Yarny Stuff

Whoa... and I thought this was a wine blog...

There is small wine progress to report- I'm going to rack the Riesling to a clean carboy tomorrow because there is a goodly amount of sediment in the bottom of the current jug. It's clearing nicely, but has a ways to go before it's transparent, much less clear. The Hard Lemonade specific gravity is nearly where it needs to be for me to stop the fermentation. I'll probably do that tomorrow as well, and then let it settle until Tuesday, at which time I will sweeten and freeze it, so we can enjoy it over Christmas. The Merlot is bubbling away merrily in the bucket and will go into a carboy in a couple of days. We won't start any more wines until after The Holidays because having a loosely covered 5-gallon bucket of fermenting juice sitting on a chair in the kitchen with 15 guests (5 of them ages 7-9) is just too much temptation for Fate to resist.

But, back to yarn. I finished the Monkey Socks, and they're gorgeous, as all Monkey Socks are (pattern on Knitty). I worked a short row heel and a star toe, but otherwise, followed the pattern (which is becoming easier- I still refer to the chart to keep my place, but mostly I can go with the flow of the repeat). The yarn is Fleshy superwash from Beyond Basic Knits (link in Stash Enhancers). It has a fantastic hand, the colors are lovely, and the socks are wonderfully soft. I wish I could keep them.

I am down to the heel of the Valkyrie Aunt Helen Variation Socks. You all know how much I love Twisted Fiber Arts yarns (and I missed the most recent update totally... bummer...) and this yarn is no exception. I really like the Aunt Helen Variation pattern (K 4 rnds, next rnd: *YO, K 2, pass the YO over the 2 knit stitches*, rep around), but I think it might be more effective if I worked the YO thing with a couple of plain knit stitches in between. It's a great texture, but I think it would *show* more if it was interspersed along the row, rather than solidly around it. I'll give that notion a try on a different pair. As it is, I do love these socks.

And I knitted another handspun ribbed hat. This one will come in handy if the recipient has to hide out in the wilds of sculpted berber carpeting. He'll blend right in.