Bits and pieces

I've finished a couple of pairs of socks.  The first pair has been on the needles long enough, that other than remembering it was bought from Knit Picks, I don't remember the colorway or base.  It was an alpaca blend hand paint sock yarn from years ago.

The second set is a pair of Rose City Rollers, in Hawthorne sock, Rose city colorway.  I really love working with the Hawthorne base yarn.  The projects turn out beautifully.

I've also managed to find a pair of plain, black kitten heels and a pair of black cat eye sunglasses that actually fit!  Thank you Pin Up Girl!

Essie also just put out a gel nail polish line with a color called Spiked with Style.  It's my favorite deep blood red.

Over the last year, I have also managed to find three red lipsticks that really are wonderful.  Two are from Besame.  The darker is Red Velvet and the other is Victory Red.  The third is my day to day red, and I adore it.  It's from Shea Moisture in Red Rose. 

What all of this actually means is that I am slowly but surely getting together a proper wardrobe of things that go together, not just things that pique my interest at the moment that I never wear/use.  Knowing that I can grab something out of my closet, swipe on some lipstick, and look like I have my act together, (even if that act is gothic June Cleaver meets Ms. Frizzle), is reassuring and enables me to focus on other things that need taking care of.

First of three complete

My Keavy is done! I cast off the last sleeve stitches midday yesterday. I didn't decrease the sleeves as much as the pattern called for, as well as halving the number of collar rounds.

It still needs to be blocked.  The fit is really wonderful as is, but the cat tried to sleep on it at least once so a bath is required.

I've made a few inches progress on Petrichor  since yesterday afternoon, even with repeated rippings to get the correct number of stitches picked up at the collar.

I am adoring the bigger needles and heavier gauge yarn projects right now.  As much as I could really use the socks so close to being done, the obvious progress on the sweaters is just what I needed.

I also got the autumn embroidery piece for the entry traced out.  It took me ages to pick the floss colors for this one.  I haven't made much progress yet, but the complicated parts are out of the way.

I may have also come across some glow in the dark fabric today....and may have decided I needed to make a dress out of it.  I'm actually proud of my restraint.  It's the time of year that makes me think I need all the things...to stock up of course...for when snowflakes, hearts, and bunnies take over the displays.  Halloween really is my happy place.

If I concentrate...

If I don't get distracted by all the shiny, sometimes, I actually get things done.  

Like the first embroidered dishtowel in a new set from this set

And the fact that I have only knit on one project for the last week means Keavy is almost done!

The photo is from a couple of days ago, as of right now, the first sleeve is four inches from completion.  Admittedly, the sleeve black hole has me casting desirous glances at this yarn:

Yarn which was recently obtained for the shawl Hestia. I have not let myself wind it up, or even keep it in plain sight.  Winding the first skein is the reward for finishing the first sleeve.

Life is not all needlework though.  We've been hitting the farmers market most weekends.  A couple of weeks ago we bought cabbages. The largest was bigger than my head!  

That's a quart mason jar (with tea) for scale.  The cabbage was a solid ten pounds and quite delicious.  There's been lettuce and tomatoes and herbs from the potted plants in the backyard...I keep forgetting to take pictures before eating them.

Now back to knitting sleeves...while visions of lovely shawls and pineapples dance in my head.

Time to Knit Sweaters!

Fall has started to bat her eyelashes at us.  The mornings call for a sweatshirt or light jacket, with twilight (arriving earlier every evening) comes thoughts of wool socks for chilly toes. (At least for the last few days; I do hope it continues.)
Taking my cues from said weather; I decided I would like new woolies before the cooler season gets here, instead of trying to knit them at super speed while shivering.

The maroon one in progress is Petrichor, the oatmeal tweedy one is Keavy, and the quite green cabled pretty is Corsica.  All of them are thicker yarns at a larger gauge, so they should finish up fairly quickly, provided I continue to work on them consistently.

Summer has been busier than I expected, enjoyable yes, but busy.  I admit though, I am tickled that Halloween plans are starting to be discussed in earnest and that socks will have to be introduced back into my wardrobe.

My cat is incredibly excited as well.