Yarn Along

      ~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my                 photographs.


I've been knitting nothing but hats. They're all different, but I haven't been pleased with any of them.I think I've decided that I really don't love slouchy hats. They just look enormous even though they're supposed to. I clearly need a break from hats so I began knitting a Spring sweater for Tess. I'm making the Bulle sweater. If you have a Ravelry account, you can go to the link and see all the Bulle sweater projects. It's adorable and so far, it's easy and it's top-down raglan construction which I love! I'm getting a little nervous as I approach the pockets though. I'm not quite sure that I understand the directions for adding the pockets.

As for reading, I just started reading The Goldfinch. I have book club this Friday. There's no way I'm going to make it through a 700 page book by then. It's my fault. I read way too many other things before getting to book club books.

Join Ginny for more yarn tales.

Yarn Along

 I'm still knitting. The knitting bag is overflowing with mostly unfinished hats. I'm working on three very distinct hats: The Dustland Hat, the Woman's Hound-Tooth Hat, and the Camden Cap which involves knitting over a piece of plastic to make a brim. I've also learned a new technique to make my stranded knitting much less tight. I'm getting a lot of practice on the Hound's Tooth Hat.

This is the Hounds Tooth hat picture from Knit Simple Magazine. 

I just started Diary of a Wimpy Kid today. It's going to be a quick read. My oldest son, Luke and I thoroughly enjoyed the first two movies. A while back, my husband checked out the first movie from the library. I almost sent it back to the library without watching it, but then Luke and I sat down to watch it. We both found ourselves unexpectedly laughing out loud.

My eight-year old son, Sam likes anything comic-y. I am not very well-versed in the whole graphic novel genre. He recently finished the entire Calvin and Hobbes canon. I started to worry that he would lose interest in reading if I couldn't find more age appropriate graphic novels. Diary of a Wimpy Kid features a middle-schooler named Greg. Sam is in third grade. He went ahead and read the first book, but I am just not sure if the entire series is appropriate for him. So, despite having seen the movies, I'm jumping in and I'm reading Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

Who knows? I may just get sucked into the entire Wimpy Kid series!

For more yarn tales, click on over to Ginny's.

Friday Morning Book Post

 I love reading foodie books, but this one is unlike any other that I've read before. I'm not sure foodie is even the right word for this. This book is about extreme eating. I'm really only in the first section of this book, but it's not really for the squeamish. This book is about fringe eaters who embrace the revolting and disgusting (well, gross and disgusting by most people's standards). I consider myself an adventurous eater, but compared to these competitive eaters, I look like a person who eats only PB and J with the occasional grilled cheese to spice things up!

I think that this book will touch on many facets of this movement like food history, folklore, humor, and ethics. There's just enough gross to make this book fun.

I received 150 Scandinavian Motifs for Christmas. I really like knitting color work and since my husband is of Norwegian descent, I want to knit something this year with a Scandinavian motif for him. Last year, I knit him a Norwegian Star hat and that was a lot of fun. So, I'm not really reading this book as much as I am just enjoying just looking at it. These motifs are beautiful and simple. I have another Fair Isle motif book by this author. I really hope she publishes a celtic motif book in the future.

My kids are still reading the same books as last week. So, there's nothing really new to report there.

I've been adding books to my Goodreads to-read pile like crazy in the past few weeks. I just saw a list of 16 books that are hitting the screen this year. I perused the list and realized I'd already read a few, but I found a few more books that I just had to add to the to-read list. I might have to add the occasional Friday Morning Movie post.

Go ahead and check out the list!
http://www.buzzfeed.com/ariellecalderon/books-to-read-before-they-hit-theaters-this-year

Yarn Along for the new year

I love knitting color work, but my tension is still way too tight. I don't know if blocking will save this hat. This hat is a late Christmas present for a friend. I hope that her head is smaller than mine! This is a free pattern on Ravelry called Encircling Ewe. I had to improvise the pattern above the sheep. I had to make it longer because it is just too short before the decreases. I'm almost done and I'm crossing my fingers that I can stretch this hat.
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I wanted to post this yesterday for the Yarn Along since I haven't participated in ages, but I was so busy getting our home back in order after the holidays.

