So while my fingers have not been clicking keys recently, my needles have been a-clickin'. Above are some of my WIPs (Organic Blanket and Felted Mittens).
...and below T's winter gnome hat. Mama's been knitting for school...yup, this year she's starting Waldorf preschool.
What's got you creating these days?
Click, click, click..."just let me finish this row,"
Hillary
It's been a while since I did a crafting post. Really, I took a vacation from crafting on our trip to Maui and took sometime getting back into a groove.
I have been working (knitting and unknitting) on a cotton Market Bag. Seems like the perfect time of year for a new bag to gather my veggies and such from the local market.
I have been working on this project during T's dance class. Which may be the cause of my inability to concentrate on the project...hmmm.
This book came in from the library request I made many moons ago. I flipped through it and was a bit daunted at the lovely pictures and the creativity that surrounded jersey cotton.
I had sort of resolved to not try anything in the book...until I read the following quote...
"But making the first cut is difficult. Take that first step to do anything new, like starting a business or taking up stitching, can be filled with doubt and fear. If I've learned anything from building the business of Alabama Chanin, it's that the reality of our fears is rarely as bad as we envision and that fear only serves to get in the way of the important things that we need to do."
OK Natalie, you got me there. Now I am snipping, sewing, stenciling and dreaming away...
With the fire of creativity rekindled,
Hillary
We've had really funny weather here this week. So much so that my lovely felted Whimsical Backpack for T just won't dry (honestly, I can't blame it all on Mother Nature...I keep leaving it outside to dry and then when it rains I forget to bring it back in, woops!).
The only thing left after it's all dry...is to sew on the hardware and straps!
I decided that T also needed a little travel purse. I had enough left-over yarn to make this little mini rainbow purse for our adventures. Now I just have to find some sweet buttons.
Another project I am working on is another Calorimetry. This one is for a sweet friend's 30th. I just love this little pattern. It is a breeze and makes such sassy head ware.
What are you working on these days?
Back to my knitting meditation,
Hillary
It has been many a moon my dear readers, since I did a Work-In-Progress (WIP) post. I thought it was about time...and not to worry my scissor accident last week only cut (pun intended) a day out of my crafts.
Here is a Spring Poncho I am making for T. With the warmer weather, I thought she needed a little something to keep her warm, but not too warm. Noro's Taiyo was the perfect solution for me for this little project (cotton, silk and a tinsy-bit of wool).
This next project has been a long time coming, T's Whimsical Backpack. I found this great pattern for a backpack last fall and thought I would make it for Christmas...but seriously, she had enough Christmas presents. In the mean time, T saw the pattern with the pictures and of course, wanted one. Every time I cast on a new project she would ask me "You making my pack-pack?" I thought it was time I said "Yes."
This little beauty has been lots of fun with the changing of colors, the rainbow evolved organically. When we went shopping for yarn she wanted "all the colors," and I obliged. I am just working on the straps (which involve some calculations) right now and then I can felt this baby, just in time for T's birthday.
This guy has been a long time on the needles. It is a Meditation Shawl for the Venerable Bhikkhu Nyanasobhano, known to us as Bhante the Monk. It is in monk colors. He always comments on T's knit wears and I thought it was time he had something to keep him warm during his book writing.
The last project on my needles this week is a little hat for a new little guy, Baby Alan...born to a long time friend of ours.
Knitting on,
Hillary
First off, Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Pretend it's a shamrock :).
And my promised crafting post. So for One Small Change I am eco-crafting in March. You may remember this post.
So I decided next on the list...dish scrubbies.
I followed this great pattern and knit this little sweetie up in a flash. Now that I have shared her with you, she is ready for her first scrubbing job.
Now this second eco-craft just sort of happened accidentally. Wait...that wasn't funny, that actually made my finger throb. See I cut my finger while cutting the tulle for the above project (did I say be careful, well, be careful tulle is unruly) and then shut the same finger in the door in a flurry out of the house. Ooooooouch! There was blood and probably an attempt at not swearing and the need for a bandaid or in our house a "bandanna".
