Hanging on to summer...

Okay, so posting by phone from the mountains...not so much.  It seems that my posts didn't make it all the way through and ended up abbreviated and a bit choppy.  So sorry to those of you who received my mixed-up missives.  It was worth a try though, and who knows maybe I'll figure it out before my next get-away.  I love the idea of the quick pic and three sentence away-from-home post, but then again, I guess that's what Twitter is for, right?

Anyway, we are indeed back home.  Our visit to the mountains was idyllic in every way and was exactly what we all needed.  Here's a peek at the face of our summer vacation... 

...big smiles and floaty relaxation all around...love.

Now that we're home, we are back at it {and how!}...one of our bunch is already in school {so not right} and the rest of us are getting ready for the start of a new semester.  It promises to be a big one around these parts, full of change and lots of firsts—more about that another day.  Anyway, suffice it to say that we've hit the ground running.  It's amazing how many directions five people can fly in at one time.   All the hubbub makes our little break feel even more precious and I am trying to hang on to every bit of it that I can, in every way that I can.  I've been living on a steady diet of tomatoes, basil and olive oil...YuM...

{really, is there anything better than toasted crusty bread, rubbed with a clove of garlic, and then buried under ripe tomatoes and basil with a drizzle of good olive oil and a sprinkling of salt and pepper?...no, I don't think there is}. 

I've been knitting and crocheting every possible moment...

Okay, the knitting isn't so different, but me crocheting and not griping that crochet isn't knitting is definitely a new thing.  I think that all of that yummy color must be doing it for me.  I'll post more about this little {actually not-so little} project very soon.

And lately I've become quite adept at ignoring the piles of laundry and stacks of books and yarn covering every available surface of our house—I figure the mess will still be there when things slow down a bit, and if I don't steal the remaining bits of summer that I can amidst all of the running around, it will be gone before I know it {but then there will be fall...lovely, knitterly, crispy fall...so no tears here!}.

Hope you are managing to steal a little summer for yourself...

xoxo~
alison

And the living is easy...

Hi from the Brookfield floating bridge.  Yes, this bridge actually floats—one of only a handful of floating bridges in the world.
I've been spending a lot of time drifting in this pond.  We make our way to the pond on every warm sunny day we get up here in the mountains (and even on some not-so warm days—brrrr!).  After all of the schedules and hubbub of our day to day it feels really good to drift aimlessly, letting all the cares of the world drain away and working on nothing more pressing than contemplating the clouds.  I usually have a hard time being still for this kind of thing, but this pond seems to do the trick for me and before I know it, I'm rocked into relax mode every time.

Sending you summer wishes for blue skies and aimless sunny afternoons.

 xoxo~alison

Unplugged...

Hello there!
We are here in the mountains without Internet and so I am trying
something new. I'm going to try to post from my phone. Fingers crossed
and we'll see!...
xoxo~alison

Someone is one!!!

Hi there!

Just popping in to let you know that Petite Purls is one year old!...and they are celebrating with a terrific giveaway! 

It's hard to believe that this time last year only one issue of Petite Purls {summer 2009} was out there.  Thanks to a lot of online buzz, I discovered that first issue shortly after it went live, and I was immediately blown away.  Finally an online knitting 'zine devoted to clothing, nurturing, and celebrating children!  It was pretty much true love at first sight, so of course I was thrilled when last July found me feverishly knitting the Ladybug Coat for their Fall 2009 Issue.

Truth be told, I can't say enough wonderful things about this great online magazine and its creators, the lovely Allegra and Brandy.  If you're not familiar with Petite Purls, pop on over and check it out...you'll be glad you did...patterns, reviews and more!  Since the magazine's debut they have continued to add and expand.  The magazine now includes features on sewing, crochet, toy making, interviews with amazing crafters, designers, authors, bloggers and indie artists, and more, all devoted to creating and crafting for children...and all completely inspiring.  It's actually not entirely surprising that Petite Purls has come so far is such a short time—like I said Brandy and Allegra are incredibly talented and they work tirelessly {and I am beginning to suspect that they may have figured out how to survive without sleep...how else could they accomplish so much and make it look so effortless and flawlessly gorgeous?}.  

