November 6 is pretty early for this kind of thing, but Mother Nature gave us this wake-up call today in Avon, Maine.  

We don't let a bit of slush on the roads keep us at home, so here I am on my way to work. Got the coffee, the car keys, and the brush to clear snow off the windshield. Ready to go! 

Of course the snow was mostly melted by the end of the day but it felt like an early warning of a very snowy winter.  

 Our granddaughters from Australia will be here in February and they've never played in the snow, so I'm hoping we have plenty of the white stuff for them.   

Snow is so pretty and fresh at the beginning of the winter, but by February we're usually tired of it. This year I expect it will be pretty and fresh again for us in February when we see it for the first time through their eyes.

Linda in Maine

Now that the leaves are falling and we've had our first little bit of snow here in Maine, it's time to settle down to some serious knitting. What a piece of good luck that one of our favorite knitters has made it so very tempting! Jared Flood's knitting blog, Brooklyn Tweed, showcases his love for good yarn and pleasing design, with gorgeous photography and authoritative writing. Jared's own designs are often seen in knitting books and magazines. Now in partnership with Classic Elite yarns, Jared has produced Made in Brooklyn, a booklet featuring thirteen projects worked in Classic Elite yarn, all named after streets in Brooklyn, designed and photographed by Jared. In an unusual marketing strategy, the patterns will all be available individually for download from the crazy-popular knitters' hangout site, ravelry dot com. 

Like every other knitter out here, I'm rushing to finish my current projects (or ... maybe not all of them) so I can play with some of the patterns included here. 

The collection features four hats. The star is Quincy, a unisex creation that has Jared all over it, in the garter stitch and the simple but (in typical Jared-speak) "non-traditional" twisted construction. If the temperature dips where you live, you WILL be seeing this hat everywhere this winter.

There is also Laurel, a cabled beret, and the colorwork Beaumont in tam or beanie version. Yummy, that one, especially with the slight angora halo. 

There are two sweaters for men, full of classic style: a spectacular stranded colorwork hooded cardigan that's knit in the round and steeked -- that means cut up the middle with scissors after the body is knit; and a pullover with stranded yoke design. For women there is a henley neck pullover, a collared vest with cap sleeves that looks great for layering, and a wonderful solid-colored pullover with sideways cables winding around the yoke and cuffs. This is Seneca, definitely an object of desire!  

 Jared's unique way with lace gives us a laceweight rectangle and a truly luxurious cashmere stole in a heavier gauge. It's all in the blocking, he claims but something tells me there's a bit of knitting to be done first. 
The collection finishes up with a pair of ornate twisted-stitch mittens and a pair of quirky but super-practical crocheted earmuffs. 

There you have it--thirteen designs from a designer known for great lines and meticulous patterns; and all done in satisfying quality yarns. I'm ready for winter, bring it on!