Although I’ve spent more time baking this week (hooray for fresh peaches and cooler weather) than reading or knitting, I’m joining with Ginny for another week’s yarn along.

I’m still working on my raspberry puerperium and enjoying the simplicity although I did lose a little steam when I realized how large it is going to come out. I’ve started to put a lot of thought into Christmas knitting so as a start I began a headband for Sarah. It’s the calorimetry pattern and I’m using these notes to adjust it for her small head. It should be very quick and I think it will be the perfect thing to keep her hair out of her face. I just may get hooked and knit a few.

I’m also thinking about starting on the kids winter hats. Two years I knit striped hats for the kids specifically for our Christmas photos. This year I’m going to do it again using this pattern in each of their favourite colours. I figure I should get started on them sooner than later – last time I was finishing the final hat on the sidelines of the photo-shoot.

I’m still reading Better Off (slowly but surely) and enjoying it thoroughly. It sure adds fuel to my homesteading fire and has added one of these to my wish-list. I love the positive inspiration he shares. A previous read of mine, The Dirty Life, gave perhaps a more realistic view of homesteading but it felt heavy and negative at times. Although Better Off approaches the topics with a different purpose, I appreciate the balance if offers of reality and optimism.

I also have Canning & Preserving out of the library looking for some inspiring recipes to try during my canning marathons. I just peeked through it last night and while it doesn’t include very many recipes it is chock full of how-tos and advice on putting food by.

The big girls and I are also reading through Little House in the Bog Woods. I’ve been trying to sell them on the idea for a while and received copious whining about how boring it would be. When we did finally get started on it, they were surprised at how much they enjoyed it. I was quite nice to be rewarded with, “That was better than I expected!” I was very pleased.

Now I’m off to enjoy a slice of pie and a movie with the hubby as we celebrate the last minutes of our anniversary.

Happy Wednesday!

This Wednesday has really snuck up on me…most days seem to be sneaking up on me lately while we are lost in the joy of newborn days.

I finished (more like devoured) The Help this week. I enjoyed it so much and have already added it to my “to gift” list for Christmas. After putting it down I needed a new book to enjoy during all of these nursing sessions so I started in a book I’ve had out from the library after reading about it at over in Leah‘s space. Better Off is the story of a couple who decided to live off the grid for a year to see whether technology has actually made life better or easier. I’m intrigued by the premise and am enjoying the story as they learn to grow their own food, preserve the abundance and labour with a sense of deep satisfaction in the work they are doing.

Knitting has been a slower endeavour as I’m most often found in the position above with a babe in arms but I have been making some progress on the puerperium I started last week. I sized it up a little and in my less than accurate way I think I’m knitting a sweater that won’t fit until she’s two – although at the rate she’s growing it may be more like next month. There are longies and more shorties in the plans but lately my head has begun to swirl with my (idealistic) Christmas knitting list. The planning is half the fun in my opinion.

Tomorrow is peach canning day so I’d better get my rest!

For more yarn along posts visit Ginny at Small Things.

We’ve come to another Wednesday and I’m still here – and still pregnant.

The extra waiting has given me plenty of extra knitting time, though, and I’ve been happy to finish the projects I mentioned last week.

The Little Bean Bag is finished and oh so sweet. Once again blocking did wonders for it and the owls really pop out now. I also finished the hat I mentioned last week and love the way it turned out. I was avoiding it because I thought it looked way to big but now I’m thinking it might just fit a newborn. The diaper cover I was working on also came off the needles but I’m not so impressed with it. Despite the many tutorials I’ve watched my short rows are not invisible and I found the pattern rather confusing. I’m hoping the first point can be remedied by trying it again and the second point is simply my prego fogged brain…so I cast on a second one on smaller needles. The first cover came out looking too big so I’m thinking I’ll felt it to hide some of its lesser qualities.

For a quick afternoon knit I made up a pair of sweet little baby socks – using up the rest of the gorgeous wool from the bonnet I made a couple of weeks ago. These were my first attempt at socks and being so quick and tiny made the process very satisfying.

Now I’m thinking of tackling the vanilla soaker pattern (it’s 18 pages intimidate me) or possibly purchasing the Picky Pants pattern. But really, despite my passion last week, I may be tiring of the baby knits and really just looking forward to holding this little one in my arms.

Sorry for the less than stellar photo – I lost my mind tonight and decided to bake up a storm, forgetting I had a photo to take.

With all the knitting that’s been going on I haven’t been reading as much but I did finish Simplicity Parenting. I’m sticking by my previous praise of it and telling everyone to read it. Finishing my non-fiction read meant I could reward myself by starting The Thirteenth Tale. I’m only on the second chapter but excited to finally get into it. I love getting lost in fiction – although my family may not always appreciate my complete absorption. While dreaming about knitting I’m also still perusing More Last Minute Knitted Gifts for baby and gift ideas.

Baby is calling for ice cream and the peach pie baking in the oven is starting to smell pretty tempting so I’m off for a snack.

For more yarn along posts visit Ginny at Small Things.

Another Wednesday, another yarn along, more baby knits.

This week I got to those buttons so Yellow Girl was gifted to a happy birthday girl and puerperium was folded away with the clothes for baby. I’ve been focusing on the my Little Bean Bag (Owlie Sack pattern found here) and loving this pattern as well. The cables were fun and while I often rush through the shaping so I can enjoy the mindless stockinette in a project I’ll admit I’m a little bored of the round and round.

For a break from the stockinette I cast on this diaper cover in the same natural Fisherman’s Wool I used for the puerperium. I was excited to get into the short rows in the pattern when I realized the next needle size I needed was being used for owlie sack so I’m back to the stockinette. I also purchased this sweet soaker pattern and while I’m sure the pattern is great it is very long and detailed which kind of freaked me out so I’ll see how the first one goes. It’s so hard to know the proper sizing for a newborn. With every new babe I’m always amazed at how tiny they are so I’m afraid I’m may be oversizing all these sweet knits.

I’m also showing the newbie hat I started an age ago and for some reason never completed so I force myself to finally finish it to start on these sweet booties to match.

Bored of baby knits? Unfortunately I am not. As I mentioned in this previous post, I’m baby knit crazy. I’ll get over it  (I’m starting to plan my Christmas knitting) but I don’t promise it will be soon.

In books I’m still working on Simplicity Parenting…very slowly…as that is my non-fiction reading speed. I’ve also finished the second half of Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth. For those unfamiliar with it the book is divided into two sections. The first section is all birth stories and the second is more practical teaching on childbirth and midwifery. I skipped the first section this go through because I find I do better if I don’t fill my mind with too many other experiences this close (hopefully) to childbirth. I love reading about other’s birth stories but at this point I’m focusing on trusting the process without overwhelming the issue with possibilities.

Now I’m hoping to plough through the rest of Simplicity Parenting and reward my non-fiction commitment (because I generally feel this deserves a pat on the back) by finally reading The Thirteenth Tale which I’ve been renewing at the library for quite a few weeks now.

Thanks for coming by today and if you’re interested in more yarn along posts visit Ginny at Small Things.