The summer is giving way to a quieter time in Chautauqua county.The pandemonium of the summerfest activities at Chautauqua Institution and beyond the gates has subsided. Those who know the county in the Fall season are settling into the luxuries of a different tenor.As autumn colors seep over the landscape and the air turns so crisp, it feels therapeutic, its time for all good crafters to think about the pleasures of new projects and new materials. At Imagine! you can curl up with an inspiring magazine and sip a hot drink as you contemplate what kind of yarn to use for your new hat pattern from Jenny Watson. New yarn from Madeline Tosh is expected any day and that would be a great paring with the ruffled scarf pattern from Chruchmouse Patterns.  We have lush fibers from Mirasol that you could fashion into those great fingerless gloves from Louisa Harding.
 I just finished a pair of fingerless gloves (the better to text you with, my dear) in Hacho, a multi- colored dk weight wool from Mirasol. Hacho had been discontinued but there was an outcry and now it is back with more colorways. We have a nice new color that just arrived this week, earth tones mixed with a cream base. Mirasol yarns are lush Peruvian fibers and the sales from their products go to support the educating of the shepherd children. Its a delight to knit with and has a springy coil so it stays where you knit it while you knit it. I used a great pattern by Joan Debolt which has a ruffle along the bottom. It was a fun way to review short rows and made me realize it would be a nice way to add ruffles to other projects. We have the yarn and the patterns at the store if you want to give it a try.