I was so nervous about this pattern: sportweight yarn, going back and forth between two needle sizes, sleeves?? But I'm happy to report that the "Baby Tea Leaves" cardigan ended up being a simple cardigan to knit after all, perfect for babies and toddlers when the leaves start to change. There was some light stretching of my knitting skills along the way, but Melissa's instructions were extremely easy to follow. Here are my Ravelry notes.

The cardigan progress was closely watched by all my children. We "oohed & aahed" together as the sweater design took shape, and they were so excited when it was finished. Of course, Isia's been closely involved since the start. The pattern recommends Madeline pashmina, which I mistook for sportweight (details, details). It still worked great- although I'd like to knit a future one in pashmina to see the difference. Since I'm planning on including knitting in homeschool this year, I'm hoping my needles will inspire her own! The one who's enjoyed this knitting pattern the most is Esther. She's squeaked to try on her cardigan every step of the way, and didn't want to take it off after our quick photo session- even in our hot summer weather (smile). 

 Now that it's done, both older kids are vying to be next. Of course, our leaves are far from changing & the swimsuits are still in full rotation, which means it's probably time to cast on another!

It's also time to plan my monthly goals. Such a simple exercise, but it really helps me to stay mindful as we move through the year. Here were my June goals, and here are some things I'm planning for August:

• Get homeschool up & running: This includes the smaller subset goal of getting up earlier. We all slept in this summer, but it's important to get back into our school rhythm. An earlier start makes the day go much more smoothly!

• Finish the basement: Construction is almost done, so we need to put it all back together. There will also be a good dose of minimizing & organizing.

• Weekly updates: I'll be checking in each Monday to share our previous homeschool week. You can also catch our adventures on Instagram, including the sleepy ones.

• Soak up Summer: This includes a visit to the fair- one of my favorite summer rituals!