Grey Days.

The weather around here has been pretty grey lately… lots of rain. I actually quite like fall weather but it does get a bit tiresome after a few weeks. At least I’ve got knitting that matches the weather! I’ve just finished the first few rows of the baby cardigan I mentioned yesterday. I’m making it for my cousin’s baby who was born at the end of September. I’m making the 3-6 month size, because I won’t be seeing her until Christmas, so hopefully it’ll fit then. The yarn is Begere de France Caline in a really pretty grey, and it’s so soft! Like I said in yesterday’s post- since the yarn is so plain, I want some nice buttons to make the cardigan really special- do you have any suggestions?
(Rav link)

I’m still working my way through Lord of the Flies (by William Golding) and The Beggar’s Garden (by Michael Christie). I’m enjoying both of these… hopefully I’ll be able to read a bit more of the short story collection this week. Most of my reading time right now is being eaten up by academic readings.

What have you been knitting and reading this week?

Linking up with Yarn-Along.

Blueberries.

So awhile ago I started knitting a very tiny, very cute sweater. A sweater for a baby who was only the size of a blueberry. You might remember helping me pick a pattern for the yarn I had bought.

I finally finished the sweater, just in time for a baby to make her appearance! I packed it up and sent it to the US at Thanksgiving, and let me tell you, the tiny, cute sweater is even cuter on a baby. (And, by some miracle, it fits.)

(Rav link)

Now I’ve got to get started on another cardigan for another baby who made her appearance a few weeks ago! I’m going to make a little grey cardi with a decorative yoke in a soft grey yarn. (Rav link). Since the cardigan will be so simple, I think it will need some special buttons… any suggestions?

Linking up with KCCO.

All things purple.

I’m still working on my hitofude cardigan… I’ve got one more lace pattern repeat for this section (which is, if I’m reading the pattern correctly, the sleeves). The construction of this cardi is so interesting that it’s like a surprise each time I read and knit the next part of the pattern. The whole garment is knit in one piece, no seams, without breaking the yarn once. Such a creative design.
(Rav link)

I also need to cast on a new project soon… I know two people who are having babies in September, so I picked up this fingering weight yarn in two shades of purple at Romni Wools when I was in Toronto last week. Do you have a favourite baby sweater pattern (preferably that would work in 2 colours)? I was thinking maybe this one or this one.

I haven’t been reading a ton of non-academic stuff recently, but I have been cooking a lot and trying out recipes from a bunch of different cookbooks. I love that I can take cookbooks out of the library and try a few recipes before deciding whether or not to buy the book! Here are a few of my recent favourites:

Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers
Super Natural Every Day, by Heidi Swanson
The Sprouted Kitchen, by Sarah and Hugh Forte
The Oh She Glows Cookbook, by Angela Liddon

I hope you’re all having a great week!

Linking up with Yarn-Along.

More projects than bags.

I seem to always have more knitting projects on my needles than I have project bags to store them in… which explains all of the tangled yarn in my bags! I’ve also been wanting to sew a bit more, and bags are the perfect quick sewing project. I stitched up this project bag this week using Shannon’s tutorial and some fabric from my mum’s stash. I love that it’s on the smaller side, so it’s perfect for one or two skein projects!

Inside the bag is, of course, my current knitting project… my Hitofude cardigan! I’m still working through this pretty slowly, but I’m nearly done the first body section. Hopefully I can get to starting the sleeves this week.
(Rav link)

What have you been knitting and sewing?

Linking up with KCCO and Yarn-Along as usual.

Slow progress.

This week I’m…

Knitting :: My Hitofude cardigan… the progress this week has been slow but I’ve gotten a couple of the lace repeats done. I love how the lace looks in this yarn (Malabrigo Sock in Eggplant). I’ve been seeing so many gorgeous versions of this pattern recently, so I’m hoping to have more time to work on this cardigan this week!
(Rav link)

Reading :: The Mysterious Affair at Styles, by Agatha Christie. I read a bunch of Agatha christie books last summer, as you might recall, and I’m trying to read as many more as I can this summer. This was actually her first novel and I’m really enjoying it so far.

