Finished Knitting the Journeyman Hat

 Hello Friends,

I hope you are doing well. Liam and I watched the eclipse today from our rooftop terrace. My mother-in law gave us glasses to watch. We saw when the sun was partially covered, then it just got dark and we couldn't see anything. It was fun to watch and be able to see part of it through the glasses. I finished knitting the Journeyman hat today! I knitted a lot of it last night and then decreased and bound off today. I love how comfortable it is and love the look of the slouch. It is my favourite style of winter hat to wear. 

Notes:

Pattern: The Journeyman Hat by Alyssa Grieve on Ravelry

Yarn: Loops & Threads in colorway Carousel Twist 

Needles: 6 mm circular needles and 6 mm dpns to decrease

Notes: I cast on with 6 mm needles and I just knitted the pattern without the extra slouch. My notes on Ravelry here

Thank you for visiting my blog today! I really enjoyed knitting this hat and I am looking forward to casting on another project soon. I am still thinking of what it will be and will share it with you next Sunday!

Have a great day!

Knitting the Journeyman Hat, Easter Basket for Baby, and Reading On

 Hello Friends,

I hope you are doing well. I have had a busy week with Evan and getting ready for Easter dinners this weekend. We will be hosting my family on Sunday, so I am getting things ready. Today I tested out a recipe for Easter in my new crock pot. I am making chicken for Easter and found a lemon chicken slow cooker recipe by Slow Cooker Gourmet called Slow Cooker Chicken thighs with creamy lemon sauce. It turned out great and Evan ate a lot of it which I always am so happy about. 

I have been knitting the Journeyman hat by Alyssa Grieve on Ravelry. I love knitting this hat it has been so relaxing and it also fits comfortably so far. 

I love my weekend mornings they still feel different than during the week. Last weekend I liked knitting with Millie snoozing beside me it is the perfect moment that I just take a minute to appreciate. I had my coffee, knitting, Evan on the monitor, Millie beside me, and watching a YouTube video.

I put together Evan's Easter basket today to see what I have and happy to be done picking out gifts for him. It is fun putting together these baskets. I collected items from different shopping trips when I could go out which is sometimes hard to come by with a baby lol. I also have some gifts for my nephew as well and we'll have an Easter egg hunt.

I also got Millie these cute yarn ball catnip toys from Winners. She always gets a present for holidays as well. 

Evan has been enjoying reading and flipping the pages books before bed. He is now 15 months almost 16 months old next week. He is starting to babble a lot more and can say some words like "up". We keep working on Mama and Dada. He is getting close to saying them. It will be special when he finally does. He is walking around now on his own and eating mostly on his own except I pre-load a spoon for him. I am so proud of him and he is such a fun, goofy, sweet little guy we love him so much.

I am still reading The Whole-Brain Child by Dan Siegel and Tom Lake by Ann Patchett. I have been enjoying these books reading before bed. 

Joining along with As Kat Knits for Unraveled Wednesday.

Thank you for visiting my blog today! I hope that you are having a good week so far. Have a good weekend if you are celebrating Easter as well.

Have a great day!

Knitting The Journeyman Hat and Reading On

 Hello Friends,

I hope you are doing well. I had a good weekend we just stayed home most of the time and relaxed. It is nice having those weekends to recharge for the week ahead. It was a bit cold this weekend for a walk with Evan. 

I have been continuing to knit the Journeyman Hat by Alyssa Grieves on Ravelry. It has been a fun knit so far. I love how it is turning out with the colorful yarn I am working with. 

On Sunday I snapped this photo enjoying coffee out of one of my favourite mugs that was a gift after we had Evan. It is the Mother mug from Indigo. They have similar ones for Father as well and other family members. Liam has the Father mug so sometimes we match mugs in the morning. I was working on knitting the hat and snuggling with Millie beside me I love these slow and relaxing moments to for myself when Evan is napping and helps me to have my me time and recharge for getting Evan when he wakes up and being present with him. 

