First off: It’s my birthday. I love birthdays, mine included.

I, also, love writing about knitting on Wednesdays so I can hardly miss today’s yarn party with Ginny.

But there are many children hanging around offering in their best clothes (kinda hilarious as I don’t like dressing up myself) and brushing their hair for me (for real!!) so I’ll have to be brief. Also, there is cheesecake made by Dan last night unguarded in the fridge.

Now that fall has arrived my mind is all abuzz with knitting projects I need to start right away. But I’m trying my best to prioritize with list making and long, distracted stash digging with littles. But before fingerless mitts, winter hats, and warm socks I’m trying to focus…

I have quite a few projects that need finishing – my ravelry work in progress (WIP) list is kinda bugging me. I’ve got two sweaters to block and three needing buttons. This poor sweater needs the collar ripped out and knit much looser so it can fit over the little boy’s noggin. And I promised myself my knotty brass would not fall into neglect…this time.

But of course there is a new project on the needles – top of my priority list – for the little lass. She needs a new sweater so it’s going to be another plain vest. It’s a great pattern and so cute on her. I can’t resist it! And thanks to a woolly gift from my kind inlaws (more on that later – there are other goodies to share) I’m knitting it in some lovely malabrigo. Ooooooh, such nice wool.

For reading these days, I’m spending most of my time with The Hobbit. Admittedly that hasn’t been much time but I’m savouring this long-standing favourite of mine in small snippets.

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And now I’m off to snag more birthday hugs, relish a little time with my sewing machine, and eat a cheesecake…or at least a piece. 

And what, dear friends, have you been crafting lately?

Sharing my knitting and reading for yarn along.

We seem to have a new tradition – or at least a slightly enhanced version of an old one.

Each year when we come out this way, trading mountain backdrop for ocean, we take a day to drop down to Victoria to visit one of Dan’s oldest friends and his family (now firmly among my dearest friends). Until last year it was usually just Dan and I who travelled down with whichever babe was nursing at the time.

Last September we also had the three oldest peeps join us for a trip to the beautiful city along with a visit to the Royal BC Museum.

They were not about to be left behind this year either.

On Tuesday we packed up and set out. Before we got too far though we made an important stop.

Through this blogging gig I’ve found such a wonderful community of friends. None of them in my neck of the woods, though, and I’ve often ached for a chance to sit down together over a cup of tea and knitting needles.

Enter Rebecca, the sweet mama behind the blog nook. I found her through luvinthemommyhood when she teamed up as Shannon‘s partner in crime during last year’s Summer Sweater KAL (the same KAL this year got me knitting this). She’s been an enabler as I drool over all her gorgeous knits, and an inspiration as she tosses out completed projects like nobody’s business.

While I was driving down to her home city in Victoria, she was vacationing up-Island with her sweet family. We contrived to meet up a Tims for a little ‘meet and stitch’. It was a delicious yarn fest and we didn’t even remember to order anything – just covered the table with wool (her new indulgence in MadTosh) and our knits.

It was so delightful to meet Rebecca – she’s even sweeter in person! It was definitely a highlight of my vacation. Now I’m all pumped to meet more of your lovely faces (hint, hint…Calgary is a lovely city)! And am already looking forward to my next chance to share a yarn date with Rebecca. (Thanks, Rebecca!)

After saying goodbyes, we headed off again to Victoria with three excitedly impatient littles. The museum was the first stop and a big hit with them again. The visiting dino exhibit was pretty cool (even as we’d just recently visited the Royal Tyrrell Dinosaur Museum). But we all share the same favourite at the museum – the Modern History Gallery. It is so much fun! I’m a total history geek so I want to read everything and soak it all up – the kids on the other hand love to roam the replicated city streets from Chinatown to the theatre.

After the museum there was time for a quick shop visit to Silk Road. We already have a ridiculous tea collection as it stands but I can never resist adding a little more – and there are always gift giving possibilities, right? Then we met our friends to pick up Dan’s favourite take-out meal, Noodle Box, before heading down to the beach. We stayed there visiting until after the sun had gone down and the mosquitos had made a fine meal of my ankles.

It’s a long drive back to Qualicum Beach, particularily after dark, but Mary Poppins on audio kept us busy until there were three dozers in the back seat while Dan and I sipped hot chocolate and peppermint tea(respectively).

It was a good, good day.

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Do you have a favourite vacation spot you love to return to? Familiar away-from-home haunts that call you back? Do tell – you know I love a good tradition!

Last fall when we took this trip west I overpacked. Needles, wool, patterns….I brought high hopes along with heavy bags. I even brought my ball winder in case a skein emergency struck. I never unearthed super vacation knitting powers and brought a lot of wool home (aided my a generous donation from my mother-in-law’s stash).

This year I decided to reign myself in to more reasonable expectations. I brought three sweaters to be finished and an extra couple of skeins in case. I needed to focus! There was no thrill of new projects for the first week but I did get two of those sweaters finished to the point of blocking and buttons.

