Wednesday Wings - Chickadee

The cute, friendly little Chickadees have no time to sit still for a picture. They like to grab a sunflower seed and fly off to crack it in a nearby tree.


It took dozens of camera clicks to finally catch a Chickadee during a momentary absence of motion.


Normally the niger feeder is full of Goldfinches, but a few Chickadees have been giving it a try and seem to like it.

They stay on the feeder to eat and don't fly off with the little niger seeds like they do with the sunflower seeds.

Red Hat

The past few weeks my knitting has reflected the reality of the season. It will be snowing soon. There have been years when we've had snow by the middle of October.

This is the first hat I've ever knit that actually fits and/or doesn't have a weird looking knob on the top.

I pulled out a skein of red wool and using a 99 cent discount store hat as a template I whipped up a nice warm very basic red hat to wear on dog walks.

In order not to lose my notes on how I knit this hat, I'm going to post my method at the end of this entry. It's not intended to be a formal pattern. Just a reminder.

Anyway, I'm sure all the other knitters in the world know how to knit a simple hat that fits.


Red Hat
Worsted weight wool. #6 needles.

Cast on 90 stitches and join in round.
k1,p1 ribbing for 5 inches.
Stockinette for 4 inches.

k8, k2tog for a round.
Knit a round.
k7, k2tog for a round.
Knit a round.
Etc until after the k3, k2tog round.
Skip the knit round.
k2, k2tog for a round.
Turn stitches to inside of hat and bind off 27 stitches with 3 needle bind off.

Now, instead of buying a 99 cent hat at the discount store, I can spend $5 on a skein of wool and knit myself a hat. Makes sense to me.

Slightly Twisted Socks and Stitch Pattern

The Trekking is a woolly feeling, slightly fuzzy yarn. I wouldn't use it for a complicated pattern requiring good stitch definition, but these will be nice warm utility socks for every day wear in the cold seasons.

Pattern: Basic cuff down sock pattern on 60 stitches. k3p2 ribbing with alternate k3 columns knit in a twisted braid pattern. Details at end of post.

Yarn: Trekking XXL, Color # 187.

Needles: Options #1, 2.5mm

Gauge: 8 stitches/inch, 10 rows/inch



The base is a k3, p2 ribbing. This results in a nice snug sock cuff and a good fit.


Slightly Twisted Stitch Pattern
Multiple of 10 stitches, 4 rows

X = purl, Space with dot = knit

Row 1: k3, p2, k3, p2
Row 2: k3, p2, twist one stitch to the right, k1, p2
Row 3: k3, p2, k3, p2
Row 4: k3, p2, k1, twist one stitch to the left, p2

When I do twist stitches, I work them as a cable. There are other ways to work twist stitches and your preference will make an equally nice result.

Beautiful Autumn Sunday

God proclaims His love through the beauty of nature.

One-Three Basketweave Stitch Pattern

I had a few requests for the details on the basketweave stitch pattern, so here it is.

There are many variations on the basketweave stitch pattern theme, so I'm going to call this one the One-Three Basketweave Stitch Pattern.

The base is a p1, k1, p1, k3 ribbing. This results in a nice snug sock cuff and a good fit.

A pair of finished socks knit in this stitch pattern can be seen here.


One-Three Basketweave Stitch Pattern
Multiple of 6 stitches, 4 rows

X = purl, Space = knit

Row 1: p1, k1, p4
Row 2: p1, k1, p1, k3
Row 3: p3, k3
Row 4: p1, k1, p1, k3

Slightly Twisted Cuffs

I'm calling these my Slightly Twisted Socks because there is a braided looking twisted stitch pattern in alternate vertical columns.

The cuffs are nice and long - seven inches - because winter is in the air. They will be worn for warmth with jeans as soon as they're done.



Pattern: Basic cuff down sock pattern on 60 stitches. k3p2 ribbing with alternate k3 columns knit in a twisted braid pattern.

