Osceola How Reversible Cable Hat By: Linette Grayum

Hats are just a great knitting project!  The knitter doesn't have to knit up a matching partner as in socks or mittens.  Cast on, knit away, cast off, soak and block and you are ready to go.  If you are just learning to knit hats are a great place to practice new techniques and skills.  A hat isn't a HUGE project like a sweater.  The knitter gets a finished project rather quickly and wa-laaa success!

I recently did a test knit for designer Linette Grayum who can be found on Ravelry. LinetteG, as she is known on Ravelry, has a nice collection of designs.  For you shawl knitters I would highly recommend stopping by her page to see her designs/patterns.  She also has several hat designs as well.

Osceola Reversible Cable Hat

I loved this hat right from the beginning.  I learned a new cast on technique that I will certainly be using again.  The cable work was a blast to knit, and easy to follow.  I did place markers for each cable panel.  I always do this or I just plain forget to stop and think about where I am when working either in colorwork or cables.   The pattern is well written with space to write notes.  I give LinetteG five stars for her Osceola Hat.

Harrisville Highland Yarn purchased at the Knit'N Needle.

I knitted a small but due to my tension it is a very small small. his hat was given to a wonderful little gal.

How cute is this hat!

Didn't I say this was a cute hat and look at my stellar model and owner!  She will be able to use this hat for some time.

Cable work in progress with markers for each panel.

Hat #2 that I knit with one size larger needles to get gauge. I am not sure which cable side I like more. 

Osceola Hat was knitted for this wonderful art teacher, glacier guide,ski coach, bike loving, skijorer, adventurer seeking friend!

Alaska Fall

First official day of FROST!

As you would imagine Fall starts well before the Fall Equinox here in Alaska.  When you live this far north life is on a different time scale.  Right now it is moose season and most the natives in the village are out hunting a moose.  This makes for a quieter village which I do enjoy.  Fishing for salmon has mellowed out as well and berry picking is slowing down unless you are after cranberries.  The cranberries this year are bountiful, huge, and every where on the tundra.  We have had a frost but only one and the temps are mostly 40ºF at night and still hitting the 50ºF during the day.  We have not taken the full plunge to a serious fall yet.  The tundra is a glow in its fall blanket of yellows, oranges, reds all heading to browns and greys soon.  The fall is fast and quick here as the changes just jump out at you from day to day.

Shopping

Every year before we return to village life and work we have to shop in Anchorage.  This event is not one of my favorite things to do but it is a must!  We have two small stores in the village.  I have to admit they carry a reasonable variety of foods.  No matter what  it is still nice to have a larger selection of food for the year.  We head to Costco and buy a lot of food to ship up north for the school year.

Now that we don't eat wheat we are buying less process foods like cereal, snacks, and what not.  This certainly helps, but no matter what we spend about $2,000 on this shopping trip.  Once all items are bought we then take them back to the motel, pack the goods into totes, zip tie them.  The final stop is the airport post office to mail our food to ourselves.

We do buy cheese and salami meats but those are frozen and we carry them in our bags that will fly with us.  Some salamis don't need to be cool until you open them which is great as they go in the totes.

All I can say is thank you Christian a million times over for being such a great packer/organizer.  I totally fail in this department!

Yarn

Once back in the village my first package was yarn that the Knit 'N Needle  sent up to me from Montana.  I love Harrisville Design yarn it is one of my favorite 100% wool yarns.  They have rich colors and the yarn is full of life!

This yarn will be used with some quivit that I have been given.  This Berroco Ultra Alpaca.

Malabrigo most likely for a hat or felted baby booties.

Blue Sky Suri for linings in mittens, hats, or cuffs.

Once back in the village there have been a few changes.  The radio station now has a fun bright mural on the little addition they built.

We now have these huge rocks lining the beach road to help protect the shore line from erosion from our fall storms.

Work, yeap I am here to work.  August inservice with a bit of knitting, lots of tea, while learning the ins and outs of our new math program.

Tundra mushrooms which have been plentiful this year.  I am not picking these mushrooms.  I just enjoy seeing them popping up through the tundra ground cover.

