Plum Stitches

another one!

Pattern:  February Sweater (Sweater on Two Needles), by Elizabeth Zimmermann from The Knitter's Almanac

Yarn:  Brooks Farm Riata, I bought this a few years ago at The Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck

Needles:  Size 7 circular

Size:  I would say a 6 month old baby, but babies come in different sizes

Notes:  This time I skipped making buttons holes and was able to push the rather large button through the yarn.  I was worried this would work, but I think the sweater is knit loosely enough that it worked.  Also, my preference with this sweater has become keeping the buttons holes on the yoke part of the sweater.  I just love this pattern!

My thoughts of making this sweater bigger were WAY off.  It fits Phoebe, but is probably best suited for a younger baby that can grow into it.  I just love the color and the yarn, so I'll be sad to see it go, but I do have more of the yarn for another sweater.

A fabulous new toy store opened in Jersey City a few weeks ago, called Jacks Toys (right next to my favorite bakery/coffee shop, Made with Love). This little book was acquired there and has become part of Chloe's growing library.  My SIL that lives in London has give us many, many wonderful books as well that both of her kids have outgrown.  She told me once that when she had kids she stopped by lipstick and started buying children's book.  I'm just happy Chloe is the beneficiary of this habit!

I got off-track...my point in bringing the book up is that last month after having dinner in the Meat Packing District, we wandered up to the High Line.  Which, I'm assuming this book is loosely based on, maybe I'm wrong.

The High Line, if you're not familiar with it, is an old rail track that was converted to a park.  It's a 'lifted' train track 30 feet above the ground.  It's really interesting and has a great view of the Hudson and Jersey City, looking West.

she crawls!

We've been in and out of town for the past few weeks, so I haven't been checking up on all you crafty folks recently, but I'm back and excited to check in on what everyone has been up to.

I took Phoebe in for her 9 month appointment back in July and there were a few things she wasn't progressing so well on.  Our pediatrician recommended taking her to physical therapy if she didn't start pushing herself up (she was fine sitting up, just not pushing herself up) and pulling herself up.  I came up with my own physical therapy regiment for her, most of which she wasn't too happy about, but it did the trick.

She's now officially crawling on all fours and we caught her trying to standup on her own over the weekend.  (Please don't let that happen too soon, I'm not ready for that one yet.)

Chloe's first official day of school was today.  This year she's going full day, which I think will be really good for her.  I think at this point I'm just not an active playmate for her, so I'm sure she'll be much happier spending those extra hours with all of her friends.

We spent one last summer weekend at the beach for the holiday weekend.  Unfortunately, the weather stunk, so I wasn't able to enjoy my new favorite activity - boogie boarding.  The weather was good on Saturday and I hung out in the water with 8-10 year olds in search of a wave to ride.  I managed to catch a few, but definitely need to hone my skills next summer.  I did manage to eavesdrop on one Dad that was telling his son where to catch the waves and what to do.  The tips were pretty good.

The flower garden at the beach did so well this summer - pure luck as I really didn't have much of a plan for them.  Although in this picture, the Lantana could use a giant drink of water.

 

another Cisco

Pattern:  Cisco, from Berroco

Yarn:  Brooks Farm Riata

Needles:  Size 6 circular

Size:  Phoebe has a HUGE head, my guess is on a normal sized head this would fit up to 18 months

Notes:  I made modifications, more or less following Jared's lead.  One recommendation I would make is to mark the stitches for the shaping in the front of the hat.  I found it too confusing not to mark them and ended up frogging a few times.

After longing for the jewelry at  JCrew I decided it was time to bust out my surplus of beads.  A few years ago (well more than a few years ago now) a co-worker and I sold beaded necklaces at a few craft fairs and trunk shows.  We were enthusiastic at first and then it kind of fizzled. 

I still have two large boxes of beads along with necklaces that now need to be taken apart some day and the beads salvaged.

Off to pack - we're headed to the beach for the weekend.  I love going away, but feel like I spend most of my time packing and unpacking throughout the summer.  

Have a great weekend!

 

lobster rolls

Sadly, we didn't get a chance to sample one of these - the timing was never right.  Now I'm kicking myself for it.  I do love the fact that you can get a lobster roll at a traditional hot dog cart in NH and Maine.  I had a brief day dream of buying a hot dog cart and attempting to sell lobster rolls in downtown Jersey City.  You never know it could work.

We spent the week on a small lake north of Lake Sebago in Maine.   The lake was crystal clear and very sweet with a great dock.  The only downside was the number of mosquito bites we all accumulated througout the week.  Chloe got to sleep in the 'cousins' room with all the big kids, we she thought was just the coolest.

