Pre-holiday projects + 1000th post!

Pumpkin Lights display at Navy Pier

We're solidly into October, chilly, fall weather in Chicago now, which might mean some people start to cozy up with their knitting. (Other weirdos like me are pretty much knitting all year.)

I'm still working through that big skein of variegated Christmas cotton yarn, which means that the holidays have come a bit early this year in our house. I picked a couple of patterns from "200 Ripple Stitches," which alternates between knitted and crocheted zig zag patterns. So rare to find a book that includes both types of patterns!

Here are two I picked, and I still have extra yarn for a couple of crocheted ones, probably from the same book.

Fiesta

Hydrangea

In a different holiday mode, but still a winter holiday, I received a custom order request on Etsy for a crocheted menorah for Hanukkah. I have made a few before, and they are a complicated pain in the butt, but I can handle one every few years.

The important thing to remember is that it looks like a facehugger before you've put it together.

Facehugger stage of menorah

Only later does it come together as a pretty menorah:

Completed menorah, with removable candles!

You make the shaft of the menorah, then the arms, then the top bar, candle cups, and candles. I fill the shaft with a paper towel tube, glass beads for weight, and fluff. The candles are made individually and can be removed. I gather that many families prefer non-fire menorahs for households with small children (fire and small children don't mix!).

Maybe I will take a break from the holiday patterns to just enjoy fall for a while.

So this is my 1,000th post, and I kind of can't believe I've been doing this blog for 13 years. Mostly it's crochet and travel at this point, but I hope that people enjoy the patterns I've written and used.