I am reading The Whole Brain Child by Daniel Siegel and Tom Lake by Ann Patchett. I am enjoying both books and reading when I find the time mostly at night after Evan goes to bed and before I go to bed.

Thank you for visiting my blog today! Hope you have a great week!

Knitting Hat, Finger Painting, and Reading On

 Hello Friends,

I hope you are doing well. I have been doing well and busy with Evan during the week with our routine while I a on Maternity leave. I love being home with him and playing and seeing him grow and learn new things. I am grateful for the time I have off work to be with him. We had a good weekend playing with him, getting some things done, and going for a family walk.

I have cast on a hat with the yarn Loops & Threads Carousel Twist. The pattern I am using is the Journeyman Hat by Alyssa Grieve on Ravelry. I love the colors of the yarn and look forward to knitting more. The hat is so cute and will be fun to wear it once it is done. I really love slouchy hats to wear in the winter.

I have been reading the Whole Brain Child by Daniel Seigel and Tom Lake by Ann Patchett. I am liking Tom lake so far it is interesting format of the the mother telling her daughters the story of her past acting experiences and it keeps me reading more to see what happens. 

Last week I did finger painting with my 15 month old son Evan for the fist time! It went better than I expected and less messy. I bought the Crayola smock that is for 3+ but I listened to the reviews and comments on Amazon that said it was good for their young toddlers rolling up the sleeves so it could grow with them. I was happy with the Velcro backing and it was easy to put it on him in the highchair to paint. The fingerpainting kit was also from Crayola and I liked the three tubes of paint provided and the paper was so good because it didn't tear through when he painted like regular paper would. I recommend these products if you are starting to paint with your children or grandchildren. 

Joining along with As Kat Knits for Unraveled Wednesday. 

Thank you for visiting my blog today! I hope that you are having a good week! What are you working on this week?

Finished Knitting Rough Rib Scarf

 Hello Friends,

I hope you are doing well. This weekend I finished knitting the Rough Rib scarf. I weaved in the ends today so my husband could wear it this week. It will be a little bit warmer but hope he can wear it soon. I enjoyed knitting the scarf, it was so relaxing! The squishy bulky yarn was so nice and soft to work with. I have knitted the ribbed scarves in the past but this pattern makes it even squishier. If you are looking for that kind of scarf, then this pattern is perfect. 

Notes:

Pattern: Rough Rib Scarf by Cindy Miska Colbert

Yarn: Lion Brand Thick & Quick in Navy colorway, 2 skeins

Needles: 9 mm, US 13 

Notes:  Please see my Ravelry notes here.

Thank you for visiting today! I am going to be moving onto my next project this week. I am thinking of either a hat for me or a cuddly stuffy for Evan. What are you working on this week? 

Have a great day!

 

Knitting Scarf, Change Approaching, Reading On

 Hello Friends,

I hope you are doing well. I have been busy with my toddler and still on Maternity leave that lasts for up to 18 months in Canada. I am on month 15 now and thinking about going back to work in a few months. My employer is very good with people coming back from Maternity leave and trains and works with us to transition back into work. I think it will be a good transition back. So far my work is still remote so I will be working from home which I really love. Evan has a spot in a local daycare and we are looking forward to him starting. It will all be a change in the next few months that will be exciting, stressful, and full of emotions. I have been with him for 15 months now and we have a routine and things we do. I have loved being with him so long to see his milestones and spend special moments together. I also nursed him until 14.5 months so it was really nice to be able to do that. I started weaning in December and took it slow to follow his lead and how I was feeling as well. I was thinking today how that will change and there will be a new routine. But that is life. Always changing. 

I have been continuing to work on knitting the Rough Rib Scarf by on Ravelry. I like this pattern it is very simple and the same repeat each row. I love knitting with the thick and quick bulky yarn too it is so soft and nice to work with. I hope to be done soon so Liam can wear it before it warms up outside!

