Quiddity

Old and New

Holy Cow, it's COLD here.  I know that some of you have it much colder, but hey, this is the SOUTH!  It hasn't been above freezing for the last three days, and it looks to continue that trend through the weekend, with perhaps a bit of snow thrown into the mix on Thursday.  As I sit here at midnight, the wind chill outside is about 10 degrees.  TEN DEGREES!  With a forecast of wind chills around zero to ten below for the coming weekend.  What the heck???  However, I am a hardy soul, and went riding both today and yesterday, although later in the day than usual.  Both times, the temperature was right at 30, with sunny skies and gusty winds.  But layers, I have them, and they, along with the warmth of the horse, made for pleasant workouts.  And when I'm not on the horse, the hand knits are getting a real workout.  And that's the only plus side I can see to this weather.  Bleh.

Anyway, old and new.  First, the old - a tally of last year's knitting projects:

• 1 afghan (lap size)
• 1 baby big
• 3 pair baby booties
• 2 baby burp cloths (although why anyone but a baby would need one, I don't know)
• 4 baby hats
• 6 baby sweaters
• 1 capelet
• 2 pairs fingerless mitts
• 12 hats 
• 4 headband/earwarmers
• 1 pair kid-size flip-top mittens
• 4 lace scarves
• 3 lace shawls
• 1 teeny tiny top down sweater (from a class)
• 2 pair mittens
• 4 neckwarmers/cowls
• 8 scarves
• 1 plain shawl (which still needs an edging)
• 19 pairs of socks (including one for Jim.  The rest are mine.)
• 3 cardigan sweaters
• 2 knit chickens
• 2 wraps

Whew!  My resolution for this year is to make more time for spinning, AND to finally use the loom I bought in October.  I was a "bit" busy at the end of the year, so the loom was set aside, but it's time to get it out and see what kind of mess I can make with it.

As for the new - first finishes for 2010!

The first project is one that keeps swirling around the knitting group, spreading the "must knit" contagion as it comes and goes.  It's the Noro Striped Scarf.  Insanely easy and addictive, you can't stop at just one (proven by the existence of #2 already in progress on my needles.)

 

This one is made of Noro Silk Garden, and is very soft and warm.  I've barely taken it off since completing it on January 1st.  I used two skeins of #255 and two of #284.  

Last month, Knitch got in a new Rowan yarn - Lima.  It's an interesting cabled yarn, consisting of a blend of alpaca, merino, and nylon.  It's fabulously soft and light, and I fell in love with the huge wrap they had as a sample.  To see if I'd enjoy knitting with it, I decided to start small, and bought enough for a pair of mitts, a hat, and perhaps a small scarf.  Here are the mitts.

 

These are Fetching mitts, with several modifications.  I added one cable repeat to both top and bottom sections, and knit the middle in stockinette instead of rib.  I love how soft and warm they are.  The color is a bit washed out in this photo.  In reality, they are a deep green, with lighter green edgings.  For the hat, I'm going to try this pattern.  

No riding tomorrow, so to avoid the cold I plan to sit in front of the fire and knit.  And maybe spin.  Or who knows, I may just haul out the loom.  In any event, these are just the first of what I know will be many fibery projects this year.  I can't wait to see what my list looks like next time!

New Year's Day - Year End Wrap-Up

I hope everyone had an enjoyable New Year's Eve.  Jim and I were still completely worn out from the wedding festivities, so we did, indeed, just hang around the house to welcome in 2010.  I did a lot of knitting on my current project, but did not finish in time to count it as the last of 2009. That honor falls to this:

 

• My dear friend, Greta, sent me a fabulous skein of yarn for Christmas, and as soon as I took it out of the envelope, knew it had to become something to wear against my face.  The pattern I chose, Spiral Cowl (free on Ravelry,) was perfect.  Fast, easy, and pretty, it was perfect for the yarn's softness.  
• The yarn is from a grower local to Greta - Deep River Alpacas.  It is their Alpaca Sport, a blend of 80% natural undyed alpaca and 20% merino.  Heaven!!  Thanks so much, Greta!  As you can see, it didn't languish in the stash!

