X-Mitts

Knitting time has been at a premium here.  It didn't help that knit night was cancelled last night.  I was so looking forward to a date with my needles and friends.

With the little time I've had, I did manage to wrap up this quick project.

X-Mitts.

On a whim I decided to give this pattern a try.

X-Mitts includes instructions for both fingering and worsted weights.  I knit the worsted weight version.  Just as I suspected, it was fast and fun.  The tuck stitches used to create the Xs provide texture and keep things interesting.  With the holidays just around the corner, I'm thinking this might be a good project for gift giving.

This mitt is destined to be a booth sample, but I've already decided I must have a pair for myself.

Since I'm going to offer this little project in the booth, I dyed several different colorways. 

These colors and more will be available this weekend at Fiber Festival of New England.

My biggest dilemma right now is deciding which color to make for myself.

Waiting For Sandy

The gray weekend has given way to an even grayer Monday.  The pictures I had planned will have to wait for better lighting.  

Instead the week starts with waiting.  Waiting for Sandy.  We've made all the usual storm preparations - extra water, flashlights, batteries. We put away the outdoor furniture.  We stocked up on bread and milk as part of our New England storm ritual.

Sandy is expected to bring rain and high winds, flooding and power outages.  School is cancelled; businesses are closed.  At first news coverage of Sandy was a welcome relief, but after extensive coverage all weekend, today I haven't even turned on the radio.  I can't decide which is more distressing - constant storm chatter or analysis of presidential election polls.  For the moment I'm enjoying the silence.

I'm in the middle of a lot of work - work on a deadline that requires power.  I must confess that the other day I contemplated a generator, but over the weekend I shifted my attitude.  Mother Nature is in charge here.  If we lose power, I have plenty of things to do that don't require an outlet.  There are knitting projects in the works.  Board games and puzzles have a certain appeal.  Storms are a good excuse to slow down.

If you're dealing with Sandy, be safe.  Mother Nature is flexing her muscles.

From The Beginning

I've taken a detour from my bigger knitting projects to work on something short and sweet.

There's nothing like a fingerless mitt to take the edge off.  And a fingerless mitt knit in worsted weight yarn fits my definition of instant gratification.

Working on this mitt has been a good reminder that often it's best to follow the directions from the beginning.  I was reading and re-reading the instructions for the tuck stitch - the one that creates those fun Xs across the top of the hand.  The instructions say to go under the strand below, but I couldn't visualize where that strand was coming from.  If I'd read the directions from the beginning, I would have realized that the strand was created a couple of rows earlier.  Lesson learned - follow the directions starting with Row 1 and don't skip ahead.

Many of the leaves have fallen, and the vibrant colors of the season have given way to earth tones.  This week a bright leaf blew across my path and caught my attention.  My color inspiration for the week.

The red tones of autumn.

Half A Day

I need to gear up for the next event, but in order to hit the ground running I gave myself a day off.  Half a day off is probably more accurate.

The first edition of By Hand recently came out, and I spent some time with it.

Knitting and reading.

Susan Gibbs is the moving force behind By Hand.  The magazine includes articles on cooking, growing, building, stitching.  Making. From the lattice cowl to the butternut squash salsa to the apple butter bread I want to make it all.  I think I need more time off.

All Done In

It's the Monday after Rhinebeck, and I'm suffering from a wool hangover.  The weekend whizzed by, and I'm sure I'll be processing it for several days to come.  Gorgeous fall weather, seeing many fiber friends, a crowded booth.  It was the kind of wool party that happens only at Rhinebeck.  My recovery may take a couple of days.

Of course there was more than enough yarn and fiber to go around, so I'll share a few shots of the sights and sounds of the fairgrounds.  

Rhinebeck.  A weekend full of color, fun and inspiration.

No Skein Left Behind

On Wednesday I was certain I had finished my Rhinebeck dyeing. Everything on my list had been crossed off.  All that remained was labeling and packing.  I was in the homestretch, and everything was coming together.  Late Wednesday night I stumbled across a handful of undyed skeins.  I had originally intended to dye these skeins but had somehow omitted them from the list.  Now these skeins were begging to make the trek to Rhinebeck.  Instead of rushing to put on a dye pot, I held steady.  Surely the urge to dye one more pot would pass.

Thursday dawned bright and early, and I couldn’t get the undyed skeins off my mind. I had just enough time for one pot, I reasoned.  They were cashmere, and they didn’t want to miss the Rhinebeck party.  Before I knew what had hit me, the wheels were in motion for one more dye pot.  No skein left behind is my motto.

With that bit of dyeing frenzy behind me, it was time to pack the bags.

Bags from Three Bags Full.

Bags for the season.  I'll have a nice selection of these bags available - Building C, Booth 42.

Now all that's left is to pack my own bag, and then it will be time to hit the road.

This week I leave you with a fall classic and my color inspiration for the week.

Rusty red.

Kit Connection

I'm about to cross off the last item on my "Rhinebeck Dyeing" list. While the final skeins are drying, I'm pulling together the other pieces.

There will be kits.

A variety of kits - from baby sweaters to shawls to mittens.

There will be kits with beads.

The world of beads is magical.  From flashy to subtle there are so many options.

And now I'm off.  The labels are printed, the yarn is dry.  There's a labeling party brewing.