Good Morning!
How are you this morning? I've put the heat on and just poured my first cup of coffee. It feels chilly (34 by my computer) and it still feels damp even though the skies cleared yesterday afternoon and it got very, very sunny. Mabel kept me company most of the night. She is a nudger if there ever was one. Right up against my leg and pushing hard! I almost feel a little stiff this morning, but I cherish her company at night.
Yesterday I mentioned that Dee and I might change our KAL plans and NOT knit Cascading Leaves socks. The Turning Leaves yarn we are using by Less Traveled Yarn is so pretty...but busy...and better suited to a plain sock. So...the yarn has spoken - or rather shouted a bit loudly. Cascading Leaves has been ripped out and a plain vanilla sock shall be knit.
Rather than "negative knit" down to the ribbing which would have taken me forever, I just ripped out the entire piece and I've now re-knit the 15 rows of ribbing for the cuff. I'm using a peace symbol stitch marker hoping it will lend a sense of calmness to this project - LOL.
Since I now have two vanilla socks on the go (my Hollyberry socks are also plain vanilla), I may need something else that is not so plain! I've been thinking about/toying with the idea of a rather large and colorful cowl. Something like this:
It calls for 24 different yarns! So far I've picked out a bunch (not 24, but I have a basketful of sock scraps waiting to be used for granny squares or something). Here's what I've chosen so far:
The minis in the plastic bag at the top of the picture are a set that I bought at the very first Allentown Fiber Festival that I went to. That was years and years ago. Unfortunately that festival no longer exists. The other minis are ones I bought at the NJ Festival this past September and the balance are just a few of my scraps. Not sure when I will cast on for this, but I think it will be a fun project!
The other day Dee shared a picture of her Publix Pilgrims from back in the day. That has prompted me to show you my little pilgrims...and a Tom Turkey!
These are candles! My best guess is from sometime in the 50's. My Mom always had them out on the buffet for Thanksgiving (and that's where they are now...but in my house). It cracks me up that the turkey is as tall as the pilgrims and the poor little pilgrim girl seems to have a smudge on her face. There was also a set of candles that were choir members (boys and girls) that my Mom always displayed at Christmas, but somehow they got lost over the years.
Time to pour another cup of coffee and get moving on my usual Thursday reports for work. I need to get those finished and then I plan to make some wheat bread to go with homemade vegetable beef soup for dinner. Have a wonderful Thursday!
I have those same little candles, Dee. And I've always thought the "big" turkey was so funny . . . I love the memories those candles bring each year when I get them out again. (We also had choir children candles for the Christmas holiday, but my sister has those now.) I think changing to a plain vanilla sock for that lovely yarn is a good change of plans. Let the yarn itself do all the heavy lifting! And I think I may have that cowl pattern somewhere . . . It looks like fun to knit. XO
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a good choice to knit a plain vanilla sock with the Turning Leaves yarn, especially when the yarn tells you what it doesn't want to be quite loudly! That cowl does look lovely, colorful, and a good way to use minis and scraps. My mother had those same choir singer candles for Christmas but I haven't seen the Thanksgiving ones. I'm feeling the need for some Thanksgiving decor of my own!
ReplyDeleteYour pilgrims look rather surprised by the giant turkey! Or perhaps they're thinking about how much they're going to have to eat! I didn't think the patterning was too lost in your yarn, but clearly the two of you weren't happy with how it was knitting up, and really a plain sock is going to let that yarn sing.
ReplyDeleteI think listening to a sock is a wise choice! That yarn will shine in a plain sock!
ReplyDeleteAnd I am chuckling at that Giant Turkey! I think my aunt had ones that were similar!
The little pilgrims are so sweet. Mrs. Pilgrim has been working hard getting dinner on the table. That's why she has a smudge. Meanwhile, Mr. Pilgrim .................he's been parked on the recliner watching football neat as a pin.
ReplyDeleteI like Dee's summary! They are so cute and bring just the right amount of memory into the celebration!
ReplyDeleteDee's comment cracked me up too! That sum's up Thanksgiving in most households. Not ours though. Dennis is right in the kitchen alongside me every year. We had those same candles when I was a child. Everything disappeared when my Mom died and our evil step-mother, (seriously, not even joking), moved in three days later. She got rid of most of our family treasures.
ReplyDeleteI feel the same about Zoey sleeping with us. The past few nights she's slept with her little head on the pillow right next to mine. She has to be touching both Dennis and I. We love her so much it's ridiculous. :-)
Have a wonderful day my dear friend.
Blessings,
Betsy
We had those same candles! And now I have wooden pilgrims that Jackie loves to play with, the circle of life is truly amazing. I think your plain socks are going to be great with that yarn. Have a terrific day!
ReplyDeleteMy Mom had the pilgrim candles, the choir candles, a tree, and a lamp post that leaned because it was slightly bent from a heat source while in storage. I haven’t thought about those candles in ages.
ReplyDeleteOh, my gosh!!!! My grandmother had those candles. I LOVED them. I found the Christmas version at The Vermont Country Store but have never found the Thanksgiving ones-other than the folks selling the vintage ones for a small fortune.
ReplyDeleteThose candles are so sweet!
ReplyDeleteI like that cowl. Would love a simple stitch cowl and may look for a pattern. Love scarves but they are always in the way. When looking for stump socks for sis, I saw someone had knitted a few and I need to search for that too. Our Hobby Lobby has more yarn than needles on a pine tree. And a new shop in Ohio, all natural yarns and fibers small batch hand dyed, looks interesting!
ReplyDeletevanilla socks are comfort knitting to the ultimate degree. Love your candles, I do not have them.
ReplyDeleteVery cute candles!
ReplyDeleteVanilla socks are a great knit and will let that yarn shine. I think my Mom had some holiday candles - little choir children. How interesting that you are considering The Land of Sweets Cowl. I am looking at that pattern as a way to use some handspun. I would knit it in fewer colors although I love the thought of using mini skeins and scraps for something quite colorful. Hope Friday has treated you well.
ReplyDeleteI have the choir candles that you remember!!
ReplyDelete