Christmas Eve, we wrapped gifts and got ready to have Cory, Laura, and Laura's family (mom, dad, brother, and brother's girlfriend) over for dinner.  I kept it simple, making baked chicken, fresh green beans, parmesan risotto, salad, and rolls.  Dessert was creme brulee, made earlier in the day by me, with the caramelizing done at table by Jim and Laura.  It was a lovely evening, with much laughter.  

Christmas this year was a bit less hectic than usual, with a lot less presents given and received.  With Jim out of work, and the impending wedding, we thought it best to scale it back.  I'm glad we did, because it made us all concentrate on gifts that really meant something special.  I got a nice assortment of books, videos, and music CD's, as well as a few trinkets in my stocking.  Two of the books were knitting related: The Joy of Sox and Knitted Socks East and West.  Then, as a bonus, my cousin sent me Pints and Purls: Protable Projects for the Social Knitter.  There were a couple knitting things, too.

In my stocking, I found this little pen.

 

Pushing on the head produces both a "baaaaah" and a very bright light.  

And my big knitting present was this - The Hiya Hiya interchangeable needle set of my dreams! 

 

Inside, a set of needles ranging from size 2 to size 8 (the 7's are in my current project.)  There's also a little zippered pouch that could hold markers, small scissors, and a tape measure.

 

On the back, a larger zippered pouch holds the cords, ranging from size 16" to 42".  I LOVE this set.  The needles are lightweight and have a nice, not too sharp point.  The cords screw on, and I haven't had any problem with them coming loose.  Santa got a big hug for delivering these.

My really big gift was a painting.  

 

Cat for scale.  And yes, I know it's weird.  That's why I like it!  We have flying monsters on the right.  Lollipops or flowers in the middle.  And the sun exploding on the top.  Wheeee!  It was hanging in our favorite restaurant for a while, and every time I went in, I said how much I liked it, so Jim bought it for me.  I don't think he had to fight off a lot of people for it, either.

Then, it was time to gear up for the WEDDING!  Jim's mom, brother, and nephew came in on Sunday afternoon.  His sister and her four kids arrived around midnight.  They all went to the airport to welcome them, but I wisely stayed at home.  Monday, Jim and all the relatives, except for his mom, went to Stone Mountain Park and climbed to the top of the mountain.  It was cold and windy, so his mom and I stayed here and just relaxed.  Considering what the evening and the next few days would bring, I'm glad to have made that choice.

Monday night was the rehearsal, followed by the dinner we hosted.  There were 40 people in attendance.  The food was marvelous, and the company a lot of fun.  I think everyone really enjoyed themselves, and it was a great way to meet some of Cory's friends, as well as his new relatives.  Laura's mom has three sisters, as does her dad, and all but one of them where there, along with assorted husbands and cousins.  My best friend, Katie, flew down from Minneapolis for the wedding, and she made it in time for dinner, as well.  

Tuesday, I was up and out early.  I picked Katie up at the hotel, and we went to get my hair done.  We grabbed a quick lunch, and it was time then for me to go to the salon for makeup.  I usually don't wear much, and it wasn't hard to predict the reactions I got from family when they saw me - "Is that you, Jane??"  Too funny.  

The wedding began at 5:00, and it took all my will power to keep from bursting out in tears.  Fortunately, Jim was a big help with avoiding that, as he took my tissues away to use for himself!  The funniest moment of the wedding occurred when the fireplace, in front of which the ceremony was being performed, began to smoke - copiously!  Jim kept looking up and whispering to me, "The fire alarm is going to go off!"  I told him to forget about it and watch the wedding, but really, it was amazing that the alarm and/or the sprinklers didn't activate!  At least everyone got a laugh out of it.  Cory and Laura wrote the whole ceremony, including their vows.  Laura made it through her's with a strong voice, but the Best Man had to deploy a hanky for Cory, who broke down half-way through his.  He's such a sentimental guy, my boy.  

