the wait of the world

I am still here, still waiting on a baby. I've tried coaxing and I've tried demanding, but so far he seems pretty content in there.

Thank goodness I finished all the baby knits I had on the needles because in the last week I've developed pregnancy-related carpal tunnel syndrome. It's driving me crazy not to be able to knit. What do people do? My hands feel unnaturally still.

I will keep this brief because computer use doesn't help my hands and wrists any, but I just wanted to stop in and show some finished knits that I hope will be wardrobe staples for our new guy this winter.

The Gramps cardigan is one of my favorite patterns. This blue one is the second I've made, and I have a toddler-sized one on the needles right now to finish when I can knit again. The shawl collar and tiny pockets make me smile every time. I found some vintage buttons in my stash that were the perfect color. I can't wait to see my boy cuddled up in his squishy Barley hat and old man pants, too!

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If you have any ideas of how to make this waiting game go faster, I'm all ears! Knitting definitely helped me stay calm and pass the time, so now I'm at a loss for what to do.

so good

So, finally an explanation for the quiet around here.

We are counting down the weeks on a single hand until a new little someone joins our family.

I can't believe he'll be here so soon, but the baby paraphernalia scattered around the house and a tiny foot kicking my ribs tell me otherwise.

My nesting has taken the form of obsessive knitting, so I have a stack of baby sweaters to show you. Of course I couldn't resist making some matchy-matchy ones for my toddler and baby.

Be back soon.

In the meantime, you can find me on Instagram.

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Sweaters pictured are the Livingston pattern (little blue birds and little yellow birds).

Hats are the Barley pattern.

knitting into the night

Only the fiddly bits are left on my Livingston pullover. I actually have finished all the knitting, including that trouble spot in the yoke I was worried about, which caused quite a bit of cussing and frustration (you can find my notes on Ravelry about my calculations). Now I just need to weave in ends and sew on buttons. I have a number of sweaters in this state right now, and instead of hunkering down and just finishing them already, I keep casting them aside for something new.

This week I've been knitting on my Gweneth cardigan, a black fingering-weight cardigan that I know will become a wardrobe staple, dressy enough for weddings and funerals but simple enough for everyday outings. At first I thought I was crazy for knitting a sweater in such dark color at such a fine gauge, but then I discovered the key: find a really good book to read and knit away! As the past few nights have drawn to a close, I've settled into bed with my knitting needles full of midnight-colored stitches and the novel All the Light We Cannot See. It's beautifully written, one of those books you hope will go on and on. The knitting slows my reading speed a bit, which is fine by me when the writing is this good. 

Last week my husband and I both read The Girl on the Train and agreed that it's an entertaining read and a decent page-turner, but nothing we'll still be talking about in a year or even a month. If you want a quick thriller, though, it's worth checking out.

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Joining in with Ginny today.

little birds sweater

Little yellow birds keep flying off my needles with this project. I tucked it away for a few weeks to finish some gift knitting and because I was intimidated by the sleeve join and a confusing part of the yoke, but I've been working on it monogamously for the past couple days.

I am in the middle of the sleeve join right now, and it's extremely tight knitting. Like so tight I popped one of my needle tips right off the cable and my stitches sprang loose! Luckily my toddler-wrangling skills kicked into action, and I quickly captured those loose stitches before they could unravel very far. I think I've also rigged a temporary fix for the broken needle (read: I shoved it back together in a fit of frustration, and it seems to be working so far, though I don't trust it as far as I can throw it, and if it breaks again I probably will indeed throw it).

I haven't yet reached the part of the yoke that other knitters called a "head-scratcher," but I'm hoping Ravelry notes will help me figure it out.

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Joni Mitchell: In Her Own Words by Malka Marom has been keeping me good company these days. I like reading about Joni's early days and her creative process. I'm also craving a plot-driven read, which I hope will be remedied soon by a trip to the library.

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I'm joining in with Ginny this week.

