Blue Skies Dragonflies

working through it all...part #2

2012-01-24T17:09:00.004-05:00

still working my way through byron katie's book. "i need your love -- is that true??". taking it slow & really internalizing her words & working through all of the exercises. posting what really hits home with me here, for others who may well benefit & for future reference for myself...;)

"Minding Your Manners" (page 40)

"...politeness & tact are supposed to be about consideration for others. but notice how often they are really about trying to control the impression that you make...

...when you're being polite, are you living the part or just playing it?? the difference to notice here is the difference it makes to you.

for example, many people find it difficult to receive a kind remark or gift. the focus on reciprocating right away, even with a thank-you, can keep you from fully receiving...

when you feel real gratitude it shows without effort. whether or not anyone notices is up to them. but if they do, they receive a much bigger gift, not small words & gestures, but gratitude itself. people become very open in the presence of gratitude. soon they want to give you everything. things get out of control & love appears.

you can see this clearly with a hug. you don't experience the hug you are getting if you are trying to hug back. trying to hug back refuses the gift. when you really receive it, you feel the arms around you, you feel the body, you feel the love inside you. the receiving is the giving. it's the most genuine thing you can give back."

***********************************************************************************
this one is huge for me, as i am one of those who has had a hard time receiving any sorts of gifts/remarks/etc without trying to settle up first thing. i say 'who has had' because i have changed dramatically in this department. mainly since my pregnancy with our last child, our daughter, evyn.

with our boys (x3) my pregnancies were life as usual, aside from a growing belly & a larger appetite. i didn't have to change a thing, other than the size pants i wore. ;) but activity & responsibility wise everything was life as usual. with evyn, however, everything changed. i went into preterm labor with her @ 5months & ended up spending a night in the emergency room with our midwife trying desperately to figure out what was going on. in the end, despite running every test that she could think of, we couldn't figure out what was going on. so, i was discharged & told more or less to 'keep it chill'.

i kept having pains & severe ones @ that. i had to really manage how much i took on each day & with 3 young children, a husband who works second shift & homeschooling, my plate was more or less full to begin with. up until this point, all of my mom friends had referred to me as "super mom, but now i couldn't even walk our dog without taking 2 or 3 breaks.

it was insanely frustrating, as i was used to being the one in charge & now my body was & i had NO choice but to listen or else risk losing this pregnancy. but for all the aggravation, i learned a lot about myself.

i learned that i was a control freak, a perfectionist, constantly pushing my limits, which brought about mad amounts of stress. i learned that sleep was my friend & that things would fall into place without my having to be 'the one' to do it all.

i learned to let go & to breath & to enjoy. i learned that it was 'ok' to sit down & that i didn't always have to be doing something productive.

i had to rest more, which meant that some things i had previously considered 'mandatory' had to get scratched of my list altogether. AND i learned that no one hated me for not doing them (as i had previously thought that they would).

this was a big wake up call, on so many different levels.

i had to learn to ask for help, something that i was absolutely horrible @ doing (pride & ego, you know?? ;). i learned that people didn't look down on me or think any less of me because of it.

if was, in what byron calls, 'the state of gratitude'. i could feel the love around me & it wasn't because of anything i was doing. it was simply because i was loved.

granted things got slightly back to normal after ev was born, once we settled into our new rhythm as a family of 6. but some things remained as they were -- i no longer stress about things as much. i do what i can & i know that that is enough.

i have gotten better @ asking for help, though i could probably be better still. i constantly work on balance & no longer try to control everything. we each do the best we can with what we have & where we are each moment & as i tell our children (& remind myself as well) our best is all we can do.

free pattern wednesday

2012-01-18T15:10:00.001-05:00

like a great many of you, my grandmother was of the crafty sort. i remember receiving various handmades from a personalized crocheted stocking to a popper santa claus made from a toilet paper tube, & more recently cross stitched birthday cards. these days, nearing 90, she isn't able to craft nearly as much as she used to, or wants to because of arthritis. this makes her handmades even more special.

i have made her various things throughout the years, but nothing recent & certainly nothing knit. this is partly due to her living in arizona where handknits really aren't practical... when my sister-in-law requested a set of dishcloths for christmas it hit me, 'duh!!' that is what i could knit for grandma. ;)

i had planned on, of course, an "i love grandma" (or) "#1 grandma" cloth (or) some such. imagine my surprise when i couldn't find ANY such patterns on ravelry.

@ any rate, i found this one & liked it. decided to modify it a bit though, taking out one of the hearts, to make it a bit less busy & change the 'mom' to 'gma'...

please enjoy the pattern, & do let me know if there are any difficult to understand bits, errors, etc... xo

"i love grandma" dish/washcloth

materials needed:

*worsted weight of choice (i used lily sugar n' cream)

*us size #4 needles (you can use larger needles, but the pattern won't show up as well)

*tapestry needle to weave in ends

CO 47 sts

rows 1-8 knit

row 9 (& all odd rows) knit across

row 10; k4, p39, k4

row 12; k4, p5, k7, p3, k2, p5, k2, p2, k2, p5, k2, p4, k4

row 14; k4, p5, k1, p5, k1, p4, k1, p5, k1, p4, * k1, p5* (2x), k4

row 16; k4, p5, k1, p5, k1, p4, k1, p5, k1, p4, *k1, p5* (2x), k4

row 18; k4, p5, k1, p2, k4, p4, k1, p5, k1, p4, k7, p5, k4

row 20; k4, p5, k1, p10, *k1, p2* (2x), k1, p4, *k1,p5* (2x), k4

row 22; k4, p5, k1, p10, k1, p1, k3, p1, k1, p4, k2, p3, k2, p5, k4

row 24; k4, p5, k1, p5, k1, p4, k3, p1, k3, p5, k2, p1, k2, p6, k4

row 26; k4, p5, k7, *p3, k3*(2x), p6, k1, p8, k4

row 28; k4, p39, k4

row 30; k4, p14, k1, p24, k4

row 32; k4, p13, k1, p1, k1, p23, k4

row 34; k4, p12, k1, p3, k1, p6, k1, p15, k4

row 36; k4, p11, k1, *p2, k1* (2x), p4, k3, p14, k4

row 38; k4, p10, k1, p2, k3, p2, k1, p2, k2, p1, k2, p13, k4

row 40; k4, p9, k1, p2, k5, p2, k3, p3, k2, p12, k4

row 42; k4, p8, k1, p2, *k3, p1* (2x), k2, p2, k1, p2, k2, p11, k4

row 44; k4, p8, k1, p2, k2, p3, k4, p2, k3, p2, k2, p10, k4

row 46; k4, p8, k1, p5, k1, p2, k2, p2, k5, p2, k2, p9, k4

row 48; k4, p9, k1, p3, k5, p2, k7, p2, k2, p8, k4

row 50; k4, p10, k3, p2, k2, p2, k9, p2, k2, p7, k4

row 52; k4, p14, k2, p2, k11, p2, k2, p6, k4

row 54; k4, p3, k8, p2, k2, p2, k13, p2, k2, p5, k4

row 56; k4, p3, k1, p2, k2, p2, *k1, p2* (2x), k7, p1, k7, p2, k1, p5, k4

row 58; k4, p6, k2, p5, k1, p2, k6, p3, k6, p2, k1, p5, k4

row 60; k4, p6, k2, p5, *k1, p2, k5, p2* (2x), k1, p5, k4

row 62; k4, p6, k2, p5, k1, p3, k3, *p2, k3* (2x), p3, k1, p5, k4

row 64; k4, p6, k2, p5, k2, p6, k2, p1, k2, p6, k2, p5, k4

row 66; k4, p3, k1, p2, k2, p2, k1, p3, k2, p4, k2, p3, k2, p4, k2, p6, k4

row 68; k4, p3, k8, p4, k6, p5, k6, p7, k4

row 69; knit

row 70; k4, p39, k4

rows 71-78, knit

row 79; BO all sts but last 2. knit a 3" i-cord, pull yarn through loops to 'seal'. cut yarn, leaving a 6" ort so tail to sew i-cord to cloth. block & gift to a grandmoth that you know & LOVE!!

more of our handmade christmas (in january :)...

2012-01-16T15:41:00.000-05:00

wrapping up our handmade holidays posts...

(get it??...'wrapping', tee, hee ;)

my sister-in-law terri, asked for dishcloths so i whipped her up a set in her favorite colors & with the potential theme of her favorite things. i say 'potential' because she said she "loves everything!"

so, i did a bit of (pattern) hunting & this is what i came up with...

this is my all-time favorite dishcloth pattern, it is gorgeous...no?? i knit one for terri (pink) & one for my grandma as well...

'her hometown' is michigan, so this one is definitely a perfect addition to the set...

and a (second) sweet owl version, as everyone i know LOVES owls!! i knit 2 of this one...one for terri & one for, well...us! ;)

i really liked the seed stitch owl that i made for the littles, so made one more of those in blue for grandma as well.

these cat-tastic mitts are for my niece, who LOVES everything cat-ish...

used my mini mitt pattern & added on felted sweater bits to make the paws. was inspired by this lion brand pattern...

introducing the 'black dragon', aydin's yule sweater of choice. it took right @ 24 hours to make, but he wears is all the time, so very much worth it!!

definitely got the intarsia things down, as well, after this one...;)

hmmm...

"sleek", a gap-tastic cowl for my mom (well, technically mother-in-law)

took just a smidge under 3 skeins & right @ 9 hours to knit.

i am wondering is she'll love it as much as i had wanted her too. she is smaller than me, by a good 6" & this thing comes to my hips. so, i can picture her being completely swallowed up by it. :(

my husband says she'll love it & i just don't know how to wear it. this might well be true as i am ridiculous like that. ;)

it does feel super squishy & warm & those are both very good things, right??

i feel like i should re-knit this on size #13s, as that would probably take off the bonus 6"... as in the difference between jan's (the creator's) length (to her bellybutton) & mine (to da' hip).

guess, i'll give it a go & include a note that i can re-do shorter or thinner, etc & see what she says.

i just think that my m-i-l is too polite to say anything. :(

and lastly, for now anyway, is the dual name hat i knit for crystal...

it has two names because both are so perfect that i can't seem to decide which one to go with...so went with them both! "shhhh....it's a secret (pocket)"

i tacked down 3 of the 4 sides to create a secret pocket!! crystal said that it would be the perfect size for her ipod nano...also poisonwood green. ;)

the "poisonwood" part comes from the yarns own colorway (aka poison"), but also because i just happen to be reading the poisonwood bible for our book club.

hooray for holiday hand knits...

still have 4 more to go, i think...some really cool convertible mitts variations, and a special something for my sista'. :)

workin' through it all...