The reception was fabulous!  Despite all the anxiety and snarkiness on the part of the mother-of-the-bride regarding the affair, it was flawless.  We ended up with about 120 people attending the wedding and reception, including a few friends we hadn't seen in quite some time.  The band, "The Bonaventure Quartet" was amazing (there were actually seven musicians, which I found funny.  A smaller group had played before the wedding service, as well, lending a lovely sound to the occasion.)

Of course, you want to see photos.  May I state here that Jim and I, between us, took a series of the most spectacularly HORRIBLE photos ever!  Thank goodness for the official wedding photographer.  The ones we took may never see the light of day again after her's arrive.  At any rate, here are a few highlights.

First, the rings.  Cory and Laura designed them, and Laura's ring includes two diamonds from one of my mom's rings.

 

Cory's ring has the same knot, but in a different metal.  His is white gold. 

 

This is my favorite photo of Cory and I together.  In the background are his best man, Rob, and one of his attendants, Jennifer (a friend from high school - as well, as his first ever girlfriend.  She broke his heart in 8th grade.)

 

Cory and his dad.

  

The groom's wedding party, acting like Reservoir Dogs.  

 

The wedding cake.  Obviously, very non-traditional.  The top layer was Vanilla Creme, the middle Chocolate Peanut Butter, and the bottom Death by Chocolate.  I had the bottom!  And there's more of it in my freezer, too.  YUM!
 
  

The bride and groom cutting the cake (weird light on the right was from the official photographer's flash.)  Laura designed her gown, and I'm looking forward to being able to show it off when the official photos come in.  I don't think either Jim or I got a picture of Cory and Laura together from the front.  
 
   

We partied late, and then continued on at the hotel bar for a while.  After collapsing into bed well after midnight, we were rudely awakened at 2:15 AM by my cell phone.  It was the security company calling to say the alarm was going off at Cory's house.  I told them to sent to cops, and Jim hurried to get over there. While he was in transit, they called again to say another door had been opened.  I was freaking, of course, but the next time the phone rang it was Jim, saying that all was well.  A friend had gone in to feed the cat, and didn't know about the alarm.  Ok, no harm, no foul, but were we exhausted the next day!

Wednesday, after getting up early to meet Jim's aunt, cousin and her husband for breakfast at the hotel (where we had stayed, as well) we came home, changed, and then met his sister and her two kids for lunch and then a two hour tour of the Georgia Aquarium.  That was followed by dinner, and when we arrived home around 8:30, were were both punchy with exhaustion.  I was in bed by ten, and although I had my early riding lesson on Thursday, it took me until today to really feel back to normal.  I think you can see why we didn't go out for New Year's!

So, if you've made it all the way through this long post - thank you!  Maybe it gave you a chance to relax after a night of celebrating.  Either way, I'm very happy for all my friends, both real and virtual, and hope you all have a wonderful 2010.  As for me, I'm considering hibernation for the next few months.  I doubt that's a real possibility, but it sure sounds nice!
 

  
  
 

Happy New Year!

While I have yet to post about all the wonderful Christmas goodies I received, my last finished project of the year, and, of course, the wedding, I wanted to take just a moment to wish everyone a very Happy New Year.

It's cold and rainy here today, and Jim & I are wiped out from the wedding weekend, so we'll ring in the new year in front of our own roaring fire, tucked snugly in our jammies.  I will do my best to work up a detailed post either later this evening or tomorrow, but suffice it to say that Christmas was lots of fun, and the wedding was FABULOUS!  All the pre-wedding anxieties were for naught, and a great time was had by all.  So, in the meantime........

