October is time for...
Harvesting and carving pumpkins. Every year we have volunteer pumpkin plants that spring up (this year in the asparagus bed) and provide us with plenty of pumpkins to carve.
Knitting. Constantly. Obsessively. Neurotically. In my knitting basket is Lupine's birthday sweater, my second arm warmer, a dress for our favorite Waldorf baby, and more - with Sage and Pete's sweaters on deck for the coming weeks.
Making live-fermented veggies to last us through the winter. Sauerkraut, gingered carrots, kim chi, cordito, and more. These are among my favorite foods and are on our table every day. (I use Sandor Katz's formula for ferments, though I don't follow a proper recipe anymore.)
Bringing out the bin of hand knits to handwash and lay out to dry the mittens, hats, sweaters, and slippers. These knits are such a simple pleasure for me. Some were knit by my grandma, others by me. I treasure them.
Putting the summer garden to bed. And the canning supplies. We're done! Time to count the jars. This was a great first canning year.
Putting the finishing touches on our Halloween costumes. So fun.
As we look ahead to Halloween I wanted to share with you a favorite magical tradition in our home: the Pumpkin Fairy. I was introduced to the Pumpkin Fairy by one of my most magical friends several years ago. And I was so glad we were.The Pumpkin Fairy is wonderful.
You see, I was always a little sketchy on keeping all that sugar from Halloween around the house. It's not what I wanted my kids to eat, yet I didn't want to be the heavy and swoop in and swipe their candy on November 1. Hello, rock. Hello, hard place. And then the Pumpkin Fairy swooped in on an autumn wind and saved the day.
The Pumpkin Fairy arrives by invitation to transform your Halloween treats into a wonderful, simple gift. (If she's never come before it's only because you didn't invite her before.) To invite her to your home is simple. Your child first selects the candy you will give her and put it out in a basket, covered with a cloth or silk. (Sometimes it is easier to choose a few to keep and put the rest out for the fairy.)
By morning the Pumpkin Fairy has come and transformed the candy into something lovely, akin to what you might find in our spring baskets. Around here the size of the gift is determined by how much candy they give, as an incentive to give it all. The Pumpkin Fairy has brought crystals, craft supplies, small handmade toys, and a special fall book.
So there you go. That's how we do it around here.
(P.S. I'm closing down my Etsy shop for a while and have everything 20% off with the coupon code PUMPKINFAIRY if it is of interest to you. There are a couple of toddler Waldorf dolls, an upcycled shoulder bag, and a soft woolen hat.)
