Bedford Sweater + Discovery Park

I finished my Bedford sweater about two weeks ago and have worn it at least six times since. Megan came up to visit us last weekend and I hadn't taken any pictures of it yet, so we decided to do a mini photoshoot at Discovery Park.

I am clearly not a model, but it was fun anyway pretending not to look at the camera and not smiling as per Megan's instructions.

I can't believe this beautiful sister of mine is getting married this month!

We had a lovely sunset (as you can see!) and have been having such beautiful weather lately that I think my sweater-wearing days are numbered.

**All of the sweater pictures and pictures of Forrest and me were taken by my lovely Megan!

Still Knitting

I've realized lately that I haven't done much documentation of my knitting. Given how much time I actually spend working on my projects, it's a little silly of me(irresponsible, some would say?) to not spend even a fraction of that time photographing them. I can think of at least three items right off the top of my head that I made over the holidays that I didn't even photograph once. It's really sad to not be able to see the progress I have made over the years and so I have taken a solemn oath to always, always, always take at least one picture of everything I knit from now until eternity.

I slowed down the needles a little bit when I started school again in the fall, but then I quickly realized that I would go crazy if I stopped knitting altogether. So, obviously, the smart thing to do was cast on two sweaters. At the same time. One is a sweater for Forrest (that I have been promising him ever since I first learned to knit) and one is for meeeee.

Forrest's sweater is made with a much finer weight wool than the sweater I chose for myself, so the progress on that one is much slower. I've probably put in a lot more time in on his and have much less to show for it. He's also a lot bigger than me, so there's that added bonus. I've so far finished the back panel of his sweater and still have the front panel, two side panels, and the sleeves to go. I'm about an inch into the front and I'm getting pretty excited to see the finished product.. whenever that is. I haven't really taken any pictures of it, but when I get a little more done, I'll be documenting it as I go.

My sweater is coming along quite nicely. I have most of the body finished and part of each sleeve. The way the sleeves are knit is starting to make my fingers sore, so I may have to take a break for a while. I'm more excited about this sweater than anything else I've ever made. This will be my third adult-sized sweater and it has a beautiful twisty texture. I can't wait to wear it and I'm really hoping I finish it before it gets too warm outside. That's the only trouble with 100% wool.

Also, I found that pristine 1970's Chronicles of Narnia box set at Value Village for $2 right after I told myself that I needed to reread them. Fate! (Currently reading The Horse and His Boy).

Cat Sweater

I somehow always knew this day was coming.

I started by knitting small animals; I suppose it's only natural to progress to knitting for small animals.

Some family friends of our have a cat named Gus. Gus has an enormous amount of hair--which equals a lot of shedding. So our friends shave him down (except his head and the end of his tail. So he looks like a lion, naturally).

Alas, the price of no shedding is not inexpensive: Gus is one chilly kitty in the winter.

The answer? A sweater.

A cat sweater for Gus.

He's quite regal, really.

Gus really hates his sweater.

some of the best news i have heard in a long time + tardis socks

I have been really absent from this blog for a while for a few reasons which aren't even that real. It has been nagging at me for several days and then I told myself, "Self, you can't edit 5,000 pictures and knit a sweater and write blog posts and make dinner and move across an ocean all at the same time."

And so I haven't.

But I have knitted a sweater and made dinner. And I finally finished all the seasons of Grey's Anatomy so now I'm caught up to where the normal world is. I have a really hard time watching weekly shows and that is why I was nine years behind. And I finished Parenthood. And now I have nothing to watch anymore when I knit.

I also finally loaded all of my pictures from our week long camping trip in August to my computer. Don't even get me started on the fact that I've barely even looked at any of the pictures I took in June when we went to Scotland and saw some of the coolest things I have ever seen in real life.

Then we went to London again and I took another million photos. So expect to see those in like a year.

ALSO BIG NEWS RIGHT HERE

(did you catch my sneaky hint in the first paragraph?--wink)

We know when we're leaving! (more or less). So expect to see us again back in America in about six weeks! And we can't wait to see YOU. This is big news, people. It's only the question that I get asked any time I see anybody these days. And I finally have a real answer! So, pending a longer government shutdown/any unforeseen complications that may or may not arise (pleaaaaaase, let nothing else arise), we'll be Americans again so soon (like the mid-late November in case you're really bad at adding weeks) And we can't wait!

Also, Forrest will be retired! This is a huge deal and a big blessing to us because of the extra benefits he (and I!) will receive rather than if he had just been medically discharged. So now he will be retired at 24 and that's probably the youngest retirement I've ever heard of. I also really love saying it because it makes me giggle a little bit. I mean really, who retires that young? It's a tiny bit hilarious (probably just to me).

Probably more on these thoughts at some later date when I have some sort of existential breakdown. Leaving the UK gives me sad feelings sometimes. But going back to the states gives me even bigger happy feelings and I'm twirling around inside right now!

Thank you to everyone who has been there for us, prayed for us, encouraged us, and helped us to be patient. I knew they couldn't make us stay here forever but sometimes it really didn't feel that way. It seems like all of our prayers have been answered in the best possible way that they could be and doesn't that just feel wonderful? I just have this huge weight off of me now that I didn't even know I was carrying around.

