handspun socktober

The Snobby Spinner's group in ravelry was having an informal "Handspun Socktober" SAL/KAL for the month of October. I started with this beautiful BFL combed top, 'Prism' from Freckle Face Fibers.


Spun it up as a heavy fingering/sport 2 ply:

Cast on 52 stitches for toe-up socks, 2 at a time, using David's Toe-up Cookbook on ravelry. I used green Dale Heilo for the toes and heels, because I wasn't sure of my yardage and I liked how the green brought out the other colors.

Knit along rather happily, loving how the yarn surprised me along the way. This was perfect baseball knitting (we will not discuss the heartbreak of Boston's early exit). Bound off using Elizabeth Zimmerman's 'sewn bind-off' from Knitting without Tears. I finished on November 2nd...but I was watching the October Classic, so that is close enough for me.

and now some spinning....

Having a rainy fall has given me more time at the wheel.

Alpaca silk in 'Deep Blue Sea' dyed by Gale's Art; 2 ply fingering weight. I can't even begin to describe how lovely this fiber is...it was a dream to spin.

'Deep Blue Sea' from Gale's Art. This time in BFL (a mix of light and dark fibers), low twist worsted singles.....so soft and yummy. I love how the same colorway looks unique in different fibers.

I participated in a swap on ravelry in the Southern Cross Fibre group, and Babylonglegs, my swap partner sent me some shetland roving she dyed. I spun it as a 2ply bulky weight yarn.

This is 'Prism', BFL dyed by Freckle Face Fibers, spun for socks as part of Handspun Socktober in the Snobby Spinners group on ravlery.

Last, but not least...my favorite of the bunch. 'Angelfish' merino, Southern Cross Fibre, October 2009 club. Navajo plied, dk weight. I am in love with the colors. It is a very soft, bouncy, sproingy yarn.

Now I need to get some knitting done!

a scarf for dad

I got a head start on my Christmas knitting....

I started with my Koala handspun (Polwarth combed top, dyed by David at Southern Cross Fibre):

I realized it was the perfect yarn for a scarf for my dad. He has lovely hazel eyes, and the colors of yarn are muted, like him.I used the One Row Handspun Scarf pattern from the Yarn Harlot. Maybe I won't be half crazed trying to finish gifts this year....maybe, this will be the year.

I also cast on a scarf for me in my Adelaide handspun (Merino, dyed by David at SCF). Originally I tried the My So Called Scarf pattern, but wasn't happy with the look of it, so I frogged it. I cast on Two Weeknights with Warrick, and am loving the easy rhythm of knitting this.

fall scenes

We've had a pretty rainy fall, so far. Fall is my favorite season, so a rainy fall really bums me out. There have been small glimpses of fall, I'll share a few with you:

Apples...my favorite part of fall. I love all the different varieties, especially the Macouns. The first Moonglow pears are a fall treat worth waiting for.
We visited a pumpkin patch...Whyboy found a lumpy pumpkin, which he said looked really 'scary'!
We have enjoyed hiking in the fall sunshine...a rare sight this year.

On the knitting front, I started some toe up socks from my handspun for 'Handspun Socktober" in the Snobby Spinners group on ravelry.

eat local

This week is the Wisconsin Eat Local Challenge. Why eat local? I eat local to support a sustainable local economy, to decrease the distance my food has traveled, and because I feel more connected to my food if I know where it came from. Eating locally allows me to be connected to the seasons. I get excited when asparagus makes it appearance in the spring, long for tomato sandwiches, wait patiently for fall apples, and cozy up with winter squash when the weather gets cold.

Now that it is fall we will be grilling less, so I figured we would do one last hurrah on Saturday: Grilled grass fed beef, salad greens with feta and raspberries, and roasted potatoes and onions. We washed it down with a bottle of wine, while sitting on the deck listening to baseball. Good-bye summer we will see you next year. I'll be waiting for the tomatoes.

The weather turned cold on Sunday. Making me think about comfort food. The last of the corn was at market, so I made a lovely corn chowder. I also bought peppers for stuffed peppers, and beets for roasting.

I encourage you to get out and experience some local food this week. Visit a Farmer's Market, local farm stand, or orchard and sample what is in season in your area.

end of summer

My friends and I took our annual trip to G's cottage in Door County. There was much laughter, singing (Bohemian Rhapsody was a favorite), knitting and eating. We enjoyed coffee by the water (her cottage is on Lake Michigan), both mornings. We went hiking at Whitefish Dunes State Park, and Cave Point. What a way to spend the last weekend of summer, the weather was glorious!!

I have been in a serious spinning phase.

'Dingo' Polwarth, spun from fiber dyed by David at Southern Cross Fibers. Navajo plied, light worsted weight. I love the colors.

Alpaca Merino, dyed by Jen at Laughing Rat Fibers. 'House Finch' colorway, she over dyed brown merino, the depth of color is lovely. Fingering weight, 2 ply. I gave this to my friend Kate, just because it reminded me of her.

'Adelaide' merino, from David at Southern Cross Fibers. 2ply worsted/dk-ish. I am knitting this into a lovely scarf for myself.

grammie rosie

I am missing my grammie today. She passed away 4 years ago, and I miss her, almost daily. What I miss most is how she made me feel. I always felt special to her. She was always interested in what I was doing; who I was becoming. As a child, I was always at her house. As I grew older, our relationship evolved. I lived close to her until I moved away from Maine. We spent many hours together. She would tell me stories of her life, we would look at old photos, and we would talk. I knew most of her friends, and she most of mine. Strange, I don't know hardly any of my friends grandparents. People enjoyed being around her. Her eyes sparkled, and her smile let you know how happy she was to see you. I miss those eyes.

Often she and I would go shopping. She was always up for an outing. She enjoyed sitting in the mall, while I shopped. When I would return, I would almost always find her chatting away with someone..."well they just started talking to me" she would say. When I was in college (OT school), another student, who I had never met, made it a point to tell me that she met grammie a church retreat, and how much she enjoyed meeting her.

She was always willing to go on an adventure and try new things. She loved sushi and Thai food (both of which she tried in her 80's). In the summer she would go camping with us, and rarely turned down a chance to travel. Her motto was "I'm 80, who is going to tell me no"

She turned 90 the summer before she died. She fell and broke her hip, while making her bed. She came through the surgery fine. I called her to talk, the night after her surgery. We were joking about me not making my bed, and how she was too nosey to die....that she would be around till she was at least 100. She laughed, and then said "no, it's ok, I'll go when it is my time." The next day she had a heart attack and died. I am grateful she didn't suffer and remained fairly independent till the end. Her mind was sharp, and spirit was young.



To celebrate her 'Joie De Vivre', I'll leave you with this happy yarn, colorful like my grammie. Stormy Sea, dyed by Gale's Art, 250 yards of worsted weight, 2ply. Destined to be mittens for my niece and my friend's daughter: