The Field Report

The soybean harvest is finally in full swing. Most of the fields have dried up enough to bear the heavy equipment needed for harvest, so there is a steady stream of semis rumbling on the highway day and night, transporting the beans to local elevators,

where they wait in line to offload their cargo. See them? Looking like Matchbook cars?

That big metal cone thing there? It's a storage facility (much like the tall contrete thing next to it) which holds 1,000,000  (yes, that is the correct number of zeros) bushels of soybeans. It is full. That's why they're piling beans on the ground. And the corn harvest hasn't begun yet.

Lots and lots of future tofu.

And the geese are massing for their migration. These are just a few of the hundreds of thousands of geese that fly by twice a year. They're hanging around for awhile, waiting for the corn harvest. Lots of good pickings in the fields after the combines leave.

The Field Report, and other stuff

This is what the field looked like last week. But we've had some days with no rain, and nightly frosts, which helps the corn and soybeans to dry out, and the ground to firm up. Dustin hasn't been back to finish harvesting the field, but I suspect he'll get to it soon. In the meantime,

This is what the field looks like now

The combines take the beans and leave the husks and stems behind.

And the trucks leave trails along the roadside, which makes the birds fat and happy.

While watching some of this season's great new shows (V, Flashforward, Parks & Recreation- which, btw, had the funniest episode ever last night, Modern Family, Community), and the great old ones (The Office, 30 Rock, Dirty Jobs, Ghosthunters, Heroes)(yeah, I watch a lot of TV), I finished the first Ty Dy sock, and am past the heel on the mate. I'll probably finish the pair tonight.

I was very suprpised to find that there was a pattern repeat after all. I'm glad- I like matching socks.

And I finished Charlaine Harris's From Dead to Worse, and now have to decide whether to buy the hardback of Dead and Gone, or wait a year for the paperback. I want to know what happens next, so I think I know what my decision will be. And since I'm on a reading jag, I immediately started Grave Sight, from Charlaine's other current series, starring Harper Connelly. Except for having a supernatural power (finding dead bodies), Harper is as different from Sookie as can be, and the tone of these books is much darker and edgier.

 I'm enjoying this series too, and intend to find the other two installments that are currently available in paperback (and just in case anyone thought I was prolific- Charlaine has everyone beat- she writes two novels a year, every year. wow.).

The Field Report and FOs

I know I said I'd post more Biltmore pictures but today is Field Report day, and luckily, I got a pic of the soybean harvest. We've had almost 5" of rain this month, so things are very wet and mucky (from the air, every field I saw was flooded around the edges) but Dustin managed to get his beans in anyway. The elevators are full already, and things are going to be dicey when the local corn harvest begins.

It's also FO day

 I finished my sample hat from the All Day Fair Isle Class. I have learned that it is very good indeed, to have several samples on the tables during class, so this one will stay with the class supplies.

And Catherine, who actually finished knitting her hat in class, got the hem sewn up. I love the short-repeat variegated yarn in this pattern.

And Connie almost finished knitting her hat in class- she was slowed down by the fact that she had thumb-joint replacement surgery less than a month ago. If that's slow knitting, I can only imagine what she's like when she works full speed. Her hat is gorgeous too!

I finished Voracious Knitter's socks! I'll put them in the mail as soon as they dry.

And the worsted weight sample socks from the Short-Row Heel class. I'm keeping these for myself. BTW, the yarn is softly mottled and the color changes gradually thorough the skein (from very light beige to darker beige- sort of Ragg Wool colors), it's not bad lighting on my scanner.

These are mine, and my sister's Spiral Dyed Watermelon yarns from that class (I'm knitting fingerless gloves for Sister #3 from her skein). I will knit socks for myself from my skein- I have dyed this colorway many times, but have never kept any of the yarn. This time, I will.

This yarn came from Winter Mountain Fibers. Louann took both of my dyeing classes, and then sent these yarns home with us (theTennessee Iris purple is also for Sister #3, who wasn't up to knitting socks for herself, so I'll do it. The Cherries Jubilee is mine, all mine!) Check out Louann's beautiful yarns at her Etsy shop.

And we won these stitch markers from barknknit , who was one of the many people that I wanted to spend time with at SAFF, but managed not to find. I love these little markers.

Tomorrow- more pretty Biltmore pics. I promise.

The Tardy Report- Field and Fun, Part 1

Wow, that was a busy weekend. I did have internet access in Fargo, but there was just no time to do the trip justice while I was in North Dakota. We were in and out the entire time, and I suspect it'll take a couple of days to show and tell it all.

First up, the Field Report that I forgot to post last Friday. The soybeans are drying, internally anyway. It has rained over 2" since Thursday (and is coming down still, with no sign of stopping), so the ground is soupy, and harvest will have to be put off. But the plants are drying down, with very few leaves left. Some of the earlier planted fields in the area have been combined already, beating this latest rain spell. Luckily, it won't hurt the beans to stand in the field, even over the winter (which has been known to happen in years with a very wet fall and sudden heavy snows), so no harm is done except to the farmers' moods.

On the road to Fargo, I worked on the Artyarn Merino socks for my friend in Australia, who is coming back to The States for our 40 Year Class Reunion next summer. I haven't seen her since around 1972, and I am so excited.  Anyway, I finished one sock and cast on the mate, and made good progress during the 4 hour drive.

My sister-in-law has some lovely plants in her yard, including this beautiful Burning Bush. I had to take a picture, since we don't get any red fall color here.

Friday evening, after supper, my seven-year-old great niece sat on the floor and watched me intently as I worked on the blue/green socks. After about ten minutes, she said excitedly, "I see what you're doing! You loop the yarn over, and then you use the needle that you're moving to make a new loop!". I knew right then that I had to get needles into that girl's hands. Unfortunately, I didn't have anything but sock dpns with me, but I promised that I would buy the proper needles and teach her to knit after my signings on Saturday.

On Saturday, we made our way to NDSU, a journey complicated by road construction and Homecoming (Bison fans take their Homecoming seriously). It took us nearly a half hour to negotiate our way onto campus once we got to the proper area, so I arrived at the bookstore just minutes before my signing was to start.

I forgot to take pictures, but Carl, who orchestrated both of Saturday's signings (and the ones I did for I Heart Felt in '08) was a gracious host. The bookstore was hopping, full of folks dressed in Green and Gold, which are the school colors. Luckily, Taunton sent back some of the socks from The Big Book of Socks to show off, including the green and gold cabled knee-high, which was a big hit. Anne, from Prairie Yarns (they do have a website, but I can't find the link), brought yarn to display, including some Mochi Plus (more about that later), and sat and talked and knitted with me for two hours.

Before we knew it, it was time for the football game to begin, and for the bookstore to close, and for me to head over to the yarn store. I'm pretty tickled with the publicity handouts that Taunton printed up for the events.

Cool, no?

Tune in tomorrow for Part 2: The Mochi Enchantment

The Field Report, Happily Hookin', Yarn and Exchanges, and Miters,

What a difference a week makes. The entire soybean field isn't as stripped as this section, there is still a lot of yellow, and even a smidge of green, but the dry-down has begun (despite an inch of rain in 20 minutes yesterday).

Our cottonwood tree is turning as well. Some years, the cottonwoods give up early and the leaves go straight from green to brown. It looks like we'll have color from our largest trees this year.

I won a lovely little Snowman wallhanging kit from On the Prairie Rugs at NCFF. A couple of nights ago, I gave rug hooking a shot. Guess what? It's a lot harder than it looks. Okay, it's not hard exactly- the process itself is simple: use a hook to bring narrow wool fabric strips from the back of the piece, to form uniform loops in a design on the front. It's the uniform loop thing that I'm having trouble with.

See?

It's fun, and the piece is supposed to be primative (boy oh boy, is it ever primative). But I saw some of the totally gorgeous finished pieces in the On the Prairie Booth at NCFF, and my little snowman would be embarrassed to show his frosty face in that company. That said, he'll fit right in with the Folk Art/Primative style of some of my holiday decorating.

Though I might be tempted to hang him back side out.

Remember the yarn and book exchanges that are absolutely not chain letters ?  I still have 2 book exchange slots if anyone is interested (the last yarn slot was filled. Thanks). Please follow the link for instructions and limitations of the exchange. In the meantime, I got my first exchange sock yarn in the mail: a lovely ball of Austermann Step (with Aloe), in blues/pinks/creams/yellows. It's lovely!

Thanks, Julie from Maine!

Though most of my time lately has been taken with getting workshop handouts ready for SAFF in October (I want to mail the handouts and all of the yarn and dyeing supplies next week, rather than trying to take them on the plane, and tempting fate to mis-place my luggage)(not that I'm not tempting fate with the P.O., but I'll have time to replace stuff if it doesn't arrive). Anyway, I did find some time to work on Jane's Koigu Mill End Mitered Square socks. I have the cuffs finished and sewn, the stitches picked up, and the heels done. All I have left are the feet and toes, which will be lovely road knitting for my trip to Sioux Falls and appearance at Athena Fibers tomorrow! Hope to see some of you there!

The Field Report and NCFF

There is no candy in the world as sweet and wonderful as a fresh tomato, especially one that has been sliced and parked on a Himalayan Salt block for a couple of minutes. We planted 3 tubs of tomatoes on our deck this spring, and they are finally yielding some deliciousness. We won't have enough to can or preserve, so we're just eating them as they ripen. And loving every bite.

The soybeans are starting their dry-down stage. The field is almost all yellow, and the plants are getting ready to drop their leaves. The 3-bean fuzzy pods aren't anywhere near harvest yet, though they're a little past their optimuum taste (these aren't food beans anyway- they'll dry for seed, or for oil processing). The plants will die down completely over the next month or so.

This weekend is NCFF (link to the right of the page). I am still working on my All Day Fair Isle workshop handout, which I will teach tomorrow (Procrastination is my middle name, you can look it up- though in my favor, I have been toiling on workshop prep for months, I just sort of forgot which one I would be teaching first). However, the samples are done, as are the first rows of the hat that I will knit along with the class.We'll all knit the smaller version, using just two colors of yarn (one solid, and one variegated or striping). I'm teaching this same class at SAFF (link also to the right), but that class is full already. I think there are openings at NCFF for this workshop, so if you'll be in Watertown SD tomorrow, and are interested, stop in.

And even if you aren't interested in my workshop, if you're in Watertown, stop in anyway. NCFF is a wonderful, small fiber festival. I go every year and have a fantastic time. I'll be leaving very early tomorrow morning, and not getting back until late, and then leaving again on Sunday (for more NCFFing, and a booksigning), so I may not post here until late Sunday, or Monday. I'm entering this in the Handspun Sweater competition. Wish me luck.

The Field Report, and A Fair Isle Sample

The crab apples are past their peak now, and dropping off the tree, which means the deer are very happy. The apples aren't good eating any more- too mushy. What's left (on the tree and off) will serve well for the wildlife in the area.

The soybean fields are beginning to dry down.

The pods are full, and starting to dry as well.

The cottonwood trees are starting to turn. We don't get much fall red or orange this far north, but we get beautiful, electric yellow.

And I am working on another sample hat for my All Day Fair Isle Class (which I am teaching at NCFF and SAFF- links to the right). This is the adult size sample (we're knitting the toddler size in the class, but the pattern for this size will be included in the handout). (Yarn: the white is Cascade 220, the striping is from Yarn Treehouse, size 5 needles).

And best of all- today is the first fall meeting of Knitters Etc., in Aberdeen. It'll be wonderful to see all my knitting friends and catch up on what everyone did on their summer vacation.

The Field Report, and All New Homespun Handknit

It's pea-soup foggy out there this morning (the old saying is that 90 days from the first morning fog, there will be snow on the ground. Unfortunately, we have had varying degrees of fog most mornings since July). The soybeans are about at their peak right now, and by next week, we'll probably start seeing the die down. These are seed beans, which means that harvest won't happen until the plants have died and dried completely. It'll be a month, at least, before they are ready for the combine.

My copy of All New Homespun Handknit arrived yesterday, and it's a beautiful book, with tons of projects that I want to spin and knit. I am especially intrigued by Amy Moore's Mitered Square Child's Sweater. I am proud that my self-striping socks are a part of this wonderful compilation.

The Field Report

Awhile back, I heard one of the Knitterati say, in a radio interview, that she felt "sorry for those living in the Midwest, with all that boring flat."

I thought to myself, Honey, if you can't see the beauty here, you don't deserve to.