bluebirds of happiness

My friend Rachel (who says she isn't very crafty but is NOT fooling anyone...) knitted this ridiculously cute bluebird and gave it to me at Hazel's birthday party. It is filled with split peas so it has a nice weight to it and sits nicely in my kitchen window.


Yes. Those are Christmas lights on our deck railing. But we have now taken to calling them "party lights" and are embracing their ongoing presence fully.


And- bonus! It looks lovely with the glass Bluebird of Happiness I was given by my friend Shannon at Christmas. Now I have a little reminder of each of them there in my window to greet me every day.

cleaning club: birth edition

Yesterday Rachel and I had the great honor of being present while Shannon gave birth to her new son, Michael Francis.


Shannon had asked me early in her pregnancy if I would photograph the birth, and I was quick to agree! I have never attended a birth other than my own, and I was excited to capture the day with images for Shannon and her family.














And look! Rachel in action doing a bit of laundry before we left the house so everyone could rest. I helped by taking pictures of her :)


Now, I know that this all seems very far outside what you probably would consider normal for a little group of women who get together to clean each other's houses. But we say that this is how things *should* be! Women working together and supporting each other through life. The time we have spent in each others homes; helping with cleaning and organizing projects and supporting each other emotionally through all the daily trials of motherhood; has given us all such an amazing sense of trust and love for one another. It was truly a gift for us to be able to share this day with Shannon and her family, and I know we will never forget it as long as we live.


Happy birthday to Michael! And congratulations to Shannon and Pat- you guys did great and he is just beautiful. I am so thankful you are a part of our lives.


(I almost forgot: Michael's little hat is the Umbilical Cord pattern from Stitch 'N Bitch, adapted for sock yarn on size 3 needles. I used self striping yarn and it turned out so cute!)

a little knitting

It seems like quite a while since I posted about any knitting- mostly because I haven't been doing a whole lot of it lately. It's finding the time that I have trouble with! I do have a knitted bag finished and ready to felt too, so I'll post about that soon.



For now, here are the socks I started recently. My mom gave me this yarn a long time ago, and I've been wanting to get another pair of socks going for a while now. So I thought they would make a good summertime project since they are small and the wool isn't bulky and hot, and that way when fall comes around I'll have some new socks to wear!



The big difference with these from the others I did (and the ones I see my friends knitting) is that they are both being knit at once and they are also started at the toe and knitted upwards. I am really excited about both of these things, because not only can I try them on easily as I go and make sure I get the perfect fit, but I can also use up all the yarn giving me maximum length without worry of running out before finishing the toe AND they will both be completed at the SAME TIME! Anyone who knows me is well aware that I have lots of big ideas and start lots of projects, but it is the FINISHING that I often have a hard time with. And getting one sock done and never getting around to the second one is pretty much hard-wired into my personality. So doing both at once will help me avoid that.



For anyone who is interested, the pattern is a free download from Knitpicks- although I am using 2 circular needles as opposed to magic loop, because I greatly prefer that method. So far this pattern seems really great because you do the fitting as you go, making the sock fit exactly to the foot it is intended for. The yarn is Regia Silk Color (wool/nylon/silk blend, self striping) in #190, and I am using #2 Addi Turbo needles. There is also a really helpful page here for extra info about knitting 2 socks at once on 2 circulars.

Now lets see if I can manage to get these done before sock wearing weather!

matching hat

I finished the hat to match the scarf I made for Daisy last winter. Finally! It looks great on her and is nice and soft. I really enjoyed knitting this pattern. It is a bit tricky- not really a beginner's scarf, but lots of fun for an experienced knitter. I'd say I would be knitting another soon, but there are several other scarf patterns I want to try, so it might be a while before I get back around to this one.

uncovering some UFOs

This morning I dug this pile of bags out of the corner of my closet- they had pretty much been dumped there when we moved in and needed to be gone through.



The main thing I was looking for was this- the start of a hat to match Daisy's scarf I made last winter. This is what I was working on when I broke my arm in January, and I just never picked it back up. I started back to work on this today- it should be a really quick project.



Another thing that should be quick to finish up- this pair of wool pants. That I was knitting for Stella. Ahem. At least I had the sense of mind to make them in gender-neutral colors! They should fit Lyle perfectly and be great for him to sleep in and wear around the house this winter. These have been on the needles since before I was even pregnant with Lyle. A bona fide UFO if there ever was one. But I'd really like to get these done because the wool is really great, and I dyed it myself with Kool Aid. The colors are beautiful.



