Sunday Sampler: Early Fall Knitting

Boy it's been a while since I've done one of these!

If you're a regular reader of this blog, you know that, by my definition, September is the start of FALL, the very best season of the year. Fall is, of course, a great time for knitting anything and everything. But maybe you're overwhelmed by your options and don't know where to start. Or you're having trouble prioritizing. Or you're just not feeling inspired by your queue.

Fear not! I am here to help. Without further ado, Ten Spectacular--and FREE--Fall Knitting Projects:

 Photo courtesy of Emily Ringelman / Knitty

 Delaware is for Cables by Emily Ringelman. So cable-y. Great with a rustic yarn. Quick to knit in aran weight. And I'm in favor of building a varied hat wardrobe for fall, as you'll see.

 Photo courtesy of Andi Satterlund

 Lace Shrug, by Andi Satterlund. Perhaps a bit spring-y, but cold shoulders are a risk any time, and lace is perfect for a subtle early fall chill.

 Photo courtesy of Megan Wright

Rhapsody in Lace and Ruffles, by Megan Wright. A heavier shawl in DK weight, perfect for when the weather finally turns COLD.

 Photo courtesy of Jessa Kalani

Rikke hat, by Sarah Young. Lovely garter squishiness!

 Photo courtesy of Tin Can Knits

Clayoquot Toque, from Tin Can Knits. A free hat pattern to match the cardigan in the new Road Trip collection! Great introduction to stranded knitting.

 Photo courtesy of Tin Can Knits

Another freebie from Tin Can Knits, Barley, a squishy hat featuring a simple stockinette and garter combo and sized from Baby to Adult.

 Photo courtesy of Nancy Green / Knitty

Thisbe by Nancy Green. Love this cable and lace combo, and you can ALWAYS use more handknit socks.

 

Photo courtesy of Raveler verabee

 

Wurm by Katharina Nopp. Another squishy hat, and looks like a good candidate for handspun!

Photo courtesy of Purl Soho

Bandana Cowl by Purl Soho. A quick, cozy knit in bulky weight.



Dungarees cowl, by yours truly. The openwork is straightforward, but the lateral braids are a challenge--try something new!

Pattern Debut: Siempre

 

A new Knit Picks collection, Sock Yarn Scarves, debuted on Thursday, and it features my latest design, Siempre!

Siempre is an infinity scarf knit in fingering weight yarn--and Knit Picks has some beautiful ones to choose from. The yarn used in the book is Stroll Glimmer, which, as you can see, has a hint of shimmer. (I used a sunny yellow to knit up my sample, and as soon as things get settled around here, I'll dig it up to share.) It requires a single 100g skein of sock yarn to create this versatile fall accessory--wear it long like a necklace, or double loop it for warmth.

 

The scarf features complementary lace and cable patterns, and a slip stitch edge for a smooth finish.
It's knit flat from a provisional cast on, with the ends grafted together for a seamless look.

 
The individual pattern is available for download for just $4.99, or buy the whole collection: the ebook with 7 patterns is just $9.99. If you'd like a print edition (and who wouldn't?), that's available too, for $14.99.

I'd personally go for the ebook as the best deal, because it includes 7 beautiful designs perfect for fall--especially Estivate and the Bees and Honeybees Stole!

Leafpeeping

This past weekend was, I suspect, the best leaf weekend of the season, so I thought I'd share a few photos.
 

Now the fall rain and wind will come and blow these all away, and before you know it, we'll have bare trees and maybe even some snow!

And I'm happy to say all these gorgeous colors are being reflected in my knitting:

This is the smaller of the Mommy and Me sweaters I'm determined to finish for JJ and I to wear for our family portrait session.

Um . . . on Sunday.

Saturday Sampler: Welcome Fall!

It's September, and it's currently cold enough in my house to be wearing handknit socks, so I declare it fall (nevermind that we're supposed to get back up into the 80s next week). Let's welcome in our favorite season, shall we?

We start with one of these:

 Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks

(Almost bought one yesterday, but it wasn't quite cold enough.)

Then we add one of these:

Dogfish Head Punkin Ale . . . lots of great pumpkin ales, but this one is THE BEST. And it was cold enough for one last night.

Maybe we cook up some of this:

And then the knitting begins!

Clearly, we need this:

French Braid Cardigan, by Tanis Lavallee

Definitely, this:

Atmos Cardigan, by Hilary Smith Callis

 Have to warm the baby up too:

Beatrix, from the Kelbourne Woolens Baby Collection

And let's keep our heads warm too:

Hugs and Smooches, by yours truly.

As a special fall celebration, you can get the Hugs and Smooches hat for $3.99, through the month of September!

HAPPY FALL!