Today is Labor Day and we’re having a quiet day at home with no picnics or barbeques. It’s just enough to be here at home and celebrate the workers. I want to particularly celebrate the migrant workers who pick our food when nobody else wants to. I am so grateful to them. In Maine our blueberry barrens have been battling drought conditions and a lack of rakers (it’s backbreaking work when harvesting by hand) and I love those little berries! So, thank you to the farmers and rakers for our blueberries!
I took a walk around the yard this morning and found this big cicada on the garden post. Our vegetable garden has suffered from the lack of rain and we’ve stopped watering to conserve our well water. We have some tomatoes still on the vine and that’s about it. Soon we will pull out the plants and ammend the soil and get ready to plant our garlic. (I got smart and ordered it early this year!)
The daisy is the last one to bloom and then they’ll be ready to cut back and I want to transplant some (the bunch has gotten HUGE and is getting in the way of some iris) to my “new” garden that the kids made when they were here in July. I’ll be putting daisies and some wildflower seeds up there and we’ll see what grows! We still have plentiful black-eyed susans and the wild roses are needing a big cut … they really are invasive if they grow so well here on our lake shore. I’ve got to move the remaining blueberry plant, too … we’ll see if it will actually grow if it has some space.
Make Mine a Double
I stopped knitting the body and have wound off the chocolate brown colors in the second hank of yarn. I really wanted to see what it would look like on the sleeves if I made them more “consistent” by going back and forth with the blue/brown/beige part of the yarn. Because sleeves are a much smaller circumference than the body of the garment, the colors change much more slowly but I am pleased with the results so far. I have been knitting 14 or so rounds (it’s a seven round repeat) on one sleeve then I break my yarn and knit 14 rounds on the second sleeve to keep the colors sort of the same. I may have to wind off some of the blue/brown to get to the brown/cream to end the sleeves. I’ve even thought about knitting the ribbing in the chocolate brown but I haven’t decided for sure (yet.) I will be trying it on this morning before I get dressed to see how it’s fitting and how much longer the body needs to be. The pattern calls for two inches of ribbing on the hem and the sleeves. I’m getting close!!!
Yesterday I worked on my Jaunty again for a bit. I’m about half-way through the third ball of yarn and the decreases are happening pretty quickly! I am excited to finish this shawl/scarf and get it blocked – I think it’s going to be even more squishy than it already is once the yarn relaxes in its bath. I also machine washed my cream colored Lane’s Island sweater for the first time. I’ve always washed my hand-knits by hand but this one really needed a good wash and the yarn, Berroco Remix Light, says it’s machine washable. I’m impressed at how well it washed up on the gentle cycle. This is a sweatshirt-y sweater and I love wearing it on the cooler days between seasons. I may have to wash the pink one as well.
It’s Monday again! The weeks seem to be zipping by at breakneck speed. I don’t know what happened to the summer but here we are nearly at back to school season! My hubby went off to Colorado himself on Thursday so I came home from work to an empty house – a new experience since we lost our dog in early July. It was a bizarre thought more than anything and in practice, I was fine with it and have had a good weekend alone … but it certainly went by quickly and hubby’s in the air as we speak, jetting back to Maine. He’ll be here before I know it.
I thought I’d spend hours and hours knitting in my studio but I surprised myself and busied myself most of the days. I worked Thursday and Friday, of course, and then Saturday I went on an adventure to Christianson’s Farm Stand in Readfield (sorry, I should probably have taken at least one photo) where I bought some veggies and fresh corn on the cob! I made Ratatouille for dinner and added it to leftovers from Thursday night. My husband’s the cook in our house and I’d rather not be – I made enough one night to last for two nights at least! Anyway, the veggies were beautiful and delicious, too. I also treated myself to a lobster roll for lunch. We have a new place in Oakland that I wanted to try and they were sold out on Friday night when I went by. It was by far the freshest lobster roll I”ve had in maybe forever and the roll was perfectly buttered and grilled. Yum. (And no shredded bagged lettuce! IYKYK! I also made some of my “world famous” oatmeal cranberry scones. That will make my hubby happy!
