turkey feathers

Knitting: Perky Baby Bootees

These cute and practical baby booties are made using one skein of "baby yarn" and a pair of size 3 knitting needles. 

Download PERKY BABY BOOTEES

 

Autumn Threads

I’m always a little sad when summer dwindles and the days shorten again.  Suddenly, all those golden hours of light that lingered  long after the dinner hour, are over.  Time to pack up the picnic table and plug in the crockpot.  Light the lanterns and settle in.  Fall is at the door.  Like a long lost friend we haven’t seen for awhile.  A welcome friend!  Because it means sewing, stitching and knitting are back on our laps.  And all the comforts and day dreams that go along with that. 

 

Kitting and fall just go hand-in-hand and Grace's knitting needles have been clicking away.  A sweater is taking shape. A 'Button Yoke Cardi', to be more precise.  Done in seed stitch with garter stitching for the contrasting bands. Grace chose a russet-rose and cream combination in a 80W/20A yarn from Michael's.  I think it turned out darling.  This sweet little sweater is just right for the cooler days.

 (Pattern from Knit Simple magazine, Fall issue 2010, by designer Sandi Prosser.) 

 

 

 

 

October Awe

The sun is shining, but the frost is on the pumpkin.  Got down to 32 degrees last night.  A week ago I picked and dried the last of the pole beans to plant again next spring.  Grace rounded up the rest of the tomatoes, blanched off the skins and packed them all away neatly into the freezer.  We reserved a few jars in the fridge to keep on hand for soups and sauces. 

Will now miss the regular visits to our temporary 'experimental' greenhouse.  It's the second season we've used it and have come to the conclusion that a permanent greenhouse is definitely worth doing.  Growing tomatoes was the ultimate "test" and it passed.  Yay! 

Purple Counterpoint

Although we tend to associate Autumn with yellows, golds and reds, purple is a perfect player and counterpoint to all these warm and glowing colors; even influencing our craft projects, I noticed.  It's lovely to see such creativity in action.  Something I hope to be settling back into again soon.  At the moment though, I am feeling the urgency that always hits me this time of year.  The need to finish up all the outdoor projects before the rainy season returns.  I'm not sure this is even possible, we have so many, but we hold out hope til the end. I was also reminded that it's time to plant bulbs!  We have boxes of them rescued from various beds around the yard (that had some sort of construction going on), along with Iris, that all need to go somewhere.  I have a new location in mind.  But now it's just a matter of timing.  It's a race against the clock. Tick...tick...tick.