-:- homemade outfit

Just a few words today since my dominant hand is not currently available to help with typing. This wee bairn is five weeks old today and, weighing in at ten and a half pounds, can thankfully still fit into this little outfit I made for her before she was born. The top had been waiting patiently for a button and for its ends to be woven in, which I finally got around to this afternoon.

Composite top -:- free pattern -:- raveled here

Made by Rae pants -:- free pattern

xox

-:- updates and news

It has been quite awhile since we last met in this space - thank you for sticking around despite my absence! Here are a few updates, in numbers.

# of cavities filled:

Four. Since I've never had a cavity filled before in my life, that was altogether an intriguing and terrifying experience. You can bet I have regular dentist appointments back on my calendar.

# of rocks found for a border in our front yard:

500 million. A few weeks back, we gave our yard some much-needed TLC in the form of some newspaper, mulch, a trip to our city's compost site, and rocks that we used to make a border between a bed in our front yard and the yard itself. Our neighbor liked our rocks so much that she asked if she could copy us! Everything is looking so much better and now we are prepped for some wonderful gardening next year.

# of garlic bulbs planted:

63. Or something like that. We got together with a few fellow community gardeners to plant some garlic off-site. It was a lot of fun and I can't wait until next year when we get to eat all of it up. It also eventually led to Mr. becoming part of the garden steering committee for next year! He's leading his first meeting next week and where I would be a bundle of nerves, he is as cool as a cucumber.

# of visitors:

Two. We had my parents here for two weekends in a row, which was such a wonderful treat. I don't have any pictures of our visit, but I do have a skein of yarn that I purchased while they were here - I think it's destined to become a pair of souvenir house socks.

# of knitting projects completed:

Two. Both hats, one for me, one for a dear friend's cat. Several other projects have been started, but up until recently, progress has been slow.

# of books read:

Zero. I don't think I've ever gone this long without finishing a book, but I'm remedying that now. I picked up an Agatha Christie book at the library last weekend, without knowing much about the author or her work, and have discovered my perfect mystery book - complete with gorgeous pre-war British language. Love.

# of good reasons I have for not knitting, reading, or blogging in the last few months:

One. And it's such a special, exciting excuse to have. We are thrilled.

xox

-:- cotton and wool

I've taken a break from some of the larger projects I've been working on to make some comfort knits - here, here, and here - and to help a fellow Raveler in New Zealand who put out a request for some washcloths. Her daughter's school is raising money for a greenhouse and the washcloths will be paired with soaps and sold at a fundraiser.

I've officially decided to hibernate my Radian Yoke project - I plan on picking it up again in February or March so it'll be ready for next summer. And after I've made a few more washcloths, I'll finish that Stockholm cowl (which has been waiting patiently for me for a couple of weeks) before moving on to some larger projects and some gifts. Can't wait.

xox

-:- yarn along // stockholm and paris

Last month, I got a box in the mail that held three skeins of DK weight yarn, which is downright bulky compared to the yarns I've been using lately. They were skeins of variegated yarn in a colorway I would not have picked myself - and I was very curious about how this yarn would knit up. I searched long and hard before I found a pattern I'd like to try - and once I found it, I couldn't help but cast on.

I'm making a Stockholm Scarf, which is really a long cowl that is knit in two pieces - and it's just what I need to break up the miles of stockinette stitch that are required to finish my Radian Yoke.

On the reading front, I finished Monsoon Diary and continue to recommend it. It's now sitting in my kitchen, ready to be used as a cookbook for a Monsoon Diary feast...maybe this weekend?

These days, I've been reading Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf and a graphic novel called French Milk by Lucy Knisley. I've wanted to read both for a long time - years, even! French Milk is a travelogue about a trip the author took with her mother to Paris right before she graduated college. It's an honest book and it's fun and quick to read. It's also inspiring me to break out my sketchbook and draw something each day. What a wonderful way to journal, right?

xox

-:- (another) secret project reveal

// Alexandra Shawl
Made for Mom for no particular occasion, which is how I now prefer to knit for people.