What are you making and reading these days? I've been knitting on a few other sweaters, baking (this week it was banana cake), and gardening. 

sunshine and clouds

In between rain showers, my boy and I spend hours outside. He rolls in the grass and makes flower soup in his bucket, adding wild violets and dandelions that stain his hands. He throws in rocks for good measure and stirs the pot with sticks he finds littering our yard. I seem to always be digging in the dirt or clearing more space to plant. The garden is going to be a magical place this year.

Those outside hours have seeped into my knitting basket. The other day when I pulled out my works in progress I saw sunshine in the Carrie's Yellow Chickadee yarn from Quince and Co. and clouds in the undyed yarns from Kentucky's own Littledove Farm and Ballyhoo Farm. An unconscious homage to spring, if you will.

The little hats were inspired by this one, which looks like a Barley hat with a pompom to me. I love the simplicity of it, the squishiness of the garter stitch, and the whimsy of the pompom. These two just need pompoms attached!

I've also been working on a yellow Livingston sweater for my boy to wear next fall. I've just gotten to the body section and love seeing each little bird appear as I knit.

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This year I told myself that I'd read more fiction. Somehow in the past few years I've strayed from my novel-reading roots and ventured into a solid habit of nonfiction reading. There's nothing wrong with that, but I'd like a little more balance in my reading. The Namesake has been on my to-read list for years, and it hasn't disappointed. Lahiri explores the lives of two generations of an Indian family living in the U.S. and finding different ways to define themselves. I'd recommend it!

Also, I just listened to "The Living Room" from the Love + Radio podcast (via Radiolab). Have you heard it yet? Oh my, it's good. Get listening!

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Linking up with the Yarn Along today. 

What are you making, reading, or listening to this week?

uniform

I recently spent many nights of monogamous knitting to make myself a Uniform cardigan. I actually love knitting miles of stockinette and garter stitch. It's like eating macaroni and cheese or curling up with a favorite book: so comforting.

As soon as this sweater was off my needles it did indeed become my uniform. It's serving as an ersatz jacket during these early spring days, which just means I'm wearing it unapologetically every single day. It's my go-to sweater for gardening, neighborhood walks, farmers' market trips, and everything else (except clearing brush--that was a mistake that left me picking brambles out of my stitches!).

My favorite parts of the sweater are the pockets (handy for keys, lip balm, and chilly hands) and the long garter stitch cuffs. I chose dark wooden buttons to complement the earthiness of the sweater.

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What's your uniform these days? Or do you mix it up? I'm happy to wear a black t-shirt, cardigan, and jeans every day, at least until it warms up a bit more. I'm such a creature of habit.

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P.S. Thanks to my mom for the daffodil for these photos. Ours are in bloom too!

henny hat

Have you seen Liesl's first pattern, the Henny Hat? It's beautiful. It has a simple lace pattern and just the right amount of slouch. The pattern is well written and includes both charted and written directions. It's a quick knit too, so it's perfect if you're looking for a project to curl up with this weekend.

I was lucky enough to be able to test the hat pattern and a skein of Buckaloo View black walnut yarn. I'm smitten with the rich caramel color the black walnuts gave to this wool-alpaca blend and can't wait until Liesl opens her shop so I can get my hands on some more. Wouldn't this yarn look great as a cardigan?

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See my Henny Hat notes here.

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Have you tried any new patterns lately? I'm excited about Canopy, Charcoal & Ash, and the colorwork patterns in the latest issue of Pom Pom Quarterly.

january socks (hooray!)

"beauty is twice beauty
and what is good is doubly good
when it is a matter of two socks
made of wool in winter."

from "Ode to my Socks," Pablo Neruda translated by Robert Bly

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Two warm feet and a sigh of relief. January socks are finished! 

Check out the Monthly Sock Challenge to see everyone else's January socks.

january socks

I'm sorely afraid that my January socks will end up being just a lonely January sock. I had an unfortuitous start when my yarn cake immediately turned into a yarn snarl. I've never had this happen before, and I haven't had the patience to untangle it yet. Instead, I just cut the yarn and kept knitting, which is fine until I run out of yarn.

