weekend knitting

I had high hopes for this weekend.  Fall weekends are rare things of beauty.  Time to pick apples, work outside in the yard, attend a festival where the kids can ride a pony and paint a pumpkin.  I had a photo shoot at an apple orchard planned for a sweater design I'm finishing up.

But it has rained for the past 2 days.  (And in the case of the photo shoot, my photographer has decided to take a Sunday afternoon nap.  That's what happens when the photographer works for free and it's cold and dreary outside!)  So I'm resolved to being inside and knitting.  I have two friends having babies in the next two months.  One of these babies is arriving next week.  So I'm making him or her a pair of newborn mittens and a matching hat.  I haven't knit on dpn's in a long time and, while I don't love the fiddly-ness of it all, I do love bamboo needles.  I started Friday night:  one mitten down, one to go.  And most of the hat is done too.

Tonight I need to get started on some fingerless mitts.  I'll have the pleasure of working with Three Irish Girl's Springvale Superwash merino in her "Ice Blue Raspberry" colorway.  I have a thing for blue raspberry.

I've got a giveaway going on now for my Give Thanks Hat and Mitten pattern set.

Hope you had a wonderful weekend!

::this moment::

From soulemama: 

"{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember."

Give Thanks (and GIVEAWAY)

When I began designing these mittens and hat last fall, I really was motivated by thankfulness.  That I have little ones to hug and love, that they are healthy.  That we have enough food to eat and a warm house when it gets cold.  That I have good friends and a wonderful family.

Anyone who knows me well knows I like to complain.  A lot.  When I get overly anxious or down, I try to remember to be thankful for the good things I have.  I am lucky in many ways, even when I'm feeling overwhelmed by life.

So I try to remember to give thanks for the simple and most important things I have:  a home to live in, a family to share it with, and people in my life whom I love and who love me back.

I'd like to give away a copy of both the Give Thanks Mitten and Hat patterns.  I will email the winner a pdf version of each pattern.  To be entered, leave a comment about what you're thankful for.  I'll pick a winner at random next Friday, October 7th.  

Yarn Along...in which I admit that I'm afraid of my book

I'm still working on the sweater I showed you last week.  It's a sleeveless sweater, so I've only got to crochet around the armholes and weave in some ends.  So I should be finished soon!

I took a picture of the sweater sitting on top of my knitting basket.  The basket is overflowing with little projects that need to be finished:  a button missing from a sweater, a single mitten that needs a mate, some hats that need to be hand washed, some swatches that I'd like to catalog somehow, and a scarf that needs some serious attention before Christmas.

I'm still reading The Lost City of Z.  While I admitted to finding Amazon adventure stories fascinating, I think I also have to admit that they've been giving me nightmares.  I haven't been sleeping well this week and I think reading this book right before bed isn't helping.  I've just downloaded a copy of the novel Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan, and I'm hoping to start reading it soon.  I'll save my Amazon reading for earlier in the day.

What are you reading and knitting this week?

Thank you to Ginny at small things for hosting another Yarn Along.

hanging on to summer

I'm pretty sure that yesterday was our last beach day of the year.  At least the last one when we'd wear a bathing suit.  While I welcome fall and wool sweaters and hot coffee and pumpkin everything, I still want to hang on to these beautiful days.

::this moment::

From soulemama: 

"{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember."

Happy Fall (and sale too)!

To celebrate the first weekend of Fall, enjoy 25% off any of my self published designs that you purchase through Ravelry.  No coupon needed.  Just add the pattern(s) to your cart, and the discount will automatically apply.  This sale will run until the end of the day on Sunday.

Happy Fall!

Give Thanks Mitten

Lucia Hat

Lucia Sweater