As the Leaf Turns

It's a bit weird in Maine this fall. Temps in the high 80's and humid. Dh said yesterday that we wouldn't see it this warm until next July. To which I replied, "If then!". Temperature records of 77 years standing have been broken.

All this warm weather with lovely changing leaves, delicious apples and pumpkins everywhere feels like we're rehearsing for fall in the middle of July. We've had no frost to speak of and the garden soldiers on. Strange!

I've been invited to join a wonderful spinning group. Monthly meetings with pot luck lunches and the most awesome group of women. I've learned so much from them after attending only two meetings. Cool to gather wisdom and pass it around.

I finally finished taking pics of the Moonlight in Maine with Fireflies shawl, though I'm really not happy with them. There are two problems. Taking pictures where the beads show and finding a model. See above pictured on the only model handy. It's
listed now on Etsy. See----->.

I have several hanks of handspun to photograph and list and I'll revisit pictures of the shawl after they're listed. My goal of getting enough listings to get to a second page will be met by then. Wish I had grabbed my DD when she was here and taken
pictures. The shawl looked lovely on her.

Above is a pic of my latest "for me" project. I've been wanting to try this combination of intarsia and embroidery for embellishment for a bag. This is one of those bags that is circular with a short and long handle. The long one pulls
through the short one and is a shoulder strap. I love the way the flowers came out after felting, my own design, I blush to say. I used embroidery to create the curved lines which are impossible to do in knitting alone.

The bag needs further refinement. It's huge. I made it to carry both a knitting project and wallet, keys etc. So I intend to knit a divider so I don't pull out my keys and get a strand of yarn in the bargain.

Also need small internal pockets for the above mentioned keys and other quick-release items. Think I'll make these in some of the colors of the embellishment. It's dark in there. Also the ruffled top of the bag is pretty, but doesn't naturally pull into the short strap. Needs elastic sewn in. Ah, it never ends. In the meantime, I'll use it daily to find outwhat other additions I need to make.

I'm also working on a scarf using llama yarn! Soooooo soft. Tune in later for a pic. To tantalize, I'll admit that the scarf has knitted on fringe of my own design. A necessity (mother of invention!)since I hate to make fringe. Did my year's worth already on the fireflies shawl which has deep double knotted fringe.

More later.