Summer Eye Candy

Fresh from the garden – my hibiscus is in full bloom, filled with big, bold flowers.

I managed to get outside on Friday morning before work and take these before this weekend’s rainy and unusually cool weather set in.  Now, I sit in my house, on a late August Saturday afternoon, windows just cracked and curled up in sweats and handknit socks.  At last check, it was only 61.  To think, it was 90 earlier in the week.  Gotta love New England weather.  The rain is not conducive to dyeing, so I’ve spent the day catching up on some other Painted Sheep stuff – namely, paperwork.  Not how I originally intended to spend my day but in the end, it feels good to finally have my books in great shape.  I intend to spend the rest of this day making a big pot of chili and working on Allegoro.  Not such a bad way to spend a Saturday.

W.I.P. Wednesday – August 26

I did it!  I finally finished the back of Allegoro.  I started the front last night, getting through part of the arm hole decreases.  I knit until my hands were stiff and sore from knitting the cotton.  I’m getting desperate to finish it and wear it – at least once.  Its often that way – finishing up a sweater just in the nick of time so that I can enjoy it before putting it away for the season.  Its usually the opposite though, finishing before it gets to warm to wear something.  This is the first sleeveless top I’ve knitted, so my hurry up and finish it timing feels a little off.  My goal is to knit the front this this week, do the crocheted edging and wear it before Labor Day.

I didn’t finish my sock but came close.  I’m a few rows from starting the toe shaping.  I will finish that sock this week too.

I’m looking forward to a very full weekend of dyeing.  The weather is finally going to change after today – the heat and humidity clearing out.  The next couple of days look to be beautiful.  I’m anxious to get into the dye studio and work on the 10 pounds of BFL roving that I have to dye up.  We’ll see how much of that I can get through this weekend.

I still have a bunch of skeins of Painted Sock Too to reskein and list – hoping to do that Thursday and Friday night.  I’ll post once they’re up in the shop.

Happy Wednesday!

Ten on Tuesday

There’s no “official” 10 on Tuesday topic this week, so I’m going with my own.

10 Reasons I Can’t Wait for Fall:

1. Dry, cool, sunny days – its been hot and humid for a couple of weeks.  While we haven’t had a bad summer by any stretch, I’m ready for fall’s delightfully dry, cool weather.
2. Chilly mornings – I love those mornings when I go out to grab my paper, see my breath and pull my robe a little tighter around me.  Delightful!
3. Wearing hand knit socks for the first time – I’ll have 3 new pairs by the time fall comes around.
4. Fiber Twist at CRFM – this event has become the kickoff to the fall fiber season for The Painted Sheep.  I can’t wait to set up my booth-ful of yummy fiber and yarn, freshly dyed this summer and to see all the people I’ve missed all summer.
5. October’s Nutmeg Spinner’s Guild meeting – another favorite.
6. Rhinebeck, Franklin County Fiber Twist, New Hampshire’s Wool Arts Tour and Stitches East – between Fiber Twist, Guild and these, I’m going to a festival or event every weekend for 6 weeks straight.   So much fun.  I love fall!
7. The first snow of the season – always magical.
8. Comfort foods – I tend to cook lightly (read: lazily) in the summer, lots of salads and simple meals, since I really don’t want to be in the kitchen.  By the end of summer, I’m always sick of it and ready for something rich, earthy and really satisfying to cook.  Right now, I have the oddest longing to de-glaze something.  It goes along with my desire to knead some dough or roll out a pie crust.   I’m ready to break out my big blue Le Creuset and spend hours in the kitchen making a wonderful, comforting meal.
9. Long days in my dye studio – as the weather cools off and I really gear up for The Painted Sheep’s busy season, I’m guaranteed lots of play time.
10. The colors – I love fall color.  I can’t wait for my Columbus Day weekend romp around New Hampshire for Wool Arts Tour and my drive out to Rhinebeck.  They’re always the prettiest weekends of the year, with the fall foliage in all its glory.

