Author: denisemor

Sorry to have missed y’all last week-
I was away in Florida- where hisbiscuses (hibisci?) are blooming

and cranes are chillin’ on golf courses, looking for handouts

The hardest part of packing for a trip, of course, is the knitting.
Since I was going to be gone for almost a week, I figured I better take more than one project.

The first I finished up shortly after arrival

because these hats kind of just fall off the needles anymore 😉
The light gray is angora- it’s going to be really toasty!

And then once I’d settled in, I cast on for a more substantial garment- another shawl collared vest.
The color scheme for this one is a little more adventurous than the original though- blended singles against natural cream (Esther) starting with a blue-based multi, transitioning through pinks and reds to arrive at orange.

So I’d gotten the cast on done, placed markers for the side panels and the front steek, and established the circle motif.
It was all going swimmingly, and I was about an inch and a half in by Friday morning when I realized that something was very wrong.

I had apparently not been careful enough when joining to work in the round, and was knitting a twisted sweater.
Ugh.

If this had been plain old stockinette stitch or some such thing I might have just ripped it out and started over.
But I hate ripping out.
Especially stranded colorwork.

But then it occurred to me- this is going to get steeked in the end- soooooooo

I just did a little partial pre-steek

Cut, Flip and Carry On.

And any evidence of this rookie mistake will be hidden in the front edge facings.
Pretty sneaky, eh?

And suddenly I feel rather behind on all things holiday-related 🙂

Anyway, I just wanted to thank everyone who came out to the Bow Market Holiday Festival on Saturday.

It was a great time, and very busy! Seems that the move to Edison Elementary gave the event a real boost.

Since I ran out of printed copies of the knitting patterns I had available, I wanted to make sure to provide the links here:

Stranded Colorwork Hat which knits up kinda like this

And Garter Stitch Hat which looks pretty much like this

Next up: WSU Country Living Expo, January 26 at Stanwood High School!

The long holiday weekend offered me a chance to get a little woolwork done, and I took it!

I went back to the stash to see what would jump out at me, and was reminded that I still had a little over a pound of Edgar Fall 2011 fleece in reserve.

It was so nice to spend some time picking

and then carding

this gift from my dear departed buddy, and reflecting upon how thankful I am for all my critters, past and present.

I have about 3 ounces or so left to pick/card, and no particular project in mind yet, but I think that once the Holiday Market is in the rearview mirror I’ll start spinning it- I’m thinking probably a 2ply dk weight for a sweater or vest of some sort.

In anticipation of the market next Saturday I’ve been working up some more singles in natural shades- these guys are fresh off the wheel and still need to be washed and thwacked

It seemed only fitting to continue the ovine theme into my first round of holiday baking-

Oh how I love me some Springerle 🙂

I also wanted to share my excitement about these cool new rubber boots I just picked up.
Really. Boot excitement. Unreasonable boot excitement.
(this is not a paid advertisement, I promise)

Springy, with arch support and a very comfy, secure fit, but not tight around the ankle.
And the traction is awesome. Just got them, so I can’t speak to how they’ll hold up, but I tell you what- they feel amazing.
Grundens Deck Boss.

It’s been a remarkably beautiful weekend-

And I finally got some photos, just as it’s drawing to a close.

We made what I hope will be a significant upgrade to the chicken accommodations today- a second Feed-O-Matic treadle feeder.

So now we’re Feed-O-Matic only- no more open feed sources. Hopefully this will help to discourage the starlings and other small birds from hanging out in the shed eating and pooping all day, and also keep spillage to a minimum.

And in wool news, another Marta cap flew off the needles this week- this one slightly sized up.

I just can’t stop knitting them! So if you think you might need a toasty cap for this winter (or know someone who would appreciate one as a gift!) make sure you swing by the Bow Holiday Market on Dec 1. New location this year- Edison Elementary School.

Also- registration is now open for the WSU Country Living Expo. So save the date! January 26 @ Stanwood High School. I’ll be teaching two classes- The Basics of Wool Processing, and Yarn From Scratch: Handspinning on a Wheel. Should be lots of fun!