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!  May 2010 bring nothing but the best to all of us.

More Finishes - Knitted and Otherwise

These may well be the last knitted projects I finish this year, depending on how much time is left over between Christmas and the wedding.  However, I have several small projects in mind to start, so there's always the chance that something else will put in an appearance before year's end.  

First, the neck cozy I knit to go along with the Fetching mitts shown in the last post.

 

• Dulce Neck Cozy.  Again, this is for the wife of my riding instructor.  It matches the hat she bought at the bazaar, and, of course, the Fetching mitts.  This is an interesting pattern to knit, and can be done in a variety of yarn weights.
• Rowan Kid Classic, colorway #85, burgundy.  Light, but very warm, and soft.

Next, socks.

 

• I don't remember where I found the stitch pattern, but it's called Pebble Rib.  These socks were started the second week of November, and I was sidetracked by so many other projects, that they weren't finished until last night.  
• Zitron Trekking XXL, #109.  I love how purple they are (actually, a bit darker than my screen shows.)  Before getting sucked in to all the beautiful new handpaint yarns, Trekking used to be my most favorite sock yarn.  It was nice to revisit an old friend.

Now, for the non-knitted finish.  My mother-of-the-groom dress!

 

  The dress itself is a soft, drapey silk, and the bodice a stiffer embroidered fabric.  The neckline is "scooped," and my strand of pearls should be just the right length.  It was delivered last night by the dressmaker - almost last minute!  It's a real departure from my usual preference of simple black, but I'm happy with it.  As soon as the professional photos are in, you know I'll be posting a link!

And now, in case I don't get back here before Friday (most likely) I hope everyone who celebrates has a wonderful Christmas!  May your stockings be filled with goodies and joy, and your day with light and love.

 
  

Ho Ho WOW!

It's only December 19th, but it's already been the greatest Christmas ever.  I have the best, and most generous, friends, all of whom have brought me great joy over this (and past) years.

It all started with winning a contest on Chris' blog.  My prize - a chocolate cookbook.  Well, not a cookbook made of chocolate, but rather one full of chocolate recipes.  YUM MEE!

If you don't hear from me for a while, assume that I'm lost in the kitchen, overcome by the chocolate fumes.  Thanks, Chris!

Next up was last Sunday's Holiday party, hosted by Claudia, Alma, and me, and taking place here at Chez Quiddity.  I was having so much fun that I didn't even touch my camera, but thanks to my friends, you can get a small idea of the goings-on.  Claudia and Knit Witch both posted excellent pictures and commentary on their blogs.   This year, we changed the format of our gift exchange, and I think everyone was quite pleased with the result.  As guests arrived, we taped a number to the gift they brought, and later everyone drew numbers.  You then received the gift your number corresponded to.  I was #15 and got this:

 

Ooh, a lovely project bag, handmade by Jen!  But wait, there's more!  Tucked inside were this....

And this.....

 

I don't know which to play with first, so it might have to be simultaneous projects.  Thanks so much, Jen!  

The party was so much fun.  We ate, talked, knit, ate, talked, exchanged gifts, ate, talked, and even had a stash exchange scramble (that I wisely stayed far away from!)  But I did get a lovely hostess gift from my friend, Ms. Numma Numma (did you know she lives right across the street from me?  She's constantly on guard lest her huge deliveries of yarn and fiber go missing.  Then again, I'm pretty sure she'd know right where to find them. <wink>)

The package:

 
  
 The prize!

Swoon!  Many thanks, Ms. A!

The fun continued last night, when the Friday Night Knitters got together for pizza after knitting group.  We don't have a formal gift exchange, since we did that for the party, but a few of us brought small gifts for fun.  From Nancy, who decreed we had all been VERY BAD this year - coal!

Hah!  Squooshy coal!  I'm so stealing this idea for our Christmas stockings next year.

Steve passed out bags full of little goodies.  