Yesterday I attended a celebration of life after picking up and unpacking some groceries which meant two trips to Augusta which is out of the ordinary for me/us. It was a lovely tribute to our book club friend, Kathi and I was thoroughly impressed when her grandson stood up to remember his grandmother at the very end. He said he simply knew her as his grandmother and thanked those who told stories about her for teaching him that she was so many different things to so many people. I hope one day that my grandchild remembers me as “just” their grandmother. If that’s the case then I will consider mine a well-lived life.
I have been knitting! I started a new project after putting my daughter’s sweater on hold until I can try it on her in early September. I cast on the Make Mine a Double sweater by Millie at Tribe Yarn. I saw it in a social media post and couldn’t get it out of my head (a lot like the green linen Broadgate Tabard. I waited for a few weeks before buying the yarn because it was a serious financial investment especially since I couldn’t see the yarn in person or feel it so you know it was a really strong draw. Anyway, I cast on and started knitting – this sweater/jumper is knitted top down in the round with US10 needles and the pattern says that I can make my size with 2 hanks. I have gone back and forth on what size to make because I don’t love a ton of ease on me. The suggested ease is 10+ inches which would tell me to knit the large but I think I’m going to knit the medium which will give me more like 6 inches of positive ease. Enough for me.
The yarn is exquisite! It’s the softest silk mohair and the color changes are fascinating and they keep me knitting and knitting because I want to see how the colors ease from one into the next. My hank started with a deep chocolate brown and has eased into a blue … it’s stunning. I am loving it.
I’ve finished the knititng on my second felted bowl. I cast on and practically finished knitting this on Friday during my knitting classes. It’s a super bulky wool knitted on huge needles (I knit mine on US15 and US17a which i had) and then felted. I have a front-loader and very hot water. I’ve done the first felting and today I’ll felt it once more. I’m going to write up the pattern because I started with a Plymouth pattern that called for two strands of worsted held double and did an ombre0type color change. I used a super bulky variegated wool. I hope it’ll sell some yarn in the shop.
And today was a good mail day! I got my kit to knit up It is Magic by Isabell Kraemer in Myak yarn’s Fior di Cashmere in the original colors as the sample was knitted. This was another social media response – do you think I should stay off social media? – to a new design that I really liked and I really liked the original colorway. Myak had a sale on the kits and I jumped. The yarn arrived today and it’s gorgeous! I have a feeling that this will have to wait to jump onto the needles until I finish my Make Mine a Double and my daughter’s Levitate Wrap. I really don’t need any more yarn for any more sweaters. I will not have any room in my closet soon enough. (Maybe I have to give away a few sweaters to make room for the new ones?)
Anyway, it’s been a good time for knitting and reading. I’ve read a couple of good books that I really enjoyed. I am a slow reader (it’s not a race, right?) and I really only read at night before I go to sleep so I read maybe a book a month. I really liked Braiding Sweetgrass that we read for my first July Book Club and this time we’re reading Ann Patchett’s Whistler. I am loving it! I also bought the bonus book – we had a third meeting in the middle of our two regular meetings with the author, Susan Koen, and the book is titled Dancing in the Face of Death. It’s a memoir about her experience as a caregiver to her partner who is diagnosed with dementia. Susan was a delightful bookclub guest and there’s nothing like discussing a book with the author in the room. Hearing the stories first-hand is very powerful.
We’ve got a lot going on in the yard and on the water, passers-by both feathered and human (and too close) and the hummingbirds seem to be fueling up for their long trip home. This morning the wind was blowing and they were hanging on to the feeders for dear life! LOL. We have been enjoying our veggie garden and have a few tomatoes and squash and we are getting our first peas! (Beans are growing but no fruit yet.) And my Clivia in my atelier is blooming again! This time it has three flowers. I love the color of the flowers and it’s been fun to see it thrive … although there is a sticky bug on it that I can’t seem to get rid of that’s why it’s up in my atelier. I’ll keep plugging.
I’ve already run an errand and checked the vegetable garden (we had a little rain this morning and I hope we get more). One more zucchini today and a couple of summer squash will be ready tomorrow. Our tomatoes are doing something funky this year … they look wonderful and they’re black on the bottom. We’ll see if they come around. I’ve asked my hubby to water them more deeply every other day. Time will tell.
