A Sky Blanket

This little guy turned 10 last week.

10 is big.
I wanted to mark this year for him, to give him something that he can keep with him always. I wanted him to have something from me that shows my love, but something that was also unique for him. I am knitting him a Sky Blanket.
For each day of his 10th year I will check the sky at 1:00pm (the time he was born) and knit 2 rows on his blanket in the corresponding colour......

I will cast off on his 11th birthday, then give it to him one week later.
Each row filled with intention and love, such a joy to knit.
A Sky Blanket for my beautiful boy.
Mama xx

Catching Up

Such a long time since I was here.
So I am Catching Up and Taking Stock with a big nod to Pip at meetmeatmikes

Taking Stock right now:

Making : Baskets, Beanies, Blankets and a Shawl.

Cooking : Birthday Cakes.
Drinking : Tea, always tea.
Reading : The Dirty Chef by Matthew Evans and The Five Greatest Warriors by Matthew Reilly.
Wanting : To sew a quilt with some gorgeous hand blocked Indian fabrics but I can't decide on a design.

Looking : At the clear blue Winter sky.
Playing : Lots of retro 80's on CD.
Deciding : That I will knit my biggest little a Sky Blanket to commemorate his 10th year.
Wishing : For rain.
Enjoying : School holidays. Spending all day with my guys is awesome.
Waiting : For the yarn, for the Sky Blanket to arrive from Bendigo Woollen Mills.. so excited.
Liking : That Winter is here and we have already celebrated 2 of the 4 Winter birthdays.
Wondering : If the veggie patch is getting enough sun.
Loving : How my boys love each other.

Pondering : Woollen baskets, and hot water bottle covers and mug warmers with handmade wooden buttons.
Considering : If I should take the littlest to pre-prep before he starts school next year.
Watching : True Blood on Blu-ray. Halfway through Season 2. So much fun....
Hoping : I can finish the blanket on the needles and free them up before Saturday.
Marvelling : At how much better I feel after a haircut.
Needing : To sort and photograph my yarn stash and upload it to Ravelry.
Smelling : Freshly washed blonde curls on sweet little boy heads.

Following : Whole Hearted Journal.
Wearing : All the warm things.
Noticing : The days getting just a wee bit longer after the Winter Solstice.
Knowing : I am so much healthier (and lighter) now that my love and I are walking 9 kms a day. Everyday.

(This is the path we take)

Thinking : About how much my little guy has taught me in the last 10 years.
Feeling : So proud of all my guys and who they are growing up to be.
Admiring : My girl! Her style, her attitude, her thoughts, her sense of humour. Just Her.
Sorting : Clothes and storage as the littlest transitions from Mama and Dadda's room to sleeping in the boys bedroom.
Buying : Oranges, lemons, limes, ginger, rhubarb, mandarines and silver beet direct from the farmer at the top of our street. He is often around for a chat as well, it's so good hearing his stories and knowing we are supporting a local farmer.
Getting: Excited about the next two birthdays..... 10 and 5 both such important ones.
Bookmarking : Lots of Flying Geese and single star quilt patterns.
Disliking : Winter coughs and sniffles, especially during school holidays.
Opening : Awesome reports from both my guys.
Giggling : When my littlest tells me 'a joke'....
Snacking : On local apples, mandarines and homemade ginger cake.

Coveting : Everything here.
Helping : Winter sniffles on their way with lots of garlic and warming soups.

Hearing : The boys giggling and talking together before they go to sleep.

Sunday

laughter
toast and lime marmalade
frankie
cross stitches
tomato slices with salt and pepper
walking in the rain
tea
orange cake
grey and white yarn
love notes and kisses
knitting
indigo coloured fabric
roast potatoes
wooden spools of thread
cuddles

Beginner?

How do you know when you have moved past being a beginner?

Is it when you start to look at things that you haven't attempted before, just looking mind you, not really intending to do anything about trying it yet?

Or is when you can't stop looking at something that you really thought was perhaps a little beyond your skills and think 'I can do that'?

I have fallen hard for this pattern. 

It is lace and it is charted only. No written instructions. I have only knitted lace once before when I knit the Hemlock Blanket and I am still working on my Dream Stripes but I haven't reached the charted lace part yet. Will this be enough? Enough experience for me to be classed an 'adventurous beginner'? 

Oh, but I so want to have a Morrigan for myself. I want it to be knit in this glorious handspun, lace weight yarn, a gift from a beautiful friend. I want to be able to wrap up in something I thought a little too difficult and say "I knitted it myself"!
I suppose only time will tell! I will let you know!

School holidays this week have mean't little time for reading but I am still dipping into Tula Pink's book. I found some sample indigo coloured fabrics at the op shop, and I really want to incorporate them into a quilt. As they are small it will have to be some sort of scrappy quilt, so I have been looking around for some patterns that might suit. Also patterns that a beginner quilter will find doable.
Beginner really is my theme this week.
Joining Ginny

Yarn Along

I finished the cowl I was knitting last week. It is really lovely, just as snuggly and soft as we envisioned.
So I cast on a for a Dream Stripes. Such a sweet pattern, which is knitting up quite quickly despite the finer yarn I am using. Also despite the fact that I have ripped and restarted it three times so far. You need to be really careful not to carry the yarn up the side too tightly. I am a tight knitter anyway so I have to be really conscious of this and keep those edges loose. Lapses of concentration lead to ripping out of knitting.
As for the yarn I have absolutely no idea what either of them are, they were both op-shop finds without labels. The white/cream is definitely wool, the grey I think is some sort of blend. There is wool in there but possibly also nylon. It is beautifully soft whatever it is and so should be lovely around the neck. They are working well together, although the grey is knitting up a bit more lavender grey than it appears in the skein.

As for reading this week I have been looking at Tula Pink's 100 Modern Quilt Blocks I am a beginner when it comes to quilting so I tend {at the moment} to look at lots of quilting blogs and books without committing to actually sewing anything. I intend though to complete at least one quilt this year and this book is inspiration indeed. I am pulling fabrics bit by bit and hoping to get started over the school holidays, which begin next week.

*My pretty postcard came from Anastasia at L'Accent Nou the perfect backdrop for these colours. Make sure you visit her and check out her beautiful necklaces and other handmade beauties. Simply wonderful things!

Late but joining in with Ginny