A Fun and Different Project ~ a Necklace!

One of the projects that I finished this month was from a kit that I purchased through Earth Faire, a great source for patterns, yarn, and beads like these. (They are called mushroom buttons, and I had no idea they'd fit together like this.) This pattern by Sivia Harding is also on Ravelry.

This little tool which was also new, thanks to Earth Faire, was crucial to attaching the beads...much easier than stringing them. Basically, the whole thing is an I-cord with beads attached and a fairly quick finish. It was fun!

Three little someones also had a fun project recently. They harvested their sunflowers. David took one flower to school, maybe to feed the resident hamster? (Rex visited their house last weekend!)

Do you think she's going to take up modelling?

That must have been one huge sunflower. Ours never got that big!

Knitting on the Road

October has been flying by, but we did manage a little getaway this past weekend to Port Angeles. Even though it was a bit rainy, we enjoyed the scenery and learned that Sequim and Port Townsend really are in the "rain shadow," and usually have sun when it's rainy elsewhere. Actually, the weather was pretty nice in Port Angeles, too!
As we were cruising down the highway,I got all excited and made Dick turn the car around because it looked like an eagle was perched above a slide on a dock. Closer inspection proved my "eagle" to be a fake owl, but this heron wasn't a bit afraid!

Long car rides are perfect for knitting (Dick likes to drive.) as well as scenery-watching. I was able to make some real progress on a couple of projects. Thus far this month, I've finished two more purple hats and a necklace. Someone asked me how come I'm making so many hats when I have only 3 grandkids. These hats are for the Don't Shake the Baby campaign and will be given away during November.

More about the necklace later. It was fun but definitely not a car-project!

Sweater Weather? Hardly!

Somehow despite the balmy weather in our nation's mid-section, Jill managed with a little licorice-help to get this photo:

Here's Sophia celebrating the good weather.
It's even been warm enough in the Midwest for wading in the pool
and bike riding.
David took this photo. Not bad for a first grader, eh? Even though the weather is warm, it looks like the trees are starting to show their fall colors.
Oh, and here it's been rainy and in the fifties. Sigh....... (But I do remember what winter in the Midwest is like and am really glad they're enjoying their Indian Summer.)

Hats and Leaves, Sure Signs of Fall

Despite the fact that it's Socktober and I should be finishing up all those second socks that are waiting in line, I'm still knitting hats. Purple baby hats. To add a bit of interest after knitting 2 plain purple hats, I decided to knit one using a mock cable pattern. The pattern is fairly stretchy, so even though the finished hat looks kind of pointy and small, it should be fine. This is a fun stitch to use on socks also. Now I'm on to hat #4. Looks like Charlene might be right, that 5 baby hats were lurking in this skein. Must say, though, I'm getting a tiny bit tired of purple.....
Dick came in the house yesterday with this sign of fall. The Big-leaf maples are starting to lose their leaves....... This baby measures 18" across! And there are at least a zillion more just like it on every tree.
There will be lots of raking in our future!