A Bit Foggy

The autumn mornings are beautiful and a bit crisp. The afternoons are clear and sunny.

 I'm loving walking with the big black dog as the fields slowly reveal themselves. But I have been a bit foggy, myself, with the same cold that everyone is struggling with. Luckily, I can rest until my next shift on Thursday.

So there has been knitting and crafting. The WORK + SHELTER hand warmers, above, were only one day of knitting each. The yarn is left over from my Silk Moon Crescent Shawl (the third) and are made for my niece's step-daughter, because she is family, too.

 For my mom, I made a needle book to go with some embroidery equipment for Christmas (all saved in a cake box). She gave away her stitching collection but wants to get back into it.

 For my BFF on her birthday, just past, I made an Ice Queen smoke ring. This is the kid silk haze that always finds its way into my stash. I hope to make co-ordinating mitts for Christmas. I needed a sharper needle to enjoy this, and I know better, so it's my own fault.

 For my DH, I made a surgeon's scarf (a cowl if you're a girl). The tunisian crochet is so masculine, and the deep stash Socks That Rock is still a delight. I made it 26 1/2 inches long and worked it length wise until it was 10 inches. This turned out well.

 Very soft and warm when blocked. And look at those colours! Thanks to Morag Ruadh for teaching me to do Tunisian crochet.

 This cowl turned out as I hoped. It's for Scott's girlfriend who pinned it on Pinterest. I tried to make it for Christmas last year, but ran out of yarn. My fault entirely. Thanks to electrictree yarns for ordering more at some trouble.

 It only needed the button bands and blocking. More Christmas knitting done!!!!

 For Scott I'm making the Joe's Coffee Cosy from the current Interweave Knits Holiday magazine. This yarn, from stash, is perfect and a bit felted. Half done in one day of sitting and resting.

 Say good bye to the stripy sock, for a while. I managed to start the ribbing. But there are mittens and gifts to make.

 Stay tuned for January selfish knitting when I will get the second sock done and play with my first afterthought heel.

I'm making more WORK + SHELTER hand warmers because I love the simple knitting, I love using 50 grams of worsted from stash, and I love the final product.
I'm also doing a second colour pattern owl mitten, and need to make a second pair.
My other auto pilot knitting is this handspun scarf/shawl in the Twilight pattern A Fine Fleece by Lisa Lloyd. I love this pattern, it loves me, and it loves this yarn.
I'm raising the hem on one of the dresses I sewed because it fits Emily spectacularly. We have a family wedding this weekend and look forward to being over run by my kids, the nephews and their friends!
Now I have lots of simple knitting for these foggy days.

Quick Trip to Whistler

I saw this on Pinterest and couldn't resist making one for my nephew's wife. We have been leaders, together, at our camp several times over the years (I knew her before he did). I love girls who love campfires. The box was from a bourbon bottle (Bookers is the best!) the stick is walnut from our back yard and the marshmallows are Crayola foam clay.

 We took time to get away together during the off season. Our points at our Intrawest time share go much farther then, plus we don't ski anymore. It's up in the mountains and the cold nights had the trees showing off their colours.

 Most of the mountain is carefully planted. I love this alle. It makes me think of our trip next year to Paris.

 There are many trails that go around lakes and through woods. We live close to those things here, but don't take the time to wander.

 Early autumn sun is lazier and has more shadows.

 Lost lake is only about 25 minutes walk from our place. These trails are off limits in the winter because they are groomed for cross country skiing.

 There's a beach and you can swim in the summer, but it was way cold.

 It rained one day, but we poked around in the shops then. Eating out is fun, plus we brought our own lunch and breakfast.

 Our daughter was here during the winter Olympics, playing with the Sardis Secondary School Drumline. But we used our time share points to go to Hawaii.

There was a bit of development for the Olympics, but most of the town was already ready. I don't think we have been up here since then. They made a nice square in the village with a covered stage and a huge lawn.
Scott and his girlfriend, Dallas, went up for Thanksgiving and did a bungee jump to celebrate their third year anniversary.
We celebrated Thanksgiving with a turkey and board games. It seems I am working a lot more lately.
I knit on the way up to Whistler (about 3 hours), worked on a secret project during our stay, and now hope to finish it to get back to project mittens.
We're lucky to be so close to a great get away.

Autumn Skies

 It's starting to get cold in the evenings with a heavier dew. I am enjoying longer walks as the dog. I always enjoy looking up to see the mountains. These mountains are looking south.

 The corn came off shockingly early this year. Some of it before school went back after Labour Day weekend. We saw, in Greendale, a 6th cut of hay. We regularly get 3 or 4 cuts of hay from a single field, but a sixth is unexpected. This is Mt. Cheam, our biggest peak that watches over us from the east.

