keeping on

Ah, the spinning continues. . . slowly!  I have two bobbins done for the second mega-skein, just started the third last night.

I knit a sleeve with the first skein and it’s perfect.  The stitch substitution is spot-on and I just love it.  I think this sweater will be my winter coat!  I decided to spin more before continuing the knitting, which is slow-going and monotonous.  And necessary.  When this mega-skein is finished, I’ll have to knit awhile to build up my spinning reserves.

Because yeah, I want to wear this NOW!

This weekend I made tomato jam, the last item on my list of my must-make-this.  I wish I could say all these tomatoes are from our garden, but I got them at the farmer’s market (the little ones are ours).  Our tomato plants have “the wilt” and it’s just a matter of time before they are history.  At least our yield far surpassed last year’s whopping ONE tomato crop!  We’ve gotten enough to have a homegrown tomato on our lunchtime salads most days, which has been nice.

I borrowed from several recipes and the ingredient list of a locally-made tomato chutney that we love, and it will either be really, really good, or a complete waste of time!

I’m letting it age for 30 days or so and then we’ll do a taste test.  My goal is a spicy-sweet jam to serve with cheese and crackers, but I’m worried that I made it too spicy.  If it’s good, I’ll post the recipe!

Had to take this photo last week – can you see the moon?

 

summer in the past tense

Someone asked me the other day how my summer was, and I was so happy to hear summer associated with the past!  Oh, I how I love fall and winter and spring and endure summer!  It’s usually about the time that I succumb to the annual Summer Cold (brought on by the lack of fresh air, I’m certain) that summer’s heat begins to wane, and in every knitter’s mind that means one thing:

WOOL!

This week I’ve cast on for two distinctly winter projects.

EZ’s Nethers with sale Koigu seconds I learned about from Lynn, now enabling folks on Facebook.  I’m making these very fitted, which has caused me to doubt myself because increasing two stitches every three rows looks like a lot on the needles, but when I try it on, it fits my calf perfectly, so onward I plow.

Except for last night, when I decided that this massive 740 yard skein of 3 ply cormo/alpaca blend:

would make a lovely Adeline.  I learned how to do a tubular cast-on (fun!) and then tried to swatch the cable pattern.  Now, I don’t cable with a cable needle.  I never have, I find it too fiddly and bothersome.  I admire those who do and can because they have infinitely more patience than I!

This cable pattern most definitely requires a cable needle.  So I pulled out my Treasury (the second is my favorite) and found a slipped stitch pattern that I think mimics the cable pattern quite nicely.

What do you think?  If the gauge is even remotely close, I think it’s a winner!

Of course, I have a lot more spinning to do before having enough yarn for the sweater.  Right now I have about 1,000 yards and I’ll probably need another massive skein, which means about three weeks’ of spinning, if the last skein is any indication.  Happily, I have plenty of fiber!

And I have pink and purple from earlier in the summer, for your Friday Eye Candy.

I’ve always loved fuschias.

We found a lovely one this spring and I splurged.

It was worth it.

Have a great weekend!

 

think pink

When I learned that Project Spectrum’s August color was pink, I didn’t think I’d find much in my photo folders to work with.

I don’t know why I thought that!

Every color can be found in nature.

All one needs to do

is look!

Happy Friday!  Let’s have a great weekend!

 

transitions

I’ve come to realize that I may be a tad bit obsessive.

I love how peach jam starts out pink!

Oh yes, and I’m easily distracted.  It seems my new obsessions of making jam and improving my health and fitness have supplanted my old obsessions of knitting/spinning/blogging.

Maybe it’s because I can’t eat yarn.  Or maybe it’s the heat.  I really think it’s because I am so pumped at seeing actual muscle definition that I want to learn everything about getting healthy and fit!

It’s nice.  It’s hard work, but it’s really nice to feel strong.  It also takes a lot of time, time that I used to devote to creating, but I’m creating (“unearthing” might be a better word) a new me, so I don’t regret one minute.

I did make some handspun socks.

They’re a little big for me, so they’re going in the gift box.  I’ve a good idea who’s going to get them and she definitely deserves them!

I’ve also been spinning a little, one bobbin of light brown wool and another bobbin of dark brown wool/alpaca, not to go together but just because I couldn’t commit to spinning more than one bobbin.  Lately I’ve been obsessed with making Nether Garments but can’t decide if I should use sock yarn scraps or handspun.  Handspun longies would be awesome, but sock yarn would be infinitely more wearable in my climate.

I want to knit a sweater (or even finish a sweater) but I have a hard time convincing myself to start or re-start – I don’t know what size I’ll be when sweater weather finally arrives.  I’ve been periodically trying on old sweaters and a couple look infinitely better on me now!  There are also some that are enormous (one I made last year and wore all last summer now hangs as low as a Hollywood starlet’s dress).  So there will be frogging, and eventual re-knitting, and it’s all good.  Doesn’t make for exciting blogging, this in-between period I find myself in, but transition is good, especially when you end up in a better place.