And then there is this half-knitted soaker (a wool diaper cover) that was going to be for Lyle. But it would be way too small now, so I think I'll unravel it and start again- I am thinking a hat for him now. He can still wear the yarn, just on the other end! This is some really nice organic merino from Treliske that I got in a co-op several years ago.



And, possibly my most disappointing UFO, is the Babywearing Poncho. I started this when I was pregnant, and just never got into a good groove with it. I do still wear him on my back, but I don't think I would use this enough at this point to spend the time finishing it. It stinks to rip it all out, because there is already a significant amount of knitting here, but it is not even close to being done. So I'll probably unravel it and save the yarn for a sweater or something. I have a LOT of it, that's for sure.



Lastly, I found a couple of things I had been looking for- which is always nice. A brand new package of Heat-N-Bond (which I had just been searching for the other day- I knew it was here somewhere!) and a bunch more leftover yarn from my Lizard Ridge afghan. I am down to the home stretch on knitting the squares for this project, and I am piecing leftovers together to come up with enough. So it was great to find this forgotten stash. Hooray for cleaning out closets!

my weekend

I know, it is Tuesday now but our internet has been wonky so I'm blaming my lateness on that. And I need to call them and complain, too, because it has been happening wayyyy too much.



Anyway. *I* got to go away to a lake house for the weekend with my wonderful lady friends! And none of my kids!! It was so wonderful- beyond words. It was the first time I have been away without at least one of my kids in over 5 years, and the very first time I have spent the night apart from Lyle. So needless to say, there was a bit of worrying on my part, but everything went so well. And the worrying was small enough not to keep me from having a fabulous time. Jason did great, the kids did great, and I enjoyed myself tremendously.

I am so happy to know these women and thankful to be included in their wonderful close-knit group. I would not have imagined that I would have such a strong support system growing around me already- we haven't even been here a year! But we have been so blessed with loving and generous friends, and I can only look forward to so many good times together in the future.



We had an almost unseasonably warm weekend, so instead of the sweaters I thought I might need to wear, I got to lay on the dock in a bathing suit instead! I got a little knitting done (only 7 squares left to finish my Lizard Ridge blanket! It is coming along slowly but surely), went canoeing, played cards, went swimming, and ate, sang, danced, and made merry for 2 full days. It was wonderful. My calendar is already marked for the next Girls' Getaway- I can't wait!

Thank you to Sarah, Sarah, Tara, and Catherine for a really awesome time, and especially to Holly for sharing your family's lake house with us! It was just perfect. I love you all.

cooking and knitting

Knit two, turn bratwurst. Purl two, stir potatoes in frying pan. Knit two, take a sip of beer. Purl two, smile for camera. Repeat until dinner is ready.

(It sort of looks like I am knitting nothing in that photo- but in fact I am finally working up a kozy for Lyle's Klean Kanteen. It will probably be a birthday present for him.)



In other knitting news, look at the scarf! You know it is almost done when you can try it on and knit it at the same time. In fact, since this photo was taken I have completed the knitting and just need to finish the ends. Hooray! Done in time for my sister to wear it for the entire cold weather season in Minnesota. Now I can move on to those Halloween costumes with full force.

Have a fantastic weekend!

more knitting

Never fear, faithful non-knitting readers! LWG is not in danger of becoming a knit blog anytime soon. But I did have one finished project I wanted to share real quick. This is the kozy for Daisy's Klean Kanteen. I actually started this before we left California- not sure exactly when. So it was a definite UFO (unfinished object) in need of attention. These are really quite fast once you just get going and do it!

The details: I knit these from the free pattern for soda can cozies from Knitting at Knoon, with a few alterations- mainly just taller to cover the Kanteens. I used leftover bits of Knitpicks Merino Style, which I still have quite a bit of after knitting the Wild Stripes blanket for Lyle. I really like how this yarn felts up, and the bright colors are a lot of fun. Oh, and I used the Magic Loop method on size 7 needles, and then felted the heck out of it! Looking at the photo, it could almost use a bit more, but that will be accomplished whenever it needs cleaning.

