Pre-Winter

As soon as the weather changes from cool to cold, it's my signal to start knitting gifts.  It doesn't mean I'll get to it, but it automatically goes on the list of things to do.  This year everyone is getting one knitted gift each and if there's any time left over (there never is), then someone new gets added to the list.

When I wake up tomorrow morning, I get to turn my clock back one hour which should equate to an extra hour of knitting, but it actually means an extra hour for laundry, dishes or whatever.  Enough about housework, especially since I'm still recovering from the back yard clean up.  Ten bags of leaves and a mountain of tree branches!

This is what the sky looked like when I started cleaning up:

I was begging the clouds to hold their water until I at least got through the top layer of of leaves, and they complied - mercifully.  As I worked, it got colder and darker and I went in because the clouds just looked so much darker and more angry:

Fearing a snowstorm was approaching, I went inside to start dinner and knit.

Miss Mary's socks are done.  I had to make a couple of modifications though.  Since Mary is short,  I made the leg of her socks with 2 repeats instead of three, and instead of the round toe bind off, I made a regular toe bind off.

They came out really cute, and since this is my third time making these socks I think I have it down to a science now.  I used Karabella Aurora 4 in lilac and US #2 needles.  These socks look all right.

Since I was feeling so ambitious, as soon as the socks were done I cast on again.  I found this yarn that I bought from Seaport Yarn.  It's Plymouth Yarns, Baby Alpaca Ampato and I bought two skeins of it because it's only 128 yards.  I had no idea what I was going to make with it.  This yarn has been in my stash for about a year.

There are very few yarns I like in worsted weight, but this yarn is so soft I couldn't resist.  So now I'm making the Shawl Collared Cowl from Never Not Knitting.  Tracey made this cowl a while back, and she asked me to block it for her - that's when I fell in love.  I finally broke down and bought the pattern while at Rhinebeck this year.

I cast on this project this evening and I'm halfway done.  It's very well written, a fast knit and it's pretty too.  Looks like someone is going to have a warm neck this winter, and then I  might make one for myself.

OK, so I'm going to finish this cowl and move on to the next thing.  You know, strike while the knitting needles are hot.

Oh!  And one more thing.  Look who's holding her own!

So cute!