Lots going on in these parts. I had my first spinning class last night. Definitely not a natural, but I feel good about the possibility of improvement! Came home with a bag of fiber (yum!) and the desire to tinker. So far, I've got this



Next week, we'll be spinning a different wool and a little plying. By the 4th week, we'll be spinning top on a wheel--woo! (Christmas present?)

I have been working on Elliott the Dragon hand puppet as a gift for a co-worker and it's almost done. I need to find some good dragon eyes (whatever that means) and sew the two mouth flaps together.. I guess? The mouth construction was very poorly explained in the pattern so I been improvising as I go. Not sure how the mouth was intended to be constructed, but it'll work one way or another.



One last project of note... I got the yarn today for L's scarf. She took me down to Lark last week to show me a scarf she really liked. Realizing I could make it for her, I narrowed her down to a color choice and fiber and now all I need to do is... make it!



Yes, yes. There's still lots going on with other projects. I'm ripping the sleeve from Buttony because I can't remember if I had been decreasing. One monkey sock is finished, the other will wait. (If I work on any sock, it should be mom's.) Sugarplum is still dancing in my head--I need to find a pair of 32" US9 circular needles with a sharp enough point to pick up mohair easily and that won't drag the yarn. I had been trying the Addi Turbos but the ends are too blunt and although they have the fancy new Lace Addis, they don't yet make them in larger sizes.

Now I want to get this scarf cast on...it'll be a good car knitting project!

Thanksgiving

Woo! Thanksgiving! A good time for an excuse to cook everything I can think of, a good excuse not to work in the middle of the week, and a great time to reflect and appreciate everything I have around me!

First, the cooking! What's on the menu today, you ask? A top-secret surprise for breakfast, though J isn't awake and I feel that confiding in you is a pretty safe bet--monkey bread! I haven't made it before and all the recipes I find call for "refrigerated biscuit dough." I am not connoisseur of refrigerated biscuits, but last I checked, there were more than 2 types and so I'm a bit worried that I grabbed the wrong kind in my 10:30pm shopping trip last night (to avoid the nightmarish crowds from the Whole Foods earlier...)

No lunch but we'll be snacking throughout the day.. cheese/crackers and veggies/dip. It's a great excuse to use some of our wonderful wedding presents, finally!

For dinner... cream cheese mashed potatoes (deliciously sitting in my fridge overnight, per instructions!), roasted fennel and carrots, green bean casserole (with white corn instead of water chestnuts, which I find flavorless.. the corn adds sweetness and crunch with a bit more flavor), sauteed kale, a slow cooked cranberry and walnut stuffing, and a Quorn roast (delicious and better than that tofurkey crap). For dessert, a mixed berry pie.. perhaps some spiced apple cider or coffee and a game or two of Uno or Boggle.

Ah, I love Thanksgiving!

My family is very, very fortunate to have grown by 50% this year! (THAT doesn't happen often!) Of course, we already know about my wedding, but last weekend, my brother got married! I love M (his bride!) to pieces and their wedding was beautiful! I got to see a side of my brother that I don't get to see often.. heck, ever! The look on his face when he saw her walk down the aisle, the way he beamed with happiness once they were pronounced married.. how carefully he seemed to look after her, even when she wasn't by his side. The maid of honor gave the most beautiful toast that I think I'll ever hear and I think they're both just wonderful together.



Congrats! I know they'll have many, many happy, healthy and wonderful years ahead of them!

Finally.. the knitting! Almost done with Buttony, though it's been sitting around for a couple weeks now. I just have the sleeves to do and I'll be finished (or.. finished without weaving in all those ends). The ribbing at the bottom will also benefit from being blocked, so, I still have a bit of work cut out for me.



In my Buttony vacation, I did start Monkey which has been moving along quite quickly. I worked on it last weekend pretty fervently, let it sit around most of this week and I picked it up a little last night. Almost done with the first sock, but really, I have other projects I should be working on!



Oh!!!! I am enrolled for a spinning class that starts Wednesday! I am SO excited that I can hardly stand it!

The Start of Fall Projects!

Finally, I have better pictures of my socks! I've updated them to Ravelry and replaced the dark-as-sin pictures that had been taking up space!




I also have been working on the Buttony sweater and have just yesterday taken off the sleeves. I'll be knitting the rest of the body, then come back to finish the sleeves... and then, I will be a nervous wreck as I try it on and hope it fits! I've read in several reviews on Ravelry that the sleeves have been too big, so I took mine off when they just fit, thinking (hoping) that I could pick up a couple stitches where the bottom of the sleeve meets the sweater to provide a tiny extra bit of room and to help tidy up that seam.



I've been thinking, also, about the Sugarplum shrug in the holiday IK. I finally broke down and ordered the yarn for it. I'll be using the Rowan Kidsilk Aura that's recommended in the pattern in a color called Cyprus, which is this icy, silvery blue.

Also in the queue--a pair of socks for mom, a pair of socks for Jeremy and I really, really keep thinking about that shawl in Victorian Lace Today. I think I may save it, though, for a time when I don't have a couple of things that need to be done (which will be... when?).