Stuck on Sport

This has turned out to be a crazy week - two steps forward, one step back.  Projects on several fronts have been stalled, but I have made progress on my knitting.  My Leaving Cowl is almost off the needles, so I took a few minutes to figure out my next project.  If I can't get anything else done, at least I can keep knitting.

This is Bertha Sport . . . again.  Sorry there isn't a link.  Coming soon to the website and available at shows.  I'm smitten with this yarn . . . just one more project.

Halloween is this weekend, and I'm scrambling to pull together a few things.  I miss the days when the kids were little.  There were all the hours of costume preparation, and then finally the day arrived.  We dressed up and walked around the neighborhood, frightened and delighted at the same time.  We saw everything from ghosts and skeletons to fairies and princesses.  Pure magic.  Now I'm on the front porch handing out candy and watching the parade of costumes. 

My color inspiration this week marks the holiday.

Wee pumpkins.

Do-Over

When I was at KnitEast over the weekend, there was a little time for knitting.  And then there was this.

Yes, I had to rip out.  I didn't like my gauge after a couple rounds, but I kept knitting - because you never know.  It didn't get any better with additional rounds.  No surprise there.  One look at the pattern picture gave me the nudge I needed to slide everything off the needles.

Once I ripped out, I didn't waste any time.  I cast on right away with smaller needles, and I'm happy I did.

Leaving Cowl.  This is so much better . . . it might be hard to put it down.

Snapshots from KnitEast

This week Tuesday is my Monday.  Yesterday was a travel day, so today it's time for most of my usual Monday things. 

After being gone for several days, it's hard to know where to start. This morning I took one look at the kitchen and decided to tackle my desk. Apparently my family thinks that cleaning the dishes means piling them all in the sink and walking away.  There were grumblings about the dishwasher not working, so the problem is probably bigger than just a sink full of dirty dishes.  You can understand why my desk is the first order of business.

I spent the weekend at KnitEast in picturesque St. Andrews, New Brunswick.  This event was held at The Algonquin Resort - a place full of charm and history.  KnitEast offered classes, a market, a fashion show.  Some people took a full load of classes, others had more downtime for relaxing and knitting with friends.  

A beautiful setting complete with gorgeous fall weather . . . the perfect ingredients for a fiber getaway.   Here's a glimpse into my weekend.

Seeing my Canadian friends, connecting and chatting with other knitters . . . thanks for a lovely working getaway.

Under Construction

Yesterday my booth and I navigated customs and made it across the border.  I was held up by a silly paperwork glitch.  When the numbers in the system don't match the numbers on your paper, you aren't going anywhere.  My broker sorted it all out while I waited in the customs office . . . without my knitting.  

Once I cleared customs, it was smooth sailing.  KnitEast is being held at a lovely venue, and I plan to get some pictures.  For today this is all I have.

The booth is a work in progress. The market opens at noon today, so I still have time to pull it all together.

Between Rhinebeck and KnitEast I've put on a lot of miles this week. All those hours behind the wheel I've been enjoying the fall colors.  I never know what spectacular display is waiting for me around the next bend.  My color inspiration this week is more of the same.

Rich red.

Quick Turnaround

I haven't really caught my breath from Rhinebeck, but I'm hitting the road again today.  This time I'm headed across the border to KnitEast. I seem to be stuck in a Groundhog Day loop.  The laundry gets me every time.  I'm packed and ready to go except for the clothes in the dryer.  The kids were doing laundry last night, and I was last in the queue.  Like a good mother I didn't complain, but it meant I had to finish mine this morning.  

Last weekend at Rhinebeck I didn't knit one single stitch.  I didn't really expect any knitting time, so it wasn't a big disappointment.  This weekend I would like to make up for lost time . . . or at least a little bit of it.

I'm heading out with two projects in tow - more than enough since I'm doing all the driving.  With that I'm off on another adventure.  Follow my updates on Instagram and Twitter .

Snapshots from Rhinebeck

WHOOSH!  That was the sound of Rhinebeck weekend coming and going.  I feel like I was picked up by a tornado, tossed around for three days and miraculously deposited at home.

Here's a glimpse into my weekend.

Qiviut from Windy Valley Muskox. 