I have been reading Tom Lake by Ann Patchett and Whole Brain child by Dan Siegel. I am liking these books and hope to finish the Whole Brain Child soon. I think I will use the teachings more as Evan gets older since they are more geared towards older toddlers and up. 

I got these cute barns with animals on Amazon for Evan. It is called Learning Resources Peekaboo Learning Farm. I was looking for some other toys to work with him on colors, numbers, and animals. I love how this is such an open ended toy. There are five barns with five animals: horse, duck, donkey, pig, and cow. I saw a video Ms Rachel did so I use the similar vocabulary when playing with him like open the barn, color of the barn, number, and animal and the sounds they make. It has been fun and he gets excited to see what animal it is and we say peekaboo because he loves peekaboo games with us. 

Millie has been busy and always following us around she loves lots of attention. The first photo below she was zooming around and she gets hyper and dives into her hammock. 

Joining along with As Kat Knits for Unraveled Wednesday. 

Thank you for visiting my blog today! I know I said I would post on Sunday but didn't have it ready that day. I will work on getting back to my posting schedule because Sunday is a great day for me to post since Liam is home and can also help with Evan. 

Have a great day!

Knitting a Scarf, Homemade Playdough, and Reading On

 Hello Friends,

I hope you are doing well. I have cast on a scarf for Liam. I am following pattern Rough Rib Scarf by Cindy Colbert from Ravelry. I am using the yarn Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick and Quick in the colorway Navy. It looks darker in the photo below than it is. It is nice to be back knitting again, I had a break after finishing the stocking for Evan at the end of the year. I am about halfway done now and just switched to the second skein I had. 

I finished reading It Starts With Us by Colleen Hoover. It was good! I liked the first book of the series It Ends With Us better. There was just more drama I guess and so much happened that was emotional and just really intense. The sequel is more calm and a continuation of the story where they left off with a lot of reflecting back to parts I read already in the first book. I have started reading Tom Lake by Ann Patchett and just a few pages in but seems like it will be a good story and I like her writing. I did read her book Commonwealth and enjoyed that one.

I made playdough for Evan on Tuesday this week during his first nap. I used a recipe from Living Well Mom. I let it cool then put it away and played with Evan with it after lunch that day. Since then it has kept very well in a Ziploc bag in a Tupperware container. It lasts a few months according to the Erika on her blog. I will let you know how it goes! I want to make more in other colors. Evan really enjoys squishing it and he does taste it as well but I have peace of mind know it is safe for him if he has some because of the natural ingredients. 

Millie has also been doing well just relaxing and also zooming around. In these photos she is more relaxed. The photo on her cat tree is her favourite spot. Lately she is sitting on the chair I grab to sit with Evan when he are in the kitchen. She always likes to be a part of what we are doing.

Joining along with As Kat Knits for Unraveled Wednesdays. I link up with her knitting and reading link up parties once and awhile and it is nice to see what others are also blogging about and working on :)

Thank you for visiting my blog today! It is a snowy day here in Toronto and it motivated me to be cozy this morning reading and knitting, and then blogging in the afternoon. Hope you are enjoying the week! It is almost the weekend :) I will be back here on Sunday for another post see you then!

 Have a great day!

Getting Organized, Planning Knitting Projects, and Reading On

 Hello Friends,

I hope you are doing well. Right now unfortunately I don't have any knitting I am working on. I still haven't found my pattern for the socks that was on the yarn sleeve. I have plans to knit my husband a scarf he asked for one. Today I looked up a pattern and ordered yarn for that project and hoping I have some progress to share with you next week! I also added a skein of yarn to knit myself a hat afterwards and want to knit Evan something after those two projects are complete. It has been slow around here lately and was just so cold this past week in Toronto. I have been busy with Evan playing, doing painting and colouring, and preparing his snacks and meals. It has been cold so mostly staying in with him lately and once it warms up a bit we can resume our outdoor walks. We went on one this past weekend it was so nice to go out as a family on a walk outside to the mall.

