WIP Wednesday: Milk Choco Turban

It's WIP Wednesday, and I'm still working on a test Fortune-Teller Turban for the pattern revision. The yarn is from Tami (Candy Skein), and it's called "Milk Chocolate." I'm just now getting into high gear on it, because for the last few days I have been making 2 pair of wristwarmers (in knit and also crochet) for Tami in her "Halloween Treats" colorway--like the ones I made last week, but the new ones will be mailed to Tami for her yarn show in October.

Back to the WIP: I have just revised the knitted Fortune-Teller Turban pattern to be more clear and easy to use, and it's being tested right now. If you'd like to be a tester, just send me your email address, and I'll get a free pattern out to you.

For more WIP Wednesday posts on other blogs, check here.

Veneta Donaldson: "Picture of Autumn"

Veneta Donaldson with her husband, c. 1950
In her poetry, my aunt showed an affnity for Autumn. Images of turning leaves appear in many of her poems, and this one is devoted to the season.

Picture of Autumn
by Veneta Donaldson

The morning breaks at my heart's door
And offers wealth beyond compare —
A mist that shines upon the earth
Like gems that bind a woman's hair;
A cloud inlaid with ivory,
Enchanting as a minaret;
A sound from scarlet, feathered throat,
Sweeter than that of castanet;
Sun-burnished leaves along a path,
More beautiful than purest gold.
Throughout my life's swift span of hours
May Autumn share its wealth untold!


This is part of a group of poems by Veneta Donaldson. A brief bio and the beginning of the series can be found here: Veneta Donaldson: A Poet in the Family.

Additional poems are continued here.

Happy Equinox!

Our backyard with native plants

WIP Wednesday: Fortune-Teller Turban

It's WIP Wednesday again, and I just got my skein of worsted weight yarn in the mail from Tami (Candy Skein). This one is called "Milk Chocolate," and I am going to make a Fortune-Teller Turban with it. I tore open the package a couple of hours ago, and whipped up the gauge swatch.

I have just revised the knitted Fortune-Teller Turban pattern to be more clear and easy to use, and it's being tested right now. If you'd like to be a tester, just send me your email address, and I'll get a free pattern out to you.

For more WIP Wednesday posts on other blogs, check here.

Watson: Another Caturday Cat

Our dearly departed big, black cat has been featured as the Caturday cat this week on Wypad's blog, Writing, Yarn, Pucks, & Diapers, here:

http://wypad.wordpress.com/2011/09/17/caturday-september-17/

The picture above features a youngish Watson in my lap with successfully-rocked-to-sleep baby Alix, who was just a few weeks old. Check out my 1980s glasses--gack.

Halloween Treat-Warmers in Crochet

Here's the crocheted version of my Halloween wristwarmers, made with Tami's hand-painted yarn from Candy Skein, called "Halloween Treat." The colorway was designed especially for Witch Warmers! These wristwarmers were made using the Witch Warmers in Crochet pattern.* The pictures show the short version from the armwarmer section of the pattern.

Tami's Halloween Treat yarn is fingering weight and the pattern calls for sportweight, so there are a couple of minor modifications:

1. Use one size larger than the pattern's arm/leg/neck measurements call for. Your gauge swatch will come out to around 3" x 3" (8cm x 8cm) instead of 4" x 4" (10.5cm x 10.5 cm).

2. When you get to the arm section, omit "sl st-bl in first st" and "sk1" wherever found. They are not necessary if you're using variegated yarn, and not making stripes by alternating actual yarn colors.

For more FO Friday finished objects on other blogs, check here.

* There's a knit version of these here.

WIP Wednesday: Crocheted Halloween Treat-Warmers

It's WIP Wednesday again, and I have started the crochet version of our Halloween Treat wristwarmers, using the Witch Warmers in Crochet pattern. Tami (of Candy Skein) has designed a special colorway for the Witch Warmers patterns, called "Halloween Treat."

(The loops aren’t really as loose as the bottom edge looks… I had just frogged a row.)

Like the knit version using this yarn, a few minor modifications are needed to accommodate the skinnier yarn. I will post them on Friday with the FO.

If you haven't seen the knit version of this, check here.

For more WIP Wednesday posts on other blogs, check here.

Halloween Treat-Warmers

These wristwarmers were made with a hand-painted yarn from Candy Skein, called "Halloween Treat." Tami designed it for the Witch Warmers pattern.* The pictures show it made up in the short version from the armwarmer section of the pattern.

Tami's Halloween Treat yarn is fingering weight and the pattern calls for sportweight, so there are a couple of minor modifications to get the sizing right:

1. Use one size larger than the pattern's arm/leg/neck measurements call for. Your gauge swatch will come out to around 3" x 3" (8cm x 8cm) instead of 4" x 4" (10.5cm x 10.5 cm).

2. Bind off with a size 5 (3.75mm) needle--one size larger than the rest of the knitting.

For more FO Friday finished objects on other blogs, check here.

* There's a crocheted version of them here.

WIP Wednesday: Halloween Treatwarmers!!

I'm so excited!! Tami (of Candy Skein) has designed a special colorway for my Halloween pattern, Witch Warmers.* The colorway is called "Halloween Treats." Isn't it gorgeous?

Here's the start of a wristwarmer from the pattern, made up in this yummy yarn. The yarn is fingering weight, and the pattern calls for sportweight, so I figured out a couple of minor modifications to accommodate the skinnier yarn:

1. Use one size larger than the pattern's arm/leg/neck measurements call for. Your gauge swatch will come out to around 3" x 3" (8cm x 8cm) instead of 4" x 4" (10.5cm x 10.5 cm).

2. Bind off with a size 5 (3.75mm) needle--one size larger than the rest of the knitting.

*There is also a Witch Warmers in Crochet pattern, which I will work up with this yarn to get the modifications... stay tuned.

For more WIP Wednesday posts on other blogs, check here.

In Case You're Wondering...

Our state seems to be on fire. Texas has spontaneously combusted over the last few days, and it looks like there are lots of fires in Oklahoma too. Louisiana, New Mexico, Colorado, and the Northwest U.S. also have fires.

My husband and I own a house in the Texas county that has been in the news. Luckily, about a week ago we moved everything out in the process of selling the house. Unluckily, the closing was delayed. Don't know how that will turn out. So far, the house and neighborhood are just fine. The uncontained, out-of-control wildfire that has burned 25,000 acres is just to the south, and the wind is blowing from the north and shooing the fire away from the subdivision.

We now live on the coast, several hundred miles to the south of that area. No fires here, but the smoke has arrived.

The state park that's near our old house is 2/3 burned... majestic pine trees, beautiful lake, historic park buildings. I think the buildings have been saved so far. The park rangers say that as long as loss of life and property can be avoided, the burn is actually good for the land. I guess we have to keep things in perspective as we live on this Earth.

Today is much cooler than yesterday... like 20 degrees cooler. It feels and smells like Fall. Maybe the fires will end soon.

FO Friday: Black Fingerless

It's FO Friday! Does the first glove count as an FO? I hope so, because I want to post it this week. Tami and I have a very special project coming up next week, when my yarn arrives. Oooooh, I'm excited.

You can see this glove with a hand in it as a WIP, here.

For more FO Friday finished objects on other blogs, check here.