One Busy Boy (and Mama!)

Matthew is one busy boy and has sure been keeping me on my toes lately! Now instead of doing separate activities in the same area, my activities have become his activities and vice versa. He is especially fascinated by what goes on surrounding my crafting. He loves turning my swift around and around, but loves taking it apart even more. This evening I was looking at some fabric, he crawled up on my bed with me, and helped me spread it out. What a little helper!

There are some things that I know I'll just have to put off until Daddy gets home, though. One is being on the computer. When I try to be on it when he's in the room, he likes to turn it off and/or play with the mouse. I can't be on it during nap-time either because he somehow "knows" I'm upstairs (even with his door and the office door shut!). By the time evening rolls around, I am usually so tired all I want to do is watch a little tv and knit a little or go to bed early, thus the lapse in blogging.

I have been busy, however. I received Berrocco's Norah Gaughan Book 1 about a month ago and just love the projects in it. I didn't want to take on a big project like a sweater just yet, so I decided on a scarf. Below is the beginning of Noemi. I'm using Blue Sky Alpaca's Alpaca and Silk. It is so soft and in a gorgeous fall color. I haven't decided if it's a gift yet or to keep it for myself...

I've also been plugging away at Pat's Cobblestone Pullover. I am now affectionately calling it "my Everest." Why is it taking me so long? Why can't I just get it over with!? I think I know why, but that would involve a long psychological discussion that I'll spare you from. :) Anyway, the body and one sleeve are done. Yay!
I did manage to finish a fall hat for myself. It's the same pattern and yarn mentioned in my last post. I can't wait to wear it!
Finally, just a sweet picture. Matthew has been wanting to sleep on the sofa lately. It extends his naps a bit, so hey, I'm not going to fight it!

Why Mama Never Became a Hair Stylist

Even though I loved Matthew's ringlets, it was time for him to have a hair cut. He was starting to have a little mullet, and he had been mistaken for a girl on more than a few occasions. So, the other night while he was in the bath, I got out some scissors and did some cutting. It actually didn't look too bad until his hair dried. Now I really will have to take him to the salon (and start knitting up some hats!). The good thing about hair is that it grows back, right? My school kindergarten picture shows some VERY crooked bangs (you know, the thick bangs that were popular in the '80s and started at the middle of the top of the head...) that my mom cut the night before school pictures. I have always given her a hard time about that picture, but now I guess that most everything comes full circle.

Matthew also wasn't very impressed with the hat I made.
But I liked it! The pattern is the Between-Seasons Cap from Designer One Skein Wonders. I used O-Wool Balance (50 % Organic cotton, 50% wool), and it really did take up one skein except about half a yard. This hat is actually for a friend, but I bought a skein for myself as well. It will be perfect this fall!

I want to be selfish...

...and keep this little sweater for any little girls in my future, but of course, I won't (I also have a funny feeling that I am destined to be the mother of boys--which is great!). I have enjoyed knitting this Jasmine Cardigan that has been on my needles longer than planned. Life can take some unexpected turns, and this small garment has brought me much comfort during the past few weeks that have been quite stressful. Things are quieting down now, and it's time for Jasmine to meet her new owner.I will eventually post the details of this project on Ravelry, but here's the scoop:

Pattern: Jasmine Lace Edge Cardigan from Natural Knits by Louisa Harding

Yarn: Green Mountain Spinnery--Cotton Comfort (pink lilac, but you really can't tell from the picture). This yarn is AWESOME! It is soft, yet didn't break at all, and is supposed to get softer with each washing. I will definitely use it again.

Needles: Sizes 5 & 6 straight

Note: Like most of Louisa Harding's patterns, there is A LOT of seaming. I've noticed on Ravelry that some knitters convert to in-the-round to avoid seaming. Although seaming is not my favorite part of the whole process, I feel like I've come a long way in making a more professional-looking garment. This is thanks to Louisa Harding forcing me to do so! :)

Additions to my Queue

After quite a long absence, I still don't have any finished projects. I'm almost finished with Louisa Harding's Jasmine Lace-Edged Cardigan. It has been keeping me company during the Olympics, although I did have to put it down to watch Michael Phelps win his 8th gold...

