I've been working on the yoga shawl, and have loved every minute.  The rhythm of endless stockinette has kept me very happy and given me busy hands in busy months.  So grateful.  But now, I am ready to finish.  I'll be starting on the second chevron pattern soon. (Hopefully tonight.) And I have given myself until the end of September to finish it.

So many knits have been catching my eye in the last few days.
I spotted this on Ravely.  (It's just a matter of days until I cast on.)
This beautiful cowl is calling my name.  And the pattern is 50% off until Friday.  (Buy now!)
And Knitterella is holding a 50% off her non-collection patterns through October!  (Use code KNITTERELLAPLUCK)

So many possibilities!

Hey friends!
Remember the chalkboard placemats?  Well, we finally named them (Chalk Lots!) and are doing a little giveaway over on Instagram.  So, if you are on Instagram, follow @chalklots and you will automatically be entered into the contest.  We are giving away 5 boxes, 4/box.  Head on over and tag a friend or family member, too.  They make a great gift and a really great addition to the new school year!
P.S.  You can always purchase them here and here.  :)

I thought I would give you a quick Trouble update since some of you have been asking and it is National Dog Day!  (How long have these National Days been going on?  There seriously is a day for everything.)
Trouble has gained weight.  Not all that she lost but close.  And she just doesn't want to leave our sides.  Seriously a big love.  Oh, and she is always hungry.  I mean, always.  She came home eating plants in the yard, but that has stopped.  I guess that is what she survived on while away.

It also seemed to be "National Move Your Child Into College Day".  I just returned from getting Charlie settled in.  I have such a great time doing it.  Until I have to drive away.  :(

Trouble gave Charlie many kisses on his way out the door.  We are all SO grateful she is home.

I have needed a few little baby gifts and these baby moc's caught my eye.  I found them completely irresistible.  I grabbed some sock yarn from my stash and a pair of size 2 needles and voila.  I had a pair of the cutest baby mocs ever.  I finished adding the fringe and then noticed something.  I had two different sizes.  So, now I'll cast on again and hope it will match one of them!

Pattern:  Welcome Mocs
Yarn:  sock yarn from my stash
Needles:  Size 2

Happy day, friends.

 Last February, I purchased the book At home in the Whole Food Kitchen.  Love it.  Would love to spend more time in the kitchen with some of the recipes.
But for now, the page that is dog eared is the almond milk recipe.  I was instantly drawn to it.  Probably because I haven't drank milk in 100 years.  No really.  I know... hard to believe, 100, but its true.
I don't like milk.  But homemade almond milk?  Sold.  And so is the 15 year old in the house. (Perfect.)
We've been making it at least once a week.  It takes about 10 minutes.  The clean up is probably the hardest (worst) part.  I've read about making almond flour with the almond pulp.  But so far, mine just heads down the disposal.
A cup of nuts, water, vanilla, a little bit of cinnamon and a pinch of salt is all that goes into this.
And it becomes a bottle (from Ikea) of pure deliciousness.
Homemade granola.  With homemade almond milk? Pure joy.

Hey friends!

Just wanted to stop by with a quick hello and let you know the good ol' blog is getting an update.  My awesome + amazing friend, Raz, has been busy behind the scenes sprucing up this space.  I think we are almost there.  There may be a few things within the next week that we (he) will have to tweak.  But basically, just wanted you to know you are here with your friend to knit with.

Happy day!

xx, leslie

 This is the one on the front porch.  A little bigger with a little skinnier slats, chunkier legs.
Only one coat of paint.  I still haven't decided if I am going to add the gray stain.  Sitting on that decision for a bit.

I'm off to pack for a road trip to New York.  We are leaving in a couple of hours.  Hello car knitting!

Happy day, friends!

Oh my goodness.
I certainly didn't mean to be gone for so long.  We took a fabulous trip out west.  And spent a couple of weeks filling our souls.  It was amazing.
The yoga shawl was the perfect project to take along.  Mindless stockinette over coffee, in the car, when alone or in conversations, over wine or at a campfire.  Really loving this project.

Happy weekend Friends!

Pattern coming soon.
 I made a friend of mine, who recently had a baby girl, a baby sweater.  My mom wrote the pattern years ago.  It has been an all time favorite of ours. All three of my babies wore them.  The boys each wore blue.  Libby had several.  Pink, yellow, peach.  (Awe! Those days!)
 I'll be writing up the pattern to share with you all.  It's easy and sweet and makes a great gift.
And the yarn used is machine wash + dry and yummy.
Happy Friday!

 I've had a thing for pallet tables lately.  This pallet table was not my idea.  I saw it floating around on instagram.  And since I have my business set up in a warehouse full of pallets, I thought it would be fun to grab a few and throw a dinner party for Libby and her friends.
 I have been using this website for pallet inspiration.  I guess you can always find a pallet here or there.
And of course, the chalkboard place mats are available here or here.
 Their dinner was simple.  Just a few summer time light dishes.
 {Oh how I love my girls feet.}
 Libby's friend Maggie is quite the baker.  She brought a lemon poppyseed gluten free pound cake.  It was delicious.
It really was quite magical.
And now, I want to have some girlfriends over and do it all again.

