Green

Well. I kind of fell off the face of the blogging earth, didn't I? I knew I was really off when I missed the Yarn Along, twice. (Love the Yarn Along.) I don't know what got into me, but maybe the green I'm seeing all around will help bring back whatever I've lost.

Snowdrops in the receeding snow.

The vintage St. Patrick's Day cards I hung in my kitchen:

And best of all, a package in the mail (not green, though its contents were):

I won!

Thank you, Bley, for your beautiful work and your generosity!

A knitting book even a non-knitter could love

Is it ridiculous to be super-excited about a knitting book, when I can't knit? I don't think so, not when it's this gorgeous! I want just about every sweater in there! Now, admittedly, the author is a friend. But I would love this book even if I didn't know her. It helps that I've seen Lucy in many of her amazing creations:

a gorgeous reddish pink 3/4 sleeve sweater Lucy wore nearly every day for her first year, when she wasn't wearing...

this beautiful green and blue sweater. And more recently, this lovely combo:


Unfortunately, it was way too hot last night to dress Lucy in a Melissa special when we went to her book signing at Webs. Melissa and Cecily had all their sweaters on display, and they are absolutely gorgeous. (I got to try one on, and wanted to walk away with it! Gorgeous green, 3/4 sleeves, leaf detailing at the waist...ooh, ah...). Lucy got her very own copy of the book, signed by her favorite author, of course.



You need a copy, too. Seriously. This is not an ad--I promise! Just a rave review from someone who's super impressed by the work of her friend. If you can trust a review from a non-knitter, you should run right out and get your hands on this book!

Now, I just have to learn to knit so I can get to work on these sweaters!

I won!

Remember the Sew, Mama, Sew May giveaway day? I won something! Addie, of Waldreck Dry Goods, offered these personalized tops. When I won, I told her I would love to have a t-shirt that wasn't a onesie, as it's easier to use with Lucy's cloth diaper. This week, the shirt arrived; this is what she came up with:

Cute! Girly, and yet not pink. Strong, like my girl. (And check out the cute matching card!)

Now, if I could just finish up this diaper-cover-in-the-works, we'd have a cute outfit for fall!

You can check out Addie's blog here, and her Etsy shop here. (She has lots of sweet baby gifts.) Thanks, Addie!

Good ideas gleaned from blogland

A short post after yesterday's novel...

I've been inspired this week by some of the loveliness I see daily on other blogs.

I had to pull out bubbles after I saw gardenmama's photos of bubble wands made from branches. What a brilliant idea! So naturally beautiful, I couldn't wait to try. (Lucy's using a forscythia wand; Andi's using a rubber canning ring.) I did it again today with all the kids, and they loved it, too.


And today, when one of the 5-year-old boys picked up a Y-shaped branch, I was reminded of the wonderful natural weavings I'd seen on Child in Harmony. I described it to the kids, and they were eager to try. Two boys and I worked on them for a good part of the morning, and they were so thrilled with the results, they brought them over to the neighbor's house to show them off, (and to the mail carrier, and to the UPS driver). This boy decided to add a flower he drew and cut out to the things he found in nature. I love the mixed-media result.


What's inspiring you and your kids lately?

Life blessings

We've had a very full week (at times, it felt overly full). But it's been a good one. We needed some time to talk and heal and be with friends, and we've had all of that. And these blessings helped, too:

One night, we went shopping for a birthday present for a friend (he'd asked me how to crochet at the park one day, and sat there on a park bench, crocheting away, so I'd hoped to find a good men's crochet book and supplies). When we arrived at the yarn shop, we saw that they were having a book signing. Cool! I'd heard about the book online, and always love to meet an author. It hadn't started yet, so we went over to the crochet books (where the men's selections were horrible!) and I fell in love with a pattern in this beautiful book. It was for a sweet baby dress; just what I'd been wanting to make for Lucy. But the pattern was for 9-12 months, too small. I was so disappointed! But I kept picking up the book and admiring all the wonderful patterns. We have a friend who works in the store. She saw me admiring the book and said "wait a minute," and wandered up to the front. I wondered if she might be getting me some insider deal. But then she returned with both Simple Crochet for Cherished Babies and Handmade Marketplace in her hands and said "happy belated birthday!" (She also told me she'd help me size up the pattern.) Seriously? Wow. What a treat! So I met the author and she signed my book (and gave me a lovely little bonus gift of twine and clothespins for an inspiration line; what a nice touch!).