Yarn: Trekking XXL, Color # 187.

Needles: Options #1, 2.5mm

Gauge: 8 stitches/inch, 10 rows/inch

Fallen Leaves

Think it might be time to start raking?

Wednesday Wings - Roadside Turkey, Tufted Titmouse, and Goldfinch

On the way to the grocery store this afternoon I had to stop the car for a flock of wild turkeys in the road.

By the time I got the camera out and turned on, they were out of sight except for this straggler.


There are so many different, delicious seeds and berries in the woods and fields right now that the feeder isn't a very popular place.

This cute Tufted Titmouse is happy to get a fast food lunch. It's so much easier than harvesting his own food.


The Goldfinches have their winter coloring now.

They've been ignoring the Niger/thistle feeder for the sunflower seeds on the platform.

Autumn Scene

Every day the driving gets prettier. It's Mother Nature's attempt to make us glad we live in a place with four seasons before the cold and snow begin. Soon.

Woodland Basketweave Socks Done

It wasn't until I was editing the picture of the completed socks that I noticed three knit stitches that should be purl stitches way up by the top of the cuff.

I will almost always frog and correct errors, even to the point of ripping out hours worth of knitting. But, no way am I going to frog one of these socks back to the top ribbing.

My plan: Go to bed, go to sleep, pretend I never saw that small boo-boo, and never wear my glasses when I'm putting these socks on my feet.


The actual color shows in the top picture of the completed socks. The blueish picture above is just to show the stitch pattern up close. My error is not included in the close up.

Pattern: Basic sock on 60 stitches using a basketweave pattern on the cuff and instep.

Yarn: Stalwart Sock from Slackford Studio. 75% Superwash Merino, 25% Nylon 4 Ply Fingering Weight Sock Yarn.

Color: Woodland.

Needles: Options 2.50mm circulars.

Gauge: 8 stitches/inch, 10 rows/inch in stockinette.

Chat Back for October 10

Answering questions from comments and email.

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Susan asked . . .

How did you get the socks to match so well? They're lovely!

Thanks. I enjoy the challenge of getting socks to match. It adds a bit of challenge and sometimes frustration to a simple sock knit.

Getting Socks to Match

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Linda wrote . . .

I also have a Super Surgilator that wasn't surging. the repair was relatively easy, quick, and cheap. I hope yours is as well.

Exactly! It was easy, quick, and cheap.

Dan, the repair guy, told me the old washers without electronics are the easiest and cheapest to repair. He uses a 40 year old Maytag at his house.

Guess I called the right guy picking randomly from the Yellow Pages. I've saved his number for next time. There's a nineteen year old dryer sitting next to the washer, so chances are I'll be calling him again someday.

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Judy S. asked . . .

I meant to ask you earlier whether you knit that orange sweater you were wearing when you met up with your Whidbey Is. friend? I love it.

Thanks for the kind words on the orange sweater.

Yes, I knit it. I love it and wear it often when the weather is warm – as opposed to some other sweaters I’ve knit that sit in the closet and never get worn.

I also wore it when I met Wynton Marsalis.

If you’re interested in seeing more of the finished project with detail pictures and knitting specs the link is here.

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Judy S. asked . . .

Yikes! I'm not ready for this! (Early Morning Frost) How cold was it?

It got down to about 30F/-1C for three nights in a row.

It takes 28F/-2.2C for a killing frost.

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Kathy wrote . . .

A lovely picture indeed. (See it here.) So so green for fall! I would imagine spring had I not known better!

Leaves were still mostly green at the beginning of last week, but by the end of the week the pretty fall colors started showing.

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Lynn asked . . .

Three strands of sock yarn makes like a heavy worsted weight??

It does.

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Judy S. asked . . .

We saw one of these little critters (Woolly Bear Caterpillar) on our walk around Green Lake the other day. What's it mean if it's all orange?

