City Views, Country Dreams

Good evening from New York on the last evening in January.

How is it that it has been so long since my last post.  Please allow me to blame it on the weather.

New York City, along with many other parts of the world, has had very challenging January weather.  We have had several snow storms, and one actually amounted to more thank an annoying depth.

The previous two photographs, taken through my front window, show before and after some sidewalk clearance took place across the street from where I live.

January has also regularly featured temperature readings day and night that remained firmly (even frozen) below the freezing marker.  It has been a tough month.  Outdoor time was wisely limited in order to avoid any sudden frostbite.  Waiting on very chilly subway train station concrete platforms was no day in the park.  No walks were taken in Central Park.

We have electronic signage above most of the subway station platforms that announce the waiting time before the arrival of the next train.  A wait longer than five minutes became another source of distress.  Nothing to do but to just be patient, and hope that one had donned enough layers before setting out on the journey.

It was always a pleasure to return home to a warm apartment and to know that there was food on hand to prepare the next few meals.

How glad I am to have all sorts of blankets and sweaters that I have crocheted or knitted over the years.  Layers are good indoors as well as outdoors.

Most of these were made from various weights of wool.  The next photo shows a variation, a cushion cover that I knit years ago from cotton yarn.

I am continuing to create some items for my Foakley Arts etsy.com shop, and will soon be adding some more photographs to that shop.

Here is a preview of a small section of a very large and very soft fine lacy scarf.  When I find time during a bright sunlit day to take a proper photograph you all will gain a better idea of the true subtle color of this yarn's beautiful neutral color.

With an eye toward that February special time, Valentine's Day, I am knitting a rosy, pink, coral, saffron, and ivory fair isle scarf that might be a perfect gift.

It is such a pleasure to report that tonight's temperature at about 7 p.m. had reached an amazing height of 40 degrees Fahrenheit.  I don't think that this will continue, but do hope for the benefit of all the folks who have come to NYC for Sunday's big sports and commerce event, The Super Bowl, that we don't dive right back below freezing before Monday.

I am fortunate to have the next two days (a weekend!) off from my official workplace, and will be able to concentrate on finishing that rosy, pink scarf.  If the weather does turn frosty again, I will just pull one of my many hand knit sweaters over my head and keep knitting.  The above photograph shows just a part of the colorful fair isle rows in one of my favorite sweaters, made way back in the last century.  I do love using that expression.

Wishing you all a great February.  The hyacinths in the flowerpot on my windowsill are in full bloom.  I continue to believe that we might have seen winter's fiercest performance.

Do you agree?  Thank you all for your visits and comments.