apple you glad I didn't say orange?

When I think of fall, the first thing that pops to mind is a maple tree covered in firey orange leaves. I'm guessing this is similar for a lot of other people. No matter how many wonderful fall memories I have, this is what springs to mind first. So when I started thinking about what to make for Chara's fall swap, the orange leaves were right up there in my brain. But, I've never been a huge fan of the color orange, the ubiquity of which in local culture makes it even less fun.

Enter fall thought #2: apples and apple pie. I have no problem with these whatsoever in any way, so I created for Stacey an apple-themed swap. Some cutie superbuzzy apple fabric played a starring role. It's stuck in the pincushion above, and in the patchwork pocket of the green recycled sweater tote below. I also sent Stacey a bunch of tiny white pumpkins (not orange!). I tried to photograph them, but I didn't really get a good one, so instead you should look at Sarah's gorgeous pic if you want to see what exactly I'm talking about. (I know you've all seen these, but go look at the photo anyway. It's nice.)

Stacey and I were on a similar wavelength while crafting up our swaps. We sent each other very similar bags--both green wool with a little something. She also knit up a warm brown scarf, and made this cool little notebook with a cork cover. Very cool! Stacey, you should do an instructable on that.