Candlemas

If Candlemas be fair and bright,
Come, winter, have another flight.
If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,
Go, winter, and come not again.

I don't know what the local weather forecast is going to be. Our local groundhog didn't see a shadow, so that should promise an early spring. But it was definitely "fair and bright" today, if a sunny day counts as fair when 7 inches of snow are on the ground.

On this, the last of the Christmas holidays, I'm starting and finishing some things. My Christmas Socks had their debut today, since they weren't finished during Christmas. Now they'll probably be put away until next year - especially since Panda Wool turns out to not be the best choice for a wet, slushy, cold day. Wool really is better than anything else for keeping out the cold and the wet - even a little bit of nylon makes a huge difference, and I'm sure the bamboo didn't help. But they're pretty socks. I like them better when they're on - the Shimmer pattern stands out a lot more.


So now it's time to look ahead to a new project.... Death By Knitting! I've joined Hat Attack, an assassination-style game with hats as the weapon of choice, inspired by Sock Wars. So I'm planning to do in a victim I don't even know yet.

Even if I'm not the victor, I hope some good will come of my death. I desperately need a new hat.

See, I have this lovely hat, which Elizabeth made for me a couple of years ago. It's perfect for fall, so that's when I wear it (although it didn't come out much this year).


Then there's this one, which I made for myself - although the pattern was also a Secret Pal gift from Elizabeth. It can see me through Christmas, and is quite popular. Aaron really likes it, because it makes me easier to spot in a crowd.


But I've nothing for this time of year, when Christmas is past and winter is turning into spring. So I either walk around cold, or make do with a fleece hat - neither one of which is really acceptable for a knitter. My winter coat has this perfectly good hood, but I look awfully Hobbity if I wear it up.


So, my dear assassin, if you're reading this to gather intelligence for your evil plot to kill me, please know that I'd really like to be done in by a toasty hat that will see me through the inevitable Six More Weeks of Winter. Wool is a perfectly lovely fiber, and for a hat, it doesn't even have to be superwash. Something in winter or spring colors would be perfect. Don't you want me to die happy?

And for my victim-to-be, this is what I have in mind - Cascade 220 in a light green, which was as close as I could get to Mr. Yuk without going for something neon. If it makes you feel better, I've already suffered more than you will - I hate swatching!