Another crafty hobby for me…

Just what I need, right?

This thing makes buttonholes ALL BY ITSELF. It is like magic. I love it. I made a dress for Nora to wear to a cousin’s wedding last month. She likes to eat, and so she is wrapped in napkins in every picture and the dress is so protected from getting dirty that it cannot be seen.

I found the pattern and fabric at Bolt, a fabric store in Portland. This is Heather Ross fabric, I don’t remember the names. I will pay make better notes for future projects.

We have had visitors from New York and have visited Seattle. We are home for a week, then we go to the beach for a few days.  The garden is doing well, I think this year the vegetables are doing better than the weeds.

Finally, a Finished Project

I have not yet finished the lace scarf. I have started a sweater for myself, and have 1/2 a pair of socks done. The garden is growing, baby chicks and ducks are growing, the kids are growing.

I made this outfit for a coworker’s daughter’s second birthday. Nora and I went to the party today, she really wants to be a big kid and run around.

Little Girl’s Shrug, a Knitting Pure and Simple Pattern (Ravelry link). Size 7 and 5 needles, Berroco Comfort worsted weight yarn

For my far-away family, here are some recent pictures!

I’m off to bed to sleep with Twig. She hates fireworks.

Here they are…

The first and last brown socks I will ever knit.

Manly Socks by Hannah Six (from Ravelry here) in Knit Picks Essential Kettle Dyed, color Timber, size 2.25mm needle

I think the pattern had an error and I had not knit enough socks to recognize the problem, but I was only decreasing 2 stitches every other round instead of 4 at first. Once I realized that the toe was going to be ridiculously long I did what I could but they look a little funny. I like the slipped rib pattern, they are springy and fit around his ankle fairly well.

We got a new woodstove, it is wonderful to be warm and this stove can burn one piece of wood for over an hour.

We had a few days of spring weather, the greenhouse was toasty and Nora experienced the Baby Jail for the first time while I planted some spinach, lettuce and radishes. Jax is an inquisitive sort of little dog.

I have returned to working on the lace scarf I started over a year ago. I have learned to read charts since starting this scarf, and it is so much easier for me to work from the chart, I can keep the picture in my head and work much more quickly across the row.

Christmas pictures

Not much knitting going on lately. I’ve been able to go outside more with Nora, the weather has been warmer and she is plumper. We have had an epidemic of broken water pipes to the outbuildings which are gradually being fixed today. Nora is getting so much better with her hands, and she will be rolling over soon. I am not in a hurry for her to grow up, but she is doing it anyway.

Christmas was in two parts, the 25th we had Grandma and Grandpa here. Leo knew Christmas would be exciting, he loves to go in to say good morning to Nora.

A new easel to play with…

We did presents with the whole family the weekend after New Year, Leo got to play with his cousin.

And Leo said “More presents?” all day long… He was a Christmas monster.

I have told myself that I will not cast on any new projects until the Christmas socks are done, but I am weary of knitting with tiny dark brown yarn. The next post will be about newly finished socks, my goal will be to come back here before the end of January!

Praise Song for the Day

Praise Song for the Day

Each day we go about our business
Walking past each other, catching each others eyes.
Or not.
About to speak or speaking.
All about us is noise.
All about us is noise and bramble,
Thorn and din.
Each one of our ancestors on our tongues.

Someone is stitching up a hem,
darning a hole in a uniform,
patching a tire.
Repairing the things in need of repair.
Someone is trying to make music somewhere
with a pair of wooden spoons on an oil drum,
with cello,  boombox, harmonica, voice.
A woman and her son wait for the bus.
A farmer considers the changing sky.
A teacher says, “Take out your pencils. Begin.”

We encounter each other in words.
Words spiny or smooth,
whispered or declaimed,
words to consider,
reconsider.
We cross dirt roads and highways that mark the will of some one and then others who said
“I need to see what’s on the other side.
I know there’s something better down the road.
We need to find a place where we are safe.”
We walk into that into which we cannot yet see.

Say it plain.
That many have died for this day.
Sing the names of the dead who brought us here.
Who laid the train tracks,
raised the bridges,
picked the cotton and the lettuce,
built brick by brick the glittering edifices
they would then keep clean and work inside of.
Praise song for struggle.
Praise song for the day.
Praise song for every hand-lettered sign,
the figuring it out at kitchen tables.

Some live by “love thy neighbor as thyself,”
others by “first do no harm,” or
“take no more than you need.”
What if the mightiest word is “love.”
Love beyond marital, filial, national.
Love that casts a widening pool of light.
Love with no need to preempt grievance.

In today’s sharp sparkle, this winter air.
Anything can be made, any sentence begun.
On the brink,
on the brim,
on the cusp.
Praise song for walking forward in that light.

by Elizabeth Alexander

(transcibed by me, watching the Inaguration this morning and with the help of my TiVo)

Christmas Knitting Part 1

Otherwise known as the items I remembered to photograph before I sent them off to their new homes.

