the front garden

How have we spent nearly every nice (and some rainy) weekend day since the beginning of August?

About a year and a half ago, a plumber told us we'd need to replace the sewer line to our house, and replacing the water line wouldn't be a bad idea either. So over the course of the past couple months, our front yard was dug up, and dug up again, and messed up yet again, and probably messed up some more. The new sewer and water lines went in (boy was that an expensive and mostly invisible home reno!), the front walk was demolished, the front step demolished and then poorly repaired (it will need some tiles or something one day). Then we (or mostly Mr. Mitten) undertook to do the landscaping ourselves.

I drew up a few ideas, we chose the one we liked best, then drew out the plans. Then digging and more digging, moving rocks and more rocks (did I mention this area used to be a rock and clay quarry?), shovelling soil and sand and gravel. Finally I could plant! I've done what I could, considering it's now late Autumn here. Plus, I'm still waiting on my order of Spring bulbs. The beds will be about 2/3 full by the time the snow starts falling, so I'll have room for annuals next year, and maybe a few more choice perennials. After several years of being a knitting designer, home-maker, and mom, it's lovely to get my hands dirty and feel like a gardener again!

Front garden before

Front garden after

new toys

I finally got myself organized enough today to get a bunch of toys listed in my Etsy shop. These are mostly toys that have not sold before, or have been waiting around since last winter (when somebody decided to arrive early). This time I decided to list clothes separately, to give my customers more choice in how the toy will look. As well, these will probably be the last toys I knit for sale for a long time. If you want one, you might want to be quick like a bunny, as three of the toys have sold already!

Bianca

busy days

The days have been full and busy, with not much time to pick up a camera and record them. Also, Kyr hasn't been sleeping well, so neither have I. Most days I feel a bit like a zombie, wandering around the house, trying to keep kids happy, laundry washed, and enough food cooked to keep us going. If that's all I get done, it feels like a good day. Anyway, I'm sure all you other mums out there can relate. Here's a couple cute photos I did manage to get. Until we're sleeping better, that will be all :)

cute baby making puppy eyes 

(probably because he wants something I'm eating)

 

cool giraffe, waiting for my Etsy shop update 

(could be a few weeks, the way life is right now)

 

four years

Four years ago...

 

wedding day

 

honeymoon in Nova Scotia

Three years ago...

vacation to Prince Edward Island (that's a baby bump under my jacket!)

Two years ago...

 Lev at 1 month

 bought a house

Lev at 10 months

And the past year...

 

Lev at 22 months (baby #2 under my sweater)

Kyr at 1 month

My sweet husband and I got married four years ago, and our lives have been so busy and full since then! These are just the highlights. There have been so many happy and fun days, plus some sad and some difficult, some that never seemed to end and some that I wished wouldn't end. I'm sure this is a good preview of all the years we have to come.

In case you didn't know, Fuzzy Mitten is a partnership. It was Konstantin who gave me the time and encouragement to start this business, and ever since he has been helping in any way he can. I would never be able to do half of what I have, if it wasn't for him. So thank you for that, as well as for everything else. Love you, sweetie!

no photos

I don't have any photos for you today, because, between one thing and another, I didn't take any in the past week. Both boys have colds, so I haven't been sleeping much (I'm sure other mums can sympathize).
I haven't done much knitting either, because I realized the pullover I'm making for Lev probably won't fit him by the time it's finished. This is partly because I don't have much time to knit it, but also because he's grown over an inch since I started it (and he's started eating like crazy again...) At least I have another boy who will appreciate it in a year or so. But now I'm stuck trying to decide between what I want to knit, and what I might actually be able to finish this winter!
I should have been taking photos of our front garden makeover that's been on-going for the past couple months. I haven't taken any progress photos because the mess of clay and rocks that kept getting churned up for one thing or another was just too ugly to bother photographing. But this weekend my hard-working hubby finally got the top-soil spread out, and I can almost imagine the new lawns and flower beds.
If I go to bed now, and if Kyr is kind and sleeps better, perhaps I will find a few lovely or cute things to share with you tomorrow, or next week...

images from my week

It was a busy week. We had perfect late-summer weather, so there was plenty of playing at the park around the corner.

I did manage to fit in a little sewing time to whip this up for Kyr. Sadly, it's a bit big and he doesn't like chewing on the fuzzy limbs. There's now a second one partly made.

We went out on adventures both days this weekend. First, we picked up lunch at the farmers' market, then headed to the woods for a walk. We also spent Sunday afternoon at the Montreal Botanical Gardens, but I was so busy chasing Lev and calming tantrums (he missed his nap) that I didn't take a single photo.

In between all that, and a whole lot more, I finally found time to put these guys together. There's still a couple details to finish (tusks for the elephant, a mane for the zebra), then I will send off the pattern to my tech. editor. Hopefully this means you won't have to wait too much longer!

images from my week

A few things happened this past week. Kyr turned 6 months old! He's changed a lot in the past few weeks: sitting on his own, starting solid food, and many smaller developmental and personality changes that are making him into more of a little person, rather than a wee baby. However, he remains hard to please, so this photo is one of his rare smiles.

I also found time for a little preserving, as it's that season around these parts. So far I've made some red currant and apple jam (tasty, but too many seeds), blueberry and apple butter (yum!), plus red currant and crab-apple jelly (super tasty, but declined to set). Also made, but not photographed, are 18 quarts of crushed tomatoes. I have plans for more canning, but we'll see how much time I get.

Any other plans for the week were interrupted by the school year's first stomach bug, which made it's way through everyone but the baby (thank goodness). We've recovered, and hopefully will have regained our strength by the time Lev brings the next bug home from preschool.

For this who are interested, I'm still working on that new elephant pattern, when I can find time. However, I hit a snag when something didn't turn out as I'd hoped, so I'm having to start over with a different idea. Hopefully I can get all the pieces knit and put together this week, so I will finally have something to show you!