Oh it has been a while since I joined up for yarn along. Life has been buzzing along and taking me with it…But not without enough knitting to keep me sane during the process. It’s been particularly during these snowy days of spring which will not melt!
I’ve been tempted to get distracted but these past weeks I’ve (mostly) stayed focused on my main project – the grace cardigan. The troubles I feared in my last knitty post were not unfounded. I had to shrink my needles down two sizes to get gauge and frog what I had done to that point. Now three weeks later I’ve made it, albeit with a few bumps, through the lace portion and now it’s stockinette till the cows come home. (Sadly, I neglected to check for errata before I launched into it but with sock yarn on 2.75mm needles I decided to forgive the minor wobbles and continue on.)
A week ago I was anxious to get through the lace (watching new episodes of Doctor Who while knitting lace was not working for me). Now I’m having occasional panic attacks about the length of stockinette remaining. I’m not a short person – there is a long back to knit, followed by long sleeves. Goodness, it’s makes me a little short of breath.
Lest I need to run in search of a paper bag I may just cast on a wee pebble vest (only my fourth this spring…) for a little lady who arrived a few weeks ago in this pretty wool from my stash. Just a little distraction from the tiny brown stitches.

In between knitting sessions, and sometimes during, I’ve got two books on the go. Both interesting, neither quite as cheery or captivating as I’d like but they’re keeping me out of trouble.

After enjoying Call the Midwife I started the second book by Jennifer Worth, Shadows of the Workhouse. It is an eye opening and at times upsetting retelling of stories she learned while working as a nurse and midwife in East End London during the 50’s. Reading about families, and in particular children, sent into the workhouses and the brutality they faced there has been at times difficult. I do appreciate, though, how she writes with honesty and joy amidst the sadness of the stories she tells.

Also on my reading pile is Raising Cain, Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys. It was recommended by a friend and I’m just getting started with it. There has been a lot of discussion about the sensitivity of boys and their often unrealized emotional needs, and I agree wholeheartedly. In reading it I am looking for practical tools to help us work through the complex emotions of childhood so I’m curious to see what the rest of the book holds.

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Have you been finding moments to craft and create during the busy days of spring? Are you reading a book you can’t put down? Please share!

:: joining Ginny for yarn along ::

I did it. I finally launched into knitting my spring’s grace cardigan.

I decided to ignore my gauging troubles from last week and try it with my smaller needle. I’m okay with a little extra room in the cardigan (is what I’m saying now). *

The pattern, from Jane Richmond‘s Island, is clear although because most of my knitting happens close to midnight – after kids’ bedtime, blogging, and clean-up – I’m a bit of a dunce about following the pattern properly. I keep missing yarn overs so I’m counting and recounting. Hoping I get into the swing of it and can stop staring quite so closely at the espresso wool! Despite my slow learning curve, the lace looks beautiful. I am excited to see more of it come together.

While I was fumbling to keep track of my stitch count on the grace, I took a break to choose and sew on buttons for two of the little sweaters which had been awaiting them. As fortune would have it I have a friend who is easily distracted by buttons so I threw my button jar at her and she helped me find some combos that work. The in threes I began at some forgotten time, and the smoky pebble I recently finished have buttons! Two pebble vests remain on the shelf but the buttons for those are ready and waiting also.

It feels so good to get that finishing work done! I put it off for so long but it is rewarding when I get there.

I sped through the rest of The Midwife (known as Call the Midwife outside of North America). It was wonderful (as I wrote here last week). Now I’m waiting to get my hands on the second book in the trilogy! In the meantime I went searching through my bookshelf before settling on a tried and true friend, Northanger Abbey. I scanned the first few lines in a couple of books but it was good old Jane Austen that grabbed me.

Now the sun is shining, the kids are playing, there’s still popcorn in the pot, and I’ve got itchy fingers ready for knitting.

*Ack!! I got some gauge advice from sweet Rebecca of nook and it looks like I’ve got to try another swatch or I’ll be knitting a behemoth of a sweater. My fingers are less itchy for that…especially if it means I’m starting this sweater over. *sob* I think I’ll be adding some chocolate to my snack…

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How are you for finishing projects? Want to come help with mine? I’d love to hear what you’re crafting and/or reading these days!

:: joining Ginny for yarn along ::

I missed yarn along last week while we were enjoying our snowy (and internet limited) vacation. While we were away I did not miss the opportunity to knit, though, especially during the driving time to and from our getaway.

As planned I got busy on a few pebble vests. After the first one, I moved on to a smoky pebble, now I’m nearly finished the third in teal. The first two are blocking in my bathroom, awaiting only buttons, but oddly the two supposedly identical vests came out very different sizes. The first looks about an 18-24mos size and the second closer to the 6-12 mos size I’d been aiming for. Same wool, different colour, both superwash – any of you knitters have a theory what happened? The first had an accidental extra few rows but the width has grown as well, and having knit them back to back I don’t see how my gauge could have changed that much. It is very curious.

