Blue Wyatt

28 Mar

  • Pattern: Wyatt
  • Yarn:  Cascade Yarns Dolce
  • Size: 3, with length added
  • My Ravelry Notes: here

This is the second time I have knit this pattern.  The middle girl saw the sweater on the counter one day and asked for one for herself, “in blue, because blue is my favorite color”.   I would be happy to make you a sweater.

My children are happily digging in the empty potters around the patio looking for rocks with their digging supplies (read: hot pink shovels they convinced me they needed to “help” me with the garden) .  Before that, they were digging up dandelions, which they call sunflowers, and planting them in the vegetable garden.  Being occupied together is really good news to me because they were really, I mean really, loud this afternoon while playing doctor to the dinosaurs.  I believe stegosaurus hurt someone with his tail.

These are the days I am so happy we have together.

++ joining ginny for her weekly yarn along

Lucky Penny

22 Mar

  • Pattern: Honey Cowl
  • Yarn:  Tivoli (a silk and mohair combo)
  • Size: In between the two sizes in the pattern.  I wanted it long enough to loop twice, but still sit fairly snug around the neck.
  • My Ravelry Notes: here

The last of my Christmas knitting is finished and wouldn’t you know,  just in time to put the snap peas in the ground! I love the honey cowl pattern.  It just seems to move along the needles in a very soothing motion.  The stitches produce a waffle effect.  The first one I made, for myself, I used bamboo yarn, and since it stretches quite a bit it had quite a bit more drape than Lizzie’s cowl.  Dear Lizzie requested a rusty color.  I found this yarn on a trip to Charlottesville one day late this winter.  The yarn is silk and mohair so it knit up much denser than the bamboo, but equally luscious. I hope you still have a couple days in Pittsburgh when you need a little love around your neck.

This completes three of the knitting projects I wanted to get done this winter.  Not too shabby!

Projects done:

  • 5th Ave Cowl
  • Lucky Penny
  • Sophie’s Wyatt (still need to show you)

In the basket:

  • Eva’s Bluebell
  • Eva’s Clara Dress – this one needs to be completely frogged and restarted.  I have set this one aside until I finished some quicker projects
  • Sophia’s dress for the beach (a smocking project w. Joel’s mom)
  • a quilt I have been s.l.o.w.l.y working on

Well, there it is.  The list.

If you feel so inclined, I would love to see your list so we can encourage each other.

March 21

21 Mar

After a not so great nap time Sunday afternoon, I found myself with a pocket of time and some quiet later that day while dinner was cooking.  I only had about twenty pages left in Wildwood.  I snuck up to my room, with the book, a cup of chai, and my planner.  I downloaded my thoughts and to-dos for the week onto paper while waiting for the tea to cool, and then I finished the book!  Half and hour later I stood up, pronounced those few unexpected and cherished moments to be heavenly and went downstairs ready for the rest of the evening.

:: Even with my best planning effort, the first two days of this week went by in a whirlwind.

On Monday night, Joel’s mom and sister came to visit, and we took with the girls to a Ballet Magnificat! performance.  Joel’s sister will be participating in their Summer Intensive Workshop and it was really great to see a performance.  The girls were captivated.  The touring company performed ‘Deliver Us’ (The Story of Moses) and ‘The Arrival’.  In true Ella fashion, she asked questions to understand every detail.  In the burning bush scene, the voice of God speaks over the music.  “Mom, who is that?”God”, I whisper, hoping that answers all her questions for a few minutes.  “The REAL God????????”, in utter wonderment!

As for Wildwood, I mentioned earlier I was not crazy about it. I picked it back up after a few weeks, and I enjoyed the end of the story more than I did to the slower start of the beginning.  The illustrations through out the book were wonderful, and there were a few full page, full color ones that were a rare treat.

Signs of spring all around.  Hope you have a wonderful day!

to the top

16 Mar

joining in with Amanda for {this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

5th Ave Cowl

14 Mar

  • Pattern: 5th Ave Cowl
  • Yarn: Patons Classic Wool
  • Size: one size, I used two strands of yarn held together to achieve gauge
  • My Ravelry Notes: here

Hello, early spring!  The weather here was just beautiful these last two days.  If this is coming in like a lion, I’ll take it.  There are dirty feet, pinked cheeks, and signs of play all over the yard.  The girls and I have half way dug up the weeds that transplanted themselves in our vegetable garden space to make room for the lettuce, snap peas, and spinach we have planned. They are on the back patio just waiting for planting day. The last time I tried lettuce it bolted, and I have never tried peas.  Any tips are welcome.

Just in time for all this gorgeous weather, I finished and gifted one of the Christmas Cowls I had promised.  The recipient picked out the pattern, and specified the yarn color, so I am hoping it ends up being just what was hoped for and is well worn.  The second Christmas cowl just needs a good blocking and will be done as well!

I hope all of you have a great day.  Ours will include more time on the swings, a trip to the library, and some iced tea to satisfy the craving I got yesterday.

++ joining ginny for her weekly yarn along

Sauté, Sautée

12 Mar

Our (middle) ballerina had her first ballet performance.  Her proud momma thought she did spectacular!

She has been waiting for this class for so long.  She patiently went to Ella’s ballet classes before Ella started preschool.  Without fail, she would have Ella show her the moves when she came home.  Once Ella wasn’t in class they turned the foyer into their own private stage and performed their own dancing extravaganzas.  We told her once she turned three she would be able to take classes at the rec center.  The winter brochure came out and class started exactly five days before her third birthday.  So, I did what any honest momma would do.  I enrolled her and fibbed when filling out the enrollment information.  Neither she nor I looked back.

She started the second session today.  Let the sauté, sautée begin.

 

honey cowl, second time around

29 Feb

Yesterday we had some official papers of sorts to take care of and it ended up being quite a bit more stressful than an average day.  Finally, while dinner was simmering on the stove, I sat down with my ladies who had decided (on their own) to color happily.  I was able to knit the first round on my honey cowl.  I made one of these cowls for myself last month, and I wear it all the time.  This is a present I am working on (the after-Christmas knitting I mentioned a while back), and the recipient asked for this pattern – in rust color.

Would you look at that face and that grin?  Eva has completely embraced wanting to be one of the bigger girls.  She plops herself in the middle of their activity and added her own reckless abandonment to every situation.  Ella has quite a bit of patience for her (perhaps, the most in the family), and it is so sweet to watch Ella along side of her.  This weekend, Ella and Eva were playing trains.  Eva took apart the track Ella built for her, repeatedly.  Finally, Ella decided they would play something Eva could not undo.

I am making progress on my knitting basket, and the end is coming, I do believe!  I only have one side to seam on the Wyatt Sweater for Sophie and in perfect timing too.   She is already beginning to balk at wearing a coat to play outside since it is getting so much warmer, don’t you know, mom?  I finished the 5th Ave cowl I was working on last week.  I will post as soon as Joel is home to take some pictures.  He is traveling a couple days this week. Indeed, part of what made some of yesterday stressful.   He comes home tonight and then we are off to visit his parents for the weekend.  We are attending a wedding in Charlottesville this weekend, so the girls are staying with his parents and we are having a quick little trip.  Yes, indeed!

Have a wonderful & rainy day, friends!

++ joining ginny in her yarn along

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