life (from the past two months)(or pictures taken in my kitchen)

 So, jam has been made (orange rhubarb, and spiced rhubarb) and hand pies and sour cream apple pie have been baked, and all results have been out of this world.  I turned twenty-one and celebrated with a delicious browned butter cake with chocolate cinnamon frosting, and as a result have a new favorite cake.
These past two months have been full, and good, and new.  A best friend getting engaged, another pregnant, a cousin married, another having a baby boy.  Life.  You know? And battling to remember how much I love my own.

I got a new drop spindle for my birthday, and it came in the mail the same day as Robin McKinley's newest book, Shadows.  I haven't gotten to try out the spindle yet (I need more roving!) but I read the book and it (of course) did not disappoint.  It's not a new top top favorite, but it was definitely love at first read.

 Harvest was good, and colorful.  And not just in the area of carrots.  There are dried tomatoes and blanched kale and zucchini in the freezer, plus a few jars of dried mint and lavender on the counter. It feels good.

 And I supposed the biggest news is that I found a new job!  I'm working for the Literacy Council of Fairbanks with one of their after school programs.  It's been a full week now and I love it.  One of the best/worst parts is that on Friday, when I go in for office work, I can browse through the used book store and search for treasures.  Evidence shown above.  Which I must confess, I think I've found a new collecting thrill for myself: antique textbooks.  Ummm... I guess that's all!
Love, Clara

Chemise

Lots of projects flying around in my life right now, sewing and knitting, along with some baking and writing.  I'm hoping to actually photograph some of my completed sewing projects for you soon.  I don't know if I've ever posted them actually.  Granted, there haven't been many of them, but still, it would be fun to show.  This top is one I've been wanting to make for a long time, it's one of the main reasons I bought the book French Girl Knits, back when it came out.  The pattern is Delphine, and I love it.  My ravelry notes are here  but there isn't much to them.   The yarn I used I got from a really ugly sweater that my friend's sister passed on to her that I unraveled, it's an extremely soft cashmere and angora blend and was perfect from the pattern.  The result is luxurious.  Oh!  I also got to use some antique ribbon that I had collected from a garage sale.  It's just the perfect dusty pink, I think.

Love, Clara