A Great Day for Knitwear

The first official snowfall of the season happened this morning. It was just a wet mix of rain and snowflakes here in town, however the Peak and the drive to Woodland Park was full of white, winterland pictures. It was beautiful even if the fog level was almost too thick to get any pictures.

I got to wear my favorite cowl all morning, indoors and out, and it worked great. Now I am at home in sweats, working on a test knit and watching Halloween related movies. It's a great way to spend a Saturday. I hope everyone is warm, dry and thoroughly entertained~!

October Brings the Re-Organization of Knitting Projects

It is that time of year. The leaves are changing, the air is cooling and every talking head is remarking on the Christmans countdown. Today's count, just so you know, is 82 days.

For me, that creates a fast reorganization of the projects on my needles because I knit a lot of gifts, and this year is no different. So, from now until about December 20th, most everything will  be unbloggable until they are received.

Since that means a lot of use of the word "secret" and no pictures to share, I have decided this year to be working on at least one "public" project that I share as I go through the next two months. It seems only fair.

Currently, these "public" projects will include a couple UFOs that I am determined to complete so I can use them this fall. The first in this category is the KnitOneBelow Reversible Vest that I started for myself this spring. It is almost to the armhole. I am going to use it to demonstrate the technique to my senior class this month because they want to start the scarf pattern.

Another UFO that I plan to complete is the Twined Cowl. I think I am at the halfway point and given another weekend afternoon of just knitting I bet I can finish it to wear on the first, really cold day that arrives toward the end of the month.

What I try to have at all times is one project to work on in the car and one to work on at home. This keeps it fresh and I rarely get bored with the project I am working on. I hope everyone is having a great start into Fall~!

Beautiful Patches

 

It was a beautiful day to try leaf-peeping. The color is changing quickly and the results are glorious. Here are just a couple pics to celebrate Fall's arrival.

I spent the afternoon teaching some enthusiastic folks how to make intentional holes in their knitting. The finished shawl will be a welcome addition to their wardrobes in the very near future.

Outbound

The secret knits are on their way to Germany. I have alerted the Evil Elf to be on the look out for them. I think they will be well received and I hope to get some great pictures from them.

Now it is one to more local gift knitting.

Cowl-a-bama

No, it is not a new area demanding statehood or the call of a free-flying maniac. However, it is taking over my immediate knitting time.

Most of what you see here will be gifted away. Some are finished and ready for their "care" tags, others on the needles or just listed next to an undisclosed name.

I am liking the fact that I get to knit with colors that are not my own and with yarns I chose especially because I had not knit with them before, some I like enough to re-buy, others - not so much.

Here's to more fall-ish weather in the near future to make me think of warm, cozy things to knit and yummy, stewed foods to fill my house with fabulous fumes~!

Benson Sculpture Garden in Loveland

On my way home from the northern end of the state, I made a stop at the Benson Sculpture Garden on the north end of Loveland Lake.

It is a beautiful place with many paths to walk and view the many pieces of brass scultures. I took the opportunity to photo one of the secret knit pieces that are on their way to Germany next week.

This is another great place to visit if you are in the area.

More Yarn Shops: Visited and Reviewed

My final destination for this scouting trip was Fort Collins. I found a lovely cupcake bakery called Butter Cream. All I can say is: Yummy!

I visited the now famous knit shop called Lambspun, as it stars in Maggie Sefton's knit mystery series. It has so many rooms of fiber and books and ideas that it is difficult to decide where to begin looking. If you visit be sure to find the sale room. It is worth the time to sort through the pile for a treasure of yarns at less than retail prices.

There is also a little restaurant attached to the shop called the Back Porch Cafe. The food smelled great, and it is near the golf course. Well worth the stop to see all that they offer.

I also visited the newest shop on the main drag, Your Daily Fiber. It had some lovely offerings for knitters, spinners and weavers. It is located nearest to the college and I will bet at certain times of the week/day it is full of fiber art students plying their education.

My favorite find is My Sister Knits. It is a challenge to find, but, oh so worth it. It is located in an older residential area that used to be one that the trolley serviced, you can still see the tracks. I could have spent the afternoon in their yard, knitting and watching the flowers grow. The shop is a two-story carriage house in the backyard of a beautiful home and full to the brim with the best yarns ever. The ladies who run it are very helpful and delighted to see their customers.

I highly recommend a visit to all three of these shops when you are next in the Fort Collins area.