To expand on the title of this post, in August I was dreaming of an October Afternoon and now I am experiencing an October Afternoon. And soon to be experiencing an "outside in the cold of our October Afternoon." I have been so busy that I have not even had enough time to even
think of posting. September was a blur.
We closed the Dredge for the season, maintenance petered on me and I now have a couple weeks of unaccomplished tasks on my plate. The house is sucking up every available second of my time. We now have a 180 foot well in development. Today they are installing the water line to the house. We have to bring the line inside to the boiler/water heater/ reverse osmosis futuristic machine/ etc and then insulate the whole damned thing, then bury it. Tonight I get to start installing the baffles so we can start in on insulation. The lines for the radiant floor heating have started to be installed (outside contractor) that we have to clean up around. The island was installed, the electric was installed, the windows were installed, the doors were installed, the fuel tank was installed. Some of the work was contracted out, most of it was not. We still need plumbing thoughout the house, gypsum poured, insulation installed and then we can start the drywalling, painting, floor installation. I was under the gross-misunderstading that as soon as winter came, there would be hiatus in the work and winter would just settle and we would be done with the house until early spring. This is not the case. We will be working every day until we move in, with the exception of vacations. Every day, until an average of 9/10 pm, and all day on the weekends. We are going to Australia at the end of this month, and Mexico for Christmas (not yet confirmed through corporate travel) and then Hawaii in the spring.
My only saving grace has been the lovely Fairbanks Fiberistas knitting group when I get a chance to get away from this frickin' house to have a couple hours to myself to knit and socialize. I don't know which I like more: the knitting or the socializing. Dredge is lonely being here all by myself.
Well before the "all work and no play, makes my sanity go away" here is a glimpse at the projects I have completed since my Dreaming of an October Afternoon:
Pattern: Shifting Sands
Yarn: Malabrigo "Oscuro Marron"
cast on: July21 bind off: Aug24
As you can tell from the background, this was knit quite a while ago. Now we have snow. I love this scarf, it is so soft and thick and wide and WARM! The yarn is a dream and I wear it as often as I possibly can.
Pattern: Halema'uma'u Socks designed by Debbie O'Neill for The Loopy Ewe
Yarn: Handmaiden Casbah (80% merino, 10% cashmere, 10%nylon) in the "Loopified" colorway
These went home with Mom. I am not a lover of the red/black combo, but the Loopy Ewe was having a 2nd Anniversary kit with my true love: Casbah, a mug, a pin, great pattern, a couple wet-on tatoos and best of all a Loopy Ewe coffee mug. Just as I finished weaving in the ends, I rose to make some hot chocolate with Kahlua and damned if I didnt drop the mug and scream as the ceramics shattered on the wood floor of the office.
A whole pair of socks and I got nothin'. I made Parker wear one of the tatoos (to his extreme horror when I told him "Yes it is removable, it comes off in a couple weeks" {ha ha, comes off with alcohol}), the pins are not my thing, the socks went to Mom, the pattern still exists, but the mug was going to be my prize for being so giving with the Casbah. Oops!
Pattern: k2, p2 rib with purl row, knit row, purl row break for the cuff.
Yarn: Earthly Hues "Brick Road"
Christmas socks for Parker. He loves orange, so these were some simple no-brainers. Not a whole lot to talk about with these babies. Sweet and simple.
Pattern: Felted Moebius
Yarn: Brown Sheep Bulky
Since I cannot get the little bottles off the kitchen table, at least I can make a nice looking basket to house them in. Now, I tried to do this all by my big-girl self, but had to bow to the Moebius Goddess to assist with the cast on. This last weekend I bought some Manos and by damn, I will do these baskets without assistance. We will see.
