It's not gl0bal warming, it's us

It's a blue funk, I tell you.  It's the kind of blue that settles down around one like a mantle, a membrane that makes the escape efforts futile.  Two years of busted cross-country skiing has become three.

We escaped to higher Vermont elevations earlier this month.  One, two days of snow under our feet.  A day of snowshoeing with Judy.  (Her pond had started to melt.  It was ethereally beautiful.)  Then, temperatures in the 50s and 60s.  Mud.

Getting back to the Inn on Tuesday, the Subaru valiantly maintained forward traction.  Driving the cute little hatchback is fine for Boston commuting, but not so good for clearance during mudweek.  We bottomed out three times,  looking back to see what metal might have been left behind.  The next day, we drove south to our favorite Inn for the second half of the week.  I had to get out of the car to spot over the hill for Mr. Etherknitter, since the only passable spot in one section was on the far lefthand side of the road.  In a second spot, I walked the ridges and ruts to see where the car might survive a passage.  We bottomed out again, and made it to the Inn. 

Vermonters describe their unpaved roads in one of two ways.  They are either fine.  Or closed.   Two hours after we unpacked, the road was closed.  We remained mudbound until the town regraded the road 30 hours later.  The crosscountry trails were bisected by streams, mud, rocks, and glaciers.  There was no skiing.

Sunset, over fields I have never seen green before.  The white has evaporated. 

I do try to bounce higher up after a smackdown.  There was lots of knitting time. 

Snowshoes work where skis can't pass.  The forest reveals her undergarments.  Ferns stay green,  and deer prowl.  They find an unaccustomed winter buffet.

I finished a pair of Very Cabley Mittens for Mr. E.  The snows came hours after we arrived home.  He remembered a past FO photoshoot, posing while juggling.

The snowballs lasted two or three mitten impacts.  They disintegrated when he missed.  Challenging, that.  The mittens took a backseat to my laughter, and the nonplussed expression on his face.

Very Cabley Mittens, by Kelly Porpiglia

Lamb's Pride, color M26 (Medieval red), 2 skeins with lots left

Needles:  #6 Plymouth dpns

Mods:  I added an extra repeat to the pattern (60 stitches instead of 48).  I increased the waste yarn stitches by 3 for a bigger thumb opening. 

I like this thumb construction.  I think the gusset looks more anatomic, but picking up stitches after the waste yarn stitches are made live left fewer gaps to close at the end. 

Comments

[Carrie]

The mittens look great! Sorry there was no snow. It's been a weird winter for sure.

[--Deb]

Juggling snowballs, I love it!

[Danielle]

Mr. E is a very good sport. And his mittens are lovely.

[Paula]

You should have gone just a little bit farther north. We've got lots of snow. Maybe next year.

Mr. E. looks marvelous in all his knit gear. Clearly, E is for Entertaining.

[margene]

How wonderful to see a very happy Mr. E. in fabulous red mittens! You two know how to make the best of a not so great situation.
BTW, we got a ton of snow today.

[Chris]

Stranded at an Inn in Vermont with your handsome, fun lovin' fella - I hope you found something besides knitting to do. The mittens are wonderful!

[Marcia Cooke]

Good looking fellow, that Mr. Etherknitter, in his fine red mittens! I'm calling this winter the Curse of the Snowshoes. You know why...blame Thomas.

[Carole]

Sorry your trip north was a bust. The mittens are great and the photos are Mr. E are priceless.

[kmkat]

Great photos of Mr. E in his gorgeous knitwear. He's not half bad himself, either :) (I have a weakness for snuggly-looking men with beards.) I especially like the red mittens with the red berries against the white snow.

[Manise]

Awesome mittens. Was tempted to make off with them still on my hands- so comfy and warm! Giggling over the reference to the "nonplussed expression on his face"! Priceless. I can so picture that!

[Ruth]

Mr. E looks great in red.

[Teyani]

fabulous photos of a salvaged non-ski event. being mudbound seems to have brought out the best in you and Mr. E.
lovely mitts :-)
next year there will be snow.

[Fríða]

hm, you´re welcome to some of our snow! handsome guy and pretty mittens.
best wishes from Iceland
Frida

[Kathy]

Sounds like you made lemonade out of lemons. And why not, with such a fetching companion!

[Kim]

Mr. E in his mittens....perfect!!!

Hmmm.....next time come to NH, we have LOTS of snow! :-)

[Teresa C]

Aw, too bad about the skiing, but the photos and the adventure are great.

Great mittens too. I love Lamb's Pride.

[Cheryl]

Hahahaha! Those pictures are cracking me up!

[Judy]

Wrong week, how could you know. The next week the temps fell and so did the snow. That's Mother Nature! Great pics.

[PumpkinMama]

Great photo shoot! Sorry mother nature is taunting you.

[Beth S.]

Mr. E is lucky to get those mittens! They look very squishy and warm (not to mention gloriously red.)

I'm sorry the skiing didn't work out, but you got some beautiful pictures anyway... and no visit with Judy could ever be considered wasted time.

[Lucia]

And now we have snow aplenty. Sigh. Are those afterthought thumbs?

[claudia]

That is a sad mud-instead-of-snow story.

[Caroline M]

Well it's still a holiday even if it was brown and green rather than white. You do need snow to show off mittens like those, they are lovely action shots.

[Teyani]

You've won an award ! Hop on over to my blog and check it out :-)

[Cindy D]

Hi Laurie............congrats I have also just awarded you the Make My Day award.Check out my blog.