Entering the giveaway couldn't be easier...scoot on over here to see what you can win and then just leave a comment.  Lots of wonderful patterns and prizes are up for grabs, including a signed copy of Fairy Tale Knits.  Entries will be taken through today, July 1, 2010.  Best of luck!!!!

~xoxo
alison

Bonjour!...

We are home again!  My head and heart are still full of the sights, sounds, tastes, and smells of beautiful Brittany and Paris.  Since our return, I have written and rewritten this post and I find that I truly don't have the words {or maybe it's that I don't have enough words}.  So I will keep it short and sweet by saying that sharing this post-graduation get-away with my daughter was absolutely wonderful and lovely in every way.  Enjoying time together, watching my sweet girl experience France for the first time {love that far-away look}...

...Indulging in leisurely walks and talks, immersing ourselves in art, history, and food...

{did I mention that we ate dinner at the table next to Catherine Deneuve one night?...amazing but true!}

...Relishing countless gorgeous moments in the many magnificent parks, gardens and outside spaces...

...The ongoing conversations about everything under the sun and the chance to reconnect with my dear and amazing friend,  Anne...

,

 {love that woman—if you haven't checked out her blog, you should—she is truly incredible in every way—here you see her indulging me in a little touristy silliness—like I said, what's not to love}...

 ...Getting to see first hand the incredible life that she and her sweet family have carved our for themselves in Brittany—absolutely awe-inspiring {for those thinking of spending time abroad with your family, you should definitely check out Anne's blog—these guys have really done it up right}...

...Meeting and talking to some very talented artisans living the dream in LaGacilly, a picturesque little town with shop after shop full of beautiful handcrafted items...

These and many, many other things made this trip so precious—one that I will treasure for years to come.  To say that I feel blessed would be an understatement.  Okay, stopping now...I'm getting all misty.  Suffice it say that our time together was the stuff of dreams, and it just keeps giving and giving with all of the memories that keep playing across my heart.  I may not be the first to say it, but I feel so lucky knowing that "we'll always have Paris".  Yes, Bogart said it best that's for sure...and happily it's so very true...

 And now a brief nod to the knitty bits of my trip {you knew there had to be some, right?}...

Here is the yarn I started with...some Adriafil Color that I picked up years ago in Italy.  It made it's way back across the pond on this trip...

 I started this project on the plane on the way to France...

 And finished it shortly after our return...

The design is by Emma Fassio...love this wearable little number and love her blog as well...good, good stuff!  It was a quick, quick knit—fun and relaxing—perfect airplane knitting.  My daughter just cast on for one of her own...it will be her first ever sweater project!...fingers crossed!

Well friends,  thanks for putting up with my travel prattle.  Now I've got to get back to my non-vacation, non-virtual life...lots to catch up on around here.  Apparently time and projects wait for no one, no matter how glorious the holiday.

Hope your summer is going along swimmingly...
~xox
alison

Woohoo!!!

Hello dear friends,

We have had a very full and happy week here in the middle of the middle.  I am feeling very full and like I must be just about the luckiest girl in the world to have such great people in my life.

My girly, our oldest graduated this weekend!...woohoo!  This pic pretty much says it all...

 It was a wonderful week of celebration.  We couldn't be prouder of this kid and are so happy that we could share this special time with some of our dear farflung family.  I cried nary a tear at the graduation {I know a small miracle, right?}, but am feeling a little sentimental right now thinking about how fortunate we are...life is good.  I'd love to go on and on, but I'm in a bit of a time crunch.  My dear girl and I are leaving this morning for Paris, France!!!! 

If you remember this...

from the holidays.  It was a pouch made of old atlases to contain our daughter's combination Christmas/graduation present...a trip to France to visit  friends and play.  Other than college visits, this is our first trip solo and I can't wait!!!!