2012-01-10T16:55:00.001-05:00

last december a friend recommended a few books to me. one of which was byron katie's "loving what is".

once i got my hands on a copy of this book, i more of less devoured it & bought a copy of my own (returning the other to our local library).

her philosophy is simple & pure & as much as i tried to argue with it in the beginning, i couldn't.

she says things that i have heard said a million different ways, but her way is so down-to-earth, logical that it resonated with me more or less instantaneously.

now, a quick bit of background on books & me... i had to sort of take a break from reading books for a bit, as each new book i read became my new mantra. i am very good @ seeing all sides of a story & also very good @ trusting others before myself. (boo!)

her book, though it does present her outlook on life, is definitely self help.... she just presents the concept of inquiry, which is the act of questioning our thoughts & asking 'is that true?'.

you might be surprised how much we alter reality with our thinking. by arguing with reality, as in thinking that is should be anything other than it is, is where our pain, frustration, aggravation, etc comes from.

after reading her first book, i discovered that she has quite a few more. so, i checked out the second one form our library & added it to my book swap wish list. ;)

i thought i would share some bits & pieces with you as i read & work through it, parts that really make me pause & reflect on their meaning in my life & may well speak to you as well...

so, thus begins our journey through "i need your love -- is that true??" (byron katie)

daytime reality check: everything supports me

"...suppose you've eaten your breakfast, sat down in your favorite chair & picked up this book.

your neck supports your head. the bones & muscles of you chest support your breathing. the earth supports the building you live in. various stars & planets hold the earth in orbit. outside your window a man walks his dog. can you be sure that he isn't playing a role in your support?? he may work everyday in a cubicle, filing papers for the power company that makes your lights come on.

among the people you see on the street & the countless hands & eyes working behind the scenes, can you be sure than there isn't anyone who isn't supporting your existence??

the same question applies to the generations of ancestors who preceded you & to the various plants & animals that had something to do with your breakfast. how many unlikely coincidences all you to be here?

to explore this for a while, look around you & see if there is anything that you can say for sure doesn't play some role in supporting you. now look again @ the 3 a.m thought "nothing supports me without my efforts." wouldn't it be truer to say, "everyhting supports me without my efforts??" the truth is that here you are, sitting in your chair, doing nothing & begin fully supported.

everything supports you whether or not you even notice it, whether or not you think about it or understand it, whether or not you love it or hate it, whether or not you're happy or sad, asleep or awake, motivated or unmotivated. it just supports you without asking for anything in return....

complicated & intricate as your requirements are for existence might be, they are all being met. @ this moment, there is nothing you need, nothing you need to do. notice how it feels to that in that thought.

now think of something you don't have.

this thought that kicks you out of heaven.

the thought that kicks you our of heaven could be "i'd be a little more comfortable if i had a pillow." or it could be "i'd be happier if my partner were here."

without that thought you're in heaven -- just sitting in your chair, being supported. when you believe the thought that something is missing, what do you experience?? the immediate effect might be subtle -- only a slight restlessness as your attention moves away from what you already have. but with that shift of attention, you give up the peace you have as you sit in your chair. by seeking comfort, your give yourself discomfort."

byron katie, 'i need you love -- is that true??" (pages 8 - 9)

a little bit of everything & an introduction...

2012-01-02T12:24:00.001-05:00

another holiday post...

the second to last in fact, as i have a few work in progresses that i hope to have finished up & mailed within the next week or so.

one of the best loved christmas gifts that we received this year were these gorgeous rainbow blocks, from nova natural...

each one of our children, from our 2 year old up to our 11 year old have been building beautiful & unique towers, castles, & sculptures ever since they were opened on christmas eve!

one of ehren's castles, complete with a tunnel for his car...

orin's person...

oh my, & santa brought this on christmas morning. isn't it amazing!?!

a handmade table & chair set for our littles...

custom from totem woodworks...

it is so much sturdier than anything i could have found in a shop, and handmade to boot! definitely an heirloom if there ever was one...

okay, these aren't exactly christmas gifts, but our littles love playing with rags in the bath. until i have given them various washcloths.

but while searching for dishcloth patterns for a certain sister-in-law's christmas basket, i came across this sweet owl patterned cloth. & it is smaller than most, so even more perfect for our young ones.

ok & if you aren't sold on them yet, they use only .4 oz of yarn! can you possibly think of a better knit to use up your littlest cotton niblets?? i think not. ;)

and lastly i would like to introduce miss maya to you...

she is a golder retrieve pup, 6 months old, that we adopted from the yancey county animal shelter, december 30th.

we had a golder retriever about 7 years ago, and she was such an integral part of our family. so much love! however, she was hit by a car when she was just 3 years old. we have spent the last 4 years, well, yearning i suppose for another retriever.

they are so sweet & amazing family dogs, so good with kids (not so much with the chickens, but i am sure that will mellow out @ some point ;).

we thought about getting another one this past summer; we thought that we were ready, but we weren't.

dogs are like children & if you have ever loved & lost then you know what i mean by this. they bring so much love, life & personality toour lives that it can be very emotional to think of 'replacing' them.

we kept talking about it though...

when we went to Florida this past september, it seemed as though everyone has a golder retriever & i took that to be a sign. but we still didn't want to rush into anything...

i just happen to look on petfinder.com this past thursday (it's harmless to look, right?? ;) for a golden retriever pup & there she was & in burnsville no less (about 30 min from us).

however, we just knew that she wouldn't be there when we arrived, it would have been too good to be true, you know?? but she was & the attraction was immediate. she went with us out to their puppy play yard & it was just a perfect fit.

& the rest is history, as they say, right??

i thought our house was full of love before, but now it just emanates... our house is so much happier with maya & i am thankful to have been able to give a sweet dog a home that, well, might have had a different future...

blessings to each of you in this new year!! xo

free pattern friday, why not, right??

2011-12-29T16:38:00.002-05:00

MINI MITTS

i have been making these mini mitts since last christmas, but for some reason never set up a pattern for them.

well, after modifying the pattern this christmas to include a larger size, i decided the time has come...

please enjoy & let me know if there is any part of the pattern that could use a bit of tweaking/rewording, etc...

mini mitts

(click on title for ravelry link ;)

sizes available:

small, fits ages 2-5 years +/-

large, fits ages 6-9 years +/-

*notes for size large are in parenthesis*

materials needed:

worsted weight yarn of you choosing,

(40-80 yds)

us #6 dpn needles (for small)

us #7 dpn needles (for large)

2 place markers & a tapestry needle for weaving in ends

abbreviations:

kfb, knit front & back of stitch

pm, place marker

*******

using long tail cast on, cast on 28 sts, both sizes

divide on to needles as follows:

8 sts on needles #1 & 3, 12 sts on needles #2

join for knitting in the round

begin knitting in k2p2 ribbing for 1.5" (2")

switch to stockinette & knit for 1" (1.5")

begin increases for thumb:

round 1: k2, kfb, pm, knit to last 3 sts, pm, kfb, k2 (30 sts)

round 2: knit plain

repeat these two rows 3x (4x), 36 sts (38sts), ending with an inc round

next round, knit around plain to 2nd pm, remove marker, k3 sts, BO next 8 (10) sts (28 sts)

knit to end of rnd

knit in k2, p2 ribbing for 1" (1.5")

BO all sts in ribbing.

weave in ends & gift to a toddler/child who you adore!!

happy knitting loves, xo

a bit of christmas gifting...

2011-12-28T15:53:00.000-05:00

i promised grandma that we would post lots pf photos of the children opening their gifts, as she & grandpa terry couldn't be here to celebrate with us...

i also want to share photos of the christmas sweaters that i knit for the children this year...

so, without further ado...;)

the older two each got a digital camera & have been on a dueling photo battle ever since!

aydin, our resident inventor, got a snap rover. a super cool snap, together way to create all sorts of cool gadgets!

a new raincoat for ev...

this color looks amazing on her (i think ;)

oh & here is my sister samantha (aka sk), who was recently reunited with a lost soul from her past...

black kitty!

there is a long story behind this one, but basically this was her favorite stuffed animal when she was little, you know the one that we each had & would take everywhere with us??

one day she disappeared, never to be heard from again, until christmas eve. :)

knit lovelies from aunt sk & mama...

sk made each of the littles a lyon hat, which they love! perhaps even moreso because they *match* (these two are very much into being twins right now, donning the same accessories, etc...very cute!)

ehren's "thing one" sweater... it fits him perfectly!!

ev's "evalinda" (aka nova), also a perfect fit! ;)

close up of ehren's "rainbow high five hat"...

& one of ev's "aphrodite's helm"...

a super cute christmas dress for ev...

a solar powered race car for bean bean...

'fruit fly' (aka butterfly) wings for ev...

i got papa a pair of bogs as i had caught him swiping mine, pink/purple paisleys & all... ;)

& lastly orin, hamming...ahem, i mean 'modeling' his military cardigan...

i still am unsure about the colors, but man is he absolutely LOVING this sweater!!

he has worn it pretty much non-stop since opening is on christmas eve.

also, overheard him telling a friend about it..."my mom made this sweater, she made it..." i am LOVIN' it!!

i will add a few more photos @ some point this week. still have a few more lovelies to share, one of which is aydin's "black dragon' sweater. ;)

until then...happy holiday!!

snowflakes, stockings, a chicken & gingerbread...

2011-12-27T17:03:00.000-05:00

honestly, paper snowflakes are addictive, agreed??

we began by making some to hang on our windows, but have now moved on to using them on our holiday cards & even our cookie canisters...

(photos of those to come later ;)

the boys pointed out that evyn didn't have a stocking of her own. she has, until now, shared with mama & papa. as she is 2 this year, we decided that she has graduated to having her own...

this was super easy/quick & turned out beautifully, if i do say so myself...

she chose the base fabric (a felted sweater from my stash) & then i used one of our other stocking for a template. even with the stripes. it seemed a bit plain. i was wanting something just a wee bit more, so i added a few concentric circles, sewn on with buttons...perfect!

& the verdict??...she loves it!

an early christmas present from aydin...

a lego chicken...i LOVE it!

is there anything this boy can't build?? he constantly amazes me!!

our friends came over the tuesday before christmas & we made gingerbread houses from scratch!! these were our first ever, aside from a few that we have made in the past from kits.

they were amazingly east to make, & muy delicioso to boot... :)

even with all the candy 'glued on', they seemed a bit plain. so...we cut out cardboard 'selves' & placed them around the house. perfect!! above, you can see a wee little ehren on the toboggan that orin & aydin crafted, & a plump santa on the left...

here is aydin, making snow angels on the gingerbread roof...

a close up of ehren on the toboggan...

mama & papa (in teddy bear pajamas, aydin's idea) on the rooftop...

orin, in his ninja gear...

& a wee little evelet on the peeping around the corner...

happy holidays to each & everyone one of you!! xo

our sweet beaner beans; 5 times around the sun...

2011-12-15T14:39:00.000-05:00

this past saturday, we celebrated bean bean's 5th birthday!

the day began with the biggest stack of french toast the world has ever seen...

and, of course, the birthday boy!!

and a birthday breakfast of his choosing... french toast, with blueberries & cream, & sausage links. ;)

knit gifts from mama, including a new pair of duds for master rudolph...

& it turns out that the marshall holiday parade fell on ehren's birthday as well. what a *special day* !

i LOVE madison county...

where else would semis & 4 wheelers be in a christmas parade?? i LOVE living here!!

ev got loves & hugs from sparky the fireman dog...

my favorite part of the parade??? easy...

i LOVE it!!

the littles, with their littles...;)

side note, check out the wool pea coat i scored for ehren @ the clearance center. mama is TOTALLY jealous!!

ah, yes...ehren's favorite rainbow cake in the making...

gorgeous & magical, though not made from scratch...but hey, this is a special day & who doesn't LOVE rainbows??

so, get a white cake mix, follow direction on box. then divide batter evenly into 6 bowls & add food coloring until desired colors are achieved....

in 2, round cake pans, layer the batter from bottom up. so, pan one would have violet on the bottom, followed by blue & green on top. pan 2 would have yellow, orange & then red on top.

bake according to directions on box.

orin found a tub of frosting that had a bonus of rainbow sprinkles...perfect, right??

time to blow out the candles & make a wish...

the just desserts... (get it?? punny, right?? ;)

thanksgiving...it was absolutely perfect!

