the birthday dress (2)

Made at the last minute, and turned out a bit large due to a very uncooperative toddler not wanting to try it on. The pattern is from the same book as last year's.

candy stripe

My summer cardigan is finally finished. I suppose it seems like it took me forever to finish it - when it actually just took me a month and a half with a lot of pauses - because I really don't enjoy knitting with cotton. This yarn is actually a cotton/wool mix, but even so not very pleasurable to knit with.
It blocked beautifully though, and it's warm but not too much, so perfect for this season.

I loosely based it on the Treeline Striped Cardigan but mostly I improvised. My original plan was to make a Roseling, but then I noticed how weird that collar was, and couldn't really figure out a way to make it work. So I decided on a bottom-up regular raglan sleeve construction, and incorporated the slipped stitch details along the sides of the body and the sleeve decreases.

A detailed explanation can be found on the Ravelry project page.
I love stripes, and this one is in my favorite color (red) so definitely going to get a lot of use.

Maeve Binchy:: a tribute

 
This morning I heard the news that one of my favorite writers passed away. Maeve Binchy's books have been at the top of my comfort reading list for over a decade now, so I was really sad to hear this news. I always looked forward to read her most recent book, usually saving it as a special treat to be savored slowly, as her stories and characters came to life and always left me with a smile long after I finished it.

The first book I read by her was The Glass Lake. I stumbled upon it totally by chance. Years ago a friend of mine was moving back to England and I went to her house to help with the packing. She had a stack of books she wasn't taking back and asked if I'd like to keep them. Among these was a really worn out copy of The Glass Lake. I can't remember if I read it immediately or if months later, but when I did it made me cry and laugh at the same time. It is still my favorite Maeve Binchy book, even now after I read all the others. I probably re-read it three or four times since then, and will likely read it again soon.

After the Glass Lake I slowly began reading all her other works. Her books are not about complicated plots, alternative universes or any kind of special characters, they're about ordinary people, their stories and daily lives. Usually they're set in Ireland, with the occasional leap to Italy (Evening Class), Greece (Nights of rain and stars) or the US (Tara Road). Also, I love the fact that several characters reappear later on different books, it's like being reunited with old friends over and over again.

Although sad I won't have more new books by Ms Binchy to look forward to, I'm glad she wrote as many novels as she did and that I was able to enjoy them all. And if you haven't read any, and are in need of a nice, feel-good novel this summer, then give it a try, I promise you won't be disappointed.

toddler pants

S. was in need of summer pants, so I chose a basic pant pattern from book #1 and adapted it to her size (a bit shorter and much larger on top to accommodate the diaper butt). The first experiment (the brown with blue mushrooms) ended up being a bit short on the waist, but the second pair turned out perfect. The fabrics are both Japanese medium weight cotton fabrics from one of my favorite fabric shops in Lisbon, and S. absolutely loved them.

slow knitting

Summer always seems to slow down my knitting. I've been patiently working on a new cardigan for myself, but because I was in need of some variety I just cast on this cute Middy Jumper for S.