Lace from Skaska Designs. 

In case you're curious, that's a red kangaroo.  When I walked by, there was a man from Australia watching the kangaroos with amusement.

We had a glorious fall weekend complete with crisp temps and a few snow flurries. 

Perfect wool weather for a remarkable Rhinebeck weekend.

Ready or Not

Rhinebeck weekend is upon us, and I'm almost ready.  Just a few more details to wrap up and then I hit the road.  I'm waiting for my laundry to dry.  Why do I always leave that to the end?

There's been an extra flurry of activity the last few days.  There always is before a show.  This project has been finished for a while.

Coastal Gradient.  Mini gradient sets . . . hours of entertainment.  This weekend I'll have the Coastal Gradient Kit available in a variety of colors.  If you're heading to Rhinebeck, you'll find me in Building C, Booth 42.

My color inspiration this week is a variation on a theme.

Everything goes with gray.

The dryer just beeped.  I'm off . . . 

North Lyme

Ready to roll.

North Lyme.  

Trust me when I say this hat looks much more appealing when it's on a head.  My live model situation continues to be hit or miss . . . mostly miss.  I tried the dog, but he was less cooperative than my daughters.

This sweet hat will be making the trip to Rhinebeck.

A slip stitch pattern creates a cozy, textured fabric.

North Lyme has a couple nice details.

The brim is hemmed for an extra layer of warmth.

The top of the hat is closed with Kitchener stitch, and the corners tucked in to create the envelope look.

The yarn is Bertha Sport, a blend of Superwash Merino, Cashmere and Nylon.  As soon as I can, I'll list it on the website, but in the meantime it will be available at fall shows.

Counting the Inches

I'm trying to finish up another booth sample.  Maybe today.

North Lyme.  This has been my on-the-go project the last couple days. The 4-row repeat is almost mindless, and the stitch pattern creates a textured fabric.  

This project is just the beginning.  Hat season is here, and I already know which one I'm going to make next.

To those of you north of the border, Happy Thanksgiving.  Enjoy the festivities.

This Week in the Dye Pots

A new yarn base.

Bertha Sport.  70% Superwash Merino, 15% Cashmere, 15% Nylon.

It's my new favorite.

These colors and more will hit the booth at Rhinebeck.

Sometimes the fall color changes happen too quickly.  The other day my daughter sent me a picture of one of our favorite trees . . . a tree the kids and I would watch shift from green to brilliant red every fall. The tree is almost naked already, and I missed most of the color.  

This week's color inspiration is an attempt to savor some of the fall colors.  As a bonus it matches the yarn above.

Sunshine spreading over the mountains of Vermont.

Alternating

Between this.

And this.

There's never a dull moment the week before Rhinebeck.

Snapshots from Vermont

I'm off and running after a beautiful weekend in Vermont.  Going into the weekend there was so much conversation about the weather and Joaquin moving up the coast.  Early predictions were for a wet weekend in Vermont, but in the end we had glorious, dry fall weather.

Take a look.

This skirt has a story.

Marcy walked into my booth, and I commented on her lovely skirt. She proceeded to tell me that she came up with the skirt idea to use leftover sock yarn.  Of course one thing led to another and along the way she bought more yarn to finish the project.

Marcy had a gored skirt that she liked, and she used that as her template.  She took one of the gores from that skirt and did the math to figure out the increases for her knitted gores.  The gores are knit with the linen stitch.  Her original skirt had 18 gores, but the knitted ones were a little more elastic so she needed only 16.

Then Marcy crocheted the gores together.  I asked her if it was tedious to assemble them all, and she said not really because she had slipped the first stitch of every row and had a nice clean edge. Everything matched perfectly.  The cool thing about this skirt is it's reversible.  On one side there's a seam ridge with a little bit of texture. On the other side there's a smooth seam line.  Marcy can wear it either way.

Marcy completed her outfit with this jacket that she happened to find at a shop.  Not pictured is the hat made out of this yarn - the original project that got the whole thing started.  She tied it all together with burnt orange socks.  This skirt was such a success that she's already planning another one.

Detailed needle felting.  I can't imagine how many hours it took to make this.

Vermont in the fall . . . always a treat.