Trick or Treat

Smell my feet

Give me something good to eat

Yarn: My beloved Vesper Sock Yarn
Colorway: Trick or Treat
Pattern: Just yer basic 64 stitch picot edge sock

They are perfect for Halloween and perfect for Socktoberfest.

Happy Halloween!

I’ve wanted to knit a pair of Elegant Gauntlets since Margene made her pair. Somehow, though, they never made it on to my “to knit” list and I forgot about them. Then a couple of weeks ago Teri posted a pair and I remembered.

So as not to forget again, I went straight from the computer to the sock yarn shelf. I pulled down out some Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn in shades of brown – perfect for fall and perfect for a 3/4 length-sleeve shirt I was going to have to stop wearing soon because my arms would be cold.

I cast on right away and finished them in less than a week. The pattern, in Sally Melville’s The Purl Stitch, is wonderful and the shaping makes for a great fit. And I think they go very nicely with my brown shirt.

I wore them on all day long yesterday – working on the computer, knitting, driving – whatever I was doing. The town electrician stopped by my office and when he saw them he asked if he should be contacting the heating company because I must be cold if I was wearing gloves. I tried to explain to him that they are a fashion accessory but I’m not sure he understood. He’s a man and a muggle, what did I expect?

I’m already plotting my next pair!

Hi! How are you today? Did you have a nice weekend? I had a very relaxing weekend and after the whirlwind of Rhinebeck it was just what the doctor ordered.

Friday night Dale and I had a “date night” that basically consisted of dinner at home (tenderloin, mmm) and listening to music. And Saturday we spent some time together and then Dale had to go away over night for a band job. I had the evening to myself, my knitting, and the Red Sox, along with some clay pot shrimp curry.

But truly the best part of my weekend was yesterday. I woke up early and rested and decided to have coffee and read in bed. I settled in with Laurie Perry’s new book, Drunk, Divorced and Covered in Cat Hair and before I knew it I had finished 3 cups of coffee and the book. Yes, I read the book cover to cover in one sitting – it’s that good.

Not quite ready to give up the comfiest spot in the house, I grabbed the knitting and slipped a movie into the DVD player. Catch and Release isn’t bad although I don’t think it’s about to win any awards. It was a great part of my morning, however.

Before I knew it Dale was home and we decided to take advantage of the beautiful fall day by taking the dog for a walk. It felt great to be outside in the crisp air and I even got to wear my Peace Fleece Everyday Cardigan for the first time this season.

We ended the day with a terrific local dinner of fresh striper, caught by Dale’s brother Randy, and steamed potatoes and beets from our CSA.

And, oh yeah, the Red Sox won the World Series.

It was a great day.

I love these bright green leaves and their brown edges, don’t you? Have a wonderful weekend!

I heard a story at knitting group the other day that I want to share with you guys. It’s a friend-of-a-friend story so I don’t know if it’s true or not, but it’s interesting.

A flight attendant was attending an annual training seminar last year and, being a knitter, she brought her knitting to the training. She proceeded to knit throughout this training. Other attendees were distracted by the knitting and they complained to the powers-that-be. The knitter was asked to stop knitting but she continued to knit in spite of this request.

Last week this same knitter attended this year’s training seminar. She pulled out her knitting once again and knitted through the entire program. She was subsequently fired.

Discuss.

There was one thing I did at Rhinebeck that had absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with knitting or spinning.

First, a little background information.

I’m not ashamed to admit that I have watched soap operas my whole life. As a kid, teenager and young adult it was always Days of our Lives but when they did the storyline about Marlena being possessed by the devil, well, that was just a bit far fetched even for me. Then, ten years ago, my stepdaughter, Jessica, got me hooked on As the World Turns and I’ve been watching it ever since.

So, as a long time fan of the show, I was thrilled when Norma announced that her daughter’s boyfriend, Ryan Serhant, was a finalist on InTurn and I was happy to vote for him. I was overjoyed when he won the part on ATWT and I had a sort-of-personal-but-not-really-personal connection to the show.

And then on Saturday night, thanks to Norma and Sandy, I met Ryan.

I am happy to tell you that he’s a wonderful guy. Friendly and personable and polite, handsome (oh yes) and tall and cute-as-a-button. And Norma’s daughter, Abigail, is a sweetheart. We all chatted for a bit about stuff but the best part for me was talking about the show and Ryan’s experiences and who he has worked with and what his storyline will be like. It was just so exciting for me to meet someone who is now working with the people I watch every day, you know?

I’m usually pretty cool but I think I may have been just a teeny bit star struck.

There are lots of wonderful things about the New York Sheep & Wool Festival.

The fairgrounds are lovely.

The fiber is plentiful.

And the food is delicious. I ate my spring rolls and artichokes before I even thought of taking a photo but at least I got a picture of the all-important beer booth.

You know what I’m going to say next, don’t you? The truly wonderful thing about this festival is the friends I see there. There were many, many at the Blogger Meet Up but I only have one picture to show of that.

Rachael and I. I was so thrilled to finally meet her. We hugged and laughed and then I pointed her in the direction of the beer both.

And there were friends at the booths, too. Like Dave who was getting help in his booth from Judy.

I feel really lucky to have had so many of my friends gathered in my hotel room — shared with Blogless Sharon and Susan, the worlds most perfect roommates — on Saturday night.

Cheryl did some modeling for us. We are her posse, you know.

And Laurie and Lorrie were all smiles.

There was laughter. Lots and lots of laughter, as demonstrated here by Manise, Cheryl and Susan.

And hugging. Happily demonstrated by Manise (boy, she got in every photo!), Di and Kathy.

There were many other wonderful friends in my room that night who didn’t get photographed. Lucia and Ruth, Chris, and Martha were there, as was Kellee and Kate Gilbert and Julia and Michelle with her entourage of New Yorkers. Kim and Terry, Stitchy and Maryse, Judy with her sister Linda, and Cindy, just to mention a few. There was also pizza and beer, and the Red Sox and we all got to try Kim’s new wheel. It was a really fabulous night.

Now I am home and it’s over for another year. It just makes me wonder, how long ’til SPA?

Rhinebeck was wonderful but I need today to unpack and catch up a bit. Come back tomorrow (please) and I’ll tell you all about it.

Flags at King Richard’s Faire.

This weekend I will be at a different sort of fair, a sheep and wool fair. This is, of course, my favorite type of fair. And I’ll be there with some of my favorite people. Squeee!

The never-ending, long-suffering Corrugater Scarf is finally finished and I love it. To refresh your memory, it’s my own handspun from Crown Mountain Farms Sock Hop Roving. While it was originally going to be socks, I’m not at all disappointed that it has become a scarf instead.

Can I just say, though? This thing took forever and a day. Never again will I knit a scarf on size 3 needles. Never.

On the positive side, the length is perfect and it’s soft and squooshy and I can wrap it around my neck and my face.

The obligatory reflection-in-the-bathroom-mirror shot.

And the also obligatory outside-and-I-hope-the-neighbors-don’t-see-me shot.

Both photos presented as a visual aid for those of you playing Rhinebeck Blogger Bingo. I’m a square, doncha know. I hear it’ll probably be too warm for this scarf and it may be rainy so I’ll be wearing a green rain jacket with a bingo button (courtesy of Norma) and I’ll be carrying a big-ass L.L. Bean bag filled with fiber.

Be there or be square.