October Sunflowers, Frieda's Birthday and Giveaway #4

Where has October gone? For that fact, where has 2010 gone? In a few short weeks it will be Thanksgiving. Whoa - slow down. Please..... I doubt it will. Yikes!

Back in the beginning of August, I still hadn't finished planting my garden! I decided to take a chance and throw in some sunflower seeds along the garden shed. If they didn't bloom, I hadn't expended much energy. It's been a rather mild fall here and although we have had several frosts, my late planted sunflowers are putting on a bit of a show. The other morning, the fog was rising, the mountainside was gloriously colored and the flowers were just shining their little hearts out.


They aren't quite as profuse as the sunflowers that grow in our field but they sure do look gorgeous and make me smile.


We don't have full-blown sunsets in our yard. What we do have is the sun reflecting itself on the mountain beyond our house. As the sun gets lower in the sky, it climbs up the hill.

Quickly it becomes a sliver and then disappears and it gets dark.


I love that time of day and I frequently sit out in a chair and watch the sun climb up the mountain.


Today is my grandma Frieda's birthday. She was born in 1901 in Germany and came to America in 1911. She would be 109 today. Gram was a huge part of my sisters and my life. She lived only across town and we saw her multiple times a week. Gram was always making something - whether it be kuchen, cookies, dinner, growing a garden, arranging dried flowers, sewing, crocheting, or embroidering. She taught me to crochet when I was 9 years old. Gram is one of the reasons I became interested in textiles and handwork of all kinds. She passed on her love of busywork with the hands to me and I am so thankful for that gift she shared. I can still remember her saying to me "Oh, Kristin, you are so clever." It was that encouragement that spurred me on! Every once in a while, I will stumble on her beautiful handwritten letters that I have saved since I was in college. She had elegant handwriting and she wrote me once a week for the two years I was at graduate school in Colorado. As she got older and began to fade, her letters became shorter and confused. But I cherish each and every one. So Happy Birthday Gram - wherever you are. I love you! And thank you!


And now it is on to this week's October Giveaway #4. Here's what I have for you.....

1. A signed copy of my book "Kids Embroidery" (a great present for a little friend!)
2. A copy of Alison Stewart-Guinee's Fairy Tale Knits (courtesy of Alison)
3. A signed copy of my book "Kristin Knits"
4. Two sets of my postcards - "Olympia in her Floral Felted Lei" and "Sheep in Coats"
and lastly.......
5. FIVE different colored balls of my self-striping sock yarn Best Foot Forward (courtesy of Nashua Handknits). That will make a lot of socks!


Here's how you enter..... Answer the following question in the comments section of this post:

Today it is about knitting patterns..... Do you feel a free pattern is as accurate as a purchased knitting pattern? Do you look to yarn companies and yarn stores for knitting patterns? Or knitting magazines? Or do you look to independent designers for patterns on the web? Feel free to add whatever thoughts you have on the subject! Thanks so much!

Contest closes Tuesday, November 2nd at midnight. Please make sure you leave an easy way to get a hold of you (e-mail addy is best!) Good luck! I have one more fabulous giveaway planned for the end of next week so check back!