Knitting In The North

Mmmm, Mmmm Good

If you've been hanging out here with me for a while, you know something about me that surprises many, and generates envy in others:  I don't cook.  Stuart does pretty much all of the cooking around here, with me stepping in on Father's Day, or after a (rare) particularly long day when Stuart needs a break.  Really.  I don't cook.  I bake - all the time, several times a week, but I don't do any cooking.  (Well, I do lunch for me & the kiddies, but you know.  That's not really cooking.  And I have Katie as my sous-chef.)

A little ways back, I borrowed the book A Homemade Life from the library.  I had never read the blog Orangette before, but I kept hearing about it on blogs, and thought I'd check it out.  I was totally unprepared, both for the huge enjoyment I got from each chapter, and from the insane desire I suddenly felt to cook something.  Me?  Cook something?  

 

  

Mais Oui!  I cooked a whole meal - All By Myself.  And I'm still using the recipes - my personal favourites are the Grotto Eggs (will you be surprised to hear I had never, ever made scrambled eggs before?) and the red cabbage salad.  Mmmm.  Even better - the whole crew ate the food I made - and liked it!  (Especially Liam.)

Button, Button, Who's Got The Button?

 

What to do on a rainy, cool morning with six kids wandering around?  Sort buttons, of course!  It's amazing, really, how dumping a jar of assorted buttons out on the dining room table will draw them all in like a magnet. 

Taking my button jumble from the various jars and containers, and turning it into this nicely organized collection kept everyone busy for a good hour - even Liam (who obviously only got to check out the few giant buttons lying around - no matter how hard he tried!).  The rest of the time, he made messes elsewhere, trying out his new sweater:

 

Now that appropriate buttons have been found, I just need a quiet evening to sew them on, and you can get a better look at the finished product.  Finishing the knitting on this, though, made it legal for me to cast on my own fall sweater - always a thrilling enterprise! 

Pop-Pop-Pop

 

I love making jam.  And chutney.  And applesauce.  Really, anything I can successfully water-bath can.  It's just so supremely gratifying; I feel all Manitoba-farmgirlish - in my mind, I'm a pioneer woman, providing for my little family.  Which I guess I am, on some small level...

And the best part?  Definitely the pop-pop-pop of the jar lids, sealing all that blueberry (or apple, or mango, or whatever) goodness in, until we need it this coming winter.  The clear signal that all is well. 

Yum.  Well - eating it might be the best part.  But that sound is pretty darn satisfying.

If The Shoe Fits

I've never been what you might call a "shoe-horse", if you know what I mean.  My shoe wardrobe has almost always been thus: one pair of black shoes (simple enough to wear with pants or a skirt); one pair of brown shoes (also simple & versatile); one pair of running shoes.  These shoes have met all of my needs, and seldom have I found the need for anything else. 

Once, years ago, Stuart bought me a beautiful pair of dark red leather heels, with a matching purse.  They are gorgeous, but I can count on my one hand the number of times I've worn them - I'm just not that kind of girl.  Or am I?

Katie has recently discovered a deep love of shoes, and we've had a lot of fun this summer, wandering the shoe sections of various thrift stores.  I may just be converted, because look what I've found!

This dizzying array is keeping me endlessly entertained - what riches indeed! 

Now, the deep question of the week is:

How many pairs of shoes to do you wear?

Making Progress

Even though life has been so busy lately, there has been knitting going on.  I'm slowly getting there with my Good Stuff socks.  I'm using 2mm DPNs, and finding it much rougher going than I do when I use my usual 2.5mm needles.  Also, to keep the gorgeous striping action, these socks are knit on less stitches than I usually use, so they're long and skinny.  They will fit, though, and I found some amazing clog-type shoes at the thrift store to wear them with, so I really should get busy.

In contrast, Liam's Baby Sophisticate sweater is flying along!  The pattern sizing only goes to 6-12mths, but it's a fairly standard top down coconstruction, so I added a few increase rows before I separated the sleeves.  I can't wait to see Liam in this, it looks so much like a tiny smoking jacket - so sweet.  I'm using Knitpicks Comfy Bulky in the Planetarium colourway - it's such a soft, squishy yarn.  I'm looking forward to seeing how it wears over time.

Even though we've had the most amazing summer weather ever, I've surprised myself,  finding my thoughts turning to fall of late.  I've been thinking about upcoming sweaters, Christmas knitting, starting a fire in the fireplace...  Mmmmm, I can almost see the leaves turning! 

Do you have big winter knitting plans?

Since I've Been Gone...

 

• My mother-in-law has been visiting from Ontario

• We celebrated Stuart's 45th birthday (complete with a ride in the Jeep, of course!)

• I started a part-time job at a local craft store

• The kids & I drove Stuart's mum to Jasper to meet up with my sister-in-law

• We played in a mountain lake, and checked out the cariboo (who were also enjoying the cool water)

• I cast on Liam's fall sweater

• We've eaten spinach, peas, beets and broccoli from the garden

• I bought 10lbs of blueberries to freeze for the winter

• We made our annual visit to Barkerville

• I got, and recovered from, a summer cold

• I hung out many loads of laundry, cleaned many messes, fed many children

What have you been up to?