2011-12-14T19:23:00.000-05:00

our thanksgiving was a quiet, simple affair, with just the six of us. something that hasn't happened in many years. and yet it was absolutely perfect in every way.

from our centerpiece of dried flowers & grasses picked by ehren, evyn & i on our morning walk the day before...

to the way that everyone pitched in to make our thanksgiving feast the delicious meal that it was.

ev was the first to rise thursday morning & after a bite to eat, we got straight to work baking the pumpkin pies.

pinto wishing each of us a "happy thanksgiving", & to you as well...

aydin teaching ev how to crack the mixed nuts. a special thanksgiving treat & a family thanksgiving tradition...;)

despite all the green grass in the photos above, it did actually get cold enough to freeze a puddle in the garden beds coverings. that is exactly where ehren found this lovely little treasure left by mother nature herself...

ehren was my helper with the stuffing. this year, we gave this recipe a go...

orin made the apple pie, complete with the hand print turkey decoration seen above. TOTALLY his idea, & doesn't it just look lovely??

aydin was my right hand, turkey man... he said it was both cool & gross, which i *think* is a sentiment that we can all relate to...;)

i snuck in a wee bit of crafting, a knit lovely *for me* amidst all the holidays gifts & orders. of course, what was done that day remains all that has been done....but oh well, there is always after christmas right??

note the paintbrush substituting for my cabling needle which seems to have wondered off recently. there are little fingers involved in this plot, no doubt...;)

ev, all dolled up in her fancy dress. she was soooo excited to use our fancy glasses, reserved for thanksgiving & christmas dinners only.

such a young lady...

oh my, the stuffing was absolutely delicious!! side note: stuffing is arguably my favorite part of the infamous thanksgiving day meal...

and of course, papa to carve the turkey...a family affair if there ever was one.

the day was so chill & calm, which alone is a feat for this house of 6! (if you know us, then you know that i am speaking the truth!)

we just moved from one thing to the next, enjoying all the preparation & the love & the togetherness...it was perfect & that is that.

all our love & blessings to you & yours this holiday season. xo

us, as featured in the blog-a-licious world of cyber space...

2011-12-07T15:01:00.002-05:00

so, i sometimes receive emails thank yous for our lovelies & link to blogs as well.

i wish i would have thought to share them earlier. ah well, a thought for the future...but from here on out i will. *promise*

i simply LOVE it when folks send along their photos & links. such a wonderful feeling of warmth comes from seeing the smiling faces & knowing that your handcrafted items are loved!!

st. nicholas's visit @ barefoot five

& waldorf vest love @ zach abroad

there is so much love @ the holidays, do you feel it to?? xo

out with the littles & their rudolphs...

2011-11-23T15:38:00.000-05:00

ok, so here is the teaser picture that i left you with yesterday...

they were being so silly before we left (all the more reason for a walk, as their papa works nights & sleeps during the day ;)

ehren & evyn with their strollers & their rudolphs...my sweet peas!

the puddles are calling, the puddles are calling!

(i love the reflections that you can see in the puddles)

this one though is my fav...

what a good little mama...;)

these spider webs looked so cool in the morning dew. well, they all do, but these were shaped differenlty than most that i have seen on our 'route'...they were almost shaped like little stork pouches..

the flowering moss...

this is another of my favs...

**love**

(that is what these two posts leaning on each other makes me think of)

and a mantis egg, to close out our morning...

the marshall handmade market...

2011-11-22T15:58:00.001-05:00

this past saturday, the two littles & i went to check out our local "handmade market". it happens each november, the weekend before thanksgiving& we LOVE it!!

it is a good time, with lots of good food & lovely handmades, all LOCAL, & many made by our friends, which makes it even more special.

this year i had not yet spent my birthday money (from oct!) & so that was our spending loot! ;)

& this is our haul...

they each picked out a turtle plush handmade by our friend sarah westhues-owen, also a member of our homeschool co-op & a family friend of us all...

they also each picked out a skein of yarn for a *special project* to be revealed @ the end of this post... (i LOVE how their yarns match their turtles ;)

i bought this amazing cherry ladle, made by dennis ruane. it is so soft & smooth, & dare i say silky (lance laughed because i was rubbing it on my lips like i do with my hair, but it was really that smooth! ;)

my *new* favorite coffee mug, complete with chickens! it is perfect, a bit rustic & everything that i love (well, aside from knitting, but she didn't have one with yarn/needles ;)

& the special projects?? well, sweaters for the rudolph's of course!

ehren pointed out that rudolph #4 (his rudolph) & ev's rudolph (the original that i made our son aydin nearly 5 years ago) needed sweaters because they would get cold outdoors...

who can argue with that, right?? so, they each picked out a skein of yarn @ the market for me to knit up sweaters for their rudolphs...

the blue is ehren's & is plant-dyed with indigo, so i call it "hidalgo", yes, i know...nothing to do with a horse, but i like the sound of it...

and here is ev's, i call it boisenberry...

this rudolph, wow, he has been through a lot in his short life. as i mentioned earlier, he was made for our son aydin, when he was 4, & he will be 9 in march.

he was my very first waldorf doll & loved very much from the beginning. but last year, he was left outdoors & the neighbor's dog got a hold of him. he drug him through the mud & all around the yard & who knows where else, but we found him a few days later.

he was covered in dirt & grime & funk & all manner of dog stink...so, i did what no waldorf doll is made to have done to him & he was washed & in HOT water no less. and he wash washed again & again after that...until @ last the stink was gone & i felt he was *decontaminated* enough to be put back into circulation.

but he is very much worse for the wear. his hair is now matted & clumped & his body is no longer as soft & huggable as it once was, but sort of lumpy as the wool stuffing felted time & again.

i am almost slightly embarrassed to have ev playing with him as he is nothing of his former self, but she chooses him time & time again over her other dolls. that is a true testament to handmade...

i hear people say that they make this or that, but in the end, each stitch whether sewn or knit, is filled with our love for the child that we are creating for & that is something that children can sense...

**********************************************************************************

i am going to leave you with one last super silly faced photo of the littles before we took the rudolph's out for their walk today, in their new cardigans...

xo to you & yours...

another hat for evelet, felted soaps & yarn along...

2011-11-17T17:32:00.002-05:00

i recently made a new pilot hat for ev, for this winter. the thing is though, that i wanted it to be a bit big on her so that she could wear if this winter & next spring & into next fall/winter.

the bad news is that is turned out o ofit her *perfectly*, as in...it fits her today & if even one more little hair sprouts up on her little head , it would fit no more...:(

so, i knit a new one. the same mods, but on larger needles, & i added a couple of repeats.

the evalinda (take #2 ;)...

you might recognize these poses...do you??

ehren & ev did a "modeling session" with me last week (some new mitts & crowns & things for the shop).

it appears that his ninja poses have rubbed off on her...

gotta love that! i only wish that you could see her legs in the photos as well, they had their own thing going on as well. it was AWESOME!!

i also had a custom order in the shop for some felted soaps...

i think she may have chosen all of my favorites...;)

yarn along...

i am joining many friends & ginny on her venture the "yarn along" in which we are to share a photo of what we are currently knitting & reading & a bit about each.

as you know, orin decided that he did not like the weasley sweater afterall. so, after bit of time on ravelry, he discovered this one...

enter...the grand unveiling of Orin's christmas sweater choice (also, take #2), "military, rainbow style".

he is all over this pattern & it works for his size, though i might have to modify the length of the arms/body a smidge. but it is worked top down, so it should be no big.

i am loving this patten so much more already...the yarn though, i am still warming up to...;)

as for the books, i am re-reading both "the creative family" & "handmade home" by amanda blake soule. both are about living a simple, yet abundant (in the ways that matter) life. integrating your (the mama's) needs with your children's & your family's for a peaceful, natural rhythm. they are both good reads & well worth re-reading, as her words continue to speak to me each time in a different way depending where we "are" @ the time.

we are currently in "off" place. three is a lot of squabbling & anger, frustration, aggravation & lack of patience on all fronts (mama included).

it would be so easy to know the *one thing* that is our of balance so that we can set it right, but that is the thing, isn't it?? there is never "one thing". each of us is constantly changing, both parents & children alike & the possibilities are endless. yet, the destination remain the same. calm (which is of course a relative term, especially in our house full of boys!), peaceful, centered days. but we each know & have felt @ some time, that felling @ the end of the days..."today was a good day".

and so, we continue to do what we can, with what we have & where we are....hoping for just a bit more of that & perhaps a little bit less of the other.

the third book is "my old true love", but shelia kay adams.

it is for my book club (that's right, i have joined my very first book club!) it was started by a friend @ our co-op & we are due to have our first meeting this coming sunday evening. i am super excited.

@ any rate, the book is set in the time of the civil war, right here in the mountains of madison county, nc. a woman named arty tells the story, as she lived it or in the t hick of it rather. and interwoven are ballads & love songs rich with Appalachian history.

it is a rich tale, one that pulls you in. it makes you ache for all that is not as it should be.

it shows so much of how life was during that time in our region. though the story is @ times painful, there is so much love.

until next time...

octopuses (or is it octopi??) & more handmade holidays...

2011-11-15T15:18:00.001-05:00

this morning ehren & evyn got out the sidewalk chalk & drew these super cute octopuses (or is it octopi??) on the sidewalk out front...

this one is ehren's....

and this one, slightly more jumbly, but NO less lovely, is ev's...

orin got really into building card castles with dominos the other night. wow!!! that was a LOUD endeavor (glass dominos on the hardwood table). youch! my ears were feeling so old & tired.

but you have got to admire the persistence... with 3 younger siblings, the table was bumped sooo many times. but he just started over again & again. i was so proud of his patience. :)

this one is his absolutely fav. he used every single domino we had in the house....makes you wonder what he could have done with more, right??

ahhhh, and "the evalinda" is not complete! i LOVE it so much, don't you?? part of me is wishing that christmas was just a little bit sooner, but the other (more rational) part of me, knows that i still have quite a few gifts to make. :)

it took a grand total of 22 hours. i think it will be perfect, or at least perfectly what i was wanting, which was to be a bit big on her for this winter so that she can wear it into the spring & then next fall & winter as well.

what do you think of the red buttons?? lance (my husband) picked out the colors for the dress, which are a bit more earthy than i was wanting to go. i was wanting something a bit brighter & more rainbow-ish, but i like it well enough. & i think it will look perfect on her, but then she has the sort of color that everything looks good on her (though, being only 2 1/2 she doesn't appreciate that bit yet, but she will ;)

he wanted me to put matching blue buttons on it, but i wouldn't go for it. i wanted a bit of *pop*, right??

what are your thoughts??

@ any rate, i'll post photos once she (finally!!!) gets to try it on...

& on a different note, orin has decided that he does not like the weasley girl sweater afterall. he hadn't realized that the whole thing would be "bumpy". this is ok...well, better now than later.

he wanted to to go on with it because i have already invested 3 hours. that was sweet, but i explained that i would be investing @ least 15 hours or more (most likely more ;). in that light, 3 hours is technically 'nothing' & better he find one that he really likes to make all the work worth it, right??

what's the point if he is not going to LOVE it in the end & wear it to forever & back, right??

so, we begin the search a new. luckily though i have a couple custom etsy orders to work on until we do find the "perfect pattern" (take #2 ;)...

(luckily he really does still LOVE the yarn & a good thing that is as we have 13 darn skeins of it!?!)

xo

a cute caterpillar & handmade christmas 2011 update...

2011-11-08T16:02:00.002-05:00

today we were talking about christmas gifts as it is already november (wowsers, right??)

so, i was reminding the children that they need to begin thinking about what they want to make eacho other & asking if they had any ideas so that we could make our lists & begin gathering supplies.

ehren went inside for a bit, got out the plastina clay & the beeswax & made the cutest, most sweet caterpillar ever!

he said it is a special birthday present for ?????????

