Weekends at the barn

Yesterday started out not-so-good, then turned into a very good day.

Ryan had a colonoscopy, which went well after he finally got checked in. The woman at the front desk was a bit harried, and didn't realize that he'd signed in. So, over an hour after his appointment was due to start, Ryan finally was taken back for the procedure. Thankfully, everything went smoothly, and he was out quickly. He's generally very talkative when coming out of anesthesia, and yesterday was no exception. He was quite amusing. Next time I'll try to catch it on tape.

After scarfing down some lunch, we began our next adventure. A barn friend had asked me to videotape her lesson that afternoon. Nearly two hours of driving later, we pulled up at the gorgeous farm where she boards her horse. We were loudly and enthusiastically greeted first by the resident pair of German Shepherds, and then by the resident pair of Chinese Cresteds. Ryan chose a seat in the gallery, and was immediately joined by Cutie.



Cookie, on the other hand, was not quite so happy to have strangers at the barn.



We watched a few rides, half-filmed one of them (darn dead batteries!), and thoroughly enjoyed the company. By the time 7 o'clock rolled around, we were once again starving, so made our way through the countryside to Nido Italiano in Frederick. It was our second visit, and we were once again very happily surprised. They serve real garlic bread (spicy garlic! mmm!), homemade sauces, and homemade pastas. YUM.

On the way out of Frederick, we hit some traffic. Turns out the carnival's in town! I very much wanted to stop for photos and funnel cakes, but we still had an hour's drive ahead of us.



All in all, a very good day.

Last weekend, Ryan ventured out to the barn with me on Sunday. Another gorgeous day. I took advantage of having another person around, asking him to hold Addy for me while I snapped some photos.




I got one decent one before Miss Adventure decided that one of us must have treats for her somewhere.

Was it mom?




No. Possibly Dad?



Nope.

Poor Addy.

Here's to many more beautiful fall weekends at the barn!

Knitterly weather, knitterly things

The weather this weekend has been incredible. Crisp, clear.. very fall! Sweater weather! (Almost.)

This is my Tempest cardigan, knit this past spring from 2 skeins of the Woolen Rabbit's Harmony sock yarn. It's not actually complete, since I haven't finished the hems and the button band needs to be re-done. That hasn't kept me from wearing it often!




It knit up quickly and mindlessly - it's a great pattern. I have plans for at least one more, though that one will likely end up a scoop neck pullover instead of a cardigan. Rav link.

Labor Day weekend we had our first hint of fall, and I cast on immediately for the Owls sweater. Mine was knit with Classic Elite's sadly discontinued Skye Tweed, which is a lighter weight yarn than the pattern called for. However, modification was easy, thanks to all the notes on Ravelry.



I completed the sweater in 4 days, and blocked beautifully. Hopefully I'll get some action shots of it soon. The owls are adorable! Rav link.

And of course, with fall, the Christmas knitting season has officially begun. This hat ended up a bit too big for its intended recipient, but that's okay, 'cause it's gorgeous. The photos are dark and the hat unfinished, but trust me.



This is Stephen West's Botanic Hat. Since it's a two-color hat from worsted yarn, it's great for using up those little leftover balls laying around. And if you're a knitter and somehow haven't checked out Stephen's other designs, do! They're fun, innovative, and very wearable.



Botanic (rav link) is reversible. I can't decide which side I like best. This one, my first, is knit with Cascade 220 in light gray and Malabrigo in Stonechat (which Mom purchased for me several years ago in Richmond, and became a very long scarf with just a little leftover...). If I didn't have plans to use all my leftovers for a stripey pullover, I'd have about 6 of these hats already...

There are other Christmas knits as well as baby knits, but I'm feeling a bit too rambly today. So, some other day!

Florida cont'd

While in Florida, I was given several yarny gifts. I requested some washcloths from my mother for Christmas.. well, Christmas came early! She let me pick from a stack of them, and I chose 3. This one is my favorite:



I love the way the colors pooled.

The other 2 are actually for Ryan. A nice guy-friendly blue/green cotton one, and a beautiful linen one. I may just have to use the linen one from time to time...



I love handknit washcloths, but never take the time to make them for myself. So these are a big treat. Thanks again, Mom! :)

My grandmother also had a few surprises for me. The first is an afghan of cream, white, and pea green. It's been in the family for years, but I can't remember ever seeing it before. It's just perfect.




Her other surprise for me was a box of Angora yarn that she purchased in Atlanta over 30 years ago. The yarn is stunningly light and soft. Little bits have been used as accents on special projects throughout the years. I hope to continue that, slowly, with the rest of the box.



In my last post, I mentioned visiting the farm. Our visit happened to coincide with a driving lesson for Dafydd. It's been quite awhile since I last watched this pair drive.. they make such a good team!



It's obvious where Addy gets her temperment, work ethic, and talent!



That's all for now, though I am due for a knit post....

Vacation!

Ryan and I recently got back from a week long visit with the family in Florida. I was so happy to be back with everyone, but a little sad to see how big my nieces and nephews have gotten in our absence. I wish that we lived closer and could spend more time with them before they're all grown up and off to college.

There was lots of splashing in the pools...


Some walking on the beach...


Sand castle construction (and destruction)...


Quiet neighbors...


Obligatory afternoon storms...


And a trip to the farm. (More on that later.)

There was also of course lots of good food, but I was generally too busy when it was around to snap any photos. ;)

I miss it already.

Chaos?

My desk is a bit of a mess. Perhaps there was a yarn explosion. Or, at least, some yarn multiplication. No finished projects in awhile, just a lot of teeny tiny stockinette and a good deal of frogging.



There is a half-finished cardigan. Paper Crane, designed by Kirsten Johnstone. Certainly the most ambitious project I've embarked upon thus far... laceweight linen from Habu, nearly 1 mile of it when completed.



I still have the arms to go, obviously. But I couldn't resist blocking it and reveling in the incredible color and drape of this yarn.




The garden is a mess as well. We've had a week of rain, and the plants are overjoyed. I love it!

My therapist

Look at that sweet face. I love my pony.

Not-so-new knits

These have both been finished for a full year, and I've only now gotten around to blocking them and taking photos. Absurd, considering that I'm very happy with both!

Drawstring Chemise, by Connie Chang Chinchio
from Interweave Knits, Spring 2008
Blue Sky Alpaca Skinny Dyed Cotton, 3 skeins "Squash"
US 1 & 2 needles
Rav link

A fun, quick knit. I only took so long to block it because I couldn't find a cheap white camisole to wear underneath it. But I finally found one, and wore the top out yesterday in Alexandria. No one even asked it I made it myself - yay!



I modified this to knit in the round, slipping the "seam" stitches. That ended up being a pretty little detail. I also modified stitch counts because I couldn't get gauge.



I completely love it, and have a feeling that there will be more of these in my future.

Then for something completely different:

Swallowtail Shawl, by Evelyn A. Clark
from Interweave Knits, Fall 2006
Fiddlesticks Knitting Zephyr, less than 1 skein "Blueberry"
US 2 needles
Rav link

Not a whole lot to say about this, other than that I'm smitten. I think I took close to 100 pictures of it. (Thank goodness for digital cameras!)

The Honeycomb Blanket has momentarily stalled - I'm trying to finish my Paper Crane in time for a trip to Florida in August. With 8.5 inches of the body finished, I'm feeling mildly optimistic... but wish me luck! ;)