a gypsy caravan

winter knitting

I love to knit in January and February. The pressure to complete a project before Christmas has passed and the weather allows me to sit down on the sofa for a bit each day. Usually, a couple of little people snuggle up next to me or on my lap while I knit which makes the knitting a little more difficult but a much toastier experience. 

I have been reading Kate's blog for some time.  She has a whole slew of fabulous and affordable patterns.  I recently purchased both Owls and Owlet. I think the button eyes on the owls are so cute!  I've not yet started the adult version but have the children's Owlet on the needles for little Tess.   I allowed her to choose her yarn colorway from Knitpicks. She pointed her chubby little dimpled finger at the screen and chose Damson Plum which really looks more like the Blackberry colorway in real life. It is much deeper than the appearance of the photo on Knitpicks' site. I love the Swish Bulky because it is a superwash Merino--one of the softest I've felt.  It knits up so nicely and feels great in my hands. I haven't gotten to the owl cable on the sweater yet, a couple of inches to go before I begin that part.  I have never done any cable work before but am looking forward to creating those sweet little owls!

I read quite a few good reviews about the Harmony Wood interchangeable circular needles before I purchased a set for myself.  They're smooth and beautifully crafted.  There isn't a rough spot to be found and the connections to the cables is almost seamless.  Knitting with them has been a pleasure. Plus they are just so darn pretty!

I also recently bought Georgie Hallam's Milo vest pattern. I am making one both for Annie and Tess. I bought Plymouth DK Superwash Merino for Tess'.  There is no color name on the label but rather a number.  The shade reminds me of a spring strawberry so that is what I'm naming it--Spring Strawberry. 

(Nevermind the wrinkled tablecloth, ok?)

The Milo vest has a small strip of cable down the front of the vest.  There are several cable pattern options included but I'm not sure which to use as of yet. I want to try my hand at making a tiny vest for Tess before attempting Annie's in the larger size.  I'm kind of excited to be knitting two patterns with cable.  It's a new frontier for me. :)

{Side note: little Tess' real name is Teresa Mae.  I usually call her Mae. So if I slip and call her that, don't think we had another child and you missed the announcement. :) My maternal great grandmother's name was Anna Mae, which is why Tess has that middle name.  Anna Mae insisted on being called Annabelle, even by her children and grandchildren. Apparently, she also dyed her hair black until she was in her eighties.  I do not know much more about her, except that she had a farm, lived in the country and liked to crochet.  In fact, she was the one who crafted The Pink Pillow that was eventually handed down to her daughter, my grandma, and then eventually ended up in my home.}

My Mary is growing to be a young lady and is almost out of children's sized clothing.  I am looking forward to that transition because the older girls' department is much more difficult to shop than the ladies' section.  I intended to make a Milo vest for her as well but the pattern is only up to a size 6.  If any of you know of a similar ladies' sized pattern, please let me know. 

I hope you are all well and staying warm.

Love, Rebecca

holgate toys

I was at a loss as to what to buy for little Tess last Christmas. I wanted to buy her a few, excellent quality toys that would stand the test of time so I searched for some nice gifts online.  I had never heard of Holgate Toys until that day but they have fast become one of my favorite companies.  I purchased the colored wooden stacking rings  and Classic Bingo Bed (wooden hammer and peg toy). Both arrived promptly, are well packaged and of wonderful quality.  They are sanded smooth and painted attractively. The best part is that they are made here in the United States! Even my bigger children took a turn hammering the colorful wooden "nails" just for fun. 

There aren't any paid sponsors on this little blog, but I do like to tell people about quality products and services when I run across them. You might want to check out Holgate Toys if you are looking for well made, American toys. Tess has played with the ring stacker several times a day since Christmas.  I think that's the best "consumer satisfaction". :)

 

swift and ball winder

It has been almost 16 years since I learned to knit.  My firstborn son was just a couple of weeks old when a package arrived for him via UPS.  The UPS driver was always friendly and asked me whether I knew the lady, Chris, on the next street who had also recently had a baby.  I said that I hadn't met her yet.  Within a few days, we exchanged phone numbers via the UPS driver and became friends.  I spent many hours over her house when Ben was a baby.  We sat and nursed our babies and drank tea. She liked to spin and knit.  I liked to watch her. Chris soon asked whether I'd like to learn to knit.  I was so happy to learn and made my first project under her direction--a navy blue merino wool pilot cap for my new baby boy.  

One of my favorite things to do while visiting her was to watch her turn the skeins or hanks of yarn into balls using her yarn swift.  There was something so very Mary Poppins-ish about that umbrella-like yarn swift. I was mesmerized and always wanted to purchase one for myself.  This Christmas, sixteen years later, I did just that.  

My yarn swift arrived the other day. I am really pleased with the quality. I was concerned it might be poorly made since it was much less expensive than other swifts I've priced.  Quite the opposite.  It is sturdy, well-made and pleasant to look at. I ordered it from Knitpicks. We've had such fun using it!

I also purchased the yarn baller from the same company.  It works wonderfully and is highly addictive to use. Everyone in the family has tried their hand at winding the yarn into balls.  

The simple, useful, old fashioned things always bring my family so much happiness. Now that all of my yarn is ready to knit, I need to get going on my knitting projects! I have a little something in the works for baby Tess. More on that later. 

I hope you all are staying warm and enjoying the winter months with your families. Love, Rebecca