What have you been knitting and reading this week?

Liking up with KCCO and Yarn-Along as usual.

Winding.

This week, I’m…

Knitting :: Still working on my Spring Boneyard (such long rows now!) but also winding yarn and casting on for my Hitofude cardigan. I’m using two beautiful skeins of Malabrigo Sock in Eggplant that I got at this year’s fall Creativ festival. Eggplant is such a lovely colour but it’s quite hard to photograph… it’s a lightly variegated gray but there’s definitely some purple in there too.
(Rav link)

Reading :: Planting Dandelions by Kyran Pittman. This memoir caught my eye recently and all of the reviews seemed to be positive, so I decided to give it a try. So far so good… the writing style is really engaging and funny.

Linking up with KCCO and Yarn Along as usual.

Itaka Cardigan

I finished my Itaka cardigan! This was a test knit for the designer and I love how it turned out! I knit the 33″ size for my sister and it fits perfectly. The yarn is a sport-weight mill end that I picked up at a tent sale last summer. The pattern calls for DK weight, but I got gauge with the sport weight… this was the only modification I made. Next time I’ll probably make it a bit shorter so that it’s cropped, although the full-length version is quite nice too.

My project on Ravelry is here and the pattern has been released here.

Linking up with KCCO and Yarn-Along as usual.

WIP – Itaka cardigan

This week I’m…

Knitting :: The last 2″ of my Itaka cardi… so much garter stitch! Almost there. I’m hoping to finish this sometime this week. I got my sister to try it on and I’m aiming for a slightly longer sweater than the pattern sample.
(Rav link)

Reading :: Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo. This has been on my to-read list for forever, so when I saw it in the library I had to pick it up! So far it’s as good as everyone says. Lots of interesting discussion about social inequality and economic disparity and the lives of people who live in the undercity of Mumbai.

I hope your are all having a lovely week!

Linking up with KCCO and Yarn-Along as usual.

Still working.

This week…

Knitting :: Still working on my Itaka cardi… I should finish this sometime this week, I’ve just got a few inches for the body and the (short) sleeves left to go. The pattern is now on Ravelry here, for those who were wondering last week.
(Rav link)

Reading :: Finished The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold (pretty good, I was surprised to hear that it got such negative reviews!) and have been reading The House Girl by Tara Conklin and In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan. Both are good (but different), and hopefully I can finish at least one of the two this week.

Let me know in the comments what you’re knitting and reading this week. Have a lovely Wednesday!

Linking up with KCCO and Yarn-Along as usual.

A spring sweater.

This week I’m…

Knitting :: A little spring cardigan as a test knit for an independent designer. This sweater is so cute, especially the lace pattern around the neck, and I can’t wait for it to be released so I can share the link. The yarn is a sport-weight yarn from a tent sale last summer in a dark purple.
(Rav Link)

Reading :: The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold. I’ve had this book for awhile but hadn’t read it yet since I didn’t love The Lovely Bones (by the same author). Fortunately this book is much more to my liking. It’s quite creepy, but in a psychological sense rather than gore or violence.

I also just started In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan. I wanted to give this book a try since Jonathan Safran Foer mentions it in Eating Animals, which I read last year and really enjoyed. Pollan’s writing is a lot more factual and prescriptive so far, though, and I’m not liking it as much as Safran Foer’s stories and anecdotes. I’m only about 30 pages in so I’ll keep reading to see if it gets better.

Watching :: Still working through season 2 of Elementary (still good!) and so excited that Orphan Black is back! I loved season 1 and the season 2 premiere on Saturday was as great (and intense) as expected. I’d highly recommend you check it out (although I’d warn that there is some violence).

Let me know in the comments what you’re knitting, reading, and watching this week. Have a beautiful day!

Linking up with KCCO and Yarn-Along as usual.