Chapter 1: Feeling Like Fall

Now that Hallowe'en is only two weeks away, the weather here has finally changed and the leaves are falling.  I’m so ready to embrace my favourite time of the year.  I love the food, the sweater weather, cute boots, pulling out hand-knits I haven’t seen for a few months, and the inspiration all the autumn colours and textures give to my knitting.  This is also the time of year that my local knitting group joins me for a weekend long getaway.  There’s usually non-stop knitting, chatting and laughing, and this year was no exception, in spite of it being unexpectedly short a few members.  But really, is there anything better than sitting by the fire on a cool autumn day, with the sun shining in?

We all usually take this weekend as an opportunity to finish and block things, learn a new skill, or even cast-on something new, and this year, we did all of those things.  You may remember seeing some photographs on Instagram of the hitchhiker shawl in Sweet Paprika's Andante that my friend knit, well we gave it one last photoshoot.

She also finished knitting and blocking a hat, and blocked two beautiful 220 Superwash shawls, plus two cowls, all before she cast on a new Avalon sweater and then taught herself brioche.

I am not nearly as quick at knitting as she is but I still finished and blocked a 220 Superwash crochet edge pillow, and blocked its matching blanket, plus a shawl that has been waiting for its final bath for ages.

Then I cast on test knits for our upcoming patterns, and learned how to read the charts because, I’m going to be honest, I have avoided it like the plague for the over 15 years I’ve been knitting. 

Now that I’m back home, I’m counting down to the next exciting thing – Hallowe’en!  It's become our tradition to get take-out Texas barbecue on Hallowe’en night before we take our kiddos out trick-or-treating, and then when they get to bed it’s a toss-up between Nightmare before Christmas and Rocky Horror Picture Show.  What are some of your favourite Hallowe’en traditions?

Don't forget, to celebrate the spookiest month of the year with you all, we have a sale on black, orange, green and purple yarns here, and gorgeous Hallowe’en project and notion bags, and more over here. 

So, enjoy the treats and happy crafting,
Marisa