*Ominous, but determined, music plays*

Christmas knitting season is upon us, dear friends. Fifty-eight days lay between us and our goal of handmade gifts for all of our loved ones.

Are you prepared? Have you made your list of the people who are knit-worthy this year? Have you bought your yarn? Have you picked out your patterns?

I, in a completely surprising show of thoughtfulness and organization, have actually made my list. I've picked my patterns. And I've started buying my yarn.

In fact, I've even finished something already!

Okay, it's half of something. And I still haven't woven in the ends. But for me, this is a huge change from my usual habit of waiting until the last minute.

My god, it even fits adult human hands. I'm scaring myself here.

By my count I have the following to make in the next 58 days: 2 cowls, 1 tablet case, 1 hat, 3 shawls, 5 flannel lap quilts, 7 pairs of fingerless gloves, 5 casserole carriers, and 1 pair of mittens.

All three shawls were already WIP's. 

And two pairs of the gloves are commissions. 

But...

Holy shit. 

I should have started in July...

This is only a fraction of the yarn that I'll be using for Christmas. The rest I still need to order.

What the hell was I thinking?!

Maybe I should knit myself a triangle shawl out of the skein of Felicity that I picked up from the Three Irish Girls trunk show to make myself feel better...

In other news, I was finally able to snap some pictures of the tea cozy I made for Renee for her birthday.

Pattern is the Honey for Tea cozy on Ravelry. Mine is a loose interpretation of it, so be warned. I used worsted weight rather than fingering, fewer repeats, and an i-cord for the closure. The bees are also my own design, using a 5 stitch i-cord.

Well, I suppose it's back to the deluge of Christmas yarn I need to magically turn into gifts.

58 days, people. 58 days.

Where's Gandalf when you need him?

Icicles Hangin' From My Nose

It is really bloody cold in our house.

Like, really, really cold.

Like 53°F in our house.

I may actually be rethinking my feelings on how much I love cold weather...

The furnace is acting up and we can't have anyone come look at it until after Friday. The past few days have been frozen hell. Everyone is wandering around with multiple layers on topped with a blanket fashioned into a cape.

In my desperate attempt to trick myself into thinking I'm warmer than what I really am, I've tossed all of my other projects aside and started knitting myself a cabled wrap out of some Wool of the Andes Superwash Bulky. I'm even holding it double. Double the yarn, double the warm factor, right?

John doesn't need to know that the yarn was originally supposed to be used as a blanket for him. If I die of cold, I won't be around to knit him anything else. I think it's worth the sacrifice to use the yarn for me.

Once I'm done with it, I'm planning on releasing it as a pattern on Ravelry. Then you guys can be warm, too!

I'm also starting a matching sweater for Chloe. I even did a swatch all proper-like. Free pattern here.

And because I don't feel right if I don't have a shawl on the needles at all times, I started Passe-Partout for my grandma. 

I'm on the third section already. I'm really loving the Three Irish Girls yarn, but I had a bit of a disaster.

That is about a third of a skein, lost to tangles. Fortunately, a friend of mine (who is much more patient than I ever will be) is going to be kind enough to sort this out for me. 

In happier news, I own a washing machine again. Is it sad that I've been absolutely ecstatic about washing my own clothes? 

Well, it's about dinner time, which means I get to go hover around a warm stove. Any other time, this is a chore. Not tonight, baby. And the fact that we have a guest over (Hi, Em!) means I have to cook more. Oh, damn, guess I better get started.

Three Irish Girls Mini-Retreat

Friday night I had the pleasure of attending a mini-retreat put on by my favorite LYS, Harps and Thistles. It was a night filled with fun, friends, and all the yarn you could possibly "taste." And, my god, I have found my people.

Living where I do, I'm isolated to just a few neighbors who knit or crochet around me. Some of my friends do, but I almost never get to see them. And as much fun as it is to compare projects on facebook messenger, nothing can beat sitting in person with another knitter, needles, fiber, and conversation flying. 

Well, I got to sit with a bunch of like-minded souls and just knit my night away. 

All the lovely people at my table, except for Bill. He was off socializing at another table. It was so much fun seeing all the different projects they were working on.

Cindy and Erin giving away prizes.

My dear friend, Mikayla, whom I haven't seen since she was pregnant with her son. Her son will be turning five soon. Can't tell you how much I've missed her!

Mikayla's shawl that she's been working so hard on. It's the Drachenfels Shawl on Ravelry. And can I just say, holy crap, people, this woman knits fast! Like, I can barely see her hands moving. 

