nothing to write but I made a commitment, goshdarnit

It's Friday night, we got pizza from our favorite place, Jacob and I have fixed our cocktails, and Charlie is happy after a walk with his girlfriend (a neighbor's boxer named Espe - they're really cute together). That's about all I have to say at the moment! My Potter is calling to me - it's been a few days since I've worked on it. It's time.

Would you like to see the cuff of the Rinconada mitts? I was thinking and thinking about what to do and just wasn't sure, and then it hit me when I was out on a walk: I'm doing a garter stitch but carrying the slipped stitches up from the bottom.

I'm happy! Well, truthfully: I LOVE IT and I'm ridiculously pleased with myself and the little mitts. I'm working on the thumb gusset now. I've also obviously stopped caring about whether the pictures I post of myself are flattering, but whatever! My goal is to finish one mitt this weekend and write up the pattern in this size... if I can get all three sizes worked out to try, that would be great, but I want to see how this gusset goes, first.

I hope you have a great weekend!

glowing jars

I got an awesome package of canned yummies from Helloyarn Adrian! I got quite a haul, because the two of us had agreed to do a jar swap earlier in the summer, and then she happened to get my name for the awesome Can It swap that Earthchick Stacey organized.

What we have here is two pints of canned goodies: Vanilla Sweet Pickles (um.. the jar was full when it arrived. Ahem.), cranberry ketchup, spiced cider and husk cherry jam, and apple paste (with instructions to eat with cheese... yes ma'am! When Adrian says to eat something with cheese, it's best to listen, I think).

I taste-tested everything last night, and it's all delicious! YAY for can swaps! Thanks so much to Adrian and Stacey! I sent out lots of swap goodies this morning (including an embarrassingly late cowl for a cowl swap), too - it was really fun to send out some fun packages to friends!

swatching

I love swatching. Getting to know the yarn, the stitch pattern, trying something new. So much possibility in beginning. This stitch will be the main part of the Rinconada mitts; I'm now working on different rib patterns for the cuff that will flow nicely into this. I do most of my knitting in the morning, right after waking. Looking forward to waking up to these!

28 seconds of very good advice, plus: ROCK

some words of wisdom:

and now for some St. Vincent:

rinconada canyon: inspiration

Hiking in Rinconada Canyon yesterday afternoon was beautiful... it's so quiet this time of year, and there are not so many people out. All the greens of the brush and grasses and purples and whites of the flowers have faded to their winter yellows and golds by now. It's a lovely hike, but it is getting cold and windy. I've started a new project out of neccessity: fingerless mitts. I always hike with Charlie, so having open fingers is helpful, but my hands were just so cold! I need a little help. I'm using Bijou Spun Tibetan Dream sock yarn - a fingering weight 100% yak down yarn. It's so squishy and soft! I have it in two natural colors - cream and brown - but I only have a photograph of the cream:

I'm winding up the brown right now. I don't have a picture but it's interesting: the cream is this lovely matte natural color, but the brown has a definite sheen - I hope it shows up in photographs. I think they'll look really pretty together in a slipped-stitch pattern (I also think they'll feel great on the hands that way; seriously, the squish factor is high). Jacob has the morning walk shift with Charlie, and it's even colder when he goes out, so he's getting a pair, too. I'm looking forward to swatching!

p.s. thanks for the Simple Things love over on Ravelry! It's been really fun to see all the hearts and watch the queue numbers grow! :) To anyone who knits it - I sure hope you like it! There are already some new projects in progress that are so, so pretty. Yay!