You may have already heard, but it bears repeating: Scarves are urgently needed!

So until I have time to write this up properly and post the pdf file, here is the pattern. You still have time to make and send one of these.

The first and last stitches are selvedge stitches. The first stitch is always slipped purlwise with yarn in front, and the last stitch is always knit.

C2F: with right needle, knit the 2nd stitch on the left needle, then knit the first stitch on the left needle and let both stitches slip off

C2B: with right needle, knit the 2nd stitch on the left needle through the back loop, then knit the first stitch on the left needle and let both stitches slip off

Cast on a multiple of 4 stitches. My scarf has 40 stitches. The yarn is Zara, a DK weight yarn, and I am using a 4.5 mm needle.

Row 1: Slip 1, (P2, C2F) to last 3 sts, P2, K1
Row 2: Slip 1, (C2F, P2) to last 3 sts, C2F, K1
Row 3: Slip 1, (P2, C2B) to last 3 sts, P2, K1
Row 4: Slip 1, (C2B, P2) to last 3 sts, C2B, K1

Repeat these 4 rows. Bind off.

This picture shows both sides of the scarf. Yes, it is the same scarf in both pictures. What can I say? It was a grey day.

Pink baby sweater: just needs buttons.

New scarf pattern!

I liked the texture of Laurie’s ripple rib scarf and she kindly sent me the stitch pattern. But I wanted something reversible so after much swatching I figured it out and will post it soon.

What’s black and white and red all over? Socks! These took 2/3 of a 100g ball. I forgot to use the reinforcing thread. Oh well.

Lichen-dyed yarn.

A small experiment. I used this stuff that grows abundantly on some of my trees.

6g of lichen boiled in 600 g of water; strained, added 1 Tbsp vinegar and 6 g (dry) of wetted wool yarn. Simmered 1 hour and then let cool to room temp. Rinsed in clean water and hung to dry. It has the most wonderful woodsy smell.

My favourite sock yarn in my favourite colours from a favourite friend. Oh. She sent a treat too. Chocolate covered mini twists. I can't show you a picture because, um, it's too dark now. Yeah, that's it.

And I promised you pictures of knitting too.

Hey, I didn't say they would be good pictures.

Here we have pieces of a baby sweater for a co-worker's girl baby born 4 weeks ago. The pattern (yes, I can follow patterns) is the Celestial Baby Sweater by Lucy Neatby. It was the perfect use for one skein of Sundara sock yarn in the colourway 'Dahlia', from the Petals collection of a few years back. The yarn is beautifully dyed, but I don't wear pink. I've also sworn off knitting socks with 100% merino yarn after bad experiences with poor longevity.

And I finished the mate to the striped sock I showed you a few posts ago. Well, they are not really finished as there are a bazillion ends to sew in. The stitch pattern is from the Conwy sock by Nancy Bush. The stripes make me smile. I think they look rather Dr. Seuss-ish, like something the Cat in the Hat might wear around the house in the winter.

To end this post I just have to show you this bush. The first picture was taken a month ago, the second picture was taken today.

It is not a burning bush, but I'm not sure what it is. Here is a closer up view.

It looks kind of like a bigger, taller variety of blueberry, and I think I may have picked blueberries from it back in the summer, but I'm not sure. I guess I will find out next summer.

He was having a real chow down on those berries!

Tomorrow: pictures of yarn and maybe even knitting. I got a package from Norma with 3 beautiful balls of Trekking XXL sock yarn. Thanks hon!

I tried taking pictures under my Ott Lite, but the colours are just totally off.

Oh! I baked biscotti with lemon zest and candied ginger. Yum.

I bought some little potted herbs and put them on a sunny window sill.

Parsley, basil, oregano, rosemary.

There were some late bloomers in the garden.

Pretty little wild asters.

And I think this is the silliest flower ever.

Those plants are about 8 feet tall. They are growing at the bottom of a steep slope near the driveway.

I presume this was a second bloom on the spirea, and whatever this other shrub is. Anyone?

This burning bush was beautiful.

And the vine on the garage too. All gone now.

The elderberry behind the wood shed was magnificent.

Even the slime mold was pretty.

And there was a magic time in the morning when the brook outflow caught the sun.

On a particularly warm day there were a final few dragonflies,

ladybugs looking for hiding places,

and birthday socks for the youngest hanging on the line.

The summer birds are gone, but the winter birds are plentiful.

I cleaned the garage and workshop of a summer’s-worth of spider webs,mouse droppings, and flies.

And when I went to use my shop vac, I found this little guy all snuggled up to the hose like he’d found his mom.

And finally, Halloween evening looked like this.

Sometimes there were lots of birds.

And sometimes not.

Ben came to visit and brought a precious loaf of Rideau Bakery marble rye.

I took a day off while he was visiting and the three of us went to the Yarmouth light (Cape Forchu).

We relaxed

and relaxed some more.  

We watched the red-backed bees.

The kids climbed on the rocks.

We stopped at the little sandy beach and admired the hips on the beach roses.

For Sandy, Saturday Sky Sunrise (5 Sept 2009)

Sparkly spider web

Unidentified water bird up on the bank in the back yard

Toad stool.                                         Really big toadstool.

There was also some knitting in September. And felting.

This, this, and this

turned into this, this, and this.  For scale, the red and white gingham has one inch squares.

Here is a more oblique view. Yes, they are upside down.

The black and grey bowl was knit from two strands of Lett Lopi (one of each colour) held together.

The tiny red and black bowl was stranded knitting using one strand of each colour of Lett Lopi.

The biggest piece was knit from the no-longer-available(?) Merino & Fur (NZ possum) by Naturally. As you can see from the last picture it is rather flimsy to be a bowl, but would make a lovely child-sized tam. Soooo soft and ... furry.

And a little more September knitting - socks (still in progress) and a Red Scarf.

The socks are my solution to only one 50 g ball of each colour of Sheepjes Invicta Extra (scarlet and denim).

The scarf is knit from Caron Simply Soft Shadows in the Autumn colourway. This is a really nice acrylic yarn.

And that's it for September. Phew! Stay tuned for "October".

When I last posted I was mowing grass like mad and re-knitting the yoke of a sweater.

Ah. Much better. Here it is with the yoke redone and just the button bands and collar to knit. Heh.

I wanted a nice firm band so I decided to follow Lucy Neatby’s instructions for double layer stocking stitch bands with magic buttonholes. As Lucy suggests, I tried it out on a swatch first. This gave me a chance to try two different sizes of buttonhole (3- and 4-stitches) and to practice the grafting around the buttonholes in an easy-to-see contrasting colour. This really does give a very neat finished edge.

Here are some pictures of the actual buttonhole band in progress, with just the last two buttonholes to finish.

Wrong side of band

Right side of band

One buttonhole finished. Hard to see, isn’t it?

Even up close it is still nearly invisible.

Here, I’ll poke my finger through so you can see it. I went with the 3-stitch hole.

So, Labour Day weekend the sweater was completely finished. It fits great. It is nice and long and oh so cozy. I actually still need to wash and block it, but that hasn’t stopped me from wearing it. Sorry for the crappy pictures. I was looking into a very bright late-afternoon sun and had a reluctant photographer.