Stella's rainbow kozy is still going strong, and I need to do one for Lyle now too. My friend Susanna has been making these with handles too, for a different fun variation. These are amazingly helpful for absorbing all the "sweat" from the ice water we put inside.

on the needles

Needless to say- between the broken arm in January and moving into a new house in March- I haven't done much knitting this year. But I've been keen to get back into it not only because I have a few projects I'd like to see completed this year, but also because I missed it terribly!



So last week I cast on some deliciously soft and snuggly cashmere for the Irish Hiking Scarf, which is a gift for my sister. It is actually several gifts- I bought the yarn for her birthday last summer, knitted the swatch for her Christmas gift, and she'll get to see the work-in-progress for her birthday this month. Yeah, cashmere is pricey, so that was the only way to do it. Things are going well though, and I hope to have it finished well before the cold weather hits in Minnesota.



In honor of the great efforts on my part to procure the perfect yarn in the perfect shade of golden camel-ish tan (who knew it was so difficult to find this color in 100% cashmere?), and knit it into the perfect cabled scarf for her, Tammy got me these fabulous Lantern Moon needles on which to make the magic happen. This is my second pair of LM's, and I could not be happier with them. The other pair were also purchased for a specific project, and stay with my Lizard Ridge afghan, which is (still) in progress.



This scarf has been a lot of fun to knit so far- not only is the cashmere just like butter, but the cables have been a blast- thanks to this tutorial from Grumperina on cabling without a cable needle. If you knit cables, or have ever wanted to, give this method a try. You will never want to go back to using a cable needle or DPN to hold your stitches again. It's really quite easy after a few tries and makes cabling so much more enjoyable.

scarf

Daisy's scarf is finally complete. I love it, she loves it. It was fun to knit. A success! The matching hat is on the needles now, so I'll post pictures of them on her when the hat is finished. Until then, more scarf pictures!







This is the So-Called-Scarf pattern, knitted with some of the Zen String I got from that co-op waaaaaay back in April. For anyone interested in all the knittingese: this is the Bliss Aran yarn, in the Mateo colorway, and I knitted it on US size 10.5 needles. The end result is about 5 inches wide and 5 feet long. This pattern lays nice and flat and is a uniquely thick fabric as hand knitted things go, due to the way the yarn criss-crosses itself. An enjoyable project for an intermediate knitter- it's a bit tricky at first but loads of fun to knit once you get the hang of the herringbone stitch.

giving: made at home

In a mad rush at the last possible minute, I managed to get quite a few things ready to give once again this year. I always plan to do it sooner, and I always fail to do so. But I think I thrive on the pressure, and often do my best work when there is a deadline looming!



For our nephew who is a big UGA fan, we purchased a nice hoodie (one of the few exceptions to my Buy Handmade Pledge) to go with these handmade boxers. They turned out great! And what teenager doesn't want his Aunt to make him underwear?! We'll see if these end up at the bottom of a very dark drawer anytime soon.





For Jason's dad, a new clock with pictures of the kids at every hour. I made this up on my computer and had it printed at Kinko's, then popped it into an inexpensive clock. A very quick and easy gift that looks great!



For Stella, I also recreated one of my favorite skirts from her wardrobe. The original is a thrift shop find and I've been meaning to copy it for some time now. It was very easy once I sat down to it, and made a very easy one evening project (even if that evening did happen to be Christmas Eve...) The fabric is a vintage sheet also picked up at a thrift shop!



For our niece Cali, a hooded towel with her name on it. This is one gift all but the oldest of our nieces and nephews have gotten from me, and they just keep getting more and more detailed. I have a lot of fun doing the embellishments, and I have gotten great reviews after years and years of use out of these. A very simple project that can be as basic or as fancy as you want- the largest cost here is finding decent towels in the colors you want.







And then there were the sock monkeys. A new project for me this year, I made one for each of the girls as well as one of our nephews. Lyle has one coming, but it is one of the projects that failed to meet that deadline. His will see a few improvements over the first few, now that I have seen them in action (and had to repair several split seams!) This is something I can see myself making many more of in the future. A fun and fast project, with very little expense beyond a cool pair of socks.















Among the items forgotten when it came to capturing them with photography, were a knitted dishcloth for Jason's mom and the shopping totes for my dad. Oh- and a sample of knitting for a will-be scarf for my sister, which will be in the works throughout the coming months.

And lastly, another gift still in the works, a scarf for Daisy. It is nearly finished- hopefully within the weekend it will be complete. I'll post about it when it's done.