Tag: knitting

outside + in

MarthaKimball3 Comments

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We’ve been really enjoying a lot of family time lately, and since the winter weather has been so crazy mild here we’ve been outside a good bit.  My youngest brother was visiting after Christmas and we took the kids hiking on Graybeard trail in Montreat where Brandon and I spent so many of our college days hiking and exploring.

Noah also got his first fishing pole for Christmas and was so excited to go fishing with Daddy on the lake in our neighborhood.  He caught his first fish, too!

Last weekend we were able to take an impromptu trip to South Carolina to visit Brandon’s parents as they are prepping their house to put it on the market.  We had such a relaxing and quiet/restful weekend with them.  The kids absolutely love them and their house.  Noah had his first opportunity to sleep in a big boy room set up just for him, and he did so well and was so excited about it being just for boys.  He and Phoebe seem to love sharing a room but I’m thinking he may be getting ready for his own space and it may be time to move the girls in together.  All the kids are obsessed with the grandparents’ dogs, which are tiny little mikki’s.  Philippa kept calling them “ba-ba,” which is her word for baby.  Brandon and I were able to get out for a good run together while the kids napped on Sunday.  I was able to spend hours knitting.  We were all a bit sad to say goodbye, and when we pulled into our neighborhood late Sunday night Phoebe and Noah both started whimpering and Noah said “I hate home.”  So apparently, they had a great time. 🙂

This week has been colder, we even saw some flurries earlier in the week!  I realize I’ve been really feeling off without a good cold winter and no signs of snow.  As much as I am savoring the milder weather with little ones who get cooped up indoors, it just feels so strange to see wisteria blooming and daffodils springing up through the dirt in January.  I read on a friend’s blog a week or so ago that “winter is a time for dreaming” and I’ve thought about it so often since.   think it’s important for us to have a season where we are forced to live more quiet, small, and slow because the days are short and cold.  It’s been a hard week, in some ways, working on a lot of projects, cleaning, and our budget (read: gag me with ruffage).  But Brandon did surprise me on New Year’s Eve with those sweet pink roses.  And there has been time for reading hand-written cards and knitting baby socks.  So life is good.

 “winter is the time for comfort,
for good food and warmth,
for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire:
it is the time for home.”
– edith sitwell

and for knitting + reading + watching “When Calls the Heart” + “Life Below Zero,” I might add.

Happy wintering, friends!

yarn along

MarthaKimball4 Comments

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So I’ve finished philippa’s first sock and onto the cuff of sock number two!  I’ve been really loving working with this color yarn (Semolina) and her sock is so darn cute on her, I can’t wait to see them both on.  Once everyone’s are finally done I will snap a pic with them all wearing them!  Philippa keeps snagging the finished sock and I catch her trying with consternation to get it on her foot.  So I think she will like them.

I’m still working through a few books but haven’t gotten in much reading time the last few days.  I have started this condensed version of Little Women with Phoebe.  I found it at the Target dollar spot (along with a bunch of other bantam classics!) before Christmas for $1 so I couldn’t pass it up.  This one looks similar.  Plus it has great hand-drawn illustrations on almost every page which she loves in a chapter book.  It is very condensed but it’s a good introduction to the basic story line and I will probably read her the longer version soon.  She and I used to always read a chapter book together, one chapter a day (we worked our way through most of the Little House on the Prairie Books) but I’ve had a harder time squeezing this reading time in with her lately and want to get back to it.  She is such a reader and it’s a way she and I can have just some special mommy/daughter time together.

Here are the socks for each child so you can see the sizing.  The pink are Phoebe’s, blue are Noah’s and yellow are for Philippa.

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Joining in with Ginny Sheller’s yarn along today.  Happy knitting, friends! What are you working on?

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I haven’t been getting much reading done lately, with all the birthday and Christmas and family celebrations.  I’m still working through Parables and The Things of Earth.  I’m itching for a good fiction, though.  I have a list waiting, just need to force myself to finish up what I’m reading before I move onto something else.  James Herriot’s Treasury for Children was one of the kids’ Christmas gifts and we started on it today.  They seemed to really love it, as I figured they would.  They love anything having to do with animals + farm life, and so do I, really.

Noah’s first sock is done and I’m part way through the gusset of sock 2.  I hope to have it done by tomorrow.  He seems more excited about these than Phoebe did, so I’m hoping he likes them!  She told me after I gave her hers for Christmas that she wanted red, not pink, and that they were too hot and poke-y.  Ahh!  But when I told her I’d just hand them down to her sister, she seemed suddenly quite attached to them.

