It’s starting to feel like fall here – much cooler (and darker) mornings when we go for our walk, the dog and I. I wore some fingerless mitts this morning as it was down in the low 50s (as well as a hoodie sweatshirt). This time of year always makes me want to cast on ALL.THE.THINGS, although I’m trying to be realistic and work through some things in progress, so let’s talk about all of those, shall we?
I am still knitting several socks. This weekend, I finished up a pair of self-striping ones with yarn from Desert Vista Dyeworks on the Viso Sock base in the colorway Puffins. I used a fairly loose version of CC Almon’s Espresso Macchiato Socks pattern (I knit mine top down and with a Fish Lips Kiss heel, rather than toe-up with a more traditional short-row heel), but I did like the garter stitch/eyelet detail and used that to highlight the pumpkin orange stripes.
I’ve also been working on the Brighton Socks for my Socks A to Z project. Pattern is by Rachel Coopey, and I’m using 3 colors of West Yorkshire Spinners 4-ply sock yarn – Dusty Miller for the MC, Amethyst (dark purple) and Blackcurrant Bomb (bright purple). I’ve actually gotten the heel turn done while DH and I watched a movie last night, but here’s a photo of the colorwork on the leg from yesterday.
I’m also working through another 5-mini set of sock yarn. This group is from Dragon Hoard Yarns and was part of her Dark Crystal box. Here are the first two colors, worked up in the Terrain Scarf by Janina Callio of Woolenberry. I am doing an alternating row/fade technique to blend the colors into each other, and I think with the multicolored yarn it will be fairly subtle shifting from one color to the next. I just joined in color 3 while I drank my tea this morning, so I’m hoping to at least get through that mini skein and add color 4 this week.
In spinning, I’ve finished the first bobbin of singles for my current spin, which also happens to be a blend of dusty purples and gray. You might remember from last week’s post I have two 140-gram gradient sets from Hilltop Fibres. When I unpacked them to start spinning I realized that there were 9 separate colors, so I’ve divided them into thirds and I’ll be spinning 3 from each set as singles and then plying them together to keep the skeins a manageable size.
Last, but not least, some further progress on Desert Mandala. I started the final section of the outer woven border, and I just about finished up the sunset/cactus corner motif (just a few missing stitches and then backstitching to get it completed). This week, I will be rolling the piece up a bit so I can do the missing section of left-hand border and start bringing that down to meet the section I’m working upwards. I’d like to try to get that plus the interior diamond border done this week if I can, which will keep me on schedule for the remaining 2 sections to be done.
Have a great week YOP’ers!
Knit One, Spin Too 
Love the completed socks. Sounds like they are done in time for the cooler weather you are getting. The scarf colors are fading into each other perfectly. A very subtle fade for sure. Your spinning looks great and a very pretty color too. It must feel good to know the border on your xs is almost completed. What stitch count is the material? It looks very tiny. Have a great week.
I am very ready for fall! We are still having warm days (upper 70s forecast this week) but at least not 90s and it’s lovely and cool in the mornings. The fabric is a 28-count. I don’t normally go much smaller than that for things with beads or else they don’t fit the space very well.
Socks are so not my thing but I enjoy looking at your beautiful assortment. Happy knitting.
Thank you! I do love to make them but that’s the great thing about knitting – lots of options to pick from 🙂
I just love your “Halloween” socks with the YO pattern in the orange stripe. What a great idea. Ok, feeling a little dumb for not knowing how to knit a fade so very much appreciate your comment about alternating rows! I need to come up with ways to use up the minis I have and the ones I’ll be getting in the advent calendars I bought.👍
Fun to knit but an easy little detail to add! No reason to feel dumb – to be more specific… I chose 8 rows to work the fade over, I knit 2 rows with the new color, 2 with the old, 2 with the new, 2 with the old and then just continued on with the new. (This was a totally arbitrary number based mostly on how much yarn I had left in the first miniskein when I got to what felt like a good place to use up most of it to work the last 4 rows with the old color.)
I love seeing the socks you make! The eyelet really gives a great detail to the sock. The colors also look like Halloween to me!
Easy to work but a lot of visual impact – a favorite kind of detail! 🙂
Your “fall” socks are darling! The Brighton socks are lovely and the Terrain scarf is stunning. I love how the colors are so gradual coming together. It is a gorgeous scarf! Your cross stitch is coming along . I am trying to just work on a few projects so I can get some larger ones finished. The temps here have cooled off too and I am loving it! HAve a great week!
Thank you! I’m loving finding a project that works so well with minis! Enjoy what sounds like lovely fall weather at your end!
All of these projects look great! I am also loving the shift to more-autumn-like weather (though living in California, we usually get at least one more burst of SUMMER before we get a proper fall).
I’ve heard good things about West Yorkshire Spinners sock yarn! I’m considering buying one of their holiday colors this year.
We are definitely feeling it in the mornings (it was 50 here for our morning walk and I wore gloves!) but it’s still quite warm in the afternoons.
I really like their yarns. They are wooly feeling (very not SW merino) but beautifully spun and they do have a lot of fun colors!
Awesome projects Anne and love them all, especially the socks and the scarf 😀
Thank you!
You’re welcome Anne 😊
Such a clever idea to use eye lights to really make the orange rows pop. Very cool socks.
Thank you! They were super fun (and quick!) to knit
Beautiful projects you’re working on! Those completed socks look amazing 🎃
Thank you so much!
Your projects are beautiful – I especially love the mandala.
Thank you so much! It’s a very long-term project but I love working on it. 🙂