AUTUMN COLORS, WINTER GARDEN, KNITTING

Greetings.  It's the traditional holiday hello.  As you can see from the photo above I've another bin of yarn.  I sent this bin full of knitting projects to the Christmas Bazaar, and it was returned full of yarn for next year's projects.  Thanks to the Eagles Auxiliary in Chico, CA. I love that people are wearing my knitting.  This time of year, we need scarves and hats to keep us warmed up.  Although it hasn't rained much, it's been cold.  Especially in the mornings.  Last two days we've had fog and tomorrow the big winds are coming.  You'll see the leaves we have now - after tomorrow we'll probably have the neighbor's leaves, too. 

After receiving the bin full of yarn, I jumped right in and worked with this variegated happy colors yarn.  I had enough to make a hat and a scarf.  I modified the scarf pattern and began with a couple of inches of k2, p2 ribbing.  The scarf pattern, Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy Scarves, can be found here:

http://stana-critters-etc.blogspot.com/2011/10/knitting-pattern-for-easy-peasy-lemon.html

The hat pattern, which has instructions for sizes 7, 8, and 9 needles, plus variations of the edge and top construction can be found here: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/789-hat

Here's another variation of the Easy, Peasy, Lemon Squeezy scarf.  These scarves are about 50 inches long.  The hat below is one of my favorites and another version was in an earlier blog. It's from Tanis Fiber Arts - Grammy's Mitts and Hat

Here's the link to this hat:

http://tanisfiberarts.blogspot.com/2010/12/grammys-hats-and-mittens-pattern.html

Chico is known as the city of trees, so with trees come leaves.  This is our backyard - the front yard is the same.  The backyard leaves are going into the garden area as compost for next year's garden.  The front yard leaves make a huge pile for the leaf-pick up service provided by the City.  Thank You!! Amazingly, the garden in producing cold weather crops.  We should be able to eat this lettuce pretty soon. We have to watch the weather for frost warnings so we can cover the crops with bed sheets to keep them from freezing. Love this!  Green growth in winter!!

Complain, complain about the leaves, but I just have to share the beauty of our neighbor's tree right now. We live in an older part of town that has huge trees that blast out color in the fall.  Makes going for a walk enjoyable just to see the colors. This tree looks like it's on fire.

And a close-up shot.

So beautiful!!

This is an unusual scene - not sleeping cats, but that they are sleeping so close together.  I guess they have to get warmth where ever they can get it when there isn't someone's lap available. 

Happy Holidays to fiber lovers everywhere.  I saw patterns today for last-minute Christmas knitting projects.  I guess that's me.  I just didn't realize I was "last-minute."  I'm heading for the yarn and needles right now!  Knit and crochet on!!

HOLIDAY BAZAAR TIME and GARDEN COLOR

If you haven't noticed it's that time again.  Holiday time, and that means Eagles Holiday Bazaar.  K will take my knitting to the Eagles Hall next week.  I have everything finished and tagged.  Here are a few of my last minute projects.  The black, gray, and white scarf is made with two yarns knit together.  Any simple knit pattern would do for a scarf like this. It would look smashing on a black coat.

This hat is version of Grammy's Hats found at the Tanis Fiber Arts site.  What happy hats and mittens for everyone. Don't miss this site.

Tanis Fiber Arts: Grammy's Hats and Mittens pattern

tanisfiberarts.blogspot.com/.../grammys-hats-and-mittens-pattern.htm.

This terrific hat was also made with two yarns held together to make a bulky yarn.  The pattern can be found here:

http://media.knittingfever.com/kfi/catalog/pattern/pdf/110818/Bubbles.pdf

 

This brown hat pattern can be found here:

http://lookmayrascreations.blogspot.com/2011/11/cable-knit-hat.html  It's knit in the round with lots of cables.  It was fun to knit.

Here's my knitted projects in the going-to-the-bazaar bin.  This is about a year's worth of knitting give or take a few projects that I've made for other charities and for family.   It makes me feel good to know that people will be receiving my knitting as Christmas gifts. 

I can't have a blog without a little about the garden.  The weather has been quite chilly at night, but the garden continues to flourish.  Roses and chrysanthemums add gorgeous color.  Today Master Gardener, D, raked leaves from the back yard - a nice pile of yellow and gold.  Thousands more to come, front and back yards.  Spring will be very exciting as there are crocus, tulips, more bulbs hidden in pots and in the ground.  More spectacular garden pics to come. 

Can't beat Mother Nature's flair for color combinations.  Fantastic!!  Knit and crochet on, everyone.  If you can't needlework , you can appreciate and enjoy the work of others. 

QUIET HALLOWEEN and NOVEMBER RAIN

Here's an example of getting ready for something to happen and then nothing!  I carved the pumpkin, from our garden, naturally, set out the bowl of candy, turned on the porch light and waited for the trick-or-treaters that never came.  Not one.  Last year we had about 20 kids show up, but this year with Halloween arriving on a school night, I think parents were keeping their kids in, in this neighborhood, anyway.  I may have to find a new home for the candy, though.  It's so tempting. 

The weeks have been nice and warm lately, so Master Gardener, D, has put in the winter garden from seeds.  And what do you know, Mother Nature has graced us again.  The seeds are coming up.  The nights have been very cool and today it's drizzling rain. Now the test will be if these little plants can withstand the colder weather.

The strings are for snow peas to climb up on.

The roses seem to like warm or cold and are producing buds.  Here's another perfect bloom in yellow.  Bare root rose plants are available in January, so we're hoping to find some with exotic colors.

Elk Creek High School has called me to substitute a few times lately, and I finally remembered to take my camera.  This photo is of the school barn.  Later in the year the barn will house mostly pigs, sometimes a couple of sows and their piglets that are so cute and pink.  Or there will be young pigs (or hogs) that students buy and raise to adulthood to be sold at the Glenn County Fair.  Yes, Virginia, that's where pork chops and ham comes from.  We've also had goats and sheep.  I love to see the animals, but I try not to think about their end result.

Right now, three horses live in the pasture.  Part of their fencing runs parallel to the path students take to and from the cafeteria up the hill at the elementary school.  So naturally, as I approached to take pictures, I was checked out up close and personal for food.   

Next time I'll have some carrots or an apple in my pocket.  Here's a more pleasing picture of mr. horse - he seems to be posing for me.  These horses belong to people that live in the neighborhood.  What an easy life.

No matter where I go, I take my knitting.  Here are a few more items I have ready for the craft bazaar.  This is a bulky hat, which will be nice and warm.  I used two skeins of worsted weight yarn and size 11 needles.  This is a free knitting pattern: Lion Brand Tweed Stripes Rosy Ribbed Hat #L10534. 

I also knitted another "three ribs with cable on the side" scarf.  The first one went to my sister, C.  Love this yarn with the flecks in it.  I think it's a Red Heart Super Saver brand.

This is a neck warmer that started as a scarf.  It has two cables with seed stitch edging.  I shortened it, of course, and made two buttonholes.  I'm not satisfied with the brown buttons, though, so I'll look for some that are a little brighter and bigger.  The yarn is from the Deborah Norville collection - Serenity - worsted weight - walnut is the color.  I like the texture, softness, and weight of this yarn.  I'm using for a hat, also.

Today is definitely a day to stay in and knit.  So after I put a roast in the oven, I'm going to do just that.  Knitting with the prospect of good food for dinner, yum.  So until later, knit and crochet on.  GG