She's four years old now and so funny, smart and beautiful. Seems like just yesterday she came in to our lives.

Linking with SouleMama.

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Linking with SouleMama.

Last summer I spent a wonderful weekend on the Mendocino Coast, one of my favorite get-away spots. I stopped in at the Mendocino Yarn Shop and ended up getting a quickie lesson on how to knit one of those ruffle scarves that have become so popular lately. It's easy and fast to knit, two of the things I look for in a knitting project.

The yarn is Katia Triana, and it looks like this when you buy it:

The trick is to knit in to the spaces along the edge of the yarn. Here is a good YouTube tutorial. I wouldn't worry too much about a lifeline like she recommends-- mistakes blend right in to the ruffles, which is another nice thing about this pattern.

Lily is walking, talking (a bit), and is as adorable as ever. This photo was taken this evening. I had to stop by and see her for a few minutes because I was craving a hug.



She is one happy little girl.

Update 12/13 : If you are interested in purchasing Furisode, it is on sale right now at Webs for $11.95 per skein, marked down from $17.95.



That was my first time using Furisode, a blend of silk and cotton with a little wool thrown in, and it felt so wonderful in my hands that I think I will intentionally buy a few more skeins. I would love to knit a few more of those cowls and give them away as gifts.

I'm still working on my niece Lily's red sweater, so I don't have any new knitting to show you. I thought you might like to see the professional photos my sister Hil (Lily's mom) had taken recently. We call her Little Lily on the Prairie in these photos because of the cute bonnet she is wearing.


I love this first photo because it reminds me of my grandmother, who is her namesake.

Remember this jumper from my last post? The size was supposed to be for a one year old, but it turns out it fits three month old Lily now. In fact, it could be a couple inches longer.

My friend Rachel left a comment on that last post saying that a "one year old size" isn't really meant to fit a one year old baby. Sure enough she was right.

It was hot out last Sunday when this pic was taken, so Lily is wearing it as a summer dress.

Isn't she the most beautiful baby in the whole wide world?

I'm finally an aunt. My niece Lily arrived last Tuesday weighing in at 8 lbs, 4 ounces. Baby and mama, shown above, are doing fine and came home from the hospital today. I got to hold Lily for the first time. It was heaven.