Yarn Along: Clearing the Decks

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Alana Dakos, children, Childrens Books, kids, knitting, toddler, Yarn Along

Joining in for the “Yarn Along” over at small things:

So, the knitting and reading for the past few weeks has been varied and plentiful!

I guess my goal at the moment is to kind of “clear the decks” so I can get back to one nice involved project at a time to relax with for the summer months.  I have been “multi-knitting” for weeks now.  In progress right now are a gift knit (nearly done), two sample knit hats, my “omg this is taking forever” plum cardi, and a lovely cheerful crochet shawl that I’ve been toting around as my portable project.  Oh, and I’ve swatched to begin another Tiny Tea Leaves for my Lil One who LOST the one I made her!  (I just keep reminding myself it never would have been lost if she didn’t love it so much and take it with her everywhere.)  I’ve also finished up several things that were in the way of my summer agenda, so I am actually making progress on getting to summer knitting.  Here’s the thing – I’m absolutely chomping at the bit to start a new sweater project just for me:

The yarn is a delicious, soft yet textured yarn from Anzula called “Oasis”. What could be better for a relaxing summer knit?  The pattern is from a recent issue of Interweave Knits, and it’s called the Open Eye Tunic.  I’m still on the fence about the little side bits, but they are sewn in at the end, so I might make it as just a tunic and see how it looks.

OK, one more little “WIP” – I am creating a new knitter!  No, seriously.  My Lil One got the book “Annie and the Swiss Cheese Scarf”, by Alana Dakos and Neesha Hudson, for her birthday.  We’ve been reading it now and then, and she’s been inspired to learn to knit, as well as learning that “practice and patience” are the key to learning anything new.  Now, she’s only 4, so progress is slow.  It will be a while before her little hands can really control everything, but none the less, she’s been sitting in my lap and repeating the little rhyme from the book:

“In through the front door,

once around the back.

Peek through the window,

and off jumps Jack!”

She knows exactly how the yarn moves and just needs me to help steady the needles and sometimes pop the stitch through the “window” for her.  We had cast on just ten stitches about a month ago, and every week or so she’ll say “can we practice knitting”, and so we do.  Sometimes it’s only been three stitches, sometimes we’ve gotten all the way across the row and she proudly exclaims “Look!  We made a whole row Mamma!”  So, now I present you with Lil One’s very first FO – a little tab necklace in Malabrigo Silky Merino:

As for the reading list, I’ve been taking time when deadlines are not looming to really indulge in reading my new novel, “Code Name Verity”, by Elizabeth Wein.  I love the writing, and the women in the story are so captivating.  I really recommend this one!  In addition, I’ve indulged in a couple more knit lit. purchases including more Alana Dakos in the form of “Botanical Knits”.  I want to make every single thing in that book this fall.  Oh dear, I’m gonna need more yarn money… better get back to work!

So what’s on your summer reading list?