Thankful

Life is stressful and busy right now. My emotions are all over the place. My stress level is sky high. Both boys getting ready to go to college...work is beyond busy, football season is in high gear for my little one, prices of groceries, prices of gas, prices of everything... It's a lot. But spending time around a table full of new knitters makes me very thankful for this hobby. Seeing people "get it" when knitting, the slow click, click of the needles, people turning into friends around a table, laughter, learning, it all helps my stress. It has been soooo hot at the Jersey Shore. The humidity has been at 100% with temps to match. But last night a cooler breeze came through and it was finally pleasant to be outside. 

As I taught last night, I stepped back and took a moment to just observe. 

Then I heard a rustling above my head very high up in a tree over our table was Sox. 

That silly guy was watching us from above.

Then the moon rose about the neighbor's house just as everyone was leaving for the night.

These moments make the rest of the day fade away.

 

Summer Daze

 It's been so hot here at the Jersey Shore. I'm not made for hot and humid weather. I'm a fall girl. Jeans and sweaters are more my speed. I do love the beach and pool but not the hot and sticky weather.

I'm making good progress on my Rhinebeck sweater. I love working on it every chance I get.

My girls have been laying lots of eggs lately. I've started packing them up in cartons to give away because how many eggs can one family eat?!

Our little boy Sox is almost 1! I wish I knew his real birthday. We just know he was born in September. So much joy he has brought to us. He's really the best. He has been laying in Jeter's old favorite spots. They must be the cooler spots in the house. It's been 6 months since our dog has passed and we still miss him so much. I still have a hard time vacuuming where his bed used to be. I know someday we will have a new dog in the house but for right now, this silly cat is keeping us smiling.

Finished Object!

 

It's all done and I love it. I enjoyed every minute of this knit and I can't wait to wear it.

This is The Shift by Andrea Mowry.

From pattern notes: This cowl is the perfect all-the-time accessory! And the answer for all of those knitters out there who love to knit shawls, but have a hard time styling them. A fun and engaging knit with shifting colors, that looks like an asymmetrical triangle shawl, and it only takes a fiddle-free second to throw it on as the finish to every outfit!

I agree!

My Rhinebeck Sweater - 2022

 

Every year I knit a special sweater for Rhinebeck (aka New York Sheep & Wool Festival). Thousands of knitters, crocheters, weavers, and fiber enthusiasts flock to Rhinebeck, NY the third weekend in October year after year. Anyone that has been knows how amazing it is. One of the highlights for me is to see the gorgeous knits everyone creates and wears! It's inspiring to see what people create. I usually plan my Rhinebeck sweater before I go to Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival in May and purchase yarn then. But I didn't get my act together in time this year! August was quickly approaching and I knew I was behind to get this sweater going!!! 

I tend to knit color work yokes. Too many maybe! So I wanted something different this year. My friend Joan (aka Just Joan) and I used to knit sweaters together before I started working full time. It's always fun to have a buddy knitting the same thing. If you have a question, you can bounce it off each other. We were texting back and forth the other day and decided we would knit a sweater together for Rhinebeck.

After looking at a lot of patterns, we decided on this Javelin Pullover by Teti Lutsak. This is the finished sweater:

I love the texture of the yoke and the small cable work. I decided to get some yarn from Webs . I picked the yarn based on the sale. It was clearance yarn and they only had it in purple. So purple it is! 

Cloudborn Fibers Superwash Merino Worsted Twist

I made my swatch and it's a little taller than it should be so I'll just keep a close eye on the length as I knit. 

I had two wonderful beach days this weekend and worked on it while I was there. I got a few more rows done last night as my bacon for BLTs was cooking in the oven. I'm really enjoying working on this. It's a beautiful pattern and I think of our upcoming girls Rhinebeck trip with every stitch.

For my past Rhinebeck Sweaters, you can click the links:

2021- Koivua

2019: Noten

2018: Romona with embroidery

Also for 2018: Lovable

2017: Super Soul Cardigan

2016: Illas Cies

After looking through my Ravelry Project pages I realized I started knitting a "Rhinebeck Sweater" in 2016. Before that I would wear a shawl or something I had made that year.

I'm so glad the "Rhinebeck Sweater" is a thing! Can't wait for our trip!!!!!

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On-the-go knitting project

I love to knit all kinds of projects. But my favorite projects are ones that can easily travel around with me during my day-to-day life. This Shift Cowl has been exactly that. It's easy enough to sit and knit a row or two here and there. This project began as a companion knit for one of my students. She wanted to learn a few techniques and this pattern had a few of them included so we decided to make it. I casted on a few days prior to the lesson to be prepared to teach her. And I haven't stopped knitting it since! It's kept me company drinking coffee in the mornings, gone to the beach a few times, fishing in the canoe, to a trip to Northampton and Amherst for my son's college orientation, around town and last night in Spring Lake as I waited for my son to finish work.

