Hello friends—another week and another sweater to share! This one is a classic top-down boatneck with slim sleeves that finish with a bit of a flare. The sleeves and yoke are worked using a top-down contiguous construction, which is both ingenious and surprisingly easy once you start knitting. If you’ve never tried the contiguous construction before, this would be a great pattern to give it a try. There are no seams, and you get a traditional set-in sleeve fit—perfect if you love knitting top-down but don’t want a raglan. In other words, you can have your top-down AND the look of set-in sleeves!

I've always been good at finding ways to keep myself busy, but I'm happy with small projects right now, and I have a few to share. The garden is still giving, just not at the breakneck pace of July, and I've been finding ways to preserve a little of summer for later, but without the urgency. And, of course, there are always a few knitting projects clamoring for attention.

So today, a little bit of this, a little bit of that from my slow August days in sunny California.

We had so much fun at last week's annual BLT party! For my international readers, a BLT is a classic American sandwich made with bacon, lettuce, and tomato nestled between toasted white bread spread with mayonnaise. It is one of those simple, beloved summer meals that many Americans grew up eating—especially when garden tomatoes are at their peak. My grandfather was a commercial tomato farmer, so BLTs were a summer tradition in our family. We could never get enough of them!

The party was one of those evenings where everything came together just the way I'd hoped, and I even managed to take pictures! By planning an easy menu, doing as much as possible ahead of time, and accepting help from friends, I was able to relax and enjoy the party right along with everyone else.

Over the years I've learned a few things about entertaining, and the most important is this: your guests will remember how you made them feel far longer than they'll remember what you served.