Gearing Up

Expect the Unexpected

So, I accidentally ( I swear!) started a fight this morning on Facebook.  It was sort of like one of those “and then the fight started” jokes.

Long before I was an aspiring homesteader I had an interest in herbs.  I have done a bit of studying on the subject on and off and have used herbal teas for myself and my family.  If I find myself with some extra time someday I would like to take a full out class on the subject.  Connected with this topic I love the idea of wild foraging useful herbs and plants, but naturally, I want to make sure I know what I’m doing.  We’ve all heard the scary stories.

So I joined a Facebook group on wild edibles just to read and learn.  Today,  I came across this picture and posted to the group:

 

And then the fight started.

Sheesh, I’m finding that there are those to take their mycology VERY seriously.  Well, at least I learned a new word today (mycology in this case, rather than a more colorful word considering the heated discussion).

I posted it an hour ago and it is still going strong

I think I’d like to return to talk of fiber and knitting and crafting and chickens and things that (knock on wood) will hopefully be safe and enjoyable topics of discussion.

 

Gathering Supplies and Making Plans

The holidays are upon us.  Every year, I start a little earlier to prepare for the gift giving at the end of the year.  This has helped reduce stress as they approach since I genuinely enjoy giving handmade gifts but, of course, these things take time and I hate deadlines.  And while I’m making progress, I still have those last minute items I’m hurrying to complete.  This year is no exception.

Last week, my grandson made sure to tell me that his teacher’s favorite color is purple.  “Oh really?” I replied casually, “It’s my favorite color too”.  He looked at me and said, “…because you make my teacher something every year for Christmas?”

OH! Riiiiiiiight! Somehow, this year it had completely slipped my mind.  In fact, he informed me of this because last year I gave him the specific mission of finding out the favorite color of his teacher.

So, I did a bit of research for a nice but quick gift to knit up and have settled on Traveling Cable Hand Warmers. I looked through my own stash of hand-dyed yarn and decided that my Freaking in a Purple Haze colorway would be a good choice.

Although the color itself is working up beautifully, I’m considering another yarn for this particular project.  The pattern I’m using calls for sock weight yarn and that’s what this colorway is dyed on, but it doesn’t have the thick, cozy feel I think a hand warmer should have.  I think I’m going to visit my local yarn shop tomorrow and see if they have something suitable in a DK weight.

Another adjustment I’m going to make is to lengthen the cuff on the pattern.  I really dislike having any small gap between the end of the coat sleeve and the beginning of the cuff on the mitt for the cold air to find and I consider the cuff in the original pattern too short for my taste.

Next up, one young lady in my life let it be known that some new socks to add to her collection would make her happy, and since this seems to be the “in” color these days, also mentioned that some purple would be nice.

I’ve used Loops and Threads brand of Perfect Pair sock yarn before and I really like it, although I’m mostly inclined to use wool and other natural fibers.  This is a blend that includes bamboo which gives it a very nice feel.  I already had a skein of their self-striping yarn that has a fair amount of purple in it so I split it into two cakes to start a pair of two-at-a-time socks.  

I hope to get them cast on sometime today.  Because of the deadline, I’m working under I’m probably going to choose a fairly basic pattern in order to get it done on time. Also, I don’t want a more intricate stitch to get lost in the changing colors.

AND a long time ago I started on a granny stripe blanket.  Originally this was simply a stash buster project with no particular person in mind.  But when my oldest daughter saw me working on it, she gave me a not-so-subtle hint that this blanket would be nice to have.  After months of working on it, not working on it, ad infinitum I think I can safely say it will be done by the time we are ready for our Holiday celebrations. In fact, if I work on it steadily I can see it being done in the next week.

There are a couple of huge Harry Potter fans in our family, so IF the projects I already have lined up go quickly and I feel I have the time, I may make a couple of quick crocheted throw blankets in the colors of their Hogwarts Houses.  One is in Gryffindor and the other is in Ravenclaw.

I’ll always be Team Knitting, but I admit that for a project that needs to be done quickly, a visit to Team Crochet is a good idea.

I still have every intention of starting the Three Wishes mittens (that I mentioned in Faerie Knitting: A Review ) for myself soon as well.  In fact, as we are now in my birthday month, when I go to the yarn shop tomorrow to look for that DK weight yarn, I might just gift myself something particularly soft for that project rather than just foraging in my stash.

One of the things I love about gearing up for the holiday gift making is I can feel a little freer to splurge on supplies and projects since, well, I really want to give some nice gifts sooooo…

I guess you can say I’m definitely a process knitter because although I enjoy having a nice end product, most of the time I don’t care whether I keep an item or not as long as I get to MAKE something.

As a final word, I want to give Congratulations to Katie from Inside Number 23 on the arrival of her beautiful baby girl. Happy Baby,  Katie and Emrys!

I’d love to hear about the projects you are working on as we approach the end of the year. Please comment and tell us what you are working on.

Peace,

Jamye

P.S. Just checked in on Facebook and I think the fight might be dying down.  One can only hope.

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