When I was getting my shower before leaving, I was mulling over what project to take. I had finished my mug cozy (you'll see that later this week!) and the only other project I could quickly grab and didn't require beads or printing something out was a washcloth.

What kind of knitter would bring a washcloth to an event like this? So undignified. 

I was running super late so I grabbed my Dragonfly Fibers Pixie in Starry Night, no stitchmarkers, the free shawl pattern I got from BNW during the yarn tour, and just my straight needles. The mess above is that, one of my taste swatches, and the other two balls I was sampling.

Where's the picture of just the progress of the shawl? Well, it's been frogged. It was cursed. I don't even want to talk about it. I'll pick it back up again sometime next year when I actually have time to work on it.

Here are the swatches, though. From top to bottom the bases are McClellan Lace, Springvale Sock, and Felicity Worsted. All were knit on size 7's because I was too lazy to dig out the rest of my needles that's my favorite size to use. The Felicity I've completely fallen in love with.

This was what was in the goodie bags that everyone got. Two different fiber rinses, some stitch markers, needle protectors, a pouch to keep everything in, and a mini skein of a new yarn base to try out. If I remember correctly it's a merino, cashmere, nylon blend.

But forget about all that! Let's get to the real reason why everyone was there!

I warn you, it can bring a tear to your eye.

Those, my dear friends, would be all the beautiful skeins of the new exclusive colorways for Harps and Thistles. I didn't get a chance to snap a pic of the image that they used for inspiration, but needless to say, it was gorgeous. 

And this is what I brought home!

This is Currumbin, the skein that is the base of all the other colors. I picked up a skein in the Springvale Worsted.

This is also the Springvale Worsted in Pacific Surf. I'm planning on making cowls with both of these colors. This one will be used for John's. Won't the blue be fabulous with his eyes?

This is Springvale DK in Queensland. I had grand ambitions of yet another shawl for myself, but decided on making the new one I want to do for grandma out of it instead.

Adorn sock in Rock Pool. I am so in love with this color! I'm pairing it with the Starry Night yarn to break up the variegation. This will be used for the cabled edge.

In addition to the retreat, Harps and Thistles is having a trunk show with Three Irish Girls with some OOAK skeins and other beautiful treasures. I had to pick up a third skein of the DK pictured above for my grandma's shawl and was legally obligated to check out the trunk show. So yesterday, back up to Cuyahoga Falls we went!

No idea how that other ball ended up in my basket...

Okay, honestly, I can't pass up beautiful green yarn. It's a weakness of mine.

All in all, the retreat was fabulous and I want to thank Cindy, Sarah, Erin, and everyone else for such a truly wonderful evening.

*Sniff, Sniff*

I walked outside today and I smelled it.

Yes, that smell.

You know what I'm talking about.

That crisp, spicy scent that can only come from fallen leaves. The little bite on the back of the wind to let you know that the snows of winter are a'comin. It conjures images of bountiful holiday feasts, cozy sweaters, big, chunky knits.

To say that I'm excited would be an understatement.

I am not a creature that does well in the summer heat. Give me the days of bone-chilling cold, mountains of snow, and a cozy place to watch the land as it settles down and sleeps.

I freely admit that I cry a little bit at the first snowfall of every year. I can't help it. It's so beautiful.

But, since the snows aren't quite here yet, I'll just have to be excited for autumn in the meantime.

I've prepared myself for the colder weather by buying myself a new fall outfit. Behold my glorious llama tanktop and accompanying Mr. Rogers cardigan! Both of which were purchased from ModCloth.

As it just so happens, my dragonscale shawl also looks fabulous with my new shirt! Want to take a guess as to what I'm wearing to the retreat tomorrow?

And here's that new Malabrigo sock yarn I bought yesterday. The color is simply amazing. AND it matches my new sweater! I may have to toss my other projects aside and cast on a shawlette/triangle scarf. It's calling to me.

Guess that means it's time to go pattern hunting.

Nothing to Show....

Currently on the Needles:

- Stuff I can't show you...

So, you're going to notice a distinct lack of knitting pictures today.

I'm currently working on the Boo Knits MKAL, but I can't show you that because it might spoil it for someone. I can tell you that working with lace weight yarn was great at first, but now I just want to stab my eyes out. And the beads? Holy hell, people. I adore beaded shawls. Absolutely love them.

But damnit, I hate making them!

