I decided I had to try a short row heel, so even though I have other socks on the needles, and I really wanted to do this 2 at a time, I just had to get this started so I could do the heel asap. I'm sure that I could have just done it on some scrap yarn or something else logical, but why do something logical when you can cast on a new project?

Suzanne brought the pattern for this baby shoe in because she kept getting stuck on the finishing of it. She was to find out that I was not the person to solve the problem, what with my lack of spatial skills and all. In sitting there and getting more and more frustrated, we did have ample opportunity to chat, and while we were talking, she mentioned that she had really enjoyed reading Blood and Thunder by Hampton Sides; it focuses on Kit Carson and the 19th century history of New Mexico. I found it on Audible (since I don't read any more as it interferes with my knitting) and started listening to it this morning. It's great! Some things I learned about Navajo sheep herding: The Navajo discovered that the Churro sheep brought by the Spaniards in the 1500's were perfectly adapted to the New Mexico desert; their lifestyle became centered on the sheep. They moved with the flocks according to the seasons, they sang songs to them, the sheep became their most valuable possessions, actually becoming currency. A blanket was worth 10 buffalo robes in trade. The wool was the raw material for their beautiful weaving (tight and coarse with little lanolin so it could be spun woven without washing) . Interesting to me was their philosophy of art: they hated to have anything completed or closed-ended; hence all of the weavings having a small imperfection, allowing the creation to breathe, the "spirit outlet".

Anyway, thanks, Suzanne, for the book recommendation.
And, I did keep working on the shoe until I had figured out how it went (some hours later); see pictured.

I couldn't wait to get my hands into this yarn, but it was hard to decide what to do with it. This hat from Designer Knits from One Skein seemed just the thing and knit up in a couple of hours.

This just arrived, and it is a most unique handspun yarn; the individual spinner's name is included with each skein.

This yarn is handspun by nomads in the Gobi Desert in Mongolia.

A portion of the sales is returned to the tribe to help the women who herd and spin.

Each color is unique; no such thing as dyelots here!

Great pictures and info at: http://nomadyarns.com

Just finished some summer tops. On the left, a Norah Gaughn pattern using Berroco Seduce; it may not be the easiest yarn to work with, but the feel is wonderful. On the right, the Flyaway Home Jacket from Just One More Row. It's made from Ironstone Sky, which the new owners are not going to continue, but we bought up what we could, and it is beautiful.

Knitting group last night was small enough that I was able to sit and knit the whole evening. What a treat! If the pictures are a bit blurry, it's because I was laughing and of course because Sheila refused to be the photographer.
We enjoyed seeing Sheila's new felted scarf, Selma's number socks and baby blanket, Judith's sweater that matches the one I just finished. I'm not really sure what Kat was working on, but it was small and she probably finished it in one sitting (without a pattern, of course.

Sheila loves her new beaded socks.

Knitting is just the best!

Breaking Through

I've decided that if Jana can knit socks, I can blog.
In fact, it means that all of us can try that thing we said
we would never do.