Yarn Along

Yarning along with Ginny...
On the needles; another Vanilla soaker for River. She's way too big for the soakers I am currently squeezing her little tushy into. I just haven't had knitting time to make her more. But I am in between birthdays and things are pretty slow at the shop right now, so I will try to get her a few made up. This one I'm knitting in Lorna's Laces Green Line Worsted in the Child's Play colorway (which was clearanced by Jimmy Beans). It's the same I used to knit her doll's cap. The yarn is very soft and the colors are so vibrant. I highly recommend this pattern. It's the only soaker pattern I use anymore.
And right now I am reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. I bought this months ago and read the first few chapters, set it down and haven't touched it since. But it's a little more relative to me at the moment as I am rethinking our food habits. My goal is to stop buying prepacked altogether and stick to whole, local and in season. Seems like a tall order... do you eat this way? I would really love some tips/advice/direction.

This Girl...

...came into our lives one year ago today.

My, how this past year has flown. But don't they always, those first years? One minute a new, wrinkled babe in your arms. So small and helpless. And the next they are walking and climbing and beginning to talk and become such interesting little people.

About my River;

:she enjoys sucking her thumb (constantly)

:climbing onto anything and everything. Her new favorite climb is ladder back chairs, frightening her poor mama with her reckless ways.

:she began walking at 8 months and now runs everywhere

:her favorite toy is mama's purse, placed high out of reach

:she loves to give wet kisses and tight hugs

We enjoyed a quite birthday evening with mama and daddy, big sisters and my parents. A few simple gifts, mostly handmade by mama and a yummy applesauce cake.

Happy first birthday, River! Much love,

Mama.

Birthday Crafting

I've been busy crafting for River's birthday, (1!) which happens to be tomorrow. I still have a birthday crown to make and the older sisters and I will be dying up a set of wee playsilks for her later on today.

But right now I wanted to show what I've gotten done so far. I finished up this cardigan for her yesterday. I actually really love how it turned out, only I do wish that I had allowed a little more for the width of the back. Still, it's a nice fit. And the chickens! Love them. Rav notes here.

On to the doll. I teamed up with my mom again to make this soft, squishy doll. I think the head may be a bit too small but I'm still pretty happy with it.

We knocked it out in just a couple of hours and I knit the little cap up for it after the girls went to bed. Rav notes on the cap.

Today will be super busy. Got to make that crown and the silks, find a good gluten free cake recipe, clean... I think that's it. She's still not broke that tooth that has been paining her through. Poor baby. We're still not getting a whole lot of sleep so I'm trying to get to bed as early as the crafting will let me. I do hope she'll get some reprieve from it tomorrow and be her usual cheerful self on her big day. I'll share pictures of the other handmade gifts later.

Tiny Treasures

A tiny pouch, whipped up just before bed to hold Kaiya's tooth.

A tiny treasure from the tooth fairy. I had decided to give a small gift instead of money but my parents wanted to contribute, too. I made the little bendy doll after I put the girls to bed. In the morning Kaiya ran into my room (still dark out) and said "Mommy look! The tooth fairy left me a little wooden doll." And then came back a few minutes later, "Oh no, mommy, not wooden. It's a needle felted doll." And my mama heart swelled with pride!

And here is a little Saturday something for you, the giveaway list.

Pure Bars and a BabyRoo Wet Bag

Art Supplies

Little Acorn Learning

Knitting Pattern and Yarn

Sunflower Seeds

Have a happy weekend!

The First Tooth

Lost, that is. She could not be more proud. She's gone around all day telling us over and over about her tooth. What a moment for my little one. I very quickly stitched up a little pouch from felt to hold her tooth in and am making a tiny something for the 'tooth fairy' to leave her. I checked under her pillow tonight after their goodnight story and song to make sure the pouch was easily reachable. She had scooted it all the toward the left side, nearest the window. I asked her why and she said it was because the tooth fairy would come in the window and she didn't want her to have any trouble finding it.