As for reading, I haven't really settled on a new book after re-reading Mockingjay. 

Summer Knitting

I just wrote this long post on how I've taken a break from a lot of my hobbies this summer, but I haven't stopped knitting entirely. I knit this cute little summer tunic for Tess. I knit this in a slow leisurely manner and it still didn't take me very long. However, I hate how this turned out in Ty-Dy Cotton. I'm going to re-knit this in solid colors. I also need to take a better picture not using my phone.  The back of this tunic is adorable with crossing i-cord straps. I definitely need better pics here.

This is the picture of Phoebe's Sun Tunic from the book, Phoebe's Birthday. Doesn't it look so much better in solid contrasting colors?? I must re-knit this before Summer is over.

Knitting for little girls

I'm not going to lie. Knitting for little girls is so much fun and I especially like knitting for this little girl in particular. This was supposed to be the Sydney Lace Dress, but when I realized that I had almost ten inches left to knit in a 4 row repeat pattern, I decided to shorten it and make it tunic-length. She can wear this with skirts and jeans. I'm actually pleased with the way it turned out. I don't usually get lazy on a pattern, but the more I knit, the more I realized that I'd like this better shorter. I used Cascade Sunseeker yarn. This is a cotton/acrylic blend with subtle sparkles as well.

I haven't been knitting very much lately since I transferred a lot of my energy to finishing those quilts in my previous post. Honestly, I think I had gotten a little burned out on knitting. I know. That doesn't sound like me at all, but I realized it's time for some Summer knitting and I have a handful of things I want to knit for Tess for this Summer. She's looking pretty grown-up these days especially since I swept her long bangs to the side for these pictures. She's 4  1/2 now. She's growing too fast for me to put these cute little girls items off.

Anyway, this is the Sydney Lace Dress from the book Just Like Me Knits.  You can even knit this dress for a doll, but I don't knit for her dolls. At least, Tess has never asked me to knit for one of her dolls and I can admit that I'm relieved that she hasn't.

Yarn Along

I've knit several hats over the past few weeks and I've noticed something. I'm getting ridiculously quick at knitting all kinds of hats (cables, eyelets, color work, etc). If someone asks me to knit them a hat, I always oblige. I'm always happy to knit for other people. I haven't added many of these projects to my Ravelry page because my project list would be overflowing with all kinds of hats. Actually, my Ravelry page is already overflowing with hat projects. I like small projects like hats because a hat can pack a lot of challenge into something manageable.

Anyway, I organized my knitting bag again this week. I do that a lot. I am determined to stay focused, but already in the back of my mind, I know that I will lose that new year's resolve and cast on many projects at the same time. I knit like I read. I get a new book and I'm all excited about that book, but then I set it down and start reading something else. As much as I have tried to change this behavior, I realize that it works for me and why I am I fighting it? Will I really feel more disciplined? It also works for me to have many knitting projects going at once just as it works for me to be juggling several different books at once.

I did narrow down my projects list and I have plans for two sweaters for Tess. The Bulle sweater and this cute sweater I stumbled onto last week. I am currently working on the Mini Mochi Fair Isle hat for a friend, of course (which I blogged about in my previous Yarn Along post). The Mini Mochi Fair Isle hat is taking me more time than most hats, but I did set it down so that I could knit six other hats. I also cast on Declan's hat for Sammy. It's full of fun twisty cables and it will look delightful in orange yarn. Sam looks really good in orange.

As for reading: I am reading Pippi Longstocking to Sammy. I really enjoyed Pippi as a child and I think I have finally found a good read aloud for Sam. He's usually a little tougher to please in the read alouds department than Luke was. For book club, I am reading The Curious Incident of the Dog in Night-Time. My book club leader recently watched the movie about Temple Grandin and decided she wanted to read more about the autistic experience. So far, it's an interesting account of how the autistic mind functions. I also finished reading Jesus Land last night. It's a harrowing memoir of growing up in staunch Calvinist home. I just reviewed it on Goodreads. I've got a lot to say about it there. I am currently waiting for my new bible to arrive from Amazon. I ordered the C. S. Lewis Bible and I am excited about reading the bible along with commentary and quotes by C. S. Lewis.

