Snippets

Look what I saw on Sunday. One of the pumpkin hats I knitted being worn by a sweet baby boy. It made my day!

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I inherited this ball of yarn from my mother-in-law's stash. It is a two-ply wool that I think will work well for a shawl. I didn't know how much yardage there was though, so I used the kniddy noddy to guesstimate and wound it into center pull cakes.



There is close to 1000 yards--enough for most shawls. I had Flower Basket Shawl in mind, thinking I had the pattern, but I don't. Guess I'll have to buy it.

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I knitted two headbands. I'll keep one in the jeep and one in the truck. That way I'll always have something with me to keep my ears warm--no more improvising. The patterns I used are Super Simple Knit Headband and You Stole My Heart Band (minus the beads). The yarn is Mountain Colors. The colorways are a mystery to me as they were mill ends and were not labeled. I used two strands held together and size US 8 (5 mm) needles.

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Several weeks ago we were treated to a beautiful rainbow after a light shower. The picture got left in the camera and I forgot all about it until now.

May God give you...For every storm a rainbow, for every tear a smile, for every care a promise and a blessing in each trial. For every problem life sends, a faithful friend to share, for every sigh a sweet song and and answer for each prayer.
~ Irish Blessing

Gone Coastal

It must be Monday, because there's a picture of a sock at the beach on my blog. The second of the pair is very close to being finished.


Socks at Sunset

Matagorda Beach is a little different each week we go there. This week the sand was very soft and I'm sure we would have gotten stuck driving on it if we hadn't been in our new-to-us Jeep Liberty 4x4.


Dunes Reflected

The weather was gorgeous! It was cooler than last week, but still warm enough for shorts.


Shell Seeker

The only problem was that my ears began to ache from the cool breeze blowing across them. I hadn't brought a warm hat with me so I took a pair of clean wool hiking socks I had in my bag and used them as earmuffs. Now, isn't that attractive?


Function Over Fashion

I think it's time to knit some headbands just for the beach!

Playing With Yarn

It took a full day of playing with yarn to come up with a pattern to use with some of the Brooks Farm Yarn that I showed you last time. There was lots of searching and swatching, a false start with a pattern that didn't work and then a light bulb moment when I remembered My So Called Scarf.



I've have always wanted to make this scarf. In fact, it was one of the first patterns I ever printed out when I learned to knit. I've seen it all over Blogland, but not recently which is probably why I didn't think of it right away. The stitch pattern is not reversible, but the back looks nice and neat.



BFY Fourplay (color: boots) knits to a different gauge than the recommended Manos del Uruguay. I started out using size US 11 (8 mm) needles, but the stitches were loose and sloppy. Dropping down to a US 10.5 (6.5mm) and adding four stitches gave me the look I was going for.



I love it when yarn and pattern come together so perfectly!

Sweater Weather

The first real cold front of the season arrived on Monday. Temperatures went from the 80s to the 50s in a matter of minutes. At first I thought it might be a blue norther that Texas is famous for, but rain, wind and dreary weather lingered all day so it can't officially be called that.



The sudden change in the weather reminded me that the Kid 'n Ewe fiber festival in Boerne, Texas is just around the corner (Nov. 9-11). This will be my third year to go. It's a nice little festival, so make plans to attend if you're in the area. Everything is set up in three big exhibition buildings at the Kendall County Fairgrounds, so no matter the weather, the show will go on.

One of my favorite vendors at this festival is Brooks Farm Yarn.



As you can see, I've collected quite a bit of their yarn.


500 yards of Harmony (55% Mohair, 22.5% Wool, 22.5% Silk)


540 yards of Four Play (50% Fine Wool, 50% Silk)
1000 yards of Duet (55% Kid Mohair, 45% Fine Wool)
1500 yards of Primero (100% Kid Mohair)

I bought most of it without a specific project in mind, so it has sat in the stash unused. What a waste! I've decided to make it my mission to find patterns that will work well with these yarns and get busy knitting. How can I justify buying more until I use what I have? I may have to skip the Brooks Farm booth this year unless, of course, they have their sock yarn with them.

A Perfect Fall Day

High temperature in the mid-80s, low humidity, lots of sunshine and not a cloud in sight made for a perfect fall day at the beach.



