I finished my latest vanilla socks this week. These are knit in Nomadic Yarns in their Plant Parenthood colorway. I like them, and I’m sure I’ll wear them a lot.

Did you finish anything this week?

I have no business starting a new sweater. So naturally I cast on an Oxbow Cardigan. I went down a needle size to get gauge. I’m using Beaverslide Dry Goods in the McTaggart Tweeds & Heathers in the Big Sky Blue colorway. This sweater will either be done by Thanksgiving or in 2023. It could go either way.

I really thought I would have a completed pair of socks to show you today, but I don’t. Yesterday instead of knitting I spent a lot of time hiking and eating salted caramels (it was an awesome day). Today is John’s birthday, so I did my normal morning cleaning, did homeschool, and made a fancy ass dinner for us and his parents. It’s now close to bedtime and I haven’t picked up my socks yet. Oh well, I’ll get to them eventually.

Have you been knitting today?

Had you told me pre-COVID that I would be thrilled to drive a bit over an hour to knit with someone at a rest area I would have told you that you were wrong. Who knew that it would only take six months of living with COVID restrictions for that to sound like a fabulous idea?

Today I drove south a little over an hour and met Bonny for a day of knitting. We planned on meeting at a county park, but Siri and Google took us to a rest area adjacent to the park. It turned out to be a great thing though, as there was ample space to knit and clean flushable toilets.

We ended up spending more time hiking in the park than we did knitting. That is because we are both known for being outdoorsy and sporty.

I messed up and did not wear my Raise Some Heck shirt, which is a bummer, because knitting at a rest area is even better when you match your friend.

I had such a great time. We talked about so many things. We were in the fresh air. I ate an unhealthy number of salted caramels. It felt like the before times. It was incredibly therapeutic. I was so calm and relaxed on my drive home.

I hope you found a way to relax this weekend.

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We have season passes to the apple orchard again this year. We’ve been able to enjoy the orchard while social distancing. We wear masks when we are close to others, but we only go during the week, which makes for small crowds.

This year the orchard is selling yarn from their alpacas. I am not normally an alpaca person, but being able to make a shawl out of yarn that will forever remind me of one of the best times in my life is enough to have me stray from wool. So I’ve been buying some yarn with each trip.

The yarn is fingering weight according to a WPI test. I would like to make a large triangular shawl or square hap. Please share any suggestions you have for large shawls that will work with undyed yarns.

My heart is broken tonight at the loss of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I’m not currently able to express my heartbreak.

I was planning on inviting you to join me in knitting an Oxbow, casting on in October and finishing it by Thanksgiving. Instead I’m encouraging you to join me in knitting a dissent cardigan or pullover. I will be knitting some tears into my sweater.