Tag: knitting

yarn along

MarthaKimball3 Comments

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I set aside my Lila for a week or two because I thought I had knitted an extra 3 inches past the first side shaping.  I was nervous to rip it back and also just frustrated.  So I cast on a hat for Noah with the last skein of the Shelter yarn from his sweater.  (He had asked for a green hat and sweater.)  It was my first time doing cables and it was fun!  I finished that up in a couple of days and then picked back up the Lila and with fresh eyes realized that I had only added about 2.5 inches and I was planning on adding about 2 inches in length anyway.  So I just knitted on.  Why do our brains do this to us?!  I’m so happy to be back knitting it because it is the most relaxing knit.  I’m needing something mindless lately, as life has been so full and overwhelming.  Everyone here (except for Brandon) has been sick with a respiratory virus, and Philippa developed an ear infection to boot.  I am prepping to begin packing up the house for our move.  Etc., etc.

I’m still reading The Broken Way, and probably will be for awhile.  It is so timely.  I’ve been reading Watchman Nee’s old classic The Normal Christian Life as part of my morning study time for the last number of weeks (highly recommend), and it’s amazing how much it reverberates the same message about a cross-shaped life.  The two books seem to be talking back and forth to one another.  Isn’t that just how God works?

Joining with Ginny.  
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yarn along

MarthaKimball2 Comments

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It’s been a week of knitting consternation.  This Lila sweater that I’m knitting for myself is so blissful to work on, I got a bit carried away and knitted three inches past where I was supposed to to begin side shaping.  I’m nervous to rip back for fear I’ll cause more problems, but I can’t keep knitting on it and the whole thing is so frustrating that I’ve just set it aside for other projects.  I cast on for a pair of simple house slippers for phoebe with some leftover yarn and ran out of yarn on the toe of the second slipper.  She didn’t mind me using a different color for the toe, and I didn’t feel like ripping it out.  I cast on for a bulky cowl for myself with some Rowan Biggy Print that someone gave me and about half way through decided I didn’t like the way the yarn and pattern were looking together.  Grr.  Rip rip rip.

I’ve been saving Ann Voskamp’s new release, The Broken Way, for the new year, and I’ve relished diving into it this week.  Her words are resonating deeply, as they usually do, with where I find myself this January.

Bento bag pictured is from StacyZink on Etsy and I love it!

Joining with Ginny.  
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back in the swing of things

MarthaKimball4 Comments

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It’s quiet enough in the house to hear the faint trickling of water in the gutters, snow melting from our rooftop after days of blanketing the ground.  We don’t normally keep snow for a few consecutive days in these North Carolina mountains, but the temps have been low enough, giving us days of sledding and soggy peeled off boots and layers piled by the door.  I haven’t posted yet about Christmas.  I haven’t posted my new year reflections and hopes.  I haven’t been reading much this week.  I had a migraine that’s lasted for about four days.  It seems to be on its way out today, just barely there.  Phoebe has been on an extremely restricted diet as of Sunday, and my days and mental capacity have been filled with getting back into the swing of homeschooling and feeding her.  I’m spending hours in the kitchen every day just trying to keep up and come up with ways to get her to eat.  It’s going better than I expected, but it’s a lot of work, so not much margin left for other things.  I miss this space and blogging and hope to catch up on those posts soon.  Do any of you still care to even see Christmas pictures? 🙂

I have, however, been knitting because I crave knitting for my sanity!  It is so peaceful, so unwinding.  During the snowstorm I cast on a few new items.  What is it about falling snow that makes one want to cast on and knit everything??  I’m trying to force myself to finish Noah’s sweater and stay focused.  All it needs now is the buttonhole placket which I hope to finish tonight, then sewing on buttons.  I have so so loved knitting with Shelter and have so loved this pattern that it is a little bittersweet to be on the last few rows of it.  I plan to knit him a hat with the one leftover skein, as he requested.  I can’t wait to wrap it up and let him open it.  I really want to knit mitts and slippers for each of the kids, too.  And cowls!  And hats!  Before winter is over!  🙂

Linking up with Ginny’s yarn along today to share what I’m currently knitting + reading.

yarn along

MarthaKimball2 Comments

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I cast on for the Lila sweater (for myself!) last week and got about 2.5 inches into knitting before I realized there was a twist in the knitting.  Grr.  So I ripped back and now am back to where I was.  I’m loving knitting with Shepherd’s wool!  Still need to do the button placket on Noah’s sweater now that it’s finished blocking.

