July 2025 – cake crumbs, combine harvesters & the sweater that finally behaved

July’s been a whirlwind of mini cupcakes and combine harvesters. Because our little one is a summer baby, almost every weekend has involved another child-size birthday bash – balloons, bouncy castle mayhem and enough cake icing to grout a patio. Regular swimming lessons, weekly climbing sessions, getting back into a routine post holiday and busy days at work have meant this month has absolutely flown by.

Meanwhile, harvest season has fully kicked off in our surrounding fields. For a toddler who worships tractors, balers and anything vaguely mechanical, it’s basically Glastonbury. We’ve spent hazy evenings watching the combine roll past our front door and even managed to catch one at work behind my parents’ garden – pure magic seen through wide little eyes and, if I’m honest, mine too.

So what’s been happening knitwise this month? Let’s see shall we?

Finished Objects

Martin Sweater by Lamana – DONE.
This was an exercise in patience. I had to re-knit the hems on both sleeves and the body after discovering half-fisherman’s rib stretches like a yoga instructor (and yes that included ripping back the beautiful Italian bind off I’d done on all 200 stitches – sob). But it’s so chunky, cosy and ridiculously warm. Dad won’t be needing it until the depths of winter – unless he suddenly moves to Nepal, and finishing it did feel like conquering Everest in handknit mittens.

It’s a great project for something a bit more interesting than pure stockinette (and let’s be honest the texture of half fisherman’s rib is unmatched) but meditative enough to still be able to concentrate on a good audiobook or TV show. I made a small adjustment to how the collar was knitted, opting out of the provisional cast on (because CBA) and just tacking my folded hem down inside once I’d reached the desired length, and I also added in a couple of decreases the body to give it a bit more shaping. Other than that, I followed it to the letter, and it’s turned out brilliantly!

I don’t think it’ll be the last time I knit something in the Dark Ocher colourway in Knitting For Olive Merino either. Such a rich, autumnal shade that I can see working on lots of different skin tones (including my never-tanning pallor). I knit mine in Merino held double (and not the chunkier Heavy Merino) because I find this gives a slightly lighter, drapey fabric.

WIPs

Chantal Sweater by Moreca Knit – I’m making steady progress on the body, waiting until I finish my next skein so I can hop onto the sleeves and feel like I’m making real progress!

Market Bag by Davina Choy – I use this project as a palette cleanser between my sweaters, which means I’m making slow progress on something that should take little time. I’ve finished the body of the bag now, have picked up stitches for the ribbing and handles, so I just have to crack on to the end. With the Martin Sweater off the needles now, I’ll get this done in no time.

Lyon Sweater Junior by PetiteKnit – I can’t get my head around how long I’m supposed to make this for my boy. He’s growing up so fast. That said, I’m making great progress on the body – the stripes are so rewarding and rhythmic, I love picking this up just to get to the next colour – that colour change is my carrot on a stick.

Yarn acquisitions

Remember that birthday gift card burning a hole in my pocket? It finally went up in happy yarn-scented flames. I treated myself to a double whammy:

• Gepard Garn Teddy Dear and BC Garn Lino in the richest burgundy I could find – destined to become the long-dreamed-of Penny Tote Bag. A practical bag in linen and fuzzy teddy yarn sounds bonkers, I know, but I can already picture it stuffed with library books and half-eaten rice cakes come autumn. This is going straight on the needles once I’ve cast off a couple more WIPs.
• Then I got myself some Gepard Wild & Soft in a deep Eggplant for a teeny-tiny Hans Sweater that will soon wing its way to a friend’s baby. I’ve never worked with this yarn before, so I’m intrigued to see how it stands up against other merinos I’ve tried.

