Category: things I make

yarn along

MarthaKimball3 Comments

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Still reading To the Bright Edge of the World but also daily in this book by Ann Voskamp, The Greatest Gift, as I have read through it every advent season for the past three years.  Good every time and the Lord always uses it mightily.

Knitting a bright green Christmas surprise hat for Brandon (improvising a pattern).  I promised him a hat a long time ago but have been busy with other projects.  I can only knit on this when he’s not home which leaves very little time for it (since I usually knit in the evenings).  I’m making headway on Noah’s sweater as well, maybe 1/3 of the way through the second sleeve.  Phoebe’s sweater is blocking finally and buttons have arrived for both, so I’m hoping I will finish them both in time for their birthdays (the week of Christmas).  We travel with Phoebe tomorrow afternoon to Winston Salem for her procedure so I should have about 5 hours of car knitting time and I hope to nearly finish Noah’s sweater?  We’ll see.  If you think of it, send prayers our way for our girl, for answers and healing and for courage for us all.

Happy knitting and reading, friends!

xo

I’m joining with Ginny of Small Things for her weekly yarn along link-up.
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yarn along

MarthaKimball14 Comments

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Almost done with the body of Noah’s sweater and getting ready to split for sleeves.  I haven’t knit a sweater bottom-up before, so it will be interesting to do it this way!  I love love love it so far.  It’s different/challenging enough to keep me interested, but also a very relaxing knit, and who can’t love working with Brooklyn Tweed?  I keep worrying it’ll be too small but I *think* it’s good.  We’ll see!

Reading Come Thou Long Expected Jesus advent readings with Brandon in the evenings before we fall asleep.  I’m also still finishing up Missional Motherhood.  Needing some good fiction next, I think.

I’m linking up with Ginny’s weekly yarn along today, where we share what we’re currently reading + knitting.

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yarn along

MarthaKimball6 Comments

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I cast on for Noah’s birthday sweater on Sunday to have it ready for our long day of driving on Monday, taking Phoebe 2.5 hrs away to Brenner Children’s Hospital to their celiac center.  She has hit a more major setback in her healing and our medical team locally is recommending we go to the experts.  It is good for me to keep my nose in the books and my hands busy with gift knitting.  I learned how to knit about a year ago, and I am pretty sure I have knitted every day since learning in October of 2015.  It has now become so much a part of my evening routine that it’s hard to remember what I did before.  I am so thankful for it.

Anyway, I am knitting the Wyatt sweater for Noah in Brooklyn Tweed Shelter.  I have hit the point where the pattern is established and it’s now just about 10 inches of knitting ahead.  I love this yarn.  I still need to finish the hood on Phoebe’s sweater and order buttons for both of them, but I wanted to get going on Noah’s sweater as the pattern is more difficult and his birthday comes a few days sooner than Phoebe’s.

I’m still reading Missional Motherhood and on the last chapter or so of Hope Heals, both so good.  The kids and I are addicted to chapter book read aloud time together.  I love that Noah is joining in on it, and because the kids cheer so when I say it’s time to read, Philippa is getting in on the fun, too.  We usually read all together after lunch and before naps/quiet time, so Philippa lays on me some days and sucks her thumb quietly and listens to the chapter book after we read picture books.  We finished Island of the Blue Dolphins recently  which we all enjoyed, and didn’t realize it is based on a true story.  Phoebe has been playing that she is Karana ever since.  We started My Side of the Mountain, which they are enjoying.  I couldn’t resist also starting Little Women with Phoebe, since it is that time of year when I watch the movie over and over again.  I have never read the book though, as far as I can remember, and it is delicious.  It’s so fun to share these things with my girl!

I’m joining up with Ginny Sheller’s yarn along today.
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yarn along

MarthaKimball2 Comments

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I don’t have a minute to spare but I can’t resist popping in here for a minute to say hello!  I went away for the weekend to a hermitage for some rest + solitude, and I hoped to get more knitting done than I did.  I have finished Philippa’s birthday sweater, and it is blocking now, so it will be done in time for her birthday next week.  I’m debating about casting on a little crown for her, too?  Am I crazy!?

