summer fun!

to say i've been busy might be an under-exaggeration. ha. but it feels so good to cross things off the list!!

it's a very busy next few days for me. i'm off camping with the kiddo for a couple of days with my pal, jane richmond and her kiddo...i think we'll have a blast! and then my hubby will join in on friday... we're really looking forward to some nice family camping before he has to go off to sea.... so i'm taking the next two days off of the blogging world.... with promises of uber productive knitting, and general camping fun! sound like a deal?

on a side note... could a mama be even more proud of her little man??? oh he loves swimming so! the next level starts in just a couple of weeks!

how is your summer going? can you believe that we're about to dive into august!??? what are your mid summer plans? i'll have the laptop while i'm away (yah, haha can we say glamping?) so i'll be around to chat!! xoxo

cutest.

man oh man, that weekend went by in a blurr! much knitting has been done, but much more still needs to be done. it won't be long at all before fibrations is here!

so instead of just chatting away about stuff i can't really show you yet... look what i found!

Source: honeybeevintage.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

now if only i had a little girl i could make this for! this comes from honeybee vintage's site. i think she did an ah-mazing job! here's the link to her post on it, in case you feel an overwhelming urge to make this for your sweet girl. xo

isn't it just the best ever when you can find tutorials you can whip up in no time?? happy monday! what are you up to today? xo

great expectations

today is a big day. not only is it the day of the opening ceremonies of the summer olympics, but it's also my baby sister's 30th birthday, as well as her 10th wedding anniversary!

Source: marleinoverakker.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

today really can't be anything short of greatness. i can feel it. of course, by that i mean, super knitterly productive :)

Source: etsy.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

now i'm not casting on anything new for the olympics. i only have a million things on the needles right now. ha. i'm sure you understand. but i do plan to basically do a marathon of knitting to prepare for fibrations.

Source: flickr.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

it's a weekend full of knitting for me. with classes to teach both tonight and tomorrow morning. weee! this weekend looks awesome!

what does this weekend hold for you? will you be casting on for the olympics? what do you have on your needles? come chat. i'll make more coffee :) xo

new love....

i know it's the middle of summer.

Source: ravelry.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

and we're in the middle of a sweater knit along...

Source: ravelry.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

and i already have two sweaters on the needles... buuuut...

look how pretty!!! i think i have to knit it.
this is the bailey cardigan by amy christoffers.
in fact, when i search through her other designs, i realize i've been a fan of hers for a while. and really, it's no surprise. i mean, have you seen her stuff? of course you have. she's designed many, many patterns.

Source: ravelry.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

i just love this cardi! the clean lines, the simple construction... yah.  i think i have to knit it. gah. i'm obsessed..

Source: ravelry.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

this just looks like the perfect cozy cardi, to wrap up in no matter what season we're in. don't you think? in fact, i think that i might need more than one of these... because you can never have too many cardi's. so the question is then... which colour do i knit it in first?

has the cardi bug hit early for you this year? are you a fan of amy christoffers? what are your fave cardi's to knit? and what colour is your fave for a cardi like this one? xo

kal chat and a sneak peek!

wednesday already? as in knit along wednesday with luvinthemommyhood?? this day of the week always creeps up on me, because i always wish i had gotten more knitting done throughout the week for the kal. haha. anyone else feel guilty on wednesdays?

before i get into the sweater chat though, i've promised a sneak peek for ya... my market knitting has been on fire!

i'm loving all of the colours... but now that i've got your attention...


truth be told though, i tend to feel guilty for no reason.. i'm just hard on myself. ha. but it's a good incentive to keep those needles clicking away, with the promise of a finished sweater before too long... so really, i do love kal wednesdays. i love seeing how you are all progressing on your gorgeous sweaters... and my queue for patterns and my desires for yarns grows in leaps and bounds every week :)

so how am i doing? still knitting away. there are a lot of stitches on this bad boy...but i'm loving every stitch. for realz.

to give you a better idea, 'cause sometimes the picture is hard to read, i'm nearing the 8th buttonhole.

hip-hip hurrah!

