It is said that the sense of smell is the most nostalgic.  Just one whiff of something can submerge you in memories both fond and forgettable.  To an artistically tuned person, I would argue that the sense of touch packs a wicked punch as well.

Just in time for fall, I've discovered a new fiber by Araucania, and am truly falling for knits and purls all over again.  This beautiful yarn named "Panguipulli", after a Chilean lake surrounded by volcanos, waterfalls and thousand-year-old trees, lives up to it's geological significance.  It's component, simple, 100% Merino Wool, hand dyed in Chile into several decadent blends, divine for your fingers...not to mention your face.

This lace/cable cowl pattern jumped out to me from Ravelry, and with a few adaptations it was set for my new favorite yarn.  In just under 5 hours, the cowl is complete, ready for wearing, or in my case, giving.  I may just have to make myself one of these as well, since impulses drove me to buy three skeins of Panguipulli in just one yarn shop visit.  I can't get enough!

To all my fellow knitters...welcome to fall...go nuts!

The toughest part is when you realize that until the closing on your house, you are in total limbo.  You are now living in someone else's house, not wanting to do any work to the house, and eventually you even stop cleaning.  I have spent the last few weeks purging of furtniture on Craigs List and sorting storage stuff from aparment essentials.  It's really hard to determine the 10 bins of stuff that will a) fit in the cramped living quarters and b) actually be needed.  As a person who loves to throw, I find myself wanting to just dump it all and start over; if we ever do get to that next "permanent" location.

So...instead of making tough decisions or boxing up a house full of baby firsts and memories, I have resorted to knitting and guitar sing alongs.

Axel has resorted to taking advantage of my knitting concentration, and has fallen in LOVE with jelly beans or as he calls them "birthday beans".  I caught him on the kitchen chair (which is a bar height chair) eating just the black beans ("they're hot mommy").

Knitting has brought peace like it always promises to do and even though winter is another 9 months away, 2 color wool hats are on my mind.  I found this AWESOME pattern, modeled after the US Olympic hats by Polo.  Since the Olympic hats were selling online for over $400, I decided to knit them for under $10.  Here is a link to the pattern.  CLICK HERE

* If you do wish to try this hat, I will warn you of a couple things.  It makes a HUGE hat if you follow the directions exactly.  I would use smaller needles (4's and 5's) and would possibly take out a couple of the solid white rows.  Also, make sure to tie-in often (if you are a 2 stranded knitter you know what I mean).  Watch the charts closely, they are a little off towards the bottom.

Below are pictures of my first olympic hat.  In my own classic style I stitched a name on the inside.  I am not revealing the name in the photos so as not to ruin the birthday surprise!!

Also this week I decided to put an end to YEARS of brainstorming.  I have always been wondering what to do with the bibs from the countless running races Jahred and I have done.  I snagged a couple of his running bibs from his childhood room wall, and a wallet is what I came up with!  I plan to give it to him for fathers day (completely a safe announcement since he wouldn't read my blog if I paid him).

Well, enough procrastinating.  With 2 weeks until apartment access, I have to collect myself, my crap and my family for one of the final steps in our "5 year plan".

Ok, it may seem like I am lacking in my commitment to a pair per week.  I can honestly say, knitting is the 1 area of my life right now where I am not lacking!

Here are last Sundays "socks" and although they aren't the double-point delights of previous weeks, I think you will enjoy these felted lovelies.

Knit with Galaway worsted weight wool in heather...felted to foot size...decorated with vintage buttons.

This pattern was SUPER fun!  It is from an awesome etsy designer and you can find it HERE.

The directions are wonderful.  Mine didn't turn out as cute as hers, but I'm guessing she's made about one-million pair.  Perhaps by then I will have mastered the moccasin looking ridge as well.  Also, I'm a rather crappy felter. I'm inattentive at the washing machine and to save a load, I always felt with a few towels (never hurts to wash your towels in hot).

Also worth mentioning is that tomorrow I will be listing the pair of socks that were actually for today.  Yes, that will make me caught up!

Yesterday was my dear Oscars birthday.  He turned 4 in people years. Sometimes I wonder about 2 things.  

#1 - How old do you have to be until you don't look at the people in passing cars (seriously, there seems to be an age when you look over and people just aren't looking back)?

#2 - Do you ever get tired of your dog?  Previously never a pet owner, I figured the thrill wears off some time during the puppy stage.  With Oscar, I could snuggle him more every day.  Even at 4 years...he's still the most loved dog on the block.

***Don't forget to comment on my previous blog post.  Its a GIVEAWAY!

happy birthday oscar . . . photo credit GS 2009

Really, has it been over a week since my last post?  It's strange how every year I forget the craziness of this season.  Parties here, caramels there. Seriously though, I think I have spent the last week eating caramels.

Two things you should NEVER do during the winter in Minnesota.  
1 - Go to Sams Club.  They sell a larger than life container of Utz cheese balls; to be avoided at all cost. One should NOT consume that many balls...not that my container is gone yet...a respectable dent has been made...I'm the only one who knows where in my studio they are hidden (pretty tricky to hide a 4 gallon bucket)...doing the math -  balls + hiding + me knowing where = I HAVE EATEN THEM ALL MYSELF.
2 - Make caramels when you don't IMMEDIATELY have somewhere to bring them.  Of course I made some rules for myself regarding caramel consumption, but in my house, rules have never worked.