Satisfying

I think I’ve had the most perfect of Sunday mornings.  It started with sleeping in – relatively so, of course.  The cats “allowed” me to sleep until 6:30 (the 10 pm snack, served with a bit of pleading for mercy may have helped).  For me, ideal – early enough to enjoy the morning and still an extra hour  of sleep.  As my coffee brewed in the French press, I went out to grab the paper and was greeted by the most beautiful hibiscus.  Not from the Sweet Caroline, but one of the others, planted earlier and that has not lost its leaves to whatever bug is eating the others.  The blossom was facing the house, which is why I likely didn’t notice it earlier.  Its perfect, bright pink with a yellow stamen – what a lovely morning greeting from my garden.  While its still warm and muggy outside, I read my paper and drank my coffee curled up in my arm chair, covered in a blanket and Thumper and Gizmo (Tigger was snoring on the other side of the room).  I’m feeling spoiled by the A/C, knowing I may not have this luxury in my next home.  Paper read, it was on to finishing my silk and cashmere Fetchings.

Heaven in a pair of mitts.   The yarn was so, so, so soft – a blend of 45% cashmere and 55% silk.  It has an amazing hand.  And the color – the picture doesn’t do it justice.  Its deeper, more wine than the picture shows, like warm, rich merlot.  Its a color that makes me yearn for a crisp fall day, a pot of stew on the stove, a loaf of freshly baked bread and a great bottle of wine.   These were a treat to knit.  So quick too – I cast on on Wednesday morning.  Nice to knit up a little something for the first cool days of fall.

If all this wasn’t enough, when the Fetchings were bound off, I picked up Julie and Julia and finally finished it.  What a great read.  If you haven’t yet, read it.  Its delightful – light, witty, oddly hopeful and just fun.  A perfect end to a very satifying Sunday morning.

I’m off to the Farmer’s Market.  Enjoy your day!

Jared Flood at Webs

Thursday was a rare treat – not just an afternoon off, but an afternoon in which I headed up to Northampton and Webs.  Jared Flood, aka Brooklyn Tweed, was giving a talk and book signing to support Made in Brooklyn, his new pattern collection.  What better reason for a summer afternoon off?

It was a great way to spend an afternoon.  I arrived in Northampton with plenty of time wander around downtown, do a little window shopping and grab a bite before going to Webs.  Jared’s talk was outside, as there were about a 100 of us there.  He gave a great talk about his work and his design process, including showing us his amazing photographs that sometimes inspire his designs.  It was really interesting.  His work tends to incorporate a lot of texture.  He showed a lot of pictures that inspired elements of his designs, particularly in architecture.  I think so much about color and what inspires me, it was great to hear about the design side of things and where someone’s ideas come from.  We also got to see the amazing pieces from Made in Brooklyn.  This man is talented!  Such a great collection.  I was in awe of the fact that he designed and knitted all of the original pieces himself in 9 months, while finishing grad school (mind you, I don’t remember eating or sleeping while finishing my degree – never mind designing and knitting 13 pieces).  Following the talk, we were treated to a reception and book signing.  It was a wonderful event.

Of course, an afternoon at Webs is not complete without a bit of shopping.  There were lots of new fall yarns and patterns in, so inspiration abounded.  There are so many wonderful new things out.   I picked up a couple of things.  First was 2 skeins of Sheep Shop Sheep Feet in Spring – I love this colorway. I also picked up  a couple of skeins of Valley Yarns Berkshire Bulky to make a scarf for the Red Scarf Project.  This morning I cast on a Corrugator scarf using this – on size 11 needles, it will be a quick knit.  Of course I picked up Made in Brooklyn. There are several things in the book that I intend to make.  The first will definitely be Quincy – a hat with a fun construction knit in bulky yarn.  At the end of the event, I won a door prize of two skeins of Classic Elite Ariosa to knit it up.  I also picked up yarn to knit Beaumont, a fair isle hat.  There are definitely some fun, quick projects in my future.

I also managed to use a bit of my stash during the event.  I cast on a pair of Fetchings in Elsebeth Lavold Silky Cashmere (purchased at Webs last fall) on Wednesday morning and worked on the first one during the event.  I finished the first one last night and started the second this morning.  I’m thinking I’ll finish the pair tonight.  Another fun quick project…

I’m off to spend the afternoon with friends.  Enjoy your Saturday!

ECF

My Sweet Caroline Hibiscus in bloom.  Unfortunately, something is eating the leaves off of all 3 of my hibiscus plants.  Luckily, this one one continues to put on its full display of bold, beautiful flowers.  Always a favorite!

The Jared Flood event at Webs last night was wonderful – full report coming tomorrow.