Yikes!  I almost missed my Friday post!  Snag free stitch markers headed your way soon :).

(Daily posting is hard….my hat is off to the grrls who have done this over the year.)

~Rest your dreams on a little twig…~

Ok, so I will admit it, I was very hesitant about sharing this yarn.  Why?  It's incredibly beautiful and very reasonably price and Carol designs some BEEUTIFUL sweaters.  Now why would that be a problem you might ask? 

Well, once the cat is out of the bag, sometimes it's really hard to get what was in that bag, if you know what I mean….(and I know you know what I mean)

…but….because you are my friends and I want only the very best for you all, I will share.

Yesterday this BEEUTIFUL kit arrived on my doorstop from Sunday knits.  The sweater on Carol's home page is called Twisted Vines and this is the kit that I ordered.  The yarn that I ordered is Nirvana…a merino/cashmere blend.  I love Nirvana and I love cashmere, so there was no way I could go wrong, now was there?

I know that there's a NoMo……**~~~ sweater knit along going on for the month of November and I was tempted to join, but I know that I really am too busy to realistically commit to making a sweater in a month, so I will pass and cheer my grrls on.

 To be honest with you, I hadn't really even given that a thought until I literally stumbled upon this website and ordered Twisted Vines.  Who knows, I may even finish it in a month because the yarn is SCRUMPTIOUS!

The colorway that I chose is "Twig".  Another word that I like….well just because.  It has such an earthy organic feel to it and of course a twig is always rest for a weary bird….and you must know by now how I love my neighborhood birds. 🙂

In doing a search on the word Twig, I came across this little book.  It appears that I can purchase a copy of it for just a penny plus shipping on Amazon, so I think I may just do that……..I love me some good poetry. 

Oh…the rabbit hole?  Well Ravelry has definitely become a HUGE rabbit hole for this Woolen Rabbit to get lost in.  Did you know that you can set up a pdf library there?  I was WAY impressed over that.  It's also where I found…Sunday Knits…:)

The sun shines half a day.
The moon dominates the rest.
Even contemplation
Should have its proper duration.
Deng Ming~Dao

Last night was a good night in our country.  Being a lover of Tao and in particular Deng Ming~Dao, the simple message of balance is one that I try to follow and hold dear to my heart.  I'm not always successful, but I do strive for it. 🙂

With last night's election results, it is my ferverent hope that our country comes back to it's center again and moves in a positive motion.  The hopeful faces and excited energy that I saw on tv will stay with me for a long time.  It is good. 🙂

Having said all of that, I really am not a political person.  Growing up, politics were frequently the basis of many arguments in my extended family, so I have chosen most of the time to just avoid it. 

I don't know about you, but I have really felt completely assaulted these last few weeks of the campaign.  The never ending tv ads and the phone calls………ey yi yi.  It seems somewhere along the line, many people have lost the good manners that their mothers taught them.  I have spoken with more rude campaign workers in the last week then I ever remember….right up there with some of the rude, pushy people I encountered in Rhinebeck this year.  My biggest gripe however….the tons of political paper in my mail box, that go directly into the trash.  If our politicians would take the money that is being tossed in the trash daily and put it towards reducing our national debt, it would send a message so much stronger than brightly colored, expensive advertisements…….just sayin'.

I imagine you are wondering what is up with all of this wet yarn.  Political statement?  Nope…it's just wet yarn.  Normally I try not to put up too many pictures on my blog of yarn that I sell, but with daily blogging, it will be unavoidable as that is what I do…..daily. :)  I am getting ready to vend at The Gathering this weekend, so my days have been very full of yarn and my evenings full of work.

I'm sensing a need for a little balance tonight as well…I'm tuckered out, so I will say adieu a bit earlier than usual and take a little rest with a bit of knitting. 

I hope that your evening is a good one!

The colorway that first appealed to me was this one……. I don't know why, because I hate pink…but…it just did. 🙂

You Should Be a Politician

Confident, assertive, and dedicated – you know what you want in life and how to get it. Stubborn and opinionated, you can stand your ground… even if it's unpopular. And while you have strong views, you never overwhelm people with your opinions. A true charmer, you subtly influence people into seeing things your way. You do best when you: – Work according to your own rules – Can change the world with what you do You would also be a good lawyer or talk show host.

