Summer Days Knitting Socks and Reading On

 Hello Friends,

I hope you are doing well. I have been enjoying the weekend spending a lot of time with my little family. I am excited today we are having a baby sprinkle for my sister! It is her second baby and she is having another boy. I am looking forward to meeting my nephew very soon! We went to the park yesterday and Evan enjoyed walking around the grass area that is nearby. We are lucky to live by a big park with lots of shade and areas for him to explore. 

I have been continuing to knit the socks and just finished the cuff which was 1 1/2 inches and now just knitting in the round until the piece measures 6 inches. I like knitting the sock while while watching or listening to something on TV.

I have been continuing to read Doing It All by Whitney Casares. Last weekend I work on an exercise write down our current priorities and the time spent on them and then what we would prefer in our centered vision. This past week I really tried to keep my priorities in mind more and I have been making more efforts to exercise and spend time on home management. I have seen some improvements already and feel like I am really thinking about how I use my time more wisely. I will also be buying another fictional book to read this week as I usually like to have both a fiction and non-fiction book on the go.

Thank you for visiting my blog today! What are you working on this week and reading? I hope that you are also enjoying your weekend and have a great week ahead!

Knitting Socks and Reading On

Hello Friends,

I hope that you are doing well! I have been knitting the cuff of the first sock this week and I like the repetition of the k1,p1 of the cuff. One I am finished the cuff, I will move on to knitting until the piece measures 6 inches. I am following the pattern My Favorite Vanilla Socks by Meaghan Schmaltz on Ravelry.

I have been reading Doing it All by Whitney Casares. I feel like life is so busy lately since going back to work in May. I have been taking care of things around the house and want to work on more projects and tasks as well that I haven't been making time for.  I am enjoying reading this book to get tips and inspiration. 

Millie is doing well, I bought her a new cat dancer toy this week from PetSmart. It has Garfield on it with feathers and strings and catnip inside the soft ball. She has been really enjoying it. 

Thank you for visiting my blog today! I hope that you have a great week ahead! What are you working on this week?

Getting Back into Knitting again, Updates, and Reading On

 Hello Friends,

I hope you are doing well! It has been awhile and the reason for a couple months away is that I never looked up my next knitting project and then I went back to work. It was a busy couple of months that I didn't write or knit. I really missed writing here to you and also I missed knitting! Summer has always been my less inspired time of the year to knit or craft. I guess it is warmer and busier with family vacations and trying to be outdoors.

I love to knit socks in the Summer and have decided to cast on some socks now as my next project. I bought some Kroy sock yarn and found a fun pattern called My Favourite Vanilla Socks by Meaghan Schmaltz. I started knitting it once I got my sock yarn in the mail from Michaels. I am using US 2, 2.75 mm double pointed needles even though the project calls for circular I saw that afterwards but I do like knitting using dpns for socks.

Millie and Evan are doing well. Evan is 19 months old now! Time is flying by and he is doing so well in daycare and playing with the other children and getting along well with the teachers. It was a really nice transition that he settled in before I went back to work. I am glad we had that time and he was sick a bit here and there and I could keep him home. Here he is below at our recent family trip to a cottage nearby in Kawartha lakes area. It was so nice there and he enjoyed playing in the grass.

Millie has been great company while I am working and she likes the set up on the desk with her bed in front of the monitors. She sleeps there while I work. 

I just finished reading The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. It was a very interesting book it was so fun to read about Evelyn's experiences in acting and getting ahead in her career as well as her love interests throughout the book.  I am also reading Doing It All by Whitney Casares. I was just interested in tips on working mom and balancing home life and work together. So far it has been okay and I want to work on getting chores done and having more me time. 

Thank you for visiting my blog today! What are you working on and reading right now? I hope you are enjoying the weekend and have a great week!

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!