Yarn and Birthday Greetings - A Day Late but Never Forgotten

I spent Sunday watching a lot of football and working with my knitting machine. It was a lazy, laid-back day for DH and me and we both enjoyed it a great deal. We don't always have the opportunity to kick back and relax, and January is a busy month for both of us, so we were determined to enjoy. I decided I'd really like a sweater to go with the hat I just knitted for myself earlier in the week. I sat down and tried some things out to get a handle on dimensions, then knitted a folded hem and 90 rows in the yard I want to use, I'll actually be pulling that back out to do a true sample swatch, but I like the yarn a lot. It was one of the "cakes" that DH bought for me at Michael's earlier in the week. - lovely color blend. 

Not the best picture, but this is Caron Skinny Cakes in 
the Tiramisu colorway. I made myself a hat from this 
on Friday, and decided on Sunday that I wanted to make 
a sweater to match. I know I won't have enough yarn, so 
I'll have to buy more, but the main concern is matching 
the colors from front to back so things don't look too 
off-kilter. That may not be possible, but I love the yarn. 

My main problem with using a color blend yarn is matching color bands from front to back. I'm not sure it will be something I can do since each panel is worked independently and then assembled into the finished garment. I'll have to see if I can figure that out because I would like some continuity, if possible. Then again, I may do two different stitches - decorative on the front, stockinette on the back, and the colors wouldn't match no matter what if I did that kind of scheme. 

I've always felt that there was a good bit of Hobbit 
in JRR Tolkien. Although he was a scholar and a 
linguist, there was this part of him that would have 
loved to grab his walking stick and stride out into 
the wilderness to see what he would see. 

Of course, I missed Professor Tolkien's actual birth date celebration, but did raise a cup of hot tea with rum in his honor. His masterwork - "The Lord of the Rings" - has been such a touchstone in my life and my love of the books (which I've read more than 100 times) brought me to friends throughout the world, all joined together by one small hobbit, a wizard and several elves. Oh, and I can't forget the dwarves, my DH would never forgive me if I forgot the dwarves. 

This single image from the film version of "The Lord of 
the Rings" has always been one of my favorites. The Nine 
walkers setting out on their long journey, filled with hope 
and chased by fear and despair. 

Tolkien has influenced my life since I was 14 years old and "The Fellowship of the Rings" was first published in paperback in the USA. I am still immersed in his universe on a daily basis - whether it is reading (original writings or one of the Professor's books), writing about something within that universe or general fanfiction, or just playing Lord of the Rings Online, I'm always surrounded by the populace and landscape of Middle Earth in one way or another. So, "Thank You" JRR Tolkien, for allowing your imagination to run free and create something of lasting value in my life. Happy Birthday, a day late. 

I'm out of here - even though it's early, it's going to be a very busy day today. I hope each of you have a wonderful day ahead of you and I'll be back tomorrow. Stay safe, be kind, and please wear a mask.