More Autumn Splendor

Today is even more gorgeous than the weekend! The following pictures are some of those promised when I'd said I be sharing more.

First up is a Canadian goose at Northmoreland Park with the boathouse in the background. This was all farmland when I went to school.



Fallen logs, mosses and ferns with the lake through the trees at Northmoreland call to me to photograph.


These next two are on Ridge Road, a lake that was built last year.



Right on the edge of Burrell Township and Parks Township, this area has been spectacular every year.

Stranded Faroese Footlets

The other day I showed my solid red Faroese Footlet started for the KAL, the pattern shared by Marilyn van Keppel.
Meg added the written directions in a pdf. for a stranded version with the Scandinavian star pattern shared earlier in the week. I could not wait for the next KAL post or for finishing my first footlets after Meg posted. Plus...

just look at this mini-maple in its glory, peaking through the cyclone fence. I look out the window here in the living room where my laptop is currently resting and I see these leaves. They look like stranded or fair isle inspiration to me.

Details so far:
pattern from SHP KAL
#5 circular(s)
Brown Sheep Prairie Silks in "Buck" colorway and Paton's SWS in 'green'.

Sunday in the Park

Today dawned as sunny as yesterday was cloudy.

A trip to Northmoreland Park is overdue. Just ask Tawny. Just ask Tawny's Fan Club who have been asking for Tawny-Park pictures.

Look at those geese! As we were there, more Canada geese came in. Love those honkers!




Tawny is not excited about sitting pretty. There are too many wonderful, fresh scents to discover and in which to indulge.


Three Mallard duck males are in this inlet. See them? If you click on the picture to enlarge it, the details really show. It was so soggy here. Water was seeping across the brick walkway. I tried to walk down to the water's edge and I succeeded;but, sank into three inches of boggy grass.

On the way back to the truck, Russ and Tawny posed for this shot. Leaves have dropped off 80% of the woodland vegetation, but it is still a lovely afternoon.


We just couldn't resist this lovely tree by the parking lot.

A few more photos are waiting to be shared later on, too!

Leafy, Sheepy Saturday

This is one heck of a burning bush! Isn't it gorgeous?


We've had enough rain, a half inch in the last 24 hours. No sunshine today for leaf peeping, but that didn't stop us this morning!


We needed to return a rope to Amy and the sheep were nearby; so, I couldn't resist a couple sheep pics. In the sheep panorama above, can you spot Chumley in the far right? Chumley is the guard llama. A most handsome fellow, he is. Amy and her Westie (who only wanted to herd and 'help' today, never when Amy wants him to) are feeding "the girls" a treat.

As Russ was driving Ridge Road, he stopped and backed up, saying, "I know you want to take a picture of that log." He's getting to understand a 'photographer's eye'!

This is another favorite spot of Russ' each fall. I showed this area last year from the opposite direction. Since we have been seeing the area the last five years, it is fascinating to compare how differently the leaves change each year. The woodlands are consistent in change. Their evolving micro-environments provide intrigue to those who watch. There are areas that had been farmed, logged, pastured. There are dry, rocky, swampy areas.


Along Chestnut Road near the creek, the ferns haven't been frosted yet and are being covered by leaves while still green. On top of the surrounding hills, the ferns are bronzed and becoming brittle.

Of course there were more photographic exploits. We'll share some more later. All photos are clickable for enlarging.

knitting and gardening

go together like the proverbial horse and carriage in my world. in fact, still have the holes in the garage ceiling from the hooks that held the surrey above the car! until the next footlet post is given on the KAL, the 'summer drooping elm' has had my attention. it has doubled in size since showing it a few days ago. (click pic to enlarge!)

it's been raining most of today, so the leaf pictures are from the inside looking out.

we are both so pleased to have gotten garden and yard work accomplished yesterday.
russ keeps saying how happy he is to have gotten the manure dumped...

and spread yesterday morning.


some prunings, a bit of leftover compost and some yard dirt start off the compost pile after i shoveled the old pile on the garden before the sheep manure. The sheep manure is mixed with chicken goodie and straw. this will give the garden nutritional elements it hasn't seen under our 'watch'.

today's rain after four glorious 'anglo autumn' days is depressing but is standing us in good garden stead.

Which season, including knitting?

Last week a high of 39 and today? 70. The ladybugs are out and about. In droves. Toadstools/mushrooms aren't doing badly, either.


Last Sunday we had some company whose 9 year old wondered what the drum carder was? Well, I had to show him how it operates, right? And what did I have to card? Tawny fur! Then, what does one do with a carded batt? Spin it! Dad and son, in particular, were intrigued by the spinning wheel and how it works. Dad was really curious...Mom was interested but gave father and son room to investigate.

Yesterday started out cool but not even any dew was on the grass. DH decided it was a good time to mow 'for the last time this season'. Uh, I don't think so; but, we'll just nod in agreement at the moment.

Today I went with DH for his mammogram. It's been five years since his mastectomy. And when we got home, what greeted us? This Christmas Cactus is blooming!!! It must really like being transplanted into Miracle Gro potting soil and a new pot, plus its new location! This is the absolute earliest I have ever seen a Christmas Cactus bloom. Plus, this one usually is a Valentine's Day bloomer!