I've been knitting away at the baby's sweater today. I just love working with this yarn, I couldn't put it down. I should have it finished by tomorrow.
Now if you will excuse me, the tooth fairy has a job to do.

Yarn Along

Yarning along with Ginny today...

Not quite in the needles yet, inspiration has struck for a new cardi for my girls. This one will be for River's birthday (next Tuesday, eek!). Since this one I made was smallish I wanted to knit another for her that would be wearable for some time and I'm knitting it up in Malabrigo Silky Merino, super soft and lightweight, so it will go well into spring. I have an idea about the construction so we will see about that.
Currently browsing, Sew Darn Cute and Sew Pretty Home Style. Both chock full of sweet projects and hopefully will inspire me to dust the cobwebs of my machine.

Chicken buttons for the cardi, bought on clearance at Jimmy Beans.

In unrelated news, she sleeps! On my back anyway. I don't want to tempt fate and lay her down. Her crankiness is on the rise and nights are growing loooonger. Let's hope this tooth appears within the next day or so we both can rest. And thank you sweet ladies so much for your kind wishes.

Cast Aways

It's been one of those weekends. Zoe has been sick, like puking and fever sick. Better now, thank goodness, but the car seat is a little worse for the wear. We've had issues with our heating monitor, making me pretty grateful that I have the wood stove to fall back on. And River has been teething. She's really OK during the day, but at night, very restless, waking frequently to cry a little, thrash about and nurse relentlessly. Last night was especially awful as she had gotten herself nice and awake just as I was going to bed with her at 11:30. I didn't get back to bed with her til 1:30 and from then on sleep was really more off than on anyway. Needless to say, I am one tired mama this morning. But, I am putting forth positive energy and thoughts, this will be a beautiful, productive week. Weekend blahs be gone!

Today is Monday, cleaning day. I love getting the week off to a nice clean start this way. I've tried breaking up the different cleaning day chores and spreading them throughout the week but I miss that feeling of everything being done and clean to start with so I prefer to knock it all out in one day. I also like to take the time to do a little weekly decluttering, thinning down our possessions and trashing or giving away things we do not need, aren't enhancing our life or are just in the way. It really amazes me when, on a regular basis, I take out two or three large garbage bags or boxes full of things and there is still so much left! Our house is not crammed full and we're not pack rats at all. I do admit to previously having a hard time getting rid of anything I felt might be used for crafts and Christmas decorations but I have pared those down considerably. I also used to collect a few things, pretty dishes and teapots. But, that too I've pared down and let go of most of it. Still, it feels like there is just too much stuff in this house and little by little I am working through it and getting it out of here. I think rather than our house being crammed full, it's more that I have changed so much over the years and now know more of what is important to me and more about what I really want to surround myself with, and, as it turns out, that's very little.

I read a blog post the other day, she said that people would come to her house and ask if she was moving and had already packed. That's what I aspire to. Minimal things, open spaces.

It really is an emotional attachment, though. I'm not talking hoarding or anything like that, but it really is difficult to separate ourselves from things. Old mementos, things we might need in the future, a picture that we've hung on the wall of every house or apartment we've ever lived in. It's so hard to get past the what if I may need or want to use this again. What if I miss it or just want to look at it again? Which is why I do this little by little. Little by little I see that I don't miss those things I throw out and really, I don't even remember most of them.
With these thoughts in mind, I am adding another little hat to the Hand Knit Hand Me Down pool. I'll give it to the first commenter.
I hope your day is joyful and productive!

Hand Knit Hand Me Downs

Apparently, I am not the only one with outgrown, mis-sized, unneeded and unwanted hand knits. Every knitter (or crocheter) has them. Things they've made that no longer fit or maybe didn't to begin with, or just things they've grown tired of but hasn't got the heart to just toss them in the goodwill box.
So, the group is up. Bring your knits and crocheted things, whatever they may be, and find a new home for them and find something new for you and yours while you're at it. Read the rules, join and let's start posting!

