Boo! Back Again with a Few Finishes ~

Once again I've been slow to post, but this time I have an excuse: we were gone for ten days.  Now it's definitely fall and almost Halloween.  The big leaf maples are losing their leaves, and it's fun to search for a really big one. We found this one on our walk yesterday.

I have finished several projects though. Before we left, I completed this shawl and am pleased with the way it turned out. It's a fun, free pattern, and I love the Madelinetosh yarn color "Yoko". 

While we were away, we visited a friend who just became a great-grandma.  I made some booties for the baby girl and then decided to try a new bonnet pattern.  I used some self striping fingering yarn and was intrigued with how the yarn patterned on the back. However, next time I'd omit the lace part as it's not very visible with this kind of yarn.

This bootie pattern has become my "go to" for a quick and fun baby gift.  It's always a bit dicey though with one ball of angora yarn; lately I've begun to wonder whether it's really the amount listed on the ball band.

My sweet grand daughter requested a sparkly sweater, and here she is wearing the result. It's an interesting knitting pattern that includes a bit of crochet. I'd like to try it again with the recommended yarn.

That's enough for this post since it's almost dinner time.  More to share soon.  Have a Happy Halloween!

Happy Socktober!

Wow!  Somehow September escaped with hardly any posts from me.  I will try to do better this month but am not making any promises. I've been diligently working on a few projects with a deadline, but I did manage to finally complete two UFOs.  I finished two pair of socks that didn't get posted then, but isn't Socktober a good time to do so?

The cross-overs in this pattern drove me nuts.  You can see the fronts of the socks on the pattern page, and if anyone has any tips on the cross-over, I'd love to hear them!  I really love the Cascade Heritage yarn in this color.

I finished these with yarn that was supposed to make a matching pair. It came pretty close, but what interested me was the way the pattern (Solar) affected the stripes.  I am tempted to try again with a different stripey yarn to see if the same thing happens, but since there are other things waiting in the wings, I will try to be good and refrain.

This cute little guy is wearing the angora booties made just for him!

Recently we went to the Issaquah Farmers' Market and tried "marbling" at my friend Debbie's booth. It was really fun, and the finished scarf was sent off to our daughter in Chicago for her birthday.  I haven't heard whether she likes it, but  If you ever get a chance to try this process, do it!  You can see more pictures at Marmo Silks on Facebook.

On the home front these two were in our backyard at 8:30 AM last week. If you look closely, you can see the pale-colored deer's little horns. They didn't stick around long though.

These two continue their Peanut Wars, and both put on a pretty convincing act. My friend Becca was able to catch Squirrely's plea. (Not only is she a good photographer, she also crochets beautiful things!)  Did you know that the blue jays can swallow a peanut, shell and all, without choking? It's amazing to witness!

Have a great week!