(i can only tell so much, you know. this information is privileged as you might imagine ;)

we then gathered a bit of tissue paper & some bits of yarn & wrapped him up snug as a big (no pun intended, or was there??) & tomorrow he begins his journey to his new home...

you know, there is just something about that part of having children that *always* makes my heart melt.

and now for the handmade holiday 2011 update...

this is the weasley girl, aka the sweater that orin chose for his Christmas gift. obviously we are man-ifying it...leaving off the embroidery & probably the pom-poms @ the end of the drawstring.

but as we searched through the ravelry patterns, he said, "yes, that one there"...and so, "that one there" it is...

he was wanting a sweater with a hood & a zipper & really liked the look of this one.

a wee bit of progress on orin's sweater. it doesn't look like much, i know, but man, oh man are there a a buhooka load of stitches squeezed onto those needles! had to take a break on it last week to order some circular needles....

here is an up close of the yarn, nashua vignette (bulky superwash), in the rainbow colorway. i honestly cannot tell if i like this colorway or not...will have to knit a bit more & see. also, not so keen on the endless seed stitch into the purl side out.

BUT orin LOVES it though & that is what matters really, right???

it is a fun new yarn as it is not twisted as most yarns are, but is actually like a woven chain, if that makes sense.

and this is ev's nova...

this one mama picked out as it is just the darn sweetest little sweater dress in the entire world, am i right??

i am actually knitting it in colors very similar to the one above...

i toyed with the idea of yellow & green, or brown & pink, yellow & orange, etc, as those were all colors that i had on hand. but papa said...no, blue & green, so there you go. decision made...;)

17 stripes in, about to break yarn & work the sleeves & then the yoke...

loving it!! carrying yarn for the first time, which is absolutely brilliant!! this eliminated the need to weave in the million of ends that results from knitting in stripes, but not for this mama...no sir!

also, modifying the pattern a bit to match the worsted weight yarn that i had on hand vs fingering. knitting according to the pattern for the smallest size (which would be size 2 years) & hoping to get a size 3-4 years in the end.

we'll see, but you can be darned sure that she'll be wearing no matter what. i just might need to tack the sleeves in a bit or something...

yes, that would be the only issue i think. as this is knit bottom up, there is no way to really measure as you go & stop when you get to the right spot...

will keep you posted though & keep my fingers crossed as well. :)

happy holiday crafting loves!!

oooh & please let me know what lovelies you are working on as i am still searching for the *perfect gift* for some folks on our list...

many thanks indeed!! xo

& the party!!

2011-11-03T17:17:00.000-04:00

and now for the actual party...

it was awesome!! held @ our new home, the marshall community center.

minnie mouse (aka miss amanda wilder)

oooh, the pinata!

ev & i, she was a princess & i was a goddess. :)

kati beautified us all *for free*, how cool is that?!? she is absolutely fantastic!!

group photo of *some* of the kids...

acouple of the lanterns all lit up...

kati's son made some super cool signs, this one more than appropriate given tracy's costume. ;)

also from kati, 'finger food", get it?? i LOVE her!

after my visit to kati...

super cute emmelyn, a monkey (her mama was dressed up as jane goodall;)

aydin giving pumpkin golf a go...

up close w/the pinata; paper mache c/o miss michelle...

the hatchlings lookin' good... oh & the mama is nearby i see.

some of the jack-o-lanterns from the lantern contest...

our chicken, lookin quite nice...

horray, a sack race!

the adults got a turn after the kids. man, i really need to practice!

there were so many more games & cool costumes, but the camera got put away pretty early in the night. it was too much to stay on the outskirts photographing & much more fun living it!

i can definitely say that a good time was had by all...xo

crafty halloween decor & ev's new pilot hat! ;)

2011-11-03T15:25:00.000-04:00

our homeschool co-op just had it's first halloween party. it was super fun & we definitely plan on making it an annual event, perhaps even adding a haunted house next year (as a fall fundraiser ;)

@ any rate, michelle & i were in charge or decorations. i thought i'd pass along some of the super cool & creepy crafts that we chose for our bit.

first up, paper bag halloween lanterns, courtesy of our friend (& former MCHC member!) christina @ moment to moment

i made the cat & ehren traced a cardboard template for his ginormous bat...

i added a simple ghost, @ ev's request, & aydin made the spider...

lastly, we added an owl...well, because we LOVE owls!!

i have been wanting to make these spider hatchlings ever since i saw them in a "family fun" magazine years ago, but we have never had a halloween party...until now!

they suggest cheesecloth & a glue/water mix, but i had some plaster paris strips leftover from making belly casts that has been dying to be used for something...anything & so hatchlings it was. ;)

ehren's pumpkin, freshly carved.

wow...this was a test, for sure. ehren, our 4 year old, wanted to carve his own pumpkin this year & the kicker is that i let him! the 'old' me never would have, nope...never, not in a million years, as carving a pumpkin requires using a knife. a real knife & not a butter knife, which is all he has ever used up until this point.

BUT i was right there the entire time & i made sure that no one (aka our 3 other children) else was on the scene, so that neither he, nor i, would get distracted. ;)

it went well, as you can see. i LOVE the mustache! :)

here is my jack-o-lantern... a chicken. :) i LOVE our chickens!!

michelle made a pinata, and we each made some handmade goodies to fill it with. my favorite, by far, were these knit eyeballs. 'modeled' here by our son aydin.

i also made some knit pumpkins, & some woolen gnomes (not pictured).

lastly, here is ev's new pilot hat...

i *think* she likes it, yes??

happy halloween!!

skytop apple orchard...

2011-10-25T22:56:00.001-04:00

first off, i would like to thank my friend jenny for taking all of the upcoming photos, as i left our camera @ home. THANK YOU!!

last thursday, our homeschool co-op suited up & headed off to a local u-pick farm, skytop apple orchard to be exact.

the weather @ 8am, was not promising. the skies were dark & ominous, the wind was blowing & there was more that a bit of nip in the air, BUT we said that if it wasn't raining, we would give it a go & boy, were we glad we did!!

halfway there, the clouds parted & it was nothing but gorgeous blue skies!

here's a photos of our crew, 35 folks in all make the hour trek to skytop (~ 2/3 of the total co-op)

me & ev...& her rainbow pants! (she got sooooo many compliments on these ;)

we apparently came @ the end of the pickin' season & so had to walk a bit further to fill our bags...

a giant pumpkin slide on their playground...

ehren lukas feeding the bunnies...;)

the bridge leading into the bamboo forest, which was AWESOME & definitely a hit w/the older boys!

aydin, monkeying around...

we had signed up for the fall harvest tour, which included an education rundown on the orchard & how it operates, a hay ride, a 1/4 peck of apples & a pie-sized pumpkin. not bad for $8, right??

and on friday...??

well, we made apple pie, of course!!

this was my first EVER apple pie, if you can believe it. i was always a bit weary of the crust part, which i now know was just silly!

autumn blessings! xo

handmade christmas 2011 & other recent creative endeavors...

2011-10-17T19:24:00.000-04:00

october is here!! this means that the weather is cooling off & i am no longer thought insane for my constant knitting...

(if you don't knit, it is seriously addictive, trust me!! ;)

@ any rate, i noticed that tanya is right there with me on the 'get crackin' on the christmas list! i LOVE it!!

there is something seriously satisfying about making your own christmas gifts. whether it be homemade jams/pickles to share, or wooden tree blocks, or hand knit/sewn lovelies. in my experience, children really seem to treasure the handmade gifts from loved ones (& more so overlook their imperfections.)

it is a beautiful thing... & the love that goes into each. with each stitch, do you not think of the person you are making it for, how it will look on them, why you chose these particular colors, how you can't wait to give it to them & all the while remembering good (& bad) times that you have shared together.

THIS is why handmade will always & forever outshine any store bought gift in my book.

ok, so enough with the rambling. onto the goodies, right??

my first sweater (& my first christmas gift) done!

a 'ragman' for our sweet bean bean...

other than that, it is pilot hat central here. ;)

i got an order this week for one hat that is in the shop & she wants 3 more custom doll pilot hats to go with it. so, 'dusting off' a pattern that i haven't used in a while to make them.

the first 2 are done & for 16" waldorf dolls...

this one is a super cute pastel rainbow stripes...

the second is a brighter orange/magenta/yellow merino that sk & i dubbed "farm fresh peaches"...

i am currently working on the third & final hat, it is for a 15" doll. will be posting photos of that later this week.

aside from that, ev wants a rainbow stripes hat for her doll "olivia" & i need to make her a new one for this winter as well. so, by this weekend we'll have made *5* pilot hats.

they are classics though, you know?? ehren wore them constantly, but they were of the hannah anderson variety (before i had gotten the knack of the knitting thing ;). so many times i have wished that i learned to knit when orin (our 11 year old) was a papoose, but alas.... still thought, enough little in the house to keep this mama busy. and besides...there are always baby showers & nieces & nephews to hold out for...;)

& what lovelies are you working on this evening??

handmade goodness & no, not all of the knit variety...;)

2011-08-30T17:19:00.000-04:00

as i mentioned in my last post, we are currently knee deep in homeschooling & lovin' it!
for one thing, it gives me an outlet to do all the projects & try all the cool recipes that i clip out of magazines... ;)

last week, for baking day we wanted to make come candied lemon & orange peels. well, you eat the oranges of course, but then how to get to the lemon peels w/out wasting the 'meat'. orin's bright idea was to make lemonade!

so, homemade lemonade it was...

while the boys were mixing up the lemonade, i started on the candied orange & lemon peels...

first you boil them for a good 20 min or so...

we didn't really go for the lemon peels, but the orange peels were delish! ;)

*side note: i rolled them in sugar, as directed, but then brushed them off a bit. perfect!*

for our handwork project, we made a super cool bug house/critter cage.

i had a few pages from magazines & books, but none seemed right for us. we wanted one that we could keep out caterpillars & crickets in, but that would also house the toads & other smallish critters that frequent our yard.

so, we winged it...

using some scrap wood, a bit of metal screening that we had leftover from another project & a few hooks... the boys LOVE it, but now they each want their own!

our first 'resident' the eastern tent caterpillar...

looks like we'll be making 3 more this week, along with a couple extras for a few friends whose birthdays are coming up. ;)

now for the craftiness...

this lot i call 'a taste of honey', as that is what this colorway reminds me of...

also working on a 'pebble' in this colorway...

here are the 'everyday gray' mini mitts i mentioned in my last post...

all of those are for the 'heritage festival' coming up october 1st.

next i had a custom order from *my mom*! ;) she requested another waldorf ball & doll gift set for a friend's baby shower...

and lastly, i had another custom order this week from a local mama. she requested a custom set of eco-friendly, kid sized napkins for each of her daughters.

they attend public school & bring *waste free* lunches each day. she thought that a set of reusable cloth napkins would be the cherry on top!

each napkin is made from upcycled fabrics which makes for a ooak (on of a kind) set, as well as an even greater "ode to mother earth"...

each napkin measures ~7sq" & is made from either 100% cotton (or) a cotton/linen blend.

and what lovelies have you been working on this week??

xo

recent creative endevors...

