Cold weather, hot tea, and yarn

As the year winds down, we finally found ourselves with cooler weather, occasional snowfall, and darker nights.

I LIVE for this time of year. Cozying up with a hot cup of tea and a good book or a fun yarn project while it's chilly enough to wear a sweater and comfortable pants is one of my all-time favorite things, and I often find that I'm much more productive in the colder months even though I play with yarn year-round.

While I love all of it, sometimes I just want a simple, mindless project before snuggling into bed for the night. Here are a few easy projects that I recommend:

Fingerless mitts! If you're looking for a simple pattern, try this one.

Boomerang Shawls. You really can just keep going. Here's an easy pattern to try.

A scarf. This Waves Scarf pattern is pretty easy.

An afghan. Sometimes I don't even use a pattern for one. I just cast on or chain as wide as I want the afghan to be and then do whatever I want: garter stitch or ribbing, double crochet or crochet through the back loop. Whatever I feel like.

However you decide to spend your night, remember to be gentle with yourself and be in the moment, as the natural world around us here on the shore of Lake Erie is getting ready to rest for winter.