I just grabbed the last of the evening light to capture this week’s picture for yarn along with Ginny. Sharing what I’ve been knitting and reading during the week is great motivation to keep me making time for these favourite hobbies.

I’ve been trading off on working on my elephant for the little boy who arrived a couple weeks ago. I finally got some bamboo needles which made a huge difference in my level of frustration. I also started on one of the sweaters I mentioned last week – the Wonder Years sweater for my daughter’s upcoming birthday. She chose the colours and spied me trying to work on it covertly this week – she feigned ignorance in her sweet way but I think she approved. I so enjoyed switching from the smaller work of the knitted toy to the sweater – and now I am ready to switch back to the elephant for another change of pace.

My most exciting knitting news, though, is the splurge I made this week. After the comments many of your offered last week I decided to treat myself to the Royal ball winder. I was happy to find it locally so I could get to winding right away. And I must admit, winding yarn cakes is sooo much fun. Everyone got in on it and all the kids had to have a few turns. I had been thinking about it for so long and now I have one just in time for the sweaters on my to-knit list.

I’ve still been reading The Distant Hours and although I haven’t made much progress I’m quite intrigued. I’ve also been peeking through Patchwork Style. I got brave and cut strips for a small person’s quilt and am looking at construction advice. There are so many great patterns in this book – I love patchwork.

Thanks for stopping by! For more yarn along posts visit here.

Another Wednesday, another yarn along…and perhaps a little disappointment that I haven’t been the most diligent knitter.

I’m still working away on my little green elephant. I have to admit I haven’t picked this guy up quite often enough this past week. My first excuse was the metal needles that were turning my left hand into a claw but then I got totally hooked by my last read and my knitting was abandoned for a few days.

Now I’m ready to start on his legs while dreaming of the next little people sweaters on my list. I suggested this and this to my oldest daughter who promptly rejected both but decided she loves the stripes in this sweater. I have Cascade 220 in a darker blue for her sweater. I’m also dreaming of little cardigans for my nearly four-year-old yellow-loving princess – perhaps this Elsie cardigan or finally a tiny tea leaves? Is it coincidence that both of these cardigans are shown in yellow?

I love to make unrealistic knitting goals for myself…Two sweaters for the two birthdays in the next two months…while my head is already swimming with yummy newborn knits? Er…This pregnancy has been demanding more resting time so I guess I should get busy on that knitting resting.

As for the read that tore me away from knitting this week…The Forgotten Garden. I loved it! I am a mystery lover but I’m also a huge wimp so I rarely venture into anything more modern than my classic favourites, The Woman in White and The Moonstone but this book was perfect for me. It pulled me in, I was intrigued and entertained and I could still sleep afterwards! Now I’ve started on to another book by the same author, Kate Morton, The Distant Hours. I’m not sure what to expect from this one but I’m hopeful it will be another great read. I’ve also started The Friday Night Knitting Club. I’m trying to pace myself with both of these – if I get to absorbed in a book I can’t seem to do anything until I’ve finished it (ahem, The Forgotten Garden).

I also wanted to show the books that the kids have been choosing for bedtime reading lately. As I mentioned in this previous post, we love the Rupert Annuals. The older girls adore these stories, as do I, so we’re keeping our eyes peeled during our thrifting trips for other copies. Liam has been choosing, Mr. Meddle’s Muddles, an Enid Blyton book I hadn’t seen before. The stories are so charming – sort of reminiscent of Amelia Bedelia. The older girls don’t always share Liam’s choice of book but they gravitate around when this one comes out.

Thanks for all the input on last week’s post. I was impressed to hear of the many varied preferences in knitting needles. This week I’m on the hunt for a ball winder. I have wool for my upcoming projects but winding centre-pull balls on a wooden spoon is getting old fast – I’m losing so much knitting time! I’m curious how other knitter’s deal with their skeins. Can any of you suggest a ball winder that you think is fantastic?

I’m holding my breath to see if Ginny will be posting her yarn along this week…wondering if her babe has arrived yet! Either way I’m always happy to share the knitting and book joy we’ve been getting into – and see what others have been getting into as well.

Happy Wednesday!

Joining with Ginny for another week’s yarn along!

With all the excitement of our book sale finds there has been more time spent reading than knitting over the last few days. Even so, I’ve been making some progress on the elephant I’m knitting for a friend’s babe with this wool along with a newborn hat in this beautiful sock yarn (my specific colour has been discontinued). Both projects required the same size needle so I got a head start on the hat before making a special trip out for a circular needle to use instead. Oh boy, how I prefer bamboo needles to metal…my fingers, shoulders and head all sighed when I traded the metal dpns(double pointed needles) out for the bamboo circular. I’m thinking there will be a second trip out to replace the metal dpns with bamboo before I get too much further on the elephant. My fingers, hands and wrists get rather sore from the extra work of holding on to metal needles. I have mostly bamboo already but not in this small size.