I've already added this hat. I think the best way to give them away will be to allow anyone who wants an item to comment on the picture and if there are multiple people wanting one thing, then for the person giving it away to then use random.org to pick a winner. Also, you can state in your description how long you will take comments. Does this make sense? If not or you can think of a better way to do feel free to give me your input.

I've added a button over there on the left and the link for the code below it. So, if you are joining, please go ahead and grab it and let's spread the word! I just can't wait to find new homes for some of these knits I have hanging around.

Yarn Along

Knitting and reading along with Ginny.

On the needles; one of these for a customer and not so much on the book front. After last week's 'starter book' I did pull out a few I was trying to decided between and you know what? They still sit in their little pile, uncracked. So instead I am sharing the magazines I'm reading; the latest issues of Living Crafts and Knitting Today. And I have to say, the article on making wooden woodland animals has me really wanting to try my hand at making some wooden toys for the girls. So, there you have it, I am a reading drop-out. For now anyway.
And please stop in on this post about hand knit hand me downs and let me know what you think.

Hand-Me-Downs?

I had a thought, and it started like this;

I just made this wee vest for my my sweet River's 1st birthday, which is coming up on the 25th of this month. I so love this pattern and the yarn. It's the same I used for these longies. And I really love how it turned out, only thing is, it's rather on the smallish size (I used the free version, size 1 year) and she won't be able to wear it as much as I'd hoped.

No problem, I thought, my best friend is expecting and I'll just pass it down to her along with some other hand knits River has outgrown. Wrong! See, I am a lover of all things woolly (vest is 60/40 alpaca/wool) and said friend is allergic to wool. Which also means she won't so much appreciate snuggling her new babe dressed in the wool/cotton t-shirts I had planned to give her, either.
So, yes, I could just put these tiny, lovingly knit clothes away for my children's children, or!

I could pass them along to you where they could be worn and loved right now. As a matter of fact, I have several pieces that River has outgrown and a hat I just made that is too big for River, too small for Kaiya and Zoe won't wear and I really don't want to frog. And then I thought perhaps some of you have things you've knit and now no one can (or will) wear them in your house and you just don't have the heart to just give them away to Goodwill where you will never know if someone will really love it or even knows how to properly care for it without you there to tell them the fiber content and how to wash.

So, my thought is this; would you like to join me in a hand-knit hand-me-down? I was thinking that we could post pictures of the item we would like to find a new home for in a Flickr group and there we give away and receive gently used hand knit (or crocheted) clothing, children or adult (who hasn't made a sweater that just doesn't fit you like it did the model?) No selling, there are plenty of sites for selling used items already. And the only thing to be asked for in return would be a photo of the recipient wearing the item.

What do you think? Is this something you would like to do? Comment and let me know, please, and I will start the group if at least a few people are interested.

Yarn Along

I'm 'yarning along' again this week with Ginny (and many others). I'm so glad to be taking some knitting down time after the holidays. This has to be my favorite thing about January, free for all knitting, though, I do have a couple of caterpillars in the works for a swap for some sweet wooden toys. I'm going back and forth between them and a bonnet, probably for the shop. I haven't made one of these Hugs and Kisses Bonnets in some time and felt like doing a wee bit of cabling. It's just so nice to actually get to choose what I'm knitting and not doing the same thing over and over and over... I'm using some yarn I just hand dyed over the weekend. I love these colors! I've done this colorway a few times already and keep going back to it (a tiny bit for finger knitting and a whole skein for a friend). I think perhaps I'll dye up several more whole skeins to offer up in my shop.
The book, I haven't actually started reading. I haven't been reading at all, really (unless you count magazines) since this post, so I thought I'd start with some instant gratification to get the ball rolling again. This is a teeny tiny book and looking at the Amazon listing got a lot of poor reviews, so, we shall see.

Oh, and see that tiny little person in the background, pulling Cd's and books of the shelf? She's making me a bit bonkers. Definitely a test to this mama's patience. Currently, though, she is sound asleep. Ahhh....