It's time to wear wool!

I made my dad a simple cowl out of lovely Chugwater blue merino wool.

I made myself a bright rainbow cowl out of alpaca and wool yarn that pooled pleasingly.

I also finished my first pair of patterned socks--in Ron Weasly wool yarn, in a pattern called the Burrow.

I started these on my way to Alaska and finished them last night.  Five months is pretty good for me when it comes to socks!

Fall Travels, Stop Five: Mammoth Site

Did you know that near Hot Springs, South Dakota there is an ancient sinkhole from which they have excavated 60 mammoth skeletons? Well, there is--and you get to tour a bone bed. Pretty neat.

Fall Travels, Stop Four: Mt. Rushmore

I have always thought that there was something truly audacious and powerful about Mt. Rushmore. Mr. Cool and I talked about its power as art--the setting, the design--and it was lovely in the fall, with a few drifting snowflakes. Lincoln learned a lot about Abraham Lincoln, but I think his favorite part was pushing the pretend dynamite plunger to set off videotaped explosions!

Fall Travels, Stop Two: Wind Cave National Park

Just outside of Hot Springs, South Dakota, we found one of the largest/longest caves in the world. Lincoln and I ventured into a cave for the first time, and it was spectacular. We went down 300 steps, over 200 feet under the earth.
1. Pictures from inside the cave highlighting the boxwork and popcorn calcium deposits inside the cave. The boxwork is an incredible product if erosion, and Wind Cave has 95% of the world's boxwork.
2. Lincoln near the park sign--it was a cool morning and actually warmer inside the cave.
3. Mr. Cool and Lincoln wait by the elevator--they don't make you climb out!
4. We enjoy our first cave!

12/12 in 2012: A Maple Mizzle

What's that? A monthly shawl completed early in the month?! I'm shocked too! The Mizzle pattern just flew off the needles in Sweet Georgia's Maple yarn. I loved this whole knitting experience, especially that I finished it before all the leaves changed color!

A Trip to Taos: Fall Color Explosion

I hope everyone gets a chance to see some gorgeous fall leaves this year--I'm not very good at photographing the beauty we saw. My favorites are a flash of golden leaves trapped in a green conifer zone.