Chart-only pattern, very well-written.
Lovely madelinetosh yarn.

It was blocked here and got a bit wrinkled during our road trip back east.
I will be a destination blocker from now on.
Raveled.

xox

-:- yarn along // monsoon diary and radian yoke

There are some people who cannot read more than one book or knit more than one project at a time - and for as much as I admire them, I am not one of those people. I read what my mood dictates - which often results in a collection of books on my nightstand and around the house. Remember Bossypants? I'm still reading it. I'm also still reading the King of Elfland's Daughter. And the book on my nightstand that I've picked up most frequently this week is called Monsoon Diary.

This is a wonderful book - especially for you armchair travelers. It's a memoir about the author's life growing up in Southern India and moving to the US as a young adult. At the end of each chapter, there's a vegetarian recipe for a dish that was central to her chapter. I love the author's voice and I can't wait to try those recipes - they all sound amazing.

Thankfully, I've been more disciplined on the knitting front - I'm still working on my Radian Yoke top and I'm just about ready to separate my sleeve stitches. I'm slowing down a bit now that I have so many stitches in a round, but I still manage to get a couple of rounds done in each day. I'm working with a linen blend yarn and it's making a lovely fabric - I can't wait to see what it's like when it's blocked.

xox

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

-:- yarn along // the king of elfland's daughter and hexipuffs

Books and knitting, knitting and books.

(I have Marcel the Shell on my mind. Treats and snoozin. Snoozin and treats.)

I briefly mentioned our trip back East yesterday, which was wonderful. And during our many hours in the car getting there and back, Mr. and I listened to a few books including Finding Alaska (a YA book), John Grisham's the Summons, and Beautiful Boy (which we haven't quite finished).

The road trip also inspired one of my new knitting projects: the Beekeeper's Quilt. This project is so perfect for road trips - it's simple and small, which makes it completely portable. I also love that I'm using up some of my fingering weight scrap yarn - I hate seeing that go to waste. Estimated time until completion? One billion years.

Now that we're home, I'm working on reading with my eyes rather than with my ears and knitting something that is a bit larger and more complicated than my little hexipuffs.

 Lately I've been on the hunt for good adult fantasy books - a genre that is attractive to me in theory, especially since I devoured fantasy books as a kid, but not usually in reality. I have such a hard time finding good adult fantasy books that I enjoy reading. However, I recently discovered the King of Elfland's Daughter, which was written in the 1920s by Lord Dunsany. It's a beautifully written book - worth a read just for the prose. And I love the story as well. It was such a good find.

My knitting project du jour is a lighter, summery top for myself - the pattern is called Radian Yoke and I'm knitting it with a fingering weight linen blend. Since the pattern calls for sport weight yarn, I'm being especially good about swatching (how about that!) and luckily, this is one of those tops that will look good even if it's a bit too big.

xox

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

-:- 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.)

-:- 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

-:- yarn along // harry potter, bossypants, and socks

It feels like it has been ages since I've written an yarn along post - I've missed the rhythm it brings to my week and I've missed reading all of your posts as well. Can't wait to see what you all have been up to lately.

I haven't felt very productive this month - I think this long winter got to me on some level - but when I look back at my last pictures of these socks and think about the little bits of reading I've done, I wasn't as unproductive as I thought. I've made such progress on those socks - and as I'm coming into the home stretch, I'm really appreciating the fact that I won't have a second sock to knit once I'm done.

In addition to using this tutorial to get me started on this knitting method, I used this post to help me  with the heels. I should also mention that these are Fit Well socks - a lovely, free pattern from here.

I didn't finish A Handmaid's Tale - I enjoyed it very much, but had to return it to the library before I could finish it. Hopefully I'll get to pick it up again soon.