Ok, now that I have explained what you shouldn't do...here is what you SHOULD do!  Knit socks.  Keeping true to my promise (although a little late with the pictures), here is this weeks SUPERSOCK SUNDAY!

These lovely mens socks were knit for the MOST important man in my life. Probably the only man I would dare knit socks for (the rest are too careless with footwear).  Papa will be getting these socks for x-mas this Sunday (early...sshhhhhh).  I'm sure he isn't reading my blog, so the secret is safe with you all.

Knit with "Happy Feet" sock yarn by Plymouth.  A simple k3, p1 rib throughout. Standard pattern with a little extra height in the calf.  It took me a while to fall in love with this yarn.  I am a fan of a stiffer, scratchy wool like Noro, but the soft-slight-stretch of the Happy Feet MADE me love it.  I'm sure they will wash like a dream and wear like a hug!

Really an uneventful week.  Lots of tantrums as we approach the terrible 2's and lots of "Follow that Bird", the movie a.k.a. ALL TIME BEST BABYSITTER.

Between juggling Jahreds schedule and making sure to hit the grocery stores for Veterans Day cookies, Axel and I have been tyring to maintain sanity.

Keeping true to my commitment, week 2 of my "Year in Socks" went about the best of any of my attempts this week. 

This pair I have to say is LOVELY.  Made from German Supersocke yarn and knit in a "mistake rib", I am excited to gift these this holiday season!

Why socks?  Really there's nothing more intimate than knitting socks for someone special.  Perhaps it's a MInnesotan thing, but in the bowels of winter, when even your Andersen double pane windows have ice on the INSIDE, all you have are your socks.

The pair I have for you this week are made from Noro Silk Garden sock yarn and are for a special person on my Christmas list.  (Hopefully they aren't a blog reader.)

Life for me is about moments registering hot OR cold.  The danger about hot OR cold is that warm AND cool, variations of the original, can mean vastly different experiences.

It wasn't until I became a mother that I started having hot and cold, warm and cool moments in rapid succession.

For example, yesterday, started beautifully, sun shining, a little leaf raking, lots of snacks...and then Axel learned something new.  Yesterday, my son figured out how to gag.  SICK right?  Like many before him, and hopefully to get it out of his system before the testy teenage years, Axel figured out that by cramming your hands in your mouth, you do something really strange.

Ok, I try not to react to shocking things.  Falls, minor scraps, toys mid flight down the stairs, little can get a reaction from me.  Growing up around boys, I learned quickly that a reaction is what they are searching for.  But, sitting in the living room, out of exciting things to do by 10am, and your toddler starts to gag and laugh at himself...AAHHHHHH.  Definitely a cold/reactive moment!

Thinking that Axel's "learning 1 thing new every day" will be gaging himself, I immediately thrust myself into action with coloring, stickers, even finger paints didn't stop the thrill of gagging.  A hot moment certainly.

Among the many things no one tells you, is that a toddler may learn something new everyday, but during sleep, God erases some of the terrible things.  By the time Axel had woken up from his nap, the gagging had stopped, and we could continue on with normalcy, and thankfully, boredom.

Later in the evening, I decided that Axel and I would go to the grocery store and pick out the candy for our average 300 trick-or-treaters.  Seeing as we only went for 1 thing, I made a potentially cool decision as a mother to let him push the kid carts for the first time.  

Stopping in front of every customers cart, Axel made direct eye contact with every SINGLE person we passed and greeted with a "hi" AND a "bye bye".  Not 1 person shopping at 6pm last night got away without noticing that Axel had reached a milestone.  Ultimate freedom.  I'm sure he warmed a few hearts in produce and definitely in the candy aisle.

Today, I started out cold.  A COLD...I thought I had kicked it a week ago, but it is revisiting for round 2.  Desperately trying to pour on the heat all day, I have shivered my way to now.

There is however a little warm to my day...I decided on the pattern I will use for Axel's 2009 Christmas sweater!  

My first knitting pattern book, 8 years ago maybe, featured a dreamy little sweater that I planned to knit for my baby "some day".  Paging through the book, I found the sweater with a tiny red post-it-note.  I had conveniently placed the sticker inside the book, so no one would know of my silly baby dreams...and I had forgotten all about it.  While my friends were off at some bar in college, I must have been paging through the patterns (I tend to read them like a novel, suspense and all)...and destiny has it that I will knit that very sweater for my very first and very special boy this year!

Definitely warm.

After an abrupt end to Tyler's triathlon season due to injury, I was determined to create something that would get him through a winter of rehab and keep is goals in sight.

After searching "triathlon" on Etsy (I didn't really expect to find anything), I came across this great pattern.  

Pattern created by "subitofarmstore", knitting done by me.

How wonderful it felt to spend the last week blowing off the shop and knitting such a special piece.  Complete with his name on the inside. The 40+ hours I spent on this hat requires it be chained to his noggin.

A rewarding feeling to place it on his head, a relief that it FIT!