Falling Leaves

I entered my scarf in the fair and received this ribbon. The pattern is Falling Leaves and is in the most recent edition of SpinOff. I happened to be at a retreat about a year and a half ago with Sara Lamb and the other ladies who contributed to the article. They had just started working on this pattern and everyone was knitting different things as a test. Sue was making a shawl from her handspun Corriedale and wrote down the pattern on a piece of notebook paper. Since it hadn't been published, I was sworn to secrecy. This is the third time I have knitted this scarf. I relate to Sara saying that she hasn't gotten bored with knitting this over and over. The results look great and it's not too complicated for me. I don't do much lace.
I thought it would look nice in socks with the Merino I just dyed and spun. I found that Martha Waterman provides instruc-
tions for both knitting in rows and also for knitting in the round in her book Traditional Knitted Shawls & Lace. I love how it looks and tried it on after I turned the heel but found that it the sock is pretty tight. I was worried about the Merino pilling so knitted on size 1 needles. I tried it on again this morning and the truth is that the socks really will have to be frogged. I need trip knitting but reknitting this sock wasn't what I had planned.

There were several questions about soap. I wrote about it here a couple years ago. I have to make two more batches after we get back from vacation so will try to make a tutorial at that time. Yesterday I made Juice Bar and today I made Bar None.
I am pleased with the socks from Noro that I finally finished last week. I was dawdling because I thought they'd feel rough, and frankly, I can't imagine how long single-ply yarn will last in socks, but Noro does sell this as sock yarn. They feel great and don't rub the soles of my feet like some sock yarns. I give it two-thumbs up.
At the beginning of summer I started knitting the Sideways Cardigan designed by Deborah Newton in the Spring/Summer 2008 Vogue Knitting. I finished it several weeks ago but just bought the buttons this week. Even though I made the smallest size, it's a little commodious. Amy suggests that I throw it in the drier and I think I shall. I got stumped but found a Ravelry group for this pattern as well as a KAL. It was fun to knit but I probably would happier if I had used a little nicer grade of cotton.