-:- yarn along // bossypants and a purple project

Last weekend, I mentioned I had finished my last pair of Christmas socks for my brother and I love how they turned out. I can't get over how much of a difference knitting two socks at the same time makes for my knitting psyche. It feels really good knowing that I produced two identical socks and that I don't have to knit the exact same thing twice in a row in order to have completed a sock project. Love.

Believe it or not, my next project is a bit of a secret (again). I may decide to speak more freely about it after awhile, depending on how long it takes me to finish, but I'm keeping it quiet for now. I will say that this is my first chart-only pattern. I was a little nervous about that - I tend to rely on written instructions even when a chart is part of the pattern. But I'm finding that knitting from a chart isn't as hard as I thought it would be - I'm actually really enjoying it. 

Book-wise, I'm still reading Bossypants and still really like it, even if my progress has been slow. I blame yard work and yoga for wearing me out and making me want to sleep (instead of read) as soon as my head hits the pillow.

xox 

(Joining Ginny at Small Things for her weekly Yarn Along.)

-:- busy weekending

This weekend was the first super busy weekend we've had in a long time - but it was busy in the most wonderful, relaxing way. Saturday involved yoga, the Shepherd's Harvest Festival, and vegan Chinese food for dinner. So good.

We cleaned up a bit when we got home from our full Saturday and then Mr. successfully brewed his first batch of beer while I finished those socks and got them blocking. By the end of the night, our house smelled like fresh beer and wet wool - what's better than that?

Today was dedicated to our poor backyard. We pruned and sawed and pulled huge roots from the ground. We raked and swept and planted clover seeds in one of the few places where sunlight is a certainty (it's a special mix for the bees). There's still so much left to do, but luckily, it's just the kind of work we love in these parts.

Very little of what we had planned for our yard today actually happened, but we made significant progress nonetheless. And we did manage to come home with several plants from an amazing local plant sale, which will have to wait to be planted in the ground just a bit longer...

xox

P.S. Happy Mother's Day!

-:- muffins and tulips

We have a busy weekend coming up, full of woolly things and big plans for our backyard. It'll be nice to get outside and finally start getting our hands dirty - we've been waiting a long time for this part of the season. We'll be planting a bit of grass, replacing a bit of fence, and hopefully setting up a little raised garden bed along that freshly-replaced fence.

In the meantime, I thought I'd show you this past week's highlights: vegan muffins and tulips.

The muffins are mango lime with coconut on top, from here. I used half all purpose flour and half this stuff. They were so good. And oh, those tulips. They are so good too. Spring has officially sprung.

Wishing you all a wonderful, peaceful weekend.

xox

-:- yarn along // bossypants and socks

Hopefully by this time next week, these socks will be done and on their way to my little brother - just in time for his birthday and his departure for geology field camp. I'm about half an inch away from starting the toe decreases, so my goal should be totally attainable - I might even finish them this weekend!

Book-wise, I'm still reading Bossypants by Tina Fey. I've written before about how hesitant I am to read these kind of funny girl books (obviously I'm not too hesitant, since this will be the second one I've read this year) but Bossypants is just so smart and well-written - the humor aspect of it is almost secondary.

Don't get me wrong - I have already laughed out loud several times - but I don't get the feeling that Tina set out to write a book that was hilarious. I think she is just hilarious and that comes out naturally through her writing. And I like that.

Happy Wednesday, all.

xox

(Joining Ginny at Small Things for her weekly Yarn Along.)

-:- secret project reveal

Remember this secret project? Well, here it is - all finished!

Any time this next week, a dear friend of mine back east (who also happens to be my boss) is having a baby. It's her second child and her first girl - exciting news all around. At first I wasn't sure what to knit for a warm weather baby, but after a little browsing on ravelry, I discovered this pattern. It was a really great pattern - very clear and well-written - and the dress itself was lovely to knit up.

With two skeins of Blue Sky Alpaca, I had just enough yarn to make this dress and a pair of Mary Janes (free pattern from here). I packed them up and sent them off last month in time for her baby shower and I was so happy to hear that she loves them.

xox

-:- happy birthday, lou

Last week, our Lou turned one. It feels like just yesterday he was just a little puppy, eating my yarn and terrorizing the cats - and now he's all grown up, eating adult dog food...and still terrorizing the cats.

We celebrated with a new toy, some special canned food, and a new bed for upstairs sleeping.

It probably goes without saying that we adore this dog. Probably a little more than normal. We love how good he is...and how naughty he can be. When I talk to him (I totally talk to him), his ears go right up and his tilts his head back and forth like he's really listening to me - he'll do that for as long as I'm talking. And I love it. We love that he pounces and bounces wherever he goes, especially when he's excited about a treat or a walk. He's just the best and we're not sure how we got along without him.

And even after all this time, we still can't figure out how he became part rabbit - I guess some mysteries aren't meant to be solved.

Happy birthday, Louie!

xox

-:- what we've been doing lately

 // yoga

Last weekend, I started my official yoga practice at a studio near our house and loved every minute of it - I went to a beginner's workshop on Saturday and my first hatha class on Sunday. I loved my little at-home practice, but I love taking classes even more.

// finding sprouted bulbs...or the lack thereof

Last October, I planted several bulbs in our front yard and have looked forward to their blooms during these long winter months. As the snow started to melt (and fall, and melt again, and fall again...) I kept a watchful eye on our front yard, looking for those first true signs of spring. What I found instead were several deep holes and the papery remnants of those beautiful bulbs. Only three tulips survived.

I was mad at the squirrels responsible for the destruction until I watched a pair of them on a tree, acting especially twitterpated, and realized that I love fat squirrels that make healthy babies as much as I loved my bulbs.

// eating subs

Mr. has become an expert at building vegetarian subs. This one has arugula, tomatoes, cucumbers, hummus, avocado, and a bit of goat cheese. We rounded everything out with carrot sticks, salt and vinegar chips, sparkling water, and a melon for dessert.

While we ate, we smelled burning charcoal from every grill in the neighborhood and listened to kids laughing outside until their parents called them in.

// basking in front of open windows

This weekend was the first time in a long time that we've opened our windows and we all loved it - especially those boy cats. Wilbur has also started shooting outside every time the door opens - he never goes very far, but he loves darting into hard-to-reach places, like under the patio stairs.

On an unrelated note, a series of photographs I took inspired me to learn how to make animated gifs - this is my first one, featuring our Claude watching a bird. It was really fun to put together - but I will have to be more mindful of my camera position from now on so the next one isn't so dizzying.

xox