crafting on: bunty mitts and wee hats

crafting on with Frontier Dreams this morning

 

 The first Bunty Mitt is off the needles, and the pop of yellow brightens my spirits on this grey, rainy day

 

Two wee hats for friend's new baby

Love this.

knitting getaway

I am getting ready for a weekend getaway with my Chicago knitting gals, and I'm so excited to have some time with like-minded souls. These whimsical Bunty Mitts by Ella Austin are our weekend KAL. I love the Orla Kiely-esque look! Color choices are proving tricky... I shopped my stash. Any thoughts?

option 1

option 2

 

 option 3

 option 4

in like a lion

knitting: Land of Sweets, by Helen Stewart

reading: Little Fires Everywhere

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wearing mama-made hats while feeding the critters at Lou's Pet Shop

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 dragging Paul's Big Lebowski cardigan out of hibernation (almost done!)

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 playing in the snow in their mama-made hats

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warm wishes

 

 

 

I knit this cozy light blue hat for myself last winter, and Erik (aged 3 at the time) promptly claimed it for himself. And it just about fits! We had a hot cocoa date on Sunday after our photo session at the tree farm (brrrr!). It was snowy and gorgeous, but cold as can be. December has been a whirlwind -- Nature Tots at the Belle Isle Nature Zoo, Grosse Pointe Park's Winter Social, all the hubbub of getting ready for the holidays. With any luck I'll finish Erik's North Shore pullover by Christmas...

 

Wishing you and yours happy holidays and peace and joy in 2018.

November musings

  

I've missed this space. Still knitting, reading, cooking, editing, and chasing after my beautiful small children who are truly coming into their own.

We celebrated their fall birthdays with homemade cakes and something to wear/do/read (2 and 4! no babies anymore, which is bittersweet).

 

We road-tripped across the Upper Midwest to visit family and have felt the hard march of time as our loved ones become more frail and fragile. Life is full and beautiful and sad all at the same time, and much of the news seems unbearable, with a new disaster each day. Almost inconceivable. But I'm working on a new crazy scarf, and we have each other and a warm house and food on the table and cozy handknit sweaters and cowls, and we just keep on keeping on as best we can.

dog days

Busy times and utter chaos this summer -- I'm embracing the dog days and looking forward to crisp autumn days, cozy cardigans, and fall colors. My older brother had a stroke and has been in rough shape this summer -- a month in the ICU, life support, pneumonia... I've been traveling back and forth to Minnesota a good deal. The upshot? More times with family and friends, progress on cleaning out my parents' old house, and best of all, my brother has really turned a corner and is on the upswing.

 Sugar enjoying "my" reading chair in our new Craftsman bungalow

 a good book and the start of a North Shore pullover for E

 cocktails at Grey Ghost in Detroit

 my neighbor's cheerful zinnias

Thank goodness for fenced yards, water tables (busy, happy kids!), and sparkling rosé. The bag is from Better Life Bags, a neat company based here in Detroit. You design your own custom handbag either in the store or online, then each bag is hand cut and hand sewn by women facing economic challenges here in Detroit, a city where resources and opportunities can be pretty tough.

crafting on with Nicole et al.

powder blue

Life has been chaotic lately. We just bought a cozy 1922 Craftsman bungalow and we have been busy fixing it up a bit before moving in at the end of this month. I'm knitting a powder blue sweater vest for B in size 2T -- how did the time pass so quickly? She's getting so tall and learning new words every minute. 

 

Those pink roses may not look like much to a seasoned gardener, but they're a real triumph given the state of the garden at our rental home when we moved in a year and a half ago. Nothing feels as good as giving things new life.  

I found this sweet vintage dollhouse at a rummage sale and am looking forward to fixing it up for the kiddos. Also, where can I order a lifesize chalet like this? So charming!

 

 

 Kayaking at sunset on the Detroit River near Belle Isle state park.

 

My constant companions, looking like bookends.