Tuesday 26 August 2008

Sweater Weather

August is a funny month. Daytime temperatures can be breathtakingly hot. We've had a run of 30 degree days like nobody's business this year, hot August days indeed. But at night, even at the end of the first week of August, you can smell the difference in the night air. The nights cool off, the dew lays thick over the lawns and decks around the yard. August is the harbinger of Autumn.


I realized that this morning. It was 6:30 a.m. and it was dark out. Too dark to read, too dark to sit out and sip a coffee, too dark to do anything other than sit and say, 'its awfully dark out'. Evenings still have the feel of summer with their long twilights, and warm summer air, but the mornings? The mornings are fully fall.

It isn't just me with this feeling. I see the difference in the people at the store. Wrist warmer kits are fair walking out the door these days as we all pretend that it isn't a mitten, its just a little something to tuck their hands into, that mittens are still months away, that we have tons of time. People are still looking at shawl designs, but they have left lace and are looking for something else. Time and again, I hear people saying, oh that won't be warm enough, I'd like something in a heavier yarn. For months the high traffic in store samples has been the little shortie scarves, and the light lacy looks, but right now the object of desire and admiration is the well thrummed mitten. Everyone is trying them on and admiring. And sweaters. We are all looking at sweaters, looking at sweater yarn, thinking about what sort of style we are going to wear this year. Big warm and bulky, we don't care, we are just craving the warmth even if the days heat shows 25 C on the thermometer.

The back of summer is broken, and in hearts all across this grand land, it is fall. In the hearts of Canadian knitters, in the middle of hot August days, and the fading blooms of summer meadows, August is sweater weather.


7 comments:

Sandra said...

This Canadian is being dragged, kicking and screaming out of summer. As much as I love the fall (and I do), I love the summer more.

Anonymous said...

Denise,
You really captured the feel of fall approaching in your blog. I'm still hanging on to my lace knitting, but I agree we have to get some of the fall knitting on the go.

amy

Anonymous said...

Great post! I was just thinking something along those lines this morning, but not nearly so eloquently.

I think maybe it's time to re-block Agatha and Beatrice, and take them into RCY (Agatha, at the very least) to remind knitters that a heavy shawl can be the perfect kind of lace for crisp fall mornings.

And wristlets as objects-of-mittenly-denial ... hilarious!

ThatLoganChick

Karen said...

what a lovely descriptive post. It made me yearn for autumn, it sounds so enchanting how you describe it.
Thanks so much for your thoughtful words the other day, I will hold on to them.

Gina said...

Great post! I totally agree with you...and it still makes me a little sad when I have to get the school bus with the kids tomorrow morning. Wahhhhhhhhh...good bye summer, hello fall!

Sally Comes Unraveled said...

It's still summer here, and it sucks. The 100 degree (F) weather is leveling off, but no real relief is in sight for another month.

dmd said...

Great post Denise, there seems a point every August when you just sense the change. For me it is the sound of the leaves, long before they turn the sound of the leaves has a subtle difference, just a touch of a rustle.

Fall is my favorite season, I love the colours, the sky and the warm days and cool nights.

When I was young my friends and I would look forward to sweater weather. Enjoy!