We rented a 4x4 this time. Didn't want to get stuck again and we wanted to try it out to see if it would be worth buying one. It's worth it!



We drove farther down Matagorda Beach than we've ever been: 10 miles, which is about half the length. The beach narrows some here and shells have collected over time to form a bank that is raised several feet above the shoreline.



There are so many shells to comb through that it's a bit overwhelming.



I found it easier to spot a good find down by the water where the shells are still plentiful, but not piled up on each other. It's always a thrill to find a sundial freshly washed ashore.



An article in Texas Highways magazine (June 2007) says that eagle-eyed beachcombers may spot Civil War or Spanish shipwreck artifacts among the shells and driftwood on Matagorda Beach. I didn't find anything like that, but I had a great time looking.

Before we left the beach I had a special picture to take. Several curious people stopped their vehicles to check out what I was photographing. When they saw what it was they drove away, no questions asked. They are probably still scratching their heads wondering why I was taking a picture of a sock.


Mama Llama Original Sock Yarn in Blue Jeans Color

Four Hats, One Yarn

My knitting needed a boost this week and I could think of no better way to accomplish this than to knit for the little babies. There's a special feeling that comes from knitting for someone you will never meet, especially if that someone is a tiny preemie in need of a warm hat. All of these hats are size 1-3 pounds and will be donated to TPP Michigan.

I decided to use only one yarn (Red Heart TLC Baby) in one color (New Mint Sparkle) and one needle size (US 5). The challenge was to make each hat a different style. It turned into a game of sorts which added to the fun. I came up with four different hats this time, but I still have lots of yarn left so I may continue the challenge another day.

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The first hat is a basic rolled brim worked in the round on 48 stitches. Here is a great pattern to get you started. I threw in a couple of purl rounds to add interest and worked the decreases differently. It's very easy to make this hat your own. Get creative with it.

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This one is called Lacy Hat. I worked it flat on 54 stitches, repeating the four row stitch pattern six times.

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It's been a long time since I've knitted a ribbed hat. They are great for preemies because they stretch to fit a variety of sizes and fit well every time. This 2x2 rib is worked in the round on 56 stitches. I didn't use a pattern, but you might like to try Bev's Baby Ribs Hat.

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I did use a pattern for this one. It's Preemie Twinkle Hat. I knitted it in the round on 48 stitches, repeating the eight row stitch pattern three times. It was only when I was finished that I realized from the pattern picture that it was intended to be knitted flat. It was supposed to be garter stitch with an eyelet pattern instead of stockinette stitch with an eyelet pattern. Oh well, I'll try it that way next time.

Fall Break

It was a real treat to have both of our children home for a visit at the same time!

Robyn arrived on Thursday night. Her husband, James, was not able to come because of work and we missed him very much.

On Friday we decided to go for a walk at Brazos Bend State Park. We didn't get very far down the trail before we were stopped by the growl of a mama alligator defending her babies. The growl sounds a little bit like a tiger. Very frightening! Robyn and I stayed way back, but John got close enough for pictures. Check out this short video he made. It includes a recording of an alligator growl he found on the Internet.

Matt and his girlfriend, Carly, arrived late on Friday night. It was her first visit to Needville and we were very excited to welcome her to our home.

After lunch on Saturday we went to Matagorda Beach. The weather were perfect and we all had a great time there.

Robyn searched for shells.



And Matt and Carly had fun with creative photography.



There was an attempt at kite flying, but I don't think the kites we had were designed well for strong wind.



On the way out, our truck got stuck in the sand. Luckily we were rescued by the Texas A&M Surf Club. A big group of them helped push us out. Time to think about getting a 4x4.

It was wonderful to have everyone together at church on Sunday. My sister even drove over to be with us. Later that afternoon Robyn had to go home. We hated to say goodbye.

On Monday we drove into Houston to show Carly some of the city. This is the Williams Tower where John works.



Opposite the tower is the Water Wall. It's a very popular spot to take pictures.





Later in the afternoon, we went to Brazos Bend. We did not see the mama alligator this time, but we noticed there was a barrier erected where we had seen her on Friday and warning sign posted. We saw lots of other gators though. So many, in fact, that we lost count.



It's very quiet in the house now that everyone has gone. It's just the two of us again.



