When I'm not working...

...I'm knitting, watching baseball, walking the dog, eating on the go, cooking, baking, walking around the farm, checking on the garden, meeting up with friends, watching tv, reading and resting.

Over the weekend, I knitted up some washcloths for Each Stitch Counts and one for our house. I'm also finishing up my Mountain Mist sweater for Rhinebeck. I have a few little projects going but they're all for a gift so I can't show them yet.

I also made some recipes from Julia Turshen's book, Now and Again. I made the Chicken & Black Eyed Peas Chili and Cheddar and Scallion Cornbread. It was delicious! I really like how this cookbook is set up. She does it as meals and by seasons. This was in the winter season part but I was in the mood for it, so I made it. I would like to make the salad and dessert but didn't do it this time. Next time!

Buddy and I have gone on lots of walks around Spring Lake but I took off this week for a "staycation" and we went to Allaire State Park and strolled through the village area. After our walk I went to the local coffee shop and met up with some of my knitting friends. It's always a good time and I recharge around that table!

 

My Weekender Sweater

 I had been eyeing up this sweater for a few years. It's been on my long list of what to knit and it finally made its way on my needles. I LOVE it! This is the Weekender Sweater by Andrea Mowry.

I've made many of her patterns and she is a wonderful designer. I love her patterns, knitting them, wearing them, all of it. This sweater feels like a big, comfy, squishy, knitted sweatshirt. It's a boxy style (aka hides all the stomach stuff!!!). I knit this one up very quickly. I think I knit it in a month. 

My only changes were to knit a size 5 body but switch so size 4 for the arms. I also didn't do the tubular cast on. I used long tail. I didn't do the tubular bind off on the sleeves. But other than that, followed it exactly.

I also read this book while I was knitting. I loved the book. What a great, fun, mystery story. I can see it as a great movie. I hope someone makes it into one! 

Gone Fishin'

 

• "There's always time for one more cast!"

Time in the Kitchen

 

It's been an extremely busy spring and early summer with sports and life. Saturday was a very random day that I didn't have to be in a million places at once. I taught knitting earlier in the day found myself with an EMPTY house for the entire afternoon! It was just what I needed.

I felt like spending some time in the kitchen with music playing and no where to be. I started with a simple grilled flatbread using mozzarella, prosciutto, topped with arugula and a squeeze of lemon.

I baked a delicious "new to me" cake from the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook. It is the Blueberry Cornmeal Butter Cake. It was delicious! My family loved it. It's a great combo of cornbread and cake with sweet blueberries mixed in. Very moist from the sour cream. Yum!

I also made one of my favorite meals that I haven't made it forever. Ina Garten's Roasted Chicken with mashed potatoes. Again, very simple and easy. I used fresh herbs from my garden to stuff the chicken. We all love it. My oldest was so happy when he got home from work to smell this cooking in the oven. It's definitely a family favorite. I used the extra chicken to make chicken salad sandwiches for Father's Day lunch. We packed them up and hit the beach for a few hours with our youngest. 

I love having time. Time to do things like this without being rushed. We're in a busy time of life and I know someday I will miss the rushing around with kids. But when a day like this comes up, I'm a happy girl.

Have you cooked or baked anything lately?

Let's Hear it for the Boys MAL

 

Kevin and Ray from Needles at the Ready Podcast are running a summer MAL called "Let's Hear it for the Boys". It runs until August 31. The rules are easy, make something for the guys in your life! Then post your project in their Ravelry group. 

I knitted this super simple ribbed hat, The Icehouse Hat for Rick. It's a free pattern. I used yarn from the farm and I'm in love with how it turned out. It's super stretchy (fits Rick, me and Chase). The pattern has it knitted in two colors but I just used one. I like how it came out. It would be fun to knit it in two colors. I'll definitely be making more of these as gifts.

Routines

I never considered myself a "routine" loving person. I was the WORST at having regular "bath and bedtimes" for my kids growing up. I was more of a do what the mood strikes at the time kind of girl. Well, I guess that is changing. Guess what, I like a routine. And I haven't had a normal one in about a month and well...that didn't go well. Also, my big kids are around and as much as I missed them being away at college, I got used to it. Lots of energy ALWAYS in my house again!  I like the ease of a daily habit. I wake up, drink coffee, knit, watch the news, get Chase ready for school, take him to school, take the dog for a walk, come home, clean up and get to work. Work all day, fit in some time to knit a bit, have a quick lunch, walk the dog again, go on Pinterest, check Blogger, meetings, work, repeat. Kid gets home from school, say hi, quick conversation, back to work until it's time to make dinner. Make dinner, get kid to sports practice or a game, come home after all sports are done, sit on my spot on the couch, knit, watch tv with whoever is hanging out. Go to bed. It's lovely. Boring but works for me.

I have certain days of the week that I go into the office, so those days are different. But I also have the "fun" things I do during the week that keep me going and happy. 

Monday morning coffee and knitting. I've missed it the past month due to a few things but yesterday I was BACK! Ahhh it felt so good. Seashore Sharon gifted us a cute little tin, with a pencil and tiny scissors. All packaged up in a cute lunch bag. She's so thoughtful. I asked the girls for some ideas on what to knit for the "Let's Hear it for the Boys" MAL with Needles at the Ready. We looked through Ravelry and shared ideas. We talked about books, recipes, what we've been watching, all the good stuff. I work during this (as you can see with my laptop open) but it's just what I need. I have this little red leather journal. I've had it for years now and it's always in my knitting bag. I jot down little things, ideas, logo designs, pattern sketches, podcast notes, all knitting related stuff. I added more to it yesterday after our coffee date.

I was inspired, went back home to finish my work day, cleaned up a bit, made a yummy sandwich and picked a pattern to knit. After dinner and sports, I sat in my corner of the couch and casted on the Icehouse Hat  for Rick using Arrow Acres Farm Yarn. It's nice to have a small project on my needle that I can carry around easier than a sweater. But who am I kidding...I already have my next sweater planned :)