So then I was knitting away, only it turns out that colorwork is not nearly as enjoyable on double-pointed needles as it is on circular needles. Or maybe it is once you get the hang of it? Obviously, I do not have the hang of it because my tension was too tight to begin with. The sock was then put in time-out for a week while I wondered if I needed to rip it out and begin again in a larger size, but I decided that I since I could get the sock on and it didn't cut off circulation, I could live with it.

Three weeks into January I finished my first sock, and even with all the issues, I love it. I really think it's a thing of beauty, one of the most impressive things (to me) that I've made with my own hands. And I considered framing it and calling it art and most importantly, calling it finished.

But no, I couldn't help myself. I've got another cuff on the needles and less than a week to finish. Hope springs eternal.

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I'm joining the Monthly Sock Challenge, trying to make a pair of socks each month for a year. Needless to say, I'm thinking worsted weight for my February socks.

pinecone and mulberry hat

A few weeks before Christmas I won two skeins of Woolfolk Får from Monarch Knitting. The giveaway was through the Woolful podcast, which I hope you're listening to already (if not, check it out).

This yarn is cushy soft and a pleasure to knit. Knitter's Review did a great review if you're interested in learning more. The color was much more my sister's style than mine, so I set to work making her a hat (breaking my self-imposed no-Christmas-knitting rule, but it felt manageable because it was the only holiday knitting I did and I had promised nothing, so there was no pressure).

I used Melody's Pinecone and Mulberry pattern because the texture paired nicely with this plush yarn and I could make a hat from a single skein, leaving another skein to play with. This was actually the second Pinecone and Mulberry I've made. The first I made from a wool/acrylic blend I had in my stash, but knitting it in 100% wool was much more pleasurable and made that popple-textured swath knit up much more easily (for reference, I worked on the wool/acrylic hat on and off for nearly 3 months because the yarn was splitty, whereas this wool version took me 2 days).

I imagine there will be more Pinecone and Mulberry hats in my future. Well, at least one. I need one for myself, after all.

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My Pinecone and Mulberry notes

new year intentions and a marigold marin shawl

Oh my goodness, it's the new year already! My new year so far is full of good intentions. I am always a dreamer and a resolution-maker. This year I've chosen the word nourish to carry me through the year. I feel like I've been wearing myself thin, and I'd like to take better care of myself. Sleep more, take more hot baths, do more yoga, drink more water, light more candles, read more. Nourish seems to encapsulate those intentions.

Of course I have crafting goals too. I (always) hope to sew more. In particular I'd like to make a Scout Tee and a Dottie Angel frock when she releases the pattern. I'd like to try drop-spindling again. And I'm making a realistic list of things I hope to knit this year. Uniform is definitely on the list, along with a couple of sweaters for my boy to wear in fall. I'll also be knitting a hat for the Mystery Hat Swap (there's still time to join if you haven't already!).

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I've been logging as much knitting time as I can on this beauty of a shawl. Every night I think, "Tonight is the night I finish the shawl," but somehow those garter stitch rows deceive me, so that at the end of the night I finally give up and think: "Tomorrow!" Maybe tonight is the night.

The yarn makes the shawl, for sure. This brilliant yellow is Liesl's marigold-dyed yarn. I'm excited for her to open her shop, but in the meantime I've got a skein of undyed yarn and a bag of marigolds in my freezer that are calling my name. Maybe I better add that to the list.

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Did you choose a word for 2015? Or set any craft goals? I'd love to hear.

My past words include: brave, resourceful, action, and intent.

stockings were hung by the chimney with care

 

Wishing you happy holidays and good cheer!

P.S. December socks are complete and on my feet, keeping me snug this Christmas morning. 

december socks (in progress)

My December socks are sailing along, thanks in no small part to the addictiveness of knitting those stripes. It's so fun to see another stripe emerge and so easy to think "just one more." The yarn is Tokyo Underground by Quaere Fibre; I've been missing Japan lots lately, so this is a small way to remember my times there and tide me over until we can afford plane tickets back. All that's left now is to knit the second toe, which means I should be wearing new socks by the weekend (or sooner).

