This Moment:the pixie and the pumpkin

Joining along with Soulemama to share a special moment from our week. 

Have a wonderful weekend!

Cast on for a great Giveaway!

Leslie Ann Bestor's new book called, Cast On, Bind Off: 54 Step- by- Step Methods 

 is a wonderful instructive guide to help your knitting project get off to a great start and help you make the perfect choice for adding the finishing touch to a beloved project.

Before reading this book I really never gave all that much thought to how I cast on or off for my knitting projects, and I had no idea how many ways there were out there to do so.
Finding the right cast on and off for a project not only can improve the function of that garment such as using a stretchy bind off for a mitten or sweater cuff to better the fit( Leslie show six different ways to do just that) it can also add a decorative element to a knit garment when you use a lace or picot method when you cast on. Just imagine how pretty and sweet a tri- colored braided cast on for baby blanket would be?

I can't wait to use the new methods I have learned in this book to jazz up my knitting projects from now on. I feel like a new door has opened. I was stuck in a rut and I didn't even know it! I have been knitting for over ten years now and am so excited to have this new knowledge.  I plan to use it to add my own personal touches to my knitting projects from now on. This is a simple way to take a pattern you love and make it even more unique and one of a kind.

Now it's your chance to learn these fun new methods too, simply leave a comment to have a chance to win a copy of this fun and helpful knitting book.

***** ***I will close the comments at midnight tonight, please make sure that I have an e-mail or other way to contact you in case you are the winner. Good luck knitting friends!************

Update: Comments closed and congrats to DebNC you are the lucky #3  picked by the number generator! Enjoy!Please send your address to humbleluna@gmail.com so I can send this great book out to you thanks!

Yarn Along...

Well I am being WAY more realistic lately. I just do not have any time for myself at all these days and if I do it comes in very, very small pieces. But I was just itching to make something with my Malabrigo yarn so I decided to start a pair of fingerless arm warmers for the fall. I have made literally hundreds of fingerless toddler mitts but never a pair for myself. So there you go, easy peasy summer knitting overwhelmed mama parenting three kids alone all week style. These should be great for rock hunting and agate hunting at the ocean this fall :)

My reading choice this week is just the same instant gratification and inspiring eye candy style. I have heard about Taproot via Soulemama's blog but after I opened it up in the grocery store the other day I just had to treat myself with a copy. I have skimmed through the art and photography which is just fantastic but have yet to read any of the articles yet. I am waiting to have a cup of coffee or tea in hand and napping children and then I will take this outside to enjoy in peace. ( should I mention that I have been trying to make this happen for two weeks now?) goodness :) 

 I though it was neat how my yarn and my reading were so coordinated this week too.
What are you reading and knitting these days? Yarn Along with Ginny!

*****Please stop by tomorrow for a fun knitting related Giveaway!****

Mama Sollie time....

 

 

 

I haven't had a chance to hang out alone very often with Solomon since Nalah has been born and Ben started a new job working out of town. Sollie loves his baby sister very much but Nalah is the kind of baby that likes to be held all the time and has to be part of the action and do what ever anyone else is doing so this really limits what I can do with him. His sisters are a lot more demanding of attention than he is so he has starting acting out in naughty ways to get attention. I feel badly that I am not able to spend time with all of my kids individually and with Papa gone until the weekends and a new baby it has been something I am struggling with. So I really wanted to have a date with my sweet boy, and just my sweet boy.
After buying some blueberries from the neighbor girl who had a little stand on the corner he has been asking for more so I asked him if he would like to go pick his own blueberries and visit some of our favorite farm animals. He was pretty excited about that so Saturday afternoon we headed out to Sauvies Island to do some picking. It was super hot and I thought the sunscreen was in the car when it was not so we didn't pick for very long. Most of the blueberries are not quite ready yet as you can see by the pictures they are still pretty white. We ended up only picking two pints but we still had a fun time together and we are thinking of maybe going back in a week or two so we can really stock up. While we were picking I heard several people including a woman in her later years mention that she had never seen a blueberry bush before. It was my first time picking blueberries too and I was feeling badly that I had gone 31 years and had never picked a blueberry before, but apparently I am not the only one. One of the  most wonderful joys of life that we all take for granted most of the time is the potential discovery of learning new things every single day :)

 

 

This moment: In Awe of the Fair

A moment from my week to cherish and remember. Joining along with Soulemama.

Oregon Country Fair 2012

Sunday at the Fair......
I love The Oregon Country Fair and so happy we made it (if only for one day) this year.
It is always kind of sad to leave.
There is no place like it. It is just so alive with creativity and so much work goes into putting it all together. I am really thankful for all the folks who make the Fair possible.
Thanks for giving my spirit the creative rejuvenation I needed.
(p.s. Like Nalah's bear bonnet? I will be adding animal ear baby bonnets to my Etsy Shop in the very near future so please check back soon)
and speaking of....
 Poor Nalah is still in her I hate driving in the car be it for two minutes or two hours phase so it was a bit hard for her with over 4 hours of driving in one day, but she LOVED the Fair so much and made a lot of friends while she was there.  Her little arms and legs kicked wildly and she smiled ear to ear  in between several naps. Getting carried all day by Mama while walking  through beautiful wooded paths filled with enough visual stimulation to make you dizzy filled with thousands of new faces to smile at = Nalah Heaven!
I think she had a bit of wanderlust today as we just sat around at home most of the day. Once we got everyone on the same page and got out in the day she was much more content. And we didn't set foot in the car as  promised her. Kind of glad we don't have any more long distance trips planned for a while. Although I am the kind of person who gets a little weird when I get stuck in the city for too long, thank goodness for all of Portland's beautiful parks!

This moment....

A simple moment from my week to cherish and remember. Joining with Soulemama.