Much as I get sick of winter, I can't imagine living somewhere without four seasons. The idea of missing the beautiful, peaceful, hopeful feeling you get when, after a long and dreary winter, the days get longer and the light starts to change and spring flowers start popping up all over the place seems insane to me. Not to say that I haven't cursed many a cold winter morning, complaining loudly as I was dragged down the icy hill by my crazy dog, but you have to get through winter to get to spring. It's cold today, but I know from the flowers that spring is here. I photographed these pretty little crocuses (Wikipedia says you have a choice for the plural of crocus -- crocuses or croci) at my neighbor Judy's house—a field of crocuses!

P.S. I've spent much of my free time this winter knitting socks for my kids. I think I'm on pair number 4. Or maybe 5. One of these days I'll take some photos.

The pattern is called Arabic Lattice and I love it. It looks like little sail boats, or maybe paper hats, though don't tell Ike or he'll leave it home. Here's the jpeg I found online (somewhere, sorry, can't remember where and can't find it again). You're supposed to make this one in blocks, not strips like I did, but I was fussing with lots of different colors and this way seemed easier.

What better place for a sewing/book party than an old schoolhouse? We sewed tiny doll dresses by hand and ate lots of cookies—pretty much a perfect day!

The picture above, taken circa 1880, is a photo of our town's one room schoolhouse (now known as the Palisades Community Center), and the location for our sewing party. The building doesn't look that much different today, nor does my little house down the road built about 20 years earlier. The building, with it's wooden floors and ceiling and chalkboards on the walls, reminds me of the days when everyone—at least all women and girls anyway—knew how to sew. These days sewing and knitting (with a bit of cookie baking thrown in when I want to fire up the oven and warm up the kitchen) are all I feel like doing. It's cold and wet outside and I yearn for spring.

Zuzu and Izzy making dresses at the sewing party. They are excellent stitchers, and always game for a good craft project. My kind of girls!

Last night I dreamed a big truck was driving through one wall of my tiny house. The back wall. Upstairs. Yes a big truck, upstairs in my very small house. I was in the next room, I think watching a movie with a friend and didn’t budge. I mean, what was I going to do about a big truck driving through the wall of my house? Clearly the truck driver knew what he was doing was wrong, right? And honestly, the first thing I thought was not about the destruction, or how much it was going to cost to fix, or even how the heck that big truck had gotten up the stairs. My first thought was a gleeful one -- hmmm, maybe someone is planning to put an addition on my (did I say tiny?) house! I was excited. I wondered who the good samaritan was? How did they know I want, no need, a little crafting room for all fabric and yarn and sewing machines I've collected over the years? Right before I woke up, I went and took a peek at the damage. The truck was gone and the hole in the wall was temporarily patched with some translucent boards. This morning, I admit to a pang of regret...I’d really rather have my sewing room downstairs.

You know how some years go by quickly, and others take awhile? 2012 -- at least for me -- was a year that lasted and lasted. I guess it's partly because a lot has happened. In January after 15 and a half years in one house, we moved up the street to a much smaller house. We spent some time unpacking (aka getting rid of things that don't fit here) and at the end of August, my son went off to his freshman year of college. In late September my new book (The Fashion Designer's Handbook) came out, and in October I went on the road to promote it. And finally, in December, the one bit of bad news for the year—I lost my day job. It's a well known fact, that most of the time losing a job is neither all good or all bad, and losing this job is no different.

All and all a pretty good year, and, best of all, the world didn't come to an end in December.

P.S. It's hard to see in the photo, but the can on my neighbor's discarded Christmas tree is a Starbuck's can. I feel the need to point that out lest anyone think I am starting the new year tossing beer cans out the door.

It's been a crazy month or so. Lots of travel to promote my book.

A big giant hurricane and a week with no power or heat, while toppled trees were cleared away and power lines rehung.

A new kitten. Lost (or abandoned?) in the storm, and now happily living in my daughter's room. His name is Attaturk. Isn't he cute?

After all that it feels like now things are getting back to normal. Sitting around appreciating lights and, especially, heat...and an oven to bake pies.

By Sunday night I was home, in time to do a local event on Monday at The Voracious Reader, an adorable book store in Larchmont, NY. So fun to sit around sewing with the kids! Since it's so close to home, I'm hoping to get back there soon.

Next stops are October 27 at 11am at the Texas Book Festival, Austin TX, October 28 at 3pm at Quail Ridge Books & Music, Raleigh NC, and November 9 at 3:30pm at Boulevard Books & Cafe, Brooklyn NY

I took a walk from Decatur to Atlanta -- to visit my son's friend at college -- and liked this very autumny "field" of pumpkins. It reminded me that I'm glad Halloween is mid-week this year, and not on one of my weekends away. I really hate to miss Halloween in the neighborhood.

Next stop Cincinnati, OH and Lexington, KY. Please come see me!

I found this adorable smock-wearing girl at the Milwaukee Art Museum this past weekend while killing a bit of time before my (very first) in-store event for The Fashion Designer's Handbook. Apologies to the painter Jules Bastien-Lepage for cropping her out of his 1881 painting, La Pere Jacques (Woodgatherer). I've been thinking a lot about smocks lately (thanks for my friend Robin's facebook posts). I'm talking smocks like the kind worn in the 19th century English countryside as work garb, and not the kind I wore over my dress in kindergarten on finger painting day. My favorite modern smock was designed by artist Andrea Zittel as part of her uniform project, where she designs a single garment to wear every day for 6 months -- a girl after my own heart! I'm getting ready to make one for myself.

Next stops October 12 in Decatur, GA (Little House of Stories, 7pm) and October 13 in Nashville, TN (Southern Festival of Books, 2pm)

October 6 at 2pm  -  Books & Company, Oconomowoc WI

October 12 at 7pm  -  Little Shop of Stories, Decatur GA

October 13 at 2pm  -  Southern Festival of Books, Nashville TN

October 20  -  Books by the Banks, Cincinnati OH

October 21 at 1pm  -  Morris Bookshop, Lexington KY

October 22 at 4pm  -  Voracious Reader, Larchmont NY

October 27  -  Texas Book Festival, Austin TX

October 28 at 3pm  -  Quail Ridge Books & Music, Raleigh NC

November 9 at 3:30pm  -  Boulevard Books & Cafe, Brooklyn NY