We spent Saturday afternoon with my sister's family. Her 5-year-old was in a daddy-daughter dance recital (so sweet I got all teary-eyed) and we went to watch and then hung out at their house for a while. Lucy had a great time playing with her cousins in the back yard, and it was lovely to see; she's getting to a point where she really plays with them (instead of simply being their plaything...). I think she's so lucky to grow up near her cousins, something my sisters and I didn't have as children.

Sunday, we took a trip with friends to the Garden in the Woods. Our friend Eric, an awesome gardener, goes there to celebrate his birthday. We walked through all their gardens, admiring and trying to identify the native plants, gathering ideas for our own gardens. We watched a snake swim through a pond and it was such a thrill to be able to show Lucy an animal she'd only seen in books (now, when we read about a snake and say "do you remember the snake we saw at Garden in the Woods?" and she lights up and says "yeah!") Here we are taking one of many breaks (it was hot hot hot and it was that time of the month that I'm just not really up to hiking, if you know what I mean!)


And then yesterday, I got a gift in the mail from a reader. Ruby often comments on my blog (thanks! I love love love comments!), and when she heard I was having a rough time, she asked for my address. Look what arrived in the mail yesterday:

a reusable snack bag, filled with...

an adorable embroidered panda bear. (Lucy adopted this immediately. She thinks it's a drum, but also loves to feel the textures. I plan to hang it in her room.)

I can't even begin to say how amazing it is to be pampered by someone you've never even met. Ruby, what an incredibly sweet thing to do. I feel so blessed.

And then, of course, there's this baby:

(Remember this sweater? It's all well and good to take pose-for-the-blog photos, but this is how it looks in real life.) As I write this, she's sleeping (for the very first time) alone on her mattress on the floor in her own room (she'll come to bed with us when she wakes to nurse). We're downstairs, missing her! My so-big, wonderful, joyful, brilliant baby. She brings joy to my every moment.

Well, now, that was wordy! Aren't you glad I don't normally disappear for a week? My posts would get unbearably long! I'll tell you later about all the great reading I did this week...

1st sweater--finished!

What's that ham modeling there? Could it be an actual sweater, crocheted by me? Yes ! I did it!

When I finished it up yesterday afternoon, Lucy watched me test out various buttons on the sweater. She joined the game, laying out buttons one after another:

Then, of course, we had to change her clothes and head out into the fading light to take photos (oh, the hard life of a blogger's baby; all those clothing changes and modeling sessions!)

(Under the dress is the diaper cover that matches the sweater.)
The sweater, all by itself:

The cute vintage buttons:

I love this sweater. It was easy enough for me to accomplish as my 4th-ever crochet project, but doesn't look too simple. In wool but with short sleeves, it should be perfect for spring, cool summer mornings at the beach, and into fall. Details are here on Ravelry.
...
And the outdoor challenge? We've been out there every day, of course, though I've missed a day or two blogging it. I was super honored yesterday to find my posts on getting outdoors have inspired other bloggers (what a thrill to be reading your way through blogs and find your name in a post!), so I'm working on some more get-out-there tips for future posts.

Here we are yesterday, scrubbing some of the plastic that accumulates when well-meaning neighbors and and acquaintances realize you've got a lot of kids in your life. We'd weeded it all out of our outdoor-toys collection (more on what I'd rather have out there soon) and were readying it for its next owner, a la Freecycle.

And here's Lucy, today, rolling in the dirt. A part of my job in being with children outdoors is helping them learn to cope with the inevitable difficulties: cold, heat, bugs, boo-boos. Lucy'd fallen, and I was joking with her: "are you taking a nap in the dirt?" In the case of a minor tumble like this, it's sometimes possible to tease it into something funny (don't worry, I give plenty of love and snuggles and comfort, when really needed).


Play along with us during the month of April for Children and Nature Awareness Month by posting a picture of your child(ren) each day enjoying the outdoors! Get outdoors and climb a tree! Visit the other Great Outdoor Challenge players- lisa, sanders, angelina, phyllis, sarah, christie, jennifer, debbie, dong dong, denise, luisa, joy, stephanie, cori, alex, dawn, kristen, catherine, tricia, becky, christy, ruth, kari, courtney, branflakes, jessica, renee, haiku, brynn, amy, clemencia, sherry, leslie, lise, renee, anet, jenn, marina, amy, ella, marcia, karen, beth, julie, kyndale, kelly, lizzie, eileen, ag, mari-ann, cindy, robin, nicole, debbie, julia, renee, anita, lisa, jenn, montessori, marita, jeannie, hallie, mandy, kangaroo, andrea, joey, carmen, teena, stephinie, gidget, elizabeth, emma, rosina, saminda, melissa, katie, becca, atouria, barbara, ariella, missy

A winner!

