Fall Sunflowers + Another Preview from Color by Kristin

The day I was leaving for Detroit, I stopped by the Sunflower Field to take a last look. The weather was said to be turning colder and I knew I had to take some photos since it would be a good nine months before I could enjoy the flowers again. The flowers were still blooming and there were hundreds that were fighting to hang on and bloom. We had planted several rows late in August hoping for a late frost.

The wind was whipping and it was difficult to take any focused photos. This flower looks cold against the changing leaves, naked trees, and grey sky.

The bees on this Mammoth Sunflower were fighting for the last bit of pollen.


While I was gone, the weather did indeed turn very cold, so cold that all the flowers died. Today, I stopped by to see them. Everything was shriveled, looking fragile and sad.


The large Mammoth Sunflowers never got real big this year due to the wet weather and really late start. Here is one bending towards the earth, ready to compost into the ground and enrich the soil for next year.


Which leads me to how you can enjoy sunflowers this winter.... on my "lazy daisy tea cosy" project from my new book Color by Kristin.


This tea cosy is one of the easiest projects in the book. It is knit in the round (only one color per round). It features a bobbled edge and a fun knitted knob. After it was knit, I decorated it with bobbles, French knots, lazy daisies and woven bar leaves. You can order a signed copy of my new book directly from my website here. But please, support your local book and yarn store if they are stocking Color by Kristin. Thank you.