Simple Knits | A Knitalong

Times moves much too fast and there really aren't enough hours in the day for everything that I want -- or think I 'need' -- to do. Can you relate?With each New Year I promise myself that I'm going take the time to knit some small, simple projects for myself and gifting throughout the year, but life takes over and so many of the things I would love to knit get pushed aside, or are knit in a last-minute frenzy. In reality, I know I allow life take over, and I'm determined to change that this year....

Simple Knits KAL
Simple Knits KAL

Simple Knits is a year of knitting one project each month that is simple, yet enjoyable, because of technique, yarn, design, or all of the above - you know, those projects that just let you enjoy using two sticks & some string to magically create fabric. A year of simple projects that are a fabulous 'something' to knit for yourself or perfect for gifting to a loved one, yet... most won't take more than a few evenings or a weekend to complete.

So, what can you expect? Well, I surely don't want to spoil any surprises, but I can tell you that some of my favorite designers will be featured in the upcoming months and there will be some giveaways along the way. To kick off our Knitalong, we're going to start the New Year with one of my fave's -- Very Shannon.

Very Shannon Logo
Very Shannon Logo

I adore Shannon and her designs - simple and elegant with a touch of interest for an enjoyable knit (or sew) and a very special finished project. Lansbury has been on my 'to knit' list since Shannon released the pattern nearly 2 years ago, so that's exactly what's going on the needles for January!

Lansbury1
Lansbury1

"Named for the lovely Angela Lansbury & her long time show Murder, She Wrote, this cowl represents all the twists & turns involved in solving a good mystery. I have fond memories of curling up watching Angela Lansbury daily with my Omi while knitting & crocheting alongside her. I still tune in regularly with reruns on netflix with my favorite tea and some twist filled knitting."

lansbury
lansbury

Like Shannon, I watched Murder She Wrote with my grandma many (many) years ago. My grandma has since passed and I'm sure I'll think of fondly, and often, as I knit this cowl - I may even reminisce by watching some episodes on Netflix while I knit.

One of the things that I love about this cowl, is that it's perfect for that special skein of yarn -- Lansbury only uses ~200 yards of aran weight yarn (heavier worsted). I've wound my skein of yarn and I'll share my yarn selection and progress soon - I can't wait to see the yarn you choose!

lansbury2
lansbury2

Pop on over to Shannon's blog to read more about her Lansbury cowl here. If you don't already follow Shannon... along with awesome blog, you can find her on twitter, facebook, instagram, and pinterest

This is just the beginning of our Knitalong. With 12 months and 12 projects, you can knit a few projects for yourself and some as gifts throughout the year -you may even decide to knit duplicates! Just the thought of having some fresh knitted items for myself and the potential of being prepared for gifting before the last-minute, brings a smile to my face and I hope you're smiling too!

:: Simple Knits | A Knitalong ::

Taking -- and making -- time each month to knit a fabulous new something for yourself or the perfect gift for a loved one.

Visit our Simple Knits Ravelry thread for Knitalong details and to join the fun -- don't forget, we'll have some giveaways throughout the year for your FO's!

I'm signing off to cast on my Lansbury! Cheers!

In the Kitchen | Apple Pecan Cobbler

Winter has arrived and the boys enjoyed playing in the fresh snow this morning.

Rollo Logan Jan 010415

We've all adjusted nicely with our new addition and Rollo seems to have settled into life as part of our family - he's a bit bullheaded at times, but that's nothing out of the ordinary for a husky and it usually makes us giggle when we're trying to reprimand him.

IMG_20150104_113923We survived the holidays and I finished my knitted projects just in time. I would love to share the photos I took of the 6 hats I knit, but sadly they were all lost due to a faulty SD card, with one super cute exception:

Apple Pie Rollo

Things have been a whirlwind since the holidays - prepping for the Firefly Fibers Winter KAL & 2015 Sweater Club, we've also added a Sock of the Month at the shop and this month's yarn from Renee of Spun Right Round is pretty fabulous (and queued up for tonight's knitting).

PicsArt_1420407094070And... some of the ladies at the shop collaborated on a KAL - A Year of Washcloths. It's sure to be great fun with a new washcloth design each month selected by one of the shop knitters - anyone can join the fun over on our Ravelry thread here. Mr. Yarnista even got his own Raverly account because he was challenged by one of the shop knitters - he's BigMikeMike and you should add him to your Ravelry friends.

I've been under the weather for the last few days, but today I started feeling better (thanks to 12 hours of sleep last night) and this morning I was able to spend some time in the kitchen. Back in November, the lovely and talented Julie Asselin posted a recipe for her Apple Pecan Cobbler. As luck would have it, our last CSA delivery included some gorgeous apples, but things got busy and I didn't get to make it. Thankfully the apples held out long enough and this morning we had Apple Pecan Cobbler for breakfast...

IMG_20150104_102812

Of course, everything is better with fresh whipped cream...

APCI did leave the skins on the apples and adapted for a gluten-free version with GF oats and substituting GF flour, otherwise I followed Julie's recipe exactly and it was SO delicious!

Speaking of delicious... remember this?

Pho AY

Last winter I made Vietnamese Pho broth from scratch and made a huge batch to freeze leftovers. Tonight, we're enjoying the fruits of that day's labor for supper and I can't wait!

Cheers!

PS - If you're waiting for my new Knitalong, stay tuned... I'll be posting in the VERY near future!

Moments | A New Year

I've had a little time off and I've been forced to take it easy the last couple days as I seem to have caught a bug. I spent last night wrapped up in an electric blanket, with a cup of tea, and watched Revenge. This was my wild and crazy New Year's Eve...

image

With the arrival of 2015, I have a new knitalong and I'll be sharing the details with you very soon...

Until then, I wish you and yours a very happy New Year!

Cheers! (and I'm off to nap, again)