Thank you for all your lovely comments on my 1-year-anniversary post. It really is wonderful to know there are people who enjoy coming here and reading (and, of course, admiring those cheeks!) As promised, we drew a name today to see who'd won Gerda Muller's Spring.

Lucy helped me choose a winner.


She didn't want to let us in on the secret, however.


So I recruited an older child to share the good news:


It's Mary Jo from fivegreenacres. If you haven't been to her blog, go on over there right now; you're going to love it! Congratulations, Mary Jo!

Starting spring with Soulemama

I got to meet Soulemama!


When I heard she'd be "nearby," I knew I had to take a road trip. Every day, I look forward to reading her blog. When I first discovered it a few years back, I had to go all the way back to the beginning and read every post. I was thrilled to find someone who raised her children like I planned to; who focused so beautifully on home and family and creativity; who shared so many of my interests; and who wrote about and photographed it all so beautifully. She inspired me to start my own blog. She taught me to keep something crafty close at hand so I could squeeze crafting into the tiniest pockets of time in my day. Every day, she reminds me to focus on the beauty in life. So a two-and-a-half hour trip to meet her in person? Totally worth it.

We drove through a gorgeous first-day-of-spring morning to Gibson's Bookstore in Concord, New Hampshire, a lovely small bookshop with an attached bakery. Headed to the bathroom (first stop after a long car ride!), the first thing I noticed was her whole family in the bakery. I love that they were there. (And isn't that the weirdest thing about blogging? I knew who they are; I knew their names and their ages and some of their interests and wardrobes and projects. But they had no idea who I am. Just one of the fan club.) I wondered where the reading would be held; there seemed to be no space. Then the bookstore employees started moving book carts around, and I realized, to my great joy, that this would be a very small intimate gathering.

Sure enough, we were a small crowd. Andi and Lucy and I got to sit right up front. Amanda read from The Creative Family to explain how she came to be the crafty mama she is today. Then she took questions from the group: about unschooling, about her next book, about blogging, about "how do you do it all?" I loved her answer to that: "we all do huge amazing wonderful things...I just happen to document it all." Afterwards, she took the time to sign books, pose for photos, and chat with us. She was just as real and humble and sweet as you would expect. I feel privileged to have had the chance to meet her.

I can't be within an hour of the ocean and not go to the beach, so that was the next part of our trip. I'll save that story for another day...

1st knitting lesson

Our friend Melissa came over tonight, and brought a gift for Lucy's birthday--the sweater Lucy's wearing here (better photos in the light tomorrow), and the hat they're working on:


Lucy thought Melissa's fancy new knitting needles made a lovely necklace, and kept looping them around her neck.



Melissa gave her her own ball of yarn to work with, and Lucy soon transformed it into this:



(Lucy got many lovely handknits this birthday; I'll try to remember to photograph them all tomorrow. She's so lucky to have so many generous crafty people in her life!)

My baby is 1!

How can my baby be a year old already? Everyone says it, because it's true: it flies. That little tiny bundle who'd disappear into the sling or drape across a shoulder and sleep most of the day has grown so fast and learned so much in the past 12 months, it's mind-boggling.

At one, Lucy:

-Smiles and laughs and finds great joy in every day.

-Loves passionately. She has favorite people who make her glow when they come into a room.

-Talks and talks and talks. Words: mama, baby, up, uh-oh, oh wow!, yeah, oh, dah do (gentle), hhh! (hot), mmmm, ball, mendow (window). Signs: finished, socks, telephone, hat, potty, bird. And a constant stream of beautiful babble.

-Understands so much of what we say to her. When she put a rock in her mouth and I asked "is it delicious?" she answered "mmmm!" When I say I'm going to go feed the chickens, she points to the window that faces the coop.

-Walks, some on her own, much more holding on to furniture or, preferably, the hand of a favorite person. Crawls when speed is the goal.

-Draws and paints enthusiastically.

-Loves to be read to, finds her favorite books and asks for them again and again, and looks at books on her own.

-Loves to be outside. When it's time to go out, she gets her boots and gives them to me to put on.

Oh, and so much more. It's overwhelming to me to try to sum up my brilliant, joyful, beautiful baby.

It pales in comparison to her, but I did make her a few things for her birthday. The crown, above (thanks to here and here for inspiration), and a bunting (from here, of course), below.



