Loot
I went to Rhinebeck and didn't buy yarn. I know this sounds a bit odd, but I get rather frazzled when I find myself somewhere crowded. I bailed out after less than three hours. I wanted very badly to be elsewhere, so we left. Luckily, we were up in Maine after Rhinebeck, and Maine seems to be exceptionally well supplied with yarn stores. I visited quite a few of them. Of course we went into Portland, which means of course we went to KnitWit, which means of course I bought yarn from Quince & Co. Rather a lot of yarn actually. [...]
And a Good Plan it Was
There was a plan. It was a plan that involved me finishing the hat and the mitts while we were up here and taking pictures here. I even demonstrated an impressive amount of forethought and planning by bringing appropriate blocking gear and the stuff to make my hair all shiny and well behaved. But then, the leftover yarn proved too much for me to resist, and I had to make a neck thing. Alas, the neck thing won't be done while we're here (close, but not quite). And while I did bring mitt blockers (as you do), I did not [...]
Toasty
I'm clearly overdue to tell you about Rhinebeck. My only excuse is that we've gone of on a bit of an excursion after, and, when faced with the choice between staring at my computer or gazing out across the water, the water wins. But I have found one of the things I picked up at the show to be especially useful on the trip. You see, I did an odd thing. I didn't buy any yarn at Rhinebeck. I know this is a bit scandalous, but alas it's true (don't worry, I have remedied this on the rest of the [...]
Extras
The hat and cuffs are done. Even done and blocked. But there was far too much yarn left to just let it sit about unused, so I decided to do an alarmingly small scarf. It will be a wee little thing, just the sort of fluff that wraps around your neck and pins in place with a lovely fastener (I may possibly have obtained said fastener when I stopped by String Theory, but that's a story for another time). It's well underway and will be shown off more in the days to come.
As Promised
Despite that wee bit of pre-trip knitting that resulted in the unexpectedly early completion of the hat and one mitt, I did manage to save some knitting for the trip. As proof, I offer the mitt on the needles on the conveniently photogenic moldering log located beside the place we are staying. It will be done with just a few more minutes of knitting, and then that lovely great pile of remaining yarn will get turned into some sort of snuggly neck thing. I am fairly sure it will be delightful.
More Provisions
And, lest you think yesterday's herb salts were the only things we made ahead and packed along with us, allow me to remind you of the hot chocolate paste. As with the herb salts, this was all explained last year. This hot chocolate paste has become such a staple part of our pantry that I didn't want to be without it, even on a trip (why yes, I did also pack a teapot and several kinds of loose tea, why do you ask). If you missed it last year, you really should give it a shot, it's awfully good stuff [...]
Provisions
Yes, we are off on our annual fall excursion. And yes, I will doubtless be detailing it all at alarming length over the next few weeks. But before we left, we had the traditional herb massacre and making of herb salts. I wrote all about making herb salts last year (here and here). We followed much the same procedure this year. Just for my own records, we used three bowls full of herbs (sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and marjoram), 4.5 pounds of coarse salt, and four full heads of garlic, and the results look to be just as delicious of [...]
Best of Intentions
I meant for this to be road knitting. Really I did. But the hat was finished, and I had just a few minutes, and I felt like knitting. Then, somehow, all of a sudden...there it was. All I can say is that it is damn cute, and I'm not really sure how much apologizing can be done for that level of cuteness. And now that I see how little yarn it takes (and how much of my second ball I have left over), I find myself wondering if a little cowl might round out this set nicely...
Ahead of Schedule
I know that this was supposed to be road knitting. And I know that this is a finished hat perched on my back fence. All I can say is that it's an easy pattern, it's a pretty yarn, and sometimes I fall prey to knitting spurts and need to bang these things out quickly. In my defense, I will take the mitts on the road. And perhaps this way I can get pattern pics while I'm away and re-release this pattern this season.
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