i also have a confession to make... i've started a second sweater! this one is a test knit for isabell aka. lilalu on ravelry. this is called chalkstone it's her 3rd sweater in her beach series. you remember my test knit for driftwood? that was the second in series. i'm loving this so far! i've opted to knit this in a heavier weight. so far i'm loving the way this is knitting up. mmmmMMmmm...

in fact, i'm a couple of inches farther along than this photo.. but you get the idea :)
so really, i think i'm doing pretty great on this kal. let's hope i actually have an fo by the end of it though! ha. i have faith.

how are you doing on the kal? are you on your first, second, third sweater? hey. i know some of you totally have plans for it. loving all of the chitchatting on the ravelry group. you guys are amazing, and inspiring! xoxo

a birthday wish. xo

today is a special day. it's my mom's birthday.... her 60th!

Source: etsy.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

i wish so much i could be celebrating with her, but canada is just so big. sigh. one day though, we'll see much more of eachother :)

Source: ruffledblog.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

it will happen.

Source: google.ca via Rebecca on Pinterest

but in the meantime, the phone, skype, emails and all that jazz will have to do.

that and plans for a lovely knit for my mama. :)

Source: knit2together.tumblr.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

this next project, once i've chosen it will be more of a long-term knit. i'm sure my mom will be fine with that :) so then it's totally justifiable . and now i can search for some beeaauutiful yarns! ha. 

what are you up to today? are you celebrating a special day? is your mom close enough that you could pop by to give her a loving squeeze? if so, you should do it. our mom's are awesome. my mom's the woman and mother, that i aspire to be. love you mom! xo

wasting no time!

i think i really am a multi-tasker at heart. i rarely ever have just one thing on the needles. case in point... look at what i've been up to this weekend...

yes it's the middle of summer, but i'm already gearing up for a very busy fall and winter knitting season... markets and all!... but that's the one thing with knitting....is that it's a tad time consuming. on the up side though, i am never without something to knit. i see this as a total bonus. love it! :)

the grey sweater is a wee sneak peek :) i'm doing another test knit. loving it! and i promise to chat more about it later this week..

what have you got on your needles? are you already thinking of fall and winter? do you have market booths you're working on growing your inventory for? christmas gifts already? what's on your needles? come chat. :) xo

weekend plans

Source: crushculdesac.tumblr.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

how did friday get here so quickly? i'm certainly not complaining though. just man is this summer flying by fast, or what? today is another day full of knitting... (actually this entire weekend is!) this market table isn't going to be ready all by itself :)
and let me tell you, i've got lots of exciting things planned! ;)

Source: sphaha.alone.at via Rebecca on Pinterest

i've got a class to teach this evening. and if you're in the area, and have a hankering to learn to knit, call the cloth castle and join in! this is the perfect weather for learning to knit. just perfect. :) this weekend my hubby has a softball tournament, so we're planning on bringing a picnic blanket, a cooler, toys, books, and knitting. let's not forget our loud cheering voices too! it's going to be fun!

 it's raining, it's dark and it's cold. perfect weather for productive knitting, some popcorn maybe, and banana bread? lots of cuddles and chatting with you. what are you up to this weekend? i'd love to hear of your plans! coffee's on! xo

gearing up.

i'm really excited to announce that nook is going to be a vendor at fibrations!

i rarely get a chance to experience fibre festivals, and i'm always making a beeline directly for the yarn and fiber booths at any markets ;) (you're so not surprised, i know). but now that there's an event that's right in my neck of the woods, and it's filled with fibre artists crafts, and wool! gah, i'm more than excited!

and it's only a month away! so of course, i have to get knitting. and i'm already pretty excited about what will be in my booth! i promise to tease you lots. in the meantime, i'm taking today to catch up, get to the post office, get to the library.. and get those knitting needles smokin'!

if you're in the area, i'd love to see you at fibrations! come on by and say hi!
as you can see on the sign, it's on august 19th. i was so bummed to not have gone last year. (we were on holiday, and on a major road trip). seeing the pics of how beautiful the experience was at fibrations made me certain that i'd be a part of it this year. luvinthemommyhood captured some ah-mazing pics. check them out!

wanna keep up to date, and find out more?

facebook | website | event page

i'm getting so excited for this event. i know it's going to be beautiful. and i hope you can come and check it out! xo

chugging along...

