Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Late September

Since there's no hope to make this a cohesive post, I'm going to jump in with both feet:
Isn't this the most beautiful sock wool you've ever seen?  It's Biscotte and Cie's Boréale.  If you look close enough, it has a thin thread of metallic fibre called Stellina spun together with the merino.  Yum.  I have no clue if this wool is going to be a pair of socks or a shawl.  Yes.  It screams "impulse purchase".  And yes.  I purchased two skeins.
Like a moth to a flame, it's more Stellina!  Juno Fibre Arts Sirius Lace in colour Oyster.  874 yards of extra fine Merino combined with silk and Stellina.  This one I have plans for - the Holey Square Shawl by Marianne Sigg.

Both of these yarns came from the Twist Fibre Festival in Saint-André-Avellin, Québec.  We're marking the calendar for next year's festival.

Oh look!  A sunset!
And yet another sunset!
That's one of the things I love about this time of year.  The glorious, clear skies.  We can see upstate New York, right over there.  (Seriously, it's 30 miles to the south of us, really not that far!)

Getting back to wooly matters, the Viajante I spent nearly two weeks knitting, was frogged:
After bashing off two full skeins, I decided this wool could have a better vocation.  Joji Locatelli published her newest design, Boxy and Buttony, and the deal was sealed.  Here's my progress, after nearly 4 weeks' worth of re-knitting:
This sweater is knit in one piece from the top down.  I'm nearly done with the body and still need to knit the sleeves and finish the neckline.  The end is in sight for this project.

And speaking of end in sight, I finally finished my Scarfigan.  This wool has been to knitting hell and back, having been knit and now re-knit:
I finally put this scarf out of its misery at nearly 76" in length.  I washed and blocked it on the weekend, and finally added the fringe last night.  It's beautiful, it's warm, and it looks like a million dollars.  Joseph Galler's Peruvian Tweed in colour 113, if you need the salient details.  Pictures don't do justice to the three plies of wool.  This might be the softest yarn I have ever knit with, and re-knitting it wasn't even such a chore.  That of course can be said now that the project is finished.  There will be more Joseph Galler in my future.

Because I'm a spineless, guileless wool-hoarder, I came home with more yarn last week:
Mirasol's Miski, 100% baby llama, a first for this knitter.  (Did I just say Peruvian Tweed was the softest yarn I've ever knit with?  It might be a tie for first place).  In my defense, this project is nearly completed.  I've already knit 2 skeins and will probably cast-off this project tomorrow.  It's Evelyn by Wei S. Leong, another free Ravelry pattern.  There was a sample cowl knit up in my local yarn store, and it was totally wearable.  Perfect for taking the chill off a cold morning.  I hate nothing more than a cold neck and cold feet, which is why I had to buy more sock yarn, too:
My new purple driving mocs needed matching socks.  At least that's my reasoning and I'm sticking to it.  Buying Rowan will never, ever be a chore.  I've heard amazing things about Fine Art, and can't wait to get this pair of socks in the works.

As the days get markedly shorter, and the nights get colder, my needles are suddenly in over-drive.  Like a squirrel stashing away acorns, I'm busy warding off the cold with more wool...

6 comments:

Miriam said...

Oh, I wish you lived next door! But reading your knitting posts is almost as good - almost! You are such a prolific knitter - when do you knit in your day?

I have been away from home for three weeks (hence the late reading of your post) under somewhat strange circumstances which have meant lots and lots (and lots) of time to sit and knit, so I have been making socks, which is the latest skill I have learned! I can now do them in my sleep, I think...

Shim Farm said...

Ha! That is great Miriam! So happy you are knitting socks. It is so addictive, isn't it? I haven't cracked open that skein of Rowan Fine Art yet, but it won't be long. I'm already ruminating details: toe up, short-row heel, twisted rib...

I don't feel like a prolific knitter, especially when I look at my ever-increasing stash. We all have our weaknesses, I guess. Wool-hoarding is one of mine. I knit whenever I get the chance to sit down for a bit, mainly in the evenings. No TV makes way for some optimum knitting hours LOL.

Hope everyone in your family is well, considering your extended absence.

Come mid-January, I'll be wishing I lived next door, too! Right now, it's just beautiful outside. Perfect weather, sunny and warm, with crispy leaves underfoot, green, green grass and wonderful skies. Hope it's the same on beautiful Van Isle!

Anonymous said...

It's sad that you frogged Viajante but your Boxy and Buttony is going to be gorgeous! I seriously love this grey. And, I LOVE the Holey Square Shawl; it's going to be fabulous with the Juno lace. I was at my yarn shop last weekend and they had a lovely new shipment of Juno; it's fairly irresistible.

Shim Farm said...

Hi Kelly: I still plan on making the Viajante, but with lace-weight as per the pattern. I really enjoy knitting with the Madtosh, and LOVE the colour. One of Boxy's sleeves has been started, now, just to find the motivation to keep going!

Against better judgement, I cast on Soumak. Of course, it is just as I suspected. Cooking and housework be damned - all I want is that gorgeous wool between my fingers!

Robin said...

Hahahaaa. You and my next door neighbor would get on swingingly. She is a wool hoarder too and is always knitting something. When she goes into the wool store I think that ladies there get very happy. :) She just went up to a fiber festival a few weeks ago. I need to ask her how the spinning is going as she got spinner for her bday last year. Maybe that will be your next hobby, spinning gorgeous wool and then making something exquisite. I guess to truly go full circle you may just need a sheep... :D

Shim Farm said...

Robin, it's a brutal hobby. I'm really not much of a shopper - I find the whole process tiresome and boring, but wool? That's a whole other story LOL. I *really* shouldn't buy more, but then I fondle some nice stuff, and boom, I'm down for the count.

Believe it or not, I actually have a spinning wheel! Mind you, I've never spun with it, and probably never will, mainly because I know what's good for me LOL. I'd become a roving(unspun wool) hoarder, in all likelihood.

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