Oh, the sweet birthday bounty

I have a very dear friend named Christine who I met many years ago in college. We were both printmaking majors and we spent many long hours together in the studio where we routinely talked and became delirious until dawn. Everything she makes is beautiful. She laughs often. She has an unbelievable eye for color and she is unfailingly generous with the unusual ability to give exactly the perfect gift.

Christine also makes divine and luscious quilts. The kind that deserve to be in a hip, urban shop, with a gigantic price tag.

She knew I was sad when I missed the What's Cookin'? Apron Swap deadline.
My birthday came and she sent me this perfect apron (click the pic for a closer look - it's really perfect).

It's the best gift in the world. I spent an hour dancing around the house like a little girl in a brand-new twirly skirt. Who needs a swap when you have friends like mine?

Even lovelier, the flowery fabric on the scalloped edge and the pocket was purchased by Christine while we were together many years ago at a vintage fabric show in Seattle. Every time I wear my glorious apron, I'll be reminded of happy times shopping for fabric with my dear friend.

Oh, how I love people who appreciate the details. You are a treasure Christine. Thank you!

Now that my mitten obsession has been satisfied I've returned to the sweater. I don't think I've ever enjoyed knitting a sweater more. The wonder of Malabrigo never ceases. It's just so beautiful to touch.



Lately I've been knitting on my front steps as the baby sleeps near me in the car. I enjoy knitting outdoors on these cold, sunny days and it occurs to me that this is one such instance when fingerless mitts would serve me well.

There's always something to see in front of my house. As I sit there, various carpenters and house framers march back and forth down my sidewalk, speaking in Spanish and nodding politely at me or asking if I'm almost done knitting their sweater.
Usually a kid on a skateboard passes, rowdy school buses rumble by, and frequently a neighbor passes in a lowrider with a very suped-up stereo that miraculously does not wake the baby.


My blogging odyssey has lately led me to the enormous undertaking of archiving my completed projects of the past several years. I'm gaining familiarity with flickr and I do like it, but I can't seem to get their damn badge to appear on my sidebar. Just another bump in the html road. I'll conquer it.




In the meantime, I leave you with one such archive photo of my big boy in a purple donegal tweed sweater I designed and knit for him 2 years back. It is now in it's final winter of fitting him (thank God for little brothers). I just took this photo the other day.


xo -m

Labels: apron, little boy's purple tweed sweater, malabrigo

  ¶ 9:46 PM