Patterns I’m eyeing up

I’m definitely not knitting fast enough to be adding this much stuff to my wish list…

• Double Trouble Kids Jacket by Wool & Beyond – I love the idea of making this for my little one now he’s getting a bit more longevity out of his clothes. I’m thinking navy with London-bus-red edging so my lad can strut around like some cool kid from the 80s on the playground.
• Twig Dress Light by Odd Row – My knit-dress quest continues, and this one’s shot straight to the top. I’m in love with that sleek rib texture and the fit. Surely I could swish around in this come next summer?
• Peppa & Marta Jumpers by Tanja Koenig – I discovered Tanja’s knits recently and love A LOT of her patterns – simple but beautifully constructed, I particularly like the idea of Peppa and Marta in equal measure. My Ravelry tabs are fighting it out.
• Simple Summer Shorts by Wool & Beyond – Am I the sort of person who knits her own loungewear bottoms? Quite possibly. I’m imagining them in a breezy cotton-linen blend, paired with an oversized tee and an iced coffee. Bliss.

Notions I’m loving

My needle stoppers have come into their own recently, switching between projects, sleeves on hold, ripping back. I got my cute silicon critters from CraftyCatKnittyBits on Etsy – foxes on one project, sleepy sloths on another, flamingos strutting across the Martin Sweater sleeves. Besides preventing the inevitable toddler-spear incident, they make my WIPs feel less like “works in progress” and more like cuddly toys waiting patiently for their turn on the sofa. I had all on trying not to buy every single needle stopper in the place, they’re all so cute.

What I’m watching

Show-wise we were in no-man’s-land until my partner floated a Stranger Things re-watch to gear up for the November season drop. Excited? Moi? Every Demogorgon fight scene adds at least two rows to the Market Bag, and fear is a surprisingly good motivator.

What I’m listening to

I’ve been swapping my late night phone scroll with reading a physical book for a change. Nancy E. Turner’s Sarah’s Quilt has been helping me drift off at night. It’s a sequel to These is my Words – also an amazing read. Sarah’s Quilt is an immersive story set in 1906 in Arizona with a powerhouse of a main character Sarah Prine. An epic family saga where the characterisation is so rich and the desert landscape is so vivid it practically counts as another member of the cast. It’s the perfect antidote to birthday party sugar highs.

What I’m Looking Forward To

My little boy’s birthday next month – no massive party for us this time. We’re off on a little family adventure and I can’t wait to see his reaction! We have lots of friends with birthdays in August too, so I’m looking forward to plenty of hazy summer BBQs and catching up with the gang – preferably those lazy late-evening ones where the kids chase bubbles and the adults pretend charred sausages are a deliberate flavour choice.

A note on life

July has proven the old truth that “busy” isn’t automatically “bad.” Yes, I’ve been ferrying cupcakes, towels and climbing shoes like a slightly frayed Sherpa, but the difference this month is I’ve scheduled breathing room in between the chaos. Even ten minutes to knit two rows in silence feels revolutionary. I do need to get better at saying no to extra commitments, without the guilt hangover, but so far this month has (in the main) kept the mental clutter at bay and let me actually enjoy the busy bits.

Comfort corner

I’ve been swapping my morning coffee for a mug of Bird & Blend Gingerbread Chai – dark, spicy and more importantly caffeine-free. I brew it while the toddler conducts his dawn tractor-watch from the window, then we swap commentary: he identifies four-wheeled machinery, I critique diesel fumes and colourways. I know these moments are so fleeting and before I know it he’ll be moving out, so I’m taking great comfort in this reliable ritual that anchors my day before the inbox opens.

Snapshot of the month

A grainy, golden-hour photo of the combine harvester trundling along in the wheat field at the back of my parent’s house, just off camera is my son’s face agog at such a magnificent sight. A moment I will never forget and a heartwarming reminder that the best summer memories come with a whiff of straw and engine oil (especially if you’re under the age of two).

Your turn

How did July go for you? Any new-yarn splurges, knitting ambitions or chai obsessions I need to know about? Let me know below so we can compare summer stitches and festival-level toddler parties.

Beth x