I’ve been looking forward to this week’s yarn along. Some weeks I feel like I’ve been all over the place but this past week has been pretty focused on a single knitting project and a single book.
Thanks to the sickness in our house over the weekend I got lots of knitting done. I finished the fingerless mitts for my daughter – and have since encouraged her to perhaps remove them for eating and bathroom visits…And as promised I started the raglan pullover I am hoping to complete for my little guy’s birthday at the end of the month. I don’t know how it happened but I seem to have hit a knitting streak – I started the sweater on Friday and am already on the bottom ribbing. Hopefully I can keep up the momentum. This has never happened before – such focus on a single project.
My hubby and I have been trading off on who gets book time with our new favourite, The Backyard Homestead. I’m thankful to have received so many recommendations on this title because it is right where our thinking is these days. We are dreaming big but not really sure where to direct our vision. The conversations we are having about homesteading are raising some rather looming questions (which at this point have no answers). Our current (tiny) yard is shared and while our neighbours approved the flower garden we put in a couple of years ago, I don’t know how supportive they would be of raised beds, compost and manure. And, chickens, well – totally out of the question. We are hoping and praying that there will soon be an opportunity for us to move, not necessarily out of the city but at least to a private lot where we can get started with more of these ideas.
The book covers a lot of territory and we have only touched the edge of the information offered. I am excited to read more and have definitely added this one to our wish-list. And if nothing else, while we wonder and ask and wait we have lots of time to educate ourselves. So, that being said…Anyone have any other book suggestions for us?
Thanks for stopping by! As always I’m excited to see what everyone has on their needles – I’ll have to be really committed to finishing this sweater because the yarn along always offers so much knitting inspiration!
Your have had the needles flying! Glad you are enjoying your book and I hope your dream comes true to homestead. Have faith, it will happen.
Love it when you can turn illness into a productive knitting time … and I love the Backyard Homestead … it’s very well-done and believable!
Love the color and texture of that raglan pullover. Beautiful!
Oh boy I hear you on the homestead front. No chickens possible here either. I know I’ve recommended Reader’s Digest Back to Basics before. Talk about getting into the knitty gritty of it all!! You’re pullover is looking terrific!
I do like a nice top-down raglan. Such a satisfying project!
such a sweet little raglan! i think i need to borrow your knitting mojo – you’re like a knitting machine this week 🙂
Rachel, you are waaay ahead of me! I cast on, and that’s it. . . I have too many projects going on right now. Why do I always do that?! At any rate, I plan to slowly work on this sweater through the summer, for Fall wearing. You are working like lightning, mama!
I also love that book, I was perusing through it last night- specifically looking at the vegetable garden parts. We got this book last year, and it has really changed a lot of what we have done in our yard/garden.
Rachel, I am hoping for you to get that dream property, where you can have your homestead!
<3
PS so glad to hear you are feeling better! Thank goodness for knitting. 🙂
Okay, how sweet is it that you and your husband are reading that book at the same time, trading off? 🙂
Yay for focusing on a single project. I used to be that way now I seem to go from one to another! I think I just need a good sweater to sink my teeth into.
I want some productive knitting time!! Send some my way?
That book sounds interesting, hopefully my library will have it! The knitting streak is flowing here too. Hope you get your chickens!
You are making great progress on that! Looking good!
I can’t remember – have you read Independence Days? I found it really helpful when thinking about food producing/homesteading stuff.
Rachel, your fellow verbal and mental Twit here!! Have a look at John Seymours Self Sufficiency book- when we lived in the city we bought this and it was like a breath of fresh air, it is so inspirational, and even though we have only ever touched on anything in the book, it is still our favourite of all time! I know you will both LOVE it!! XX
I’m glad you’re making so much progress so quickly. That always feels so good! And I don’t have any books to recommend but I hope you’re able to make your life come into line with what you’re hoping for.
Sorry to hear you had some illness in the house, but I am sure glad you were able to knit. The little cardigan is very lovely.
I know what you mean about having a small yard. We’ve talked about the possibility of moving to a place with a bit more space… one day. I think we’re going to try a raised bed in our front yard this summer.
You get such a lot of knitting done. I’m sorry to hear that your family has been sick. Hope you’re all feeling better now.
And, I hope that your homesteading dream comes true 😉
This is the fisherman’s wool, right?! Isn’t it wonderful?!
I am so glad that you and your husband are liking the book. My husband is going to read The Good Life but not sure he would be at all interested in The Backyard Homestead. Have you thought of container gardening? I think she might have a it in there about that, right?
Right now we are dreaming of our land as well…and dreaming is part of all of then fun anyways, right?
We have been terribly sick over this way as well–but I have barely knit at all. How are you doing it?!
The backyard homestead souds like just the kind of book that would inspire me right now.
We only have a small plot ourselves but I’d love to learn how to make the most of it.
I love the color of your yarn! I am happy to see that it is Fisherman’s! I hope the garden works out. 😉
go mama! that sweater is looking great. We love the backyard homestead around here, I’ve pulled it out again recently. Good luck with the raised beds, hopefully with the lure of fresh veggies your neighbors will be in.
Thank goodness for sickness and the knitting time it lends. The sweater looks amazing. I love the classic color, and good job on plowing through your other projects.
Thanks for the book tip. I will be putting that one on my to-read list!
I’ve got some felting questions and haven’t gone all the way back in your blog to see if you’ve done any felting. I know I’m just being thick, but I’m a math person and trying to come at the whole knitting/adjusting thing with a math mind and coming up with non-math minds and I just don’t get some of it.
I just love the color of that yarn. The pullover is going to be awesome. I haven’t had a huge amount of luck in gardening, but I do have dreams of something more than a tomato & basil plant. 🙂 Sounds like such an interesting book.