I’ve been so very sick. I had the flu really bad all last week. I’m still not well enough to drive or do much of anything around the house.

So that’s why I haven’t been on the blog in a long time.

I finished the little blue scarf before I got sick, and it’s very pretty. When I’m well enough, I’ll take some pictures. I started a little secret Christmas knitting project today that I can hopefully finish quickly while I’m down for the count.

I finished spinning the silk last night

(it’s SO pretty!) and in my excitement to get this scarf done, I didn’t even wash it to set the twist. But I’m using so little, I don’t think it’ll matter.

After knitting a sample of the border, Nate thought that it needed to be a longer, so I experimented a little bit, and I think he’s right. What do you think?

I’m using size 2 needles to get tiny little stitches. Even though I did a provisional cast on so I could knit onto live stitches, this border is technically supposed to be sewn on afterwards but I resisted because I’m not confident in my hand sewing skills at all. However, it seems like that’s what I need to do.

It’s so cold here (snowing now and the temperature is supposed to drop further) I want this thing done so I can wear it and feel cozy.

When I got down my box full of dye, I noticed a water bottle of blue dye mixed up already. I don’t remember what blue it is, but I figured I’d use it and see what happened. I poured the whole bottle into the pot. The resulting silk is a bit brighter than I’d intended, but I think I like it.

Maybe the brightness will satisfy that part of me that wants it red. In any case, I’m going to spin it up. It will be easy to rip off and overdye if the color isn’t working out.

I’m about half done with the main part. I blocked it last night, so it’d lay nice and I could see it better.

You can’t really see them, but there are clear, iridescent beads all over it. This time, I’m making the scarf with a snowflake stitch pattern instead of the catspaw I’ve done in the past. It’s a messier looking stitch than I anticipated, but it’s still pretty. I’m planning to spin some silk for a smooth and shiny edging which I’ll knit onto the top and bottom only, not the sides. But I haven’t decided yet what color to dye the silk. Probably a very dark blue, but there’s always that part of me that thinks, “no, RED!”

The yarn I’m knitting with came from a little pile of baby alpaca top I’d test dyed in a couple shades of sky blue a long time ago that I happened to come across the other day. I can’t remember when I dyed it, or what I dyed it for, but there was almost an ounce of it. I added enough white, undyed alpaca to make a full ounce, and blended it together into rolags with my handcards to spin. It took two hours to spin the singles, and probably about that long to ply. So a satisfyingly quick little project.

And as usual, this was intended for me, but as I’m knitting it, I keep thinking of people to give it to. That’s why I’ve knit so many little shawls and neckwarmers, but continue to not have one of my own. I always give them away.

The lady that commissioned them is picking them up tonight.

Now, I can knit something for me! My list of choices is pretty long… I’m not sure what I’m going to do yet.

I always want to be KT Tunstall. And every time I see her live, or watch a video of her performing, or listen to one of her CDs (so like I said, always), I want to be her more.

She’s amazing.

Sara and I had a fabulous time at her concert Tuesday night. Nate ended up not being able to come at the last minute but was more then happy to let me ditch him on his birthday so I could go.

As I’ve said previously, he’s wonderful. But to be fair (to me) hers is the only concert on the planet I would ditch my hubby on his birthday to see. It was a powers-of-the-universe thing.

So we did. And it was great.

Sara and I were totally crushing on the cutie keyboard/trumpet player. (Happy birthday, honey!)

The tour bus-

And I got the pick she threw out into the audience at the end of it.

(So happy!)

The next day, I spent quite a bit of time in front of the 8 foot mirror in our stairwell trying to dance and play guitar at the same time. (You don’t get a picture of that).

I look ridiculous, but I am getting better! And I think it relieves tension, actually. Moving with the music like that might help me be able to play in front of people with out my diaphragm turning to jelly. I’m going to try it when I play my song at the songwriter’s guild mtg tonight, and I practiced on my mother-in-law today. We’ll see how it goes.

Dear sweet handsome funny brilliant hardworking thoughtful loyal husband,

I love you. Thank you for being everything that you are. Happy, happy birthday.

For a few reasons. First, it means that Halloween is completely, absolutely, indisputably, and totally OVER!!!! For an entire YEAR!!!

And that is awesome.

Second, I love November. I love the attitude of cozying up in my warm house through the yucky weather. I love Thanksgiving. I love the promise of Christmas right around the corner. It’s my honey’s birthday this month. It’s our 17th wedding anniversary next month.

November is just good, and I’m ready for it.

So here are some cute pictures of our trick-or-treating last night. We ended up in our old neighborhood and walked around with my best internet-shy-friend and her family. (Internet-shy-family not pictured. Photographed, but not pictured).

Veronica was extremely difficult to photograph, as she and her friend were dashing from house to house and never seemed to be anywhere close to me.

Max was “tired baby” for Halloween.

At the end of the night, they had their 15 minutes of candy trading…

…and that was it. All done ’til next year!