Summer Sweater.

First came the pattern, Narragansett by the talented Thea at BabyCocktails.  Then a sweater kit of the yummiest yarn from The Plucky Knitter...

...mix in a fun KAL (knit-along) over at luvinthemommyhood...

...and throw it all into a favorite knitting basket to tote around everywhere.

Work on it faithfully, forsaking shawls and socks on your needles...

And what do you get?  A new sweater in under two weeks!  Here is another in progress shot even though it's finished.  It will have to do until I get it blocked and ready for its closeup.

I am seriously in love with this sweater and could not put it down--not to mention it came in handy as something to do during a couple of swim meets.  So even though I'm technically done with my sweater, I like being part of the KAL and plan to pick another summer sweater to knit with the group.  Perhaps something that will take me more time...thinking a drapey tunic in lace or fingering weight yarn.  That oughtta do it. 

Sandra

Pick, 2011

We go strawberry picking every year.  I love that it's become a tradition and it makes me wish I was blogging way back when it all started.  It's fun to look back and reread posts from 2009 and 2010.  Yes, I have many pictures from earlier years, but before I began blogging I never took the time to capture in words what our days were like.  I wish I could read an entry on the first berry picking outing wearing Max in a Babybjorn!

We usually go early in the season, with hopes of beating the heat.  But this year, for a variety of reasons, we did not find ourselves at a field until the end of May.  And it was hot.  So hot, in fact, that I hardly took pictures because I was dripping sweat and decided tucking my camera away for safe keeping seemed prudent.  Mental note:  research and purchase a backup point and shoot!

More proof that the heat was relentless:  both Leo and Will fell out almost immediately and retreated to the sandbox.  But not Max.  Heat does not affect our oldest child...never has.  He picked his share and then some.  Thank goodness, too, as he easily made up for his absentee brothers.  He even outpicked me.  And I'm happy to report that an 8 year-old's judgment concerning pick-worthy strawberries is leaps and bounds from a 7 year-old's...the difference a year makes both excites and saddens me, to be honest.

We went home with two flats and I did a quick batch of jam.  I used the same recipe as last year, though mixed things up by springing for some new jars I found at a hardware store. 

Aren't they cute?  I think so.  But I must say, I am not sure if I'll ever buy them again...their squatty aesthetic might be charming but it also makes them a pain to fish out of my deep pot.  Plus, my canner, which usually handles nearly a dozen jam jars, could barely afford the width of four of these jars and stacking was not exactly working out.  All of this matters, why?  Because, again, it was hot as blazes...and multiple batches of hot bath processing heating up my kitchen was not what the doctor ordered. 

On the bright side, since I had everything out and was cranky and hot anyway, I decided to can anything else available.  So when I spied some perfectly ripe champagne mangos in our fruit bowl, I chopped them up, added some sugar and cooked until syrupy.  I manage to get enough to fill and process three jars.  We are now huge fans of mango sauce with our pancakes, smoothies, and yogurt.  I will need to make more soon and will hopefully remember to write down a makeshift recipe.

 Sandra

p.s.  I almost forgot.  I also made strawberry syrup.  The boys have declared a certain pancake recipe "it" and this syrup is earmarked for the next several Breakfast for Dinner evenings we have planned throughout summer.  I love breakfast for dinner.

   

Cookie break.

Here are the cake-mix cookies I mentioned, though I'm compelled to point out the disclaimer post.

Considering my make-it-from-scratch tendencies when it comes to baking, it's embarrassing how often I throw these cookies together.  But they are hard to resist:  quick and easy and tasty.  They are simply perfect for summer--who isn't staring at a packed summer calendar right now?

They start with a Devil's Food Cake cake mix and you get to doctor the add-ins to your tastes.  My standard version uses chocolate chips and nuts.  But I also fell in love with a chocolate cherry version when some bits of dried cherries jumped into a batch.  Oh, and there was a "choco coco" incident  when I added flaked coconut.  Up next?  Swirling in caramel along with the coconut because someone is missing her Somoa stash. 

Cake-mix Chocolate Cookie

1 box Devil's Food Cake mix

1/2 C butter, melted

2 eggs

3/4 to 1 C oats, old fashioned (if you like your cookies thinner and gooey, you can go down to 1/2 C.  I usually do a generous 3/4 cup)

1 tsp vanilla

1 C (give or take) add ins

Stir the melted butter and the oats together for a bit to let the oats soften.  Add eggs, vanilla, and cake mix.  Stir.  Mixture will be thick.  Add in your add-ins.

Scoop by generous spoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.  Allow to cool on cookie sheet for about 5 minutes then remove to rack to cool completely.  These cookies store amazingly well in an airtight container.  Enjoy!

Sandra

Neighborhood Nikolai.

One of the skeins of yarn I picked up at the wool festival is called Studio Sock by Neighborhood Fiber Co.  I wanted a deep, saturated red in a semi-solid colorway and was happy to have found it in this wool.

Last week, exclusively during swim practice and pool time, I knitted up a little shawlette.  The pattern is called Nikolai and is free on Ravelry.  I'm rather shocked it doesn't have too many projects as I think it deserves much more love.  It's a magic little number, working up in no time at all.  And because you construct it end to end, using increases to widen and short rows to shape a slight crescent, you get to knit a little lace each row.  The lace repeat is easily memorized and a wonderful distraction from monotonous garter stitch.  I don't wear shawls on my shoulder.  Rather, I wrap them around my neck as a scarf so I like them best long and narrow.

It is also the perfect size project to tuck into my wristlet bag and work on while walking the pool deck, checking on one child in the lap lane, one child in the training pool, and one child in the kiddie pool.  I joked with my knitting group that I should have a pile of these before summer's end because I spend about an hour and a half at the pool each day for practice during swim team season.  And then there's an untold amount of just pool time for fun.  It's becoming fairly reliable knitting time. 

Sandra

Memorial Day Waterfight, 2011.

To my handful of friends (and 3 readers) who have casually mentioned or emailed that they are waiting to see shots of a certain tradition; and to Max, who would like nothing more than to relive a certain epic day....here you go:

As Team Kid preps, they check their gear...

and Max is called to the center of the battlefield by Team Grown Ups for a handshake to kick things off...

someone yelled, "charge!" and off they went, squirt guns blazing...

As I snapped an obscene amount of pictures, Charlie worked the armory and fashioned some effective shields from gear left over from Halloween costumes...

Our neighbor's visiting son is such a trooper to do this for the kids.  But I think (and hope) he enjoys it too...

As littlest one isn't into getting wet these days, he quickly retreated to watch from inside.  We think he'll join the ranks again next year.

Speaking of, at the conclusion of the battle, I was surprised to see Max looking a tad sad, shoulders slumped, his faced settled into a thoughtful pout. 

"What's wrong, buddy?"  I asked.  "You guys won, right?" 

"Yeah," Max said, shrugging.  "But right now...this second...it's my least favorite time of the whole year." 

"Why's that?"

"Because it's the furthest in time from the next water fight.  It's so long to wait."

Oh Max, my little worrier.  Trust me when I tell you that these days are flying by. 

Much, much too fast. 

Sandra