One year ago – today – I was in New York City with Emily, wandering the Vogue Knitting Live Marketplace and then going for a carriage ride in Central Park.

All the while waiting for the evening and the Gala Dinner and the Announcements of the Winners for the Magic of Mohair Design Competition!  I had been one of the 12 runner’s up!  I ended up by being 2nd runner-up and getting published in the Early Fall 2011 edition of Vogue Knitting.

That was the beginning of an amazing year, most of which I have shared with you in this blog.  Now I am starting a new venture “Dark of the Night” –  a KAL through Ravelry.  I hope that you will enjoy sharing that as well.  It will take up the next ten to twelve weeks as we work our way through the charts and options that they hold.

Well I picked my yarn – I went for the Malabrigo Archangel with the gold beads.

I finished the charts for the first section and now Fiona (she is working on the lace version) and I are working our way through them.  Good thing too – we have already found a few mistakes!  I should have the whole first section knit today – as of this moment I am about half way through!

The Ravelry group is 120 strong now.  I am so excited about how this is growing!  I have posted a badge for your project page in the Ravelry Forum and I will post it here as well.  To down load the badge from the forum or here:

• right-click your mouse over the picture – a box with options will appear
• scroll down and left click on the save option – this will save the badge picture to your picture files and then you can use it as you wish!

I think that is how it is done!

Well today we are having a very traditional winter day for the Island!  It is blowing and raining – lots of debris from the trees on the roads and in the yard.  West Coast Winter perfection!  I read a wonderful, laugh out loud article this morning.  It was in the Victoria Times Colonist, by Jack Knox – it was the perfect description of an Islanders view of a “REAL” winter storm!

They have just updated our weather forecast!  We could have snow again for Tuesday!  Thank heavens that West Coast weather is subject to “Change without notice” – and usually changes long before it ever arrives!

I am making a big pot of chicken soup for next weeks’ lunches.  Left-over mashed potatoes, roast vegetables, barley and homemade chicken soup stock – the whole house is fragrant with the aroma of chicken soup!  Perfect antidote for this kind of weather!

So is Hot Cinnamon Spice Tea – black tea, 3 kinds of cinnamon, orange peel and sweet cloves – a perfect warmer for this kind of weather, and shared with a friend makes it even better!  I get this tea from The Tea Centre in Courtney – I usually order it and have it mailed to me!!  Tea, a friend and knitting, a great way to spend a few hours on a miserable Sunday afternoon!

Happy Knitting

Lynette