Traveling Jeanne Shawl & Contest

There’s still time to join the Destination Yarn Spring Shawl Knit Along. Post your project to this thread by Monday for a chance at a fabulous prize! Also you should go check it out anyways – the stuff people are knitting is really beautiful. I’m going to draw the name for the prize on Tuesday morning. It’s pretty fabulous.

So is anyone going to the Great Lakes Fiber Festival today? I”ll be there for a short time in the morning. Wearing this:

My Traveling Woman Shawl.

I actually finished it a while ago but it went straight from the blocking board into my carry on bag for Napa. I literally unpinned it as the taxi was pulling into our driveway and tucked in the ends on the way to the airport. I’ve been wearing it constantly since then. It served as a headscarf in our convertible driving up Highway 1:

I'm aware that I look ridiculous.

Kept me warm while hiking through Muir Woods:

Group shot.  My hair is not a tangled mess because of this shawl.

Had lots of fun at the wineries:




Then it went with me to New Bern. Again shoved in my carry on just in case. I didn’t need to bring a coat since I had such a useful scarf in case of cold! It was even in my beach bag to be used as a headscarf again if things got too windy.  I didn't need it then but I did tuck the baby underneath it when she fell asleep on the plane home.

Needless to say I love this shawl. And before I blogged it I felt it deserved a little wash and reblock:


That’s a first for me. I’ve never worn a shawl so much I needed to reblock it.


But this is truly the perfect accessory. It’s warm enough to keep off the chill of spring or a summer evening, but is cool enough that it’s not hot and sweaty. It’s light as air so I have no problem bringing it everywhere with me just in case. Folded over and worn with the point facing front it’s completely trendy. And It can dress up my standard outfit of a tank top and jeans skirt in a second. Plus the yarn. Oh the yarn:

I LOVE how the semi-solid knit up with this pattern. And the silver gray goes with just about everything I own. I even bought these sandals so that I would be coordinated:

I've never bought shoes specifically to match a handknit before.

I knit the pattern exactly as written except that I added 2 extra repeats of Chart A. I had plenty of yarn in one skein to do this and I think it ended up about the perfect size. I love how this pattern is shaped. The increases on every row – as opposed to every other row like most shawls – give it a gradual peak:

Not the standard 45 degree triangle. I actually want to use this shaping on all shawls from now on. I’d love to see how the Adamas pattern worked with this shaping, for instance.

Anyways! Enough about how much I love this. On to the specs:

On Ravelry: Traveling Jeanne Shawl
Pattern: Traveling Woman
Yarn: Destination Yarn Sock Yarn Postcard – a super-soft blend of Merino and Nylon.
Colorway:  “Stormy Afternoon”
Mods: Added 2 extra repeats of Chart A
If I could do it again: Would knit it exactly the same. It’s perfect. I want one in every color.
Verdict: WIN. GOLD. YAY. LOVE. HEARTS and BUTTERFLIES and FLOWERS and SUNSHINE.

Awesome Pants

I don’t sew.

However, thanks to my grandma I own a decent sewing machine… but it went unused from my shower in 2004 to Halloween 2008.

Costumes worth dusting of the machine for.

But the thing is… I know how to sew.   Sortof.   My mom took the time to teach me when I was a kid. While I might not be auditioning for Project Runway anytime soon I have a basic knowledge of what a presser foot does and what a seam allowance is.  The real issue is that during these lessons my mom let me choose my own fabrics.

And it was the 1980’s.

So things like this happened:

Yes.  Those would be neon pink and green polkadot hammer pants.


With an elastic waist.

I also made a scrunchie to match. Because of course I did.


You can see why I denied all knowledge rather than admit I had the technical skills to produce something so… awesome.

Well then a few months ago I fell down and Etsy rabbithole of Pillowcase Dresses. So cute! So adorable! Obviously my child needs one STAT! I tweeted something to that effect and Kakaty replied that they were really easy to make.

Hmmmmm…..