 

That's a mini-sock blocker key chain with a pattern for a teeny sock, hand made oak buttons, and candy.  Now that I've taken the photo, that candy is definitely history!  Thanks, Steve (and hey, update your blog!  I mean, really, Valentine's Day??)  Our dear friend Rob surprised us all by buying our dinners!  He's a great guy, and not just because he paid for my pizza.  Thanks to you, Rob.

Today is the Spinning Guild Holiday party, and then this evening Jim and I are going over to the future in-laws to have dinner and watch the bride and groom open wedding presents.  The wedding is now ten days away, and most of the preparations have been settled, thank goodness.  I'm still waiting for my dress to be finished, but there's still plenty of time and I'm not stressing.  Really.  Most of my Christmas shopping is done, the house is decorated, and all I have to look forward to now is presents, a little housecleaning, and then the big wedding event.  I'll still be glad when it's January, but there will be a lot of good times to be had before then, that's for sure.

Oh, and the bazaar at the barn last Saturday went very well.  It was a horrible cold, misty day, but there was a good turnout nonetheless.  Some of the younger people even managed to get a ride in, but I stayed inside with the hot cider and food.  I didn't sell everything I brought, but quite a few things managed to find good homes.  My riding instructor's wife bought one of my hats, and asked if I could make her some mitts to match.  Of course!  

 

• Fetching mitts - from Knitty.  I made a few modifications: added one cable repeat at the cuff, five more ribbed rows in the middle, and an extra cable row at the top.  Additionally, I used a smaller needle for the first and last four rows, which helped to control the flaring along the top, in particular.  I also did not do the picot bind off at the top, preferring a plain one instead.
• The yarn is Rowan Kid Classic, color number 825.  It's actually a much deeper burgundy, but the sky is so overcast today, it's difficult to get the color right.  I love this yarn, especially how it worked up in this mitt.  It's soft and seems extremely warm.  The recipient is planning a winter trip to her homeland of Poland, and I have a feeling warm will be a very good thing.  I'm also making her a neckwarmer as part of the ensemble, and will show that as soon as I'm finished.  

 
 And now, I'm off to the Spinning Guild party.  Hope your weekend is filled with fun, food, and friends.  Mine certainly is!

Knitting Frenzy - Over!

Whew!  It's been a really busy week around here.  The painters finally came in and finished all the windows, and I think they are close to done outside, as well.  Yesterday and today, they installed our new built-ins.  Jim is in his office now, figuring out where everything goes.  I haven't been able to put anything into my new cabinet in the butlers pantry, though, because none of the drawers or doors have pulls on them yet.  We bought some last night, but once home, we didn't care for them.  So, next week, we'll start the search again.  In the meantime, they can be opened, but it takes some effort.  I'll take pictures as soon as I can.

I finished knitting more hats for the bazaar tomorrow morning, but I'll be surprised if we get many takers.  The weatherman is calling for 38 degrees and rain all day.  YUCK!  Still, I'll get up early and drive on over to at least give it a try.  Who knows, we might be surprised.  Here are the last three hats on the pile.

 

 

These two are both from the (free) A Hat Fit For A Boyfriend pattern.  I like the way she designed the decreases - they make a very neat looking and fitting top.  The yarn for both is a new one to me, Queensland Collection Super Aussie.  It's 100% superwash wool and is super soft.   (Hmm, so new that there is no Ravelry link for it.  Here's another, though.)  It's very affordable, and would make a lovely sweater or scarf, as well.

The next hat is a single layer version of EZ's Very Warm Hat.   The yarn is the same as the other two.

Then again, maybe it will be a good thing that it's cold and rainy.  It may put people more in mind of buying warm things!

I also managed to squeeze in a non-bazaar project.  This Spring, I made a little vest and hat for my cousin's new grandson.  They live in Arizona, and just two weeks ago, she sent of a photo of him wearing it. She said, "it's finally cool enough here for it.  And by the way, his mom would love one for him in navy."  Well, you can't pass up a request like that, and here it is.

