I miss this space.  I really do.  It's difficult to make it a priority but at the same time regret not capturing so many moments and projects over the past couple of years.

I finished a hat last week.  The pattern is the simple pleasures hat from purl soho knit with blue sky alpaca royal in antique black.  It is the softest yarn with which I have ever worked.  After I finished it, I thought it would be fun to look back on all of my knitting projects I have done over the years.  Only to realize I hadn't photographed most of them, let alone posted most of the recent ones.

In October, I made a pair of color block mittens for a friend's birthday.

I lost my favorite black and white striped mittens last spring so I made myself a new set of mittens in purples and greys.  I adapted a glove pattern to make these.

I made a couple of hats for myself and for lulu this past fall.  One of lulu's has already gone through the washer and dryer and on to the trash.  The other was a replacement yarnster since her first stretched to the point it didn't fit anymore.

let's talk soon

I have no facts to back that up, but here on the last day of September I can't help but ask, "where did it go?" It's been a blur of tumbling, vegetable pick ups, orchestra, yoga, and violin lessons with the extra fun of early outs every other Wednesday.  Personally I see those early outs as the school testing to see how many times I will forget to pick up my kids.

Right in the middle of the month was Sewing Summit.  It's always a great time.  I cannot tell you how fun it is to actually hang out all weekend with the people who generally just hang out in my phone.

along with waffles with Jeni...

and fabric...

and menchie's...

and yarn...

and a roommate who looks a bit threatening, but really isn't...

amazing speakers...

and friends, some who I've been lucky enough to hang out with at past summits and some I just met...

(pic from Pat Bravo)

(pic from Amy)

and then there are the mountains...

oh and did I mention the waffles...

But now it's the last day of September and I am looking at my 2013 project list and I need to get busy.  I will try to make the best of my time today, stuck at home waiting for someone to fix my water heater and hoping I don't have to boil water so the kids can take baths tonight.

I could really use a waffle right about now.

just a couple of pairs of gloves a stitched up for birthday gifts...

The pattern is from Knitting New Mittens & Gloves by Robin Melanson.

I've been working away at the giant flag quilt

I love my  mini iron.

I also noticed this while brushing my teeth this morning...

Downton withdrawl is hitting hard this week.

I stitched this up in July, but just took a picture of it yesterday.  It's malabrigo rasta yarn in natural.  Personally, I blame the weather for  my forgetfullness.  It's a thick cowl and the weather just hasn't been cold enough around here for something this cozy.

It's just knit in the round on with big needles.  After all this time, I don't remember what size needles I used.  I think maybe 15, I do remember I used the whole skein.

I'm sure it will feel more like winter soon enough, and when it does, I'll be ready with this new cowl.

tic tock It's the end of May.

Tomorrow is the last day of school for the kids (thrilled to not be making lunch at 7 am for a while)

It seems I may finally have a handle on whatever this issue is with my stomach (once again I pause to be grateful it isn't celiac)

We are starting the next program in cj's listening therapy (fingers crossed for better attention and focus)

Piano and drum lessons will start soon (still need to schedule swimming lessons)

The spouse is already planning 2 trips to Argentina and 1 trip to Canada this summer (ugh)

I also have quilt blocks that need to be pieced into a top for cj's bed (guess my new goal for that will be this fall)

I have managed to finish all the teacher gifts  (need to get pics of the two I finished yesterday)

The two hats on the ends are gifts for cj's associates.  The middle hat was given to my super neighbor for her birthday.

tic tock

on to the next thing on the list...

A yarn shop opened about 3 blocks from my house.  Honestly if my little town would get a quilt shop I would never have to leave the city limits again. At my first stop, I found the yarn.  Then came home to start knitting and realized I didn't have a size 2 needle.  No problem.  All I had to do was walk back up the hill.  At this point, I knew I had to switch to a size 6 for the crown, but did I check to see if I had a 6 - of course not.  A couple of days later the brim was done, I was digging for 6 but only came up with 8 and 9.  No problem.  I really like having a yarn shop in town.

The pattern is "aloof" from hattitude, a book of knitted hats that a friend gave me for the birthday.

I've also been working on a quilt.

I've have definitely been eating far too many of these.

I've been patching jeans.

I've also discovered that iLs takes a serious commitment.  I didn't really think an hour a day, 5 times a week would really bite into a schedule, but it does.

The other thing I didn't expect was to see a such change in him, but that's a story for another day.

There has also been play dough.  This time it's blue.

play dough

1 cup flour

1/3 cup salt

1 Tablespoon cream of tartar

1 cup of water

1 Tablespoon oil

liquid food coloring

Mix flour, salt, cream of tartar, water, and oil.  Place over low heat.  Stirring constantly until it is the consistency of mashed potatoes.  Remove from heat.  Add food coloring.  Stir until color is blended.  Knead dough until smooth.

I just finished this hat.  It's a birthday gift for a friend.

It's the same pattern as this one, just done in a different color.

I used a remote to take the photos.

It was giving me fits and didn't want to work for some reason.

After I downloaded the photos I think I found the shot that may have scared the remote straight.

I was not amused.

(p.s. yes that is a blatant Doctor Who reference)

I think it was one of Erica Lea's tweets that lead me to this post on Knitting Glasses.  I pictured it in a pale alpaca yarn, stitched to be extra slouchy and super soft, a bit more beret than stocking hat.  The whole time thinking of my friend who has a birthday shortly after Christmas. I put off starting until after Christmas because the band looked complicated.  I followed the link in the pattern to the tutorial video and realized it was actually pretty easy.  The hat came together quickly, especially once I was past the smocking.

The pattern called for switching needle sizes, but I used 3.25 needles for the entire project.  That kept the bottom band from getting too tight.

Then came the always so anxious moment of giving the gift.  No need to worry, she loves it.

It's the family ribbed hat pattern from Joelle Hoverson's more last minute knitted gifts.  I used some malabrigo yarn from my stash.

malabrigo gruesa kettle dyed pure wool, super bulky thick & thin in dark earth

becomes a set of wrist warmers

chunky yarn wrist warmers

one skein malabrigo gruesa thick and thin

size 8 double pointed needles

cast 25 stitches onto needle and divide among three needles

knit in round for approximately 4 inches stopping at end of a round

make thumb hole

while still on needles, turn work inside out purl one row

turn work to right side and knit row

continue turn to wrong side purl row and turn to right side knit row for a total of eight rows

join work again and continue knitting in round for another 1 1/2"

cast off

join in ends