bellevett

yarn along.

 

 

i started this adorable sweater ohhhhhh, about 4 years ago.  i wasnt doing so well with the lace pattern for some reason and ended up ripping it out except for the cabled collar.  it has stayed in my ravelry queue waiting to be resumed. 

everytime i looked in my yarn stash, this yarn made me feel guilty because it was just sitting there. i had a terrible feeling i would end up taking it to goodwill in 20 years, completely unused.  i tried to find something else to do with it but i didnt have enough for any other project and the yarn was discontinued.

fast forward to the beginning of this summer.  i decided i needed to get the sweater started back up so i picked it up in may and began again.  i discovered i was missing the most important page of the pattern which contained the lace leaf pattern, so i had to contact the designer and explain that the last time i downloaded the pattern i had saved it onto my old hard drive and now i needed access to the lace leaf pattern!  she is incredibly nice and sent me a new pattern out right away.  crisis averted, i was back on track. 

after being side tracked with a few other projects, i ended up working on the lace leaf cardi again seriously in august.  while spending a long weekend in roanoke va with my most knitterly (actually, she crochets like a mad woman) friend, knitting my fingers off, i ended up in the worst case scenario: i ran out of yarn.  i had looked all over the house for my last ball and never found it.  i kept weighing the ball of yarn and i thought it would make it.  i found out during my knitterly weekend that i was terribly wrong. 

and yes, i repeat, it is discontinued. 

ravelry to the rescue, i found one person willing to sell me their last three balls in their stash.  i received them this week and i am working like a mad woman to finish it before something else terrible happens. 

what is concerning me about this situation is that i know i bought 6 balls of yarn.  several situations could have happened:

1. i ended up cutting and throwing away some of it that got tangled and knotted beyond repair while ripping the sweater out the last time.

2. i have lost a ball of yarn in the house somewhere and i will find it as soon as i finish the sweater.

3. my gauge is very very wrong and and i measured myself incorrectly resulting in using more yarn than the pattern intended.

pleeeeaaasssseeee dont let it be situation 3.  i cant handle that after avoiding so many disastrous situations concerning this little brown sweater.

i am almost to the waistband, so time will tell.  i will keep you updated.

***********

as far as my reading goes, i have been really into poetry lately.  i seem go in phases, i will devour novels for months, then move to short stories, then spend a month in poetry.  i FINALLY found a copy of Mary Oliver's New and Selected Poems at our used book store, so i snatched it up. the problem is, i keep reading the same 2 poems over and over.

the other collection that i am obsessing over at the moment is Adrienne Rich's the dream of a common language. when i first began this collection i was not really into it.  it seemed too emotional and too angry, and i just couldnt really connect with it.  but, every poem has such a different voice, and once i really started to understand her voice, i really began to become obsessed.  in a big big way.  also, really, i cant get the title out of my head.  seriously.  it is such a powerful statement in and of itself.  goodness.

i have about 5 books from the library sitting beside my bed, waiting on me to get started.  but the truth is, i have been saving my novels and short story collections for some upcoming down time that i have planned. 

 

so there you have it.  my readin and my knittin.  what more could you possibly want to know????

 

have i told you i have a goodreads account?  if you are on goodreads, i would love to see what you are reading! 

i am linking up with ginny today from small things for the yarn along.

 

book list: new books.

our library trips lately have been fairly epic.

 

the new book section appears to be freshly stocked in the kids room the last few weeks and this means lots of stacks of books around the house.......  and lots of "buuuk" aka book, "mowwww" aka more, and geeeen aka again.  sometimes i am busy doing something when these requests are being made.  sometimes i feel like reading something a little more compelling than that of "go dog go".  but i never ever turn down a request for book reading.  books have proved to be a source of comfort, inspiration, entertainment, and education for me throughout my life, and i feel that taking the time to read anytime i am asked too is one of my more important roles as a parent. 