I finished the first sleeve on Phoebe’s birthday sweater, and maybe half way through the second sleeve.  Then the hood, blocking, sewing on buttons and it will be done!  I’m already gauge swatching for Noah’s sweater.  (Both have birthdays the week of Christmas.)  Busy, busy.

I began Hope Heals during my hermitage stay and just read luxuriously for hours on end.  My sister-in-law sent it to me as a gift.  Almost done with it!  Quite the compelling story of a young woman in her late twenties and first years of marriage and motherhood suffering a massive stroke, miraculously surviving, and her journey to recovery.  It’s written by both her and her husband, each telling their parts of the story.  Beautiful and hopeful for me in a season with my own girl and her health issues, our continued battle for answers and hope.  I need to remember that there really is power in hope.

Linking up with Ginny’s weekly yarn along to share our current knits + reads.
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yarn along

MarthaKimball2 Comments

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I put all other knitting aside to try to get Philippa’s sweater finished in time for her birthday in a couple of weeks.  We have a lot going on right up until her birthday which is the week of Thanksgiving.  I think I will actually finish in time!  I have really loved this sweet and easy chunky-knit pullover sweater for her, knit in Brooklyn Tweed Quarry.  I think it will be so cozy and sort of wish I could make one for myself.

I’m still reading Missional Motherhood by Gloria Furman and enjoying it so far!

I’m linking up with Ginny Sheller’s yarn along today.  

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yarn along

MarthaKimball1 Comment

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I’ve made it to bodice/front panel of Phoebe’s phoebe sweater.  It’s very enjoyable to knit and I just split for sleeves last night, so I’m getting excited to finish it up maybe soon?  Phoebe has figured out it is for her by now, and she is so thrilled, as I’ve “tried it on her” a couple of times to check length.  It will be really hard to not give it to her as soon as I’m done, as she could make use of it right away!  (Her birthday is in December, the week of Christmas, so I’m hoping to tuck it away until then, if I can discipline myself.)  I’m trying to also discipline myself not to cast on for another couple of projects but to stay focused on just this one and force myself to knock out the birthday sweaters.  I ordered yarn for Philippa’s and Noah’s sweater, which arrived this week and eeee!  It’ll be my first foray into Brooklyn Tweed.  Also, I cut 10 inches off of my hair this past week and am loving LOVING short hair.  Phoebe snapped this picture of me knitting from our front stoop yesterday.

Also, I’m almost through with Falling Free by Shannon Martin.  I review a fair amount of new releases and get a bit leery of some, thinking most will be predictable or fall into the “Christianity lite” category.  This book by Shannon Martin has been surprisingly different than I expected (shame on cynical me!).  I’ve had a hard time putting it down.  Her writing is rich, textured, both humorous and gut-wrenching.  Her story is real and surprising, instantly likable and terribly convicting.  She shares about giving up a comfortable and typical American lifestyle to move to a small inner-city home in a rough-ish neighborhood and mediocre school system.  She shares about her and her husband giving up lucrative careers in the political realm to work in the prison system, to adopt children of various races and backgrounds.  Her insights and reflections on money, poverty, community, loving our neighbor–they are like a jolt of electricity to stale American Christianity.  Yet somehow her writing doesn’t feel preachy and guilt-inducing.  Instead it leaves me hungry for Jesus, for the true and real Kingdom of God, for His uncanny ways and unconventional means.  It is good, sound theology incarnated, fleshed out in a beautiful story.  I am trying to linger over her words, but find myself turning page after page devouring this book!  In other words–I highly recommend!

I’m linking up with Ginny today and her lovely wednesday gathering of readers and knitters.

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yarn along

MarthaKimball2 Comments

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I cast on Phoebe’s birthday sweater a few days ago.  Appropriately, the pattern is “Phoebe’s sweater” and it’s one she saw and fell in love with awhile ago.  She keeps asking me if I’m knitting it for her and I’m trying to pretend that I’m not, but realistically I will probably need to try it on her throughout, so I’m sure the secret will be out sooner than later.  I am enjoying knitting it so far except that it’s making my wrists ache–maybe because the needles are larger and the yarn is pretty slippery so I’m having to hold it more firmly?  (Also, I finished Philippa’s leksak a few days ago and you can see pictures in my last post.)

