Hats!

I have been waiting to share with you a couple of fantastic hats that I test knit for Irish Girlie Knits.  Now that they have both been released, I'm going to gush about them!

First, let me show you Dear Baby Francis.  So, so sweet!  This is a beautifully cabled and ribbed hat that will be fantastic for a special baby boy.  My niece is expecting baby #2 in early January, and this adorable hat will be going into the mail soon for her sweet boy.  The pattern is written for 3-6 months, and 6-9 months sizes, and uses either fingering or sport weight yarn. I knit my sample with Bugga and the color is Long Horned Beetle.  The pattern also has matching socks!  This is a quick knit too.  I made the hat in two evenings while watching TV.

The second hat I knit for Carrie is Fine Fella.  It is the adult version of Dear Baby Francis and a companion piece to the Uncle Frank socks.  This hat has the same rich cables and ribbing design as the baby hat.  I used Madelinetosh Tosh Vintage in the color Tern for my test knit.  It's a wonderful yarn and has a very full body to it.  This will be a wonderfully warm hat!

I love how the crown decreases are worked.  The top of the hat is a gorgeous design by itself, and I have to say that my pictures don't do it justice!

If you love this hat and want to add it to your library, Carrie is offering it at a reduced price until Monday October 17.  I'll be camped out on my computer today at Noon eastern time for the Plucky Knitter update hoping to score some Primo worsted for another one.  And maybe some MCN aran too for a Comfort Food cowl.  It just might be a IGK/Plucky Christmas for my family this year!

Ten on Tuesday

 

10 Things I did this Weekend

This week Carole  asked us to list 10 things we did over the weekend.  I tried to get away with the notion that it's a Holiday Weekend, YAY!, therefore I should do NOTHING!  It didn't really work out for me though :-)  So here are a few of the things I did, in no particular order....

1. Played with the dogs.  I actually do this pretty much every day, but on the weekends I generally do get a little help from the rest of the family.
2. Took Chandler driving
3. Took Chandler to hockey practice/scrimmage
4. Supervised a teenaged boy sleepover
5. Watched Easy A
6. Watched University of Alabama beat the living daylights out of Vanderbilt.  Roll Tide!
7. Put most of my garden to bed for winter
8. Went to the Chili and Chowder Cook-off that's held every year in my town.  Congrats to my next door neighbor Jim for winning this year!
9. Grilled steaks for dinner Sunday night
10. Made Birthday Cookies for the kidlet next door.  She may be 15 now, but she's still my favorite Cookie Monster :-)

I hope you all had a great weekend too!

Fall Foliage - part 1

I live in NH and I have heard many times that the foliage here has a brilliance that is not matched anywhere else in the country, perhaps even the world.  I find that hard to believe, but I really don't know for sure.  Therefore I thought it might be fun to share some pictures here on the old blog for my friends around the country, and world, to enjoy.

The color is really just starting now, and it is considered "early" by the local meteorolgist.  I'm going to share some pictures from different days over the next couple weeks so you can all see how it changes.  Enjoy!

This is the view from my deck right now.  Sucks to be me, huh? :-)

I can never remember what this bush is called, but it gives the most vibrant red every year.  It's part of a landscape fence between my yard and my neighbor's yard.

I am the first lot in a cove and this is looking into the cove.  There was a loon family that nested in here last summer.

This is from my waterfront looking out over the main lake.

There are a couple small islands in front of my house as well.  This is the view between the islands.

Somebody asked me this weekend if I live on the lake year round.  Yes.  Yes I do.  I'm so glad I don't miss this incredible beauty anymore.  I'll post some more pictures later in the week so you can enjoy the change with me!

Flowers in a Meadow

I've finished another pair of socks for Cookie A's Knit. Sock. Love. book.  Twisted Flower was the pattern in August for the KSL group on Ravelry.  This pattern looks much harder than it actually is.  It does however have a number of twisted stitches mixed in and the heel flap is patterned with action happening on both the right and wrong side.  I really needed to make use of my post-it notes so that I didn't lose my place in the design. 

Here are the details:
Pattern: Twisted Flower by Cookie A
Yarn: Hazel Knits Artisan Sock
Color: Meadow
Needle: 2.5mm

The pattern for September is In and Out, and yes, I didn't cast on September 30th, the last possible day to play in the KAL.  I have until October 31 to get them finished.