Either way, I enjoyed making them. 🙂

(Joining up with Ginny Sheller’s weekly Yarn Along today)

 

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MarthaKimball1 Comment

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So I’ve begun on Noah’s first Christmas sock, most likely won’t be done by Christmas but still plugging away at it.  I also burned the midnight oil last night trying furiously to finish these two knitted projects for Phoebe’s birthday (today), a scarf with this super soft purple yarn that she picked out and a knitted bonnet hat to match her sister’s.  She was SO excited and happy when she opened it and told me it was “just what she wanted,” which can only make every moment of sleep-deprivation worth while for this momma.  I just made up the pattern for the scarf, stockinette stitch with a seed stitch border and tassels.  It still rolls on the sides, but oh well.  She likes it! 🙂

I’m reading this new release by John MacArthur, Parables, and absolutely loving it.  I’ve been studying the Gospels all year long and so I was immediately drawn to this as I have been loving meditating on the parables of Jesus in the Gospels.  It is fascinating so far!

Here is the birthday scarf + hat:

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Can I just say, I love knitting?!

(joining up with Ginny Sheller’s yarn along today.)

yarn along

MarthaKimball5 Comments

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I have finished Phoebe’s second sock, just need to weave in the ends.  Should I block them?  I haven’t done that before but was waiting to weave in the ends if you fellow knitters would recommend blocking?  Buying more supplies right now just makes me feel weary.  I am super happy with how quickly sock #2 went, it gives me hope that I can finish Noah’s pair before Christmas.  MAYBE even Philippa’s if I’m crazy. 🙂  I’m also making a big soft cozy bonnet hat for Phoebe with a pink pom-pom and tassels to match her socks.  It’s the same pattern as this one, just white with pink.  She has been asking for one for awhile now.  And a scarf.  Any recommendations for a good, fast, chunky knit kid scarf?  I may just do a basic stockinette stitch scarf or something fast that I can have done by Christmas also.  She already picked out her yarn for it awhile ago.

I’m still reading a couple of Advent books and The Things of Earth (slowly!) but have been quickly reading through Audacious by Beth Moore. She has been somewhat of a spiritual momma to me for many years now, and I will probably read anything she writes.  I admit I thought this one might be cheesy (not sure why), but it has been dead on.  The Lord has been using this one mightily to work some things in my heart in this season.  I will always love that kooky Texas lady with the big hair.  The fruit her labors have borne in my heart are immeasurable!

And here’s a picture of Phoebe’s socks, for those of you who were curious. I can’t wait to see her try them on!  I’m keeping them hidden until Christmas, though.

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Joining with Ginny Sheller’s yarn along today.

yarn along

MarthaKimball7 Comments

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So I FINISHED my very first sock!  I’m super proud and stoked.  I have learned a lot of new things while working on this one, and I’m pretty hooked on knitting.  I started the matching sock for it last night.  I am pretty eager and ancy to get these done before Christmas and I’m feeling like at this rate I will most certainly not get everyone’s finished!  😦  Phoebe has seen me working on these, she sort of thinks they are for her but I haven’t said anything directly.  Even this morning, Noah saw me taking these pictures and he was excited to see the finished sock.  He asked, “Is that Phoebe’s?”  And I said yes and he was so enthusiastic.  I have been sort of thinking they won’t be that excited about these, but both seem super interested and excited that mommy is maybe making them something.

Also, I’m still reading a couple of Advent books, and working through The Things of Earth but this book has been a favorite of mine with to read with the kids this year.  A library find, but I will probably have to buy it.  It is set in the mountains where we live, such a sweet story of a humble family and hope, and the little girl is named “Ruthie” just like our little Ruthie (Philippa Ruth).  I have added a list of some of our other favorite + treasured Christmas children’s books in my little book store (on the slide-out sidebar under “Recommended Reads”).

Joining up with Ginny Sheller’s weekly yarn along today.

yarn along

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The past week has been busy with family and gathering, the best sort of busy.  I’ve been trying to crank out some knitting on this sock in the few quiet moments in between.  This is my first time knitting in the round + knitting socks, I really am enjoying it now that I’ve started to see it take shape.  I’m skeptical that I’ll finish 4 sets of these before Christmas at this rate! 😦  But maybe I’ll get faster as I get the hang of it?  I’m just about ready to start on the heel flap on this one.  Lots to learn!

