We've been having a lovely August. It can be an iffy month here - some years it's fabulous, others it's grey and wet - but it is always the end of our summer. By as early as next week we'll start to see leaves edging toward yellow. The evenings already have that pleasant coolness to them and the shrubs that were blooming a few weeks ago are producing raspberries and rose hips now. Before I became a knitter Fall was a brief, chilly season before it got really cold; now it is one of my favourite points in the year.


Fall means layers, my favourite way of dressing, and hand knits. Yes, I know, we wear our hand knits all winter and well into the spring, why should they seem special now? Because now is when they come out. Now is when they are most versatile and when I can wear the largest variety of things. I have three or four hats I can wear in the Fall but only one that will get me through the winter (and sometimes I need to wear one of the Fall hats underneath!).


Fall also means more knitting: getting back to old projects, starting new projects, pondering Christmas presents. Cooler weather means wool will glide through my fingers instead of sticking and when I finish something I'll be able to wear it right away. I was wasting time on Ravelry the other day and realized that I had eight works in progress (that's kind of a lot for me). Four of those projects are old (what year did I start those Endpaper Mitts?) and one is so new I haven't even cast on yet. It seems so untidy to have so many things just sitting around waiting for me to get to them. And there are new things I want to add too.


The Fall issue of Twist Collective went up a few weeks ago and I am in love with the first pattern story: Roxham Farm. The whole look and feel of it is just the sort of thing I think of when I'm thinking of Fall. There are two patterns I particularly like. The first one is Red Oak by Julia Trice; it so rustic and cozy looking. From what I remember the yarn called for is a bit rustic too which means it might wear well. Oh, and toggles are just plain cool. The only thing is I can't think of many situations where I would actually get to wear a coat like that. If I can come up with some, or ever live somewhere with a longer Fall, I will knit this up as quickly as I can but until then I'll just be admiring it.


The second pattern I stopped and stared at was Hawthorn by Susanna IC. I love lace in big yarns. I love squishy garter stitch. I love the kitten in the picture. Most especially I love that this will look fantastic worn with my Fall coat in the yarn I've ordered. Three skeins of squashy goodness in incredible shades of mauve and purple should be arriving here just in time for some September knitting. I hope I've got a circular needle long enough.


More inspiration is coming from a recent book acquisition: More Last Minute Knitted Gifts was at our bookstore on Thursday. I thought it wasn't available until September so it was a pretty exciting find. Not only does it have loads of things in it I'd love to make but it has things in it I can make right now with stash yarn! I love the knitted Christmas ornaments. My sisters have suggested we do a thrifted/homemade Christmas this year because they always get uncomfortable with everyone feeling like they've got to spend a lot of money. I thought this was a great idea until Jane said the homemade part shouldn't use new, expensive materials. I see her point but it meant a bit of revising of my list.


I've got loads of Cascade 220 in Christmas colours so I'm seeing cute and cozy tree ornaments in my future. I'm also liking the look of the double-knitting coasters (I've been wanting to learn how to do that) and the coffee cozies (wouldn't coffee-cozies with initials on them be cute?).


Unrelated but as lovely as the name suggests:

I've been following Sharilyn's blog lovelydesign for a little while now (I've got two of her posters to hang up in our house) and loved the cat pictures in her latest post . Please go look. You'll smile. I promise. And send her some "get well" wishes while you're at it  :)