2011-08-28T16:24:00.002-04:00

august arrived & everything got amazingly busy, super fast! i've been wanting to post more regularly, but honestly there are just NOT enough hours in a day to do all the things that i need/want to do. so... we'll have to settle for random bits of goodness. ;)

the madison county heritage festival is coming up the first saturday in october & sammi (my sister) & i are working hard to stock up knit & hand sewn lovelies for our table.

i was keeping the shop updated as well, but everything kept selling! this is normally a good thing, but not as we are trying to have a *full table*!

i recently had an order for this knit vest...

sized to fit a 3-4 yr old...

well, i ordered 2 skeins of paton's classic wool. the colorway is light gray mix. it is such a perfect, everyday gray that i wanted to make a more manly vest with it as well.

like this one...

not only did i have enough yarn for this sweet vest, but i had enough left over to make a pair of mini mitts as well!

i made a lot of these water bottle for a swap this past spring. i also made a few extras for our family. ever since then, ehren & evyn have been wanting their own totes. so, i took a few days & got their "wish list" done. well @ least part of it, they always seem to have a list of t hings for me to make/do. it is good job security though, right?? ;)

both are 100% cotton. ehren's is pisgah yarns peaches n' cream, 'fiesta' colorway.

and ev's is lily's, sugar n'cream, 'hot pink' colorway

i also had a few custom order soaps for the shop. the first is a serene woodland scene...

the second is for an early christmas order. her son LOVES all things wizard of oz, so i went with the dvd cover art as inspiration.

tuesday is handwork day, part of our homeschool day. this week we made a step stool for the littles, though we have ALL used it for various tasks.

we had a simple, plastic step stool for many years, well for 10 years to be exact. a few weeks back one of the legs cracked & instead of buying a new one, i called my dad.

he & my older brother built one when i was a little girl that is still used to his day. you know it is a good design when it has stood the test of time for nearly 30 years, right?? so, i got the dimensions for it & set off to look in our scrap wood pile to see what leftovers bits we had that could be sued to make a similar model.

the original was made out with poplar 1x8's as that is what they had one hand. we however, had nothing that fit that bill. we did have some 3/4" hardwood plywood that was leftover from a tv shelf that lance built a few months back.

we had to modify things a bit, but for the most part is it the same size as the original (16" long x 8" wide & 6" high)

there are 2 cross bars, made with 2x2's. one is set off to the left & @ the top of the stool & the other is set off to the right & @ the bottom of the stool

we also used a drill bit the same size as the screw heads, frilled down 1/8" or so, so that the screws would be set in to the top piece. a *bonus* tip from my dad.

other tips...all pieces we sanded before assembling. we glued each piece in place for added strength & durability & of course, we pre-drilled. each 2x2 cross bar has 2 screws, vs one to keep them from turning. (this i learned when building the chicken tractors.)

we sealed the wood with a beeswax polish to help being a bit of shine to it & protect the wood as well.

all in all i am pleased. it is a super stable design, though i do wish we would have had better wood on hand. it'll do though donkey...;)

oh, what's this???...

2011-08-12T15:37:00.000-04:00

as i mentioned in my last post a lot has been going on here & i have not had a lot of time to post about it. so much is changing...little things here & there are making a big difference & i LOVE it!!

one such change would be out lovely new kitchen, which i will get to shortly. actually it isn't really new, but it did get a patch job & a lick of paint, courtesy of my sister sk.

i have always loved yellow, so bright & cheery. black-eyed susans, goldenrod (which is my favorite crayola crayon of all time, by the way), the sunbeams, squash blossoms, yarn, etc... so, it is no wonder that yellow houses always seem to be reaching out to me & calling my name.

when we first painted out kitchen, i knew i wanted a yellow kitchen/dining room. however, we are a very high energy lot, so i chose this pastel hue. thought that it might help us to chill a wee bit (@ least @ meal times, anyway ;).

here then is the before...a pale yellow.

our dining room doubles as our homeschool/craft room

and now, for the during...

does anyone else's walls have this many "battle scars"??

and, finally, the after...a lovely color dubbed 'carotene'. the names actually makes me love it even more, if that is possible.

& it is all thanks to samantha koontz, (my sister), who gifted me the 2 gallons of paint& my sweet baboo who actually chose this color out of the lot...

now, for the rest of the house, right??

ehren,m our 4 year old, says we should paint each room a different rainbow color... i LOVE it!! now, to get papa on board...;)

happy friday, loves!...xo

hmmm...where to begin.

2011-08-11T23:23:00.000-04:00

it appears that i have once again taken a longer that expected hiatus from the land of blogging. i keep meaning to write, but then...well, life has other plans.

i, along with 2 other amazing mamas, have been working hard to get our co-op up & running for our 5th session. we began last fall, with about 8 families & have more than doubled in size since then. some families have moved on, some come for one session & then take a break, only to come back again later & others are new friends that we have met along the way.

we get better with each session...more organized, more "under our belts" to learn from. this session we are really stepping things up. we've created a membership brochure (very professional, right?? ;), we also have composition notebooks for each of our volunteer positions. these, i think, are going to come in very handy, not only as a reference of where we have been, but for where we are going.

there are 2 big changes this session, though that have us all very excited. one is that we now have a home, a real home! we have moved around quite a bit, starting out @ a community center, then on to renting a few rooms in an old high school, that has a new life as an artist studio. both were 'ok', but neither was "us" & neither was the right fit. @ our new space we actually have on site storage, which is huge, as well as the run of the building on wed. but better than that, we are loved!

we are renting from a woman who loves what we are doing, she loves that we homeschool, the focus on bringing our community together...she loves the children. it is such an amazing feeling to have such love & support under our feet, really.

second, we are changing our approach to service projects. in the past we did the standard issue ones, river cleanup, volunteering @ a food bank, helping out @ a food drive, visiting the local landfill & learning about waste, recycling & such. these all left us feeling as though we have truly given something back to our community, and yet there was something lacking.

but now we are focusing on our local community, our community...the madison county homeschooling tribe. (yes, that is our name!) & now we are living up to it.

we have decided to host monthly work parties. whoever in our group has a need, whether it be help repairing their roof, cleaning our their basement, building a chicken coop, refinishing a floor, winterizing their home puts their name in the database. when it is their turn, they pick a date, gather a list of materials & tools required, & provide refreshments for the lot of us. everyone else in the group that can make it out, gathers, working together to get the job done. the children play (supervised by a few mamas/papas), the rest of the parents work.

not only do we all have things that need tending to @ our homes, but how better to live up to our name of tribe than by walking the walk. the impact on both us & our children is that we know the folks that we are helping, they are our friends.

our children see us loading up tools & materials, heading over to help out our neighbor in need. this makes so much more of an impact on them & on us. seeing the faces, the gratitude...that love & energy then goes back into the tribe. everything comes full circle...

i am so very excited to see how everything is taking shape, & so amazingly glad to be a part of such an wonderful community of people.

what started as a spanish class, became a homeschool cooperative, and has now grown to encompass so many more facets of our lives than perhaps we ever thought possible. we continue to be the community of love & support that we were each previously searching/longing for, that each family should have one their journey to raise our children, that we started out to become, but we have already become so much more....

i look forward to where this wandering path leads us next...

in truth, there were many things i planned on discussing with you all tonight, but in the end, i suppose there was one speaking louder than all of the others.

the inspiration comes, perhaps from "knit two", which i just finished reading. (it is the second book in the "friday night knitting club" series.) it closes with a reflection of how lucky they each are to have each other & much along the same lines as what i have written here tonight...it all came about unexpectedly.

what began as one woman's journey, became a yarn shop, which led to a knitting club, which led to lifelong friendships & a loving supportive community. none of which was ever expected, but perhaps that is what made it all the more of a blessing.

may we each find the love & community that we are searching for...

blessings & good night. xo

creative friday...super cute summer vest/tanks!

2011-07-15T14:27:00.000-04:00

i have gotten really into knitting vests & wearable lately; something a bit beyond the accessory dept...

mostly baby/toddler... man, i can't help buy wish that i had gotten into this whole knitting thing just a wee bit earlier with all the super cute patterns i see for babes & babettes...

ah, well...there are always friends/sister-in-laws & grandchildren...!!

first up, a lovely rainbow vests...

this one you probably recognize as another 'simple vest'... really trying to cut the stash?? stripes are always a winner in my book...

this one ehren picked out after i made ev's first vest... lance helped him choose something a bit more 'manly'. ;)

this one was a good pattern to ready me for the sweaters i plan on making our lot for christmas. it involves seaming, 3-needle bind off & loads of picking up stitches... took about 10 hours, but i made it a wee bit larger than the 4t so it will fit him through this winter & possibly even next fall/winter as well so it was worth it.

can you tell papa is making faces @ him?? ;)

this one is a 'pebble', i call it sweet baby blues...;)

discovered this pattern while hunting for something to use up the last bit of mission falls that i had left over from ehren's vest... & fell in love!!

this one i re sized to about fit a 9-18 month old or so, but it nearly fits ev!...

papa is trying to help her with her modeling poses in this one...like she needs it, right?!?

fruity pebbles; cast on just as soon as the first was off the needles! (told you i fell in love!)

knit with rainbow-licious yarn from mama jude (on etsy), plant-dyed merino superwash....

we are usually a rainbow family, but on this one i think i actually like the blue cotton one better...

what do you think??

xo

creative friday & free pattern

2011-07-08T14:45:00.084-04:00

it has been a long time since i have posted on creative friday, but i am excited to be back in the loop. as you all know i LOVE creating anything & everything!! felted soaps always seem to be on the horizon, so we'll start with those...

i did a lovely trade with another mama from our homeschool co-op. she is already thinking of christmas & was interested in ordering a few soaps. well, she is a cook & her specialty is tiramisu, which happens to be my husband's all time favorite dessert... so we traded! ;) 3 felted soaps for one of her most amazingly delicious desserts...

a palm tree was her request, so i went with an a silhouette of two palms against a gorgeous island sunset.

a bird was her second request. i call this one the "rainbow bird of happiness", after the most familiar "bluebird of happiness" that i have perched on our kitchen windowsill.

i need to restock on both roving & soaps, so @ this point i still owe her one.

the chicken tractors?? i think we can count those as well... woodworking, right??

and of course knit lovelies...

i have been making these vests on & off for the past month or so. i LOVE them!! so sweet & perfect & they go with everything! the first i made for our daughter evyn.

this one was a special request for my sister-in-law. she wanted a custom & slightly smaller one for a baby shower gift. the yarn is 'rock candy mountain', from plum street fiber art (etsy). it turned our absolutely gorgeous & so darn cute!

well, after falling head over heels with this pattern, then modifying it for babes, i decided to wing it & get a doll-sized version made. as you can see, it turned out perfect! so perfect, in fact, that i am including the pattern.

this size will fit a 12" doll perfectly, but i am thinking (& will next try) size #11 needles for a 16" doll. it took just a smidge over 1 hour, which is always a nice touch! ;)

look, mama & bebe vests... i definitely think matching sets are soon to follow! ;)

simply sweet doll vest

what you will need:

worsted weight yarn, 0.7 oz/35 yds +/-

size #9 us needles

tapestry needles for weaving in ends

gauge, 5 sts & 6 rows = 1"

CO 48 sts

knit 3 garter ridges (2 rows in garter stitch = 1 garter ridge)

the body of the vest is knit in stockinette with 4 stitches on either side knit in garter stitch for border

knit in stockinette until the piece measure 4" from cast on edge

arms holes:

row 1) k12, BO 4, k16, BO 4, k12

row 2) knit to arm opening, then make 8 stitches, knit to next arm opening & repeat, knit to end of row

(56 sts)

**the rest of the vest is knit in garter stitch**

decreases:

1st decrease (right side facing)

- dec 11 sts evenly *k3, k2tog*, repeat * 11x, k1 (45sts)

knit 3 rows

2nd decrease (includes button hole)

-dec 4 sts evenly k2, YO, k2tog, k5, *k9, k2tog*, repeat * 3x, k1 (41sts)

knit 2 rows, BO, & weave in ends.

enjoy your new simply sweet doll vest!! oh & i am adding the pattern to ravelry, so please do add your projects & photos once complete. i'd love to see them!!

happy weekend...xo

update on the chicken tractor...;)

2011-07-07T16:57:00.001-04:00

so, the plan was to cut the coop in half & make our third tractor. well, it totally worked! it didn't take long either, just a bit of planning here & there. i wound up gutting the coop first thing. then with just the frame in front of me, i would cut a board or two in half, add the supporting side bits & move along to the next chunk.

ira (the neighbor who i bought this coop from) added a couple of 2x4x12's in to the deal (thank you!!!) as well. between that, the plywood that we had leftover from replacing a bit of our bathroom floor & the wood from the coop that i was able to re purpose....i was able top keep the total cost under $50. i had to make one trip to lowes, & figure i spent $10 tops on latches, wheel bolts, washers & hooks.

this is a side view. the ramp, sliding door are on the right...the two doors on the back are for cleaning & food/water.

a view into the coop/cleaning door. you might notice there are no nesting boxes. i didn't bother with them in this tractor. why?? well, other 2 tractors have them, but the hens lay their eggs anywhere & everywhere in the coop. i still need to add a roosting branch.

this door is also for my cleaning the coop out...easy access, you know.

this is the food/water access door. i put it under the coop this go round. the other tractors have them hanging out front, in the run section, but the food ALWAYS gets wet when it rains. thought i'd give this a go & see if it works out better...

now a lick of paint!! unfortunately i was so excited about getting the chicks in their coop that i forgot to paint BEFORE i added the chicken wire...

this made things just a smidge bit difficult & a whole lot messier!!

why yes, i am covered almost entirely in paint!! & no, it did NOT come off in the shower...;) but i suppose that is yet another perk of being a stay-@-home mama. ;)

this finished tractor...
we had a bit of blue outdoor paint & some white, so the paint job is a bit hodge podge. i am in the in the process of hunting down paint leftover that we can use to personalize the coop. the blue is a bit calm & the white, MUCH too plain!! i have plans for a cooperative collage with the boys & i & whoever else happens to stop by on painting day...

side view...

but the chicks are absolutely LOVING it & that is what really matters, right??

it was funny seeing them take their first steps on the grass, just little toddlers...

but growing ever so fast!!

and what or your "little ones"??

welcoming "the universe"... a lesson in trust.

