Fall - Winter- Fall- Winter

Mother Nature just can't make up her mind in Wyoming.  The last few days have been spectacular fall days - near 60 degrees, clear blue skies, no wind, and pretty fall leaves floating to the ground. Yesterday, I sat outside in my t-shirt and jeans and read the paper, soaking up the sunshine.   Then today... 30 degrees and SNOW!  Really???  I'm burning wood in the stove and drinking a hot chai tea latte... and admiring the yellow aspen leaves, shaking from the east wind and snow. 

I'm making really good progress on the "Brickless Scarf" and should be ready to bind off in a couple days.

Creepy images

With all the attention to Halloween...well, you'd assume most people enjoy it.  Me, not so much.  Never have.  Things that are creepy and ghoulish just don't hold any lure for me. 

I took a photo of an aspen in fall...dropped it into PicMonkey... and made it look a bit Halloweeny.  That's it for me. Sincerely, I wish you a week of nothing spooky or scary or unsettling.  Enjoy the Happy in Happy Halloween.

A sprinkling of fall weather...

What a strange fall season...and today I'm enjoying one of the few days that feels and looks like fall.  Our poor ol' trees got nipped by cold temps and snow so early, but amazingly, many have turned colors.  I would not have been surprised if they had just turned brown and shriveled up.  But no, they're displaying some pretty yellows, and the aspen leaves are not dropping yet.

But another snow storm is forecast to hit in a few days. 

I'm not feeling all nostalgic and introspective about the change of seasons this year.  Maybe because the changes have been unpredictable and erratic.  So, perhaps that's a lesson... to just enjoy the NOW.  The present is full of promises.  Be grateful and enjoy.

We were finally concert-ready

Riverton HS Concert and Jazz Choirs rehearse under the direction of Pam S.

We arrived at that moment of excitement...a final rehearsal before the first concert of the season. I'm accompanying on the piano...and have been spending lots of time with these groups the last few weeks.  It's so nice to get to this point.

The Jazz Choir opens their segment with a round of 3 Spirituals, which they perform in a circle and with lights off.

Here the 7th grade choir warms up.

 And the 8th grade choir also has learned to play drums; this is a powerful piece!

This young man does a fine improvisation.

The rehearsals went well...and the concert in the evening was fun.  The students were all dressed in black and white, were excited to perform,  and did very well. 

Next...the Christmas music goes up on the piano.

Brickless Scarf, update...

I've made some significant progress on the Brickless Scarf.  I do believe it will look so much better once it's blocked.  The lace section is "loosey-goosey," and the rib section sucks the stitches in.  This is an interesting combination of stitches, and I'm very curious as to how it will block. 

A skiff of snow

This morning, I woke up to more moisture...but thankfully, only a skiff of snow.  I suspect it will melt off by late afternoon. 

So sorry, but I've got nothing for pictures today.  I'm just about to leave the house, and  I'll be busy accompanying choirs on the piano, and in the late afternoon, will give a couple lessons...so my schedule leaves very little time on the computer. 

Hope your day is busy, too, with wonderful activity.  I'll share the progress on the "Brickless Scarf" soon.  It's got an interesting look.  I'm thinking it will be very nice once it's blocked.

What a difference a yarn makes...

I finished this second Fair Isle Cowl.  The main color is a creamy white, and the contrast color is variegated.  I found it interesting to see it side-by-side with the first cowl I made.  Same pattern, same needles, but different yarn. The scarf to the right is the first one I made, and the main color was variegated, whereas the contrast color was a solid blue.

Fair Isle Cowl, revisited...

Since I got to teach a class last night on how to do two-handed knitting to make a Fair Isle Cowl, I started another one to demonstrate the technique.  I wanted to pull yarn from my stash, and chose this cream color for the MC (main color) and a pale variegated yarn for the CC (contrast color).  Note to self: Choose yarn colors with more contrast on the next one.  

The students had some homework before class: knitting the ribbing. So, in one session we knit what you see here.They moved right along, and they got the hang of it very quickly.  It was a delightful evening!

Practice, practice...

I'm spending some of my retired "down time" sitting at the piano...practicing, practicing.  The fall concert is coming up in a couple weeks, and ...well...there's a lot of music.  I'm accompanying a middle school choir, high school concert choir, and jazz choir. 

I'm still working those knitting needles too...so besides looking at notes and needles...I try to get a far-away glance at the mountains for a touch of snow-kissed serenity.

Going "Brickless"

I've got a new cast-on!  I decided to try a new scarf pattern called "Brickless," and I'm using some yarn from the ol' stash.  The pattern calls for a DK weight yarn, so I found some "left-over" yardage from another project that I thought would be a good way to see if I liked the look, the weight, and the drape.  I'm using size 4 circular needles.  This pattern makes up an asymmetrical scarf similar to the "Hitchhiker."  However, this pattern incorporates three stitch patterns: net lace, garter, and rib.  I thought that if I like it, I would try using the "Brickless" pattern using lace weight yarn and size 2 needles.  We'll soon see.

Cotton Sweater Shawl

Finally, the Sweater Shawl is off the needles and is getting blocked.  That cotton really soaked up the water...and it's taking longer than wool to dry!  I will deliver it sometime this week.

The thaw has begun...

Oh yea!  The sun is out, and it's blue sky from horizon to horizon!  And the thaw has begun.  It is so strange to see green-leafed trees standing in a blanket of snow! 

Here's my view, looking to the south, but the camera lens is not showing an accurate view of the mountains, as they look terribly far away.   This view below is really what it looks like from my porch. Wind River Peak is to the left.

Really??? Snowtober???

Really??? A week later and we have ANOTHER storm packed with moisture?  Yesterday it rained...all day. By evening it started to turn to snow, and it's been snowing steadily.  We're expecting to have snow all day.  Hey Mother Nature...did you get so busy that you overlooked the fact that the leaves are not yet off the trees??? ( Admittedly, this moisture is going to improve the drought conditions of this area.  Who ordered it to come all at once?)

Nevertheless, the hard working people who have been fixing electric lines and phone lines, working 12-16 hour days...are OVER IT.  As are the rest of us. 

This ring-necked dove, who has been perched in my pine tree all morning, looked over his shoulder at me and said, "Really?" 

So, this is day two of being stuck inside... which makes for a great opportunity to knit!  I'm happy to report that I am closing in on the big finish on the cotton sweater shawl.  I'm finally on the collar, with only an inch more to go!!  Then, I will attempt blocking this cotton project.  Hope it softens it and smooths out the twisty parts. 

Light

The Wind River peaks are well hid by the clouds, but the foothills area bathed in a light that shows depth.

When the sun is shining so that the foothills are somewhat back-lit, they don't look flat, like they usually do.  One can see the depth of the valleys and the miles of terrain between the foothills and mountain peaks.  It's all about having light in the right places.

Having light is like having understanding; increased understanding gives depth to what you know and to what you can demonstrate.  Today, let's let the light in and not take things as face value.  Challenges are just an opportunity to see things from a more inspired, well-lit, spiritual point of view.