some of the happiest times in my childhood came on library day.  where i lived, the library was in a small little mobile building, it might have had 600 books total. it stayed there until i was in middle school, and then they build a big nice library beside our school.  my dad took me once a week and i remember filling up my bag full of books, going home, and reading late into the night.  i read a lot of good books and a lot of fluff books, baby sitters club anyone?  i remember discovering period novels about girls my age or older and being enthralled by the ways of life, i never felt like i could get enough, and still cant!   little house on the prairie is still one of my favorite series. 

my goal is to constantly capitalize on crosby's curiosities and interests anytime i am able.  slowing down and enjoying "go dog go" or "curious george goes to the library" 3 or 4 times IN A ROW is a small price to pay, truly.

here are a few newly released kids books from our library that crosby is loving:

Train Man by Andrea Zimmerman

this is the book for kids who love trains.  it describes the imaginations of this little boy, and the book is from his perspective.  it is also a great book for discussions about younger siblings.  in the book, the narrator, a little boy, has a little brother who isnt yet able to play with the trains, but he cant wait for them to share that passion.  he describes his dreams of being a "train man".  he says "all aboard" and "choo choo" several times, so for that alone, crosby gives it two thumbs up.  he has even figured out which pages those words come on, and will now "read along" with me.  i think this book could appeal to children from 16 months up to 4 years old.  it is simple, but the subject matter is well loved by sooooo many children!  crosby has become the train addict so this book has been a recent favorite.

 

Monkey's Friends by Ruth Brown

monkey's friends has become a favorite.  i have been scouring used book stores looking for a copy for us to own.  in this book, monkey is on a journey and meets lots of friends along the way.  every other page is a half page for the reader to guess which friend he has met next before turning the half page.  the writing has a good cadence and rhymes as well, which really meets the needs of so many readers who are in between the ages of 1-3.  the art is also really nice, and would be a great book to attempt to recreate as an art project! 

Otto the book bear by Katie Cleminson

i just love love love this book.  crosby likes to have this one read to him but it isn't a repeat book- meaning it doesnt get an again or more, but then again, i think it is really a book for ages 3-6.  otto is a book bear who comes alive at night.  something happens, and he has to set out on a journey to find his place in the world.  the idea of characters coming alive at night is magical to any child (or adult).  the illustrations are perfection.  i must own this book asap. seriously...........   

 

i was inspired to write this post by bird and little birds, library mondays.  ahhhhh!  i love that blog! 

 

but, seriously, along with some knitting, some canning, and lots of mountains/ outside time, books are whats goin on in our land at this moment.

 

oh!  and i will link up with yarn along from small things on wednesday to let you know what i am reading (and knitting!) these days. 

more little things.

into the woods- and baby needs another warm item, what do you do?

 

pull out last minute knitted gifts and start knitting.

 

finished this sweater a few weeks ago before we went camping and just now blocked it- it has been a well worn item already just like the pebble vest.  this yarn seems to hold up very well- but it has been discontinued unfortunately.  it is knitpicks shamrock.

 

i love this sweater. it is from more last minute knitted gifts and is the perfect gift for someone who is having a new babe- and would be perfect with a hat in the same yarn.

next up for warm weather items for crosby is a tomten.  anyone else get the elizabeth zimmerman bug when it turns cold????

yarn along.

 

just got back from my weekly library trip, which is a trip in and of itself.  i have two library locations i frequent. and i reserve my books online, as i think of books i want to read. 

one library downtown, one library down the road. same library system. each has it's place. but this often results in confusion for me and the librarians when they go on a  wildgoose chase for a book that they think they should have on hold but it is actually on hold at a different location.  always an adventure i tell you.

regardless, i only went to pick up a copy of virginia woolf's to the lighthouse.

this was an epic library trip, i know you know the kind. 

you go in, stop by the new book section.  browse in the locations you know best. and bam one book right after another is calling your name.

 
soo, i know you are asking yourself the deep dark question of what book i will link with for this weeks yarn along.....

but of course:

and yes, it is still levenwick.  this will most positively be the last week levenwick will be appearing on the yarn along.  i simple will must absolutely have to have it finished before next week, as i am completely sick of dreaming of purling for two straight arms with double pointed needles.  yes, i am apparently purling in my sleep these days. 

and also, i just might be a tad preoccupied with my ravelry queue these days.  nothing like nearing the end of a sweater that sends you to the ravelry queue sweating with the completely unrealistic fear that you will not be prepared to start a new project INSTANTANEOUSLY.

