Wind, ArkanSocks, and an OkieHat...

It is a cold, gray, and blustery day here in Southwest Lower Michigan, and God's leaf-removal team is hard at work. This means that the wind comes sweeping across the treeless prairie and blows the vast majority of our fallen leaves from the yard into the open field behind the house. The remainder of the leaves are caught in the flower beds and around the house and left as mulch to protect the roots until spring. We had our first snow flurries and some ice last night, so winter is not far off.

Friday, I finished the socks that I started on our trip to Arkansas, and cast on a hat for one of our riding friends in Oklahoma. Both socks and hat are complete, aside for working in the loose ends and washing them up.

<-- Here they are. The sock yarn is Meilenweit. I think the ball band blew away somewhere in Missouri.

The hat was knit using two strands of Lion Wool held together. The recipient said he would like a big, thick, warm red hat, and this one should fit the bill.

...and here are more photos from that trip. These two views are in Petit Jean State Park. What beautiful country are the Ozark Mountains, nearly sufficient to make a flatlander like me weep with envy.

Some new friends, some familiar friends, and some very good friends who we met face-to-face for the first time on this trip.

Front row, from the left: John P. from Alabama, Rich, John H. from Louisiana, Eric (Hog) from Kentucky, with his wife Bonnie (Honey) behind him. Back row: Steve and Sheila from Kentucky, Marian and Jay from Indiana, William from Alabama, me, Suzi from Texas, Rick (Galute) and Denise from Arkansas, and, to Bonnie's left, Suzi's husband Dale (Fuzzy). Among these faces are some of the dearest friends of my life. I am hoping to bring a few of them to Michigan this winter to play in the snow and help shorten the long wait until our riding season begins again in spring.

On the needles: more warm hats for cold Southern friends!