Pigeon Report and Little Sock Pattern

The Squeekers are eating well. One of the babies ate some seeds by himself yesterday! And today he ate some of the Baby Cereal off my finger. They are just so cute! They are a day apart in age so I hope that the other one will start seed eating today or tomorrow and taking fluids themselves. I will continue to feed them for another week though to make sure. I am hoping to get some more Oriental Frills this weekend at the Beaver Pigeon and Bantam Swap in Beaver Dam to fill out my coop for the season. The new fly pen is being worked on so that it will be safe for them to be out of doors with hawks around. I hope to have it all set up this week if it ever dries out enough to put the chicken wire on the frame.

Tomorrow night is the monthly String Alongs meeting at our friend Bee's house. We should hear a little more about the Wisconsin Spin In this year in Wausau. Most of us didn't get to go so it will be interesting to hear how the festival went.

Loose Ends Yarn Shop in Mayville is starting a charity project for Christmas. You Stop in at Loose Ends and buy a ball/skein of yarn of your choice at 25% off and register your participation.
Take your yarn home and make some Christmas tree ornaments with it. Whatever kind of ornament you like, Knit, crochet, let your imagination go wild. If you seem to be short on imagination, we have some free ornament patterns to get you started.
Bring back the finished ornaments (make sure to save one for your own tree). When you bring back your ornaments you will get a ball/skein of the same ( maybe different color) yarn for FREE! Free! Did I mention the FREE Yarn?
The ornaments will be displayed at the Avenue of Trees, November 24,25,26 & December 1,2,3 at the Mayville Park Pavilion on the LOOSE ENDS YARN SHOP tree.
Then, during Heritage Fest (Ice Sculptures, Santa, Horse & Wagon Rides, more):December 9
we will be selling the ornaments at Loose Ends, the proceeds from the ornaments will be donated to the local food pantry.
Deadline for the ornaments to be returned to Loose Ends IS NOVEMBER 16, so stop in to join. Sounds easy and fun and a way to help stock the Food Pantry.
I have a cute mini sock pattern that makes a fun ornament.

Little Sock Ornament
Small amount of sock weight yarn
four #2 double point needles
Cast on 24 stitches. Divide as 8-8-8 and knit 7 or so rounds of k1, p1 rib.
Knit about 12 rounds.
Redivide stitches to place 12 on one needle to hold for the instep and 12 to use for the heel. Knit back-and-forth across the 12 heel stitches, always slipping the first stitch of each row (use heel stitch if you want), until the heel flap is square.
Now turn the heel:
Next RS row: K7, ssk (OR slip 1, k1, psso, if you prefer), TURN.
P3, p2 tog, TURN. K3, ssk (OR sl1, k1, psso), TURN.
Repeat the previous 2 rows until you have only 4 stitches left unworked.
Using a new needle, pick up stitches along the right edge of the heel flap, knit across 2 heel stitches, using another needle, knit the other two heel stitches and then pick up the same number of stitches on the left side of the heel flap.
You are now knitting in rounds again.
Assuming you would have 12 stitches on the instep needle , and 9 on the other two needles (7 picked up and 2 from the heel), you need to get back to the original number of stitches.
Decrease round: Needle 1: Knit. Needle 2: K1, ssk (OR sl1, k1,psso), knit to end of needle. Needle 3: Knit to last 3 stitches.
Plain round: Knit.
Repeat these two round until you are back to 24 stitches.
Knit for another 6 to 8 rounds until the foot seems long enough.
Knit one round plain, then begin toe decreases:
Needle 1: K1, ssk, knit to last 3 stitches, k2tog, k1.
Needle 2: K1, ssk, k to end of needle.
Needle 3: Knit to lst three stitches, ssk, k1.
Repeat alternating plain and decrease rounds until 8 stitches remain.
Break yarn and either graft remaining stitches or draw end of yarn through all stitches and pull closed.

I have knit hundreds of these little ornaments over the years. They make a cute package tie on too!






I am home all alone this evening as Brian has to work, Patrick is at school and Joe has a meeting.I just love the time to myself. But who wouldn't? I finished a bay hat that has to be felted and I am knitting another one just like it but with the colors reversed. Then I will felt them at the same time. Will post pictures when they are finished. But now I will go spin. I have more of the beautiful grey fleece I bought from Susan to spin so see you later and we will talk more,
Lynda

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