Knitting Forecast - Cloudy with a 30% chance of knitting

Today's weather forecast - cloudy & windy with s-l-o-w-l-y changing leaves.

Today's knitting forecast: scary because with just ten (10) more rows to go on Ishbel

I have only this much yarn left....eek! Please cross your eyes, fingers, toes, and legs - and hope that I make it through the bind-off!

There's only about a 20% chance of any further progress on my Lacy Rib sock-

because DS#1 is coming home for the weekend (a surprise!) and we have NO FOOD IN THE HOUSE!

Cleaning, shopping, & hugging first - there'll be time for knitting a little later!

FFF 2009

Over heard on Friday at school: "I'm not going to FFF this year...nope....I have too much yarn and I haven't knitted down last year's purchases.....need to go on a yarn diet.....so I'm staying home."

So, what happened? I ended up driving over to the FFF today - alone.....just for a teensy little bit. I did it in the service of a friend as Janice is up in Massachusetts with her mom. Someone needed to go get her a little lace yarn and I felt it should be me!



I think I accomplished a lot in the two hours I was there. In addition to getting Janice's yarn, I ran into friends Gren & Jeri. Jeri was watching a spinner Navajo ply and then got to give it a try. I tried it too & hope I can remember how to do it on my own wheel.



I saw these lovely creations - Trindles - drop spindles with a very nontraditional top whorl. One of them might have followed me home. (link to etsy shop)



...and of course, the dog trials were amazing!




Hey, doggie! No gripping, OK?

Maybe by next year, I'll have developed the will-power to stay away, but that wouldn't be as much fun, would it?

Ciruclar Progress

It's a gloriously cool Saturday here in Central Virgina - overcast and rainy, but still gloriously cool! In fact, the season's first marching band competition this evening will probably tend more toward cold and will provide a great excuse to break out a sweater!

Speaking of sweaters...and wool....and knitting....here's an update on my Circular Vest progress. I'm ready to place stitch markers for the sleeves - then it's more circular knitting for me. I like the weight of the Noro Chirimen. It's mostly cotton and blended with a little wool and silk.

Ishbel is also going well. I only have three more lace patterns until I finish. There wasn't much knitting time this week as I had to be out of the house on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, AND Thursday evenings. Unfortunately, most of today will be spent getting caught up on excess paperwork.

I'm also resisting casting on for Girasole. I bought the yarn a while back after seeing Janice's beautiful completed shawl. (link is to Ravelry-you must be a member to see it) I'll be knitting mine in Dream in Color Baby's November Muse with hexagonal beads. They're very sparkly!

I also was sucked into - I mean lovingly convinced- to join The Enchanted Woods Lace Shawl KAL sponsored by the lovely ladies over at The Unique Sheep. The KAL doesn't start until January which is, I think, I the perfect time to have a nice warm shawl on your lap! Do you think you might have some time to knit along with us in January? Check out the KAL at the Unique Sheep linkie on the sidebar!

Yay for Saturday!

Here's why.....it's a beautiful, cool morning here in the foothills of the Blue Ridge - I can feel a hint of fall in the air.....oh yes, and rag weed too....lol..



There's plenty of coffee -



...and a little time to make more progress on the Circle Vest



before switching to Ishbel, and then to odious cleaning and reading for class. You see - on Saturdays, I always eat my dessert first! Excuse me while I get back to my pie.... :)

Wollmeise clapotis in Vincent :)

Wollmeise clapotis in Vincent :)
Originally uploaded by ckknitter

Finally - la clapotis is blocking. I love the results, but can't say that I think it was a "fun" knit.....it was easy.......it was mindless, at times.......it felt endless........there - that's pretty accurate! That said, I'll probably knit another one someday especially because it shows off Wollmeise colors so well - a fact that will give me an excuse to acquire additional skeins of that particular lovely, but somewhat elusive yarn. What's your favorite Wollmeise pattern? .......or do you prefer ogling it & fondling it to actually knitting it? :)

Three Things on Friday

Hooray - it's time for three things on Friday. Why? - because today is Friday and I just happen to have three knitting/spinning things to report - that's why!

1. I've have feenished ze clapotis - et voila! Tomorrow is for blocking. I'll use my new blocking wires and mats from KnitPicks. More pics will certainly follow.


2. Before school this morning I started the Circle Vest in Noro Chirimen. It's a wool/cotton/silk blend. I'm hoping it will be a three season piece. There's a whole lot of ribbing in this one!


3. This arrived today in mail......thanks again, Bev, for the Plurk post about the Labor Day code! This is from Andrea at NaturalObsessions. The silvery lavender roving is 100% Lyocell. I couldn't resist its shininess. Andrea included a pretty blue sample of Milk.....it's oh-so-soft and a little sample of Soak.


...and now back to my regularly scheduled Friday night knitting! Enjoy your weekend!

Top Whorl in Porcelain

Porcelain top whorl drop spindle
Originally uploaded by ckknitter

This little piece of lovely is a drop spindle with the palest-green-ever porcelain whorl. I found it over on Etsy in Dyann Myers' shop. She has a couple others and many beautiful porcelain mugs, bowls, and platters. Go on over and check her out!

In knitting news, Ishbel is ready to get all lacey, but I haven't had time to sit and knit on her.


I'm hoping to get back to it this weekend while we're up at Shrine Mont. I'm looking forward to doing nothing but sitting and knitting! Doesn't that sound perfect?