Clara's Window

Snow day in the big city!




I'm down in Portland, a city that makes an art out of eliminating all sidewalks after snow storms. Here's the scene from this morning. The wind was howling and the temps hovered around 9 degrees. Some two inches of ice fell as sleet and froze overnight, making the roads extra fun to navigate. Ahhhh, life in Maine.










What's a gal to do on a day like this? Stay in bed with a hot cuppa tea? No sir. This was a morning to brave the cold, don the jacket and boots, and head to my beloved coffee shop with my knitting.

My niece is turning 9 this month, so I'm making her a girly-girl purse out of some old Annabel Fox cotton I bought at Stitches back in... 1995?

I figured braving the frozen tundra was worth at least one butter-laden croissant, yes?

In case you're worried about ol' Casey back up at the farmhouse, there's no need. Not only does he have two charming people visit him every day, but he has his newest fiber conquest: a gorgeous Romney fleece I got at the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival last year. I sent it to Ohio Valley for processing, and the box was open for less than 10 minutes before Casey discovered it.

Here's a reenactment of Casey's conquest, starring a most willing Casey himself:





A box full of freshly carded fibers, below a sunny window and in front of a radiator. It's cat paradise. So I regretfully sacrificed this one to Casey.

And this, of course, means I must attend Maryland this year to get a replacement fleece.

Or maybe two fleeces. You know, just in case.