This is my third pair of socks for Liesl's Monthly Sock Challenge. I'm still taking it month by month, but I'd love to complete a year in socks. I've already lined up my January and February socks! (A heads-up if you're interested in that January sock pattern: Dianna Walla is offering 25% off all her patterns through the end of December with this coupon code.)

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I've been reading Yokes before bed the past few nights, meting out a little at a time so it will last longer. I bought the print version specifically for reading in bed, and it's definitely worth it. This book combines my love of anthropology, history, and knitting, and it's accompanied by beautiful patterns. My favorite pattern is Cockatoo Brae, the cardigan on the cover with the Shetland tree and star. I'd love to knit it someday--maybe next year!

I didn't notice how similar the colors in my socks and the book cover were until I saw this photo. Unintentional, but it makes me smile. Also, I can't help but hope maybe I am the one in Louisville, Kentucky who inspired Kate to sing. Either that or there are other Kate Davies fans around here that I need to find and befriend, pronto.

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I'm linking up with Ginny's Yarn Along and the Monthly Sock Challenge

What are you working on this week?

larch cardigan

It's coming on Christmas, and I've got a go-to red sweater to keep me warm through the holiday festivities. It's my Larch Cardigan, which I finished knitting last year and then promptly stashed away, unable to bring myself to sew the pieces together. Like a lot of knitters, finishing feels like a chore to me. The knitting's the thing. All I want is that sweet click of needles in hand and rows of tidy stitches manifesting themselves from a simple twist of yarn. Pull out a sewing needle and things get wonky (and whiny--I turn into Paul Rudd so fast).

But--and I wish I had realized this sooner--I don't have to sew up seams to finish things. I can crochet the seams! I like crochet, and it doesn't feel like a chore at all, which makes it my ideal finishing technique. I didn't actually look up how to crochet seams (see Paul Rudd attitude above). I just pinned the pieces together with stitch markers and seamed them with single crochet. It took a while to get right (maybe an hour per sleeve), but in the end I have tidy sleeve seams and, best of all, a finished sweater.

This cardigan has become a wardrobe staple and has made me want to be more intentional with my knitting. In the past I've made things just because I feel like making them, but moving forward I want to consider how the finished product, particularly sweaters, will work with my existing wardrobe. I'm interested in the idea of growing a minimalist wardrobe, and I want to work toward that goal through my knitting. If I'm going to spend hours and hours (and hours!) making something, I need it to be a piece of clothing I can wear for years to come. I think this cardigan fits the bill.

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Do you have any handmade wardrobe staples? I'd love to hear about your tried-and-true pieces.

michigan seems like a dream to me now

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This coat will be etched in my memories of my boy's childhood. I finished it in time for our trip to Michigan back in October, and he has been wearing it on every outing since. Now that it's winter we layer a jacket and hat underneath for extra warmth, so he looks like that roly-poly kid in the snowsuit from A Christmas Story.

My memories of him will be as a bundle of navy wool with an elf hood pointing jauntily toward the sky. I follow that little elf as he races to the dogwood, then the maple, and back to the gate. His hands poke out from garter stitch sleeve cuffs as he scatters sunflower seeds for the neighborhood birds (and squirrels and rabbits, he tells me, indicating this by sucking in through his teeth to make a squirrelly noise and then saying "hop, hop").

As soon as we are back inside, this coat comes off. He rushes to hang it in his room, shouting, "Hook, hook!" And then he requests a snack because that's his favorite thing. He loves chocolate and clementines ("little oranges," he says) and cheese because that's what mice eat. He's enamored with mice these days, so I knitted one up for him. He loves carrying it around, and it fits perfectly in his coat pocket, so it can tag along on all his adventures.

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Do you have any special clothes etched in your childhood memories or in memories of your children?

I had a some red pajamas--a matching shirt and pants--that I got when I was three or four years old. I remember thinking I was so grown up with my matching pajama set. My parents called me "Big Al" (my childhood nickname) when I wore those pajamas, so obviously the pajamas meant I was a big kid. ;)

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My notes on the Latte Baby Coat.