Greetings dear Unravelers and Happy First Wednesday in October!
While my body is firmly planted in October, my mind is drifting away to December and some holiday gift knitting ideas are swirling around. However, if I want to actually get any holiday knitting done, I better move quickly from the idea part… to the making part and quickly! LOL
Also swirling around is “vacation knitting” planning…things not to take mostly. I finished my Blue Jay yarn spin and I was planning on it becoming a lovely pair of handspun socks, but the Yardage Gods have other ideas because I am certain that there is not enough for socks! The yarn needs a bit of a spa-treatment… and pre-wash, I have just 225 yards (and I fear post wash it will poof up a bit and be less yardage than that. Sigh. I need to think about something that is small, easy to pick up and put down… stay tuned.
It looks Blue Jay-ish to me!
Meanwhile in my regular knitting, my second sock has passed the “challenging pattern” portion and the remainder of the pattern is committed to memory and it will go surprisingly fast! I expect that this sock will be done this week! Just in time for the return for chillier weather knitting…i.e. a lapful of pressed flowers wrap!
Sock Two underway!
But!! I was jonesing for a new spinning project so I pulled out a bag of Scrappy Sock Bundles from Wound Up Fiber Arts for an entirely random, spin thicker than my usual project! I got 3 “bundles” done in short order yesterday… it is so fun to see these bright vibrant colors as I spin them! And I have lots more fun to go! I have one more bag to spin as well and my plan will be to spin up each bag and ply them together for a totally crazy yarn!
The reading this week… delightful. Though The Garden of Evening Mists took me a bit to settle in with… once I did, my goodness, what beautiful writing. I don’t know how this book never crossed my radar in years past. I also finished Henry Hoke’s Open Throat… a short story. I don’t think Hoke reaches Clair Keegan’s mastery of a short story, but it was a curious tale (or tail?) and made me think.
Thanks to Netgalley, I started reading Tracy K. Smith’s new book, To Free the Captives. This will be published Nov. 7th and I am about a third of the way in… and loving it. It is part history, part reminiscing, and all the beautiful writing you would expect from a poet.
My daytime listen is a new mystery series I stumbled upon via Pinterest of all places. Wicked Autumn by G.M. Malliet… the series is about a retired MI-5 agent, Max Tudor, who has begun a new life as a vicar in a quiet village. Yes, retired MI-5 agent becomes a vicar… and someone is murdered! So far, I am enjoying it… and there are a number of books in the series!
What about you? Are you a Soctoberist this month? Or is something else calling to you?
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What a fabulous riot of colour in your first photo.
Each time I see that combination – brown/pink – I think how much fun you are going to have wearing your socks.. Pink flowers on show in winter is a way of bringing Spring alive before it actually arrives….if you follow my meaning.
I hope to see the bluejay-ish yarn, your crazy sock yarn, and the pressed flowers someday, but I’m having trouble viewing any of your pictures this morning. I tried two different browsers, but text only is not the way to go with knitting! It’s odd because I can see all the photos that people have added via InLinkz, just not yours. But I am going to check out Max Tudor at my library!
What a shame about the yardage on your bluejay spin! The colours are stunning though, I’m sure you’ll find the perfect project for it.
I don’t think I’m going to do any holiday knits – maybe some holiday arts and crafts, which are thankfully much quicker ????
Sadly I, too, am having trouble seeing your photos, which is bumming me out because I really want to see your spinning! (And like Bonny, I tried two different browsers with no luck — must be internet gremlins at work.)
Depending on the grist of your finished handspun, you might still have enough for socks; you just might need to knit them on larger-than-normal needles. I am definitely feeling the calling of knitting socks this month. I finished a pair last night and plan to start a new pair today. I actually want to knit a bunch to get a head start on holiday knitting!
Photos are showing up now!
Sadly the photo issue is an Apple thing. I got a new iPhone and I needed to adjust settings but I did not. Thankfully Steve converted them to JPEG images so I did not have to scramble to take new pictures!! ????
I’m having trouble seeing your photos, I’ll check back later. I can read your text though!! I’m using google chrome.
Definitely a SOCKtober-ist, but then every month is sock month to me. LOL
Your flowers socks are BEAUTIFUL!
No trouble here seeing your photos (Google Chrome) and that first picture of your fibers and spinning is a joy! What a jumble of beautiful colors. Your bluejay yarn is gorgeous and I hope Sarah is correct – that larger needles will make socks possible (maybe with different cuffs, heels and toes? Thanks for the suggestion of Malliet (and I see he has several series written!). I’ve already placed a request for “Wicked Autumn.” I’m finishing up a pair of socks and hoping to cast on for my Hitch on the Move soon…but you know I will most likely cast on for another pair of socks as well. Dee is quite the enabler! LOL
So, the first time I read your post, I could not see photos, either….and so my first thought for your Blue Jay yarn was to knit Bluebirds of Happiness! Now that (yay!) I can see the photos, I see it wouldn’t be quite right for BOH…but perhaps some fine blue jays to live in Gnomeville!
And THOSE COLORS! When I initially open your blog, there’s always a minute of ‘focusing’ that happens…which means that photo was cloudy for one second–and spectacular, it was…it looked like cotton candy!
Oh wow! That first image is amazing! Good luck sorting your vacation knitting!!
I LOVE that “blue jay” yarn, Kat! Such great colors. The Garden of Evening Mists is one of my favorite books ever, Kat. Such beautiful, lyrical writing . . . sigh. Glad you liked it, too! (Meanwhile, I am devouring My Friends. What a treat!)
PS – Earlier this morning, I could not see any photos. But now . . . All Is Well.) XO
I love all those bright fiber nests and look forward to seeing the resulting yarn. The pressed flower socks are so pretty. How fun will it be to wear flowered socks in the winter. Here’s to wool sock season.
Your spinning is gorgeous!! (I see your photos, and yes I am on a Mac…) I love to plan vacation knitting and I love that I think I will knit everything I bring. However, I would be sad to have time on my hands and not have any knitting at all!!
The blue jay yarn could become a sock with contrasting heels and toes, especially if you make the toes as long as they need to be to stretch that gorgeous blue.