While in the waiting room at the hospital today, I knitted 8 rows on my " Summer Drooping Elm" but today also started the SHP KAL of Faroese Footlets, shared by Marilyn vanKeppel. I'm knitting a solid version first and then, hopefully, a stranded version if I can knit these to fit. I have a terrible problem with footsies fitting, so let's keep our fingers crossed!

elm and leaves

We had our first frost here last night which yielded raining leaves this morning.
While it can, a volunteer elm in the back yard has offered its young limbs and leaves as a backdrop and support for the project I've picked back up this weekend, "Drooping Summer Elm". I'd taken this stole/scarf with us in July but didn't hardly work on it other than to share the cast on at camp. To review, it's a Montse Stanley double loop twist cast on, a pattern from Barbara Walker and Cascade Heritage yarn knit on a #6 Addi Lace Turbo 24" circular.



Nut trees and maples and wild currants are changing colors but mostly they are dropping leaves faster than they can show their splendor. (Click on pictures for detail!)




Eggplants and grapes were hit very hard by heavy frost. The baby white ghost eggplants that were too small to pick yesterday just don't appear possible to develop for a dinner later on. They would have loved the 70 degree weather predicted later on this week, as will we.

Mittday

Terry's fingerless gansey patterned mitts are finished!

It's still 40 degrees, as it has been for 3 days. At least it's not raining or snowing this morning. We didn't have any snow here but the Pittsburgh airport had a trace. Now with these mitts, though, I'm ready!
(Click to embiggen!)


Thanks to DH, we have pictures of the mitts being modeled.

Details of the knit:

*Less than one skein of Cascade 220 in Doeskin

*10" straight needles, one size 5 and one size 6

*pattern is a Mystery knit from HMGA Yahoo group, Terry Liann Morris, designer

Stupid. Weather. 24 deg. below average high.

Today's average high is 63 but we could have flurries with the continued rain tomorrow. State College (where Penn State is located) already has slushy snow on the ground. This is not an Ides of October practical joke. (Beware the Ides of....) Yuck.

Here are some yard pics from today in the rain.



This is the prettiest poison ivy gets! It's been in the hedge for decades.




The cinnamon fern is getting ready for winter.




Here's that recurring October-blooming honeysuckle with maple leaves and witch hazel.

Knitting? I'm knitting on the second Cascade 220 fingerless mitt.

Hand cover season

Just because it's October, the home of Leif Erikson Day (9th) and Columbus Day (today) and All Hallow's Eve (31st) doesn't mean we'd have to start wearing Winter clothes. Unfortunately, the weather systems are sending us some 'northern exposure' with warmer clothes coming out of all their hidey-holes.

I knit with wool in every season, and this year I actually wore my flannel jacket and handknit wool socks in every month. That really did not thrill this tshirt and shorts lovin' grrl. This week here in Pennsyltucky, it will be time for hand coverings, more layers and socks.


Mystery #8 in the Holiday Mystery Gift-Along Yahoo group is Terry's fingerless mitts/mittens. So far, about 60% is knit on mitt #1. Don't you just love the gansey texture? (Click to embiggen!)

Promised Modeling Shots

Remember? This is where we were two days ago...
And...
Here we are today with Tawny celebrating, too!

Thank you, DH, for being our photographer.

Falling

are some of the leaves without even changing color very much.

We took 2 plastic barrels out to our friends Pete and Amy's for sheep manure and took these pictures along the way. It's too wet to gather the manure today, so Pete will have the barrels ready for us next weekend.
I just had to take a picture this year of the barn with the Mail Pouch tobacco sign painted on it. The paint's brilliance is fading each year. With so few of these barn signs left, I like recording this part of history while I can.
Peak leaf peeping here is usually about the 17th of October, so we'll be watching the leaves this week and sharing what we find.

It took a week

to reach my mailbox once it crossed the border, but this Jamieson's shetland skein shipment is well worth the wait. This helps add not only to my shetland stash but to the possibilities for future projects. We know from this last sweater (Solstice Forest, WG #79 pullover)that my mind can change frequently and all I need is the palette of with which to work most effectively.

Anne Featonby of Sheeweknits (www.sheeweknits.com) has been selling out her inventory and still has some left. I'm happy to be your enabler, in this case! I've linked her blog. Anne is wonderful with whom to work. Thank you, Anne!

Living Room is Done!

Russ installed the second set of painted ceiling fan blades today between his runs.


Here are the before and after shots.


We really like them painted, thinking that they reflect more light and no longer look like bugs stuck on the ceiling!

What do you think?

Solstice Forest (WG #79) is blocking!

Solstice Forest... I loved knitting this sweater! There really is something to Nikki being a Knitting Guard Cat. He hasn't been up on this bed since the last time I blocked knitting on it back in May. Solstice Forest was soaking and as I was placing the towels on the comforter, Nikki came in purring his loudest.

The neckline is the only part of the sweater I've pinned. Even with EZ's Sewn Castoff, the stockinette is trying to roll a bit.
Where's the modeling shot? It'll appear when the sweater is dry. As a hint: I am really, really pleased with SF try-ons before being blocked.