Well, no finished projects, but there is now plenty in my Ravelry queue. I checked out Knitting Nature by Norah Gaughan at the library a couple weeks ago and just LOVE her designs. My favorites from the book are the Phyllo Yoked Pullover and Bubble Pullover. While in Durango at the beginning of the summer I picked up 8 skeins of Berrocco Alpaca Light. After searching Ravelry for some projects using the yarn, I found this. Another Norah Gaughan. Berrocco's Norah Gaughan Vol. 1 will have to be purchased soon!

So, what's in your queue?

(all links above are Ravelry links)

Attracting the Flutterbys

Last Sunday we went on a little hike at our local ski hill (Pajarito). There were plenty of wildflowers in bloom, attracting many butterflies.
Matthew's hat attracted the butterflies as well! This one stayed with him for quite a few minutes, then kept coming back for more. There was also a curious hummingbird, but unfortunately I wasn't able to capture a pic before it flew away.
Next time we'll have to have a little bit of a shorter hike. All Matthew wanted to do was play in the dirt and rocks, but of course all good things must come to an end. There were many tears on the way back.
The next day I got a bit of a treat in the mail: I gave in and ordered several knitting books. My favorite is Knitting Little Luxuries by Louisa Harding. I just love her sense of style--so unique, yet also so simple that the projects don't feel overwhelming. I can't wait to cast on!
While looking through the British knitwear designer's book, I just had to have a cuppa. My father is Scottish, and when I was sixteen I visited his mother in Scotland (my grandfather had passed away just a few months prior to my visit). Oh, how I loved the English tea-time ritual. I have been trying to take tea at about 4:00pm each day, but some days are harder than others.

Have a wonderful weekend, and hopefully there will be some finished projects up soon!

Natural Knits

Yesterday evening I finished the Kai Cable Sweater from my favorite baby knitting book, Natural Knits for Babies and Moms by Louisa Harding. I used Blue Sky Alpacas Organic Cotton yarn for this project. It is very soft, but it broke four times during the finishing process! So, beware: you have to be very gentle with this yarn!

Matthew already enjoyed wearing this sweater before I was even finished. Yesterday prior to the arms being sewn on, he wore it around like a cape. He ran in circles around the house and wouldn't let me take it off. He's such a funny little guy. I was able to get a pic of him modeling the finished product.

I am going to continue my baby knitting/Natural Knits spree, and this time I get to make some little girl sweaters--yay! Don't jump to conclusions--they're not for me--but I will enjoy the change of pace. I ordered some very soft and sweet yarn from Green Mountain Spinnery. The Cotton Comfort yarn even smells good--a little minty! I am very excited for my next projects!

(Un)rainy Days

The skies threatened rain today but did not deliver. I was all set: Matthew was napping, my tea was ready, the sofa was beckoning, and I needed to catch up on some reading. There's nothing like a rainy afternoon to prompt you to open a good book and relax a bit...so I just had to pretend. I'm currently half-way through Barbara Kinglsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. I believe that I'm fairly educated about what I eat and feed my family, but this book has really opened my eyes even further. I highly recommend it. It's very eduational, but also humorous (like why you shouldn't name your livestock), and it's point is not to make the reader feel guilty. Some of the statistics are rather gloomy, but there's also optimism. The great thing about what you eat is that the more you eat of it, the more popular it becomes!

While being in the midst of two big projects that I fear will never get finished, I felt like I needed a little pick-me-up. I hadn't done any felting (really, fulling) for a while, had some bulky yarn lying around, and had been dreaming up this project for a while. I used the "Squashy Bag" pattern from One Skein Wonders for the base, but did my own thing in terms of decreases, the top of the bag, and the straps. I'm really happy with the outcome, except that next time I'd like to make a 3-stitch i-cord instead of 4-stitch.

Hmmm, what else have I been up to? I've been watching Sex and the City episodes rented from Netflix, this morning I made some homemade bread, yesterday I made granola, I started knitting a new sweater for Matthew, and I'm continuing to work on my garden. Oh, yes, I also started a little part-time job as a tour guide at the local science museum. It's only 4-8 hours a week, pays well, and is pretty interesting. Another bonus: I don't have to feel guilty about adding to my yarn stash. Yay! In closing, here is a great family picture taken by a good friend a couple of weeks ago. It definitely captures the mischievious stage Matthew's in...