

Sunday Snowshoe

The big winter storm just missed mid-Michigan, but we still received a respectable 6 inches of snow.  Today was my first opportunity to get out and enjoy it - with Zeby, of course!  I strapped on my snowshoes and away we went.

We saw ducks congregating in a small pool of open water.  And Zeby wanted to figure out how to get closer to them.

My favorite trail in the area is part of a flood plain for the Red Cedar River. This section obviously flooded and froze recently - the highwater marks were left as frozen ledges around tree trunks hovering over the ground.

Nothing better than wool for a cold snowshoe.

Pattern: Brioche Hood Hat by Valdis Vrang, a free pattern on Ravelry

Yarn: Happy Fuzzy Yarn BFL worsted in the color Shadow. Purchased at the 2011 Ann Arbor Fiber Expo.

Needles: US 8

Mods: I lengthened my ties to about 14 inches. I worked out a system to make sure I did my short rows correctly. I inserted a stitch marker at the point where the short row wedges would end, and inserted a locking stitch marker where the short row wedges began.  Every time I worked one short row I would move my locking stitch marker one pair of stitches closer to the other stitch marker. When they met, I knew I had finished my wedge. This will make more sense to you if you are actually knitting the thing.

This is my Use it Or Lose it Project 02 - working from my stash!

Zeby hunted voles on our way back. 

 I relish these quiet moments in the woods. I love winter, especially if there is snow.

Handspun backlog

backlog

When we were up at the log cabin I kept thinking about my wheel, and how I wish I had brought it with us.  When I got home and wanted to spin I realized that all my bobbins were full of singles.  So I spent an evening spinning, plying, skeining, and finishing.

And then spinning again.

Pagewood Farms Merino Tencel, unnamed colorway.

And now I have six empty 2 oz bobbins and two empty 4 oz bobbins. Now we just need to go up to the cabin again.

Greta the Second

Soon to be traveling to a nephew in Virginia! This project was part of the Use It or Lose It challenge on the Stash and Burn boards on Ravelry. The challenge: knit with old stash yarn, and commit to knitting 13 projects in 2013. If you can't knit the yarn, then it is time to find a new home for it.

My Artyarns Ultramerino came into my stash when I spent a few days in Burbank, California with a group of knitters and crocheters.  It may have been 2004? 2005? Regardless, old stash!

Pattern: Greta the Captivating Cat by Rebecca Danger

Yarn: Artyarns Supermerino 1.25 skeins, in color 113, brown.

Needles: US 5

Notions: two vintage buttons and a little bit of DMC embroidery floss, polyfill.

I knit the body on the way up to the cabin, knit the arms, tail and ears while at the cabin, and sewed on her face and put her together once I was home again.

Inspector 13 approved

Snowshoeing in the Great White North

Hiawatha National Forest, New Year's snowshoeing