I had a wonderful day yesterday all alone at home. Coffee on the porch for a good chunk of the morning and then I cleaned up, did a bit of laundry and decided I wanted to bake. I mixed up a batch of my “Ted Lasso” Shortbread cookies (I got the recipe online, there are a lot of them out there but this one is done in the cuisinart … blend all the ingredients, squish into an 8×8 pan with parchment paper and bake. So simple and so yummy. While the first batch was cooking I decided to cook up some banana bread (muffins) because I had some bananas needing attention … and discovered that we had no eggs! A quick run into town and I solved that issue and blended up the muffins with Maine blueberries and pecans added for fun. AND then I decided I needed another batch of shortbread. Ha! Ha! It was a good baking day. One batch of shortbread went to my dear friend, Barbara, who brought us some delicious chicken soup when I was feeling pretty lousy. One good turn deserves another, right? I always think of my maternal grandmother when I am baking which adds to the joy for me. Baking makes me feel centered and calm … and so does my knitting.
Our garden is producing some wonderful food! I brought in lettuces the day before and some more cukes and a summer squash. Hubby doesn’t care for the squash so it’s all mine! I love it steamed with a bit of salt and butter. Yummy! I’ll be cooking up a zucchini (not shown) side-dish tonight for dinner. I saute sliced onions, put halved (the long way) zucchini on top of them and add some spaghetti/marinara sauce, cover and heat until the zucchini is tender. Then put sliced mozzarella on top and cover again until the cheese is melted. Yummy!
And I’ve been knitting, too. Yesterday I finished the knitting for my Easy Folded Poncho and blocked it on our guest room bed which I have to get made up again. More guests coming this weekend! I only have to sew in the ends after I stitch one simple seam.
I also finished the front of my Broadgate Tabard and blocked both pieces. I knitted the 4-stitch icord ties last night and now I am ready to seam the shoulders and knit the neckline. The pattern calls for a big folded turtleneck and I’m not going to do that at all. I don’t like big, tight turtlenecks. I’ll knit about an inch of ribbing and bind off so that I can wear it in the store with a blouse. I’m excited to get this one finished too … and if I really focus, I should be able to accomplish both finishes today or Friday. I’m looking forward to wearing the poncho when the weather cools in addition to my orange one. I’ve really loved wearing that and the fall will be the perfect time!
Meanwhile, I’ve cast on my Sabai Top in Cascade Yarns Hampton (70% cotton, 30% linen) in black. I am knitting the ribbed neckline for this one (the pattern offers two necklines) and it should be a simple, quick knit. I think it’ll be a great summer top with my white pants or jeans and I think I can dress it up or be casual. The yarn feels lovely as I knit it and I am enjoying the unique construction of the neckline and shoulders. More on this later when I have enough to photograph.
Today’s focus is to get the tabard done first (because I can seam the poncho in class on Friday if I need to.) AND because I’d like to wear the tabard on Friday if I get it finished. So …
We got up early this morning and spent a good two hours watching the lake. Highlighted by the baby loon and his/her parent feeding right in front of the house. The lake was totally smooth for a time. And it was so quiet. A breath of fresh air after a busy summer and a busy Labor Day weekend.
I spent a chunk of it making a sample for the store. I chose a Yarn Snob Worsted weight wool in the Times Square colorway. Mostly because we have no samples of Yarn Snob knitted up. And, being worsted weight, it was going to knit up more quickly.
This hat pattern is wonderful!!! I’ve made one before but I had to remind myself how to do the pinhole or Emily Ocker’s magic cast on and I knew that i particularly liked Jen Arnall-Culliford’s method which is simple and doesn’t require a crochet hook. Just a pair of DPNs. (Ultimately you need a set of 4 or 5.) I really liked the Yarn Snob yarn and this hat will be a modern sample for the shop in an unexpected yarn. I made the toddler size because that is what the yardage allowed for. I loved that the colorway was named after a NYC landmark that happens to be in the heart of the theater district and my kiddos are all employed in the arts in New York City. So a nod to Times Square added a smile to my face. When the winter sets in, I’ll reclaim the hat for my granddaughter.
