off the needles: hamamelis

off the needles and onto the hydrangeas:

 pattern: hamamelis shawl, by kirsten kapur

yarn: dream in color smooshy, nightwatch, 1 skein

needles: US 5 (3.5 mm) Clover bamboo circs

my ravelry project page

notes:
I am so pleased with this shawlette! The tonal dark blue is gorgeous, it has a lot of body, and it's lacy without being fussy. Initially I had trouble getting the lace pattern to click, but once I was a couple of repeats in, it made complete sense. I'm definitely going to try more of Kirsten Kapur's patterns, perhaps Cladonia or Cerasifera next. The yarn transferred a lot of dye to the needles and my hands, but surprisingly not as much as I expected when I washed and blocked it. I didn't bother to pin it out when I blocked it, which was a good choice.

yarn along: labor of love

Knitting and reading along with Ginny again.

For once I'm not reading a novel -- rare! Jera Brandvig's Quilt-As-You-Go Made Modern is inspiring -- I can't wait to try this technique, which takes a lot of the fussiness and bulkiness out of quilting and focuses on the fabrics and the fun parts. Love the Home You Have, by Melissa Michaels from The Inspired Room is helping me reframe how I think about our small flat -- one thing I really enjoy about reading blogs is realizing how much we have in common with people who initially seem very different (age/religion/politics) -- it's humanizing.

On the needles: The Dude -- truly a labor of love, as this pattern was written for the end result (a Big Lebowski sweater), not for the of knitting. Looooong floats, allover 1x1 rib, yikes. This thing has gone in and out of hibernation for the past eight months. I'm aiming for Paul's birthday in November -- wish me luck.

summertime

Steamy, sticky days here in Chicago after a cool and rainy start to the summer. Playground trips, fort-building, running through the sprinkler, swimming, picnicking, flying kites. Summer is much more fun with a busy toddler, though exhausting.

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pattern: yoked cardigan, by hannah fettig

yarn: mountain colors 4/8's wool, winter sky, 1 skein

needles: US 7 bamboo circs for the body, US 8 for the sleeves

size: 2 years

my ravelry project page

notes:
I'm not sure that this cardi is really a size 2T! Seems a little small. Easy pattern, fun to knit, and I love the yarn. Smooth and springy, lovely dark shades of blue and purple, plus it had been marinating in the stash forever. Next time I'd try smaller needles when picking up stitches for the button band.

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my favorite easy-peasy summer sandwich

French bread or ciabatta rolls topped with roasted red peppers, fresh mozzarella, a drizzle of olive oil, and a healthy sprinkle of garlic salt, broiled or baked in a 400-degree oven for 8 min. or so, then topped with fresh basil from the garden

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reclaimed prairie at Winnemac Park