Socktoberfest--Even Though It's February

Each year, usually in January, our family gathers at Bryce Mountain Resort in Basye, Virginia, for a family reunion. When we first started going there, our children were just toddlers. In fact, my son, now 27, learned how to ski not long after he'd learned to walk, in a program called "Ski Wee." Every year, another one of the cousins would be ready for the lessons and soon, all ten of them were flying down the little hill like fearless little demons. My mother-in-law usually stayed in the condo making meals while the six parents spent their days, skiing with the youngsters and ferrying them back and forth from the hill. Nowadays, the youngest (top photo) of the ten drives himself to the slopes but no one skis--they're all on snowboards now.

Gradually, the parents stopped skiing and the week has become something of a retreat. The adults, read, hike, take naps, watch movies, cook, and visit. Dear Hubby takes his computer and ham radio equipment, spending the days speaking to hams around the world. I knit.



















Left: Sister-in-law, Anne, serves up dinner Below. : Some of the younger cousins still have to take time out for homework.


This year, before we left, I realized that my stash had grown heavy with unused sock yarn. Anyone who knits socks knows how easily that happens--you only need 400 yards for a pair of socks and usually, that's only one skein. Add to that the abundance of interesting sock yarn out there and presto! You've got yourself a sock mountain. So, this year, I decided that my goal would be to knit at least one pair of socks.

The first pair I made was from my new favorite sock yarn, Cascade Handpaints, purchased recently from the new Island Yarn Boutique. I did mine on #1 needles and used one of the patterns from Charlene Schurch's book, Sensational Socks.
I completed a second pair from Lorna's Laces sock yarn, using a simple K2, P2 rib
and a stockinette foot for your basic crew sock. The last pair was a little more of a challenge. I'd ordered a skein of Socks That Rock from Blue Moon Fiber Arts in a colorway called, "Braun's Woods." Online, it looked like a pale mix of sky blue, forest green and chestnut but when I started knitting one of my favorite lace patterns, I discovered that the lace was totally obscured and that the brown was pooling in a way that really turned me off. I switched to a mock cable pattern and it worked out better, because the stitch broke up some of the pooling, while the cable stitch stood out against the busyness of the colorway. While I was working on them, my sister-in-law, Amy, commented on how nice they looked, so, at the end of the week, I gave them to her as a gift. (She does a LOT of the cooking for the crew and it was the least I could do in return.) By that time, I had completed five socks!
Mission accomplished.

Old (But Good) News

Our newest LYS is Island Yarn Boutique, located on Kent Island. It is owned and run by Susan Pilsch, who loves knitting and dogs. (What an unbeatable combination!) Shortly after she opened in 2008, she announced plans for a special Fiber 'n' Fur Fair to benefit ARF(Animal Resource Foundation) in Queen Anne's County. Fortunately, the day of the event was one of those wonderful Spring-in-the middle-of-Winter days. The sky was clear blue and the temperature was absolutely balmy.

On the first floor, there was a "Meet and Greet" with several ARF animals who were currently available for adoption and I think it was the first time I've ever walked past piles of yarn without stopping. Two little orange stripe kittens slept quietly in their cage and, while they were absolutely precious, my heart was safe--Dear Hubby is very allergic to cats--so I could admire them without wanting to take them home. The dogs, however, were a totally different threat. There were two Lab mix puppies, both of whom I would have claimed in a heartbeat, if I didn't already have Molly and Jack. I've always said that Labs are some of the world's most adorable puppies and this pair was all of that and more.

The fiber part of the fair was located on the second floor of the store. There, a local spinner sat working at her wheel and another was carding alpaca wool using a drum carder. I've seen shearing before but I'd never witnessed the intermediate steps that are necessary to get the fleece ready to spin.
Another artist was demonstrating sculptural needle felting. Her animals, some whimsical, like a fire breathing dragon and some realistic, like a curly little lamb and the head of a bison, were soft and very lifelike. I especially liked a little creature that looked like the cross between a devil and a gnome. The artist told me a story how this little guy had evolved during a needle felting class in which the teacher had instructed the students to construct three different shapes and then, with eyes closed, to marry them into an organic whole, letting the wool "guide" their hands as to its final form.
Surprisingly, this piece had the most personality. Finally, another local artist demonstrated "ribbon art." She explained how she'd always loved ribbon and had accumulated a large collection before discovering how to use them as a medium to make miniature paintings. My favorites among her collection were the scenes that also incorporated unique buttons. These pieces, she said, almost always grew outward from the buttons, which dictated the nature of the scene that she constructed around them. I've seen her work in local shops and it was interesting to learn about the creative process behind it.

The day seemed like a great success and later I learned that Susan had raised almost $500 to benefit the critters of ARF.