I spent the past couple of days working on my Vanilla Sweater by Corrine at The Wooly Thistle. I may have said this before but the color is what I fell in love with and I “had” to buy the kit. as happens with almost every simple pattern I attempt, I am struggling to read my knitting – it’s either the light in my atelier or my aging eyes or both combined with the heathery yarn but I can’t see the increases well enough so I’ve been thinking back and reknitting now and again. But I’m getting there and am almost to the end of the increases. I am up to over 300 stitches around so the rounds take a minute. I’m knitting on gauge so I will be excited to see how it fits.
Vanilla Sweater
I’ve also been working away on one of the critters in Louise Crowther’s book Animal Friends. I bought the yarn a few months back for three of these animals and I’m beginning with Noah the horse. It will be a gift for my daughter who loves horses. It’s fun to knit but a little bit hard on my hands because it’s knit at a tight gauge in teeny needles. So the stuffing doesn’t show through the stitches, of course! I’m making good progress. Two legs to go and the outfit and I can sew it all together.
Body Parts for Noah
I had nearly completed the garter stitch section of my All About the Ruffle shawl. Over 350 stitches on the needle. and I just didn’t love it. So, today I frogged it and it’ll be something else, probably a tee shirt. So boo and yay. Boo that I frogged all that work but yay that it’ll be something that I will love.
I was gifted and also grew some giant zucchini and I’ve been trying to use it up before we leave for vacation. I’ve got some chocolate zucchini muffins in the freezer with a loaf of zucchini n bread. Today I made banana zucchini muffins. Hubby seems to think they’re all for him. Ahead of vacation? Yeah, right. He’s been informed.
Banana Zucchini muffins
If I can’t get it all baked before we leave, it’ll go into the freezer all shredded and portioned into 2 cup bags. I have a lot of frozen bananas, too. I’ve not been baking enough apparently.
We are enjoying the last days or weeks with hummingbirds before they head south. I haven’t seen any male hummers recently and they had off ahead of the female and juvenile birds. So the rest will be heading off soon. We will keep the feeders full for those passing by for a few weeks.
The garden is still giving us food. I picked the first Delicata squash. There are more coming. Tomatoes are coming along too. Peas are still growing and we hope we get fruit before the first frost. I picked most of the lettuces because they were about the bolt. Our garlic is dried and cleaned and ready to store away and use. We need to grow more again next year.
I’ll be taking my Murmuration socks on vacation with my Vanilla sweater and some “purple sparkly” Encore worsted for mittens for my granddaughter and a blue bulky pullover (pattern by Knitting Pure and Simple) in superwash wool. I’ve got two grands to knit for now. Best get going on the tiny knits!
I have had a lovely, peaceful morning with my coffee and yarn on the porch. I got up without an alarm, took the dog out, fed the dog and took my coffee out to the porch. It was pretty gray and we even had a little sprinkle of rain. Since then, I went up to my atelier for my yarn and I’ve been sitting here drinking my coffee and knitting and listening to the sounds of the lake. The sounds of home. Hummingbirds chasing each other away from the feeder, ducks quacking by, the train passing heading south, and the splash of an osprey right in front of our boathouse (coming up with empty talons.) And now the sun is coming out and the bees are buzzing in the cat mint.
I’m working on my Vanilla Sweater by Corrine at the Wooly Thistle in Rauma Garn Finull. I fell in love with the color of this yarn and had to buy it. No regrets here. This is a wooly Norwegian wool and I can already feel it softening up as I work it. I’m struggling to see my stitches though with the heathery wool and I’ve had to go back several times when I increased where I should not have. My attention span seems to be challenged right now. Lots going on, hubby away, boss away, the world on fire and I may even need a better light by my knitting chair.
Musselburgh in Yarn Snob “Times Square” colorway
At work we have decided we need some more contemporary samples. I said I’d knit a Musselburgh hat and brought home a hank of fingering weight Yarn Snob yarn with neon pops of color. And then I thought about all the things I have going on and brought it back. I chose, instead, a hank of worsted weight yarn snob. There was enough yardage to make a toddler hat and the. I looked at the name of the colorway and that clinched it. I’m knitting this for a sample and then when it gets colder I’m taking it for Sylvie to wear in the city.
