More autumn goodness + new and finished projects

Gingko trees are some of the most beautiful and interesting trees I know of. I read somewhere that these ancient trees were around at the time of dinosaurs, and their species has no living relatives. There are dozens of these living fossils throughout my neighborhood, and they turn a stunning shade of gold each autumn. Some trees, like the Japanese maple, won’t be rushed when it comes to shedding their leaves. Sometimes they hold on until Chrristmastime, but not the gingko. Once gingkos turn golden, they drop their leaves all at once, like confetti. Because we have so many of them in my neighborhood, it creates a splendid carpet that reflects the light and muffles our footsteps, as the leaves are soft and pliable, and not crunchy like the others.

My posts have been coming few and far between these days, as I am somewhat bogged down at work. The good news is there is a bit of light at the end of my work tunnel; I’m looking ahead to a trip back to the U.S. after more than two years. I’m sure a trip back to see loved ones will do wonders for my morale.

In good crafting news, I’ve finished the lovely dragonfly throw (yay!) and I promise to take a good photo and upload it in my next blog post, which I promise will be sooner than later. I’ve also begun to crochet an intriguing cardigan sweater that uses two kinds of Scheepjes yarn, including a faux fur yarn that I’ll use to trim the collar and sleeves. The cardigan has a pleat detail that will give the garment some generous ease, and two front pockets. Here’s a look at the yoke progress, as of this week:

I’ll have some more crafty updates very soon, including something yummy from my kitchen. Until then, I’ll leave you with some ranunculus and mini mums. I picked up these beauties at the traditional market and they lasted more than a week.