According to Esther Lutz, Naturalist at the University of Illinois Extension:

The longer the larva has been feeding and the bigger it has grown, the more the orange band will grow towards the ends of the body, with the black bands on the ends decreasing in size as the larva matures. So the width of the banding is more an indicator of the current or past year's growth than it is a harbinger of the severity of the upcoming winter.

Very scientific, but not nearly as much fun as all the myths.

Cousins

Ten years apart, but happy in each others company. These are my two lovely granddaughters.


Kimmy, my daughter's daughter, drove from Battle Creek to Kalamazoo. She's two weeks short of fifteen and I admit to doing a double take when I spotted her behind the wheel.


Sydney, my son's daughter, is ten years younger. Her idea of driving is to hop on Great-grandma's rocking horse.

Sydney Was Here Today

Son John, DIL Anne, and Granddaughter Sydney are visiting from Idaho. What a joy to see them after a year and a half.


I had two little bags of cut up turkey dog for them to make friends with the dogs. It worked well.

Once the dog bonding was done, I remembered to grab my camera.

After a nice visit, John and Anne headed out to the Paw Paw wineries and Sydney and I headed for Mickey D's for lunch. On the way home, we stopped at the Fish Hatchery and had fun feeding the fish in the Show Pond. I forgot the camera.


When we got home, Sydney wanted to pick up acorns. Who can guess what kids will want to do?

As mentioned in yesterday's post, the acorns were easy to find and she quickly filled her bag.

Tomorrow it's famiy gathering and pizza party at Great-grandma Monette's apartment. I'm going to put my camera in my purse right now, but that's no guarantee I'm going to remember to pull it out and use it. Playing with granddaughters is more fun than taking pictures of granddaughters.

Woolly Bear Caterpillar and Acorns

Michiganders like to predict the severity of the coming winter in many unscientific and inaccurate ways.


One of the most inaccurate ways is to inspect the bands on a Woolly Bear caterpillar.

According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, the longer the middle brown band, the milder and shorter the coming winter; the shorter the brown band, the longer and more severe winter will be.

By reading the bands on this guy it appears we're going to have an average winter.


Then there's the acorns. Oh my, do we ever have acorns this year. More acorns than I've ever seen in the nineteen years we've lived here in the oak trees.

When taking this picture I just walked under a large oak and pointed down. No looking for a special, acorn covered spot. All the ground under all oaks looks like this.

An abundance of acorns is supposedly the sign of a very rough winter ahead. I'm picturing snow up to the rafters.

Third Pair of Birthday Socks

Yesterday Bob received his third pair of Birthday socks. (See the other two here.)

This pair was three days late for several reasons.

These socks are knit with three strands of fingering on 48 stitches with #5 needles.

This makes for a super durable pair of socks but the tight knitting takes a toll on my hands, arms, and shoulders. I have to limit my knitting time to avoid knitting stress pain.


My first plan was to use a strand of Trekking XXL, Color 176, with a stand of gray a strand of Burgundy from the Simply Socks Yarn Company solid colors collection.

Once the knitting got started, the results were more blah and less burgundy than I wanted. I ended up using two strands of the Trekking with one strand of the burgundy, and none of the gray.

That resulted in a nice burgundy tweed look to go with Bob's several burgundy plaid flannel shirts. It also made the socks late for last Saturday's birthday because I had to order a second skein of the Trekking.

Now I have two nice balls of gray to knit, probably something for me. I've been collecting a few patterns I want to try. I also have a few other skeins of sock yarn that slipped in the Trekking I had to order.

Dawn Comes Late

This morning I took the dogs outside for their walk at 7:30 so I'd have time to take a shower and get dressed before leaving at 8:30. It was dark outside which reminded me to do my annual Daylight Savings Time rant.

Most of the US now waits until the first weekend in November to set the clocks back, moving an hour of daylight from the evening to the morning. In Michigan we need that hour now!