I always have to remember how to cast on with the Emily Ocher’s cast on but I found a Jen Arnal-Culliford turirial and got it done. Yesterday, this hat was a good thing to work on while I was teaching and I made some good progress.
Musselburgh crown
The crown Emma’s some random pooling and now it seems to be striping. It’s all good and it’ll be done soon enough.
I’ve also been working on my shawl, All About The Ruffles. I’m nearly to the full stitch count on the garter stitch section. I wish I had figured out how dull the garter stitch section would be and skipped this project. I sure hope the ruffle section makes it worth while. the “Harbor” colorway in Emma’s Yarn Practically Perfect Sock is lovely and this year is really lovely to work with. I’ve not taken any pictures because a garter stitch triangle is not very exciting but there will be some coming.
New Yarn
I snuck in a Knitting for Olive yarn order before they stopped shipping to the USA. I’ll be knitting one of their designs, too, for the first time. The Wilson sweater has a Henley feel without the buttons and with a collar. I need a black sweater and I think this one is classic and can be worn with our without something underneath. I’m really going to have to invest in a better light to knit with black yarn. (I also have some black linen to knit a sleeveless top with. I love black clothes, I cannot lie.
Murmuration socks
My SISC continues with Murmuration. Another pattern from the Sock Project book by Summer Lee. I may have already posted this photo but I repost it because there is a mistake here and the photo pointed it out. I’ve since frogged it back and added another (third) eyelet round to the third lace pattern. Good grief. My brain! My focus is definitely struggling with all that’s going on in the world. I am looking forward to our Rhode Island vacation next week and am planning to tune out and turn off social media for a few days to see if that helps my brain to focus. It’s all good in the end but good grief, I’m supposed to be an “expert” and a knitting teacher. I get frustrated with myself when I make such rookie mistakes!
From the Garden
I picked three cherry tomatoes and my first Delicata squash today from the garden. they say that Delicatas are ready to pick when they have stripes and you can’t easily break the skin with pressure from your fingernail. This one is there. I think I’ll have to cook it for supper tonight to see how it tastes. I also have cups (and cups) of shredded zucchini to use and will get it grayed, freeze some of it and bake with some of it. Plan is to make some zucchini bread, some chocolate zucchini bread and maybe a chocolate zucchini cake to take with us to the beach. Yum. We still have e some tomatoes on the vines and a few more delicatas coming along. Lettuces and kale are going to be picked today for salad with my supper.
I guess I’d best get myself moving. I have a bank deposit to make for the store before noon and then I can drop off the banking stuff at the store. The boss is back Monday and I no longer have the responsibility of banking. I had a bowl of granola this morning so I may stop for ice cream on my way home for lunch. More knitting will be worked into my afternoon.
It may be Monday but I’m calling it Sunday. My day of rest. Last week I was in the store four out of six days, twice my normal schedule and I could feel it on Saturday afternoon. I’d also been awake since 4:30am when my hubby left to head out to Denver for the arrival of grandchild #2. I’ve been feeling “off” ever since. Partly because it’s lonely here without him and because I’m just weary, I think. Today it’s gray and threatening rain and I sure do hope we get some. Our gardens are so dry and I’m trying to water with great conservation because we have a well and you know what happens to wells in droughts, right? So we flush less frequently (TMI?) and do fewer loads of laundry and water only when really necessary.
I finished my second pair of shortie socks for my August SISC (self-imposed sock club). I thought they’d fit me but they don’t so they’ll be gifted to someone with slightly smaller feet. These have an afterthought heel and having made them, I am reminded why I like a heel flap heel when I’m knitting socks. I’ve cast on a new pair that will be top down and with a heel flap. Photos will be coming soon.
I’ve been working on knitting one of the animals in the Knitted Animal Friends book by Louise Crowther. I’ve had the book and the yarn for quite some time and never seem to have found (made?) the time to knit one. This week I decided to change that and cast on for Noah the horse. These patterns are knit on US 2, 2.75mm needles (suffice it to say, if you’re not a knitter, that these are basically toothpicks) and at a tight gauge. My hands certainly feel it but I am making progress. I’ve got the head, mane, tail and ears finished and am working my way down the body. Nothing is tricky in this pattern other than the tight gauge on tiny needles. I’m going back and forth between DPNs, a 40″ circular and straight needles depending on what needs to be worked. The body parts are knitted flat and seamed so nothing looks like it will when it’s stuffed and assembled. I have to remember to buy some safety eyes.
