Joys of the season

Fall really is my favourite season. In the States I love it because of pumpkins, Halloween, and the changing leaves. Unfortunately you can't enjoy these wonderful things to the same extent in the UK (Halloween is becoming slightly more common, but pumpkin pie is still pretty exotic, and the leaves just go yellowish-brown and fall off. Though the conkers are a nice touch). But anyway, there is another reason to appreciate Fall in the UK - it means you can give up hoping for summer to finally arrive, stop shivering in linen and sandals (worn in defiance of the weather), and start piling on the woolen accessories. Though now that I have moved away from Scotland, it appears I can actually expect something of a real summer, if this past summer was anything to go by. Unless that was a total fluke, in which case I will be doubly disappointed next year, because my expectations will have been raised to unattainable heights.

But regardless of how spectacular or disappointing your summer was, now is the time to pull out all those accessories that were languishing in your closet. Hopefully not nibbled by moths, as mine were a few years ago. I'm still in serious accessory deficit, and the moth menace, although diminished, has never quite disappeared. As a result of which I had to throw out my winter coat last month. I wasn't too upset because I got it for free from my sister, who thought it looked too much like a bathrobe. Also I had worn it for at least five years. But the upshot was, I needed a new coat and still more new accessories (to match the new coat), so all was good.

In the end I bought a cape, instead of a coat. Which will be sufficient for most English weather, but not all, so I might be in the market for another coat. Possibly from ebay - that's where I get most of my coats, because I couldn't possibly afford to buy as many coats as I need through the usual channels. Saying that, you can probably have too many coats (due to storage issues), but you can never have too many accessories.

One that I'm wearing a lot these days is Daybreak, by Stephen West, which I finished up in a week earlier this month. I want to make this again and again, because the colour possibilities are endless.

The other scarf I wear a lot is Kusha Kusha - which uses one of my very favorite fibres - a silk/steel blend by Habu. I also need to make a lot more of this one. (You can tell from my grin how enthusiastic I am about this scarf).

You will see a definite green theme running through my work, but I prefer reds and pinks for mid-winter, and besides, green most definitely does not go with grey. I got some fabulous red yarns at KnitNation at the end of August - I'll post about the projects as soon as they are finished.