We put a candle in her bread at dinner time. Yes, we're goofy like that.

30 days of beauty: day 1

It's an ugly February around here. There's been hardly any snow this winter, but it's bitterly cold, so the yard is covered with a thin layer of icy snow/mud, speckled with chicken droppings, and scattered with objects frozen to the ground where they were dropped. The house is cluttered and messy. I'm having a rough time with some work issues. I need to refocus.

Just in time, Bluebirdbaby offered a "30 Days of Beauty Challenge."



A reminder to look for the beauty--those fleeting moments that we sometimes miss in the depths of winter. To slow down and notice it. And to photograph it, which is something I would like to learn to do better. (Still using a temperamental, rubber-banded broken camera, but still...)

So here's my first photo. Today, I was struck most by the light, which was intense and cheering. Coming inside after play in the yard, I noticed the shadow cast by this left-behind basket of toys.



What beauty have you found in your February days?

First hat!

I did it!



I have a standing date on Saturday nights; an hours-long phone conversation with a friend. Last night's "quick little chat" gave me plenty of time to finish Lucy's hat.



The simple hat I'd learned in class begged for embellishment, I thought. I found a great tutorial at Little Birdie Secrets and was able to make a flower on my first try, though I hadn't yet learned a double crochet stitch (the tutorial has a video, so it's great for visual learners.) To top it off, I had the perfect vintage button.



Unfortunately, the hat would have fit her great a few months ago, but right now, it just barely fits. I used up absolutely all my yarn (and the red? that's the original scarf bit, re-incarnated). That's what you get when you use the left-over yarn you find around the house. Might be time to suck it up and actually buy a skein or two.

Book Barn Booty

So I promised I'd share the books I got on our road trip this past weekend. I think I showed great restraint. This is all we bought:



In the foreground is a pile of what we call "beach reads" (appropriate for our January beach day, right?). We're exhausted mamas these days, and reach for easy reading most often. You can see I cracked one of them right away (and can't put it down!)

And then, of course, there's the real treasure--the kids' books. Kids books get read over and over and over again, so I have to love them! I got some great ones. Those Little Golden Books are really exciting to me, because I remember them fondly from childhood. Eloise Wilkins pretty much defines my early childhood book memories, and that kindergarten book looks to me just exactly like what kindergarten should be: singing and playing and fingerpainting and napping (not the pushed-down academics it's become). I have 4 kids heading to kindergarten this fall (no, not mine!) and I'll love sharing this book with them. And Rabbit and His Friends! For years I wondered what was that platypus book I remembered from childhood, and finally, Vintage Kids' Books My Kid Loves gave me the answer. She's also the one who inspired me to get Plenty of Fish. I love how it shows a kid finding answers to his own scientific questions. And I got The Tomten and the Fox for my chicken-loving, fox-loving, predator-and-prey-stories-loving kids. And a Flicka, Ricka, and Dicka book for me because something about their sweet old-fashioned innocence appeals to me so. There's more in there, too, but I guess those are the ones that excited me the most.

Who's the weirdo with the dishes in her purse?

Here's another one of the gifts I made for Christmas (well, made and bought).



This was a gift for a friend who's been inspired to make some green changes in her life: a zipper pouch filled with stainless steel straws and bamboo sporks, to help her family avoid plastic while eating out.

When I was in college, I carried my mug with me everywhere, clipped to my backpack (then, a new idea). I'm embarrassed to admit that for a while, I stopped doing that, and went back to buying disposable cups with my drinks. But at some point, I wised back up and started using a mug again for my coffee and a Kleen Kanteen for water. Then a while back, I was reading "No Impact Man" and he inspired me to start carrying a "weirdo cloth" in my purse (a bandana that replaced disposable napkins). Soon after that, I found bamboo sporks in a local store, and my purse became a definite weirdo zone, but my disposables consumption went way down (and by the way, those sporks are the perfect tool for feeding a baby off your restaurant plate).

This friend loves straws, so she inspired me to seek out non-disposable straws. I loved the glass ones I found, but went with stainless for a lighter load (my purse is getting pretty crowded, now! Oh, yeah--I bought straws for us while I was at it).

I thought I could wing making the pouch, but was thwarted by the zipper once again (I don't think I really have a zipper foot for my machine, and I didn't know where to put the zipper pull while I sewed, so it's a kind of a mess). Don't you know, the next day my Google reader fed me the perfect tutorial (thank you Noodlehead!), so now I know how to make a decent pouch, and I'll have to make her a new one asap.

