This season

Then is the time,

For those whom Wisdom, and whom Nature charm,

To steal themselves from the degenerate crowd,

And soar above this little scene of things;

To tread low-thoughted vice beneath their feet;

To sooth the throbbing passions into peace;

And woo lone Quiet in her silent walks.

Autumn, from The four seasons, and other poems by James Thomson

As much as I have been telling people that I am "slowing down" for the fall (which IS true considering how much weekend travel I did through the summer season) I certainly am keeping myself busy.  In between the craze, I have been reminding myself to enjoy the subtle, sweet, and even sad change of seasons--but it is not always the easiest!

And I love this season so much--not just for the fact that it is prime wool-wearing season!  I love the chill in the breeze, even while the sun is bright and warm; I love the clear and cold sky, still filled with bright stars just before the first hint of dawn.

I love it!

So what am I working on this fall?  I have many plans, but only two are being at this moment materialized.

If you read my last post, you will know that I am currently writing the pattern for my Copse shawl.  It is funny to me how much puzzling I have to go through in order to put what I did into words of what to do!!  But it is coming along nicely, and I am very excited for when I can share it!

My other current WIP is a pair of red mittens.  Number One is finished already!

The yarn for these (amazing and awesome) mittens is my souvenir from a vacation to Colorado, which I took with my family in August.

Let me digress real quick!  I will give you a taste of the Rocky Mountains, way up at 12,000 feet, looking out over the alpine meadow.  The world way up high, impossibly harsh and beautiful, is too wonderful to understand.  My favorite moments were from these barren slopes.

To continue with the yarn....

Whenever I travel to a new place a far distance from my home near Lake Erie, I do as a knitter ought to do and buy "local" wool!  Promptly, while in Estes, I sought out the yarn store (the Stitchin' Den) and queried the lady working there where I might find the "local" stuff.  One of the yarns she directed me to was the line of Mountain Meadow Wool, a wool mill from Wyoming, stacked very temptingly along a wall.

After great debate with myself, I bought 2 skeins of Cody, a sport-weight merino wool.

I very much recommend it!  The wool is wonderfully soft, and I am really enjoying the more unique (almost "fuzzy") texture.  You can somewhat see what I mean from this picture:

The yarn does not create a smooth or silky texture, so I would not recommend that you use it with any sort of "fancy" pattern.  There is a "fuzz" from the way that it was spun which renders it to be more of a cozy and lazy day yarn.  For those patterns, I give a thumbs-up!  My mittens fit into the cozy category, and it's great!

Eventually, I will have a scarf to match them as well.  But first, the second mitten!

And then...I also might make a cozy headband to match, too....

Have a lovely week, everyone :)