Much more when we return.  I'll be thinking of you so often and taking lots of pictures.  Have a great couple of weeks!

xoxo~
alison

May flowers...

Hellooooo!...remember me?  Forgive me dear reader, it has been a whole month since my last post.  Many, many apologies for my disappearing act.  I wish I could say that I had some wonderfully dramatic story as an excuse, but the sad reality of it is that I don't.  Real life, some big decisions, and just day to day stuff has gotten in the way of my normal day to day.  I guess you could say that I took a trip down the rabbit hole, because that's sort of how it feels.  Does that ever happen to you?...where the days fill up with big and little things, where mind and body are totally preoccupied with worries and joys, with mundane errands and big decisions, with coming to terms with the here and now as well as with what's around the corner and the all changes that are part and parcel of this journey.

So after all of that, I think we all need a little pick-me-up, bit of color...some May flowers!...

This wreath is made of knitted and felted flowers.  It's an idea that has been rolling around in my brain for a while and one that I have been anxious to share with you.  I am planning to write this pattern up and to possible sell it or offer it on Ravelry, but I thought I would include the directions for one of the flowers here right now {call it a peace offering}.  I made the flowers out of some Cascade 220 and Patons Classic Wool that I had hanging around.  I used a double strand of yarn for most of the flowers and worked them with a size US 11 needle.  This gives a really dense felt—one that really holds its shape.  After the knitting was done, I popped the flowers in a pillow case and threw them in the washer and ran them with hot water and a little detergent.  After they were felted the way I wanted them, I used the spin cycle to remove the excess water, formed the flowers to the shape I wanted, and let them air dry.  I wanted to use only things that I had on hand for this project, so I raided my button box to embellish the flowers.

The directions that follow are for the roses {red and purple} on the wreath.  They are the same flowers that I used on the Flower Fairy Coat and Cloche in my book Fairy Tale Knits

 ...the only difference is that I felted them for the wreath.
 CO 10 sts
Row 1:  Knit
Row 2 and all even rows through Row 8:  Purl
Row 3:  Knit front and back in each stitch—20 sts.
Row 5:  Repeat Row 3—40 sts.
Row 7:  Repeat Row 5—80 sts
Bind off after Row 8, leaving a 10" tail, cut the yarn and fasten the last stitch off.  Use the tail of the bound off edge to sew the flower together.  To sew the flower, first roll it up like a cinnamon roll and sew the bottom edge of the flower so that it maintains its shape.  Weave in ends.

For inquiring minds...What initiated my trip down the rabbit hole?...nothing bad...actually some really good stuff.  We {well honestly, my oldest child, but the rest of us have been along for the ride} have been in the midst of some decision making.  Please indulge me in a mama moment {this is the part where I go on about my kids, so if you're just here for the knitting, you might want to skip this part}.  My girl applied to and got into 10 colleges...YaY!...a good thing, right?  Well, yes!...terrific!...the only down side is that we are not quick deciders...our lot agonizes over decisions...we weigh...we talk...we avoid thinking about it...we distract ourselves...we panic...we think...we research...we surf...we talk...we make lists...we talk some more...we decide...we rethink...we talk...and then we start all over again...until the last...possible...moment...and then we usually end up at the place where we started, where our first choice, the decision we thought we were going to make is, in fact, the decision we do make.   There have been many twists and turns on this road during the last month, and I admit to a brief emotional detour of my own {oh how I will miss my sweet girl and at the same time am so happy for her}.  But she/we made it through and have come to the other side. I'm proud of her—it's a big decision and a difficult one, choosing between such good things.  And that's where we are now, on the other side of this first really big decision, at last happy and excited, looking forward with much joy...in time for graduation, just as it should be.

Thank you for indulging me and for being there.  I am truly happy to be back among my friends in blogland.  I hope each of you are enjoying a wonderful spring and that things are good in your neck of the woods.  Things here will be pretty chaotic for a bit, with end of the year festivities, family coming in for graduation and what-not, but I will try to pop in before too long to share some knitting, maybe another flower and to catch up.

xoxo~alison