I had to laugh at the line of eleven pieces of i-cord for the mane. They remind me of tampons and once seen, I can’t unsee it. LOL. The yarn is Sheepjes Stonewashed and I am enjoying the yarn for the most part. Some of the increases are difficult to make without splitting the yarn but I think that’s more about the gauge of the stitches rather than the yarn. I have the Catona for the clothes, too, as the pattern requested. I thought I’d like to make the animals in the original yarn this time and see how it works up. So far so good.
Today I’d love to finish the body and get a start on the legs and arms but I also want to pick up the commission piece that I’ve been working on – I haven’t touched it since early last week when I was working on the back. There’s not much to do to get the back finished and the second side shouldn’t take long either. Then a couple of sleeves and finishing and I can send it off to my client in Louisiana. I’ve promised it in the early winter but I hope to deliver it earlier than that.
This morning I was up early and had my coffee before 8am and I decided to bake. Made some granola for our house and a blueberry cake for a neighbor who’s having some health challenges. I’ll run the cake down later today – when it’s cooled. I saw several emergency vehicles at their house on Friday morning on the way to work and heard from another neighbor about what’s happening. I’m guessing a bit of sweet will be helpful in the short term. I have shredded a huge zucchini and if I get some more baking energy, I’ll make zucchini bread or chocolate zucchini bread. Or both. I still have another huge zucchini in the fridge.
Granola, my secret recipe
I’ve been checking out the vegetable garden and have picked our first tomatoes. I only grew two kinds of tomatoes this year – yellow tomatoes and cherry tomatoes. We haven’t had a lot of either but I now have two yellow ones and will have a tomato sandwich for lunches this week. We have been gifted some cucumbers, green pepper, beets and one huge zucchini from a work friend and I’ll get the beets roasted (one of my favorites with tomatoes and some feta or goat cheese YUM!). I’m not eating a lot of meat this week because I am cooking and don’t love it any more so roasted veggies, cauliflower crust pizza and maybe some grains will be served. Cooking for one isn’t a lot of fun and I’m not one who loves cooking anyway. What’s a girl to do? I can’t just eat ice cream … that’s what I might have done back in the day.
Hubby pulled our garlic before he left and it’s time to cut off the roots, clean it up a bit and start using it. We will plant more garlic in the fall since we seem to have the knack of it now. My biggest yellow tomato is palm-sized and we have another Delicata squash coming along. That makes three. The bees are happy in our squash blossoms and without them, we’d have no squash. One more zucchini is on the vine and the peas are over a foot tall now and starting to climb. I love the veggie garden!
I’m loving watching our loon family fishing just in front of the house today. The baby is getting its adult feathers and is acting more like an adult but the parents are both working hard to continue feeding it, too. They were close enough to hear their little “peeps” to each other. And I’ve heard from two friends on other Maine lakes that they’ve had no surviving chicks this year. (Eagles.) We are very lucky to have four chicks on our lake and I haven’t heard that any have been taken. There is a real emotional investment in these special creatures on the lake. Between boats, eagles and snapping turtles the dangers are real.
We’ve also seen a lot of Hummingbirds lately. They’ve been draining the feeders and that means they’re starting to fatten up and gather the energy to start their trip back south. It’s always sad when the hummers leave. They add a lot of entertainment on the porch, often flying into the porch and seeming to just stop mid-air to look at us as we watch them. We have at least three females now, and a couple of males … I can only identify the females (one looks older, one has a long neck and the third is smaller).
And last night we welcomed a new grandchild. I have just seen him on a facetime chat and he’s absolutely perfect. I am having wicked FOMO watching my hubby hold him but we’ll be heading out so I can meet him in person soon. We are so grateful for a healthy mother and baby. A grandson!