So for now we are just waiting out this government shutdown (hoping we get paid after the 15th) and thanking our lucky stars that we're leaving in November and not October because there are some really stressful things going on right now for people who are trying to leave. The countdown is on!

*****

Another reason, well the main reason until I started typing too much, for this post is to show off some socks that I made for my friend Rachel for her birthday. Her birthday is in April aaand I finished these in August. But I think that these socks maybe made up for it because she's the biggest Dr. Who geek that I know. I even started watching Dr. Who because of her. For those non-Whovians out there, the TARDIS (Time and Relative Dimension in Space) or police box is the space ship that The Doctor uses to travel through time and space.

Here is  where I got the the pattern. You have to know how to knit a sock already to follow it so it's more of a chart. I did an afterthought heel and a pretty standard toe in case you were wondering. I used a really soft cotton yarn and I thought they came out pretty great. The TARDIS kind of looks 3D in real life.

Stitching the letters was a lot harder than I thought it would be. 

Happy (late)  birthday, Rach! I hope your feet enjoy time-traveling.

sometimes I don't know what to write about

I have been feeling very uninspired around these parts lately. It has been very quiet and I have cleaned out my sock drawer. Other than that, I can't think of anything of consequence really to write about. Not that my socks are of much consequence anyway?

Summer has pretty much abandoned us reminding me that fall is almost here which reminds me once again that we are still here.

Am I the only one over here crying for summer to stay? Don't leave! I didn't get to wear shorts enough! I don't care about pumpkin flavored anything, all I want is more of your bountiful summer produce and a popsicle or two. 

But it's gone. You can tell when the wind blows. It's a fall breeze a-blowin'.

We've had a few partially cloudy almost 70 days and then we've had a lot of horribly balmy with zero sun days. I have never really experienced those before. This is not Seattle humidity, this is Alabama in the middle of summer humidity. But it's so confusing because there is no sun! I'm too cold if I wear shorts, too hot if I wear pants. I drip sweat if I do any type of light aerobic activity but I shiver unless I have a blanket when I sit still. The temperature changes by about 15 degrees when the sun peeks through but my confused body does not really appreciate all of this no sun but so muggy you'll die with air-conditioning business.

Anyway

I've been knitting again!

I kind of took a break for a while mostly on accident, because, you know, summer and traveling, but also because my hands were tired and I made way too much last October-February. This post didn't really do what I did any justice. In Novemberish, I started a pair of cabled socks that I had planned to use as a Christmas present. But when I was working on the second sock, I noticed that my finger kept falling asleep. Strange right? I guess it was because of the way I was holding the needles and cutting off my circulation and probably because I was knitting for like six hours a day or more, whatever. So I stopped knitting them because it's really weird to not be able to feel your fingertip (but I can feel it now!). And I started or finished some other project and forgot about the lonely sock.

Then a few weeks ago, I heard a small voice coming from my knitting basket. "Finish me," it cried, "finish me so you'll stop feeling guilty about everything in your life" and then that dang half-finished sock wouldn't shut up so I gave in and now I have a pair of socks and some owl mittens. 

And you know what? It feels good to be creating again. It feels good to be done with a project I started eight months ago.

But then I remembered that knitting just makes me want to make everything. So I have two or three finished projects and 37 more that I found on Pinterest while still working on those two or three. It's a really vicious cycle and I wouldn't recommend it unless your husband really likes it when you spend lots and lots of money on wool. Mine sure does.

So now, I knit.

I still haven't accepted in my heart that summer is ending but I'll keep knitting so that I have something to wear in the fall.

Knit knit knit

I have been really busy.

This is a couple of months worth of knitting minus a few pairs of mittens and socks and whatever else I already gave away or forgot about. I'm obsessed with mittens lately. I hadn't ever worn mittens in my whole life until I made this mustard pair and now I can't take them off. The delicate ruffly cuff is such a cute detail and I love the little bud on the thumb. 

I'm in the process of knitting some mittens for a friend and I'm frantically trying to finish them before we fly off to DC on Wednesday! I'm not looking forward to the seven hour flight (which is actually short for us!), but I'll be so happy to be back in America for a little while. Disgusting amounts of greasy fast food, here we come! 

Oh, and the monuments and stuff.

a walk and some exciting news

The sun was so cheery the other day that I decided to trek on over to the nearest walking path to spend a little quality time with my new lens. I anticipated this walk all day until I reached the trail and was met by a tall fence and this:



"Sorry, The work being undertaken here will improve this section of the Lark Valley Path, but has been delayed by unprecedented levels of rainfall resulting in saturated ground conditions. 

Because of this we have had to extend the temporary closure of this path until the end of February to complete the works.
This closure is in place to ensure your safety  and to allow the new surface to settle and bind together. 

We would therefore request that use of this route be avoided until the path is re-opened.

Thank you for understanding."

Forlorn, I turned back and spent way too long taking pictures on the five foot section of pathway that was open and on the walk back to the farm. 

And there were horses. One was in a dashing plaid coat.

I've been wearing this herringbone cowl way too much, but I can't help it because it is so cozy and cuddly. It's probably my most favorite creation to date. 

 

Also, I'm really excited because I just found out that I'm going to Washington DC next week with Forrest! For a month! This is extra exciting because at first we thought I would have to stay here all alone. It's very last minute and I have never been so unprepared, but I can't wait!