New York

You know those weekend getaways that you always say you're going to plan, or take, but somehow never happen? No?

Well, for us, New York City was one of those. It's "only" a 7 hour drive from Montreal, and the last time we visited was 8 years ago. That time it was just the two of us, we went for New Year's and we focused on eating, celebrating and experiencing the city during the holidays.

This time around, it being the three of us, the focus was a bit different. It was great to see the city through Aidan's perspective, to observe his amazement and his enthusiasm, though at times I wished I could have tamed his excitement.

We walked for hours, absorbing the energy that seems to permeate the city. I took a few hundred photos, and it seems impossible to properly capture the atmosphere, to do justice to such an amazing city. I love it's vibe, the buzz, the craziness, the noise. And the fact that all of this is offset by a perfect "little" oasis that is Central Park.

Here are some of my favorite shots of NYC:

The highlight of the trip for A. was taking a cab. After that, he tried to hail one himself for the rest of the trip. Picture a 4 1/2 year old, sitting in a stroller (yeah, he still does) waiving his arms and yelling "Taxi, Taxi", every time a yellow cab drives by. It was pretty funny.

For me, the highlight was being able to dash into "Purl Soho", for a blissful 30 minutes, to admire their goodies. Had it been at all acceptable I would have followed A's example and run down the street waiving my arms and yelling: "Yarn, Yarn". You knitters out there understand, no?

It was a magical weekend, and I can guarantee I will not let another 8 years pass by before going back!.

Next wekend, HOPEFULLY, I'll show off a finished Levenwick.

Love where you live

Not only does the calendar say September, but I have noticed a nip in the air in the mornings. The sun is now only rising after I have taken my shower and there is that hint of gold in the tree-leaves. I am having a really hard time letting go of this summer, it's been so incredible, so our little family is making the most of the last few remaining summer weekends.

This time we visited a bee-farm. Intermiel is only a 30 minute drive from our home. Nestled in the hills, you come across an apple orchard where beehives are scattered between the rows of trees. The farm not only produces honey, but also maple syrup and an array of products related to the two. You can join a tour of the facility and learn about beekeeping or simply wander around and drink in the atmosphere. We chose to do both.

The kids were delighted to discover a petting zoo and a playground and burned off enough energy to quietly join us for some honey-tasting and a visit to the shop.

I cannot tell you how many fond memories this little adventure has brought back to me. My uncle kept beehives as a hobby when I was young. As we lived in the cit, joining him on weekends on his drives to the country to tend to the hives was a wonderful distraction. My sister, my cousin and I would pile into the car, drag along toys, books and snacks and simply enjoy time spent outdoors.

I loved the time we spent cooped up int his garage or basement, helping him work the honey extractor or label the jars. I still remember the smell of the wax and the honey, the sweetness that seemed to permeate everything. This visit brought me back to those days, and I can only hope that I can create similar experiences for my own son.

The next morning, as I stirred a spoonful of honey into my tea and the sun was shining through the kitchen window, I could not help but feel a pang thinking of those days.

As a family, we've made a conscious effort to explore our own surroundings a bit more, to acknowledge how lucky we are to be living here. This "attitude" and therefore this post was inspired by the "Love the place you live" feature on the "Design Mom" blog. It really opened my eyes to the importance of being appreciative of my own environment. Stay tuned for more!

What about you? Do you like exploring your own city?

The Apron

I love food. I love experimenting with different tastes, recipes and spices. One of the first blogs I ever followed regularly was not a knitting blog, but a food blog, La Tartine Gourmande. So there's always something simmering in my kitchen. As in many homes it's the centre around which life unfolds.

Since we moved into out new house 4 months ago, I have been busy thinking of decorating (see my Pinterest board) and making our house into a home. I like to be surrounded by things that have a meaning, items I've picked up during my vacations, a memento from my childhood, family photos. And lately also hand-made items, a felted bowl, a knitted pillow-cover and now.....an apron. I know you may think...really? An apron? Why should I be impressed by an apron? But you do not understand, for someone that had to film the sewing instructions she got, this is a big deal!

I am proud to present my second sewing project!

As always, my go-to blog for ideas is The Purl Bee. The Tutorials are the best. I am starting to get the hand of this, though I have to admit that the stripes on the fabric were a life-saver!

I also followed the suggestions of some of my blog followers and purchased the Lotta Jansdotter "Simple Sewing" book and I cannot wait to tackle some of those projects!

How about you? Any great food blogs you care to recommend??