It’s another gloriously sunny summer day in Maine. Sadly, though, we are in a drought and we really wish it would rain. So far our well is holding strong but many Mainers aren’t so lucky. We are hoping we will be lucky enough to remain able to shower and wash dishes and clothes and flush toilets. We are being very careful not to waste any water. But the sunshine has been really welcome and I am noticing that the days are shortening, too.
Last week was really busy with volunteer stuff and this week it’s going to be the store where I work. Our boss is away and we’re covering all the shifts. Ha! Ha! This week is the one week that I will be at the store four days (out of six). My bigger paycheck will help me pay off my car loan even more quickly (I have only a couple more payments!) Anyway … I’ve been knitting and finishing and starting projects. Let me tell you about a few, ok?
I’ve finished two shorty socks from the Sock Project book (sock #2) with an afterthought heel. The yarn is stashed yarn and I just wanted to get rid of a few bits of sock yarn because my collection has become obscene! These socks are knitted from some old trekking yarn that I bought and the toes is also trekking that was given to me after a friend made socks. Now I’ve just got to open up the heels and knit them … it won’t take but a few minutes but I wasn’t going to attempt it last night when I was tired.
The other day I started to make one of the stuffed toys in the Knitted Animals book by Louise Crowther. I bought the yarn to make three of the dolls – the horse, duck and pig. I’m starting with Noah the horse which will be a gift for my daughter, Libet, who loves horses. The pattern calls for straight needles and I started with straight needles but can I tell you how much is dislike knitting on straight needles after knitting on circular needles for so long? So, I’ve switched to a long circular needle (US2) and it feels much better. The pattern has you start with the head and then move on to the body, etc. I may choose to change my needles with each different body part. Time will tell. The yarn is from Scheepjes Stonewashed and Catona which I bought online since my LYS doesn’t carry the yarn that is suggested and I really wanted to try it out. I can tell you that I like it so far. The head is knitted with the Stonewashed in two colors using the intarsia technique – and the most incredible part is that they put a little sticker on the tail of the yarn so it’s easy to pull out! Brilliant! No more yarn barf. I’m plugging along with this but because it’s knitted on such small needles at a tight gauge, I’m taking my time and trying to save my hands/arms the pain … especially since I have a lot of knitting to do.
Earlier this week, I got a text from a friend with a photo of Boo the Bat by Anna Hrachovec, aka Mochimochiland. Said friend thought the bat was adorable (and it is.) As the week went on, I thought about it and felt I needed to knit one for her as a little gift surprise. So, yesterday I dug into my worsted weight wool scraps and found a light and darker gray yarn to make a Boo for Dru. It knits up surprisingly quickly and it’s really cute. I didn’t have any safety eyes so I used buttons instead and since she’s an adult, I don’t think she’ll be eating the buttons. LOL I blocked the wings last night and they’ll be added to the little Boo today and I’ll need to find a stick for her to hang from (her feet are knitted in the round so she can hang, brilliant!)
I’ve been working away at the little cardigan commission that I have promised for the early winter. This yarn is the most delicious colorway ever and happens to be the same name as my client’s granddaughter, Eliana Zoe. It’s a lovely peachy pink with some deeper tones here and there. I love it! It’s a joyful color. I’ve finished one side of the front and will next work on the back. It’s coming along and I have started it early enough that I don’t have to stress about it. I am actually hoping to deliver it early. Fingers crossed. Meanwhile, the pattern is fun to knit and a little bit different from the typical top-down raglans, it’s a bottom-up raglan done with no seaming (at least not yet. I imagine I’ll be seaming to sew up the pieces after they’re finished and adding the sleeves but I love to wait to see as the pattern unveils itself.) I’m still working on the first hank of yarn and I’m happy that it’s going so far … I was initially worried that I might be playing yarn chicken with this one (or shortening the sleeves to 3/4 length. I don’t think it’ll be a problem.) I’ve also chosen several sets of buttons for my client to choose from. I’ll show you my choices when we get there.
I’ve worked a little bit on my All About the Ruffle shawl but it hasn’t changed substantially so I’ll show you an old photo. It’s gotten bigger as I’m working up to having over 300 stitches on the needles but I’m not quite there. I sure hope I love this shawl because up to this point, the knitting part is boring. (There, I’ve said it.) I do love the colorway of Emma’s yarn Practically Perfect Sock.
