Last days of October

long post with several questionable-quality photos

Thank you for the birthday wishes. They warmed my heart.

Florenz is finally finished. My LYS had a shipment of the yarn that I needed to finish the toe. This was fun to knit. I really enjoy slipped stitch patterns.

Recap:
Pattern: Florenz from the yahoo group Socken-Kreativ-Liste
Needles: Magic Loop style, US#1 for the leg and foot, US#0 for the heel and toe.
Yarn: La Petite Knitterie Hand Painted Merino Sock Yarn (a beautiful peachy color), and Wildfoote sock yarn in the color Moss.

Last weekend I went to see my daughter at college. She had one of the lead roles in the fall production. I went up early Saturday morning so that I would have time to indulge myself with a little side trip....Carlton, Oregon. What is in Carlton? Woodland Woolworks!





This is wine country. There are tasting rooms all along the way to Carlton.

This is also farming country

This unassuming sign and pretty flower box adorn the door that opens into a wonderland of spinning wheels and fibery goodness.
The reason for my visit to Woodland was to see the spinning wheels. It helped to see them up close and personal, and I have made my choice. The Lendrum ST spoke to me and so I will be saving for a little while longer in order to bring one home.

I also finished a pair of Fireside socks using Rowan Big Wool...
I was sewing the leather patches on the bottom right up to the last minute and so I did not get a picture of my daughter modeling them. Just simple socks, cast on 28, stockinette heel flap, nothing fancy, quick knit. Big, warm bed/slipper socks. I want to use this yarn for a pair of mittens.

I bought another project bag last week (I think I have a weakness). The etsy store is called Superbuzzy. This is a small, short knitting bag. It is SO fun...

Up in the pink by the trees it says, "The sunshine is shining radiantly down on the trees". Down in the brown under the buses it says, "We are driving with friends on this sunny day".
even the bottom is fun...
AND one of the best surprises I have had in a long time....
Yesterday I walked in the door after teaching class and a package was waiting for me in the living room.
EEEEEEeeeeeeeeee POSH YARN! A gift all the way from the UK. The color is GORGEOUS, perfect. Even my son said "wow". There wasn't a note with it, but I know who would have sent it. My thanks to Susan - your taste in yarn is awesome. Thank you thank you.

It is a good day

Don't let that ugly picture fool you. That is yummy pumpkin pie - my birthday present to myself. I had homemade soup for breakfast with the first slice of the pumpkin pie for dessert.

I am starting a new decade. I really liked my 40's, and hope this new decade will be as good or better.

I frogged a couple of projects and and started a couple new ones. Funny how frogs have new meaning for me as a knitter.

The autumn sun is shining, there is yarn in my basket, and there is pumpkin pie in my fridge. A beautiful October day.

Mid October WIPs

I got this far on Florenz and then a couple of weeks ago I hit a road block - I ran out of yarn at the toe....
The yarn shop is out of this color of Wildfoote and I can't bring myself to order a whole skein for just a little bit. I also can't bring myself to finish it in another color. So, I have been asking around hoping to find someone with leftovers of the color Mistletoe.

A couple of days ago I started this....
I am knitting the entrelac socks in the Holiday issue of Interweave. I knit a picot edge on the cuff instead of ribbing. I really like the looks of it, although I have been warned that it will not help the socks stay up. This is my first attempt at entrelac. I would like it better if the yarn was only blue and red - I think it is too busy for this pattern. I might rip this and try a different sock pattern. It was fun learning how to do entrelac in the round.

These socks have been my on-the-go project since last summer. Obviously, I have not gotten to 'go' very much, as I am still on the first sock....

This is EZ's seamless hybrid with saddle shoulders (shirt back variety). I finished this sweater last spring and then ripped it back past the shoulders to adjust the fit. I am back up to the neck now, but this time the neck is small and comes up high on his throat. I am not going to rip again, so I am trying to figure out another way to fix this. (I have the stitches on a stitch holder.)

My daughter's Rogue should have been done by now, but I am about half way on the hood. This is my project for my days off, but I have not been getting many of those.
The mosaic. I tried it on again and realized the length is not so bad but I did a poor job on the shaping. Maybe I can make this work.
And then I bought a ball of cotton and decided I needed a bag for the grocery store. I am to the part where I knit the top and the handle .....

I have been wanting to knit this shawl since last winter and I even have the yarn for it. I got frustrated about it and cast it on while typing reports.... (okay, maybe not while I was typing)
I am still in the same place with my gloves....


Obviously, I have blown a gasket in my self restraint.