I'm using a combination of three yarns. The pink is "Mewsic" from Green Mountain Spinnery. Green is Cascade alpaca from our farm store. The multicolor is Feederbrook Farm (it's GORGEOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!)

The cowl is worked flat and it uses mosaic knitting for the color work. It's a fun way to do color work because you only use one color at a time. The cowl will then be seemed up the back and it looks so easy to wear. I'll be sad when it's over! I'm already thinking about my next one...

What are you working on these days? Any good on-the-go knitting projects in your bag?

 

Read a book...

 

I saw this list posted on a Facebook group I am a member of: "What Should I Read Next". I get a lot of ideas from the group and enjoy recommending books as much as getting recommendations.

I'm not really a book challenge person and this is too many books for me to read in a year. When I looked at the list, I had a lot of books I have read that came to mind, so I'm going to go through it and list books that I have read and would recommend. I'll try to list more recent books. If there are blank ones or you have any recommendations, I would love to hear them!

Here I go...

1.With a color in the name The Yellow Wife

2. Set in a foreign country: A Long Way Down

3. Recommended by a friend: It Ends with Us

4. Part of a Series: The Summer I Turned Pretty

5. That you should have read in school: Great Gatsby

6. On The NY Times Bestseller list: Where the Crawdads Sing

7. Already on your bookshelf: Cutting for Stone

8. With an animal in the name: Water for Elephants

9. From an author you already know: Four Winds

10. About Health and Wellness

11. With a pretty book cover: The Keeper of Lost Things

12. More than 20 years old: The Thornbirds

13. Released in the year you were born: 

14. Published this year: Reminders of Him

15. Translated from another language: My Brilliant Friend

16. With a female protagonist: Olive Again

17. That's a memoir: From Scratch

18. With a one-word title: Brood

19.That was made into a movie: Where the Crawdads Sing

20. Over 500 pages long: New York

21. Under 100 pages long:

22. With a music or art theme: Maybe Someday

23. Involving water: 28 Summers

24. With a green book cover: Evvie Drake Starts Over

25. Set in the 1800s: 

26. With a magical element: The Time Travelers Wife

27. That's a one-hit wonder: The Guernsey Literary of Potato Peel Pie Society

28. About nature: The Four Winds

29. With chapter titles: Punch Me Up to the Gods

30. With an index

31. With a map on the front

32. That you heard about from a co-worker: White Dresses

33. Bought from your local bookstore: The Goldfinch

34. That's a young adult novel: 

35. Only published as an ebook

36. About sports: The Art of Fielding

37. That's a murder mystery: 

38. Featuring the LGBTQ community: This is How it Always Is

39. By an author who shares your name

40. On audiobook read by the author: Broken Horses: Brandi Carlisle

41. That's a Guilty Pleasure: The Scandalous Summer of Sissy LeBlanc

42. Written by 2 authors

43. Of poetry

44. About business

45. About current events

46. Everyone is talking about: It Ends with Us

47. Based on a real person: Open Book

48. That's a coming of age story: Mary Jane

49. About science

50. That makes you smile: Nora Goes Off Script

Creating Knitters, California Poppy and a Cute Cat

Over the past month I started teaching knitting lessons again. It's been way too long! You all know how much I love to knit. I think I like creating knitters just as much. To see people fumble with yarn and needles at the beginning and then leave with rows of stitches is so rewarding. This week's weather was perfect for outside lessons overlooking the baby alpaca's field.

These two friends left knowing all the basics of knitting and I'm excited to see them join the knitting world!

After lessons (and a full day of work) I enjoyed some quiet time on the porch with Sox.

I planted an entire pack of wildflower seeds early summer and only ONE flower appeared. ONE! Well, it doesn't help that Sox loves to dig and roll around in the flower bed. But this one is so pretty! I did some googling and figured out it's a California Poppy. Apparently it's illegal to pick in California. 

Enjoying the calm and cooler weather today and brought the laptop outside to work. Sox joined me. He's the cutest little coworker. Keeps me company all day long.

I am teaching a past-student some new techniques tomorrow. She wanted to learn a few things and I found the perfect pattern that combined most of them! I've been wanting to knit this Shift Cowl for years and it's the perfect reason and time to make one. I love how it's coming out so far. 

I am knitting with (left to right)...Green Mountain Spinnery "Mewesic", Cascade Alpaca, Feederbrook Farm. The pattern is knitted using mosaic knitting. Very fun to work on!