WIP Wednesday: 31/52

I am having such a good knitting week. I think I’m still riding high from getting the back up yarn for my sweater with the same dye lot as the yarn I’ve been working with.

I managed to get a few more stripes done on my sweater this week. I have not been making as much progress lately, as I have actually had a social life in the evenings. 20180808_1356488293482035834169711.jpg

I still adore the sweater, and hope to get lots of work done on it next week. That might be hard though, as shawl knitting is a little addictive. All I work on at naps is my shawl, but it has only been a few days of work, so it looks like I just started it. I’m working with a needle that has a very twisted and stiff cord, which is annoying and slows me down. I have another needle of the same size, but I’m using that for my sweater.20180808_1356124190412273447203204.jpg

The socks are coming along. I have a little over an inch to work before I start the toe of the second sock. If I only had two projects on the needles instead of three I would probably be done with them by the end of the week. I am only working on these while the kids play or eat. They are easy to pick up and put down without much thought. I love how these look. It’s the first pair of 3×2 rib socks I’ve made for John. I love how 3×2 socks fit, and I’m hoping he feels the same way. 20180808_1355263962098577663273185.jpg

I hope you are getting some good knitting done this week.

Baseball Knitting

Last night I met some friends for a baseball game. Des Moines is home to the AAA affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, my favorite team.

It was a fantastic time.

We had the most amazing seats. We were right behind home plate.

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I had some ridiculously gluttonous stadium food – pulled pork nachos and hard orange soda.20180806_1928075657148679611736537.jpg

I also got a lot of work done on John’s second sock. 20180806_1947516533191780124747468.jpgI was with a group of knitters. We all spent the night cheering on the Cubs and working away on our most mindless projects. It was a great way to spend a summer night.

Greenwood Park

This morning we checked out a new to us sprayground at Greenwood Park. The kids were big fans – there are lots of things to climb on and several fountains to splash through. I like that there are flushing toilets and soap to wash hands. I did not like the lack of shade. I think when we go again I’ll bring a blanket and find a shady tree instead of relying on the benches they have set up.

Spraygrounds are open later in the year than splash pads and wading pools, so we will probably be back on hot days in September. We will probably pack a picnic next time.

 

Garden Wool & Dye Knit Along

I’m doing a knit along through September with Garden Wool & Dye on Ravelry. The only requirement is to use Garden Wool & Dye yarn. I was going to make socks in the light wash denim colorway, as I’m always making socks.  I really like the yarn, but I started thinking that I wouldn’t love it as socks. Denim colored socks with jeans just seemed a little too Canadian tuxedo to me.

A few days ago I noticed the Study Hall Shawl on Raverly. Since then I can’t stop thinking about it. I decided it would be a great thing to make for the knit-a-long. Admittedly, it is an odd selection as I do not wear shawls. Maybe this one will change my mind.

I have a beautiful pink from Garden Wool & Dye to go with the light wash denim yarn.20180805_1942475039818185124328470.jpg

I do think my swift was revolting against the thought of me making a shawl.20180805_1951312206151228842140501.jpgBut I fixed that problem with pretty duct tape. 20180805_1953215345038638804023996.jpg

Now I have the yarn ready to go. I just need to get to the library to print off the pattern and I’m ready to go.

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Should I be starting a shawl when I have socks and a sweater on the needles? No, but the heart wants what the heart wants, and today that is a shawl in colors I never wear.

 

Wading Pool

We’ve been spending a lot of time in our backyard pool this week. We added a water slide, and now we play outside for hours. Today Elliot added a lawnmower so he could do some yard work in the pool.

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Before we went out this afternoon Audrey insisted on wearing a swim diaper as a swim hat. She was so proud of herself for discovering a new hat. She only looks serious because I made her stop playing so I could get a picture of her fancy hat.20180803_1617482792739342712226780.jpg

Elliot has been stealing Audrey’s giraffe floaty and loving summer. It is hard to take a picture of him where he isn’t smiling or laughing. 20180803_163620(0)3617318727375776346.jpgPeople are thinking about going back to school and summer ending. We are pretending fall isn’t heading our way. We have at least a month of swimming in our yard ahead of us. We intend to soak up every minute.

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