These Delicato Mitts were finished a little while ago for my sister-in-law, but I didn't want to post a picture until they had been gifted, because I didn't want to spoil the surprise for her.  They're knit with sock weight yarn that I purchased because she is knitting a sweater in a similar colorway.  Fall is in the air here and I know her hands get cold, so am hoping these will be a colorful way to keep them warm.

Tiny Baskets

These little baskets in progress will be finished and made into pincushion baskets for my booth at the Block Party Quilt Show in November.  Each is one-of-a-kind, and these include reed that was hand dyed by me in Sisters this past July.

More Watercolor Practice

I'll probably add some words or something else when I get back to the teapot, cream and sugar.

Mystery Sock - another UFO finished!

After more than a year, they're finally done!!!  You know it really didn't take a year to do the work, but the pattern was dated 2009, and the last picture I took of one sock and the second started was in June, 2010, so they've been waiting to be finished for quite some time and now I have a new pair of socks just in time for the weather to be cooling down:-)

The pattern was designed by Kirsten Kapur for Through the Loops.

When the cat's away...

While my husband went on a recent business trip, I pulled out my basket making supplies and got to work, it just took me a while to take pictures.  Someday, I'd like to make an antler basket, and I've been told I need to make a melon basket to learn the basic techniques that will be needed, so I used some of the reed I dyed in Sisters, OR, and a purchased pattern, to make two little melon baskets.  The small one was made with 6" hoops and the larger one with 8" hoops.

Once those were finished, I decided to begin work on a gathering basket pattern that was in my "to do" pile, along with the special base and handle.  This is the most beautiful basket I've ever made!  The only thing that bothers me is that it's too light and white looking, so I've ordered some Weaver's Stain and am thinking of staining it, after testing on scrap reed.  Yes, it was time consuming, but I love it!!!

Sweet Jazz scarf

My studio is full of UFOs, and as I go through them, some will be tossed, others finished.  Some I'll work on enough to make a decision, and more than one has already been tossed for one reason or another.  No, I'm not going to count my UFOs!  I'd rather spend my time working on finishing them or working on new projects that have supplies taking up space in the studio.  Sometimes it's obvious it needs to be tossed or given away, like when I find a UFO and don't like it any more - that one goes! It's only worthwhile working on UFOs that I still like.  The decision to keep or toss depends on the type and status of the UFO.

Anyways, the Sweet Jazz scarf hasn't been in progress too long, and was a joy to make, so I'm saving the pattern.  I love the yarn, the color, it was wonderful to work with, and it's finished just in time, as the weather is changing and fall is in the air!

Summer Spinning

Throughout the summer, I've been spinning roving into yarn, so here is what I'm looking forward to knitting with:

I had intended to spin the huckleberry knits rovings so that I could use them all in the same project, if I wanted to, but after chain plying (3-ply) the darkest one, I decided to do the lighter two as 2-ply yarns.  They are all Blue-Faced Leicester wool.  I'm hoping the center yarn is enough for a cowl pattern (I think it should be),  The roving is from Hood Canal Yarns, Inc. and feels wonderful, because it is a 50 / 50 blend of baby camel and tussah silk, so it is a thin 2-ply, that I'm hoping will work with the pattern that I've already chosen! On the far right is the  skein from the woolgatherings Mixed Blue Face Leicester roving which I am considering using with the dark skein, as stripes in a cardigan pattern from Twist Collective, using the grey wool I spun from that enormous bag of roving as the background color (hey, I figure since I've got to have color, I'll never use the grey alone, it has to be used with other colors), but I need to dig in my roving stash for at least a third color, because otherwise, I might not have enough for the stripes.

While I was spinning those, I also spun a couple bobbins of thick and thin to make beehive art yarn, and am now in progress of plying it. This is a more time consuming project, because I need to work slowly, and can only ply for a short while before needing a break.  Therefore, I am working on it in short bursts between other projects, and will look forward to finished yarn.....eventually!

Here are the thick and thin bobbins:

And the aqua 2-ply wool / silk is the core / plying thread.  I thought I had plenty, but am noticing I'll need to prepare more, because I'm going through it much faster than I thought I would.