Montana, at least the sliver of it I glimpsed from Highways 90 and 191 and the footpaths along Buffalo Horn Creek, captured my heart. If we’d tried to shoehorn all the mayhem I outlined in the last post into a typical wedding/family reunion venue, I might have emerged a little bit frayed at the edges. As it was, there was clean cold air, sparkling dry snow, an icy river, mountain trails among biscuit-colored rock outcrops and sweet-scented pine woods, a cozy cabin with a wood fire, daily long walks with my husband and sister-in-law while Lark bounded tirelessly up and down the slopes like a gazelle on speed, good food (although this vegetarian will never overcome certain feelings of grievance about the permeation of all her clothing with clinging, malodorous bacon grease), and endearing snowsuit-clad toddlers eager to commandeer adult company for games of dominoes, dance parties, snow-eating, or choruses of “Jingle Bells.” It snowed during the wedding:

… but there was a bonfire with hot cocoa, cider, and s’mores to warm up afterward:

And there was knitting time. (Indoors, in the cozy cabin. I took my fingers out of my gloves only long enough to consume gooey marshmallows when these pictures were being taken.) I did take the silk, and Katrin’s February Lady sweater is now just into the gull lace. Lucky, lucky me that I get to knit with this Luscious Single Silk: luscious really is the word for it. It’s so plump and fluid on the needles. Good thing we have a rainy weekend forecast; I need to spend a lot of hours knitting if this and other Christmas projects are going to be ready in time! I fear the blog is going to be a little dull these next weeks as I put all my energy into the fabrication of secret loot; thank goodness I can show you FLS progess shots now and then!

I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that we have epic Thanksgiving plans. Here’s what we’re rolling in with Thanksgiving itself:

– a wedding (Mr. G’s hotshot–literally; she fights forest fires–cousin is the bride)

– a twin birthday party (Mr. G and his sister turn 31)

– a baby shower? (we’re not going to see his sister again before the nephew comes)

– all of us plus the dog driving over five mountain ranges for two days

– a dude ranch

– did I mention the wedding is outdoors? In Montana?

– a pre-dawn flight home in time to sing in a concert

Really, what could go wrong? One thing is certain: this will be a memorable trip. We’ll see whether I get any knitting time at all. Maybe in the car, if the roads aren’t too twisty and I’m not sardined among my mother-in-law’s kitchen appliances too tightly to move my arms. I have a couple of quick gifties to finish on the plane (I have to catch up to the caravan in Spokane), including the sleeves and buttons of the February sweater. (Pray they’re wide enough, please. I’ve had to rip my sleeve beginning out a bunch to get the pattern looking decent. I’m still not sure how, but I did something screwy at my arm divides.) And just in case there’s extra knitting time, I might take one of these:

Malabrigo Sock in Cordovan for a pair-to-keep of my Minaret gloves; Socks That Rock Lightweight in Lenore for Stephanie Pearl McPhee’s Lenore socks

… or Katrin’s February Lady Sweater, if I decide the delicate silk can withstand the peregrinations in its ziploc bag. Happy Thanksgiving, one and all!

The farmers’ market is winding down, the afternoons grow daily darker, the wool stash grows ever more abundant. I’m feeling a winter settling coming on: an urge to get cozy and pull my most beloved people and books and foods and knitting projects close.

On Sunday we invited our neighbors and my aunt and her partner for dinner. At the market we gathered delicata squash, brussels sprouts, dried black chanterelles and fresh yellow ones. I made mushroom risotto with fontina; baked the squash halves about 15 minutes, until tender, then brushed them with maple syrup and put them under the broiler for another couple of minutes to caramelize; and followed Jess’s suggestion for the brussels sprouts, substituting olive oil for the bacon. The neighbors brought a big delicious salad, my aunt baked gingerbread (and dog biscuits for Lark!), Dr. Bill dipped into his famous wine cellar, and we feasted. This is a life of riches and warmth.

I’m getting a nephew. Did I say that here yet?  Mr. G and I are thrilled that his twin sister is expecting in late February. This is our first go at being aunts and uncles, so naturally I’ve got to start the little chap off with some handknits. The mama-to-be requested cranberry red early on, before we knew the baby’s sex, and I like knitting with red, so I’ve been keeping an eye out for a good red yarn. This will be a West Texas baby, so a cotton blend seemed like a good move if I wanted to make him something to wear throughout the spring. Rowan Calmer it was. (I love their chocolate brown, their red, and their ice blue. Somehow the rest of the color palette doesn’t do much for me.)

But what to knit? It was awfully tempting to make a February sweater for a February baby, but somehow I don’t reckon this kid’s West Texas pa wants to see his pride and joy in lace. I needed a pattern with more… manliness. But I wasn’t ready to give up on EZ’s adorable little design. The gull stitch lace she offers with the pattern is only a suggestion – any seven-stitch motif will do, or you could leave it plain. EZ likes for us to think for ourselves. I quickly knit up the garter yoke, and then I considered my options.

My friend Jen recently finished a beautiful sweater by Janet Szabo called “Green Hornet“. It has a diamond motif of traveling stitches, and every other diamond column is filled in with garter stitch. It’s a twelve-stitch motif, but so what? Fudging the stitch count wasn’t hard. The garter diamonds echo the yoke and edging perfectly. And it’s manly: no delicate holes or dainty chevrons.

I’m pleased so far. A boy could show his face in his papa’s work truck or at the shooting range or on a spring cattle drive in this sweater, I think.

(Imagine the color somewhere between the two versions here. I don’t know why my colors sometimes go goofy when I bring photos up to WordPress, but they do. It’s a cool red; not as magenta as the bottom shots and not as brick as the top.)

We’re seeing Mr. G’s sister at Thanksgiving and then not again until after the baby arrives, so I’ve got to finish this one up quickly. What sort of buttons do you think I should look for?