The finished project is going to look amazing. But every single time I have to stop knitting, pick up a hook, snatch up a bead, stick it on the stitch, replace the stitch, set my hook back down, and continue on my bloody way I honestly want to just throw the damn shawl into a fire, listening for the glorious sounds of little beads exploding in the heat. And the beads I picked out blend too much into the yarn, I think. So they're doubly frustrating.

So, you would think that after all this I would swear off beaded, fiddily shawls, right?

Want to guess what I went out and did today?

Yep. I bought some fingering weight yarn in a gorgeous color that will blend perfectly with blood red beads that I had originally picked out for the MKAL. And it's going to be another shawl...

So why don't I show you a picture of my new yarn? Because to take a picture of it in anything but the best lighting would be a crime against humanity. Seriously, it's that gorgeous.

What about my other knitting projects? Well, I can't show you those because they're all birthday gifts.

And I can't show you my other crafts because I haven't done any.

About the only thing I can show you is nothing more than internet currency.

Yep, they're cat pictures. That is my daughter, Beatrice, Bee for short. And don't let the snoozy cute-face fool you. She's a little terror.

And for those of you who are not feline-inclined, here's something just for you.

Some of my neighbor's pooches. Carly is the brown and white, Maddie the black and white. They spend their days with a yorkie named Kaylee, and a floofy pooch named Bella. The whole pack might be my other favorite dogs. My own pack is first in my heart, of course. (Renee, I apologize for probably butchering the spelling of their names. Forgive me?)

So, I apologize profusely for the lack of yarn porn pictures today. I feel really off my game.

But I promise you that there will be a profane amount of pictures on Saturday. Because I'm going to do something insanely fun on Friday evening. 

Harps & Thistles is hosting a mini-retreat with Three Irish Girls. There will be a yarn tasting, door prizes, goodie bags (to the first 50 that sign up!), and the chance to be the first to purchase some new TIG colorways, including one that will be exclusive to H&T. The cost is $20 per person. Sign up HERE or you can pay at the door.

I actually almost accidentally purchased a skein of one of the new colorways that someone accidentally put out on the display today. It's gorgeous, let me tell you. And it's coming home with me Friday. 

Well, back to all the things that no one else can see!

Garden Adventures and Forgetfulness

Before anything else, I must tell you that The Void has spit up my package and it was delivered safely to my home yesterday. And the best part? Even though the skeins are from two different companies, they look so similar that I won't have to alternate the skeins every couple of rows when I work with them. Score!

Recently Finished Objects:

- Dragonscale Shawl

On the Needles (Or, at least it would be):

- Boo Knits Halloween MKAL

Boo Knits has tempted me into my first MKAL (mystery knit along for the uninitiated) with their Voodoo Shawl. The placeholder image bewitched me from just searching the stash and sent me out to look for a blood red lace yarn that I could pick up quickly. I was nearly overcome by some Malabrigo Sock in Boticelli Red, but didn't really have $40 to spend just on yarn. So, I settled for some lovely warm grey in Malabrigo Lace...

Which I promptly left sitting beside a chair in my mom's house in Akron. 

I'm going to grab it tonight on the way to Aurora, social rules about being super late to a party be damned. I don't want to get too far behind, damnit!

In happier news, I finished my Dragonscale Shawl. With 6 yards of yarn left to spare. I won the race, and that's what matters here. The fact that I had to leave off the last two rows of the chart and did a regular bind off as opposed to the two row one written is completely irrelevant. 

The beaded edge is only apparent when you're about two inches away from the thing and I somehow completely messed up added a design feature that used a bronze bead instead of an olive one for the middle row of the edge. 

And blocking this behemoth was an adventure, let me tell you. 

It came out so big and so comfy, though. It's everything I need in a shawl.

I'm completely in love with it. Enough so that I'm making matching jewelry to match. Have I ever mentioned that I'm completely out of my mind?

Last week, I got to hangout with one of my best friends, Vi, for the afternoon. We did this thing called a "lunch date" and then headed to the Canton Garden Center for a bit of hiking-ish activity.

For being the early fall, everything was still amazingly gorgeous.

We also made a new friend when this little girl decided to take a nosedive straight into the pond.

Now, feel free to imagine the sight of two grown-ass women trying frantically to save a drowning bee and laugh hysterically. I'll wait.

Good? Okay. Because it was a pretty damn funny sight to behold.

All in all, I had a wonderful day out and think I'd like to try this lunch date thing again.