Four Weeks of Fall, originally uploaded by jessiespress.

I thought it would be fun/interesting to document the progress of Autumn by way of my favorite tree. Each photo was taken on a Tuesday around the same time in the morning (although the last one was after going back to Standard Time — check out the sunlight!). The rest of the trees have really started to turn now, but this flaming orange harbinger of fall was really the trendsetter this year. I wonder if it will be first to bloom in Spring?

Crafty Bastards Haul, originally uploaded by jessiespress.

A couple weeks ago, Pia, Anne & I (& friends) checked out Crafty Bastards, the Washington City Paper’s annual craft fair. It was a gorgeous early fall afternoon and the crowds were OUT. Despite the challenge of getting to booths one wanted to check out, I managed to purchase a few great items — some for me and some for others. Click on over to Flickr to see the notes on the items.

Happy Friday!

Um, hello, how did we get to mid-October?    Leaves are turning, the weather is delightfully crisp, and the Red Sox are in the playoffs again there is no longer any reason to watch baseball.   I am loving Fall this year (except for that whole baseball thing), even though we didn’t have a crazy hot summer.

K has been traveling a lot lately, leaving me with many evenings the last couple weeks to curl up on the couch and knit.  I have an ambitious knitting schedule for the season, but have my schedule all set out through Christmas, and I am happy to say that I’m currently ahead of schedule!  (But don’t hold your breath…I’m sure it won’t last.)   My main focus recently has been baby gifts.  Amongst our friends, there are five babies expected in the next few weeks, so I’ve had my work cut out for me.

Here are the first two:

The pattern is the Offset Wraplan, a pretty easy little knit.  I used Knitpicks Shine Worsted, which is not hard to work with, except that to get gauge, I had to use size 3 needles — not so easy on the hands!  Knitting it the first time was easy enough, but I had a hard time motivating myself to do it again… even on little knits, picking up for the collar & button bands just make me feel like I’ll never finish the project.  But finish I did, and these are ready to go to their wee recipients once they arrive!

Two more finished projects!

First up, the oh so creatively named Chevron Scarf.  I began knitting this back in May, on my way with Pia to Maryland Sheep and Wool.   This was mostly a knitting-in-transit project — on the metro, in the car, on the plane…and slowly it inched along as the summer progressed.  I finished right in time for it to get cool outside!

Next, a super quick project — the Birthday Cowl from novamade.  Started on Saturday, finished on Sunday.  Easy as pie.  The yarn, Classic Elite Lush, is bound to be warm and cuddly as Autumn comes with full force.  I probably could have dropped a repeat to have it a bit snugger, but it’s fine as it is (besides, I’ve got lots more knitting to get done this fall!)

Heading out of town for the last of the 2009 weddings.  A weekend of driving is looming — hopefully I’ll get lots done and will have more to share next week!

Two recently finished projects…

Leafling socks:  These were started in April of 2008, travel knitting for my trip to Italy.  While I loved the pattern, they were too big for me.  Ok, then, socks for mom.  Easy enough right?  Well, then the unfinished first sock had to wait for a try-on (never knitted socks for Mom before!) in July, and then they kind of sat around…for a long time…until I finally finished the first and got the second done in short order.  I finished them back in, uh, May, and they’re still hanging out in my living room.  And Mom was even up for a visit!  I promise she’ll get them before 2009 ends.  Here they are on my feet — a bit roomy, but I have another skein to knit up a smaller pair for myself.  I expect to be done with them sometime in 2011.

Next, a pair of socks started in April of 2009, in remembrance of my trip to Florence during which the socks above were started.  These are super-simple, toe-up, short row heel socks knit up to my knees (which isn’t all that far — I’m short! one of the few times I’m glad my legs are shorter than average…).  The first sock was finished on July 4th; the second went to Germany with me.  I finally bound them off the other day and they’re ready for the quickly-cooling weather we’ve got ’round these parts.

That’s it for socks right now…have got sweaters to finish!

Wow, friends, I’ve been really bad at the blogging lately.  I’m going to try to do better, not because I feel all “I should blog all the time so people know what I’m doing”/me-me-me-me-me, but because I like reading your blogs, and feel I should reciprocate.

Life chez moi continues apace with work-filled days and (ideally) knitting-filled evenings, along with a healthy dose of wedding planning (dress? check. save the dates? check. invitations? uh…..).  I’ve amassed a knitting to-do list that is rather ambitious, and it includes only two holiday knits (although there’s about 6 or 7 gifts in there total).  Each item (gift or no) has a deadline, and hopefully I’ll make most of them.  I’ll share them as I finish, or when they’ve been given to their recipients.

But as I have nothing finished to show currently, here are a few shots from our Labor Day sail on the Chesapeake.

lovely evening clouds

rigging

a bit blurry, but the man in the moon is smiling

So I haven’t been on vacation all this time — I’ve actually been back for a few weeks.  oops.

You can check out some photos of the trip here…no pictures from the wedding that we went to while over there, but some photos of Munich, Tegernsee, & Helsinki.  It was a great trip — a lot of go-go-go, but also a good chance to relax with our friends who got married.

Life back in the States has been going at full tilt.  I was hoping it would slow down a bit, but it doesn’t seem to be in the cards!  Lots of exciting visits this weekend — going to see friends and having friends come stay with us.  Plus wedding plans (bought the dress!).  And a full work schedule.   Oh, and I’ve got a full slate of knitting to accomplish this fall!  Here’s the latest shawl finished, and probably the last one for a while (what with baby sweaters and holiday gifts coming due soon…):

This is the Aestlight shawl — a lovely garter-y number that knit up beautifully in Malabrigo Sock.  I feared I wasn’t going to have enough yarn for the shawl, but eked it out with only a tiny bit to spare.  I’ll be getting a lot of use out of it if the last few days have been any indication of how the weather is going to be!  I am loving the cool mornings and lovely bright days of the end of summer.

I know, I know, it’s been a while. but I’ve had places to go and people to see. right now I’m in Germany for a wedding. the itinerary includes Munich and the north of Germany, with a side trip to Finland included. I’ll check in when I get back — complete with finished projects and updates. for now, though… Prost!

Nothing could be finer than eating the season’s first tomatoes from our balcony garden, along with some basil (also from the garden!) & mozzarella, olive oil & balsamic vinegar.

Happy weekend!