 Our houses are never far from the fields that feed the dairy cows that make up the largest industry in our valley. D is a dairy vet, we both grew up on dairy farms, and did our time helping with the harvest, or, in my case, cooking for the crew. Thanksgiving dinner was often postponed for the corn harvest to make silage for the cows.

We don't get a lot of fall colour because we don't get the extreme temperature shifts, or we get the rain that turns the leaves into brown mush. Our poplar trees turn gold. But we can plant decorative trees in our Zone 4 and enjoy the reds and oranges on a smaller level.
And of course, this is knitting weather. I am really enjoying the small projects. Mittens for great nephews, hats for men, and a kidsilk haze smoke ring for my BFF. Good travel knitting, all.
Small enough to pack, and easy enough to watch the sky.

It's Time

 We've almost run out of September. I have enjoyed the wild ride of Single Skein September. There have been hats and mittens. I started another pair last night, but no way are they toddler size! I'm even using a lighter yarn and smaller needles and they just about fit me. Must choose. Either finish them and give them to an adult, or abandon them and get out the fine yarn for the sweet young things. I'll probably do both. I'm so pleased that the Stash and Burn thread encouraged me to finish the alpaca blanket. I've got buttons on the finished hood that failed to make it to Christmas last year.
Christmas knitting is well under way!
I started and finished this hat for one of my great nephews. In the spirit of stash busting, I used a Socks That Rock held double. No finer wool for washing and wearing. Plus it resisted becoming socks more than once.

 I was entranced by this scarf that Rory is wearing in the 4th season of the Gilmore Girls. What a great show! Thanks knitters for not only bringing it to my attention, but sharing your seasons with me. Love the banter! Can't believe this is 10 years ago, or so. When I reviewed the disc to pin down the scarf, it didn't excite me as much as the first time I saw it. Still, I have some lovely alpaca from my birthday and I loved knitting the Twilight scarf for my dear neighbour. It's nice to have a knit on the needles that is just for pleasant knitting.

My knitting lists will now morph and change as we head into a new month. I need to finish the Fair Isle sweater of so many seasons, make more sweet mittens, finish the cowl for D, and do some painting, gluing and stitching types of crafts.
My dress worked out perfectly! I hope to cut out the second one today in the more formal fabric, so I can wear it to the family wedding in October. I have to knit a Ice Queen smoke ring for my BFF (who doesn't read blogs) and maybe matching Mrs. Beeton mitts for Xmas. All from the stash, she says righteously. Just overlook the frenzy of yarn buying that was September. Why did that come out in all caps?
Carly is doing well with some anti-inflammatory meds, as am I . We managed to walk the big block twice last week. As per Dr. Gemma from the Cogknitive Podcast, we will continue our normal routine, but add a super walk once a week.
I'll try to get the camera out on all the finished objects and gifts in progress to share. We have had up to 30 people at knit night and great fun with drop spindling and making hats for the Salvation Army Christmas dinner. With last night's rain storm, and the heat coming on in the house, I feel we have turned the calendar page and entered the next season: soups and sweaters and snuggling!

In Other Crafting News

In addition to knitting, I have been getting to know my top whorl suspended spindle again. I finished the little bit of dark roving I got with the spindle and am making a very thin single. Two of the knitters from my knit night are drop spindling and I'm a joiner. I have been hearing the siren call since Tour de Fleece and hope to get familiar with it.

I have also taken over my son's room (also the guest room) to do some much anticipated sewing. I bought a pattern from Cake Patterns, Tiramisu, and am sewing a stretch dress. There are lots of things for me to learn, so my first dress is being called my "muslin" and I can learn (make mistakes) as much as I want. I have some more fabric in a dark teal for a better representation. This designer, like my knitting designers, has a blog and on line help and a photo gallery where many of the models are "curvy" like me. The cross over bodice, defined waist and generous skirt are all qualities I look for in a dress.

Plus this pattern has custom sizing. I'm a white knuckle sewer, though and kind of pulled my back out yesterday futzing with the binding. I'll get back to it tomorrow.

But today is for the heat pad and some red work embroidery. I'm making tea towels for MIL to go with the red dish cloths. Not a fancy gift, but something made just for her that I hope she'll like.

The Medium is the Message

I miss Google Reader. I thank Jasmin of the Knitmore Girls Podcast for learning how to manage the blogs I read. And then things changed. I am not keeping up as well as I used to, I don't feel connected, and I'm sure I've lost a few all together.
Now I'm using feedly.com . It's Ok. I may learn to love it in time.
Here are some blogs that I follow regularly. These writers and photographers have brought so much to my life, knitting and otherwise. Some of them I have been reading and following for years before Ravelry.com. Some of them are a bit newer. But I crave ideas, opinions, and the beauty of every day life, and I thank them, you.