That's it for this week. Hopefully, I will reach the decrease section of the fair isle hat for next week, but who knows? Some other project my get me distracted from this one. For more yarn adventures, please go visit Ginny.

Yarn Along

~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs. 

I'm knitting Christmas presents for a couple of very special girls. I thought I was done with a dress for my best friend's younger daughter, but even though I added a couple of inches in length, I knew it was going to be too short for her. I decided to give the dress to Tess although I'm bummed that it didn't fit it's intended recipient because it would have matched her blue eyes perfectly. Anyway, I started knitting the dress again in the same yarn, but pink and in a bigger size. I expect that it won't take long even though it's miles of stockinette. Ireally hoped that I could have crossed something off my Christmas list, but I'm getting to be a pretty quick knitter. Hopefully, I won't lose steam on the 17 inches of skirt!

I've often mentioned that knitting is like a tonic for the sould when I'm stressed. I had a particularly stressful week. I left my knitting out on the kitchen table. Every time I walked by, I'd pick up my project and knit a few stitches-maybe two or three stitches. Then, I'd set it down and continue on with all the other things vying for my attention. The strange thing is that I could tell that knitting a few stitches released some tension. Those few stitches here and there were little pockets of peace in an otherwise chaotic day.

As for reading, I'm currently reading The Light Between Oceans.

I admit, I was pulled in by the lighthouse on the cover. It's going to be sad, extremely sad,  but I guess I'm more interested in the life of a lighthouse keeper on a remote island off the coast of Australia. I've been reading a lot of novels lately.

For more yarn and books, visit Ginny.

Birthday Girl

                            She's 4 today! My little pink-obsessed princess girl is wearing blue. 
                                                  Happy birthday to my darling little girl.

November Knitting

Amazingly, I've finished three knitting projects this week, but I didn't get a post ready in time for this week's Yarn Along. I'm finding less and less time to blog these days. Life is very full.

 I realized that I have at least three different knitting bags filled with various projects in various stages of near completion. I had at least two projects that had been hibernating since last year. I finally decided to get serious and finish Sammy's sweater and a Christmas stocking. Although I knit the body of the sweater longer anticipating that Sam would grow a lot and knowing that I'd probably take forever to knit the sleeves, (I don't like knitting sleeves) the sweater fits perfectly right now. I mean, this sounds all well and good, but it really means that I waited too long and he grew too much and he won't get to wear his sweater very long. Okay. Lesson learned. Kids keep growing. Don't let projects for your children hibernate so long!

I knit this little hat this week. This is the Pippa Toque and it's a free pattern on Ravelry. This was a fun and very quick knit. I surprised myself by knittting this hat in less than a week. I'm really enjoying color work right now and I have several Fair Isle hats on my favorites list on Ravelry right now. Color work is like painting with yarn.

Has all this knitting this week made the three knitting bags smaller? No There are still three knitting totes. I don't know how this possible. No matter how much I knit, the bags of yarn always seem remain full. I suppose this is a good problem to have.

Yarn Along: September Edition

~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs.  

Instagram photo

I am reading Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. How is it that I have never read this book before? This is  my September book club selection.

I have been away from the Yarn Alongs most of the Summer. Not because I haven't been knitting, but I haven't really finished much this Summer. Also, due to a certain twin, my laptop broke. So, I ended up neglecting my blog this summer and the weekly Yarn Along.

 I got this crazy idea to knit stocking caps for everyone in my family for our Christmas card photo. I'm on hat #2. I only have 5 more hats to knit. This seems like a goal I can manage. It's really a simple hat with endless stockinette. I do, however, need to learn how to make a pom-pom. The above hat is for Tess. Simple wide red and pink stripes make for a striking holiday hat. I'm thinking about Gryffindor colors for Luke, but I haven't decided on colors for the rest of the boys in my family. I still have time. I think.

Head on over to Ginny's for more reading and knitting.