As for knitting, there was opportunity to work on the sock now and then. Here's how it looked on Saturday.



And here's how it looked yesterday right after Matt and Carly left to go back to OC.



The design of the shell I found reminded me of the ribbing in this sock.

October

007 Snap a Dozen Days


Sunset at Matagorda Beach

October is a great month to be outdoors. It is still warm here, but not oppressively hot--just perfect for a day at the beach. The sunsets are especially nice this time of year. I hope to experience this sight many more times this month right from this very spot.

Gotta run. The kids are still here and we have things to do. More about our weekend later this week

Not a Monkey

I planned on knitting Monkey Socks with this yarn, but these stripes needed something less distracting than a lace stitch pattern to show off their beauty. I think they really shine in this 3x1 rib. And right now a simple pattern that I can knit in my sleep really works out better for me. I need a "don't have to think about it" project for the end of the day and this is it.

I'll have to buy a variegated yarn to knit a pair of Monkeys since I don't seem to have any in my stash. For those of you who have knit a pair (or multiple pairs), which yarn would you recommend? Has anyone used a solid color before? I do have some of that stashed away.

Have a great weekend! Our kids will be home for a few days, so we're planning on having lots of fun--no housework allowed.

The State of Things

I'm happy to report that housecleaning continues. One more room to go before the carpet cleaner comes tomorrow. This housecleaning I refer to is not the average dust and vacuum kind of thing, but the type of cleaning that requires trips to the donation center and leaves you exhausted (in a good way) at the end of the day. But, not so exhausted that you can't knit a stitch or two.

I've been working on a couple of hats for TPP Michigan. A nice simple pattern that can be finished in less than two hours is just what I needed at the end of a very busy day.



Pattern: Rolled-Brim Preemie Hat
Yarn: Bernat Cotton Tots
Colors: Jelly Belly and Easter Parade
Needles: US 7
Size: 3-5 lbs

And here's another cute hat I finished some time ago, but never blogged about.



Pattern: Noedel
Yarn: Lion Brand Cotton-Ease
Color: Ice Blue
Needles: US 7
Size: 3-5 lbs

I haven't done as much knitting for charity this year because of all the travel. It feels good to get back to it. I know I cannot maintain the pace I set the last couple of years (that's how the house ended up in such a mess), but I can knit a hat occasionally. The trick is to keep everything in balance. So far, so good.

Sock and Shore

Sock debuts at Surfside.

Recognize the twisted rib cuff? It's the start of the very popular Monkey. So many people have raved about this pattern that I knew I would have to try it eventually. I may even knit it just as it's written and forgo my favorite short-row heels and toes. I'll decide when I get to that point. The yarn is Mama Llama's Original Sock in the Blue Jeans colorway.

After working very hard in the house on Friday and part of Saturday, I took my own advice to get out and enjoy God's beautiful creation. John and I drove to Surfside Beach, but realized right away that this was not the beach for us. The water looked good for fishing, but there were no shells and too many people--not what we were hoping for.

The only thing to do was change our plans and go to Matagorda Beach. I don't think we'll go anywhere else from now on. This is our favorite place and we appreciate it more each time we are there.

I saw some different things at Matagorda this trip. Not sure what this contraption is called, but it seats two and they sure did have fun flying around in it.




Hang on!

This was also the first time I've seen a horse on this beach.


Do horseshoes rust in salt water?

However, it was not the first time to see the colors of the sunset light up the shore. It's something I will never grow tired of watching.



We're planning to go back to Matagorda next weekend. You're not surprised, are you?

Pair #18

Fresh off the needles...or maybe not so fresh?



I don't know why the dogs had to sniff my new socks. My feet were not stinky. I promise.



Plain O' Stockinette Socks
Online Supersocke Cotton
45% Cotton, 40% Wool, 15% Nylon
Beach 946
Short-row heels and toes
US 1 on 64 stitches

And since I already had my feet propped up, I stayed outside just a bit longer to take in the Hummingbird Show. (Click the next two for bigger.)

At times it was dramatic.



And at other times, comical.



The best entertainment is sometimes right in your own backyard!

Get outside this weekend and enjoy what God has created (even if it's raining). You'll be glad you did.

Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!
--Psalm 46:10