Updates 8-31

I'm a bit behind on my updates. I have one good reason for this: Ripe Blackberries.
I got home from the wedding in San Diego, unpacked, caught up on laundry, and was looking forward to posting again when I realized that it was well into blackberry season and if I wanted any ripe berries this year, I'd better put some time and attention into getting them.
So, Gipsieee and I and a friend spent an afternoon amidst the thorn bushes and came home with a lovely yield:


Not only were the berries ripe (so ripe that the eating berries (without the brambles) didn't last long enough to be photographed), but there was a whole field of blooming Queen Anne's Lace too!

Direct results of that afternoon include:
Purple fingernails,
Another backlog of laundry and household chores,
Dyepots invading my kitchen,


Skeins invading my bathroom again,
**
and very little time to sit down and write about it all.

I'm very excited about this batch of skeins, and am particularly looking forward to seeing how some of the multi-dipped skeins work up.


I've quite nearly depleted my stash of undyed yarn, so it seems that this week's dyeing adventure is finished (after I clean up all the pots, that is...)

...which brings us to the updates, in order of occurrence:

Gipsieee's RF hat:

This is the project I started on the airplane down to San Diego. It is no further along than that weekend's progress. It is worked from Heirloom's 8-ply in a color and dyelot that are no longer available (719, 01). I purchased the only ball they had, and I had hoped it would be sufficient. It's not. Now I get to figure out how to make a charcoal contrast work nicely.
The good things about this project: It kept me occupied at the airport and in dead space for most of the weekend we travelled. It was a good conversation piece at the rehearsal dinner. I like the shaping (which was invented as it was needed.) The color is actually pretty decent on me. (I hope it looks as good on Gipsieee!)

Sophie bag:

This is the project I started when I ran out of yarn for Gipsieee's RF hat. I've made it from Noro's Silk Garden and have made a minor adjustment to the handle shaping. I have one more end to finish and then it will be ready for felting. The Silk Garden won't felt as much as yarn the pattern calls for, so I hope that I like the finished bag.

Smooch2:

The stealth approach worked!
As soon as I got home I snuck up on Smooch2 and wrestled it into submission. It didn't give much of a fight this time and I got it completed surprisingly quickly! I love the drape of the finished garment. It is so very much nicer to wear than the previous Smooch! This one is light and airy. The previous one is somewhat stiff and bulky. I need to make sure I don't lose my pattern notes, in case I ever wish to make this top again. ...also, I need to tone up my arms a bit. Ah well.

RF socks:

And most recently, because I have been absolutely dying to make socks despite the wrist pain, I've begun a pair of worsted-weight knee socks to wear at the Renaissance Faire. I need to get these finished by early October. The yarn is one of my natural-dyed Fisherman's Wool (Lion brand). The cuff yarn is dyed with cherry leaves from an October pruning. The main sock yarn is dyed from blackberry brambles after the berry season was over.