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!!