But since we last spoke, I've read Truman Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's (and a couple of his other short stories - I really enjoyed House of Flowers) and Neil Gaiman's Coraline. Both were quick to read, beautifully written, and had been on my list for quite some time. 

Now I'm reading Harry Potter (en francais) during my waking hours and Bossypants by Tina Fey before bed and I'm not very far along in either - my reading speed in French is much slower than it is in English, especially since I haven't practiced in quite some time. And Bossypants is pretty amazing so far. I'll tell you more about it next week once I've read a bit more.

Happy Wednesday, friends. 

xox

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

-:- yarn along // socks and the handmaid's tale

I've just started reading the Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. I'm only a few chapters in, but the story is so intriguing and I'm already attached to the main character. The book itself is pretty wonderful too - it's the perfect size, the pages are really clean, font is easy on the eyes, and the binding bends just right. At this point, I don't even have to love the contents of this book - I just love holding it.

Knitting-wise, I finished part two of the mystery gift, with just a little yarn to spare - it was such a relief. And since then, I've made a little more progress on those Christmas socks. I know I've said it before, but I love this method of sock knitting. I also love this Rowan tweed - I'm a fan of rustic, pure wool yarns and this one makes me feel like I'm taking a break from my farm chores in Ireland to sneak in a few stitches.

Happy Wednesday and happy knitting!

xox

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

-:- yarn along // more of the same

Last night, I finished part one of my mystery gift and cast on for part two, keeping my fingers crossed that I have enough yarn to finish it. I wish I could talk more about it - the pattern I used is wonderful and so sweet. But all in good time...

I'm still making my way through Insurgent, but if tonight is anything like my last two nights, I'll finish it with no problem. Daylight savings really affected me this year, so I was really sleepy Monday night. But then I started reading and couldn't put my book down until way past my bedtime. Last night, my sleepiness was compounded and I thought I'd definitely have an early night - but then I picked up that book again and read until I couldn't hold my eyes open anymore. I'm loving Insurgent - more than Divergent and, dare I say it, more than Hunger Games. And it's turning me into a sleep-deprived zombie.

I also started reading the Pure Heart of Yoga over the weekend, but haven't gotten too far into it. I've been keeping up with my daily practice and am excited to delve a little deeper into things.

Have a wonderful Wednesday and happy knitting!

xox

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

-:- yarn along // same as last week

Last weekend, I finally cast on for those socks I was telling you about - and now I'm officially on my way to getting two identical socks done at the same time. I used this incredible tutorial to learn how to work two socks at once using magic loop - and while it's a little bit tangly at the beginning, it's pretty smooth sailing once you get the first few rows done.

My biggest regret is that I didn't make sure each section of my sock started with a knit stitch - two of my four sections started with purl stitches and those are always hard for me to pull snug at the beginning of a new section. I fixed everything, but will pay more attention to that next time. 

My focus this week will be on that mystery gift - I'm at the end of my first skein and always procrastinate at this stage - rolling skeins of yarn into balls of yarn seems to be my sticking point.

Happy Wednesday and happy knitting!

xox

-:- yarn along // insurgent and a tale of two gifts

I am making good progress on the gift I previously mentioned - and while I can't talk much about that gift, I can talk freely about another one I'm about to start. As soon as my extra-long circulars arrive in the mail, I am going to begin on a pair of Christmas socks for my brother.

These socks have been years in the making. Seriously. I think it was three Christmases ago that I decided to knit a pair of socks for everyone in my family. I picked out yarn and patterns - and on Christmas day, everyone received...one sock. And while I did finish a sock for my brother in time for the holiday, it was ill-fitting and I knew it wasn't the right pattern for him. 

For a long while, I rebelled against sock knitting. But in spite of that rebellion, most of the sock mates were eventually finished over the months and years following that foolhardy Christmas  - except my brother's.

