Like many of you, I've been coaxed back to the knitting needles due to the ever-so-slight evening chill. This pattern, designed by Kristin Nicholas, can be found in Interweave Knit's Winter 2006 mag.

These are some monumental socks. The tree stocking is the first thing I've ever made for Mr. Montessori By Hand. Although somewhere, buried under who-knows-what, is an unfinished scarf intended for my sweet. Maybe one day ...

This is also the first holiday decor project (of what I hope will be many) that I have made for us. One day I would like to boast of completely handmade holidays in our house. I feel the best way to go about this is to make things little by little, with no rush or pressure. It's better to have sparse-yet-meaningful holiday decor at first than to purchase items simply to up the festive ambiance.

We still haven't had to start a fire in our wood stove, but our neighbors say that the first frost comes sometime in mid-September. I'm reveling in the last few weeks of lounging around my house without three layers of clothing and a winter coat. Remember my earlier posts? Yes, those are my arms covered by a wool sweater and a wool coat. Inside my house. With a fire lit. Egads!