The littlest sweater awaits blocking before I reveal it. My shalom, on the other hand, is far too exciting for me to resist sharing now. It’s my first adult sized sweater and I love it! I don’t want to take it off – I’m too hot but I don’t even care. It does need a good blocking to ease out some wobbles and then the search for buttons begins (first stop being this friend’s beautiful shop).

I loved knitting this sweater. The Cascade Eco was a great wool – so chunky and quick knitting, affordable and cozy. I used less than two skeins! The pattern was fun – although I used modifications from a few different sources I mostly used soulemama’s mods. I made four button holes, added sleeves, and traded the garter edging and cuffs for a twisted rub. I’ve previously been on the fence about this pattern but with sleeves I love it (and will get much more wear out of it).

And special thanks to my hubby who took these photos for me. I am far from a natural model but he patiently snapped away as I muttered instructions about double chins and closed eyes through pursed lips.

Now I’m already dreaming about the next mama sweater…But in the meantime I’d better shed the sweater – we’re heading to the beach as we enjoy our last days of vacation!

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Do any of you knitters knit for yourself? Do you have a favourite sweater pattern? Anyone conquer a first (on needles or otherwise) this week?

I knit this sweater as part of the lovely Shannon‘s Summer Sweater Knit Along. Today’s guest post is by the beautiful Rebecca of Nook – all about blocking. Such impeccable timing! And I’ve got a little more to share about Rebecca but I’ll save that for tomorrow…

I’m coming late to this show-and-tell game. We’ve been busy packing up for a trip to Vancouver Island. But amidst the busyness I’ve had a little time with my Shalom this week.

I finished up the bottom edge with a twisted rib border rather than the garter rows of the original pattern. The body complete I was all set to launch onto the sleeves when I discovered I had not the correct size DPNs for the task.

While it slowed me down I was hardly disappointed to tag a yarn store stop onto another errand last week. Alas, the bamboo DPNs were on back order and I wasn’t going to subject my joints to the metal variety. The manger suggested magic loop and I quavered. A friend told me it’s simple and I doubted. The name “magic loop” suggests to my (over)active imagination something mystical requiring deft movements and sleight of hand…hardly accomplishments on my resume.

One YouTube video later and I’d learned the truth. Magic Loop is magically uncomplicated. One long needle (the very one I’d used for the body) was all it required.

I rejoiced, “I’ll be wearing this sweater in no time!” Then I remembered the disappointing truth – I’m not knitting for a child, I’m knitting for my own long armed (some might even say monkey armed) self.

I may be a little while.

And, as predicted, in the midst of needles absences and loopy fears I got distracted again. That last puerperium was such swift fun that I cast on another. With all our driving over the busy long weekend I got through the body without a hitch. Now I’ve got the baby sized sleeves to keep me busy along with my monkey sleeves.

Tomorrow’s drive will give me 15 or so hours in the van. That should allow me a good chunk of sleeve conquering time – between all the snack passing and DJ’ing.

I haven’t made much reading time this week but I did finish my book. I enjoyed it and if you’re a fan of Jane Austen I think you might enjoy it, too. Next up, we’ve got audiobooks on the iPod to keep us busy and I’ve picked up The Hobbit to revisit this favourite during our trip.

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Are you finishing up needle projects or beginning something new? Are you meticulous about finishing or do you have itchy fingers like me? 

I’m knitting along with Shannon‘s Summer Sweater KAL 

and joining Ginny for yarn along

As much as I’d like to write that after a week of concentrated effort I finished my Shalom I won’t, because I didn’t. In what perhaps may not surprise those of you who know me better, I got distracted. In fact even as I was photographing the sweater last week I stuck it with some lovely yellow cotton I’d dug up from my stash (complements of my mother-in-laws stash).

I couldn’t get past the yellow. Not even the cotton could dissuade me from casting on.

See what I mean?

So I took a little detour with a puerperium. I love this pattern and have been planning a third (after first and second) for some time. It is simple and beautiful and a perfect first sweater for newbie knitters.

In my reckless haste I threw aside the wisdom of gauge and swatching, and knit like crazy. Halfway through the first sleeve I feared I was running out of yarn so I frogged the sleeve and turned it into a t-shirt.

A large t-shirt.

Now I have a blocking sweater, which thanks to the cotton yarn, has grown even more. It is hardly newborn sized and I suspect it would fit a two year old sooner than a newborn. Oh geez.

While that dries I’m picking up my friendly shalom again and hoping to finish those last couple rows of the body.

And maybe next week I’ll have some real progress to show you. Or perhaps another puerperium.

As for my book, Death Comes to Pemberley, I’m enjoying it more every day. It’s perhaps not as gripping as a typical PD James novel but it does settle in as a plausible Jane Austen so I’m sticking with it. And as Jen put it, I was tickled pink when other Jane Austen characters popped in for a mention.

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adding my two cents to the Shannon’s Summer Sweater KAL at luvinthemommyhood

and joining Ginny for yarn along at Small Things