Luuk hat is done!

I finally finished Ella's Luuk hat. It was one of those project that was supposed to be quick and easy that morphed into a miserable mess of wonky pink loops and mismatched twists. Each time I got to the decrease, I had to rip it back -- and I did this four times. Seriously? It's not even like this was an intarsia or Fair Isle knit project. It's a simple hat, for pity's sake.

This project sat stewing in my knitting basket for almost a month (OK, maybe the hat wasn't stewing, but I certainly was) until on Saturday night when Ella said to me, "Mama, I hope you finish my hat before I go back to school on Monday." (The kids have been off since March 9th for their school break.)

Then Jack said, "Of course she will, Ella."

Two hours later and the hat was done. Notes to self: 1.) don't knit while half asleep and, 2.) read the pattern.

I'm thrilled with the result. I think my girl is too.

She didn't want any embellishments on the top (the pattern calls for a wee bobble), so I finished it very simply. (You can find the Ravelry pattern here.)

It has a lovely snug fit and covers her ears nicely, which will be great when the cold weather returns.

Granted it's been 20 degrees Celsius the last two days, so the hat didn't stay on her head long.

However she did wear it to school this morning. Of course she did.

Yarn Along -- Jack's socks are done!

Taking inspiration from Ginny over at Small Things, here's this week's Yarn Along update:

I don't have anything new on the needles right now (just give me an hour), but I do have a project freshly off the needles -- yes, Jack's socks are finally done!

Author Malcolm Gladwell discusses in his book Outliers, that the key to success in any field comes from practicing a specific task for a total of around 10,000 hours; also known as the "10,000 hour rule." If this is true, I must be an expert sock knitter now. Just kidding, sort of.

Here's a photo of him modelling the almost-completed pair before school this morning...


... and here's the completed pair (this is also my April Year in Colour project), along with one of the books I'm currently reading: May All Be Fed -- Diet for a New World by John Robbins.

I unearthed this book in a thrift store and as I was flipping through it, found this short passage in the introduction:

"May All Be Fed is an invitation to eating with gratitude for the blessed gift of life -- and to understanding how our food choices affect our health and our world.

In a culture that is as commercialized and depersonalized as ours can be, bringing consciousness and thanfullness to our meals is no small achievement. It is, in fact, an act of liberation."

Part one talks about how we can all benefit from eating lower on the food chain; part two offers a delicious selection of good for you -- and the planet -- recipes. I look forward to sharing some in the future!

Yarn along -- baby cardi and a thrift store read

The sun is shining, the thermometer is climbing and I'm itching to seed at least one of the cold frames -- but it's been a quiet day inside. Jack left for school at 8:30 and promptly returned at 9:30 looking greener than my yet-to-be-planted spinach.

He crawled back into bed and fell asleep almost immediately. I could have slipped outside but I had some editing work to do; besides, I wanted to stay close in case he needed me. He woke up a few hours later, said he was feeling much better and even asked whether he was well enough to go to basketball tonight. Then he threw up. A lot.

So while the poor lad is back sleeping, I thought I'd quickly check-in with this week's Yarn Along.

Here's what I'm reading and knitting this week:

I finished that baby cardigan, sort of. I cast off the main body but simply couldn't get myself excited about knitting the arms or collar. (I think it makes a pretty cute vest anyway and it still counts as this month's Year in Colour project, right?)

I'm happy with the pattern but the yarn (Lion Brand Homespun -- homespun my foot) was horrible! I only used it to see if this cardi would make a good quick-knit gift for a yet-to-be-determined expectant mama, but the bother just wasn't worth the savings. I am so done with synthetic yarn.

There you have it: I've officially become a yarn snob.

I think I'm going to begin my recovery by casting on some wholesome worsted-weight Shetland wool or perhaps that special skein of perfectly delicious baby alpaca. Yes, that will make things right in my knitting world again.

The book I'm reading is "Flight from the city: An experiment in creative living on the land" by Ralph Borsodi, which I recently picked up at a thrift store for 25 cents. First published in 1933, the book chronicles one family's move from the city to the country in search of economic and domestic security. It's dated: a decent salary then was $50 a week and their homestead was purchased for $4,000, with $500 down and monthly installments of $50, but it's a fascinating and thought-provoking read.

What I find truly sobering is to think how far society has come since then -- unfortunately, down the wrong garden path. But no rant today. I'm off to check on the bedridden boy and bring him some ginger & honey tea...

Eating my words

Remember when I wrote that blog post last week about how knitting provides me with some important life lessons -- that starting and sticking to one project at a time fosters patience, focus and finishing what you start?

Yeah, I'm over that.

I mean really, life is just way too short to "should" myself over something like knitting, for goodness sake. And there is far too much beautiful fibre in the world -- two words: baby alpaca -- for me to stay stuck to one project!

So while I did finish the first of Jack's socks this past weekend and cast on the second, I also started and finished this oh-so-sweet quick-knit doll sweater that I found at Small Things using this free Little Kina pattern.


I used only one skein of super soft bamboo (in pink, of course) and finished it with a tiny sparkly vintage button.

When I woke Ella this morning and showed her the completed sweater, she gasped and said, "Mama, you finished it? It's beautiful... Thank you!"

