My first Milo. My first pattern! It’s off the needles!

Oh I love this boy so much. I think he likes his first Milo.

Blocking has made a really big difference to the fit. I cast off the arms too tight but it totally helped ease the shoulder straps. I made a few little mistakes but I am looking forward to……my next Milo!

I started this last night and am onto the increases. Feel so much more confident this time and I think my face looks less contorted and stressed while I knit away! Am making it a bit bigger so it fits into the Winter.

On the reading front, I have been studying various knitting techniques on the internet and have become an avid YouTube viewer, ha! I’m still loving Lori’s blog and have been enjoying reading about her Alaska and Shetland adventures along with being inspired by her knitting. Hope she will be blogging again soon, before I run out of posts.

Joining with Ginny and the other super talented knitters for Yarn Along. Thank you kind visitors for your lovely comments. They make my day. Big thank you also to Ginny. Without your confidence boost I would still be procrastinating and dreamily gazing at the lovely photos of your Milo vests!

Each evening when my precious babe is asleep I creep downstairs and nestle up to my husband on the sofa, knitting project bag on lap. Usually Robin calls out once and I tear back upstairs, de clothing en route and resettle him before he fully wakes with a brief nursing session. It is a sweet ritual but one I am very glad did not, last night, coincide with (drum roll please)….completing my first ever cable repeat (cue rapturous applause).

Can you see it here?? Exciting!

So…I had decided to omit any cable work for my first pattern project but, having completed the ‘complicated’ shoulders and yoke part of the pattern, I thought that learning a new technique would add interest through working the body, especially as the yarn is plain.

Progress has been slow this week due to rookie errors. I had to spend two evenings of knitting time untangling my yarn. I didn’t know that yarn bought in balls, rather than skeins, still needs winding. I also didn’t know that yarn could get that tangled! It was a very tedious task and I still ended up having to cut out a knot, eek. I also managed to insert the cable set up in the wrong place and got in a real mess trying to undo my stitches. Luckily the owner of my local yarn store set me straight. Phew! Thank you Marion. Hopefully I will make good progress this week with my giant cables, one of six cable options with this pattern.

I enjoy reading blogs during Robin’s nap times as they do not require too much brain power and there are some fantastically inspiring women out there. This week my reading has taken me to the lovely blog of Lori Ann Graham, an inspiring knitter and mama of 5 grown up children who shares fabulous pictures and travel notes.

Joining with Ginny and lots of other lovely knitters at Small Things.

I’m learning so much doing this project – camaraderie in the knitting community, technical skills and also a healthy dose of realism; this is unlikely to be anywhere as close to perfection as my mind is picturing – I’m a learner. Good life lesson.

I took Georgie’s advice on sizing and did 9 mo shoulders and have increased under arms to 18 mo measurements based on Robin’s actual chest size. Just 4 more rows each of knit and purl and I’ll be onto the body. It’s coming along!

Joining Ginny and her Yarn Along

Linking up with Taryn at Wooly Moss Roots to reflect on the last week and feel grateful for…

~ Robin has wanted to nurse during several bath times. I always treasure the moments when he turns himself to nuzzle into me, gazing deeply into my eyes

~ The support and encouragement of the knitting community…and partaking in my first Yarn Along

~ Catching up with a dear friend on the phone and being grateful for her balancing words

~ Working alongside Chris to move some plants around. Our side bed looks great now and those plants will be able to thrive in their new position

~ The loveliest post lady who makes me smile by leaving parcels in a safe place with a cute, cheeky note and a couple of dog biscuits for Mabel and Norah. Annie you’re the best

~ A trip to the strawberry patch and enjoying the sweet, juicy bounty. So much yummier than the supermarket punnets. Life’s simple pleasures

~ Sharing the fun of Chris’ new Power Up paper aeroplane gadget. So great to see his pleasure. Many giggles were had when it swooped up out of control and we had to run after it down our street

Wishing you a happy week ahead.

The sun was shining today, perfect weather to introduce the boy to the delights of the Strawberry Patch.

The fruit was deliciously sweet and we may have sneaked a couple of samples in…just to check for quality control you understand. It reminded me of when I was a child, picking fruit with my Dad and him telling me that they would weigh me when we went to pay for the Strawberries, to see if I had ‘stolen’ any!

I am glad they didn’t weigh us today. Robin is waaaaaay to young for a criminal record.

We then met a couple of goats who live by the PYO. They clearly had a taste for strawberries.

This one was called Billy.

When we got home, funnily enough, no of us had much appetite for the strawberries we’d actually bought.

Robin and his poker face – “Who me? No, I didn’t eat any strawberries!”

Very excited to be joining Ginny and all the other talented ladies for Yarn Along. I’m a beginner knitter and this will be my first project following a pattern (and I think it’s only my fifth knit). I have long loved the Milo vest and plan to adapt the pattern to exclude the cables as, along with this being my first pattern, I have never used circular needles or knit in the round before – cables next time! I think this may make the body larger so if anyone knows whether I need to make an adjustment I’d really appreciate the pointer.

This week I have read and re-read the pattern!…and assembled my needles and yarn. Thanks for the encouragement Ginny. I can do this!

www.gsheller.com

Every morning Robin and I walk the dogs at the place I refer to as the wasteland. It’s an open, over grown patch of green that dog walkers frequent. This morning we stopped to admire the insects, grasses and flowers.

After nap time I identified the butterflies on the Butterfly Conservation site. The white and black butterfly is a Marbled White and the orange butterfly is a Small Skipper. When Robin is older I hope he will enjoy exploring the natural world and researching his finds.

Temperatures hit the mid thirties this week so I invested in a small paddling pool for the wee man. It was a real hit, sited in the shade of our few trees, the hens for company. Robin was joined by his ducks and enjoyed cooling off.