 

yarn along.

i am participating in this yarn along.

novels tend to absorb me in the summer time. 

melissa coleman's this life is in your hands was pretty much one of the best books i read all summer.  

however, with the cold weather moving in slowly, i have moved toward working on readying my winter goals....

a quilt for our bed is numero uno.  that is aside from all of our new sweaters (and 2 for me).  the modern log cabin quilting guide is just the answer for my new quilt project.  fyi- i have only ever made crib sized quilts, and i am not sure that i would call them all tremendous successes.  this might be attributed to my pesky, i can figure this out on my own, and their must be an easier way to do this, attitude toward sewing.  you would think, after sewing for this many years, i would have moved past that. but here i sit, in the land of stubbornness. ironically, this only happens with sewing, and not knitting.  hmmm, deep thoughts.

the above sweater is still the levenwick.

*************************************

it turns out that lately i have so much to say and so much in my head that when i sit down to get it out of my head and on to paper, or blog, it gets all jammed up and nothing comes out.  i think this might mean big things.

in response to said overload, Crosby and i have been taking our bodies outside as much as humanly possible.  with the cool winds moving in, it proves to be the perfect place for us to both sit and just be.  Him with a few discovery blocks and me with my knitting, a book, or my journal.  tomorrow i will be here with a new weekly series called on the blanket.  which is where i will be until the snow moves me inside. 

ps. have you been following my weekly ice cream cone recommendation?

 

book reviews

Last week was a sad and emotionally draining week for me. (For reasons that I wont go into on this PUBLIC blog. )  The best way to describe the way I felt last week was when I called Cody at work and said through tears, "it doesn't feel like I have enough energy left in my body to make it through today."  

The thing about me and my personality has recently been changed into a overdrive "doer".  and example of my daily life: 

I have to finish a knitting project, a sewing project, a garden project, a design project, a birthday present. I need to get things into the freezer and can some beets (so now you have been in my brain.)  thus is the life when you appear to have an aversion to convenience. 

last week, and heck still this week, i have been living leisurely.  which sounds high society.  

 I did what I do during sad times when I need to escape my own life:  I watched 10 movies, and read.  A lot.  In my chair outside.

 (and I fixed this whole area up too, for those of you who were concerned.  and it feels better now.  but i do not have a picture yet.)

I read this book:

  which you should read now.  I got it at the knox co public library.  such a good read.  such such such a good read.  Especially if you would like to know what it is like to be a female in a male world in Odessa Ukraine.  And then move to the united states.  yeah, it is really good.  Bust mag did a review here:  bust online. 

and then i read a book that you simply have to read.  if: you just need a quick read that is funny and simple and non heart string provoking.  Like if you were at the beach.  

 

okay, so basically, you are a girl that lives in london.  and you wake up one day in a hospital and the last thing you remember was the day your dad died, you didn't get a raise at your job, and your boyfriend was a certified junker.  and now, you are married, the ceo of a business, and you have totally different friends.  Amnesia.  what an interesting thing.  read this book by a pool or at the beach.  please.  

ok, well, that is all i have to say today.  but maybe tomorrow I can show you something interesting.  Like the food that is growing in the garden that is so tasty and pretty.  and pretty and tasty.  and pretty tasty.

a monday shred of coolness roundup

while i am in over my head converting the guest bedroom into my new studio room, which at this point resembles the aftermath of a tornado, i thought i would share some shreds of coolness:

• heather ross's new fabric designs..... obsession!
• i am counting down the days until i receive this book.  (i have all of her books and believeth that everyone who owns a sewing machine should immediately buy these books.)
• my food cost less now.  thanks to this website.
• on my to do list: this book binding tutorial.
• i am going to make a quilt.  and for that matter join a quilt guild.  
• i want to make these little babes for valentines day.... 
• i pulled up a carrot the other day from the garden (before the snowstorm) and they are so preciously sweet and delicious. i cant wait for the spring........

hope your monday is a funday.