looking forward to knitting again...

So it's still 105 degrees outside for at least a few days out of every week around here. Not really what I'd call knitting weather. But school is starting soon, and my job (!) and I'm getting other occasional hints that fall might actually happen sometime soon.

There are so many things to love about fall (not the least of which is the ability to strap my kids into their car seats without hearing the pained screams of the damned in hell if a metal buckle brushes against bare skin). Fall is definitely my favorite time of year, and it's so much better because it follows the blistering misery of August. And since this is Texas, usually September as well. Actually I remember shopping for Christmas trees in shorts and tank tops a few years as a kid, but we're just going to pretend like that never happens.


Anyway! Knitting! Obviously it's too soon to touch wool, what with the unbearable punch-in-the-stomach heat of the outdoors. But we can shop around? Look at a few fun fall patterns? That adorable little dress pattern is from Rasmilla's Etsy shop and I'm thinking it would be a great supplement to Jane's school wardrobe (which currently consists of some pretty rank hand-me-downs that came to me several years ago perfectly intact and lovely, but did not survive Wren's twos in such great shape.

And here's a free pattern for a little cardigan from Knitting Pure and Simple that actually looks somewhat doable- since there are no buttonholes, and not much seaming. I don't find it as initially terrifying as most knitting patterns, so that's good, right?


Ah! Bloomers! So cute! And if I made them with wool, instead of cotton like The Purl Bee used in their tutorial, they would work as a diaper cover too.

I'm also looking ahead for some Christmas present ideas. It might seem early to most people, but I have to budget in at least a month of procrastination a bit closer to the deadline, so I'd like to have at least an idea of what I'm putting off making:


This pattern made the rounds on Ravelry and it seems like everyone has tried it. I'm a little scared- this would be the closest I've come to lace knitting, and although it's definitely the most economical knitting (not much yarn) it seems like it might be extremely finicky and frustrating, not really suited to someone who says, when making enormous quilt tops, "so they don't line up, so what? It probably won't bother me in 50 years..."

Maybe I should start chunkier? With a big old chunky cowl? I can think of a few people who might like that for Christmas. Personally, cowls creep my out. First of all, there's the ultra weird magical birth connection, and then if maybe you have blessedly not known about that in the past, there's also the fact that it looks like a big itchy possibly sentient collar.

However, that won't stop me from making you one, if I thought you'd wear it. After all, it might imbue you with psychic powers and keep you from drowning, who knows?

Jane is sitting across from me, making her fake "eating" noise. Which is hilarious. Chase and I crack up every time she does it. She used to literally say "nom nom nom" which was awesome of course, but now it's a more glottal, back of the throat "ugn ugn ugn" type of sound. "Mama I'm gonna eat you up ugn ugn ugn!" So so funny. Maybe I'll get the Flip out and capture that shit.

Either way, this is a kid who deserves an adorable knitted dress, am I right? COME ON FALL!