The Last Rose

Push finally met shove today and it became necessary to take the morning off (which I loathe to do when there is not a bit of fun involved!) and finish putting the yard to bed. I had already done much of the back but the last frost had made short work of the basil and oregano, so all of the herbs were cut back with many sprigs left to dry. The smell of the thwacking of the herb garden is one of life's lovely pleasures no matter how barbarian it seems at the time. With blower and rake as companions I set out to get the leaves out to the back alley and two hours later it was a done deal. Unfortunately the leaves still have not fallen completely off and while they are lovely at this point I wish they'd just get it by jiggy over with. As I moved to the front pruning back the last rose, "Rio" she is, the last rose of the season was brought in to hold court. She is always gorgeous but somehow knowing that she won't be dressed again until spring makes her all the more special.

I took a bit of a break from the bloody endless intarsia of the Ravenna Satchel. Not that it is hard, not that it is not fun (sort of) I think I just needed to step away. Because my hands (particularly that dreaded right hand) is always like a block of ice in the winter I thought a pair of fingerless mitts was the answer. When I work at home I love to sit in the kitchen and enjoy it while I work (food is close and it is my favorite room in the house so usually clean). Old house, leaky door---- cold hands. In really blindingly fast time a pair of mitts came off the dpn's from chunky wool leftover from the Boogie vest. Love them! I think that this may be my knitting madness this season for the holidays since it is becoming more obvious by the day that not a lot is going to be gifted in the oooooooooooh aaaahhhhhhh category. Quick down and dirty little stash eaters---- how bad can it be?

Now if I can just tweak my typing a bit while wearing them, things get kind of funkitated.

Knit group was a wonderful reprive Sunday afternoon, so good to be back! I packed my knitting in the back of the car and actually blew out on a couple of afternoon sessions, walking through the park to the gelateria where we meet. The leaves were still hanging in, the yellows and golds still clinging and the reds and russets bringing up the last. Definitely past peak but totally gorgeous. Have I mentioned it was cold? It was! It was great to wear my mitered square sweater again, that baby is warm as toast. Check out my unique and marvelous fastening device! I lost my copper pin somewhere in the leaves of Tower Grove Park.

Plucked from the ground under a lovely maple tree, snapped off at just the right length, rubbed between my fingers for a few minutes of burnish----- voila. As the sweater itself is rather rugged (ish?) I think it looked pretty great, and you sure could not beat the price. I'm keeping it, just so ya' know. On the funny end of it, Jake my favorite young man who works at the gelateria was handing me a lovely large Pumpkin Spice Latte (no whip) and they do make a fine one, "hey, you have a stick in your sweater." Because Jake knows us from our weekly haunting of the establishment and frankly gets a bang out of us, it did no harm to smile sweetly and say "Yes sir, I do."

The carders? Love them but they have not been actually used to card wool fibers for, hmmmmmmmmm like, maybe 25 years? They are part of a vignette in the sewing room and this shot is for you Sylvie! Sylvie and I are considering a bit of a trade---- whatcha think Syl, will they do?


Stay warm. Count your blessings, pass one on. It seems to be the most important thing we can do these days. Oh, and Get Knittin'!