hipy papy bthuthdth thuthda bthuthdy

Pooh looked on admiringly.
"I'm just saying 'A Happy Birthday,'" said Owl carelessly.
"It's a nice long one," said Pooh, very much impressed by it.
"Well, actually, of course, I'm saying 'A Very Happy Birthday with love from Pooh.' Naturally it takes a good deal fo pencil to say a long thing like that."
"Oh, I see," said Pooh.
~from A.A.Milne's Winnie the Pooh and Eeyore's Birthday

My birthday was spent watching movies and winding balls of yarn using both of my birthday presents. You saw the little couch yesterday and today I would like to introduce you to pressie two:


Helen says, "Hello! Hello, Hi! I help."

Yep, her name is Helen (sounds helpful to me) and so far she has helped a lot. In fact, I am having a difficult time not winding up all my skeins. I have so far kept it to the few hand-dyed yarns that I really really really want to use (the shawl and two I got at MDS&WF).

I also got The Little Book of Scarves, for help with Christmas presents.

It is a cute design: a sturdy little box full of pattern cards (so you just take the specific card you are working on with you). There are not really any earth-shattering revelations as far as design, but what I really like is that for each scarf that features a pattern repeat the base multiple of stitches is listed so one can easily widen or narrow the scarf. I am surprised how often this helpful bit is left out. Many of the designs are so simple that "pattern" seems a bit of a stretch, but there are a couple of nice lace motifs and a great example of Feather and Fan done with the beautiful (and dear) Prism Light Stuff.

In knitting news: I have another FO!



My little Bottom's Up is done! The top is a little wonky for my taste, but I attribute that to using the slightly bulkier Kitchen Cotton. In any case, my nephew, at three years old, will hopefully not notice.

I am also on the very heels of the End of the Right Front... so maybe Monday will bring more Salt Peanuts news.

The weather here has been perfect. I hope it keeps up through next weekend: I will be volunteering with some coworkers at the National Race for the Cure. As Martha would say, "It's a good thing."