Cardigan and I do a lot of daily walking and hiking, especially when we can spend whole days together during the summer holidays. We are lucky to live in a beautiful seaside neighbourhood – thank you wonderful landlords who continue to rent your sweet little house to us! In addition, not far from this community, is a vast rainforest preserved for wildlife, horse trails, and wonderful hiking. I have written about this paradise on my blog before. This is what it looked like through my iPhone, yesterday:
Well the other day it rained! Usually this is not a big event when you live in a rainforest, but this year things have not been very soggy around here. Our winter was too mild for much snow, even on the mountains, and the runoff was minimal. Add to the mix that May, June and most of July have been sunny and hot, and the result has been reservoirs that are low, leading to a drought throughout The Lower Mainland and in many other regions in our province. The irony of walking close to all that ocean water each day, and returning home to brown grass, struggling trees, and parched gardens, is not lost on me. Water restrictions are in place, which means we are not watering lawns (folks!), and are only hand watering our gardens sparingly on alternate days. So you can imagine that our first rainy day in three months was a sensual feast – the scent, the feel, the sight, the sounds, and ‘even got a taste! We got up and out early, into a downpour, Cardigan, me, and every bird that lives in the ‘hood. We got drenched and it was grand!
In the afternoon we headed to the forest and hiked until we were covered in dirt – we just do! Squirrel and chipmunk parents, fed up with sheltering their babies from the heat, opened the nests and set their babies free, apparently. The tiniest of the wildlife population celebrated this beautiful day right there in front of us! Cardigan longed to run free and taste a few. . . .really? Baby squirrels on the paths in this forest are sometimes still blind, and come staggering straight for us. Cardigan has biscuit breath. Do they love biscuits? “Go back, go back!”
My studio work that day was to knit up a fresh new sample for the beginner sock classes that I will be teaching at Valley Yarn in the fall. The mood had been set – I was soaked, filthy, and okay I confess, shivering! When that feeling hits, I head for the bathtub and then for my Stanfield’s.
All the girly things about me fall flat when I need my Stanfield’s. I have three pairs and they are my go-to socks when it’s time to cozy up and get warm. I had some designing to do, hmmm. Why fight it? Soon I found myself rounding up the rustic grey, off-white, and warm red, pulling out the dpn’s and casting on. I used the pattern I wrote about ten years ago – it really is my favourite for dk weight socks. You have it, if you have ever taken a Sock School class with me.
I apologize Mr. Stanfield for the soft and cozy version (I chose alpaca) but they will be oh so warm! I will add Wooly Nylon serger thread to the alpaca to reinforce the heel, foot, and toe. I used my commercial pair as a template for the colour work but my own pattern for the rest, and soon my homemade Stanfield’s were getting a heel. Mr. Stanfield used the Afterthought Heel Method, which I’ll do next time. That way you can knit a tube, and work the heel last. It can also be replaced easily if it wears out. I am so loving my Stanfield inspired fireside socks!
Yes, it was just the other day that I was finding my bathing suit, and positioning the cooling fans in the studio, just right, in order to get some work done. The hot weather will be back reports say, but for now I am so very happy to be sitting with my real Stanfield’s on my feet and my inspired version in my working hands. I’m getting my cozy on for a day or two! This colour combination has got to be the most comforting ever! Well done Mr. Stanfield! Thank you! ‘friends for life.
