Neighborhood Colors

These are two of my neighbors' trees. Have I mentioned lately that autumn is my favorite season??

A Trip To the Orchard

(of course there were apples, cider and fudge as well....but those were the boring parts for the youngins....)

Knitting on the Go

Here is the video Cat Bordhi made about knitting on the go. (a.k.a. knitting as exercise!)



My recent "on the go" project is the thrummed mittens I learned to make thanks to Leslie at Ewephoria Yarns in Pocahontas.

This is the final product:



And this is what they look like on the inside:



The lining is tufts of alpaca which make them feel like luxurious pillows of warmth on your hands. (Given the overheated state of my hands 90% of the time, I'm giving these to my DD who has cold hands and will soon be walking across a cold, wintry campus!)

I've found the process of thrumming a bit more tedious than I like with knitting, however I'm very glad to have learned the tecnique!

Happy knitting!

Life Is . . .

. . . strange? odd? weird? funny? full of karma? short? meant to be shared? a gift? exhilirating? pointless? a circle? better with coffee/chocolate/(your favorite here)?

You pick the word to complete the phrase.

How we answer says everything about who we are or where we are on the journey at that given moment.

I also believe the answer changes--sometimes rather frequently.

Having my DD home on fall break makes me happy. It also reminds me that I do, sometimes, worry that I'm starting to lose my cognitive skills as I venture full-steam-ahead into pre-menopause. (I'm told this is normal and everything will be ok once I reach the other side. I hope so. Some days I feel like a freaking idiot!)

I went to a knitting class last Wednesday evening where I and two of my knitting pals are learning to make thrummed mittens. I would post a picture, but I've decided I need to visit the frog pond and redo a bit before I show you. My thrums are courtesy of an alpaca named Cocoa. They are beautiful and so, so soft!!

At the class I met a couple lovely ladies from Pocahontas (where said class was taking place at Ewephoria Yarns....the best LYS ever!) I would really like to get to know them better, especially Jane who I sense has a lot of life wisdom and some great stories to share.

This is the best part of knitting to me. Don't get me wrong, I like the actual knitting: the tools, the lovely fibers, the act of creating something. But I also appreciate knitting's ability to create connections between people, often people who might not ever meet otherwise. It's a lovely, serendipitous thing to watch happen and I've learned to go with it and enjoy the ride. (Clearly, because this post started out with my intention to tell you about the Cat Bordhi video I watched thanks to Lucy Neatby's blog wherein Cat demonstrates the ability to knit while walking, swinging, sliding and climbing trees....thus enticing people to get up out of their knitting chairs, turn off the tv and get active while knitting.)

We will be venturing back to Pocahontas Wednesday evening for part two of our class. I do hope that Jane and Virginia come again so that we can visit!

You Can Make A Difference!

Make a Delicious Difference simply by watching!




Every time the video gets watched they donate five meals to the hungry! (Also my friend at work, Becky, has a son who is in the video!!)

Fools Gold

The minute I saw Chris Church's pattern, Fools Gold over at Knotions, I knew it was a pattern I HAD to make for my niece and nephew (whether for Christmas or otherwise).

It is simply THE cutest hat I've ever seen!

Even though they were actually visiting this past weekend, I went ahead and cast on for the project. I had some Swish bulky from Knit Picks left over from another project. It is a washable, 100% wool, so it seemed ideal. I started Friday night, knit a little on the hat Saturday evening and completed it Sunday afternoon in a couple of hours. (All total, knitting time was around 3-4 hours....I think.)

Here's the completed project:



. . . and atop a real head (though, granted, a head larger than the one it is intended for!!)




Chris Church's design rocks! It was easy to knit (and fun too!) It only takes about 135 yards of bulky weight yarn (1 skein!!) and a U.S. #10 24" circular needle. I think the wee kiddies (and their mom & dad) will like it!

Happy Knitting!

Today's Weather

Is perfect!

It's Not A Fruit

One may be tempted to run off to the supermarket in search of a quant. It sounds like some exotic produce which is sure to either be absolutely mouth-wateringly delicious, or really putrid. When I first heard the word I was irresistable drawn to it.

Quant

It doesn't have anything to do with measuring or quantifying anything either.

What it DOES have to do with is my Christmas knitting list.

I intend to knit 5 quants (or would that be quanti?) as gifts for a few of the ladies on my list this year, particularly those living in climates where woolen mittens are not a practical gift. (i.e. Texas)

Some of the intended recipients may (or may not) read this blog, so I can only post photo which is a bit of a teaser.



This is my first completed quant. I hesitated to use a solid color yarn, but it turns out the organic cotton worked! It blocked well and the entrelac pattern is fine in a solid color.

The quant can be knit with a small amount of yarn, thus making it a perfect stash buster, particularly if you happen to have as many leftover sock yarn balls as I do. (I'm finding I like what it looks like with a DK or a fingering weight yarn.)

Turns out the quant may prove to be the ideal Christmas knit for some. It's quick. It results in a pretty item which will likely be used. (And the use for a quant ensures the recipient is bound to be noticed wearing it, perhaps even asked about it.)

Thanks Knitty.com!!

Happy Knitting!