September Flowers, and a New Shawl Pattern

Where did August and September go? Here we are on the cusp of October, with autumn beginning to color the landscape, and the air resounding with geese on the wing. Summer heat has given way to warm days and cool nights. Thanks to rampaging seasonal allergies, I'm rather looking forward to the first frost, though as yet there's been no hint of one. (On the bright side, delayed frost means a longer garden season; there is much solace to be found in fresh-picked herbs and tomatoes.)

It's been a while since I posted any wildflower photos, so here is a month's worth to make up for it.

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Butter-and-eggs, or toadflax, has been thick along the river trail this year:

The real stars of September are of course the asters - all kinds, all sizes, from tiny spears to tall and swaying bouquet-like clusters, in every delightful shade of white and palest pink, soft blue and lavender:

Red clover still shines out from roadsides and ditches:

Queen Anne's Lace is beginning to curl up and hug itself against the cooler weather to come:

Once-bright coneflowers are putting on their fall clothes:

On a clear day in mid-September, goldenrod shines against a deep blue sky:

The marshes are full of cheery tickseed:

Snakeroot blossoms in pale clumps at the edge of the woods:

Tiny white sweet-clover edges the road:

Cinquefoil is still blooming too:

And a lone amaranth (I think) guards a glowing golden field of soybeans:

On this ride, I pass a thick patch of hawkweed (or possibly hawk's-beard), looking like tall lacy dandelions:

Many of them have gone exuberantly to seed:

A week later, most of the goldenrod have also gone to seed:

The countryside is taking on its late-September coloring of scarlet, yellow, and green:

Not exactly a flower, but a bike named Iris:

Another common September sight - a woolly bear crossing the road:

(Tallulah the turtle, being rather fond of woolly bears, here climbed down to say hi. But the woolly bear was in a rush, and crawled right past her without saying a word, so I have no photos of their encounter.)

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Over the weekend, life turned grey and drizzly, and rain is forecast for the next several days. I'll miss my bike commutes this week, but am very grateful for the moisture (we've been in severe-to-extreme drought status all summer).

How has your September been?

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In other news, I recently released a new shawl pattern:

Note: The pattern links below will take you to my Ravelry store; you don't need to be a Ravelry member to buy a pattern there. If you're not comfortable using Ravelry, and you live in the US, you can contact me using the form at right to arrange a pattern purchase through Paypal Goods and Services.

A tribute to my twin loves of bicycling and crochet, Vuelta is a top-down triangular shawl named for La Vuelta a España, the final Grand Tour of the professional cycling year. (Which was won by an American this year! Way to go, Sepp.) The Vuelta shawl is open and airy, with lacy stitch elements inspired by sprockets and spokes and wildflowers growing along the road.

Vuelta is suitable for laceweight, fingering, or sport weight yarn, and is easily customized for size; the edging can be worked after any even-numbered row. My sample was designed with a gradient, but this pattern will also look lovely in a solid, tonal, or lightly speckled yarn.

A note about the yarn: I used Apple Tree Knits Groovy Lace in colorway Rainy Day Gradient, from my sister's stash (miss you, Sis). Groovy Lace is a single-ply, 100% wool laceweight yarn, beautifully light and ethereal. My sample used 85 grams, or about 623 yards, and measured 48" wide by 20" deep after blocking.

The Vuelta pattern is 6 pages long and includes written instructions and charts. You can find it here in my Ravelry store. Enjoy 25% off the pattern through October 3, 2023, with code SPROCKET at checkout.

Thanks for reading, and happy crocheting!

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