serving up

a soon to be color affection shawl by Veera Välimäki.

Short, but sweet today...I'll be back with a full report soon!!

Happy Monday!

a bowl full of patience

Besides photowalks and shopping at the market, we've accomplished a little bit of knitting this week.

You probably recognize the Rivercat and Tesserae socks...what you haven't seen before is the Swallowtail shawl by Evelyn Clark in Fleece Artist Sea Wool 'Moss'. I started this a few years back, and it's been patiently waiting for me to decide on whether to do 14 repeats or 19.

I chose 19. And now it's nupp time.

I hope you're having a great week! Happy Friday Eve!

Patience is necessary, and one cannot reap immediately where one has sown.

~Soren Kierkegaard 

moving forward

A little progress has been made on Charlize.

I'm at the edge....so close...

...yet so far.

We're madly trying to get a grant out the door. Next week will be tough. Bear with me. After that I should be back to a more regular schedule and hopefully some FOs to share!

In the mean time...the crocuses in the front yard are my muse! :)

Let your life lightly dance on the edges of Time

like dew on the tip of a leaf.

~Rabindranath Tagore 

Charlize pattern by Vanessa Smith in Skein Yarns Top Draw 'Static'

mini update

I'm glad I had some extra images of the Charlize shawl from last week!

It was rainy, windy, rainy and dark last night...no updated photos for me ~ ugh.

I've knit a few more pattern repeats on this project, finished one sprout sock, and am making good headway on the spring fever socks...all is good...although photoless!!

Happy Tuesday!

blue, blue...

...my world is blue!

Actually, it's 'Static' in Top Draw yarn from Skein Yarns

The pattern is the first part of Charlize by Vanessa Smith. I was inspired by the project I saw here.

The lace needs a good block to be more visible...I think it'll be a quick knit...so soon!!

Love the pattern.

Love the yarn.

It's a good way to start the week!!

Happy Monday!

Why make so much of fragmentary blue

In here and there a bird, or butterfly,

Or flower, or wearing-stone, or open eye,

When heaven presents in sheets the solid hue?

~Robert Frost

Charlize pattern by Vanessa Smith in Skein Yarns Top Draw 'Static'

full circle

The September Circle shawlette is finished! Just in time for the return of the rain.

This project was quick and easy. I would've liked to've made it a bit larger by way of circumference, but it'll be very cozy and comfy as it is...my only mod was to add a couple of repeats to reach approx 43 inches in circumference (gauge matters!) and knit until I used up the skein.

This was my first foray into MadTosh Light...I loved it!!

This yarn is so chameleon-like. Depending on the light, its color-character changes. I love that!

Kind of like Portland weather! Hah!

I hope you all are having a great week so far!!

Until he extends his circle of compassion to include all living things,
man will not himself find peace.
~Albert Schweitzer

September Circle by Melissa LaBarre in Madeline Tosh merino light 'Burnished'

sometimes...

...it's just about the color.

leafy

warm

golden

earthy

Seek the strongest color effect possible...
the content is of no importance.
~Henri Matisse

Little Leaves shawlette by Susanna IC in Wool Candy "Microbrew" (a sock summit special)

fog lifter

The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are. ~Anonymous

Something new and bright to break through the November fog.

The yarn was a gift from a friend and is a mohair blend sock yarn from Kid Hollow Farm in 'pinkie'...how perfect is that!?

The scarf pattern is Lubov and is designed by Kathy Veeza. It can be found in the Brave New Knits book by Julie Turjoman. This book is fab...there are 3 designs that are on my short list...

I hope you all are having a great week! Happy Friday-eve!!

p.s. can you believe I hit "publish" without giving it a title...LOL!!

joy in the woods

Look who's finished and blocked!

I love it. My Autumn Joy shawl. Finished just in time to ward off the autumn chill! I used a combination of the ripple, medallion (cat's paw!!) and leaf pattern motifs found here.

Thank you all so much for your wonderful and warm birthday wishes. I had a great weekend filled with cake, knitting, a road trip with Mr. NK, more cake...and a fun photoshoot with my sister.

She learned some new techniques at an autumn photo workshop she attended earlier in October, so we went out in search of a grove of trees and played...and played.

Of course I carried the shawl along with me, as it was one of the few sunny days of the week.

One cannot look away from the gift of sun this time of year in Oregon!

This stand of cottonwoods did the trick...I'm not sure I have the technique down, but practice will be fun!

We also found some water reflecting some of the fall color. A heron was hiding in there, too...you never know what you might see out here.

Well...I'm about to the end of my photos and words.

I hope you have a great week!!

I cannot endure to waste anything as precious as autumn sunshine
by staying in the house.
So I spend almost all
the daylight hours in the open air.
~Nathaniel Hawthorne

Autumn Joy shawl designed by me and knit in STR 'Gail's Autumn Joy'

upward bound

The weekend had its ups and downs...lots of knitting was accomplished. I'm on the 5th repeat of the September Circle neckwarmer...that's an up for sure. And I love knitting with the MadTosh merino light...another up! I calibrated my monitor...scary, but an up. There were some sunny moments...an up for sure.

On the flip side there was some major rain. And thunder. Loud. Thunder. The kitties and I ran for cover...literally. Not such an up!

I hope you all had more ups than downs!

Happy Monday!!

There is no season when such pleasant and sunny spots may be lighted on,
and produce so pleasant an effect on the feelings, as now in October.
~Nathaniel Hawthorne

September Circle by Melissa LaBarre in Madeline Tosh merino light 'Burnished'

hello monday

Happy Monday!! I'm at the last stitch pattern...a leaf motif...I bet you're not surprised!

I'm almost finished...it is slow going at this point...the stitches are too many to count! :) Not really, but I would rather be knitting them than trying to count them without losing track and having to start over again! LOL!!

We explored the local pumpkin patch this past weekend. The weather was glorious, and I will be oh so sad to see it end.

What about you, what did you do for fun?

I would rather sit on a pumpkin, and have it all to myself,
than be crowded on a velvet cushion.
~Henry David Thoreau

Autumn Joy shawl by me in STR Gail's Autumn Joy

beach treasures

We were at the beach this past weekend. The weather was mixed to say the least.

My philosophy: all weather is good weather while at the beach.

That deep thought is quickly followed by this one: there is no better time to cast on a new project than at the beach!

Voilà!

September Circle by Melissa LaBarre.

In Tosh Merino Light 'Burnished'.

Love the yarn. Love the pattern.

Thank you all for all the info about those autumn crocuses!! You guys rock!

joy

Knitting with wooden needles.

Sharing a cappuccino with Mr. NK.

Turning leaves.

Autumn Joy.

Let a joy keep you.
Reach out your hands and take it when it runs by.
~Carl Sandburg

Autumn Joy shawl in STR 'Gail's Autumn Joy'