1.Religion Outside the Box. Rabbi Brian is open hearted and open minded and doesn't mind scolding me for my selfishness, or encouraging me to look at things in a new way.

2. Completely Cauchy. Chawney is unlike anyone I've ever met and I love our little friendship. She is one of the most creative and productive crafters I know of.

3. Posie Gets Cozy. Alicia is the neighbour I wish I had. I love what she shares and always feel comforted by the beauty of her life.

4. Enjoying the Small Things.  Kelle is young and beautiful, brave and wise. I love how she embraces girly things and nurtures her family. I love her book, Bloom, too.

5. Mason Dixon Knitting. This is an original knitting blog, in the form of letters between friends. They have become authors and keepers of knowledge, as well as great comedians.

6. We Heart Yarn. I hate to go even a few days without seeing a post by neuroknitter. She always answers comments, too.

7. This Week on TED. Always ideas, always well presented.

8. Attic 24. Lucy shares her life and crafting in the north of England. Such a lovely person with colour all around her.

9. Pioneer Woman. I have had such pleasure from the cooking, ranching and building ideas on this blog. I've never seen her show, but I have bought her cook books several times, and still don't have one of my own.

10. Life's a Stitch. This was my entry drug into the world of on-line knitting. I searched for a yarn store near by and came up with a blog! Li introduced me to the Yarn Harlot and Urban Yarns and so many good things. We have even had lunch once. Our lives have both changed so much since then, and I appreciate reading about hers.

Those are the big ones. My list has become very long and sometimes unmanageable. These blogs led me to podcasts, but that's a post for another day.

Two Wrongs

 I'm loving Single Skein September. We stopped at a Joanne's craft store in Cannon Beach and I bought a skein of eye searing orange, super bulky Lion's Brand yarn. It made a Hat Shaped Hat in a couple of hours. This is a gift for my brother in law to tell him I love him enough to not get shot in the woods.

 I finally made the Hallowig. I've planned this for years and even bought the yarn a long while ago. It seemed to knit up quickly after all. Quite a bit of it was done in the car on our trip.

 Same thing with the alpaca blanket. I didn't work on it for years, and then it's done in just a month. I'm very happy with it and will probably save it for a milestone birthday gift.

 I'm planning to knit mittens for my great-nephews. The Afghans for Afghans charity organization has a great simple pattern. I made an owl cable on the front a la Kate Davies. It was tricky to place the owl in the right place.

 The second one was placed in the exact same way.

 Oops. Exactly the same. Now I have to make two left ones.

 The first was made last night, despite a migraine and a 12 hour shift.

I'm starting the second left now. The extra pair will be donated to Chilliwack Connect, a multi-organization offering to those who are struggling in our community. I may offer to do child care or something like that.
So, am I more embarrassed by sharing this or by hiding my mistakes? I will send it out to help you from making two rights.

Seaside

 On Friday I drove to Oregon with friends. It took us twelve hours when you include the stops for books, coffee and lunch, and turn off at the first sign of the 101. One of the knitters had been to Gearhart by the Sea, north of Seaside and Cannon Beach, with her quilters. It was lovely and beachy.

 From our 4th floor balcony we could see all kinds of change and weather.

 The new moon was only up for a few short hours. I was sad when she slipped away. The internet was crappy and I couldn't contact my astronomer at home. We did a bit of knitting and a bit of shopping and some really good cooking with few ingredients.

 I found Blue Moon in its natural habitat. This is over 500 yards of a heavy fingering. Yum.

 Don't touch this viscose  yarn. Killer booties! So soft.

 And Lenore in medium weight Socks That Rock to make myself some boot socks (and recite poetry).

 Books. Some clearance, one out of print. Plus two accessories magazines that I can't get close to home.

 I did knit a dish cloth in the back seat while S drove through Seattle. Chinese waves. It'll do. The tunisian one was just too small. This took exactly one ball. I will make two more, but probably different, for MIL.

 I knit the Hallowig. Finally! I have wanted to knit this for so many years! I bought the eye searing blue years ago. And then it is a very quick knit.

 We lunched on the edge of a marina in Olympia and I never get tired of watching the tide come in.

 Coastal yarns was the very nice shop in Cannon Beach, but the girl behind the counter had some kind of anxiety issues and was rude to my BFF. Come on. We are all knitters.

 Next to the quilt shop was a stunning glass gallery. I wanted all the bowls.

 Because there was not enough knitting, and I took the I-5 home, we had plenty of time to stop in Mt. Vernon for the lovely Wild Fibers. A fun shop.

They are very much in line with Churchmouse Yarns, another store I love. Maybe next time we will stay by the sea side, but closer to home and these very special enough shops.