You Should Be an Artist

You are incredibly creative, spontaneous, and unique. No one can guess what you're going to do next, but it's usually something amazing. You can't deal with routine, rules, or structure. You're easily bored. As long as you are able to innovate and break the rules, you are extremely successful. You do best when you: – Can work by yourself – Can express your personality in your work You would also be a good journalist or actor.

Don't ya just hate it when this happens?  These are my Koigu socks that I just finished last summer.  BUMMER!  I guess my days of sock knitting with just merino are coming to an end.  I have a few skeins of Sundara Merino and a few skeins of koigu, but you can be sure I will be adding some nylon reinforcement to the heels if I make socks with them.  It's disappointing to have all that work come apart in such a short time.

Now granted, I did wear those brown socks a lot.  Brown just seems to be a color that I tend to gravitate towards and Koigu is wonderfully pampering to the feet, but at 25.00 plus for a pair of socks, you hope to get more than one seasonn out of a pair, especially a pair that took weeks to complete.

So digging deep into the stash of my own yarns, I dug out Norwegian Woods.  It's funny, when I dyed this one up I really wasn't all that thrilled with it, but I thought it might be a good guy's sock yarn, so I kept it in the line up.  I have to admit, now that I am knitting with it, I really really like it!  Lots of soft warm taupey browns and mossy greens.  Yep, I like brown :).

Once I picked out the yarn, I went searching for a new sock pattern.  I looked high and low and just could not settle on anything that I thought would compliment this yarn.  I know….with all of the sock patterns out there, that does sound a bit silly, doesn't it?

The socks that I tend to wear the most are the Tesserae socks that I made last winter.  I L.O.V.E. these socks…..so I thought why not, why not make another pair.  They are probably THE most comfortable pair of handknit socks I have made yet.  I like that there is no ribbing at the top and they just fit well. 🙂

Heck, I just might just make a few pairs 🙂

Every year I have grandiose illusions of canning apple butter and chutney and every year, half of that big ole bag of apples ends up getting thrown in the woods for the birds and animals.  You see, in the past we have always taken the kids apple picking, so having that big ole bag of apples was more about the experience than the apple.

This year we did not go apple picking, but somehow a big ole bag of apples managed to find it's way here anyways.  My parents stopped over one afternoon and bestowed them upon me.  Well……….somehow when someone else pays for the apples and was thoughtful enough to buy them for me, there was no way I could just toss them out, now was there?

Out came the big canning pot and the recipe books.  "Chutney"….there's just something about that word I like.  Don't ask me why, because I couldn't tell you… I haven't ever had Chutney….but I just like the way it sounds.

Soooo……when I spotted Curried Apple Chutney in my canning book, I thought…mmmm that sounds good.  Apples, raisins, sweet and hot peppers, brown sugar and vinegar…it has to be good, no? 

The house was filled with the complex aromas of the ingredients and of course Hannah walked around wrinkling her nose and saying…ewwwww.  I have to admit, that I was not sure that I was going to like it either, but heck….Ken will eat it…he'll eat anything :).

Next up………."Apple Butter".  I used this recipe and the only thing I can say is OMG….this is GOOD stuff!  After canning the apple butter, I kind of thought I should have made more of the butter and less of the chutney, but…..I guess I can go get some more apples 🙂

Surprised to see me post 2 days in a row?  I will admit, I have not been very good about blogging these last few months, but life is busy.  After reading Margene's post about her act of sisterhood support for  three
dear
friends
who will make it all the way through 365, I decided to join her.  (I think it was that sisterhood word that got to me…..grin)

We have had another beautiful Fall up here in the mountains!
So to celebrate what is left of Autumn, I will leave you with a few pictures of Courtney and her friends on a hike that they took last week on Black Cap

We are so fortunate to live in such a beautiful part of the country, where our children can experience nature at her finest.

With Halloween over, it's hard to believe that we are now into November.  Most of the leaves have come down off of the trees and there is definitely a winter chill in the air….brrrr.  Perfect weather for a steamy cuppa tea and some woolen knitting. 🙂

Have a GREAT weekend!

Moira of Twist of Fate!  I used this random generator to pick the winner.

I want to thank each and every one of you for sharing your bee stories with me….it has been SO fun reading all of the comments.  Who knew that so many people had such interesting bee stories!

