Signs of Fall

Ah, my favorite time of the year! I know fall has arrived when:

1. there are pumpkins and all sorts of
    gourds for sale everywhere (indicating
    the seasonal harvest has begun);
2. can fresh cranberries be far behind?;
3. that great nip in the air is interspersed
    with a few warm, sunny Indian
    summer days;
4. I notice the leaf colors everywhere I go;
5. I want to cook stews all the time,
    preferably with red wine;
6. I start stocking up on candles of all sorts
    (although tea lights are my preferred
    candle choice in winter); and


7. I want to use all the soft, warm yarn I can get my hands on, preferably in red and
    orange colorways.

I also wanted to provide a few photos of Andrea's Shawl of Red Awesomeness, now that she's received it. You can also see some sassy modeled action shots over at her blog. I absolutely loved making this shawl, and it definitely makes me feel the season.

Happy Fall, where ever you are (in the Northern Hemisphere, of course)!

Grape vines in the fall French countryside



It's a Process Fee-Fi(ber)-F.O. Friday

I say it's all about process this week, because ... well ... it just is, at least for me.

Initially, I've got several projects in process, but the one that I can share with you right now is Andrea's shawl of red awesomeness. It's about 50% completed, and here's a process pic taken several days ago:

Even in this raw, unblocked state it is some kind of amazing. I cannot wait to complete it! I'm absolutely loving working with Andrea's handspun. It's very sproingy and has a slight thick and thin quality to it. Along with a few specs of vegetative matter here and there, it all adds up to rustic yarny goodness.

I also need to provide a word or two here on my blogging process. Since I've been using this new computer, with more internal safeguards and bells and whistles, there are some blogs on which I cannot post comments that I used to be able to before, and really want to again! I've changed my Blogger settings in the hope that might do the trick ... and it did for a few blogs. But the combination of my new security settings and certain bloggers' comment settings are making it impossible for me to completely join in the fun. So to those who I used to leave comments but haven't in a while ... it's not the copy. Really. 

Finally, what process discussion would be complete without the food that sustains the process? I had a great meal a few weeks back of charcuterie and frites that was just about perfect. I shall leave you with a wonderful pictoral food memory that I hope will inspire your Labor Day feasts (if you're in the U.S.):

These frites were perfect, the grainy mustard a nice acidic note
to the charcuterie, and the hard cider was almost like drinking
a cream and apple tart. Oh yum!

Definitely check out Andrea's blog to see how everyone else is exercising their fibery labor rights ... and have fun while not working over this Labor Day weekend. 

Yarn Swifty Gal this Fee-Fi(ber)-F.O. Friday

Watching the paint dry on the parts
of my hand-made yarn swift

So, while I was taking my little technological break, I accomplished something I've wanted to since the beginning of the year - I made my own yarn swift.

Now this might not seem like such a grand and glorious accomplishment - until you realize I made it without screws or traditional carpenter's tools of any kind - just craft-store materials, glue, paint, and my own two hands. It looks something like this:


The design for this awesome little
low-tech yarnie machine can be
found here. I love the Internet. 











Want to see it in action? Get a load of it as I wind Andrea's handspun on it:

Isn't the handspun just gorgeous? Can you believe that's the natural color of Midnight Magic? I might need to go and steal that animal from the barn.

Now, you might be wondering why I'm winding Andrea's handspun. Well, here's what she sent me in order to craft a shawl for her:

This is a whole lotta alpaca love

 I'm making her a Critron; I've already started it, and it's going to be some kind of siren song. It might need it's own zip code.

I hope you are as in love with your fiber as I am with mine at the moment. Definitely check out everybody's fiber art from Andrea's blog - and I'd love to hear what you would name Andrea's shawl. It needs a super name, so I'm all ears.

A Fee-Fi(ber)-F.O. Friday for the Books

Days like today are the reason so many of us transplant to the Pacific Northwest and don't ever want to move away: sunny, blue sky, low 70s with a beautiful breeze, no humidity. The greenery is more verdant, the flowers are just that much more fragrant, and the swallows are chirping about. People are out everywhere - doing yard work, walking their pets, strolling with their children or loved ones, riding their bikes, taking photographs (!), getting errands done while soaking up all that vitamin D. Glorious, absolutely glorious.

It is amid that background that I photographed my most recent finished project - my Lettuce Leaf shawl. I cannot tell you how much I absolutely love this shawl. The pattern is the Critron, which is the crocheted version of the popular Citron knitted half-circle shawl. Worked up in laceweight alpaca and mohair, this blocked out so amazingly well. Can you tell how excited I am?!!!!

This is my first half-circle shawl, and I love how it lays so nicely on my shoulders. It needs just a little shawl pin on the side, but I can see this becoming my new favorite go-to shawl. 

And even though I'm once again a little late to the Fiber Arts Friday dance, I think Andrea might not mind that I exercised my freedom to move about my neighborhood on this awesomely lovely day. Definitely check back with her blog to see how everyone else kicked off their respective July 4th weekend.

Happy independence! Get out there and enjoy ... just don't forget your fiber.