I have been continuing to read It Starts with us by Colleen Hoover and almost done. I have been enjoying reading about the character's lives and relationships continuing on from It Ends with Us. I have also been reading the Whole- Brain child by Daniel Siegel and Tina Bryson. It is so informative and there are some really good tips on working through issues with your child and encouraging them to communicate their thoughts and feelings. Something I want to learn about for when Evan is older and to help him work through emotional and tough times.

I have been feeling like decluttering lately and getting some new furniture and baskets to organize Evan's toys. I bought a big basket from Loblaws in their Life at Home collection. It is a good open rope basket we can throw his toys in to tidy up and he likes looking into it to find toys. I had a smaller one that is beside it in the photo and use it for stuffed animals now. He got a lot of toys for Christmas and also as his toy collection grows I just want to be ready to store them.

For my knitting I have been on the fence about getting a 3 tier cart. I think it would be perfect to store my yarn and knitting projects and knitting bags. There is one at Michaels and found one on Amazon. I will probably buy it soon. I have my knitting scattered everywhere right now it used to live mostly in the second bedroom that is now Evan's room. Now it is in bags and my knitting is in a few spots. I think a shelf would also be good. 

Photo source

Millie and Evan have been good. Evan is 14 months old tomorrow and he is so fun and so busy. He is a toddler now walking a lot and babbling.  He keeps us on our toes. Millie is busy too and wants to play a lot once Evan is down for bedtime and naptime.

I have been trying to work on my puzzle again and Millie keeps jumping up onto the table with me and attacking the pieces. I have decided to do the puzzle when she is napping or busy somewhere else. This puzzle I started when I was at the end of my pregnancy with Evan and I did the middle parts before the edges were done so the pieces just got everywhere and I have a roll up mat that doesn't keep the pieces together very well. So the other day I decided to take apart the middle pieces and just work on the edges. I should be in better shape with the puzzle soon and it will stay together better.

I hope you are doing well and thank you for visiting my blog today! What are you working on and reading this week?

Happy New Year!

 Hello Friends,

Happy New Year!  We are one week into 2024 now I can't believe how time flies by. I wanted to share with you a few things I received for Christmas to get me started on the New Year and also some more updates. 

I was gifted the Happy Planner and stickers this year from my Mom and Dad. I love planning and didn't get into it too much last year because I was so busy with having Evan in November then the last year was a busy time trying to find time to plan. This year I have been using the new planner more already. I started on New Year's Eve to put some stickers on the pages and plan a bit and have added to this year week. It is the dashboard style and it is for moms and I think I will like this style for being more busy with Evan. I like the cover that says "find joy in simplicity". There is so much joy and love in our home with Liam, Evan, and Millie. I feel like my life is simpler that before, but so full.

I also received the mindfulness self care calendar from Liam and I have been looking at the quotes daily and they are bringing me joy and some positive words to the start of the year. 

I was gifted the mug below from my sister and love the quote "So much yarn so little time". I have it pictured here below with the project I will be picking up again soon! I was knitting these socks before I had Evan and took a break to knit some baby items. I had the pattern on the yarn sleeve and I have to find it again lol then I will be continuing on.  I also hope to look up some new patterns soon and buy more yarn (so much yarn!) to knit a new project. 

I was gifted the book below Tom Lake by Ann Patchett. I read some good reviews for the book and look forward to reading it as well this year. I have been enjoying the book I was also gifted the Whole-Brain Child that I started reading on Boxing Day. It will be so informative and noticed today it is around 130 pages so will be a faster read. It is good so I can start applying what I read sooner with Evan.

I hope that you have had a good start to the year! This year will be full of more firsts with Evan and I will be going back to work in the Spring. This will be an adjustment and I am also looking forward to it. I will be transitioning back to work and also transitioning Evan to daycare. It will be a busy and emotional time I am sure. I am also so excited to see all the things Evan learns this year. It has been amazing watching him grow this past year and our relationship with his blossom and this year will have a lot in store for us as well. 

Have a great day!