2011-06-30T16:11:00.000-04:00

this painting is "dawn of creation"
for a long time now i have been famous for being a "do-er". my husband gets onto me for never sitting down, but i don't WANT to sit down! there is so much that i want to do each & every day!!

but that isn't always a good thing, or the best thing...

enter my favorite word...BALANCE.
if you have been reading our blog for any amount of time, you have heard me speak of this many, many, many times. it is a constant struggle to keep things in perspective & just when you think you've got it...something changes & we begin anew. also, not a bad thing.

consider a peaceful mountain stream...the currents, how the water bends & moves around the rocks, the lush moss, this is life. do we not avoid the pools of stagnate water?? oh my, yes! who knows what is lurking in there!?!
@ any rate, i have been working, actively working, on taking a step back. a perfect example is with our son orin. as you know, we have been homeschooling since he was in kindergarten. well, last year, he decided he wanted to give public school a go. things were a bit tense @ home, he & his younger brother are quite close in age & this brings about a lot of competition. my husband & i decided to give him the opportunity to decide for himself. he was 10, a "big boy", double digits & who knows...this could be a good thing. if it improves the family dynamic, then it is worth my letting go (among other things of course).

well, orin loved public school!  he loved his teachers & he loved what he was learning. he did not especially love the long days, the "silent lunch" the very short recess period, or the "silent bus", but these were all part of the deal, he decided. and his grades were great, dean's list, which made mom & dad happy. :)
so @ the end of 5th grade, this is what he told me. i don't like elementary school, but i will give public school another chance.  middle school might be different. this i appreciated, from a parenting standpoint. i have always told then to give things a second chance...people, activities, etc. so, it was nice to see that some of my "words of wisdom" had hit home.

we decided to respect his decision even though there were many things that we personally don't like about the public school system either.
a week or two goes by & i mention in passing to orin, 'so, are you still planning on going to middle school?" he says something very grown up like, 'i am keeping my options open' or something like that. very cute...

2 days later, our neighbor drops by to chat. we are good friends, but haven't seen each other in a bit. we talk about any number of things, i mention something about homeschooling & she goes on to tell me about a wonderful curriculum that she used with her daughter last year. (i see orin listening attentively from the next room.)
she leaves. a few minutes later, orin enters the room & tells me that he definitely wants to homeschool & he wants to use that curriculum.

i am thrilled!! the curriculum does sound perfect for him & it is absolutely affordable. it was as though a huge burden had been lifted...i love it!! and it all came about on its own because it was meant to be.
"the proof is in the pudding", to quote an old snoopy comic.  i took a step back, trusting in the universe, and everything fell into place.

absolutely amazing!!

and that is not quite where our story ends.
the next step, of course, was to earn a bit of extra money to pay for the new curriculum. the wheels began to turn, i'll need to stock up the shop, perhaps sell a few of the homeschooling books that we no longer need, etc.
well, that day when i went on the computer i had received 4 custom orders!! sign #2 that if we open ourselves up to the wonders of the universe, truly & honestly put ourselves our there, everything else will fall into place.
trust...it is an amazing thing!

xo

we are back...!

2011-06-27T15:48:00.000-04:00

well, HELLO! & thank you for not giving up on us as we took quite the hiatus...

my plan was to take april off from computer & internet, etc., which i did... it was hard to come back after that though. i would pop in to list things in our etsy shop & to check me email, but i was pretty much on & off in under an hour. too much to do y'know...with it being spring, the garden was calling, not to mention the beautiful sunny weather. so i didn't intentionally give up on the blog...

@ any rate, we are now back & have much to share. it'll take a bit to get everyone caught up on where we are right now. today, though, is about our new batch of chicklets! HOORAY!!! we are definitely a chicken loving family & well, when you have sweet little peeps in the house, it is easy to see why...

they are just so cute & FLUFFY!!!

we ordered 8 chicks this go round, 4 ameraucana bantams

http://www.meyerhatchery.com/productinfo.a5w?session.category=Bantams&grd_prodone_filter=PRODUCT%5fID%20%3d%20%27AMABS%27

& 4 golden laced wyandottes

http://www.meyerhatchery.com/productinfo.a5w?session.category=Chickens&grd_prodone_filter=PRODUCT%5fID%20%3d%20%27GLWS%27

they are all so much more adventurous that our first lot!

now, for a few introductions...

this is marshmellow, one the bantams, named by our 4 yr old ehren.

this is shadow, another bantam.

& this is thunder chicken, he is a superhero. he lept over 3 of the other chicks in a single bound! & though he is the smallest by far, he is the only one who has flown out of the box i put them in while i clean out the brooder...

i *think* he is a bantam b/c of his size, but his coloring leads me to think he might just be the wyandotte runt...only time will tell.

more chickens means another tractor in the works...;)

i bought this coop from our neighbor for $40, a pretty good deal seeing as how they were selling cheap plastic dog houses for $30 on craigslist. my plan is to cut it right down the middle & have 2 tractors.

this coop needs quite a bit of tlc & a gutting, but i am super excited. i am going to strip the lattice fencing from the bottom & add on a solid plywood floor. i also need to add the run, a roosting perch & entrance ramp, along with raising the coop up on a platform so that the chicks can get out of the rain when they need to...

actually, i am headed to work on the first bit right now, so i'll keep you updated with photos & whatnot. hoping that i can repurpose a lot of the wood already on the coop for my own modifications... we'll see...

happy summer everyone!!

creative friday...

2011-03-11T15:36:00.000-05:00

oh my! aren't we behind...

well, in my defense it is nearing spring! that means garden on the brain & planning/organizing our spring (homeschool) co-op session, along with both running a home & an etsy shop...

busy bees...but then who isn't, really??

@ any rate here on some of the lovelies that i've been working on lately...(as in the past 2-3 weeks!;)

another round of felted soaps...
this one to appease the merfolk...:)
(inspired by a gratitude soap i am making for a lovely lady whom i have never acutally met, but has nonetheless been a blessing in our lives)

a pair of copy cat cobalt convertible mitts for another sweet mama, and project #4 of "pay if forward 2011"...

stylin', profilin'... and the pattern, my own pattern, is on ravelry... !!

water bottle totes for our bits of goodness garden swap...

super cool, fun & practical to boot...!

we'll be using ours both in the garden & beyond (soccer games, when headed to the park, bike rides, walks, etc...the list is endless.)

"oceans & seas"...a super cute basketweave headband for another bits of goodness swap, this one was a specialty swap (aka one-on-one w/another mama) she asked me to knit a couple of headbands for her daughter, who is 6 years old & LOVES green.

& she'll be making evyn a couple of twirly skirts...gotta love that!

(modeled by aydin...he's got his papa's dimples ;)

i did add a couple of inches onto the pattern (so 15" long vs 12"), as it was originally sized to fit a toddler.

it has i-cord ties to get that perfect fit...i hope she loves it!

more water bottle totes...making 7 in all...

5 for the swap & 2 for our family. :)

modeled by our 10 year old, orin... notice the hip-ness of it all, while encouraging eco-consciousness. lovely!

a washcloth/dish rag for papa. "i love you" in sign language, though i hard time capturing it on camera...

i knit this up one night as an apology & an "i love you!" all rolled into one...

we had a little spat before he left for work, as most couples do on occasion. ours have actually become amazingly few & far between.

@ any rate he works LONG/odd hours & sometimes i just want him here with us. (is that so wrong??)

i know, "things are as they should be", but that doesn't mean we have to like it...

"green with envy", more fingerless mitts...

these are a gratitude gift for our kith & kin leader, miss rosie. she is an amazing life force in our community & always welcomes the children with open arms, no matter how long between visits. we LOVE her!!

"babe-a-licious blue mitts"...convertible mitts for a dear friend, miss katie watkins...

modeled by my super cool sister, sammi...gotta love these!

a cool clay cat made by orin (10); he chills a top our telephone...;)

evyn, painting wet-on-wet watercolors...

a card for grandma...

"creamsicle" slouchy hat & scarf set, for a dear family friend...

the hat...

the scarf...(i LOVE this picture!! just a taste of what sk brings to our house! ;)

perfect for your noggin'...

and beaner beans, 4, modeling a pair of pink-a-licious scrappy mitts...

project #3 for "pay it forward 2011"...

i am really want to make more of these, they turned out great! & a perfectly lovely way to use up those little yarn niblets.

actually, our nephew's birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks, i think i'll make him a pair in red/orange...

happy creative friday to one & all!!

free pattern convertible fingerless mitts...

2011-03-02T16:28:00.011-05:00

after making about a million pairs of these mitts, i began to get requests for convertible mitts

so, i sat down & figured it out & after a fair bit of tweaking, a star was born (tee, hee :)

@ any rate, here is the pattern, enjoy!!!

easy peasy rice & cheezy convertible fingerless mitts

(based on easy fingerless mitts by maggie smith)

Materials:

*about 140 yds worsted weight yarn

*size Us #6 double point needles

*3 stitch markers

*2 buttons (for the flaps)

sized to fit average women's hands

(can use size #5 needles for a smaller hand/tighter fit or use #7 for a man's hand)

Abbreviations:

CO, cast on

PM, place marker

BO, bind off

Dec, decrease

k2tog, knit 2 stitches together

guage: 6 sts & 8 rows = 1 inch

Cuff:

CO 36 sts, PM & join into a round. K2, P2 for 2".

begin knitting in stockinette, continue until you have 1.5" (measuring from top/end of ribbing)

Thumb shaping:

round 1. k2, increase in next stitch, PM, k to last 3 sts of round, PM, increase in next stitch, k2 (38 stitches)

round 2. knit around plain.

round 3. knit to one stitch before increase marker, increase in next stitch, slip marker, work to second marker, slip marker, increase in next stitch, knit to end (40 stitches)

round 4. knit around plain.

repeat rounds 3 & 4 until there are 50 sts.

on last plain round, knit around to last increase marker, remover marker, knit 3 sts, then begin BO.

BO 14 sts. knit in stockinette for another 2" then BO all stitches, using a needle the next size up.

For the flap:

pick up half the number of sts that you originally cast on

(for this pattern i CO on 36 sts to begin with, so i picked up 18 sts) for the flap. which side you pick up sts from depends on whether you are making the right or the left mitt.

knit those sts. then using the simple cast on method, CO that same number of sts (for me that was another 18 sts) & join for knitting in the round.

knit 2" in stockinette, or long enough to meet the tips of your fingers.

