button making

"Can I borrow your hacksaw?" I asked my father-in-law as I bounced into his kitchen on the morning after Thanksgiving. 

He didn't say yes. 

Instead he politely inquired why in the world I'd need a hacksaw and then volunteered to help me with the project I had in mind (probably to protect his hacksaw).   We He spent the morning making buttons for my Levenwick cardigan inspired by these handmade ones. We used a walnut dowel rod he had hanging around his workshop, sanded the edges, sliced off 1/4 inch pieces with a bandsaw, and drilled the holes. The buttons are finished with sealer and varnish.

guide

drill bits 

almost finished

drying

I'm glad our buttons are more polished and less rustic because I had some concerns about snagging my sweater on hacksawed buttons. Not so with these shiny guys. They'll be perfect for my Levenwick!

levenwick

It's time for sleeves. Ugh.

My Levenwick knitting has been humming along in the background, filling time between other projects. When I wanted long stretches of stockinette, I picked up the Levenwick. Seeing miles of knits and purls before me soothed me. My hands worked without any thought, leaving me free to daydream. I thought of how this cardigan would be perfect for Christmas get-togethers with skinny jeans and boots, how the color reminded me of cranberries, how the scalloped collar will keep my neck warm.

Now I've got two sleeves to knit, all purling in the round. Daydreaming time is over. If I daydream on the sleeves, my stitches end up in an uneven, ugly spiral all down the sleeve. I know this from experience. I've already ripped back once, but I'm facing the slog of sleeve-knitting with determination because I do want to wear this on Christmas Eve.

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How is your Christmas crafting coming along? I've got four presents I've started but not yet finished, plus this sweater for myself. I'm only really worried about one of the projects because it requires reading a knitting chart. I haven't mastered that skill yet. I'd love to hear how your projects are going!

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P.S. Thanks for the podcast suggestions! I love This American Life and plan to try out On Being. I also recently discovered Here's the Thing with Alec Baldwin (I could listen to him talk all day) and CraftLit (a combination craft podcast and audiobook--I started with Dracula, but can't wait to listen to The Woman in White).

little things

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my U.S. friends (and happy Thursday to everyone else)!

Good morning! Today is starting off with a cup of creamy hot coffee and gingerbread cookie beside me, so needless to say, I have a lot to be thankful for. I have a lot of big things to be thankful for this year--healthy family, new home, steady job, graduate degree--but this blog is about noticing the small things, too. Little things I'm thankful for lately:

{cheese and fruit feast}

Accompanied by a movie marathon with my little sister. 

{quince yarn and harmony needles}

I never get bored with this soft yarn and these colorful needles.

{persimmon tree in the neighborhood}

Reminds me of our time in Japan.

{vegetable pot pie}

So cozy and comforting.

* * * 

I hope you have a lot of things--both big and small--to be thankful for today and always.

Happy Thanksgiving!

crafting

Lately my mind is buzzing with projects that I want to make right now. Nevermind that I've got several Christmas projects that I haven't even started. No, now is the time to make myself some bunny slippers, knit myself a cardigan, and crochet stars for Christmas package decorations. I may end up with nothing to put in those packages, but rest assured that they'll be gorgeously decorated empty boxes.

I've been logging plenty of crafting hours, which means I get to spend lots of time in my upstairs craft room. It's so cozy up there! I've also been listening to a ton of podcasts and thought I'd share a few of my favorites with you.

Patient Zero - Radiolab Fascinating exploration of the history of HIV and SIV. This podcast episode made me long for my days as an anthropology major when my favorite professor deemed everything "fascinating." I think she'd like this.

Unintentional Spinners - Just One More Row Um, so, I have this urge to add another craft to my repertoire. It started when I watched women spinning yarn at the state fair. This podcast episode only added fuel to the fire. The hosts of this show, Brittany and Dana, always sound like they're having so much fun (and they have lovely twangy voices). I've promised myself not to start spinning until after Christmas.

[Every episode] - The Moth The Moth makes me happy. If you don't listen to it yet, you should start. It's real people telling true, unscripted stories, and it's always compelling.

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Are you a podcast listener? What are you favorites? 

I'm always looking for new ones to try!

it feels like home

apple peeling out on the deck.

garlic planting. hoping for a harvest come june.

in the evenings, japanese maple shadows dance across our walls.

{so hard to capture in a photo...}

squash bread makes the new place smell like home.

a beautiful day in the neighborhood. yeah, it feels this idyllic in person, too.

* * * 

I can only show you snippets of our days lately. If I showed you more, you'd see that nearly every room of the house still has boxes to unpack. You'd see me sneaking off to read The Hunger Games or knit Christmas presents or watch the first season of The Sopranos with K. We're settling in slowly. 

It's funny the things that have changed. Things that I never could have anticipated. For instance, I can see the sky so much better in our house than I could from our apartment. I never knew how much I missed it, but lately I've been watching the clouds by day and marveling at the waxing moon by night. What a show.

new place

We are in our new house and loving it. We've got a lot of unpacking to do before we can really settle in, but it's not as daunting when I can take knitting breaks in front of the fire.