The generally temperate winter temperatures of Maryland have briefly abandoned us. Our usual high is in the 40s this time of year, and we are experiencing a bit of a cold snap, that brought SNOW! This past week I suspect we have gotten more snow than in the past 2 years combined. The kids already had most of the week off for MLK/end of semester Teacher Work days. And they FINALLY got to use the snow tubes my mom purchased them Christmas of 2022.

Earlier this month, my friend Ashley sent me a HUGE package. It was full of yarns she was never going to use and projects she has abandoned. I taught her to knit when were were in college, and she still uses her skills! Now she makes GLORIOUSLY chunky knit throws that she sells. Her included letter got me teary, and while I won’t knit with ALL the yarns (some are destined to become monster themed wreathes) I have been going through a bunch of what she sent. There were 12 full and partial balls of Lion Brand Homespun in the package. I frogged the started projects, whipped out my trusty 10mm hook and made a C2C crochet throw with the yarns held double.

I also constructed 2 crochet hats. And an EPIC hood. The hood started life as the back of a chunky sweater. I undid to bind off, knit in the remaining matching yarn, folded it in half with the finished ends meeting, seamed the finished ends together to make the top, then sewed up the bottom of the long side a few inches to make a face hole. She had a single skein of a SUPER chunky wool ribbon yarn that I used to crochet around the face opening (making it a bit deeper and more cave like). Its oversized, won’t let drafts down the back of my coat, and roomy enough to wear another hat UNDER it.

Working through this newly acquired stash has used up 19 balls of yarn THIS year alone. I missed my goal of 100 balls of yarn used last year. I started many yarn hog projects, and finished very few of them. Maybe this year will be different and I’ll make my goal; last year was the first time in a long time that I didn’t complete 100 balls worth of projects.

My Into the Spider-Verse inspired sweater and Lightning Bug yellow hat have not been getting as much love, and are still in various states of unfinished. Its been entirely too cold all month to knit and walk to work or home. I’m wearing 1-2 pairs of mittens to keep my hands warm and unchapped! But winter never lasts forever.