It is important to get the word out about our little winged friends and what is happening to them.  Next time you see someone ready to squash a little honey bee….just say NO!  🙂

One of the things that I did while I was reading all of the comments was to work on my Claudia socks.  Whoo hoo……….a completed pair!  A sock who has her mate!!  That doesn't always happen here……..there are more than a few swinging singles hanging around this neck of the woods. 🙂

Pattern:  Carole/Claudia's Picot Edge Sock
Yarn:  Claudia's handpainted yarn in Peppermint Mocha
Needles:  Knitpicks Harmony wooden dp's 2.25mm (LOVE these needles!)
This pattern is the perfect car sock pattern.  Once you get past the picot edge, the rest of the sock flies.  Easy Peasy!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!  Boohaaaahaaaaaaaaa

The whole fabric of honey bee society depends on communication~
on an innate ability to send and receive messages, to encode and decode information.
~The Honey Bee~

Bees are a sisterhood of workers,devoted to each other and to the work that is so important to them.  Bees have a unique kind of communication called the "Waggle Dance"  This type of communication is very sophisticated and unique to the Honey Bee.

Sadly something is going on world wide with our bees…they are disappearing and the scientists do not know why. It is becoming increasingly more important to raise bees and help, if even in a small way. Here is a little segment on a tv special that was done recently, explaining the sad situation.  Hopefully the Beekeepers and the Scientists can unlock the mystery of CCD (colony collapse disorder)

Ok….so I bet you are wondering where the contest part is?

Leave a comment with your favorite good or bad bee story.  If you do not have a bee story, then a simple Buzzzzzzzzzz….will do.  The contest prize will be a skein of my new Bambino yarn in Tupelo honey with a Marie Antoinette pattern, a braid of Tupelo Honey angora blend roving and this sweet little Bee pin made by Rachel Badeau .

I will use a random calculator to pick a winner on Halloween (Friday).  I am looking forward to hearing from you!

Lastly, for you Manise, my friend, a favorite little bee ditty…. "Community"   (send them scurrying…)

Girlfriends!

There seems to be a Rhinebeck theme this year……cameras that stayed in the bag!  Over the years, many of us have become such good friends through blogging, so fiber events have become so much more than just about the fiber.  This is the ONLY picture that I took all weekend, but I will treasure it. 🙂

For me, spending time with some of my favorite people is the very best part about any of the fiber events that I have attended in the last few years.  Grrls who understand the passion we all share and who lend an understanding ear or shoulder when one is needed.  Heck, there are even grrlfriends willing to do the dreaded picot edge for a friend…just because.  Thanks Laurie!!

This year held an extra special treat for me.  Many of my fiber sisters know how very much I love Bees and the little book, "The Secret Life of Bees", so when Terry suggested that the movie would be a perfect grrlfriend movie, a few of us jumped on the suggestion.  After dining at the fabulous Ever Ready Diner..Margene, Sandy, Jean, Terry, Leigh and I took of to see the movie.   I am not going to say much about some pretty darn rude people in the movie other than to say, Sandy was my hero that night….you go grrl!

Now grrls, I SO hate chick flicks and movies that make me cry, but I will tell you right here, that in-spite of it being…yep, a chick flick and yep…making me…eek…cry…. I LOVED it!

Remember I mentioned that there would be a little contest here to honor my little winged friends?  Well, I am going to see the movie again with Ash this weekend to get in the contest mood, so check back on Monday :).

There were very few purchases for me this year.  You saw my beautiful chair that Norm made for me and my only other purchases were a beautiful ball of BFL from Chris of Briar Rose and this cute little needle punch kit.

What can I say about Briar Rose that has not been said already.  I RARELY buy spinning fiber anymore, but I could not pass up the beautiful ball of browns that called my name.

The little punch needle kit came from Woolen Whimsies.  Of course  I need a new hobby like I need a hole in the head, but I couldn't resist the cute little rug frame and sheep.  These little projects work up super fast and are fun.

And that's it………another Rhinebeck has come and gone and as usual it was a blast, other than getting lost in the parking lot and the awful crowds with so many rude people…but that is another story.  I am already looking forward to next year!

Come back and see me on Monday and until then…….have a super weekend!