I made a Darkside Cowl (free Ravelry download) for my sister’s birthday. I used Malabrigo worsted for this and it is lovely.

Darkside Cowl by Sarah Fama in Malabrigo merino worsted (color Polar Morn), US size 8 16″ circular needle

Another Wonderful Wallaby went to my nephew. I made the children’s size 4 with extra-long arms and body.

Wonderful Wallaby by Cottage Creations in Fleece Artist Blue Face Leicester DK (color Polar Sea), US size 7 needle

And finally, a hat for my husband that may end up mine since it is a bit too big for him. I will make another on a smaller needle size, and start the decreases a bit sooner.

Turn A Square by Jared Flood in Cascade 220 (color 7822) and Noro Kureyon (color 55), US size 5 and 6 needles

And for Leo I made a little elf hat. The ear flaps are made with short rows, I love this pattern.

Ear Cozies pattern by Fiber Trends, yarn unknown (light worsted, wool/nylon blend), US size 5 needle

I have gone back to work 2-3 days a week, it is going well so far but I am torn.  I miss Nora, but it is nice to have some time to myself even if it is just the drive to and from work and a quick errand or two. Last week I had a slow day and went shopping on a long lunch, that was heavenly. Nora is hanging out with me now, growing as we speak.

Snowy Days

There was ice last weekend. We lost power for the day and night last Sunday. We packed up the van with all the living creatures in the house and went to my parents’ house for the night.

Twig surveying the scene at our house.

We came home late Monday afternoon and were grateful for electricity. From the comfort of home, I love snow.

The stockings are hung, the gifts wrapped, the house is clean (enough), and the snow is falling. Merry Christmas!

Emergency Mittens

The son of a knitter should never be without mittens! It is finally snowing at our house this morning, we missed out on the “special weather event” that has been affecting the rest of the Pacific Northwest earlier this week. It was cold, but no snow until today. Leo actually wanted to wear mittens the other day, and I could not find them! So I took a brief break from Christmas knitting to produce this little pair.

(Knitting Pure and Simple #253 Basic Hat and Mitten Set for Children, in Socks that Rock mediumweight “Fire in the Mountain” colorway on size 2.5mm for ribbing and 2.75mm needles)

I modified this pattern heavily to use a fingering weight wool, I cast on for the largest size and used the length measurements for the smallest size. They fit Leo perfectly with a little room to grow.

The dogs love the snow.

The ducks and geese usually get locked up behind an electric net fence every night, but with the cold they have not wanted to leave the relatively warm water. (Don’t tell the neighborhood predators.) I love that the geese have snow on their backs.

Nora has a cold and has been sleeping all day, not very photogenic. Leo and I made cookies earlier this week. You can see that he had already measured the flour.

We have chocolate chip cookies and mittens, now we are ready for winter.

Brrrrr!

Although in college I would have considered this warm weather, here in Oregon we are unused to days in which water does not drip from the sky or eaves or leaves, let alone several of them in a row. All schools are closed, all the valley has snow, but our house at 500 feet elevation has no snow. Bummer. I have been bringing warm water to the birdbath and watching the little birds this morning. The ducks and geese are happily swimming snug and warm in their down outfits.

Christmas knitting is going well. I need to remember to take pictures, I have already sent a package to relatives in Canada and forgot to take pictures. In the meantime, more pictures of Christmas preparations. Leo decorated all the cards this year, and took his job quite seriously.

Watching the Christmas tree get baled- it was snowing so hard the tree was chosen in record time. I was not out in the tree fields, which is what made such decisive speed possible.

Nora is very happy to have a Grandma who knits warm things for her! This is a Knitting Pure and Simple pattern, not sure which one.

Christmas is just going to be so much fun this year.

Not a secret

There is only one thing that I am working on that is not a secret. I am doing quite a bit of knitting for Christmas this year, even before maternity leave and saving money I like to make gifts in the spirit of the season.

This is going to be a very comfortable, ankle-hugging sock for someone who has pretty much already guessed what his handknitted gift will be.

I really like working with the Knit Picks Essential sock yarn. It is soft for a nylon blend, I hope it wears well. This is a kettle-dyed colorway, Timber. The pattern is a free Ravelry download, “Manly Socks” by HannaSix. It is a slipped rib pattern and is quite stretchy.

Other than this, all knitting is secret, so I will distract you with a few cute family pictures.

Nora watching the Civil War (OSU vs. U of O for all you non-Oregonians) Game. She likes to sit up.

Leo and Raggedy Andy play with the rescue center.

Look Tanker Truck, Christmas Lights!

It is a beautiful day today, Nora and I are off to have some shopping adventures!