 

This is a super easy project, and a great way to learn to cable if you haven't done so before.  The (free) pattern is Cabled Baby Vest, knit with Rowan Milk Cotton DK in "Curly Wurly" (navy) and "Cream Soda" (yellow.)  I should have shown the buttons, which have little sailboats.  If she sends a photo of him wearing it, I'll ask if I can post it, because that is one cute baby!  

So, all the furniture is back in place, the rooms dusted and vacuumed, and as soon as I get home from the bazaar, the Christmas tree and decorations will go up.  I'm having a party here on Sunday, and that can't happen without some holiday decor, even if I would like to keep things "normal" for just a little while longer.  

Have a great weekend!

Not Tearing My Hair Out.........Yet.

Only a week into December, and it's already a much too hectic month.  This week, hopefully, will see the end of all the renovations around here.  It seems like it is taking them forever to get the house painted, but the on again off again rain hasn't helped.  I'm expecting that by Tuesday they will at least finish painting the inside of all the windows we had replaced so I can start getting my Christmas decorations up. They leave behind a dreadful mess every day, and that IS starting to peeve me.  The furniture and drapes are easily put back in place, but oh my goodness, the dust!!  Then there's Christmas.  All the out of town presents that need to be shipped are almost ready to go, and I believe I've finished shopping for Jim (thanks to Amazon!)  But his mom's birthday is the 11th, and we also need to get that gift and her Christmas presents bought and in the mail.  It would be nice of us to buy something for Cory & Laura, as well, even if they are getting married on the 29th.  Shopping for that will commence this coming week.

Of course, the wedding is the big elephant in the middle of the room.  While I don't have a lot of duties in that regard, the menu for the rehearsal dinner still needs to be settled, I have to arrange for someone to do my makeup the day of the big event, and there is one more fitting of the dress I'm having made.  That process was slowed when the dressmaker came down with the swine flu, which then left behind a double kidney infection.  Not fun for her.  But I'm not stressing about the dress at all.  Saturday, I went for the first try-on, and while the color, fabric, and style are way outside my comfort level of basic black wool, I think it's going to be very pretty, hopefully flattering, and definitely comfortable.  

One reason I haven't run screaming into the night yet is knitting.  Lots and lots of knitting.  Grab a cuppa, because there's lots to see.

First up, the long delayed sweater - finished just in time for a good cold snap!

 

• Twisted Aran Cardigan. The only modification made was to eliminate the large spread collar in favor of a few rows of twisted rib.  I was very concerned that it was not going to fit, but it turned out to be almost perfect!
• The yarn is Debbie Bliss Luxury Donegal Tweed Aran.  The 85% wool/15% angora blend, though soft, showed lovely cable definition.  It's a very soft single ply, wonderful to knit with.

My next projects are for the barn where I ride, which is overseen by both the county and a private conservancy.  Next Saturday, the conservancy is hosting a holiday party and bazaar, and I was asked to contribute some knitted things to the sale.  I dug through my stash of completed items and came out with a few scarves, hats, mittens, mitts, and neck warmers, but wanted to add a few more.

I started with the idea that a cute headband sample on display at Knitch might also be good to wear as an ear warmer under a riding helmet.  So I dug through my sock yarn leftovers and came up with these.

 

I also found a use for some leftover chunky weight yarns.

Super Simple Fast and Easy Chunky Handknit Hat from Crazy Aunt Purl.  (I hate taking my own picture in the mirror, so here's our little potted fur tree do the modeling.) 

And then, I made two Twisted hats.

 

 

The yarn for all three hats is Plymouth Encore Chunky, 75% acrylic/25% wool.  Now, you may not see any difference between the two hats, except the color, but there is.  As the white one was nearing completion, I discovered that, despite owning approximately 9,852 needles, there were no size 10.5 double points in the house.  So, in the face of years of protest and mockery, I was forced to find a long circular of the right size and......Magic Loop!  Suffice it to say that although there were no negative consequences to either me or the hat as a result, I did go to the yarn shop the next day to purchase dpns before starting the next hat.