On the way up, we split up the trip making a brief stop in Portsmouth, NH a quaint little ocean side city loaded with shops and restaurants.  Although we spent most of the week at the house we rented, we did manage a side trip to Portland (another great city). 

gone to Maine

We've been off frolicking in Maine with family and our favorite black lab for the past week.  I'm trying to dig out, unpack and get back into the swing of things.  More later!

 

a few more

photos from the weekend...

Yep, that's one of the outhouses from the races.

weekend escape

We're back from spending five days in Vermont.  The weather wasn't the best, except for yesterday - one of those gorgeous, breezy, no humidity, sunny summer days that we all dream of in the middle of winter. 

Despite the weather, we managed a trip to Shelburne Farms.  This is one of my favorite places to go when we head to Vermont.  The setting is gorgeous - right on Lake Champlain.

If you're not familiar with Shelburne Farms, it  was created in the late 1800's by Lila Vanderbilt Webb and her husband as a model agriculture estate. Frederick Law Olmsted was integral to its design.

We spent the morning at The children's farmyard.   Chloe loved the chicken parade (when they let them out of the coop) and she even got to milk the farm's Brown Swiss, Jamaica.

 

 

Unfortunately, our trip was cut a little short by a tremendous down pour just as we had ordered our lunch from the farm cart.  So instead of a leisurely lunch at one of the picnic tables, we ended up soggy and eating our lunch in the car.

On the 4th, we headed to Bristol for its annual 4th of July parade.  Somehow we lucked out and snagged and outside table at the Bristol Bakery - a great spot for viewing.  The best part of the parade is the pre-parade Outhouse Races.  The outhouse are on wheels, with one member of the team sitting on the seat inside.  A must see to really appreciate!

something new in JC

A beer garden that seats 800. people, crazy, right?  Zepplin Hall opened over the weekend and we headed over with neighborhood friends and their kids late yesterday afternoon.

What an awesome addition to Jersey City.  Now, I certainly wouldn't want to be a neighbor to this place or live above it considering it's open until 2am.  It's in a newly developed neighborhood downtown called Liberty Harbor and butts up against the Light Rail tracks.  But it is fun and kids are welcome until 9pm. Can't wait to go back!

You can tell Chloe had a great time playing with her friends by all the dirt on her face.

Saturday we celebrated Jim's niece's graduation from High School.  I'm starting to feel old.  She seemed so young when Jim and I first started dating and now she's all grown up.  Phoebe hung out with Nonna for a bit - a great day all around!

I just signed up to run the Newport Half Marathon (Newport's a neighborhood in Jersey City).  I'm hoping this really kicks my butt into gear, but I do need to ramp up my mileage.  Fortunately, it's at the end of September so I have plenty of time.  I ran one way back when I lived in San Francisco, but it's been awhile.

The Placket-Front Sweater if finished, just drying at the moment, so I'll have pictures soon. 

We're headed to Vermont for the upcoming holiday weekend.  **Hopefully** it won't rain too much, but that's pretty much a fantasy, but you never know.  While we're there I want to take Chloe back to Shelburne Farms, I think this year she'll get so much more out of it than last year.  Plus I really want to see the Brown Swiss Cows again and I just love the pigs and piglets.

the swift lives!

I've had a swift and a ball winder for a few years now - and gotten lots of use out of both.  Last summer in the confusion of moving bedrooms around in preparation for Phoebe's arrival I thought a lost a crucial piece of the swift, but I unearthed it under a table last week. 

We had a nice, if a bit soggy, week at the beach.  There was really only one day of torrential rain, but it was still too cold on most days to camp out at the beach for any longer than a brief visit.  We caught up on sleep, watched the garden grow and read a few books.  A perfect week, except for the lack of sunshine!




The eggplant is growing like crazy - I just love the purple veins on the leaves. 

 

resurfacing

I've pulled a little Harry Hoodini vanishing act over the past few weeks!  Not really sure what I've been up to, but I was hit pretty hard by allergies, which suddenly seem to be getting better.  Speaking of which, we were gone for the weekend and left a window open a crack and I just noticed that everything in our living room seems to be covered with a thin layer of pollen.  Yuck.

Thanks for all the cat advice!  The cats we have in our back garden are the neighborhood feral cats.  Our block includes the police department and I've heard from neighbors that the police are actually the ones that feed these darn cats.  One of them has been in heat for the past week, so we've been enduring her moans.   On the plus side, our Honeysuckle is blooming and some of my plants are really starting to fill in.  Especially the Clematis.  So, despite the cat issues, things are growing.

This past weekend in keeping with tradition, we celebrated Jim's birthday at the beach.  Lovely weather overall even if it was a bit cool.



Didn't realize how late it was!  I have to run, but I'll be back tomorrow with some knitting updates, finally!