The last picture is precious to me. Carter calls this walkway, "the scary place." I see what he means; it's very dark because of the dense ivy walls and the wisteria that grows over the pergola, and it does seem far away from the house, especially if you are two years old. We usually hold hands when we walk under the long pergola, but on this morning, with no warning, he let go of my hand and burst into a run to show me how courageous he was by running through by himself. He waited for me at the end and called for me to follow; "Grammy, it is ok. I will watch you." This little boy...💕.

This is the Hazelbrook Vest by Vera of OGE Knitwear, from Sydney, Australia. Vera makes the most adorable and affordable children's knitting patterns and I am one of her biggest fans. Her patterns are well written and easy to follow. This simple vest uses just a few easy knit stitch variations to create pretty textured stripes. I love the roomy fit, the big buttons, and the fold down collar.

I bought this yarn last year on a trip to Bar Harbor, Maine. At Bee's Knitting Bar I purchased 2 skeins of Mousam Falls, an aran weight 100% superwash wool by JaggerSpun, a Maine based company. I think yarn souvenirs are the best souvenirs, especially if the yarn is made right where I bought it. While this is a superwash, it is not stretchy when wet (like so many superwashes) and is easily patted into shape to dry flat. I know the sweater is white and needs to go in the wash tub after one wearing and I don't care! I never mind washing a sweater--and I offer a free sweater-washing service for my grandchildren anyway. 😇 This yarn is lovely to knit and I cannot wait to use it again. It would make beautiful cables.