it's knit along time :)

sadly...georgia hasn't been getting as much attention as i wanted to give it in the past week. but we've been busy! we were so happy to host family for a few days, and then good friends from way back in the day came to visit. so nice to reminisce.

but georgia wasn't fully ignored. and i'm slowly making more and more progress on it.
i can't. stop. trying it on. i loooove it! i think it's going to be one of my fave cardi's. no joke.

let's remember i'm knitting this on 3.0mm people ;) i think i'm making some great progress!


how are you doing with the knit along? are you enjoying your project? do you have plans to start a second sweater? ...or maybe you have already? i'd love to hear about it! come chat. xo

double the fun.

first of all, thanks so much for your patience for this post :) we've been living a more than busy life these days. seriously. and we're loving it.. but hosting great friends and close family, makes for less computer time. it's just the way it is, and it's a good thing. visiting is totally important...

but on to the post...


why knit one when i can knit two! haha.
it's not that i'm obsessive over this seriously cute pattern. but it's really uber quick and satisfying.

remember the maile sweater i knit upon my dear husband's request? it was super cute.. right? a gorgeous green cardi, with the cutest pink buttons? well guess what.. the recipients had a boy.  bahahahah. right? kind of a little detail that's good to know before i break out the sock yarn and tiny needles. hahaha

but don't worry, because there's another work colleague who's having a baby, and they are for certain having a girl. soooo my husband has graciously asked for the girl sweater back, and we'll be giving them this lovely instead.

handsome, no?

and the other, it's for none other than my little nephew, zachary. i am very... very late with a gift. but this is worth it. at least i think so ;) hee hee...

i do love this pattern. i've been told it fits small.. babies nowadays are huge though, so i dunno...

the deets:
pattern: baby sophisticate by linden down.
yarn: lion brand vanna's choice. solids and tweeds.
needle: 5.0mm

my thoughts: seriously.. super quick, super easy. very satisfying knit. the size i knit is 6-12 months, for both of them. honestly, i don't think i'd try knitting the smaller size. these little boo's grow up soo fast.. you know?
if you're a newbie knitter, or even an advanced knitter looking for a very simple, mindless knit.. this is a great project! also, the vanna's choice is a great yarn option, because i find it hard wearing, and very easy to care for. it's really the kind of yarn you want to knit with for new foggy minded parents, who are struggling with sleep. the last thing they need is uber special care for clothing... yah know?

and besides, who doesn't love an old man cardi on a little man. cutest. ever.

have you knit this pattern? is it a go-to for you as well? if not, what's your great go-to baby gift knit? i'd love to know! xo

totally hip!

hi! did ya miss me? i bet you totally did ;)

we still have family here visiting us, and it's been so lovely. friday though, was pretty much epic. i'm not a veteran concert go-er. really not. but this concert? ah-mazing!
seriously. the hip are such incredible preformers! but you probably knew that. and um, we were in such a great spot to see the show! bonus!

i had so much fun! there was actually a delay in the preformances.... due to weather! poor sam roberts only played 3 songs... seriously though, we never get thunder and lightening, and there was a crazy cool lightening storm. though we were a little nervous that we wouldn't even see the hip... as the lights were being taken down, and instruments covering up... we had to wait an hour. but honestly... so worth it. once the strom passed overhead, the concert resumed, and as if on cue, the lightening in the background just exploded with the music. seriously!

umm i totally did think about bringing knitting to the concert. (don't judge), and it turns out i could have knit while we were waiting. ha. but i left it all at home. we headed to the campground on saturday though, and i did get a little bit of knitting done. so that was good ;)

we've still got family visiting... and my knitting is calling out to me... loudly ;) i forsee a productive, and most excellent monday ahead of me ;) and of course, i'll be listening to the tragically hip.

how is your monday shaping out? what do you have planned for today? any crafting? i'd love to hear about it! xo

a huge thanks goes out to...

you!!

yes. you. remember this day? when i seriously considered frogging this lovely cardi? **gasp!the horror!** and i had completed quite a bit too! remember?

