Look what is finally blocking!

Or, "How I Spent my Weekend"

I've been on the lookout for Canadian apples (particularly galas) in the grocery store for a while. I finally saw them when I was picking up things for Thanksgiving and, even though I knew I'd have no time to deal with them for at least a week, I grabbed up as many as I could. I had just enough time this Sunday before walking over to my mum's to get them all peeled and cut up and into a big pot.

I think I added a bit too much water because it boiled for longer than I remember last year but eventually it got there. I canned three jars plain and then added some spice for the last two (and the little bowl of leftovers - yum).

I love seeing jars of my own applesauce sitting waiting in the cupboard - so warm and cozy. The hour I spent peeling and chopping makes me think it might be wise to invest in one of those apple-peeling contraptions though.

Most of my knitting actually happened on Monday. I'd cast-on Rob's new socks on Saturday night and worked my way through the cuff and hem Sunday evening but really made progress sitting in my armchair in the living room on Monday. There is no clock visible from my armchair but I think I was sitting there for at least two hours. I didn't really have a choice - the cat was sleeping on my lap. I stopped to take pictures after the first spider repeat.

Like many very colour saturated yarns I've used before this one is coming off on my hands. By the time I stopped knitting my fingers and nails looked liked I'd been reading a newspaper. But I could tell it was from knitting by the stripe around my finger.

I finished the second repeat before I got out of my chair and, thanks to some time in the coffee shop on Tuesday and a power outage yesterday at work, I'm now finished the leg and three rows into the heel. I can't wait to see how the gussets work on this sock; they are a little different than the ones I've done before.

It's the end of Thanksgiving long weekend in Canada. Holiday Mondays are so nice - especially when you're already finished with the big meal and all you need to do is put the remaining bones in a pot with some onion and celery and let it simmer away. Other parts of Canada may have had crisp, sunny fall weather for their day off; we got a chilly, damp, blustery day that made me glad to not have to leave the house. We ate leftovers all day and were generally lazy. Even Abby was content to just move from napping spot to napping spot and that translated to plenty of knitting time for me. I plunked myself down in my armchair for part of the morning and most of the afternoon and worked on my Hawthorn shawl while Rob watched Star Trek and Abby made nests in the blanket on the couch (too cute).

I finally finished the chart! The last third of it went a lot faster than the first third. In part because there were far fewer stitches and the pattern was simpler but also because I got into a nice groove. About half way through the second episode of Star Trek I started the garter stitch short rows. I've been looking forward to these since I started this shawl. I imagined this yarn feeling incredibly soft and squashy as garter stitch and it completely lives up to my expectations (isn't it nice when that happens).

Doesn't that look warm and cozy? For added coziness add the smell of slowly cooking turkey stock that was starting to fill our house. Oh ... so lovely. The greatest part about getting to the short rows was that after the first two there is no counting - I just watch for the gap.

I kept going with the short rows until I was getting a little too hungry to stay put and plan to get back to them as soon as this is posted. I'm hoping to get to the end of my second ball of yarn tonight. I thought I was going to have to wind the third one before now but it looks like I've got a few rows left and I'm anxious to see how many.