To end on a happy note, next Sunday (the 13th) many knitters will be gathering at my hopefully clean and renovated home to knit, eat, knit, visit, knit, and exchange gifts.  I'm REALLY looking forward to this island of relative sanity in the midst of a completely off the chart December.  Keep your fingers crossed that I don't have to hand out dust masks at the door!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Just two days to Turkey Day here in the United States.  For the fourth year in a row, I'm NOT COOKING!  We've been sucked into the tradition of going to Cory's future in-laws for dinner.  I'm a bit meh about the whole thing, but hey, NOT COOKING!  I did, however, spend much of today cleaning the house preparatory to the arrival of my mother-in-law tomorrow afternoon.  I only see her once a year, for the most part, although this year it will be twice, as she is coming back for Cory' wedding on December 29th.  We get along fine, and I always enjoy her visit, so no stress on that front.  We usually spend most of the time hanging around the house, which is fine with me - more time to knit!

And speaking of knitting, I've been doing a lot of that.  I finished a very nice lace scarf (no photo yet) and Sunday a week ago, this.

 

• Seed Stitch Cowl from the Holiday 2009 Vogue Knitting magazine.  Here's a link to a video Vogue put up about it - warning, music.  Mine isn't as stiff looking, I think.  This pattern is extremely easy and fast.  Really, I made it in about 5 hours.
• Blue Moon Fiber Arts Icelandic in the "Star Sapphire" colorway.  I have a skein of the same colorway in Socks That Rock Heavyweight, and I'm thinking matching mittens would be fun.

Hopefully, by the beginning of next week, I'll be able to show off my new sweater.  I'm about to finish the second sleeve, and if I don't fall asleep after dinner (it's been a long, busy day) I'll give it a bath and blocking. Then I can start seaming it whenever I get a chance this weekend.  Keep your fingers crossed that it's going to fit!  I chose the size that seemed appropriate, but it has lots of cables and is pulling in.  Ah well, if nothing else, I can wear it unbuttoned.  

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving if you are celebrating.  I'd say don't eat too much, but I'm not sure that's humanly possible!

Fine Fall Day

75 degrees, sunny, and oh, the smell of fallen leaves.  I lived in Illinois until I was 11, and one of my fondest memories is of the fall days spent shuffling through and jumping into piles of leaves.  The sound and smell are never to be forgotten.  For whatever reason, it doesn't seem like I've noticed the odor of Fall in a long time, but today, I did.  The day was too wonderful to spend inside, so I decided to take a walk.  One of the nicest things about where we live is the nearby community garden.  About a two mile round trip, it's the perfect place for someone like me who possesses a black thumb.  I always enjoy the efforts of those who can coax such beauty from the earth, and visit as often as I can.  And on the way, there's also a very large, forested green space, as well as all the beautiful old trees lining our streets.  It was a lovely way to spend an hour or so, and I just had to share.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope you can feel the warmth and smell the drying leaves!

I also came across several unusual signs along the way.

 

I'm not very hip - maybe this is reference to a musical group?  Any  other ideas?

And then there was this....

Really?  Silk????  If I'd only known, that would have been something to see.  I love finding things like this - they always make me wonder about the person posting them.

And since this is a knitting blog, here's my latest.

 

• Turn A Square Hat.  Super fast and easy, it's a Christmas gift.  I know I said I was done, but this was a last minute thought.
• The black is Cascade 200, and the stripes Noro Silk Garden.  

I also have two recently completed lace scarves, but since I haven't gotten around to blocking them, their debut will have to wait.

I hope you enjoyed my beautiful Fall day, and hope you are enjoying one of your very own.