Herrington cowl

I am in love with all of Jill Zielinski's patterns found at www.kniterella.com.  I saw her pattern for the amazing Herrington Infinity Scarf and was dying to cast on.  I have an amazing local yarn shop that I go to at home.  But whenever I visit my in laws in NJ, I always go to Knit a Bit in Westfield and pick up something. When we were visiting for the holidays, I went and made a trip.  I found the most gorgeous yarn, Vail Mountaintop by classic elite yarns. And I picked my colors and started immediately. 

I set up my iPad and got to knitting by the fire... Truly blessed to have some time to relax doing what I love.

 

Well now, I'm almost finished.  The pattern calls for 6 repeats of the 2 colors, but I think I might do 7.  I'm almost done with the 6th... I just hope I have enough white.  I cannot wait to wear this beauty!

Happy knitting!

cowls

Oh my goodness.  COWLS.  I have been knitting cowls furiously for months now... Specifically, a drop stitch cowl I have been selling and then my father in law called and asked me to make 20 for the nurses at his work for the week before Christmas.  This isn't a big deal because this cowl takes about 1 1/2 hours to knit up and its so cozy and chic.  But factor in an 18 month old... it becomes slightly more difficult.  I knit during nap time and at night... and sometimes while playing in the basement.  I had a stack...  We were ready to ship.

Then, he needed more.  MORE?!?!?!  Jeez.  By the end of the order, he will need 32 beautiful drop stitch cowls.  I don't even have one for myself!  

They are gorgeous.  I need one for me...  Maybe next week.  For now, I am working on the Herrington Cowl by Jill Zielinski.  Pictures to come soon; it is beautiful!

Happy Knitting!

Justine

happy new year!

Happy New Year!  I am so looking forward to 2014 and happy to be leaving 2013 behind.  I hope you all had a wonderful Holiday Season!

In this time of moving forward and making resolutions and new promises, I am forced to think of where I was this time last year.  I was home on maternity leave with my 6 month old baby boy, Harrison.  I know now that I did not fully appreciate the time I had with my boy.  He was/is a difficult baby... He never wanted to be put down and he cried at the drop of a hat... oh, and the screaming... I admit that I thought being a stay at home mother was going to be easy.  I thought I would have tons of time to get so much done and I would be a Susie Homemaker and be a perfect wife/mother... But I found my time at home to be frustrating and challenging.  And now, as I think back on that time now that I am back to work full-time, I regret not cherishing those moments.  My mother told me one particularly difficult day last year that my priority had to be Harrison.  She said to forget the dishes, the laundry and the cleaning... just be with my son and take care of him.  Everything else could wait.  What good advice; I wish I had taken it more seriously.  

We suffered a devastating loss this year in my family.  My mother passed away in July after being very sick for decades.  There are days when I feel I cannot breathe because she is gone, and then there are other days when I think back on all she taught me and I try to live my life for her.  

So for this New Year, I am going to work on enjoying the small, everyday things in my life.  I am going to take time for myself and my family.  I am going to let the laundry pile up and not vacuum for days!  (I cannot leave dishes in the sink... I have a HUGE issue with that).  I am going to do all the things I love and knit a lot!  I always knit things for my mother... she was my biggest fan.  Whenever I knit, I think of her and I am happy.  Heres to a better year in 2014!

Happy Knitting and Happy New Year!

Justine