I am most excited to share about our reading this week. I’ve been enjoying The Forgotten Garden on loan from a sweet friend (whose books are all in pristine condition giving me just a little stress at bringing some of them into this house with many curious hands…). I haven’t gotten far but I’m intrigued and enjoying the pace. I have heard warnings that it gets rather slower towards the middle but, to be honest, my favourite books are slow-paced classics so I don’t know if I’ll mind.

The other books shown are book sale finds that had been whisked away to little beds before I managed to snap pics for my previous post. I found a copy of one of the Rupert Annuals for a little friend across the country – the Rupert loving children of this home are making sure we’ve read through it before sending it off. Have you seen these books before? They are so great – we’re very happy this little friend’s mama introduced us to them!

I also found an unabridged, lap-size copy of Swiss Family Robinson. The copy is one in a series (!!) of classics (I missed out on nabbing the copy of Robin Hood). It is illustrated with encyclopaedic-type entries in the margins relevant to the story – info on whelks, mutton and beaver rats for example, along with vocabulary definitions. I love it!

And the last set of books which have seen near constant attention over the last few days are the BOB books I also picked up. Liam has been scream reading them at every opportunity. I’m not sure why his out-loud reading comes out quite so loud but his confidence sure has been boosted to discover he can read “real” books. I love watching children learn to read and enjoy reading! So, so wonderful!

Since I like to leave you with a question I’m curious after my rant about the metal needles what type of needles other knitters prefer to use. Are you firmly attached your bamboo, metal or plastic needles? Or do you use an assortment of different types?

Thanks for coming by! As always it will be nice to wander around other yarn along posts for some knitty and reading inspiration.

Joining with Ginny’s yarn along to share what I’m knitting and reading this week.

I’ve been getting that summer feeling that usually has me drop the knitting needles for a time. I have so many projects I want to tackle (thanks to the suggestions so many of you offered last week) and so many requests from the little people that I’m hoping to stay motivated by taking my knitting outside for the wonderful weather we are (finally) having.

I’m just about finished the little hat I started for a friend’s soon to arrive little one – I’m knitting with Cascade 220. For that same little one I decided to try knitting one of these sweet elephants (here‘s a Ravelry link to the very sweetest one I can imagine).And just because I love knitting hats so much I also want to knit one of these hats on Sara‘s suggestion and I can’t resist this one or this one. So many aspirations but we’ll see how much I actually get made.

For reading I enjoyed the The Unusual Suspects over the weekend and although it is a children’s book I was surprised how gruesome it seemed at times. Not a book my little people are ready for but I found it entertaining. I’ve also been reading through Ecological Gardening. I’ve been learning more about soil, composting and mulching and love that the author presents the info from a Canadian/Northern gardening perspective so there are lots of tips that match our climate. We’ve also spent lots of time with The Garden Primer and are thumbing through The Canadian Edible Garden. I’m looking forward to implementing what I’m learning in our new garden.

The sunshine is calling through the window and I think I’ll sneak out with my knitting bag. I’m looking forward to browsing other yarn along posts in Ginny’s space!

Thanks for stopping by!

It’s time for another yarn along, kids!

This week I’ve been working and reworking my itty bitty pebble vest. I had it bound-off and was weaving in the ends when I discovered why it looked so odd – it seems I must misread a pattern at least once before I get it right. I tore out the problem and am nearly done for the second time. I’m having a hard time believing this will fit a newborn – are they really that tiny? Despite the fact that this new one will be my sixth child, it still amazes me how small they start out.

I’ve also been knitting a newborn hat for a friend’s baby-on-the-way. I had a hard time deciding what type of hat to knit but decided to follow my go-to hat pattern for kids (seen on my youngest daughter here) and tiny-size it. I hope it suits the new little one. I’m thinking of either one of these or one of these to go along with it. I’m always a little breathless when knitting for others – hoping they (or in this case their parents) appreciate hand-knits.

I’m still reading The Dirty Life and enjoying it but not finding much time for reading. I thought rather than show another shot of the same book I’d photograph a couple of thrifted book finds from the weekend – Anne of Green Gables and Shakespeare for Children. I get very excited about used books and, yes, I already own a copy of Anne of Green Gables but not in hardcover with such sweet inscriptions….so I was justified in buying a second copy, right?

Since I have been thinking about baby knits so much lately I am curious to know what favourite baby knits are out there. Do any of you visiting knitters care to share your favourite knits to gift to new babies or to knit for your own newborns?

Thanks for stopping by! If you’d like to check out other yarn alongs post visit Ginny at Small Things.