Levenwick- the mystery of the invisible purl increase

One of my favorite knits so far has been the Levenwick cardigan by Gudrun Johnston . I have worn it countless times, and it is my most admired knit, both in person and on Ravelry. I was asked by a friend of mine to make another one, and I happily obliged. And what better time then now, when there are still 2 months left before the deadline for the Luvinthemommyhood Summer Sweater KAL runs out.

I thought it would be a quick project, since I have already knit it once. I was making quick progress on the cardigan until I got to the yoke, which for increases uses the "invisible purl increase". I remember stumbling across this part the first time around as well, so I hopefully turned to my notes. Alas, I did not make any on this particular subject. So I turned to Google, which surprisingly, failed me, as it had the first time around. I had no choice but ti figure it out on my own....again.

The pattern notes give the following instructions:

"Insert the right hand needle from the top down into the purl stitch that sits below the next stitch on the left needle. Purl this stitch and then purl the next stitch on the needle."

A decent explanation, but I am that kind of girl that needs pictures. So here's my first ever tutorial on the "invisible purl increase".

Now, I have no way of verifying that this is indeed the correct way of doing it, all I can say that this is how I have knit it. If I am incorrect, please let me know!

And at this point a "thank you" to my husband who took these photos despite some serious hay-fever this morning!

Spring Garden Tee & why you should always do the measuring yourself!

I've finally finished the "Spring Garden Tee", that was meant to be a birthday gift for my niece. Once the ends were woven in, and it was blocked, I was really excited to see it on my niece. I went over, armed with my camera, ready to take some gorgeous FO shots.

Perhaps I should have known. There had been signs. All I had to do is hold it up to my son for comparison. Or think back on previous conversations with my sister. Because it turns out the tee....is more of a tunic. Apparently that's fine, it only means she'll be able to wear it longer.

I guess.

It does look really cute on her, no?

I have also started my second KAL project, another Levenwick, for a friend. I really enjoyed knitting it the first time around, so it'll be a breeze to finish by the end of September. More on that soon.

The perfect summer day

What do you picture when you think of a perfect summer day?

Mine started with a perfectly blue sky, and enough me time to read a chapter of my new book, while enjoying a cup of coffee.

We then baked a little something. I love rhubarb, and my local grocery store finally started carrying it, so I've been trying a few different recipes. This one is from La Tartine Gourmande.

Lunch was followed by a quick run to my local yarn store . I was hoping to get some Pink Label Tanis Fiber Arts on sale, but ended up with this beauty:

And finally, the rest of the day was spent in my sister's pool.

We got home a little while ago, our skin still feeling hot from the sunshine we've absorbed all day. We're tired, but a good tired, if you know what I mean. I will sign off, and I am going to sit down and do some knitting. Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend as well.

Summer Sweater KAL and a visit to a Lavender Farm

I am really happy to be able to show you my finished KAL sweater. After a really slow start, I finally gathered some steam and put the finishing touches on it this weekend.

My comments? Another great Purl Bee pattern. It is a simple construction, but that's what makes it so wearable, modern, and especially pretty. I also really like the yarn I used. I took a chance on linen yarn on ebay, and I am really happy with the quality. Also, the colors are amazing. I have lots left over, so I am already on the lookout for another suitable pattern. Suggestions?

Now let me tell you about our weekend outing.

Our little family has been making a effort to discover our own "backyard" so to speak. We live in a beautiful province, and especially in the summer, there are tons of things to do. A few years ago I had visited a lavender farm close to Magog, and I absolutely wanted to take the hubs and A. to it.

We packed a picnic basket, I armed myself with my camera and off we went. I was a little worried about the 2 hour car ride, but A. loved playing "spot the red car", and it kept him busy for most of the day. I worked on my niece's t-shirt, and before you know it we had arrived.

Bleu Lavande is a really special place. It's perched on a hill, overlooking the surrounding forests. It's flowering season at the moment and as soon as you arrive you are faced with a sea of purple. If there is a breeze, you get a hint of that refreshing lavender smell. There are picnic tables strewn along the fields, a band is singing live, and you can participate in botany, gardening and cooking workshops. They even have little tents set up where you can get massages. The kids can play on the jungle-gym, but most of them are content just running through the fields and smelling the flowers. I tasted the most delicious lavender lemonade, and I am dying to try and whip up a batch at home.

It seems everyone is overcome by this sense of calm. We came back really refreshed and content. I will leave you with some shots of this wonderful place.