Cherohala Skyway Road Trip

Goodman and I took a little road trip last weekend in search of some fall color.
The Cherohala Skyway is a beautiful two-lane roadway that stretches from Tellico Plains in Tennessee to Robbinsville, North Carolina. It runs through the Cherokee National Forest on the Tenn. side and through the Nantahala National Forest on the N. Carolina side. Can you see where they got the name Cherohala for the road? Cherokee is a Muskogee word that means "speakers of another language."The drive is just beautiful in the fall..
We started out from Tellico Plains on our side of the skyway.
All along the way we drank in the autumn hues.
We stopped at several overlooks to take pictures.
A very enjoyable little trip.
Nantahala means "land of the noonday sun."
The highest point of the skyway is in North Carolina at Santeetlah. By the time we reached this point the leaves were all gone so we headed back toward home with one more stop along the way.
On the way up the skyway we were talkin' and missed the turn to Bald River Falls so we went by there on the way back down. This picture was taken from our vehicle. It's a drive-by falls, Y'all. - Gotta love it.
I finished the Fetching Mitts and they're on the way to a new home. Now, I think I may have to rummage through the UFO bin soon and make myself work on something from there. My conscience is just tearin' me to pieces over so many unfinished projects. Ah well, we'll see if my conscience or what I want to knit next wins out. The grandgals were here visiting this week, and Goodman took the oldest along with him on a trip to Tractor Supply Co. Nearby is a pumpkin stand so he let her pick out a pumpkin to take home with them. Hmm...I don't know if I'm a fan of this "colorway" or not. o.O I'm glad I'd already gotten them a plain-jane orange one. Have a great week, Y'all.

Chronicles of Yarnia

My DRT prize package arrived today so I thought I'd let everyone know how my team did in the Dish Rag Tag 2009 competition. Well, we did pretty good if I say so myself. Chronicles of Yarnia was a great team of knitters from all four corners of the USA, and eight out of ten members were able to send the box back out the same day they received it. That's pretty good. My team's box arrived at the finish point the same day another team's box got there. At that point it was out of our hands and up to the postman. Huh? Yep, that's what I said. We won second place instead of first because the postman put the other team's box in Emily's mailbox first. Ah well. It was fun anyway.
Here's the contents of my prize package for 2nd place. There's a knitting gauge measure thingy/key ring, a starbucks gift card and some 'fficial DRT stitch markers. Kelsey knit the dishcloth I received (in record time, I might add.) Thanks, Kelsey! It looks great. And thanks to Emily for puttin' on the best li'l knitting game around.
I've been busy knitting these fingerless mitts from this free pattern using the magic loop method of knitting in the round, (and yes, they will have thumbs where the red and pink stitches are when I finish the cables.) I do like this method of knitting two at the same time. There is no second mitt syndrome to suffer from. When you're done, you're done.
Hope your fall days are full of knitting, pumpkins and beautiful leaves.
'til next time..fare thee well. :)

Fruity, Just Fruity

I've been knee-deep in fruit since our trip to the orchard, but I did want to show you these little gals. Sun-dried roma tomatoes from the garden for wintertime salads. I'd never grown them before, and I have to say they're much tastier dried than fresh. More fruits of labor with the apples from the orchard, fried apple pies. Btw, it's Kyle Carver Orchard in Cosby, Tenn. You can google for more info if you'd like to go there when you're in the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area. They have a very nice restaurant on the premises, and if you sit by a window you'll enjoy a bird's-eye-view of the orchard. I use a slightly stiff biscuit dough for the crusts, and talk about flaky...why, even Loretta Lynn would have been proud. ;) I'd offer you one, but they're all gone now. Sorry, maybe next time.
I don't recall ever havin' played with blocks as a child. I'd much rather have been makin' something...like soap, but stackin' is good. Plain, homemade soap for the Goodman.I've been knitting, but nothing to show, yet. And don't fall out of your chair over this, but I seem to have been bitten by the quilting bug. Egads. We'll see how that works out.
Take care until next week, Y'all.

Fall Y'all

Greetings from the hills. We're finally catching cooler winds and temperatures.

I've not knit a stitch just lately, but I have plans for another shawl, and this one will be knitted rather than crocheted. Traveling Woman at Ravelry has caught my eye, and I want to use this yarn for it.

We made our annual trek to the apple orchard, and I bought some apples for making caramel apples with the grandgals and some for pies, but this Indian corn is my prize from the trip. I'm liking the colors and thinking about growing my own next year.

Have a great week, Y'all!