out with the old

The last night of the year. Around here it was a year of ice storms, floods and multiple appliance replacements. The bittersweet end of daycare and the frightening start of a new job. 2013 was definitely eventful, but I'm pretty okay to see a new year begin.

Here's to more of all the good things. More making, more imagining and more celebrating.

Happy New Year.

mildy obsessed

Oh yes, another Dovetail. What can I say? It's an awesome pattern. This time I used Malabrigo Worsted Merino in the Tortuga colour way. I actually goofed up the pattern by repeating rows I shouldn't have, but since it's a mirrored design I just repeated the mistake on the other side. It's taller but still very wearable. This is destined as a gift if only I could put my wrapping skills to work.

I managed to finish up Tell it to the Trees but I'm definitely feeling unsettled by it. I wasn't expecting to dislike the characters so much, especially ones that are children. The writing, the setting, the building suspense - it was all good, it just ends in a way that you can't feel good about. Which is actually...good.

For more reading and knitting, visit today's Yarnalong.

sweet snoflinga

Milo's entry into Junior Kindergarten has resulted in the loss of 2 hats and one scarf - all handknit of course. But this doesn't upset me as much as it should because I see it as an opportunity to knit more.

Enter the Snoflinga hat pattern by Jenny Gordy. It's for adults but I followed a recommendation to cast on 80 stitches instead of 90 which worked out perfectly for Milo's 4 year old head. It's a simple design and the bobble row is so cute for a child's hat. The yarn I used is Malabrigo Rios in a deep blue (the colour reminds me of the Crayola crayon "midnight blue"). As much as I generally avoid blue, I can't help but admit the colour - in all its forms - really suits him. And luckily the hat has been making its way home every night this week. Fingers crossed this one lasts for a while.

As for reading, I'm working on Tell it to the Trees by Anita Rau Badami right now. It's my sixth Canadian Book Challenge entry and I'm really enjoying it so far. Hopefully I'll have it finished by next week's Yarnalong.

Happy reading and knitting!

oops

These days a month passes too quickly. Suddenly we're wearing hats and scarves, it's dark at 5pm and four weeks have passed since I last wrote anything. So, yeah. Oops.

But there are two things I never neglect: knitting and reading. Jonas Jonasson's The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared was for the most part, pretty interesting. I liked the characters, the implausible set-up, the historical lesson - the only negative was that I found it progressed slowly. I never thought to put it aside, instead it was like a good movie that was just one hour too long. Enjoyable, but could have been snappier. Happiness, on the other hand, is fast and fun and thought-provoking. That Will Ferguson imagined a world taken over by happiness is awesome, especially when that world is a big fat bore full of automatons. It may seem counter-intuitive, but I'm okay with thinking that life is amazing because of our fleeting moments of happiness. I can't say the characters were likeable (May Weatherhill being an exception) but it didn't matter, the story was great on its own. I'd like to check out more of Ferguson's work now.

I gave veryshannon's Dreiecke Hat a try and loved how the purl stitches formed a simple pattern of triangles. It's a slouchy style which means both Sadie and I can wear it (is it wrong to share hat styles with your 9-year-old?) and the wool, Garnstudio Big Merino, has a nice heather effect (the palette is full of soft, muted colours). Highly recommended pattern and a really quick knit. Doesn't everyone need a new hat in November?

(The Yarnalong is on hiatus this week as Ginny, our wonderful host, has just welcomed a new baby boy. Congratulations Ginny!)

going green

Some patterns are addictive. Right now, the Dovetail cowl is my knitting vice. It's engaging but simple, practical but pretty. I love wearing mine and I love knitting it as a gift.

This very emerald green version is a gift for an awesome friend who was extra supportive this summer when I was working through a tough decision. Sadie and Milo actually picked the colour because: 1) they tell me I choose boring colours, and 2) they are convinced they know said friend's favourite colours best. They're probably right on both counts. Kids are wonderfully honest plus mine love getting to make choices in yarn shops, especially when it benefits one of their favourite people.

Reading has been slightly less addictive these days. I wasn't sure what to expect with Dance, Gladys, Dance by Cassie Stocks, but sometimes having no expectations is good. I took my time reading it and in the end it was quite entertaining, like a previously dismissed Hollywood movie you find yourself watching some Sunday afternoon, and when it's over you realize you really enjoyed it. Stock's characters were fun and charming, especially Mr. Hausselman. There were surprises, laughs and a fair share of heartbreak. Oh, and a very pleasant ghost. Overall a great addition to my Canadian reading list this year. The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendkar I actually read a while ago but forgot, although it's anything but forgettable. The cover happens to be beautiful, but the story inside even more so. Just the thought that you could be so connected to another human that you would hear and recognize their heartbeat from a distance - ahh, it's romantic and profound and just the tip of the iceberg that is this novel. Highly recommended.

For more knitting and reading musings, visit today's Yarnalong.

frankewiksten

Four patterns, one shirt. Who knew that a Frankenstein approach to sewing could work so well? I've been loving my Tova pattern, but there were two things that just weren't working for me: the sleeves and the collar (I hope this isn't considered blasphemy...I don't mean to say this pattern needs improvements, it's really just a style choice on my part). So far I've simply ignored the collar but I really wanted a shirt I could wear in cooler weather so I borrowed the collar from a Sew Lisette pattern. It worked with only a tiny modification to the length. Next up - the sleeves. Gathered, blouse-y sleeves just aren't my thing and certainly wouldn't suit the new, more traditional collar choice so I opted for a button cuff, typical sleeve borrowed from a really old McCall's pattern. I simply lined up the Tova sleeve cap with the McCall's sleeve bottom and Bob's your uncle. Then the fourth pattern Frankensteined into this shirt was Wiksten's Tank, but just for the hemline. I love the curve on that pattern's hem.

