Ahhhh, fall!

I love the fall. It's my favorite time of year, followed closely by spring. I guess transitions are sort of my thing.

Here in the Pacific Northwest, fall descended on us very quickly this year. Seriously, it seemed like one day we were running around in tank tops and complaining about the heat and the next day we were bundled in scarves and jackets and complaining about the rain. Well, not all of us were complaining, but you get the idea. :)

This last weekend was a rarity for me. I had a real weekend off! Yes, for the first time in a long time, I had absolutely no work that had to be done. No typing, no card dealing, no editing -- well, not until Sunday afternoon. Heaven. Coupled with the sudden coolness in the air and the leaves on the trees in my back yard changing quickly from green to yellow, while the berries went from yellow to red, it was a welcome respite.

So, I did what any sensible knitter would do. I curled up on the couch with my favorite warm blanket over my legs, my cat at my side, the TV on to catch up on all the programs and movies on my DVR, and I knit. I started with working on some test knit socks, but then got a wild hair and decided now was the perfect time to knock off at least one item on my Christmas knit list.

So I grabbed a skein of teal green Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn from my stash and a shop pattern from one of Portland's finest LYSs, Twisted, and started knitting.

First, I have to say that this was the first time I had used any Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn and I loved it. Very tight twist with a lot of stretch and it works up into a very nice fabric. If you haven't tried any, I highly recommend it! And don't limit yourself to socks, either. :)

Second, this pattern rocks! It's called Japanese Vines, designed by Michelle Molis. I don't know if it's available anywhere other than at Twisted, but if you like a simple lace pattern that works up really quickly using just one skein (400 yards) of sock yarn, I highly recommend getting a copy. I'm sure the shop would be able to send you one if you contact them. (I have been known to contact LYSs in such faraway places as Toronto to purchase shop patterns that folks have posted about on blogs, so I know it can be done. )

I started this scarf on Saturday mid-morning and finished it on Monday afternoon. Most of the knitting was complete on Sunday, but then I had to stop to do some editing, so I finished the last two repeats on Monday. It hasn't been blocked yet because of a project that's happening in the house that prohibits devoting floor space to blocked knitting at the moment, so I pinned it out on a chair to show the pattern a little better.

I love it and I hope it will be equally loved by the recipient it's intended for at Christmas. :)

The pictures aren't great, the colors aren't true, but that's what you're left with on the cloudy days of fall in the Pacific Northwest. Now excuse me, the chill in the air means I need to put on a nice pair of socks to warm my toes. Let's see, which hand-knit pair shall I wear today? See why I love fall?