Hello Gentle Readers. Oh October, you don't last long enough. Today the sky is gray but the maple trees are gorgeous. Monday I walked a little way out of my immediate neighborhood to look at the trees. I knew there were some ash trees with leaves turned to a burnished rust tinged with deep burgundy. Then as I rounded the corner I saw maple trees in brilliant shades of red and orange. I did have to keep moving in order to avoid being plunked on the head by falling acorns on one side of the street. The oaks here are loaded with acorns. Tuesday light rain fell on and off most of the day. Wednesday brings a cool windy day. And so it goes.
Today I will link with Kat and the Unravelers to post about making and reading. Although, this week my reading consisted of reading a few chapters and then adding to a stack of books to be returned to the public library or passed on to a Little Free Library.
Over the weekend, I knit the Shadow Wrap Short Row Heel of this second sock without having to rip back. (Much better than the first sock.) I did refer to Denise's video in order to get started. I should knit another sock with this heel to cement the process in my memory. The heel fits me well so now I'm curious to see how it wears.
I cast on the "don't ask" cardigan by Isabell Kraemer. According to the pattern page, "The yoke is shaped by using a modified version of the contiguous set-in sleeve method developed by Susie Myers." Ms. Kraemer's patterns are well written and easy to follow although this one requires paying attention. So far so good. I'll try it on soon. I decided to try this cardigan design as I find them trickier to knit and fit. I'm not looking for perfection but a decent fit and a passable buttonband would be nice. Wish me luck.
Since my book choices are in a slump, I'll write about spinning. Currently I am working with this Rambouillet fiber. I spun the two nests on the right side of the photo, the gray and lightest mauve, into singles and then plied them together into 200 yards of fingering to sport weight yarn.
The yarn is quite soft. This is not surprising since Rambouillet, sometimes known as French Merino, was bred in France as a cross between Spanish Merino and other breeds. For many years the Spanish monarchy protected and isolated the Merino sheep breed. Anyone taking a Merino sheep out of the country risked execution. Sometime in the middle of the eighteenth century, a few were exported to other European countries, including France. In 1840, Rambouillet sheep were brought to the US and subsequently bred to meet the needs of US sheep producers. The breed does well on the somewhat arid grasslands in the American west. I find it fascinating to learn a little more about the history of yarns.
I hope this week finds you soft warm yarn in your hands and/or something else to savor. Too soon these October days will be over.
Ravelry Links
The colors in this post are lovely. I am enjoying the pinks and oranges and pondering that combo for a new sweater too.
ReplyDeleteI was singing the same lament about October being over too soon this morning. We are supposed to get rain tomorrow and since John was afraid our gutters might be clogged with acorns and leaves, he spent some time on the roof. I always wait outside when he does that, mostly to call 911 just in case. But it was pleasant time spent outdoors with no casualties. Your maples are gorgeous and so are your autumn socks. I will look forward to seeing more of that Rambouillet spun and I thank you for that bit of sheep history.
ReplyDeleteLikewise, I am sad about the fleeting October! My neighbor's maple tree has been stunning this week. Rains are in the forecast so I know it will soon be bare branches... but there is something about bare branches that adds a beauty to the view. It certainly allows for more light! Happy end of October!
ReplyDeleteOctober really does seem to have flown by this year! We haven't had the usual colors, either, due to our drought, so thank you for sharing some of yours. You are going to have a gorgeous collection of handspun skeins from all that fiber. I adore spinning Rambouillet. I know it's a merino, but it feels bouncier than "regular" merino to me.
ReplyDeleteThis was such a lovely October! I, too, hate to see it end. Your trees look (and sound) just stunning, Jane. I love all of your knitting (and spinning) projects and will look forward to seeing them progress with the season. Those pink shades are particularly soothing to me. Hope your reading improves soon. I hate getting stuck in a reading slump -- but it certaiinly does happen now and then!
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful skeins! I love those soft colors. I've never spun Rambouillet before. I'll have to add some to the fiber stash.
ReplyDeleteYour socks look great. I put that pattern in my to-be-tried list.
ReplyDeleteOctober is too short. But November is pretty good too.
October sure has seemed to zoom by! We are beginning to see some colors here that are very pretty, but they won't last. We could get 1" - 2" of rain overnight! I won't complain as we desperately need the rain. I can't wait to see what you make with your newly spun fibers - so pretty. Your socks look great too.
ReplyDeleteI love Isabelle's patterns also., Your socks are cute. I'm going to try that heel next. Have a good week.
ReplyDeleteoh Jane, your spinning! oh my goodness, that yarn looks yummy (and I loved reading about french merino - also, yep - trade wars have been a thing for centuries and we only thought we'd moved past them). I just finished one of Ankestrick's cardigans that uses a modified contiguous sleeve (I can't remember if I've knit one of Isabel's patterns using that technique, but I've knit a few of Anke's) and I love the fit - yes, the whole yoke takes a lot of paying attention, but once you finish that, the rest of the sweater is just "top down" and that's easy. Good luck! and enjoy those colorful walks.
ReplyDeleteyour spinning is professional! October flew by because we love it so much. If we didn't it would drag on forever (July? August?). I love the socks with the contrasting colors.
ReplyDelete