You only get true success with the right fabric though, and I'm a huge fan of this Kokka gingham. Sure, I look like a walking picnic blanket, but who cares? It's red gingham! BIG red gingham! It's all I can do to stop myself from making one of everything with this awesome fabric. I mean, imagine a dress! PJs for Sadie! A laptop cozy!

Oh, speaking of laptops, I am currently without one which is making my posting difficult (and sharing a computer with a husband isn't easy). Hopefully I get my own technology sorted out soon so I can get back to sharing. Laptops may bust, but the "making" doesn't.

(Knock on wood. Did I just tempt fate with my sewing machine's life?)

hobby help

Words and stitches are distracting me from all that is new this week: new school for Milo, new lonely commute home (I desperately miss my little TTC buddy), and new job for me. Gasp. It's a whole lot of new, and it's going to take a whole lot of getting used to. But change is good, right?

I'm not going to go changing my hobbies though. On the knitting front, Sadie and Milo helped me pick a wild emerald green yarn to make a Dovetail Cowl for a dear friend (that pattern is currently my favourite cowl pattern ever).  And as for reading, I have two more Canadian books to add to this year's challenge. First up, Alligator by Lisa Moore. Similar to February, Moore shifts from one character to another in a way that means you don't really get too attached but the pages just fly by. Somehow though, I don't have much to say. At times it was intriguing, but overall it left me a little wanting. The Deception of Livvy Higgs by Donna Morrissey was definitely more memorable for me. It's the first time I've read Donna Morrissey, and I plan to pick up another soon. Location, time period, characters - I enjoyed it all, although I was surprised that the obviously cruel characters ended up still being cruel (perhaps I'm more of an optimist than I realize). Two more down, another nine to go.

I'm a day late, but for more reading and knitting recommendations check out this week's Yarnalong.

little things

A little bit of sewing almost forgotten. My mom sometimes brings tea with her when she comes to visit, so I made her a tea wallet with a few herbal options (this might explain why she brings tea - we don't have the real thing around these parts). It always surprises me what a tiny bit of cotton batting and some favourite fabric can create.

translations

It takes having a quiet evening on a cottage vacation to finally get a photo of this cardigan (photos are my biggest hurdle lately - especially when I have to be the model. It's much easier when I'm making clothes for the kids, but I've been an especially selfish maker for a while). This is my third in a series of cardigans, and the pattern is finally perfect (here is the first and second attempt). I have a fourth waiting to be blocked and photographed and then I will post the pattern here. It's a simple design that really suits my favourite yarn - Debbie Bliss Luxury Donegal Tweed. I haven't translated it into other sizes, but it's such a basic top-down recipe that I think most knitters could easily size up.

On the reading front, The Douglas Notebooks: A Fable is my first Canadian novel for this year's challenge. Written by Christine Eddie, and translated into English by Sheila Fischman, it is a lyrical, contemplative tale of love, family and nature. Translating must be such a fascinating art. This is actually the third novel I've read that's been translated by Fischman and it gives me the feeling that there is something inherently lyrical about French prose. Trees are central to this story and even this small passage illustrates the rhythm the translation captures: "When they opened the door in the morning, they would take a few steps in the clearing, examining the vegetable garden, and enter a theatre devoted to beauty, inhabited by a crowd of giants that opened up towards the light." Needless to say I was thoroughly charmed by the novel, making me love the Canadian Book Challenge all over again.

For more musings on reading and knitting, visit Small Things for this week's Yarnalong.

the stuff of vacations

When packing for vacation, it's my knitting/reading bag that gets the most thought. How many books is considered enough? What new knitting project can I start? What will I do if - catastrophe of all catastrophes - I finish up everything in the bag?

Turns out that I already underestimated how many books I could read (thankfully there's a bookstore in town, so that error has been rectified). A Scattered Life by Karen McQuestion was brought half-read, so I finished that up first. Let me say though, it wasn't the ideal way to start a vacation. The ending is dreadfully sad and I didn't see it coming so I was rather affected by it. Which may explain why I quickly dove into The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion. My mood was instantly restored. Don, the main character, was wonderful. His voice was fresh and humourous and the entire book was utterly delightful. I laughed out loud a number of times and really had the feeling that I was reading something genuinely new. But I consumed it over the course of a day, so the experience was swift. Which maybe means I need to be knitting more?

As for knitting, I finished up a little baby gift for a friend at work who is due soon. Hopefully this Koigu Kersti palette is gender neutral enough. I used it for a pair of socks for Sadie but much prefer how the fabric works up when knit flat (instead of in the round). The darker browns are more balanced and it makes a very sweet hat. The pattern is based on one from Debbie Bliss' Baby Knits for Beginners but I've lost the book and had to wing it. I used 4mm needles (3.5mm for the rolled brim) and cast on 70 sts. Hopefully it's the right size for a newborn. It's hard to believe that babies are really that small, especially when you have a 4 year old acting as a blanket on his lanky 8 year old sister right in front of you.

For more knitting and reading stories, be sure to visit today's Yarnalong.