Gloomy Now

Outside it is. All of a sudden it's the harsh reality of fall. Moody and gloomy, chilly and dreary. At least there's not supposed to be any rain for a while. I feel a little cheated. What about the halcyon days of fall, where it's sunny and in the 60s? I actually had to turn the fireplace on last night. I'm hoping to hold out against turning the heat on for a while. Proof it's getting colder outside, here come the hand knit wool socks!



The kits seem to be enjoying the new temperatures. They have been dashing all over the house, cross rooms, on furniture (knocking down unsecured items in their haste), up and down stairs. Leia enjoys jumping into the car when I get home.



Luke has taken to flopping down in dangerous places, like my kitchen rug.



There's really not much room in my kitchen for a rolling cat. This is if he's not attacking the fridge magnets.

Sock of the Day



Twisted Shiney in Filanon. I'm using the Traveling Vine stitch pattern from More Sensational Knitted Socks. Siamese stitch markers from WeeOnes.

Ah, Fall

Today finally feels like fall again! Actually, it took until the afternoon for the sun to shine. I was a little worried there for a couple of days. It's not unusual to have a bout of warm temperatures in autumn, but I wasn't used to the muggy (I kept expecting a plague of locusts). Or the rain. I ended up driving through a mini lake on the way to work Friday. In my defense, it was dark. I offer proof of fall in Minnesota:



This is a tree on my way to work. I love how it looks like it was dipped in paint. For whatever reasons, this year I haven't seen as many brilliant turning of the leaves.

Sock of the Day



Finishing my Zen Yarn Garden theme, I present my bamboo/merino/nylon blend in Sunny Orchid. I'm using the Undulating Rib pattern, which, sadly, tends to drive me a little batty. I really like the way it looks, but I wish I had played with it a little more. Maybe on the foot. Someday, I will get to the foot.

Socks in the Cities KAL

I finished 2 pairs of socks this weekend. (Total for the week is 3 pairs.)



First up Fearless Fibers Superwash Sport Merino Wool in October. Started these 5 July and finished 6 October. These socks . . . well, I didn't expect them to stripe, for some reason. And some moments I love the colors, and others I don't know what I was thinking.



Next up: Simply Stockinette socks (pattern from Knit Socks) in Cascade 220 #9411 Olympic Rainforest Heather and #9445 Autum Heather for the heels and toes. Started 26 December 2005 and finished 7 October 2007. Well, at least it didn't take two years. The second sock gave me fits. I had to rip back in two different places because I didn't take decent notes on the first sock. Made the toes a little wider than the pattern called for due to forgetting to decrease when I should have and being too lazy to rip back. (Easy to make those sort of decisions on the first sock.)



No post is complete without a picture of my cats.

And the Week Goes On

Sock of the Day:



Zen Yarn Garden sportweight in Blueberry Swirl colorway. I'm using a stitch patten called Mist Drops. I found in the Barbara Walker guides (vol. 2, I think.) This pattern will take some tweaking on the foot. The current patten makes a bobble on the wrong side, which I think I can live with on the leg of a sock, but not on the foot.

Socks in the Cities KAL:



I finished the Fiesta Yarns Boomerang Rainforest socks. I am pleased.

The kits came and snuggled on my while I was knitting and watching TV last night.

Lunchtime Posting

Progress on the 1st sock of the Socks in the Cities KAL isn't a heck of a lot. I finished the heel flap (after having to rip out 12 rows because I forgot I was doing a garter stitch border), turned the heel, and I'm now starting the gusset decreases.



As I have so many socks started, and I probably won't finish most of them during the month, I'm starting a Sock of the Day feature. (Just so I can amuse myself really. If you want to be amused, you can count how many socks I post during the month, and then have me committed.)



I present to you Interesting Path, in Zen Yarn Garden's Toreador colorway from the Art Walk Sock Yarn Club. The yarn in a merion/bamboo/nylon blend. I love it. I'm quite proud of myself for tweaking an estabilshed stitch pattern (Winding Trail) and having it turn out really well.

Luke ended up on top of the fridge this morning.



I got tired of him attacking the magnets on the lower reaches of the fridge. He managed to amuse himself with a bit of ribbon from Woolgirl. (She wraps all your yarn in tissue paper and a slim ribbon. The cats love both.)
Leia was amused.