Kids are walking to school and waiting for the school bus in the dark so a few people can get in a game of golf after work.

What's more important, the kids' safety or an October golf game?

How can DST be saving energy when every one is getting up in the dark and turning on all the lights?


When I left the house at 8:30, it was shortly after dawn. This picture was taken about a mile from my house. See the deer on the right side of the road?

I stopped the car until I could see how many there were (3) and what they were going to do. Also to take a picture because it was so pretty.

Early Morning Frost

After the hottest summer on record in SW Michigan we've had frost on the ground the last two mornings.

I took these pictures while out for an eight am dogwalk.


While walking through the back yard, we looked at the neighbor's horse pasture.


After crossing the creek into the back three acres, we looked again to the west for more white.


The goldenrod has gone to seed and this morning the seeds were all covered with frost.

Woodland Basketweave Sock Cuffs

There's been a little bit of sock knitting going on while my subconscious is working on the fate of three sweaters sitting in time out.

This breaks my long standing rule of having no more than three projects on the needles at once, so I guess that rule has been downgraded to a suggestion.

There was no sun for these pictures, so the yarn color is looking more blue than it is in actuality. The blue color in the picture is really the green of a blue spruce. I hope to have a finished picture soon that shows the beautiful colorway, Woodland, as it really is.


Pattern: Basic sock on 60 stitches using a basketweave pattern on the cuff and instep.

Yarn: Stalwart Sock from Slackford Studio. 75% Superwash Merino, 25% Nylon 4 Ply Fingering Weight Sock Yarn.

Color: Woodland.

Needles: Options 2.50mm circulars.

Gauge: 8 stitches/inch, 10 rows/inch in stockinette.

Why We Can Never Return to Mason Michigan and Birthday Socks

Happy Birthday Bob!!

Many many years ago a cute brown eyed baby boy was born in Mason, Michigan. His family moved to Battle Creek and Mason was forgotten until 32 years later when he married a woman who was living at Michigan State University in Lansing. Me.

We went to the Ingham County County Courthouse for our marriage license. The Ingham County County Courthouse is in - - - Mason, Michigan, population ~ 5,000. We got lost going and returning, but it was a pretty drive.

Anyone familiar with the song The Three Bells? It starts out with the first ringing of the bells when little Jimmy Brown is born "in a village hidden deep in the valley", followed by the second ringing of the bells when Jimmy Brown is married, followed by the third ringing of the bells when Jimmy Brown dies.

That is the song that popped onto our lips during our Bob's second visit to Mason, Michigan. We agreed there would never be a third visit.

Of course, there are birthday socks.


Bob likes his socks thick and heavy. He wears them like slippers walking around the house, so I knit them with Opal, the most indestructible sock yarn I've ever encountered.

This pair (above) is Opal 6 ply in one of the Rainforest colorways knit along with a strand of Slackford Studio Stalwart Sock in Dorothy's destiny, a bright Kelly green.



This is also a 6 ply Opal Rainforest colorway knit along with a strand of Slackford Studio Stalwart Sock in Steelyarn Blue.

The combined yarn created a heavy worsted weight. Both pair were knit with #5 needles on 48 stitches in a basic k3p1 rib.

October If, Young Phoebe, and Sedum

It's October 2. If I cheat a little and back date this post to October 1, I might be inspired to post every day in October. At least one picture.

No promise, no pressure. Only if it's a pleasure, and I'm thinking it might be.


The migrating birds have all abandoned SW Michigan for warmer climates now.

The young Phoebes were among the last to go. Until a few days ago they were still practicing their dart-out-and-catch-a-bug skills from the tops of the bluebird nest boxes.

Now the flying bugs can safely enjoy the time until the first hard frost, which could happen any time now.

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With hosta eating deer overpopulating our property, I've been experimenting with various kinds of sedum to fill in a few of the garden gaps.

