This is my favorite kind of weather.  Not too cold, constant snow falling softly all day but without too much accumulation.  I had a frozen water in the barn emergency and spent another $50 on a new heated bucket.  At the last minute, I canceled my plans for the day.   We had to run a few errands, but got to stay put by the fire with knitting and dogs almost all day long.

I accomplished so much yesterday that I allowed myself to knit today and am almost done with the Cuspid Shawl.  I have used most of the old Manos del Uruguay I have lugged around the country since 1977.  It is so different from the new stuff, which I find hard to believe is handspun.  The old is definitely handspun, it is so irregular.  Its not as soft as the new, either.

It was so dear back in the ‘olden days’ that I saved even the thrums off of my loom.  I used it exclusively for weaving then.  I took each strand and rolled it into a big ball.  The ends tied together, it makes a neat, textural yarn to knit with now.  I left the knot in the shawl.  My friend, Mary K, said I should also knot the new yarn in the shawl to make it consistent, so I think I’ll take little pieces and tie them in when it is done. Since I am finished with the center cuspid, the knitting will go quickly as I decrease a stitch every other row.