it's a wrap!

and here's a quick peek before it gets shipped off to its rightful owner, my newlywed niece, rebecca. happy birthday, becs!! it is the shawl collar vest designed by amanda berka and available free on ravelry - and to quote tom peterson, of portland late night tv fame, "free is a very good price!" becca is a wee bit of a thing so i made the smallest size - if i were to make one for me i would definitely go for something a bit larger. of course, i didn't need to use the closure in the front but i tried it just for kicks! what the heck! the yarn is patons classic wool merino. easy to knit with and needles nicely. i got it on sale and my niece wanted a grey sweater so i killed two birds with one stone!!

but, as usual, the best part is that it is done, done, done!! on to bigger and better things!!

it really is here!

autumn has arrived in all its glory!!

i'm always a tad bit melancholy when i realize that summer has come to an end - ya know, you can just tell when summer is over - there is just something in the air - one day, its summer and then you can just smell fall! it takes me a few weeks to overcome my sadness but then, somewhere around the middle of october, all the wonderful colors of fall foliage break loose and, voila, autumn has arrived!! i love, love, love the colors of fall - the yellows, reds and oranges - i just can't get enough!

as i was out in the garden yesterday taking a few pics, for a fleeting moment, i actually thought that maybe i like fall in the garden better than any other season. i guess that could be heresy in some gardening circles since flowers are generally the rule. for me, its the foliage!!

and what's the tie to knitting? i am currently wrapping up a sweater for my niece's birthday in a nice gray wool (her color choice). i usually love this color but right now i am finding it sooooo boring! my fingers are just twitching to wrap themselves in some wonderful shades of fall but first things, first - i have got to finish this sweater! darn!

meet some of my new friends

these are some of the folks i met at the OFFF the last weekend in september. the bottom young lady is a pygora goat. they were featured at the festival this year because they are known for their fabulous fiber. so cute!!!!! i could see several of these cuties gallivanting around the property! and the bonus would be some great fiber once a year for knitting!
speaking of the OFFF, it was a fabulously fantastic affair! lots of great people and tons of great fibers! i literally shopped until i dropped! i made several trips to the car to lighten my load! met some great knitters and spinners - shared a picnic table with some gals from yakima who had shopped their way to OFFF through the columbia gorge - tough job - they were forced to stop at knot another hat! in hood river (i love it when i am forced to stop there! it is always such a tough assignment[not]). i also joined the blue moon fiber clan for a little knittin' time under the trees!
the weather was wonderful - a perfect in every way oregon autumn day - sunny with just right temperatures! a true "10"! i would recommend that one DEFINITELY mark their calendar NOW for next year's event! it is one not to miss IMHO!

the sock is rockin'

i am on a roll! and it's a good one. i received my latest stash of yarn from blue moon fibers 'rsc' approximately two weeks ago and i have almost completed half of my pair!

wow, this is like some kind of miracle! especially since i have had several other projects on my radar screen as well as the stock market tank and the impending election scare.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DIc8jdra0o - these people have stolen my idea! if team mccain/palin should somehow turn the entire country into a group of zombies and win the election - i have vowed to move to canada! be afraid, be very afraid and be careful of the koolaid you drink - you never really know what kind of tricks those republicans have up their sleeves, especially since they are not knitted ones!

i regret that i haven't had any new pics to post but i haven't had a willing victim to take pictures of my new knits. but i will say that i have had lots of nice complements and that is always a great 'pick me up'.

until next time, keep on knittin' in the free world!! and...vote obama!

what's with the garter?

stitch, that is!
i didn't really realize it but it seems that i've been consumed with it of late!
the last three sweaters i've had or have on my needles all contain varying amounts of this oh, so, humble of stitches! as a matter of fact, one sweater was nothing but!!!
my, oh, my! i must say that it certainly can become boring. row after row of knit, knit, knit!!!
but wait, i find myself looking at a new pattern and what do i see? more and more garter stitch! argh!!!!!

does time fly or does it ravel along?

my heavens, does time fly or what? and it seems to me, it continues to fly, whether or not you're having a good time!
and just what have i been up to?
well, knitting of course and also the activities of daily living - the mundane, trivial tasks that are so necessary - laundry, vacuuming, cooking, cleaning - to maintain a reasonable existence and NOT embarrass the family! God forbid!
enough about the mundane, on to the important stuff! what has and is on multiple sets of needles (i'm in trouble here as it also is beginning to emerge that i have a knitting needle fetish!) - another sock has met it's match! yeah, yippee, happy dance!! one down, still sooooo many to go!; my first big lace shawl is complete, blocked and available for wearing (pictures to follow); two sweaters are approaching completion (ahem, once i obtain more yarn to finish them) and a scarf will soon be seeing the light of day (started last spring and stashed because of warmer weather and cotton yarn!).
and then there is the election and the pathetic attempt by john mccain and the republicans to woo independent hillary backers with sarah palin - as gloria steinem has stated: "the only thing that hillary and sarah share is a chromosome." amen, sister! the whole situation is just disgusting - to think that women, by and large, are that stupid that they would fall for such a twit!!
my heavens, let's get real! that debate was sad and demoralizing - do we really want someone representing us to the world that winks at the camera, avoids the issues, and drops the endings from her words! this is serious business - we don't need a 'comedian wanna be' calling the shots for us! we need someone with demeanor and decorum leading us at this troubled time!
someone who looks and ACTS presidential! go OBAMA/BIDEN!
and that's my two cents worth!