There's an excellent BBC series called “The Cambridge Spies” which shows the recruitment of some of the UK's most notorious spies from the last century. In the first episode, there’s a scene where one of the future spies, Guy Burgess, is in college but permanently attired in a heavy wool duffle coat. One of his friends asks him why he is wearing the coat and his reply is one of the classic lines from the series:

“Vladivostok, Moscow, the Kuznets Basin and Cambridge – coldest places on earth. And of the four, Cambridge... permanently the 19th of February."

I expect we could all name a few other places that Mr Burgess should have included in that list – I'd vote for Boston, for sure. The temperatures there are already down below freezing overnight and we're not even into December yet.

So here's this week's “Knitting Ahead” idea: think of someone you know who lives in a cold climate and knit them something to keep them warm in the deep cold of January and February. This doesn't have to be a Christmas present of course, although that's always a good pretext for a gift. Cozy comforts are always welcome no matter what the occasion.

So let’s start with the menfolk in our lives…. Men generally like simple, muted colours in their scarves but with a lot of textural interest. I have quite a number of men's scarves already in my pattern store and have just added a new one, the Grantchester Scarf.

Do you have children or teenagers coming for the Thanksgiving holiday? If so, you know that when the adults are sitting in a slight stupor digesting their meal, the younger members of the family will be asking what's going to happen next. It's almost as inevitable as the question that came the day before: "Are we there yet?"

And even if you don't have little people arriving, then it's fun to have some activities planned for everyone to join in. So for today’s “Knitting Ahead” idea, here’s a great project that's fun and easy: make some bracelets out of yarn!
​
Getting the various items together can be the first fun expedition, and then turning the yarn first into I‐cord and then into bracelets will help occupy many a happy hour together.

One thing I like about this time of the year and the approaching winter season is that the cooler weather outside provides a perfect excuse for some indoor entertaining and parties. What could be better than a welcoming fire, a glass of mulled wine and a gathering of friendly faces to help celebrate Thanksgiving or your other seasonal events.

So make it an occasion everyone will remember with a brand new table runner! A table runner acts to set the scene for the whole room and brings a wonderful sense of elegance and tradition to any event. Add accessories, flowers and decorations to match your colour theme and you will have the perfect setting for the day.

There are lots of ways to use table runners but they work especially well with wooden tables because they bring out the beauty of the wood. You can also drape them over the top of a simple tablecloth for a stunning effect or use a narrow runner on your favourite sideboard.

One of the things I loved when we moved to the States about 20 years ago was that you could tell which month it was by looking at everyone's front gardens! In September, colourful yellow leaves festoon door wreaths and mailboxes for Labour Day, then in October white ghosts float from the trees while fake tombstones sit nestled in the long grass in celebration of Halloween.

In November, the ghosts have been replaced by garlands of red leaves and colourful gourds ready for Thanksgiving at the end of the month. Then in December, Christmas lights and berry‐laden door decorations appear. It's magical.

It's a wonderful build‐up to the end of year celebrations but more than that, the changing of the decorations gives us all a good "Heads Up!" that the Festive Season is well and truly on its way.

So this week's “Knitting Ahead” idea is all about getting ready for your next big family event by making a brand‐new table runner. These are always an elegant way to dress up your table, whether it is a small centrepiece for a display of fruits and vegetables or a lovely long runner falling gracefully over the ends of the table‐top.

I shall be posting details about a new pattern, the Hamilton Table Runner in my next blogpost so please click the link at the bottom of this page to read that. In the mean-time, decide what your “theme” is going to be for the year and that should help you decide the colour you want for your next table runner!
​
Until next time – Happy Knitting!

Moira