Making Miscellany: 9

All the Small Things

Hello, hello!

September has come and gone, and oh, what a difference a month makes. It began with outdoor swims and evening picnics, and it’s drawing to a close with us asking shall we turn the heat on (not quite yet) and have an evening hot chocolate (most definitely).

It will probably come as no surprise to hear I love autumn, with its beckoning invitation to get out all the woollies and get cozy. As someone who has spent the better part of my life around schools and universities, I’ve always enjoyed the excitement of back to school time, the sense of possibilities it brings — like new year, but with better foliage! This year though, I’m feeling a bit of ambivalence about this season of transitions. I’m welcoming the cooler temperatures, but also missing our easy late summer days (and, I have to say, feeling a bit trepidatious about the coming dark). I’m enjoying collecting conkers, acorns and the first autumn leaves with the girls and anticipating autumnal adventures, but also feeling homesick for the brilliant show the autumn leaves put on in the valley where I grew up. For our family, autumn is a season of birthdays, and I’m feeling so much joy in watching the girls change and grow, but also sentimental about the swift passage of time. All of the sudden, we are having family talks about school choices for my first baby, as my second baby stands, waveringly, on the precipice of walking (with all the bumps to show for it). It feels trite to type, but even as I welcome a new season, I deeply wish we could slow down, just a little bit.

Amidst the ambivalence, I’ve been revelling in the pleasure of small things: the sound of my shears biting through fabric, the smooth feel of a conker in the palm, the unbridled joy of a (still, just) three-year-old, running and singing in the wind, the softness of a one-year-old’s dimpled elbow. And in my making, too, I’ve been—unusually, for me—(mostly) content to work on a few small things.

Many of these have been for the smallest person in my life. I must have, all up, knit at least four socks to get these two modified little Rose City Rollers (Ravelry link) for her, with bits of rib added at ankle and the top of foot. Despite all my reknitting, I’m still not sure they will be a good fit (time will tell), but oh, I enjoyed working with colourful balls of wool, shared with me by a friend.

I’ve enjoyed using fabric remnants to make her a pair of extra cozy autumn trousers (I sort of want to line my own trousers with double gauze now!) I’ve made the Wiksten baby trousers at least half a dozen times, and it never disappoints; it looks like the pattern is now out of print, though I imagine some shops might still have paper copies!

Kids Porty Cardigan by Gudrun Johnston, knit in J&S 2ply Jumperweight

And I’ve delighted in slowly putting the finishing touches on her birthday cardigan, too. Sewing a soft velvet ribbon over the steeked edges was particularly satisfying!

But not as satisfying as trying the cardigan on for the first time, and seeing that it fits, with plenty of room to grow!

As the temperatures fall, I’ve also been preoccupied with family hats. Willa chose a sunny yellow skein—a hand-dyed yarn that’s been in stash so many years, it’s probably old enough to learn to drive—and the Musselburgh Hat, a conveniently easy project for taking out and about, and for watching Strictly on Saturday evenings (hoorah!). Next in the queue is a larger Beloved Bonnet for Hazel.

The Freddie Dungarees by Two Stitch Patterns

And, after clearing the hurdles of tracing and cutting, I’m really enjoying getting stuck into sewing a birthday dungaree dress for Willa. The fabric is bright and bold and delightful—like her!—and the sewing is just challenging enough for me to be interesting, without taxing. Something about following all the orderly steps feels quite soothing!

It’s also been a month of baking, with an accidental theme of baking with vegetables. Zucchini bread, pumpkin muffins, beet brownies and vegan harvest muffins have all featured in my attempts to buy less cake when out and about (as delicious as it is) and up the vegetable consumption of certain members of the family. Up next, some beet-colored red velvet muffins that will, hopefully, form themselves into a very hungry caterpillar for Willa’s birthday!

It’s felt funny, but not unpleasant, to go into the start of High Knitting Season in the northern hemisphere with no Big Project on the needles. My wardrobe is in need of a good cardigan, which I’ve known for quite some time, but haven’t been able to settle on anything; I’ve been spoiled for choice, with too much nice yarn in stash and too many lovely patterns floating around in my head. Last week though, I saw the just released Calix Cardigan (that’s a Ravelry link) by Orlane Sucche , followed quickly by several lovely test knit versions from people I follow on Instagram. In a fit of decisiveness on Saturday evening, I grabbed some precious Gilliatt from my stash—the first sweater quantity I bought of this yarn, when I lived in the US (I remember the box arriving from France, with yarn beautifully packaged with sprigs of lavender), a sweater quantity that I have mentally assigned to so many patterns, never made—and cast on. I’ve not checked my gauge, I’ve not made much progress, but I’m enjoying having this project for company in the coming months. Just the right amount of cables, with the easy fit I’m looking for. (Other favorite v-necked cabled cardigans for your consideration: Joji Locatelli’s new Granny Cardgian, Carina Spencer’s Minimalist Cable Cardigan, Ferndell by Nadia Crétin-Léchenne and Willa by Sari Nordlund).

How are you doing in this season of transition? Are you already deep in autumn making or holding onto summer still? It’s always a privilege to get a glimpse into others’ making lives, if you’d like to tell me in a comment or reply to this email. And, as always, if you know someone who might enjoy the Making Miscellany, do send it along!

Til next month,

Katherine