Wool Sock Weather

Gentle rain falls this morning. Sunday's high was 93 degrees. The temperature began to drop on Monday and then with thunderstorms on Tuesday, eventually fell to a high of 46. After a dry hot August, moisture is very welcome. Last week as I walked out to the garden and the compost bins, I noticed cracks in the ground. Yesterday afternoon I pulled on a pair of wool socks knit by my sister and brewed a cup of tea. I set the vacuum cleaner aside in favor of Findings. I enjoyed the first essay on light and dark. This book of nature writing from Scotland was just right for a rainy afternoon. Today, in spite of the rain, I best get back to a little housekeeping. 

In the meantime, here is the round-up of my projects. I finished knitting the Touchstone Shawl and hope to block it this afternoon. Last night I finished the toe of the first Downpour Sock (above) in this pair. I decided not to kitchner the toe at 10:15 p.m. last night. Today will be soon enough. The sock fits and looks nice when tried on but the slip stitch pattern pulls a bit when laying flat. 

I cast on the Frosted Lily hat because I like to have three or four knitting projects in rotation and I need a break from shawl knitting. This rainy cool weather puts me in the mood for sweater knitting but I haven't made any choices yet. 

Labor Day, I plied the last two singles of this fiber. I used the first small skeins of the teal color in some mittens I posted previously. Then I spun the skeins below. I estimate 81 yards of this periwinkle colored yarn. What to knit with them? I may try a small cowl because I can knit without trying to divide yardage for fingerless mitts. Dividing these skeins by weight would not yield equivalent yards per division.  The yarn is a little more consistent in thickness with the emphasis being on "a little." I have some stash yarn to add if needed.  

I plan to use that little bit of the darkest fiber for practice as there isn't enough for anything else. I spun these skeins by setting the spindle in motion to the right and then plied two singles in the opposite direction. Each skein requires two singles so I am much more comfortable manipulating the spindle to the right. Plying to the left still feels awkward. I plan to reverse the action with the leftover fiber for more practice in spinning to the left. I would really like to take an "in person" class in spinning some day. 

As always, I'm linking with Kat and the Unravelers.  Thanks to Kat, I get my projects updated. Ravelry links are listed below. Please excuse the dark light for today's photos. The gray drippy sky creates less than optimal conditions for photos. Be well, be safe. 

Ravelry links for projects:

Downpour Socks

Frosted Lily Hat

Malabrigo Handspun Project