An attempt to ski the Superior Hiking Trail

Headed out my door and up the hill to go for a ski and enjoy the lovely sunshine after two days of snow:

My Fischer Backcountry skis waiting for their first outing this season

Where is the trail?!?

Snow depth - mid-thigh in the meadow above my house

On the Superior Hiking Trail. My poles were sinking so far I had to bend over to reach them.
Trees were coated in snow and mostly obscuring the trail. 

It ended up being a short outing. It took a long time to hike up to the trail due to the snow depth and the need to break trail the whole way.  Once I got up to the trail I discovered that I had the wrong wax and no grip. The new plan is to head back out there with snowshoes and start packing the trail down.

A little bit of knitting

I find holidays the perfect time to get a lot of knitting done. In the finished pile:

Cabled headband in 100% merino for my daughter

A pair of daily wear mittens for myself (silk/merino blend)

Not pictured are the pair of socks I finished that are already in circulation. Basic sock pattern, nothing fancy. Used up most, but by no means all, of a skein of Three Irish Girls yarn left over from a previous sock project.

On the needles and nearing completion after some time out to contemplate the appropriate edging is the Little Leaf Stripe Baby Blanket/Shawl. Still well ahead of the deadline (baby is due in March 2014).

Knitting on Isle Royale, overlooking Malone Bay.
 The bulk of the knitting was done during my vacation on the island.

Edging done on two sides, a first look at the blanket off circular needles.
About 22 inches from center to outer edge, minus the edging, unblocked.

A look at how the edging is shaped around the corners using short rows. 

Lace inserted in steps as the stitches increased. 

 As with all lace, this should be even better looking after it is blocked. The pattern will open up, the yarn will bloom, and it's true beauty will be revealed.

Winter Wonderland! Two feet of snow in two days.