Have a happy weekend, friends.

I've been working on the yoga shawl which seems to be slow going.  I couldn't wait to finish the chevron border so that I could have a project that didn't require any brain power.  {The chevron pattern took full concentration.} It's now on cruise control until it reaches 30".

I'm going to paint that pallet table today.  It's the second one we've worked on.  I promise to share the details when I'm finished.

Have a beautiful day, friends.

I just wanted to let you know that I finally wrote up the Bella pattern in a pdf to make it easier for you to print.   It's over in the sidebar for now. (I'm trying to get all of the patterns on one page.)  Megan in New Zealand (Hi Megan!) told me she found the pattern written up here. I giggled at the description.

I seem to have quite a few emails regarding this stitch and the problems with it. For some reason our brain likes to challenge us and play tricks on us with this one.  Try to keep in mind that you will always have the same number of stitches on your needle.  And, as always, feel free to shoot me an email with any questions.

Have a super, Happy Fourth, Friends!

xx,
leslie

 It felt so good to finish a sweater.  It's been a while.
I must say, I am really happy with how it turned out.   It has an a-line shape, so there is a little bit of swing, which I love.  The yarn I used worked pretty well, however,  I could see using something else that would give it a little more drape.  It did soften after it was blocked which seemed to help.  (You know how I believe in blocking.)
For years I made mostly cardigans.  Now I seem to be drawn mostly to pullovers.  I have been perusing Ravelry for my next one.
 I loved the lace pattern and felt that it was just enough to keep things fun.  A little bit of concentration and a little bit of mindless all in the same row.  I think, the perfect combination.
I look forward to wearing this in the fall.

Pattern:  Princess Fiona
Yarn:  quince & co Chickadee,  8 skeins, in kittywake
Needles: US size 5
Size: 34

Happy Friday, Friends!

  A lot of hanging with my mom, knitting, was exactly what my soul needed.  
My mom's beautiful, knitting hands. They have been a constant in my life for as long as I can remember.  What a gift.

A lot to share... I'll be back.

Happy day, friends.

We had a call around 2:30 on Monday afternoon from a sweet family that Trouble was in their back yard.  The family had recognized her from the posters hanging around town.  It truly was an amazing feeling.  We are not sure if she was in the heavy woods the entire time or just making her way back to us.
We've been to the Vet.  She has lost 17lbs and they are running a few tests, but everything else looks pretty good.  We then stopped by the groomer for a nice bath and a little trimming.  Trouble is on a bland diet of small frequent meals.  Hoping to pack on some pounds.  That combined with a whole lot of Love should hopefully do the trick.  She doesn't seem to want to leave our sides.

I can't even begin to tell you how grateful we are for your prayers, thoughts and kind words.  Those who had similar experiences, I held your stories close to my heart.  THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart.

AND, she came home on the same day I picked my mom up from the airport.  AND saw a rainbow flying high over the city on our drive back home.  What a beautiful day.

Happy Day to you, friends.  xx

The last day of school was Friday.  As much as I love routine, I love the laziness of summer way more.  So happy to have early mornings free for yarn and coffee.

Happy Day, Friends.

 was reminded by Laura (hi Laura!) of dunkin platters (SO good!)  :: felt love ::  cried

 Thank you again for all of your heartfelt words, thoughts and prayers about our sweet Trouble.   They mean the world to me.  A piece of my heart is missing.  I just can't believe there hasn't been a single sighting.  But, I will not give up hope.
We have done everything that I think is possible.  Hikes, posters, Facebook, contacting all the authorities, clothes hanging in the yard that may help her smell her way home.  But, now I think we just have to rely on someone else.  That someone will spot her and bring her back home.  The middle of the nights have been hard.  When I lay there and wonder where she is. Is the storm that is passing through scaring her?  Is she is hungry?  Is she looking for us and can't find us?  Then I think about other possibilities.  Is she stuck on something in the forest and can't get free?  Does someone have her and is trying to make her their pet?  Has she been hit by a car?  However, she has tags and is microchipped.  Those are the two things that keep my thoughts positive.
It's the not knowing that is the hardest.
Remember our trip to London?  And our family fun field trip to Wool and the Gang?
I was in awe of their inspiration wall.
 Wouldn't you LOVE a job like this!  Oooooh, yes!
 I just had to get my hands on some Jersey Be Good yarn.  It's made from fabric roll off-cuts from fashion factories in turkey. The local women take the unused ends of the rolls and make them into this yarn.  It could have gone into the landfill, but instead we get to have some fun.  So grateful for that.
The zig zag shopper.  A simple, super fast project, with a big, bang of fun!