Finally, a FO (finished object). I’ve finished Dolores #2 Sensuous Caftan and Turban. What a fun project this was. I think Franklin Habit is a freaking genius! Dolores has a big attitude for a sheep and this outfit totally fits that personality. I love the sparkly purple get-up but this! Ha! Ha! Soon I’m going to have to buy a wardrobe for her outfits. I have two more kits that I bought from Webs way back when … I’ll get to them after a bit but suffice it to say that I’m really sorry I didn’t buy all the kits they made and wish they’d bring the whole bunch back! They bring such joy in such a troubled world.
Even with the drought conditions, we are grateful for the flowers and veggies that are growing in our gardens. They feed so much more than our bodies. We have our first Delicata squash growing and a second one coming! I’m so excited! The zucchini and summer squash have been coming in bit by bit (and that’s ok since sometimes zucchini can be overwhelming). We have some big tomatoes growing and some cherry tomatoes as well. The red one may have been popped into my mouth after the photo was taken. Oops. Our granddaughter helped plant some pea seeds and they’re growing up and up. A couple of the plants dried out but we hope with minimal watering they’ll give us a few peas to send to NYC and maybe to enjoy here, too. We harvested our garlic and it was a good year. This year we’re going to try to plant even more so we can save some to use as seeds the following year. We have to really add to the soil again though … stay tuned.
We remain so grateful for this place that nourishes us body and soul and for the hobbies that we have that keep us engaged. My hubby’s father bought a fishing camp in the 1940s that has been a summer home to visit for his family and is now our home. We remember him and the family often and the memories that we’ve all gathered at the lake. How lucky we are! Gone knitting.
They were “supposed” to arrive today but they got delayed by a day because my daughter had an in person audition (they rarely happen these days) and they’re coming tomorrow. I can hardly contain my excitement. Two weeks with my daughter and her family and my son’s coming on Monday. Yay! I am one excited mama! So, of course, I’ve been going a little bit crazy with preparations and cleaning up but I think I’m almost ready to have them arrive. Who am I kidding, I’m totally ready and have been for ages.
I decided to try to cast on and knit the little blanket for my granddaughter’s bed. It’s a pattern from the LYS where I work called the “Three Cable Baby Blanket” and it’s made with Hayfield’s Baby Blossom Chunky yarn and US 10 1/2 needles so it’s a quick knit and I’ve been pushing it. I have made it to the 14th cable twist and that means that I have three more plus the edging to go. I should make it by the deadline of bedtime tomorrow night. I love this yarn – machine wash and dry – and it’s soft and snuggly. Sylvie has one in pink at home that was a gift and she loves it. I thought a few things that were like those she has at home would make our house feel more like home, too. Tomorrow night will be the test.
Today I took a few minutes between folding loads of laundry from the wonderful visit with my brother and sister-in-love, my nephew and his family, to do a tubular bind off on my Big Love Cardigan. I don’t remember doing a tubular bind off before but it’s really slick! I love the way it looks, it’s stretchy but not stretched out and It’s a really nice bind off … this one was a lot of sewing but it’s now off the needles. On to sleeve island when I finish the blanket.
I tried it on after the bind off and I hope it’s going to relax a bit when it’s blocked. It’s a little bit “tight” so I can’t wrap it around myself but it’s a cotton sweater and I think it’s going to be a good addition to my sweater library – and in the summer, on a cool night, I think I will grab it a lot. The Berroco Pima 100 yarn is so soft … and it seems to love being knitted up in a textured stitch pattern and I’m hoping it won’t grow too much. AND today I was wearing a dress in the same color.
We’ve had a salad with lettuce from the garden this week. My lettuces and kale are growing like crazy and we have a few baby tomatoes on the vines. Yay! The squash plants are getting big (I wonder if I can move them once the garlic is pulled?) The garlic leaves are still pretty green but we’re going to try to pull some when the kids get here. I love growing our own food and am learning a lot about how to get the best yield. This year seems to be a good one so far. Cross your fingers! We harvested about six blueberries from our little bush … our first ever! The birds or critters have always gotten them before.
Queen Bee Knits 