Now I'm happy to report that my relationship with sock knitting is in a much better place and I'm ready to begin again. So I picked out a new pattern for my dear brother, shopped for some wonderful new yarn, and plan on casting on this week. I'm also going to try knitting two socks together using the magic loop method - any advice is welcome! I'm a little nervous, but think it'll be worth any anxiety in the long run - imagine finishing a pair of identical socks at the exact same time! Delightful.

Book-wise, I have started reading Insurgent, the sequel to Divergent, and am enjoying it so far, though I'm not terribly far along. I've also been reading several good cookbooks from the library - I read the Kind Diet a few years ago as a meat eater and really enjoyed it. And I'm enjoying it again, this time with a different perspective. I'm also a huge fan of the Homemade Pantry - the photographs are gorgeous and the recipes are for things that we usually buy already-made from the store. Like ketchup, graham crackers, and tortillas. So good.

Happy knitting!

xox

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

-:- finished acer

After blocking, my Acer was a bit bigger than I expected - especially in the arms - but still lovely to wear. I really need to sit down with Ysolda's book in a serious way to learn how to shape a sweater to fit my specific measurements. I bet blocking your gauge swatch helps keep sizing surprises to a minimum too! Overall, I'm really happy with it - I've been wearing it around the house almost constantly, trying to avoid puppy paws and kitty claws all the while.

Photo by Mr.
Ravelry notes here.

xox

-:- the lexicon project // linear

This week's word was linear and this is my interpretation of it - 

my knitting needles in their jar.

To see all of the other interpretations, visit Corrie.

For next week's word, visit Rachel.

xox

-:- yarn along // unbroken and acer cardigan

I'm going to risk sounding like a broken record to say that I'm still reading Unbroken, I'm still knitting my cardigan, and I'm still promising to have it done next week (ahem).

I'm still really enjoying Unbroken - it's such a good read. And in addition to being an incredible and humbling story, it's also helping me cure my fear of flying. The stories I'm reading make commercial flights seem like a piece of cake. And they probably are. Except in my brain. 

I think I'll have just enough yarn to make it to the end of my cardigan - I have one more skein, which hopefully lets me finish my second sleeve and my edging/finishing. And I'm debating using some elbow patches that my sister got me for Christmas one year - they are a lovely chocolate brown, which I think would look really nice with this blue...

Happy knitting, everyone!


xox

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

-:- yarn along // unbroken and acer cardigan

This week, I finished reading about vegan nutrition and started another nonfiction book called Unbroken. Over Christmas, my MIL recommended it to me and then I read another encouraging review of it here. So I put it on hold at the library and was finally able to pick it up earlier this week.

I'm not terribly far into it, but I already think it's really well written and engaging. The preface is two pages long and after I read it, I was hooked. The author is such an amazing storyteller - and from what I gather, this is a really wonderful story to be told. It's about the incredible life of an Olympic runner and WWII vet named Louie. And in addition to loving the book itself, I also love that he and my dog share their name. Bonus points there.

I'm still trucking along on my cardigan. I had to rip out the entire left side after it was almost completely finished. I wasn't paying attention and missed a cable - but in my defense, I was watching the most recent episode of Downton Abbey, which put my in a state of emotional turmoil and kept me from focusing on what I was doing. Did any of you see it?

xox

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

-:- keep on keeping on

This weekend, after realizing that our plans were being kiboshed by the weather, I felt a little restless knitting-wise. I've been working on my cardigan all month and I love it, truly. But I wanted a small, simple, routine project to occupy my grey afternoon - one that would be finished relatively quickly.

So I did a little hunting on ravelry for some inspiration - and decided to make a jar cozy with some yarn that Mr. got me years ago, when I was first discovering knitting. Actually, the fact that Mr. bought me yarn says something about how fledgling my hobby was - neither one of us knew what a stash was at that point.

I cast on before the chores were done, paused every once in awhile to accomplish something around the house (and maybe to take a nap), and a few hours later, my drinking jar had become decidedly more snuggly. And I was ready to start working on my cardigan again. There's nothing like a little finished project to inspire you to keep on keeping on.

xox