I finished Crossing the Waters and definitely would recommend it for someone wanting a fresh look at the Gospels, and a fresh encounter with Jesus.  I’ll post a review soon (behind on those, per usual).  I’ve just begun Shannan Martin’s new memoir Falling Free: Rescued from the Life I Always Wanted about her and her husband’s selling of their farm/dream life and moving into the city to follow God’s call to a “less is more” life.  I’m sure this will be interesting to read/contemplate as B and I look to buy our first home.

I’m linking up today with Ginny’s yarn along today.  
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philippa’s leksak

MarthaKimball5 Comments

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Oh my girl is so darling.  I just love that little face so much.  So I finished up her Leksak tunic last night and with just a bit of yarn left.  Yay!  I tried it on her this morning and snapped a few pictures (I didn’t even wait to block it first).  She is so cute, she seems really happy with it and was twirling around and then just toddled off to play with leaves and sticks.  It will be a great light pullover to throw on for a chilly morning.  This pattern was really fun, easy, and quick.  I have wanted to knit it ever since seeing it on Ginny’s girls, loving her choice of knits for their practicality and ease.  The yarn I used was just some random cheap yarn in my stash from my pre-knitting days, when I bought a bunch for a yarn tassel garland and for weaving.  I don’t plan to buy any more yarn of this nature, but also am too miserly to just throw it out, so I plan to use it up on some fun quick knits like this one.  This was my goal in learning how to knit, to be able to knit some clothes and practical items for my loved ones, and it brings so much joy to be able to do so at this point!  Plus they always seem to love it when I’ve made something for them.  I’ve been finishing up all of my WIPs so that I can begin working on sweaters for each of the kid’s birthdays coming up in November + December.  My needles will be busy!

 

the last baby

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One of my dearest friends from college is due to have her fourth baby in a few weeks.  We were hoping to have a chance to throw a little baby shower for her, but, well, with nine kids between the three of us, it was hard to work it out logistically.  The best thing of all is just gathering for a mini getaway/catch-up since it is so much harder to keep in touch over the distance these days.  So, the three of us (my two best girlfriends and I) met up this past weekend late Sunday evening.  We drove to Max Patch, which is a good midway meeting point for us, hiked up to the grassy bald in the dark, carrying a cold dinner to share and a camp stove so we could brew some coffee.  We bundled in our sleeping bags and talked under the stars cupping steaming mugs.  By nearly midnight, we packed up and headed back to our homes, crawling back into bed at nearly 2 am.  But these gatherings are the best.  They are life-giving, better than a full night’s sleep.  Worth 3 hrs of driving (roundtrip).  This is the last baby my friend will have, these are the last days her tummy will be swollen like a full moon, and it felt right to commemorate this somehow.  In the past months I’ve slowly knitted her baby a little wooly sleep sack, in neutral colors with wooden buttons, as well as a little newborn “pilot cap.”  Both patterns were an absolute delight to knit and I’m so excited to snuggle this last little man-cub in his woolens.  I remember when this friend of mine had her first baby, and how strange to think we are all nearing the end of our child-birthing years.  Truly, they are hard years, but somehow the most glorious, too.

yarn along

MarthaKimball6 Comments

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Not much time for reading this week but definitely have a hard time putting this one down in the evenings when I do have a minute or two.  Crossing the Waters is a beautiful, insightful read.  Basically the notes and reflections of an Alaskan fisherwoman as she contemplates the Gospels through the lens of her experience living life on the waters.  It feels like a modern day retelling of the Gospel stories which brings them to life again in an achingly winsome way.

I’ve been knitting these 70 yard mitts for my sister-in-law, per her request.  She picked out the yarn color and pattern and they are super fast to knit and its always lovely to work with Madelinetosh yarn!

Linking up with Ginny’s weekly yarn along today.
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