The deer don't touch them, they multiply rapidly, they don't require much care, and they don't seem to mind if they don't get much sun. I admire their spirit as they try for an autumn bloom while the falling leaves are attempting to bury them.

New Balcony for the Birds

The balcony where I feed the birds off a large plank needed some paint. Maybe you noticed? Maybe you wondered, "Why doesn't that woman do something with that rusty railing?"

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The balcony had numerous other problems - like a rotten floor and rotten support posts.

Last week we had the entire thing torn down and replaced.

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The contractor who did it is also a bird lover. He had no problem with our request to make sure the phoebes could get in and out of their nesting spot under the floor and he topped the new railing with a seven inch wide shelf for feeding dozens of cardinals and other birds.

These two Goldfinches were the first to try out the new feeder after the sawing and pounding ended. The one on the left looks like a recent fledgling still developing his wings. The one on the right is molting into his olive winter coloring.

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It's always fun to see the frumpy adolescent cardinals. This guy is too young to remember the old board. I've almost forgotten it as well.

Super Surgilator Isn't Surging

4 years ago, September 23, 2006, I wrote this post praising my washing machine . . .



I've owned this Whirlpool washer since we moved here in 1991 and I'm sure I've washed thousands of loads of laundry in it.**

Last week for the very first time I noticed that there are raised letters (they don't show in this picture) on top of the agitator spelling out

SUPER SURGILATOR.

Imagine a conference room full of marketing types brainstorming names for their agitator and coming up with that. Hear the laughter?

As evidenced by the fact that Whirlpool washers are still being sold with Super Surgilators today, 15 years later (Yes really. I Googled it.), the name must be a marketing success story.

I give the Super Surgilator an A+. It gets the clothes clean in hard water, has an impressive repair record, and now that I've finally seen the writing on the agitator it's good for a chuckle every time I do a load of wash.

**Doubt the thousands? I thought it sounded a bit much, so I did the math.

15 years X 52 weeks = 780 weeks
780 weeks X 5 loads a week (average) = 3,900 loads of laundry

Fast Forward to September, 2010 . . .

Super Surgilator is broken. Instead of surging, all it does is wobble around a little. Not even enough to make suds.

The repair man is coming tomorrow. I've been pricing new washers and am hoping a service call will take care of the problem. I miss my Surgilator. And I'm running out of clean underwear.

Scarf and Sky Socks

There has been some knitting. Simple, mindless knitting with soothing soft yarn reminding me how knitting can be a pleasure.

First I finished the scarf with the gift yarn from Brother Dave's Karen.


Pattern: One-Row Scarf by the Yarn Harlot.

Yarn: Cherry Hill Alpaca Handspun. DK weight.

Color: Mystic.

Needles: US #8.


The Yarn Harlot designed this scarf for handspun. It's easy. The texture accentuates the softness of the yarn and there's no curling at the edges.

I declare it to be perfect scarf pattern and I'll be using it again and again.

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Pattern: Basic cuff down sock on 60 stitches. k5p1 ribbing.

Yarn: Stalwart Sock from Slackford Studio. 75% Superwash Merino, 25% Nylon 4 Ply Fingering Weight Sock Yarn.

Color: Skydive.

Needles: Options 2.50mm circulars.

Gauge: 8 stitches/inch, 10 rows/inch in stockinette.

Meetup with Dorothy and Bill

Dorothy, who blogs at Missouri Star, and I have been online friends for over five years. She and her husband Bill live on Whitby Island in Washington.

All this time we've tossed around the idea of getting together someday, but it never worked out - until today. Dorothy and Bill are doing a cross country motor trip and today we met in Kalamazoo for lunch.



Dorothy is even nicer in person than she is on her blog. Lunch was over way too quick. I hope we can meet again when there's more time to chat.



Doesn't Bill look like he's having fun with his new toy/iPad?

It's the first one I've seen in person and I have to admit I was impressed. It's a very useful, fun toy.