That October time of year

It's no secret. I love autumn, and October is my absolute favorite month of the year.

The weather finally starts to cool down so breaking out the hand knits and long sleeved sweaters is feasible. The air has that spicy wet earth scent as the leaves begin to gather on the ground and the smell of people's burn piles makes one feel all cozy inside. It's time for harvest moon almond cookies and maple syrup on pancakes, pumpkin brownies and homemade vegetable soup, cinnamon coffee and apple cider donuts. But most of all, it's time for those fun fall fiber projects.

There's just something about working on a fiber project in the fall that's different than working on one at any other time of year. Autumnal fiber projects are slower and more relaxing than the crush of winter holiday projects, but they're not as drowsy as late spring/summer projects. They aren't the same as the after-New Year's/"this one is for ME" stitching/weaving/spinning, nor are they like the "if I finish this by x, I will be able to wear it at the beginning of September.

Autumnal projects are in their own category. They possess a comforting quality where you have a bit of time to play and experiment without running up against the deadlines of a holiday or an event, and they're precious because, just like the fall foliage, you know that this time to linger over a new stitch or technique is fleeting. I guess in some ways fall projects are like getting to use those newly sharpened pencils in fresh notebooks at the beginning of the school year. The excitement of starting and branching out allows us to be engaged in our fiber work in a way that we may not always be throughout the year. Fall fiber fun isn't the mediative clacking of needles or hooks or spindles or looms on a cold winter's morning. They're more intense in a way as our senses are already heightened and teased with the beauty of the season.

So, enjoy your cider and trips through the pumpkin patches. Savor the briskness of your Irish Breakfast or Earl Grey. And revel in the seasonal magic of fiber fun.