When we return tot he village the Fireweed is in full bloom and coming to the end of summer.  When the Fireweed reaches the top of the stalk with blooms then summer will be coming to end.

Cotton grass which is always fun to see.  It reminds me of snow and a Jan Brett's book: Trouble With Trolls.

Tundra berries: top photo we have cranberries, the middle photo you can see blueberries, and a pale salmon berry also known as cloud berries in Sweden.  Salmon berries are not my favorite berries.  Finally having a nice hot tea break on the tundra in the rain!  Thus the reason rain gear was made . . . I am not one to wait for a nice day every day is a nice day as long as I can get out!

PDS DK yarn left over from some other projects.  I am knitting up a pair of opposite socks as best I can . . . I know I am going to run out but that was the point.

A Great Raining Day Ride! 

My friend Robin called one morning wanting to know if I would like to ride up to North River Bridge, and then shuttle her dog Kuvi back home.  Well of course I would!  Robin has a packraft and she hauled that up on her back.  This is the point of the packraft it is design for being hauled over the place and when needed you inflate it and paddle.  It is a really cool thing!

Mud---yeap it was muddy and wet ride!

Old cabin for a dry out, tea break, and raft inflating.

This huge bladder is used to inflate the raft really in minutes!

Packraft ready to go!

Where all the trees are in the distance is the river that we left Robin.  Kuvi and I are riding home and the fall colors are just beginning to change.

Tundra and landscape . . . I just love it!

Windmills which help cut electrical costs to the villagers.

Lets say enough!  I agree, Tally! I am caught up with the blog.  I feel like I can now work on my new goal!  Stay off of Facebook and use the nice old fashion blog which is a bit out of style but so am I!

Spring Tundra and a Bit of Knitting

Spring is here and we have made it through the worst of the muddy season and now dust seems to have arrived.  It is a bit dryer than normal here which I do have concerns about.  Alaska's fire season has started already.  We have a fire season in spring into early summer up north.  It is really amazing how fast the tundra can and does dry out.

School is almost over just 5 more days after today and I am soooooo looking forward to my break!  I love my job but as a long time teaching friend told me years ago, "Teaching a years worth of worked packed into 9mos. you deserve a free summer to rest and to get ready to jump right back into the classroom again."  I could not agree more!

I have turned in my skis for my hiking boots.  I am out on the tundra almost every day walking with "The Girls" as I call the dogs.  Soon that tundra will be bursting with green plant life.  The temperatures have hit the hi-40s and have broken into the low 50s.  The tundra is not freezing at night and with the long hours of sunshine it will change dramatically now from winter brown to lush summer green.

Spring time tundra ready to explode into various shades of green!

PDS Yarn one of my favorite yarns hand dyed in Whitefish , Montana at my favorite yarn shoppe! Another pair of highly functional socks.

I am totally smitten by lichen . . .

My Blaíthín, Kate Davies design, sweater which is now off the needles and waiting for buttons.

My disappearing ski trail in the distance but have not fear it will return about next October if the Snow Gods and Mother Nature play nice!

Bláithín Sweater

My Bláithín sweater is coming right along.  I was able to get the provisional crochet cast-on easily mastered and on my needles.  I used a sock yarn for this as it would shed the least amount.  I did wonder if this crochet cast-on yarn should be the same gauge as my sweater yarn.  I went with the sock yarn as  it wouldn't shed, is very durable, as the only yarn in the same weight I was afraid might shed.

Provisional Crochet Cast-on in Opal Cotton Sock Yarn

Once I got the twisting out of the cast-on *****warning here you need to be patient with this step!   I am sailing along in circles for 17 inches.

I placed coil-less safety pins every 50 sts. so I only have to count this amount twice.   I casted on 214 sts. 6 sts are for the steek and 208 sts are for the body.

I am off to a good start.  I do place sts. markers for the front steek  and the side seam if there was to be a side seam.

My favorite yarn shoppe in Montana  Knit 'N Needle used one of my photos to show off some wonderful fall yarns.  I love the combination.  Today it is 43F here and I wish our snow was back pronto!