Some quick googling revealed that there are many, many, many, many free tutorials out there. And that I absolutely had the skills required to make one:


I used some scrap fabric that my grandma gave me so even if it came out really awful I wouldn’t feel bad.


It’s not perfect. And I ripped as many seams as I sewed… but seriously with the cute.

It even matches the adorable shoes that her Aunt Michele got her!  Although for some reason she kept trying to chew on them.  Must be the handcrafted leather.

Also she's got the crazy after bath hair going.  It was the only time that she's been clean enough to put this dress on her lately.  Kid is constantly a mess.

Regardless I will definitely be making more of these.



I wonder if I have any of that neon polkadot fabric anywhere?

Don't even think about it, Mommy.

Backyard Fun

So there’s apparently been some complaint that I haven’t posted any recent baby pictures. That it’s been… HORROR… weeks since I updated some straight up baby news. So how about some random pictures taken about an hour ago?

The disclaimer: I did not clean her up or style her for this photoshoot.  She’s got a nice toddler patina going on and my attempt to make her sunscreen greasy hair cute with pigtails pretty much made it worse.   Also I’m farily certain she’s wearing a boy’s onsie.  Eh. It’s summer.


Noone cares, mommy.  I'm cute even covered in animal cracker crumbs.

So she still at 14 months does not walk yet. She’s extremely stubborn about it, actually. She has the motor skills required but she refuses help. Most babies will let you hold their hands so they can take some practice steps. Not this kid.  Her motto?  I DO MY SELF.

Which makes this car thing her favorite toy ever:

She pushes it all around the backyard happy as a clam to be cruising on her own.


She does stop occasionally to practice standing on her own.  Sadly not for long enough to be caputred on film.

She also stops to blow kisses to the birds.


Or to point at one and say “SEE”

Basically if she hears a bird chirp she points at the nearest tree looking for it. It’s pretty adorable.


When she has to get somewhere in a hurry, though, the car will not do.

Then she monkey crawls on all fours.

Yeah she’s got the getting around without walking thing down to a science. On carpet she crawls, on wood floor she scoots, and on grass or pavement she goes up on all fours.

I think she could solve all of those problems by just walking already but she doesn’t listen to mommy. Ever.



Whatever. It works fine. Walking is overrated.

The best ever, though is daddy.

Because then she can do this:





It’s going to be a fun summer.

Summer Fun

So have you ever emptied a suitcase just so that you could pack it again? That’s pretty much what’s going on here. I haven’t even finished uploading all of the pictures from our last trip and I’m clearing off the memory cards for the next one….

Tomorrow we are taking the girl to New Bern, North Carolina to visit her grandparents. Should be funtimes. Beach and boat and summer fun.  She loves boats:

And I'm looking forward to chilling on a beach reading the new True Blood book...

But we have to get there first.

Flying with a toddler who doesn’t walk yet? Not superhappyfuntimes. I've done it once before.... But last time didn’t include a layover in Chicago (fairly certain that airport is one of the circles of Hell). And last time she still got a bottle so takeoff and landing weren’t the earpopping scream fest that I’m terrified this time will be.

Of course last time I completely freaked out the day beforehand and everything was ok… so perhaps this anxiety is just a normal part of travel with a kid?

Gah.

Hey you. Mom. Photographer.


How’s my hair look? Am I finding my light?


I am fabulous and fierce.

In other news I’ve basically resigned myself to always being the one with the disheveled kid. She refuses to wear a hair bow or band or anything that will keep in that mass of crazy curls:

I’m going to take this tie out the second you look away from me.


What. I look awesome. Don’t crimp my style.

And let’s not even speak of hats or sunglasses.

 I'm not going to keep these on.  Just give up the dream.

And since she’s still crawling and we’re spending as much time outside as possible she’s usually covered in a combo of sunscreen smears and grass stains.

Also peanut butter.

Throw in a little sand and/or dirt and you’ve got the perfect Summer Toddler Patina.

Yay Summer!  I love being outside!  And going on boats! Also goldfish crackers.