The gauge-gods were with me! (but I'm sure I won't get away with it again)

I'm finished! I am so happy with this cardigan, it fits just perfect. I've been having the hardest time taking pictures of my girl in it, I actually had a hard time coaxing her to wear it at all. I always despair just a bit - on the inside -  when my kids initially reject something I've spent so much time on. They usually come around in their own time, I just have to be patient and not force anything on them.

I was so afraid this cardigan was too small (I didn't check gauge as usual), but after a good ole blocking it fit perfectly. It was a very easy project, I will definitely be making more of these! The pattern can be found here.

I'm still on a high from this perfect weekend we had. It was exhausting and wonderful, we only came indoors to eat and sleep. The rest was walks and playing and biking, we biked miles and miles. I went on a solo adventure with my girl, searching for signs of spring, and this is what I found:

Hepatica nobilis, a splash of purple amongst all the brown. A sure sign of spring and a sight for sore eyes!

There is still ice on the lake nearby which we visit many times a week, but the ground is finally free of ice and snow.

Each spring I feel like I am waking up  from a long sleep, all senses coming to life again. I can't wait for what lies ahead.

Joining this weeks Yarn Along.

                       

For Anna

Yet another loved teacher is leaving the daycare, it came as quite a surprise to me. So I was ill prepared and needed a very quick project since we wanted to give her a little something to say "thank you" for being such a darling with the kids.

It's still quite cold here, so I figured wrist warmers would be perfect. I used alpaca yarn from my stash and kept it simple - off-white with a dash of light yellow in the second row of shells (can you see it?). This project was done in just a few hours, but I have to admit I had a hard time with the chart. I ended up winging it and doing it my way. Don't know if I was right or wrong, but the end result was pretty! Project notes here.

Pictures were taken in our early morning rush, and Esther was so attached to my hands that I had a hard time getting pictures at all! My hands are her lovies you see, always have been. She like to rub my fingers on her nose and play with my fingers, she's done this since she was a baby. I've tried to slip a small stuffed animal into her hands and tried with blankets and other soft things. She's had her favorites, one of them a small bear her cousin made for her, but they've always just been "a little something on the side". She wants my hands, always. A bit trying at times and I sometimes wish I had a third arm so everyone is happy, but I know I will miss her little hands playing with mine when she doesn't want them anymore.

This last pic is taken by my son, who decided to try and help. Sweethearts the both of them.

Lake therapy

I borrowed the sweetest book from the library for my kids, a collection of poetry about the four seasons. A particular poem got stuck in my head and as we stood by the lake yesterday I kept on reciting quietly "Winter is dead, winter is dead". The ice on the lake is melting and I saw my first butterfly this weekend, a Small Tortoiseshell . Yes, winter is indeed dead, hurray for spring! 

Daffodowndilly (A.A Milne)

She wore her yellow sun-bonnet, 

She wore her greenest gown;

She turned to the south wind

And curtsied up and down. 

She turned to the sunlight

And shook her yellow head, 

And whispered to her neighbour:

"Winter is dead".

A quiet Monday post

Easter was a complete disaster. The kids colds just got worse and Sebastian and I got a stomach bug. We spent most of our vacation at home praying to the porcelain god, blowing our noses and climbing the walls here at home with the frustration of being locked in, sick and miserable. I think the only good thing about easter was my new ornament, "Skatan Frida", an easter witch made from wood, felt, Icelandic sheeps wool and feathers (The artists name is Åsa Götander,  love her stuff!) I'd just as soon erase the past two weeks from my memory. 

I did manage to finish the teachers shawl before Easter, and I was very happy with the end result. Ta-daaah!

This was such a fun knit. I have never done lace - let alone a shawl - before, and it was exciting to see the pattern emerge row for row. I have to admit that I was a bit worried at first, I kept screwing up the first lace bit and was not looking forward to the frustration of having to backtrack my work with 200-something stitches on my needles. But I got into the rhythm of it and all went smoothly, despite this being a very hurried project. Ravelry notes found here.

I've spent this blissfully quiet morning updating my ravelry account. I've been bad at keeping track of the projects I've been working on this past year, and it was high time I remedied that. I thought I'd share one that I am especially happy with, Esthers blanket: 

I actually started this crocheted blanket on a trip to Iceland when she was 6 months old, using blue yarn only.  Blue is just the best color for my girl, what with her golden brown hair and fair skin, but after crocheting up a bunch of squares I found it to be too dreary. The blues were just too dark for a baby blanket. For some reason this project got put on the shelf and when I picked it up more than a year later (*ahem*) I decided to add some pink and plum colors to the mix. My crocheting had been so very tight (stressed and tired? yes!) that I had to start all over again - the squares I had made in Iceland were much too small compared to the new ones I was making. 

Esther finally got her blanket on her second birthday. It fits perfectly on the end of her bed, and is just big enough for her to snuggle in when she takes a nap. Ravelry notes here.

After seeing Esthers blanket, Sebastian of course requested one of his own.  There are so many beautiful blankets on ravelry that it was hard to decide which pattern I'd make for him - I have about a gazillion blankets in my favorites.  After much perusing I fell for Alicia Paulsons Sunshine day baby afghan. The base colors will be brown/beige and I'm leaning towards the squares being mainly in blue hues with a splash of yellow, grey and green. 

I can't wait to get started with this blanket, but first things first - I have a cardigan to finish!