A Reminder

Sometimes I forget why Steve and I moved to Colorado. It's a gorgeous, soul-awakening place. It's full of raw, untapped beauty. I forget the colorful sunsets and the big-open-blue-skies. I forget what it's like to stand on top of a summit and breathe in crisp mountain air and...wait. Hear. Nothing. It pierces my soul. 

But, then, the everyday nonsense gets in the way; washing dishes, working, laundry, errands, fixing and mending and the like. I rarely leave FoCo and my "familiar" surroundings. Ordinary becomes content.

Sweeping plains with red earth at Devil's Backbone (Blue Sky Trail)

It's a beautiful 13.0 mile long trail (we only did but a fraction of it).

So, I received a friendly reminder of why we moved to CO. Inhale. Take a look at its beauty. Smile.

50 Projects: 52 Weeks (8. Softie, a Gift)

Meet Softie.

I have NO idea why I've decided to name this project softie, but it's beachy and calm and tames the wild hair. And. It's a gift for someone. I wanted to branch out a bit and make something a bit bohemian. I just love knitting. And to make it all better, this was salvaged yarn from Goodwill! 

Beauty in Destruction

Well - As my previous post hinted at, we had a cold spell in Fort Collins last week and it wasn't without its own trouble.

Bright and sunny day. A bit chilly. Steve and I went to our car and he opened the drivers' side door, as normal, and then...the sound of glass shattering into a million pieces. The beautiful aqua-colored tempered glass was everywhere. It is a mystery to us as to why it happened - we blame the freeze-thaw cycles that we've been getting. I guess glass-shattering is pretty common in Colorado. Hmph. It looks so beautiful, glistening in the sun, but it was NOT something we wanted to pay for, that's for sure. Lesson learned - Auto Glass deductible of $50 or $100 separate from the main deductible. Duly noted!

50 Projects: 52 Weeks (7. Soft Braided Hat)

Soft Braided Hat - an Irish Fisherman's Dream

It was chilly last week in Colorado and I felt horrible that my husband was always searching for his hats that always seem to get misplaced - and to make matters worse, he has been getting up to go to work sometimes as early as midnight or 2:00 AM. Ridiculous. 

I have also had trouble sleeping, so one evening, as Steve went to bed at 6:30 PM, I started knitting him this classically warm hat. I had it almost completed by the time he had to leave (almost!). I am not sure I'd recommend this pattern again; I think I would've preferred a tighter braided/cable pattern, but for my husband's large head, this won him over! If you look closely - flecks of aqua, purple, pink and blue/gray. 

This ball of yarn came from a stash I nabbed for $3.99 at Goodwill. I've been searching thrift stores to repurpose old wool yarns, and came across a bag with some balls from as far away as Ireland (more projects to follow suit, I hope!).