With spring just around the corner, the farm is finally showing signs of waking from its long, long, l-o-n-g winter sleep. Very soon I'll be starting seeds, clearing the barn and tackling my lengthy 'to do' list. With all this upcoming busyness, I'm thinking I might have to pack away the needles for the season. Or will I?

When I put away my 'shoulds' (which are rather arbitrary to begin with, come to think of it) and simply created the time and acceptance to do something that was Good, i.e. making something my little girl would adore, well... it's a peaceful easy feeling, that.

This isn't to say that I -- or anyone -- should shuck responsibility for the things that need to be done. But I do think my overdeveloped sense of uber-responsibility could use a bit of an adjustment, that's all. As author Marie Beynon Ray wrote*:

"Begin doing what you want to do now.
We are not living in eternity.
We have only this moment,
sparkling like a star in our hand,
and melting like a snowflake.
Let us use it before it is too late."

That's the kind of life lesson I'd like more of. Now where did I put that skein of baby alpaca...

* Thanks to blogger Mama Pea for first sharing this quote.

Not just a knitted dishcloth

"The quality of a thing comes from the knowledge and beauty it carries more than from its expense." ~ William Coperthwaite, author of "A Handmade Life"

I'd hope to make a pair of socks for February's 'Year in Colour' challenge project -- I even cast on a pair using a funky orange twist yarn -- but I put those aside as I'd like to get Jack's birthday socks finished first.

But I still needed a project for this month. While I think orange looks beautiful on pumpkins and monarch butterflies, it's not really a colour that we wear much of. As we hand wash all our dishes and I needed to make up some more dishcloths, I thought this cotton yarn would make a colourful addition to our linen drawer. At least this one will be easy to find!


I've mentioned my love for quick-knit projects and dishcloths are the ultimate in quick knits. I like to always have something on the go and these are items I can start and finish in one sitting. They're easy, inexpensive and you can play with colourful yarns you might not otherwise consider.

But I haven't always make dishcloths, nor did I appreciate their intrinsic goodness. I remember saying 'thank you' as I received a set of handmade cloths as a wedding shower gift, while feeling some disdain as if I really wanted to say "that's it?" The time the gift-giver took to handcraft those cloths, imbuing those simple things with love and blessings as Lucas and I began a new life together was completely lost on my 23-year-old self.

Since then, I've distanced myself from that girl who cared too much about matching dish sets and expensive crystal. Now I admire people who take the time to craft the tools of daily life and I find ways to make or use those items with care. I've even become the person who gives handmade dishcloths as gifts.

Taking the time to make something as simple as a dishcloth in a busy life filled with competing demands can be a tough sell. If you can buy dishcloths at the dollar store, does it even make sense to make them anymore? I think so.

"Nothing is too small or insignificant to be well designed," writes Coperthwaite. "Paying attention to what is small and subtle can make a great deal of difference in the world around us."

We still have factory-made dishcloths in our linen drawer, but when it comes time to wash up, I love that the kids chose my handmade creations over the store-bought ones. It's heartening to know that a simple act like knitting dishcloths is helping to cultivate their appreciation for finding beauty and worth in the simple things.

And maybe when they're all grown up and they receive handmade things, they'll look the gift-giver in the eye, say thank you -- and mean it.

P.S. There are still a few days left in the Valentine's Day Giveaway, so if you haven't left a comment yet, it's not too late!

Done!

I got over my case of finishupitis and completed this quick-knit mitten project. Just don't ask me how late I stayed up to do it.

Next up on the needles: I've got an uber quick idea for the Year in Colour challenge and I've got the perfect yarn to to make some socks for Jack's birthday, which is, incidentally, in eight days. Have I mentioned I tend to leave things to the last minute?

P.S. Remember to check in tomorrow for my first giveaway!

Done!

It took knitting into the wee hours of the morning (Ok, it was midnight... but that's really late for me. I'm a 'need my sleep' kinda girl!) but I got Jack's hat done. Phew!

I'm doubly pleased because I recently found this knitting challenge issued by Bridget Allin, owner of Needles in the Hay, a new yarn shop in Peterborough, Ont. I haven't been to her store yet, but I've been oogling it from afar.

So what's the challenge? A year in colour. In her own words: "To knit at least one item in a designated colour for each month of 2011. It can be any project, any size; the point is to broaden my colour horizons, so to speak, and encourage myself to embrace colours I normally wouldn’t choose."

Here's the colour palette and look, January's colour is red!


To be honest, I suck at challenges. I start and usually flake out pretty soon thereafter (anyone remember KinderGARDENS? Me neither.) Life gets busy, I get frazzled and I let goals like this quietly fall to the wayside.

So what's different this time? Maybe nothing. Like most humans, I am a creature of habit, good and bad. I just know that I want to fit more knitting into my life and give myself some quiet space to be creative while making beautiful things for me and my family. I have a lot of projects that I'd like to try, and I thought this could be a fun way to keep me motivated. Or not. I've vowed to be kind to myself if this intention falls apart, but I love the idea of finishing the year with at least 12 completed projects in a rainbow of colours -- even if I make 12 dishcloths! I'll keep you posted.

So on to February: orange. Socks maybe?

P.S. Speaking of socks: If you're looking for some knitting inspiration, check out Bridget's challenge from last year -- Summer of Socks challenge 2010. She knit 14 pairs of socks using different patterns. And we're not talking simple tube socks... these are really fancy dancy socks!