PHASE INTO PHALL (er…. FALL)

The air is suddenly crisp and cool. Fall (my least favorite time of year) may well be upon us and it’s still August! Tho’ I’m not a fan of Fall as cold winter soon follows, I do like the colors of fall and the transitional garments that often ease me into the heavier garments of the dreaded winter.

Here are a few patterns I’ve run across lately that will work up fairly quickly, will flatter most, and will fit into many of our wardrobes.

First is this freebie from Caron:

cowl vest 0809

http://www.caron.com/projects/ss/cowl_vest.html

For those of us with no necks, the cowl can be eliminated and a crew neck collar will appear.

Angela Lavonne Best led a Crochet-A-Long recently using a pattern she designed called a ‘Shawligan’. This is a perfect ‘into Fall’ transitional garment. Ronnie Titus made it in a lovely variegated yarn in a gray/black/white colorway.

http://lavonneknotjustknits.com/blog/

From the front, the Shawligan looks like a long garment, but the shortened back makes it easier for sitting at the office desk, sliding into the front seat of the car, and keeping the shoulders warm in Fall wind. As you can tell on Lavonne’s site, it’s also a very flexible garment that can be ‘wrapped’ in a variety of ways. The pattern is a free download on Ravelry.com. Just sign in and search for ’shawligan’ and you’ll find it. Thanks, Lavonne!

And, when you’re around the house or office and just need a little ’something’ on your shoulders, here’s a lovely ‘just enough’ shawl that will look great topping any outfit:

http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/80877AD.html

Make this in any fall color, especially a muted ombre, and you’ll have a topper that people will want to steal right off your back!

Lots of Americans seem to think that May 5 is Mexican Independence Day, but that holiday actually falls on Sept. 16.

May 5 is the celebration of the Battle of Puebla, in which the Mexicans defeated the French in 1862. Independence Day marks the beginning of their fight for independence from Spain in 1810. That was the day of what’s known as El Grito de Dolores, or the cry of Dolores, for when the Catholic priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla rang the church bells at his church in Dolores and declared that Mexico should be free from Spanish rule.

They would fight for their freedom until 1821 when they finally gained independence.

Fabulous Classroom has a little of the history and ideas for celebrating the holiday for all age groups. There’s also a link to a good video in that post about the real story of Mexican Independence Day.

Twinkl also has a good tops about the history and different activities, discussion ideas, crafts and foods that can be incorporated into lessons at school or used at home.

I also found a few pins that no longer link to a website but include good information on Mexican Independence Day, including some questions for students to answer based on the reading. You can find more printables and questions for kids from TX Homeschool Mama on Etsy (also available in Spanish).

You can find a lot more paid resources about Mexican Independence Day at Teachers Pay Teachers.

Mexican flag crafts are a fun option for celebrating Mexican Independence Day (though the current iteration of their flag has only been in use since 1968). Kids Activities Blog has a free Mexican flag printable and a few different ideas for decorating it including dot markers and torn tissue paper.

You can also find some great Mexican crafts at Red Ted Art. The post includes all sorts of Mexican inspired projects including Day of the Dead crafts, Frida Kahlo pinatas and upcycled musical instruments. I love the giant paper flowers they shared from Honestly WTF.

Have you read?