well you all gave me the kick in the pants i needed to complete this beautiful little cardi.
i think one of the things that had me frustrated with this project was more my fault. i almost always have many, many projects on the needles... and that makes for a bit of confusion when i've set this particular project down for a bit. but i do love the outcome!
so. soooo much!

it's so darling. and handsome. and sophisticated.. and well yah. c.u.t.e!

i'm super happy with this f.o.

the deets:
pattern: gramps cardigan by kate oates
yarn: knit picks swish dk. in squirrel. i bought 5 skeins for the project, but i totally have lots left over. maybe 2 skeins?
needle: 3.5mm & 4.0mm

and it's really because of you that i actually finished it! and so i thank you. and the little recipient does too ;)
and of course, i think the buttons really make it ;) don't you?

do you have a neglected wip that is calling out to be finished? you should finish it up. it will so be worth it. your yarn will thank you. and it will free up more cables for more projects! yippee for that :) lol.

coffee is especially yummy today... come chat! i love your company. xo

georgia love.

wednesday already! and that means knit along time!
i am very happy to report progress. i am absolutely loving knitting georgia. and as this is the very first time i've knit with sweet georgia yarns.. it's such a treat!

and now that i have the correct needle size, in nickle-plated knit picks no less.. i have to say, i'm flying on this project!

because there is very minimal shaping. (like none after you separate for the sleeves) it's the easiest knit. i can just take it anywhere and not worry about where in am in the pattern, you know?

and i'm just about done knitting the first cake of yarn. gotta love the yardage in a sock yarn, hey?

i have been so impressed by all of you kal-ers. you're so speedy! and man, my queue has grown more than i'd like to admit. haha. i'm also finding i'm crushing on more yarns than i knew i could too. ahaha. so thank you for that :)

i have been so excited to see the ravelry group so alive with the buzzing of chit-chat! honestly, you guys are awesome! and if you're thinking of joining in on a kal, this one is a great one! trust me! and there's lots of time to join in too. i know there's several of you who plan on knitting several sweaters! wowza!

how are you doing on the kal? where are you at? thinking of joining in on a kal? come chat! the sun is shining, and my needles are on fire! xo

cowl in july?!

i know, i know it's july and here i am showing you an f.o of a warm and cozy cowl. i have my reasons though :)

this is a going away gift that i made for my dear neighbour. i'm so sad that they've moved to quebec. i know it's a great move for them, they'll be closer to family. but i'll miss her lots. this is most definitely part of military life though. friends move.. often. at any rate, knowing she'll  be needing something warm for those cold quebec winters, i knew the marian cowl would be just the thing.

i know i don't have to tell you, i've always been a fan of jane's designs. all of them... and i know my girlfriend has also admired it too... as i had knit her the oatmeal pullover per her request a couple of years ago.

this time knitting the marian, i decided not to do the optional twist. i totally love it. the squish factor is lovely. i knit it in the lion brand wool ease thick & quick, and 15mm needles.
super fast.

she totally loves it, and i know that she'll get a lot of use out of this cowl. also, as a bonus, she'll think of me ;)

if you haven't knit a marian before, i totally recommend it. i've knit up several. they are great, easy knits with immediate results. and you know, even though it is july. it's never too early to start up holiday crafting. these make delightful christmas pressies! and at only one skein per project, totally affordable too!

have you started thinking of holiday knitting yet? thinking of making a marian? do it. simply put. now let's have a coffee, and plan ahead ;) xo

hello summer!

it's monday already? that was a crazy fast weekend. and i got some serious knitting done. yay for my most lovely awesome husband to watch owen and play with him all.day.long. on saturday, so i could just read and knit. all. day. looooove!

we finally got some summer weather here. so saturday was a beach day! honestly, it couldn't have been  a better day. we packed a cooler, a big blanket, an umbrella, and of course... knitting ;)

then sunday i taught a class.. honestly, i was surrounded by yarn, knitting and crochet all weekend.
that's what i call a fantastic break from the week!

and i'm more than ready to tackle this week. we've got lots planned, and family coming to visit. i'm sure it will be a speedy week!

what do you have planned for this week? how was your weekend? i'd love to hear what you've been up to. any successful knitting done? the sun is shining, and i've got my knitting at the ready.. let's chat! xo