Begin decreases:

round 1, dec k2tog (18 sts)

round 2, dec k2tog (9 sts)

break yarn, leaving an 18-24" tail, weave through remaining sts & tie off

(DO NOT weave in ends as you will be using this tail to knit your i-cord button loop)

I-Cord button loop:

pick up 2 sts @ the very tip of the mitt

use 'tail' to knit a 2 stitch i-cord long enough to form a loop for your button (mine were large, 1" buttons...so i knit 15 rows)

tie off i-cord & sew to top of mitt forming a loop for your chosen button.

Flap ribbing:

pick up half the number of sts that were CO from front (open side) of flap, along with 1 additional stitch from each side (again, i originally CO 36 stitches, so i picked up 18 sts, 20 sts total).

attach yarn leaving a 6" tail (this will later be used to sew the flap ribbing to the side of your mitt).

knit FLAT in K2P2 ribbing for 8 rows, bind off loosely in the rib. secure, leaving a 6" tail.

this will form a row of 3/4" ribbing @ the base of flap. once bound off, align & sew to sides of mitt.

(this will ensure that the flap stays in place while in use :)

sew on button where appropriate...

now put on your mitts & go show off your mad skills, or...

knit ANOTHER pair! ;)

(please let me know if there are mistakes or any bits that are unclear :)

happy knitting!! xoxo

creative friday...

2011-02-10T15:55:00.000-05:00

thank you for joining us for another creative friday, sponsored by linda @ natural suburbia
we took off last week, so we have a number of projects to share today!!

first up...sweet pilot hats for the doll babies...:)

this one is knit from a cotton/rayon blend yarn, sized for a 16" waldorf (or similar) doll...

dubbed, "oceana"...

this one is made from leftover sock yarn that you might recognize from these yoga/pilate socks...

dubbed, "earthen stripes", sized to fit a 12" doll, though sweet crescent (our model) is only 10" so it is a smidge bit big on her...
"pretty in pink", for miss jayna, is sized to fit a 16 "doll...

knit from a handspun mohair/angora blend...

a felicity for a dear friend, one whom i have actually never met outside of facebook or various waldorf chat groups, but a dear friend just the same...

she is an amazing mama to 4, soon to be 5, young ones. (shhh...it is for her birthday ;) knit with plymouth's kudo yarn, #40...a delicious colorway i call rainbow sherbert...

a hat, scarf & mitt set to match this one, but for the mama's birthday...

the hat is a 'rib-a-roni', the scarf is another 'ocean park'...

and the mitts are yet another pair of the 'easy fingerless mitts'...

we also got a few crowns made last week. this one was sammi's first, for a child's 5th birthday...

made to order for our etsy shop...;)

just lovely...she really did a great job!

i made this one for my second, "pay it forward" project...
a friend's 2 year old nephew, named riley...

she has already sent me photos of him & his mama playing king of the forest...i love it!!

and what lovelies have you all been crafting?? xoxo

creative friday...valentines & the FINAL christmas gift! :)

2011-01-28T16:03:00.000-05:00

first up the goodies i sent for our latest bits of goodness swap for valentine's day

hand knit cotton double hearts dishcloths (should have done a close up for these, sorry...)

each came with its own woolen gnome (our children LOVE these!!)

decked out in their 'love' cloaks just for the occasion...;)

next up, my first "pay it forward" 2011 project. this was circulating on facebook & i thought it was a super idea...

the "pay it forward" swap works like this...

"pay it forward 2011: i promise to send something handmade to the first 5 people who leave a comment here. to be eligible, you must also post this to your status offering the same to 5 other people. the rules are it must be handmade by you & it must be sent to your 5 people sometime in 2011." ...isn't that awesome??

so, this is my first project, to a close friend actually...her very own love dishcloth & 2 valentine gnomes (one for each of her children).

i have been thinking that i would like to offer up the same to 5 of our visitors/followers here on the blog. BUT THE RULES REMAIN THE SAME!! the first 5 people who leave a comment on our blog, in reference to this post, will receive a handmade lovely from me, but they must then offer the same on their own blog...ready, set, "pay it forward"!!

my final project for today's post is/are these super cool yoga/pilate socks...

i used a self-striping yarn, aren't they fun??

and they will keep your feet toasty during your workout w/o compromising your grip...;)

why yes, i have had issues with this in the past & so can truly appreciate their usefulness. BUT these are not for me, they are actually a, um...christmas present that got a bit delayed in the making...

they actually were pretty simple to make, and only took about 7 hours for the pair...

please join us each friday for...

an amazing crafting venture via miss linda @ natural suburbia...

saint francis & a new look @ my own spirituality...

2011-01-27T15:24:00.000-05:00

we began the new year with a look into the life of saint francis of assisi.

(patron saint of nature, ecology, all god's creatures great & small...)

i began researching saint stories for grade 2 this past summer, delving into "stories of the saints" by siegwart knijpenga, a recommended waldorf grade 2 resource. the stories are absolutely beautiful & a much more approachable introduction to spirituality & christianity than the bible or other religious doctrines that i have sought out.

they read like fairy tales...and i suppose they are, as saints are the epitome of perfection & purity, devotion & loyalty...each one with his or her own journey into holiness & yet no where have i seen anything other that love for EVERYone else.

this has long been one of my turnoffs from mainstream religion...the underlying attitude that our religion is the one & only, the "right way". accept our savior/god or thou shalt burn in hell...why?? why would that appeal to anyone?? i have never wanted to be a part of anything, religion or otherwise, that would ever be so cruel.

my own spiritual path has been quite a jumble. i attended church with one of my best friends when i was younger, but think it was more of a social outing than an actual finding of my inner spirituality. that being said, i did take various "world religion" classes in college to "find my religion". some religions really did spark an interest in me, but there was always some part of the dogma that didn't quite sit right with me.

there have been times in my life, as i am sure in most every one's, where we hit rock bottom & would really love to put our trust in a greater power, in the universe...desperately wanting to believe that there is someone looking out for me. someone loving each of us from afar & though perhaps remaining in the shadows, always making sure that we don't fall (too far) into the abyss.

though i do not go to church, i do practice a sort of spirituality in the day to day, though there is not a name or label that i can place on it. just living according to my own moral compass, treating others the way i would like to be treated, caring for mother earth & all of her creations. living a life where i acknowledge & truly try to appreciate the everyday blessings that surround our family, giving freely to other in need...in whatever capacity that may be.

in reading of saint francis, in reciting & copying his prayer into our lesson books, i found that this was something approachable, in a way that a lot of religion has not been to me in the past. this was a prayer that i could see myself repeating each night.

when we were introduced to the waldorf approach to homeschooling, which i have always considered to be more of a lifestyle than a learning style, we began doing blessings at meals. this was a first for me...i had never been one for prayer or meditation, though i had ofter wanted to be. i do, however, value gratitude...

from there we began introducing ourselves to the many waldorf festivals, though we have only really "gotten into" a few. i really love this aspect of waldorf, the festivals rooted in tradition rather that commercialism (which is where i lose faith in so many of america's holidays :(

learning of saint francis & the way that he so unorthodox-edly surrendered himself wholly unto his love for god again ignited that flame of religious curiosity...

after reading our lesson stories of saint francis, i wanted more... so, i ordered "the life lessons of saint francis: how to bring simplicity & spirituality into your daily life" from paperback swap. i read the first pages when it arrived & was immediately drawn in...he is amazing! everything he teaches/practices really resonates with me. i am only on the second chapter, but from what i have read so far, this is the path i was already, albeit unknowingly, on.

i am reading with an open mind, and am excited to see where this journey takes me...

@ any rate, i apologize for that tangent, but this is all very new & exciting to me!

as for what we did lesson wise...

these are the books that i chose as resources for our lessons, although there are MANY more...

*saint francis of assisi: a life of joy, robery f. kennedy

(this was our formal introduction to saint francis, truly a beautiful story)

*saint francis sings to brother sun: a celebration of his kinship with nature, karen pandell

(we read a page from this book each night before our bedtime story)

i have several other books on our paperback swap wish list:

*brother sun, sister moon: the life & stories of saint francis, margaret mayo

*francis: the poor man of assisi, tomie de paola

*saint francis & the wolf, richard egielski

if you have read any of the above, please let me know how your & your family liked them.

for our main lesson work...

for our copy work, we worked our way through "the prayer of saint francis", a verse a day...

day #2, we drew our portrait...

on day #3, we recalled what we had learned of saint francis & wrote our summary...

may your own journey be blessed as well...

braving the elements...;)

2011-01-26T16:51:00.005-05:00

we have been having some insanely cold & windy, icy, snow-a-licious weather here lately, but we were craving some time with mother nature.

the boys were playing @ a neighbor's house, but the littlest ones & i bundled up & went fro a walk before dinner. it was one of the mildest days/evenings that we have had recently....

today?? well, it is snowing again!! which makes me even more glad that we ventured out...:)

ehren rode his new scooter (60% off @ target :) & evyn pulled our little red rider wagon all the way to the end of our road...it was priceless!

the sky was amazing!!

by then end of it all though, they were both ready for a ride home...:)

i really enjoyed having some special time with just the younglings...i love when we are all together, but i love them on their own as well. it is different, the way EVERYTHING is AMAZING & worth stopping to interact with...to smell, taste, touch...

seeing ehren as the eldest & the way that ev will follow him until the end of time...i LOVE it!

the new year...

2011-01-21T16:11:00.000-05:00

i feel that our family has been shown much love over the years & has been blessed in so very many ways, by so very many people around us...both in our own local communities and online.

each day people show us kindness...whether by passing along a bag of clothes that their child has outgrown, by holding open a door, by asking "how are you doing today??". these "little things" that we can sometimes overlook if we aren't careful.

enter the "gratitude jar"...it may seem a simple oatmeal canister covered in magazine photos, but it symbolizes so much more...this jar symbolizes our family's commitment to be more mindful of the everyday blessings that we are shown.

each saturday @ one of our everyone-together-family-meals, someone draws a name from the jar. throughout that week we make cards for that person/family & also create something special for them. this could be anything from a handcrafted item to a special baked good.

and the following friday/saturday that person (family's) gift basket is delivered to them.

anyone's name can be put in the jar...i have put so many names in already, from family friends who have given us their hand-me-downs, to the librarian who always makes it a point to engage each one of our 4 children in a conversation, to the local grocery store manager who ALWAYS asks how we are doing & is always so helpful.

we began this tradition the first weekend in january (saturday, the 8th). papa drew that name & it was his own! :)

here are the goodies her received...

a lovely card from aydin, with why he is thankful for his papa on the back...;)

along with a card from ehren, evyn, orin, sammi & i, with the same...
one of his favorite dinners...taco salad. :)

we also made his favorite blueberry cheesecake, well actually we made 2! it has long been papa's dream to have a blueberry cheesecake of his very own. <3

blessings...

creative friday: sandy beach set & mamamade mei tei

2011-01-13T17:30:00.005-05:00

more knit lovelies...

this set was a custom order from a sweet family friend of ours, for her daughter.

a slightly modified version of this hat...dubbed sandy beach...(it seem almost mockingly as we are currently 'snowed in' ;)

love the slouch...;)
this mei tei carrier was custom made for us by an amazing mama of 5, well technically her 5th isn't due until june)...i love it!!

i knit her up a few pilot hats for her youngest 2 & she made this gorgeous carrier...gotta love a good trade, right??

as does ev!... jayna made the straps padded & a bit wider that is custom for mei teis, as she know that i am an ergo kinda girl.

hooray! if you could only see the ergo we have been using...it is quite the sight! another mam gave it to me after she used it for her 3 children. i, then, slip covered it & used is for both ehren & evyn...

it is presently in need of some amazing tlc...if not a complete overhaul!

for more inspiration, please join linda @ natural suburbia for "creative friday"!

snow dayz...