I’m still reading The Things of Earth of course, it will take me a bit to work through that one.  I’ve also started a few Advent books, this one is edited by Nancy Guthrie, an author I love, and is a compilation of some Christmas reflections from some of the best pastors and theologians such as George Whitfield, Martin Luther, Charles Spurgeon, John Piper, Tim Keller, Jonathon Edwards, Augustine, Schaeffer, etc.  I’m enjoying it so far.  I’m also reading Ann Voskamp’s The Greatest Gift and the children + I have been eager to dive back into the child’s Advent book Unwrapping the Greatest Gift.  We worked through it last year and all loved it so much.  I think it will be a treasured family tradition for us!

(Joining up today with Ginny Sheller‘s yarn along!)

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I’ve been making a ton of hats lately, still have a few more to make per various requests, but I’m starting (finally!) on these Christmas socks I plan to knit for my children + husband.  You guys, this is my first time trying to knit in the round and it’s so hard!  SO hard!  I can’t imagine ever being able to relax and do this.  It’s also my first time working with a size 3 needle and learning to knit ribbing.  So that may have something to do with it, too.  I’m pretty determined, so we’ll see how it goes.  Notice I focused in the picture above on my book rather than my knitted work. 🙂  Don’t look too closely.  As for the book, The Things of Earth, I am loving it so far.  I haven’t read something so brain stretching, theologically, in a little bit and it’s been hard at times to get my mind to focus on things like “perichoresis” and such, but so worth it!  Everything within me is resonating with what Rigney is saying and I love the way he carefully handles Scripture.

I hope to have a good picture of my very first child’s sock progress for you next week!  Because I know you’re dying to see it.  HA.

(Joining up with Ginny Sheller’s Yarn Along today.)

yarn along

MarthaKimball9 Comments

joining up today with Ginny Sheller’s yarn along to share what i’m reading + knitting this week!

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I am still working on making a few knitted baby bonnet hats for some nieces + nephews, per request.  I can’t tell you how much it means to me to be able to make something for those I love that they really like!  For a stay-at-home-momma of three on a tight budget, it enables me to give a unique gift of value that is affordable on my part.

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This one I finished up for my nephew, being modeled here by my son.  I’m also working on three more of these, and still working on some dishcloths.  I’ve ordered some supplies to make some hand knit christmas gifts for my children, so I’m excited to get started on those + will share pics soon!  Also, Phoebe has asked me to make her a scarf, and has already picked out her yarn, so I will be onto that soon too.  Many things to keep my hands busy!  I’m finding myself taking my knitting with me everywhere now.

Also, I’ve just started on The Things of Earth: Treasuring God by Enjoying His Gifts by Joe Rigney.  This is one I’ve been dying to read for some time now, but have been busy with some other books.  The theme of this book is one very close to my own heart and core passion, that of enjoying God in His good gifts, rather than seeing “the things of earth” as being far less important than the things of the soul + spirit.  I’m hoping Rigney makes a strong biblical case for our finding God in the good gifts He gives us and worshipping Him through them.  (I’ve written briefly about my passion for this here, here, and here.)  John Piper wrote the forward and it looks a theologically rich read that I’m eager to sink my soul into.

 

yarn along

MarthaKimball3 Comments

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I’m joining up today with Ginny Sheller’s weekly yarn along, where we share what we’re currently reading + knitting.  I took some of your advice, fellow knitters, and am working on some simple cotton dishcloths.  It’s interesting working on increasing/decreasing, I suppose, but I can’t say I terribly love making dishcloths.  It seems sort of a rite of passage though, as a new knitter, to make a stack of dishcloths and work on tension + consistency.  Plus, I do need some new ones.  I’m looking for a pattern for some cozy/simple socks for my kids for christmas.  Would that be crazy to attempt knitting three pairs of socks in the next month-ish?  I’d like to learn how to knit in the round.  If you have any pattern recommendations, let me know.

Also, I’m over half way through 7 Women: And the Secret of Their Greatness by Eric Metaxas and, of course, really enjoying it.  I read his biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer last year and enjoyed his writing style as much as the content.  It’s a book I still think often about, even a year later, and this one will probably be the same.  I’ve enjoyed getting to know more about the daily lives + history of women I’ve heard about but never really studied: Joan of Arc, Susanna Wesley, Hannah More, Saint Maria of Paris, Corrie Ten Boom, Rosa Parks, and Mother Teresa.  What’s probably most interesting is the ordinariness of these women, who we often hold up as other-worldly, and the various ways they impacted their generation profoundly.  I will review the book in greater depth when I finish it!