I have stopped pretty much all previous books I was reading to invest that time in reading up on some things for Phoebe’s health.  I’m revisiting Breaking the Vicious Cycle to refamiliarize myself with the SCD diet.  We have hit a pretty major roadblock as I shared a couple of posts back, and I am busy researching when I have a few moments here and there.

Linking up with Ginny’s weekly yarn along where we share what we’re currently reading and knitting.
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yarn along

MarthaKimballLeave a comment

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I bound off Noah’s sweater last night, after finding I had about 10 too many stitches after raglan decreases and having to rectify that.  The pattern says to block it now and then do the neck ribbing and button placket so I feel liberated to cast on something else in the meantime. 😉

I’m gauge swatching for my next project, a sweater for me!  Isn’t this yarn lovely?  I cannot wait.  Hoping to cast on today!

Not much reading happening this week.  I did however post pictures of phoebe’s finished sweater yesterday on the blog so go check it out.

Linking up with Ginny’s yarn along community today to share what we’re knitting and reading.

my strawberry girl

MarthaKimball2 Comments

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She tells me her phoebe sweater is one of her favorite gifts and she’s been cozying up in it every day at some point.  The yarn relaxed so much after blocking it that even though I made a size 6 for my petite little 6 year old, it still is quite big and will fit her for a few years if she takes good care of it.  I loved knitting it and am so glad it is cozy and warm and a cheery red for her.  It reminds me of the bright red cardinals we see flitting around in the drab winter scenery, little spots of color in the long winter.  The bonnet was one of her stocking gifts, she has asked for one for months.  I think this one is so cute and it will get lots of wear.  We gave her the book “Phoebe’s Sweater” along with it, which has the knitting patterns in the back.

Her birthday this year was really calm and quiet and peaceful.  She wanted to open all of her presents before daddy went to work so we let her.  We gave her a violin and the sweater I had knit her.  Brandon had picked out a special necklace for her, it looks sort of “indian-ish” so it goes well with her latest imaginary play.  She had a few other gifts to open from her grandparents.  She wanted to go to the park to play, the one that has swings, so we spent the morning there.  The weather has been fairly mild lately so it was really nice to be out.  I let her skip her “quiet time” after lunch and we worked on her new legos and then snuggled and watched a christmas movie.  I baked her cake that morning, a gluten-free funfetti cake with my own buttercream icing and I covered it in strawberries because she loves them so.  She was soo excited about her cake, as you can see.

yarn along

MarthaKimball5 Comments

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Well, Noah’s birthday came and went and his sweater is still on my needles.  I’m a little disappointed, but it has been a more complicated knit than I anticipated so it’s to be expected.  And I will finish it soon, probably in a couple of weeks once you add in time for blocking and buttons.  But I know he will enjoy it whenever he gets it.  He was much more interested in his other gifts yesterday anyway. 🙂  We wanted to give each child a hand knit sweater and a musical instrument for their birthdays.  He got a small beginners drum set from us and he is so happy.  And he was spoiled rotten by the grandparents, too, so he probably will appreciate the sweater more anyway after the birthday and christmas frenzy is over.

I’m still reading To the Bright Edge of the World, maybe half way through, but not much time for reading the past week or so.  I had a hold request on Letters from Honeyhill: A Woman’s View of Homesteading and it just came into the library so I’m wanting to dig into it but trying to discipline myself to finish what I have going first.

I’m linking up with Ginny of Small Things to share what I’m knitting and reading this week.
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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

MarthaKimball10 Comments

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I’m onto sleeves for Noah’s sweater.  I’m so enjoying this knit and can I just say the tubular cast on is brilliant?  But I’m also a little worried these sleeves are looking too big.  It’s weird to do a sweater this way, bottom up and attaching sleeves later and I hope it all comes together well.  I’m starting to think I won’t be done in time for his birthday, which is the 20th.

I picked up To The Bright Edge of the World from the library and am falling happily into this adventurous story of a Colonel in 1885 exploring the vast Alaska territory, and his newly pregnant wife who longs to leave behind social restraints and join her husband in the icy mysterious lands rife with wild animals and rumors of wilder natives.

I’m joining up with Ginny at Small Things for her weekly yarn along link up where we share what we’re currently knitting and reading.  Affiliate links included in this post.

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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