2011-01-07T16:20:00.004-05:00

ehren, sammi (my sister), kelsey (her pup) & evyn...

more handmade lovelies...

2011-01-07T15:24:00.010-05:00

i call this set "blue suede shoes", although there it is not suede & there is nae a shoe involved...;) the scarf is another "ocean park scarf", my new favorite for lots of scarf for not so much wool...the mitts are my modified version of the easy fingerless mitts...

and the hat is the rib-a-roni...a fun knit for the name, if nothing else...:)

samantha, my sister, made me/us a knitting needles pouch. very cool & an improve pattern to boot! made from an upcycled fleece blanket & an old pair of ehren's fleece pajamas... complete with a red ribbon tie...

why did i say me/us?? you mean i haven't told you yet?? oh, my!

well, sk is one of the latest inductees into the club of knitters! (hooray!!)

her first project was a ball...(sorry, no photo :( )

project #2 was this hat...

not bad, eh??

she has actually already completed her 3rd project, a pair of matching mitts & is working on a convertible pair for a friend as we speak...

working on the mitts...why, yes! those are dpns!

she has taken to knitting like a fish in water...;)
another ocean park scarf, this one for a friend's wife... i call it "roseate"...

one of my latest mods is this sweet convertible mitts...i am so very excited!! they took a bit of finagling, but i got all the kinks worked out...

this pair was knit up custom for one of the co-op moms...complete with a pair of elk antler buttons that she scored @ a craft fair...

all the modifications are on ravelry, please let me know if there are bits that don't make sense...

for more lovelies, do be sure to check out "creative friday", hosted by the lovely linda @ natural suburbia...

happy friday! xoxo

4 times around the sun (rewind)

2011-01-03T13:35:00.010-05:00

our sweet boy was born on december 10, 2006 (his due date, no less!)

1 year old...2 years old... 3 years old...our sweet boy ehren has turned 4!

his birthday was in the midst of the holiday hustle & bustle so i am a bit lagging on getting photos posted, but nevertheless, here they are...

this cake is amazing!! and relatively healthy to boot...

he received a super cool lego train for gramma & grandpa...

along with legos to build a little town...

brothers worked on the town, while ehren & evyn remained mesmerized by the train...;)

happy birthday, bean!! xoxo

handmade holidays, continued...

2010-12-30T15:28:00.009-05:00

here are some of the lovelies we made for christmas gifts that didn't quite make it into the pre-day posts...
my ultimate favorite gift made this year??...definitely ehren's doll! which he named "rudolph #4". ;)

a 16" waldorf doll, using joy's radiant doll pattern, which is apparently no longer being sold :(. i bought this pattern 3 years ago, as it has become a family tradition to give each of our children a waldorf doll for their 4th christmas.

i made him a few sets of clothes to go with him (2 shirts & 2 pants), just sort of winged it on the pants. but here is the pattern for the shirts. and (of course!) i had to knit him up some goodies!

he got a super cool pair of rainbow overalls

and a doll sized pilot hat...

this is my second go round & i think i did amazingly better...he is totally awesome! & already a part of our daily lives. he eats his meals with us, ehren gets him dressed when he is done dressing himself...he goes on our walks, & sleeps in our bed...wherever we are, rudolph #4 is never very far away!

there is nothing more satisfying than knowing that your gift is truly loved! (hooray!!)

for orin (our 10 year old)...sammi & i revamped his quilt. he made this quilt our first year homeschooling, he was 6~! this was his first sewing machine project ever...i helped him a bit here & there, but he did it 90% on his own. he entered it in the 4-H contest @ our local heritage festival & won honorable mention that year as well. he LOVES this quilt, so much that is was in shambles...the backing was 80% gone! & there were holes everywhere & squares completely gone in some spots...but he would never let me have it long enough to fix it. so a few months ago i stole it & hid it under sammi's bed...and a few weeks before christmas we set to work patching it & searching out a new backing for it. it turned out awesome & was definitely one of orin's favorite gifts...gotta love that!

lance has now asked us to fix up his blanket...we actually wanted to surprise him as well for christmas, but his quilt was made by his gramma & she has since passed away, so i wasn't sure if he would want us messing. he said though that he would rather be using it, that having it stowed away, so i guess well be working on that one soon. <3

my dad requested this ear flap hat. i knit it double strand as both him & my mom are both avid outdoor enthusiasts & i wanted the hat to be practical.

got the call on christmas & he loves it! (hooray!!) said he tried it out on their greenway one morning & is passed the test...:)

for sk (aka sammi), orin & i made an earring holder. she has LOADS!!! & no where to put them, so i poked around on etsy to get a few ideas & ran with it.

we found a *brand new* unfinished wooden photo frame @ our local thrift store, then i picked up some aluminum screening & some screen board @ lowe's. it didn't take too long to piece it all together...

sk loves it & while i was worried that there wouldn't be enough room for all her jewels, there is actually a bit of room to spare!

for more creative goodness & loads of inspiration, be sure to check out "creative friday" @ natural suburbia...LOVE IT!

2010-12-17T14:25:00.002-05:00

here are links to our knitting & crafting endeavors...for even more inspiration & handmade goodness pop on over to natural suburbia linda's "creative friday"...

happy handmade holidays! xoxo...

even more handmade holidays/christmas goodies! :)

2010-12-15T19:14:00.008-05:00

as always, we have been busy bees here @ the house...lots & lots of projects! i love it!! :)

first up is a lovely pair of legwarmers that aydin made for evyn (our 2o month old)

from a recycled sweater (of course)...his first sewing machine project. i think he did quite well...

a long overdue pompom that i made for papa...his hat lost his (well, actually his hat was attacked by our one of our two youngest & when the smoke cleared it was missing pompom ;)

this was last winter...and i have (finally) made him a new one. i think he will be quite pleased...

(side note: pompoms take quite a bit longer to make than i had originally thought...i now have a new respect for them)

hmmm...i think i told you that this pattern was addictive. do you believe me now??

in a variety of colors for various lovely ladies...;)

i also made a baby-sized one for ev...isn't is cute??

a bit of perspective for the niblet version...

(a bit of trivia...the niblet took about 3x longer to knit, who knew??)

another countless...this one for my sister-in-law...
handmade branch buttons to top them all off. made from a bit of birch that we trimmed off earlier this year & sealed with a bit of mama kopps beeswax finish.

a custom order keyhole scarf in rainbow for the shop...

not only gorgeous, but soft & squishy to boot!

i traded with another mama for a carrier (mei tei style), and made her these sweet pilot caps.

a gorgeous silk/merino wool blend...

this one is 100% silk, two shades of orange knit together...

and lastly, another custom order of felted soaps for the shop. this one in trade for some yarn.

i recently discovered that my brother's favorite colors are all things neon & gold. interesting, i think. i plan to knit him up a scarf for christmas. he lives in chicago & i know it would get put to good use. :)

this one was for another mama who had already ordered a couple of the soaps, but wanted more...gotta love that!

happy holiday crafting!! xoxo

more christmas crafting...& gifts that children can make!

2010-12-02T17:38:00.015-05:00

first up, a super fun custom order i got to do for the shop...

a woman wrote me asking for custom felted soaps, after seeing this gone one in the shop...

felted soaps are fun enough to make on their own, but it is even more fun when you are making with with someone special in mind...
she told me about her stepmother who loves vintage...we pondered peace signs, yin yangs, bright orange & avocado circles, but ended up settling on a peace dove.
then she told me of her father, who is an avid outdoorsman...as soon as she mentioned kayaks, i KNEW that was going to be it! my parents, too, are very much into hiking, camping, canoeing & kayaking so this made me think of all of their adventures as well. :)

we also just finished up a couple of waldorf newborn/baby/baby shower doll & ball sets.

a gorgeous blue batik set... and a pink/purple paisley set...

i love these dolls & have always had one ready & waiting in the bassinet for our little ones on the way.

the balls are great because they are easy enough for the littlest ones to grasp & play with, but our older boys (4, 7 & 10) can play with them in the house without me having to worry about anything getting broken. :)

made from upcycled, natural materials to boot...

some recent finished knitting projects...of course! ;)

a super fun knit cowl...i love the buttons! these are amazingly toasty...

modeled by my sister sammi...

a gorgeous colorway we are calling 'sunset'...

will definitely be making more of these!

(ok, confession...i have already finished a second one, in green & have another on the needles. apparently these are addictive!)

next, final photos/modelling of the "countless scarf"...aka prayer scarf, soon to be on its way to our dear friend. <3>

more headbands for the shop...

am i lucky to have so many amazing (& willing) models, or what?? :)

KIDS CAN MAKE THESE!!

upcycled felt wreath ornaments/decor...

aren't they lovely?? and so very easy to make...

12-15" of a super strong thread, various felt square scraps (about 1" sq)...that's it!

well, and your own flare for color combinations!

for papa, we did a hand print canvas...
we each traced our hands on various parts of the canvas & then colored them in (well) with crayon.
then we added a lovely green watercolor wash (well, actually a gold wash the blue over top)

it turned out quite lovely , i think, thought the watercolors had a bit of a time settling in on parts of the canvas. i plan on doing one more coat before calling it done. :)

aydin made this fantastic wooden matching set for ehren, 13 matches...he was quite adamant about that part.

he drew some of ehren favorite things, lots of rainbow designs, rockets, woolly worms, an "E" for ehren, chickens...i LOVE them all!

then i wood burned the designs on & he went back over to really bring out their colors.

all that he needs to do now is seal it with a bit of our beeswax finish...lovely, no??

if you haven't already, please do join in on the trule spirit of christmas with "handmade holidays" (@ plain & joyful living).

need some more inspiration?? check out "creative friday's" (@ natural suburbia).

xoxo, holiday blessings...

Blue Skies Dragonflies

working through it all...part #2

**free pattern wednesday**

more of our handmade christmas (in january :)...

workin' through it all...

a little bit of everything & an introduction...

*free pattern friday*, why not, right??

a bit of christmas gifting...

snowflakes, stockings, a chicken & gingerbread...

our sweet beaner beans; *5* times around the sun...

thanksgiving...it was absolutely perfect!

us, as featured in the blog-a-licious world of cyber space...

out with the littles & their rudolphs...

the marshall handmade market...

another hat for evelet, felted soaps & yarn along...

octopuses (or is it octopi??) & more handmade holidays...

a cute caterpillar & handmade christmas 2011 update...

& the party!!

*crafty* halloween decor & ev's new pilot hat! ;)

skytop apple orchard...

handmade christmas 2011 & other recent creative endeavors...

handmade goodness & no, not all of the knit variety...;)

recent creative endevors...

oh, what's this???...

hmmm...where to begin.

creative friday...super cute summer vest/tanks!

creative friday & *free pattern*

update on the chicken tractor...;)

welcoming "the universe"... a lesson in trust.

we are back...!

creative friday...

*free pattern* convertible fingerless mitts...

creative friday...

creative friday...valentines & the FINAL christmas gift! :)

saint francis & a new look @ my own spirituality...

braving the elements...;)

the new year...

creative friday: sandy beach set & mamamade mei tei

snow dayz...

more handmade lovelies...

*4 times around the sun* (rewind)

handmade holidays, continued...

even more handmade holidays/christmas goodies! :)

more christmas crafting...& gifts that children can make!

free pattern wednesday

free pattern friday, why not, right??

our sweet beaner beans; 5 times around the sun...

crafty halloween decor & ev's new pilot hat! ;)

creative friday & free pattern

free pattern convertible fingerless mitts...

4 times around the sun (rewind)