I've got nothing

It's just one of those mornings. I feel on the depleted side. I see Vinny this afternoon, which will help. Maybe watching Juno tonight will too. (Yes, I have yet to see Juno. I'm the one.)

In the meantime, I stepped out to take some photos of the space around us rapidly undressing, getting ready to snuggle in for the winter. The fog has lifted for the most part, but we are still in the midst of a wet couple of days.

Rainy thursday

Playing boardgames.



Making stop action movies.

Knitting.

(Not photographed, among other things, old Kipper videos and the Facebook game, Vampire Wars :-)

Knitty progress

Coming home from co-op meal, Gem and I were chomping at the bit to get back to our knitting.

He fought through some fatigue and finished his hat. He was quite pleased.


And I finished my first sock! I made some funny mistakes along the way, like going straight from turning the heel to starting the toe, skipping the foot completely. Some minor slips here and there were left as is for posterity. Overall, it was pretty darn straightforward and intuitive.

The sock feels wonderful, by the way. The wool wraps the foot in instant warmth and springy cush. The fierce attraction to sock knitting is making more and more sense. I look forward to casting on the second sock!


Here's my deadline knit. For a special someone who is turning 7 in less than two weeks.

Dawning light

I am beginning to get it. Why knitters get obsessive about socks. I cast on my first ever last night and haven't been able to stop. There's a satisfaction in how quickly it knits up. I am, I think, heading into the most complicated portion of the sock, the gussets. So, I may be pulling my hair out later today...

This first pair I am knitting in worsted weight (what I think of as "regular/medium thickness") wool with size 7 needles. My next pair will be knit with "sock" yarn which is much thinner and require much thinner needles.

I have started acquiring sock yarn in the last couple of months...so much beautiful yarn... Gem and Sag each have sock yarn picked out, too.

I have been remembering with great fondness a pair of socks my mother knit for me when I was about 13. They were a mix of pink and purple.

I'm really into the process of learning new techniques as I knit more and more. One of the benefits of learning at home together is having the time, mental space and focused energy to follow our interests, really get into them, and inspire each other with what we learn and share.

Speaking of inspiration:



Gem finished this hat for Rocky later in the day, but I don't have a picture yet.

Backyard battle

We went out back for a bit yesterday. I drank in the sky and ground and the air in between.

The boys did battle. I could hear the symphonic thunder and heroic hums of vibration swirling from their blades and imaginations.

Music man

Cap loves music. All kinds. To his core. He recently created his own channel over at YouTube. For some groovy tunes and/or some music education, head on over here.

Overheard

...again and again.

I am suppressing giggles as I listen to the kids play. Sag has named a planet "Faka" and it sounds just like...do you feel me?

Birthday knit

I bought this yarn yesterday to knit something for Sag for his birthday. I have...12 days. Scarf? Hat? Mittens? Haven't decided. The yarn is a blend of acrylic and nylon and incredibly soft with an impressive cushiness. He is sensitive to wool scratchiness (I was as a kid, too, but have thankfully outgrown that) so this will work nicely. And it will be washable, always a good option to have when knitting something for a child.

The colorway is "Sanibel Island"...the light this morning washed out the color in my photos somewhat.

Water boy

Nesting

Cap had a strong urge to nest this weekend and we reaped many benefits from it. Some of this art work never got unpacked during our time in Sacramento or Plympton. Brings me back to a time before kids/when the kids were very young.





Print by Elizabeth.

Painting by Julie.

The reading nook in the kids' room is finally what I envisioned. There is a good amount of floor space between the giant bean bag and the bookshelf which is not clearly evident in this photo.

This piece was picked up off the street a few months ago. I finally dusted the bottom thoroughly and it now houses some of my knitting books (from the library and from my own collection).

Two gifts from my sweetie hung with love over our bed.

Photo by Steve.

Print by Erica.

There's always more to do, but he truly made a dent and I feel so encouraged by the progress we've made in the past few months.

Oh, afterward, he treated us to a dinner of tomato-garlic soup and potato croquettes. Yum.