While away I’d also planned to start my Grace cardigan but as my poor planning would have it I neglected to knit my swatch before leaving the city. Once I knit it in our rural surroundings I realised I didn’t have a needle small enough to get gauge. I bought the smaller needle over the weekend but last night’s swatch measured just the same as the first. After hemming and hawing about it I decided to stick with the smaller needle rather than trying to find yet a smaller needle. It’s risky but the cardigan has plenty of negative ease which I was a little worried about to begin with so this may even things out for me. (Is that making any of you pro knitters cringe? I need advice!)

With the extra time to dive into my reading I finished The Secret Keeper. I found parts of this novel frustrating (particularly the unlikeable characters) but it bears sticking with to the end. It was worth it – the last few chapters had me glued to the pages, knitting forgotten in my lap.

Now I’ve moved onto The Midwife. I’ve been wanting to pick this up for a while and finally borrowed a friend’s copy. I quickly got lost in the stories. This midwife’s memoir from London’s poverty stricken East End during the 50’s is fascinating. At times graphic and tragic, it is deeply touching, heartwarming, and engaging. Some of the stories make me feel like I’m reading a Dicken’s novel. This is the book behind Call the Midwife but I’m waiting until I’ve finished reading (and there are three more after this) before I watch the series.

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Have you had a chance to get lost in the pages of a compelling read this week? Have you been busy with needles or hooks? Do tell what you’ve been up to!

:: joining Ginny for yarn along ::

I’ve been a rather absent blogger lately but I can never resist a knitting post.

This week I started on a baby gift that I’d been thinking of – a pebble vest! I love the pebble pattern – quick and simple, and very sweet. I don’t tend to buy superwash wool but I recently realized the silliness of gifting a baby knit that needs washing by hand. Unless the mama’s a knitter herself I decided to try some superwash options. I had a partial skein of cascade 220 leftover from the most recent mittens (after the realization that my kids do better with washable mitts…). Of course I ran nine grams short so I was thankful that a quick yarn shop visit fit into our busy errand day over the weekend. Another skein came home to finish the job (along with a couple other colours). Now I’m all set for pebble knitting marathon!

(Knitting with the cascade on size 7 gave me a 6-12 mos sized vest, ravelry notes on the cinnamon hearts vest here.)

Before casting on a second pebble though, I started on a quick pair of fingerless mitts for Liam. Very much like the mittens I made him a couple of weeks ago, these will be perfect for the warmer weather we’ve been having when fingers need to be free to dig in spring mud and gather all the treasures revealed under melting snow.

I’ve stolen a few moments of reading over the past week with The Secret Keeper. I have to say I’m not enjoying it nearly as much as Kate Morton’s previous books – these characters just aren’t capturing my emotions. I’m sticking with it to the end though – the story has captured my curiosity enough for that. I’m also willing to assign blame for the way I’m toddling through this book – a couple pages here and there – I need a couple of hours to dig in and finish it.

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We’re heading off to the mountains for our annual retreat in a few days. Dan and the big kids are excited for ski days, I am looking forward to lots of knitting and reading with the little ones in our winter rental. I’ve got to finish more meal prep and decide just how much wool to pack so I’m off!

Are you working on any crafty projects? Any book titles to suggest for my trip? 

Thanks for stopping by – I’ll be back tomorrow for the lexicon project!

:: joining Ginny for yarn along ::

We’ve been sick. As these things go the kids were sick for about two days then mostly back to full speed. Dan and felt it linger a little longer. But today feels like the first day where we aren’t dragging exhausted – we’re on the upswing!

While I was couch sitting with sickies I decided to cast on a simple, rewarding knit to keep me company. Another plain vest was the perfect project (notes here). Mira has been wearing the one I knit during the fall but it would seem I chose my wool improperly for that one. The malabrigo worsted was divine to knit with, but as soon as a busy toddler was wearing it the vest began to pill like crazy.This time I knit with Paton’s Classic. (I have this colourway in great abundance after buying a clearance 5-pack at Michael’s for $10 – you have seen this currant colour here before and you most certainly will again.) Nothing as pretty as the malabrigo but a great utilitarian wool which can withstand the rigours of daily wear – and for $2 and about 5 hours I’m very pleased.

After finishing the vest, I moved on to the ring toy I’ve had kicking around unfinished (like this one). Although I love a nice dull stockinette knit, these seem to try to try my patience. I’m sure I spend more time switching the needles back and forth than I do on knitting! That being said, they are great for using up leftover ends of pure wool and make a sweet little baby toy. I’m hoping to get a few ready to go at once and then I’ll get them felted and put away for gifts.

Finding myself with extra resting time I finally got into Kate Morton‘s newest book, The Secret Keeper. I’ve enjoyed her other books and this one promises to fall into that catagory. So far none of the characters have found their way into my affections but the story has my attention. I’ll have to see how it progresses.

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Are you finding crafty distractions this week? Or perhaps you’re lost in a great book? Please share!

joining Ginny for yarn along