Presents in the mail

Ok, here are two presents that are safe to show, finished at the last second and now in the mail. (Please excuse the horrible nighttime photography, but they were finished late and had to be at the post office first thing this morning!)



First up...a scarf for a 16-year-old girl who likes vintage accessories. I asked a friend for suggestions of something wonderful that I could make quickly, and she thought of the perfect thing, inspired by Soulemama (of course.) Her scarf for Adelaide was gorgeous and seemed just right (made with all linen, rather than wool, for a southerner.) I was able to find a few good table-runners at Goodwill and combined them with a linen dress I'd bought there earlier (for another project yet to come) and bits of crocheted lace I'd saved years ago from a torn pillowcase. I'm quite thrilled with the result. I hope she will be, too.



Next, a hat for a guitar player. Again, I took inspiration from Soulemama, basing the design on the recycled sweater hats in her book Handmade Home. However, my crummy printer won't enlarge patterns, so I had to just draw it approximately. It came out ok, but next time, I'm going to have that pattern printed for me. It's modeled here by a friend, and admired by Lucy (who's having a bit of "air time" before bed, a rarity in the winter!)

Dressing for the weather

It's cold and damp here. Not just outside, but inside, too. A few years ago, I joined "Crunchy Chicken's" "Freeze Your Buns Challenge,"and we turned our thermostat way down. There are a lot of kids and babies in this house, so we kept it above 60, but barely (it's set at 62, but that does not mean it's 62 degrees in here. This is an old, drafty house with almost no insulation.) So we have a big basket of slippers by the door in sizes tiny to giant, and after a while, guests realize that yes, indeed, they do want to borrow some. And we've learned to dress for the weather (well, those of us who don't work in 90 degree offices, that is).

To face the rainy chill yesterday, here's what Lucy had on. Yes, she wears a hat in the house; I dress all the babies in hats in the cold. And that sweater-y suit, which a friend got for a steal at an Iowa thrift shop. Under it, she's got a t-shirt and a long-sleeved t-shirt, wool shorties, her diaper, and socks under her slippers.

I used to worry about the reaction of the families in my early childhood program, or of our parents when they visit. But I've gotten grouchy in my old age. You're cold? Why on earth are you wearing a thin cotton shirt in November in New England? What's made us think this is normal? I had to learn about layering when I moved to Massachusetts. Now I've got it down, and I've become evangelical about it!

Now, I'm off to find my slippers. I forgot to put them on when we came back inside. Brrr!

9 patches for Amanda Jean

I read a few blogs. Ok, so I read a LOT of blogs. What can I say? It's embarrassing in a way, to peek into the lives of all these strangers, and yet it's so inspirational, and such a good way to feel connected to a community of like-minded people. Anyway, one of the reasons I started a blog was to join that community more fully. I always envied those bloggers who would say "I got this in the mail today" or "I'm sending out this gift to so-and-so."

So I love it when an opportunity presents itself for me to give back a bit and to feel a part of that group. It has to be a smallish contribution, because my life is way too busy. But when I read that Creative Chicks was trying to organize a group quilt for Crazy Mom Quilts, I knew I had to participate.

You see, Amanda Jean (Crazy Mom Quilts) had made 2 9-patch quilts for herself and her sister, and had organized a virtual quilt-along as she did them. (That was too much for me to handle.) She mentioned that she'd like to make a third for her other sister, but couldn't do another. I'm one of three sisters, and I loved the idea of similar quilts for each of them.

So did the Creative Chicks, apparently, and they suggested that readers could make the blocks and send them to her. Now that I could manage. I love seeing Amanda Jean's work and enjoy reading her blog, so I thought this would be a perfect way to give a little something back.

My sewing skills are not on par with hers. I hope she won't be disappointed in my blocks. (They're prettier than the bad-lighting photos, but not so nice as I'd like them to be.) But I had fun making them, and discovered that 9-patches are deceptive--not as simple as they look (I have a hard time keeping all the seams in place as I sew). I can't wait to see what else she gets!

Surprise in the mail

I won a giveaway I didn't even realize I'd entered! What a treat! All I meant to do was to comment on a great pair of pants Trish had made for her daughter, and I ended up winning a handmade lanyard and key chain. One of these is destined to become the strap for my new camera.

And you know you're really far gone into craft-land when you look at this:



(which was used as ribbon to wrap the gift) and think "ooh! I can use that for cards!"

Thanks, Trish! They're beautiful!