Of doggie knits, and a return to fall...

Hello everybody, and happy September! I'm gearing up to get back into a more normal semblance of a fall routine with the kids returning to school and my own return to teaching. I'm a bit overwhelmed by it all this year, as I think everyone is, as a result of being a bit out of practice. I have prayer plans for this, which I'll come back to at the end of this post, stay tuned!

In the meantime. I've been spending lots of time with this guy:

And he's been "helping" me craft. ;-) I've had fall on the brain, I do so love autumn colors and activities. I knit this adorable candy corn mug cozy:

Free pattern is Candy Corn Cup Cozy

And I also cast on a candy corn themed dog sweater for my helper!

Free pattern is Candy Corn Dog Sweater

I also whipped out August's National Parks hat, which is themed after Rainier!

Rainier pattern

I may have also ordered a few National Parks themed kits from a different designer, because apparently I can't stop knitting hats. 😬😇

Nancy Bates Designs

Since these involve colorwork, I'm *really* excited because I absolutely love the anticipation of each round with colorwork! Unless it's socks, which would mean that colorwork in that context would be a near occasion of sin. ;-) But aside from socks, I adore colorwork! I just cast on the Glacier beanie last night, and cannot WAIT to keep working on it! Photos to come in the coming weeks.

OK, SO circling back to prayer time this autumn. I have a lovely edition of Life of a Catholic Librarian for us next Friday: an interview with my sister Shauna'h, who is starting up a new initiative for Catholic women to aid in jump starting their prayer lives this fall! All the fantastic details next week, I am SO EXCITED for this! It'll be like our very own back-to-school course for our faith. *heart*

Of new additions, and fall baby crafting...

Hello all, and happy Friday! I don't know about you, but I'm soaking up every one of these August days like there is no tomorrow. We have been enjoying so much lovely family time at home, and I truly do not want it to come to an end. I know we'll all adjust, but these halcyon days of summer have been such a blessing this year. 

And then we have this guy adding to our blessings!

This is Barney, and we adopted him about a week and a half ago. 😍 He's settling in so nicely, and everybody just adores him, especially the kids. We felt the time was finally right to add a furry friend to our family, and we are so glad that we finally took this step. We're still working out the kinks with getting on a walking schedule for our eager hound, but we're really getting there. 

In other news, I've been crafting away for some fall little ones, and Barney also shares my love of yarn. :-0 I need to keep my yarn project bin covered now! And he also tried to make off with one of my knitted gnomes the other day. 😂 I am in LOVE with this pattern that I used for my cutie pie next door neighbor:

Candy Corn Hat pattern is available for free!

Multiple size options are availaboe for that one, too. I chose the medium for a sweet toddler! I also made a pumpkin set for a baby in my dance troupe who is due in mid-October!

Pattern is Baby Sweater and is available for free! 

I adapted the green edging for the pumpkin theme, and the magnificent pumpkin button is from Black Sheep Studios MA on Etsy! I highly recommend her buttons. I also got a set of moose and plaid evergreen trees for Christmas projects. 😎

And of course, no October baby can go without a pumpkin hat:

Pattern is Berry Baby Hat, and is free!

This is one of my favorite free patterns of all time. I've made blueberry and strawberry versions, and of course this pumpkin version many times, there are so many possibilities. It doesn't fit Barney as well as it will the baby, but no matter. ;-)

OK, Next week is the final week in our Summer Book Club, and I will talk to you then! How is your summer going, working on any fall projects? 

Last minute shopping...

I ran out at lunch today to do some final holiday shopping. Well, I say that like I won't have any more to do after this. I do. So I suppose this was part 1 of final holiday shopping, because tomorrow should be the very last day. I headed to Macy's to pick up an additional present for each of the mothers and my sister. Naturally, what also ended up in my arms was a burgundy knit sweater for myself (for Christmas Eve! I'm hosting and feel I deserve some strong consolation) and some earrings for an as yet undesignated recipient - possibly myself. Well, everything was on sale for a special Macy's One Day Sale, plus I had a $10 off coupon for all sale items totaling over $25. I found these beautiful handmade earrings, crafted by a company called Silver Forest, in Vermont. The earrings have a definite indigenous look to them, and come to find out, the company specializing in making earrings that incorporate nature and ancient cultures. Right up my alley. And they were all 40% off today at Macy's. Christmas earrings :)

Anyway, the mothers and sisters are done. I just need one more toy for my youngest nephew and I think I'm done. I think. Oh, and we have a new nephew puppy in the family, Roscoe. He's so cute it hurts your eyes to look at him. I'm certain he will end up with a squeaky toy so that I can have the pleasure of watching him play for a straight hour.

I mean, how could you resist this face? Seriously. I think even the most hardened person would take a bullet for him.

So, that was that. I'm certain part 2 of final Christmas shopping will be tomorrow, since I'll be off from work. I'm having a wisdom tooth extracted tomorrow morning and I'm feeling decidedly whiny about it. I hate dental things, hate, hate, hate. My dentist is nice, I like her, but I wish I never had to see her ever again. When they put that needle in your gum to numb you, why does it take f.o.r.e.v.e.r? Whenever I have to experience that, I inevitably end up squeezing the sides of the dental chair so that I won't cry. Hate, hate, hate. Somehow I managed to birth a baby but yet the very sight of a needle makes me weak in the knees. *sob*

So I won't be blogging tomorrow, most likely. I'll be home sipping tea and crocheting, probably. I'll most likely wrap. Perhaps I'll nap. It'll be like Being a Cat For a Day. Super cool.