Yarn Along

  Since we've returned from our vacation to the Outer Banks, we're all exhausted and most of us are sick. So far, I have two kids with chicken pox, two with fevers and colds, one recovering from a fever and sore throat, and then there's me. I'm achy, head-achy, and just plain tired. I didn't get much knitting or reading done while we were away. I was within two rows of finishing an Oaklet Shawl, but then Tess climbed on me and several stitches popped off. Despite my best efforts, I wasn't able to get those yarn overs and the lace pattern back on the needles the right way. I forged ahead and when the next row of lace didn't line up with the previous row, I gave up and frogged the whole thing. I decided to use the same yarn to cast on the Saroyan instead. I'm enjoying this pattern much more than the Oaklet Shawl anyway. The tiny leaves on the edges are just so much fun to knit.

As for reading, I'm reading I Think I Love You by Allison Pearson. This is book club reading and it's about some Welsh girls in the 70's who are completely obsessed with David Cassidy. Well, it's more complex than that. It's really about the insecurities of adolescent girl-friendships set during the height of David Cassidy mania.

I just downloaded 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker after seeing that Elizabeth was reading it as well. Her goal is to combat the stresses of the excessive American life. As someone who strives for simplicity, this, I'm sure is right up my alley.

Here's a picture of the yarn I bought while on vacation. I love Adriafil Knit Col. I've used this yarn several times and the colors are just so fun. Since I never see this yarn in any shops, I scooped up 4 balls. I'm thinking about Autumn hats for the kids.

That's it for today. Don't forget to check out more yarn and book adventures at Ginny's!

Yarn Along

I haven't updated my blog in almost a month! It's not because I haven't been thinking about it, I have. Summer has gotten me and the entire family off all of my routines. It's actually been nice to have long days stretch out before us. We've been relaxed about bed times with the older kids. We've been relaxed about a lot of things. I suppose that we have immersed ourselves in Summer.

 I've been knitting a lot without completing anything until yesterday. I've actually started to have some pain when I knit. Oddly enough, the pain is in my left shoulder and elbow. Most of my yarn movement is in my right hand.  After many years of knitting without pain, I suppose that I may be developing some repetitive motion injury. I know it's something I can't ignore forever, but I have been  kind of knitting through the pain.  I finished a Color Me Pretty hat in what should have been a toddler size, but came out sized more for a 6 month old baby. I really wanted to learn how to knit Fair Isle properly. Up until this hat project, I always picked up and dropped the yarns when doing color changes. This time, however, I held one working yarn in my right hand and the other yarn in my left. I had two happy results by changing the way I held the yarns. The yarns did not become twisted and the actual Fair Isle sections were less tight. I deleted the photo from my computer yesterday. So, go here and you can see my baby hat. About half way through this project, I realized that the two colors that I had chosen didn't have enough contrast. It's pretty difficult to see the flower     on the hat. I definitely want to make this hat again, but bigger and with better contrasting colors!

I read Phoebe's Birthday to Tess last night. In full disclosure, I kind of ordered this book for myself. This is a delightful little picture book, but the exciting thing about Phoebe's Birthday is the knitting patterns in the back of the book. Actually, this book also includes both a quilt pattern and stuffed "Mermouse"  pattern as well. The simple story includes some nice artwork and the patterns are featured in the book. Okay, so, I'm going to make this for Tess. So, I guess, in the end, this book is really for her after all. She gets the book and the Phoebe's Sun Tunic that I will knit for her!

Happy Independence Day! don't forget to visit Ginny for more Yarn Along adventures! Happy Summer friends!

Yarn Along

The other night I was at Barnes & Noble. I was sitting in the Starbucks section . I took the time to organize my knitting bag. After a while, I went to peruse the magazine section and of course, I glanced through the knitting magazines. Normally, I don't really care for Knit Simple Magazine. It's usually full of things I'd never knit , but this issue (Spring/Summer 2012) had a handful of cute little girls' dresses. So, I picked it up and cast on for the Textured Dress immediately. It's top-down knit in one piece and that pleases me immensely. I'm  just getting started on the skirt, but even though it's seems like endless stockinette, it will go quickly.
As for reading, I just started Charlotte Au Chocolat, a memoir about the author's adventures growing up in her mother's restaurant. It sounds slightly enchanting. I'm looking forward to reading this, but I haven't had the stamina to stay up late and read lately.
That's it for today. Don't forget to check out more yarn and book adventures at Ginny's!

Easter is almost here!

                             Have a blessed Easter my Friends!