Our bandanas (as T calls them) first came about when she got a bug bite last summer. To keep her from itching it and to help her bite heal, I snipped a piece of comfrey and placed it under a strip of cloth and tied the cloth over the bite on her sweet little ankle. Thus our invention of the eco-bandaid aka bandana.
So back to my finger. After the first cut, I grabbed an old tshirt and snipped it and tied it over the cut. Nice, bleeding stopped. Then later decided to try a commercial bandaid. My finger was all in a sweat and was all itchy. So I decided to go back to the nice worn-in breathable cotton bandana. Aaagh, relief.
These little bandanas are almost free...(especially if you just tie them up)...compared at the bandaids at the store. I priced them, they are $3 for 20. Am I the only one that things this is nuts, 15 cents each? It's just a little cotton pad, adhesive and plastic. So I have no real directions for you other than...cut it to your size, don't cut yourself in the process (seriously), voila!
My skin being sensitive to adhesive, I am happy to wear my little bandana around my index finger...it's been a reminder for me to be a bit more careful.
With any luck (please, I am part Irish after all), my finger will heal soon...so I can return to my crafting!
Sending you hopes of luck,
Hillary
so i did it again, missed wip wednesday. i am going to give myself a pass this week. it's been a long one.
but here is one of my many works in progress. i am making ornaments for little swap and every one of these little stitches is healing to me.
as i stitch these ornaments i am reminded of the great tapestry that is life...and my view is only ever of one little piece of thread. this perspective offers me a peaceful place to surrender.
as i grieve the loss of a friend this week due to breast cancer...i want to take away the reminder of the ability to know my own body. i loved this little article by susun weed on breast health.
yours in grateful health and from a new place of surrendering,
hillary
i want to give proper credit, where credit is due. these little ornaments are inspired by one of my favorite craft bloggers, margaret at resurrection fern. she has an amazing list of tutorials up today...when i went over to link up i came back with more inspiration.
knit, knit, knit...the holidays are here...
must finish the stockings...
the works in progress of a child...
can we trade little one? you work on the stocking and i'll work on the marbles and beads?
back to knitting,
hillary
woops, a day late. note to self: start wip wednesday posts on tuesday...
i've been in a whirl this past week wrapping projects up...knitting projects, house projects, obligations...in an attempt to reduce the distractions during the holidays. it really has cleared my mind (my stash and my house).
last thursday i decided to make T a vest, this is called the neighborly. it has been perfect vest weather recently and i so admired soulemama's little vest. this little vest was a joy to knit up. in two days she was happily wearing it.
i also finally completed T's blanket. in these photos the ends have yet to be woven in, they are all nice and tucked away now. as soon as i got this off the needles, T said "wrap me up like a baby." i made it extra long so it is nice an big to do exactly that...wrap her up. we spend sweet quality time nestled up together on the couch enjoying the warmth of this new blanket.
Daddy couldn't help but sit down to pet our bunny too. as you can see...we are all smitten!
as best i can tell the bunny is a boy (which requires more than you think to determine that, thanks google). after a few days of mulling over names with T, and hearing "no", "no, that's silly",...many times, when asked if the bunny's name is "Shelby," we got a firm "yes, Shelby, the bunny."
Shelby is the nature park where we found him. yes, of course his name is Shelby. T knew all along.
grateful for childish wisdom,
hillary
did you know that green is all the rage these days? well, it is in my house. we've scavenged and rummaged to locate green in my ever dwindling stash...and i will be knitting legwarmers with needle point wool. yup...that's me using what i've got instead of buying more.
in an effort to use what i have i am knitting some legwarmies using long since forgotten kppm wool. i bought this yarn when i was pregnant with T. called an unnamed yarn location and asked for a kppm color way recommendation that was gender neutral. this is what i was sent. you may love it...me, i think it has an earthy beauty...but not for a baby blanket, i mean come on!?!
using some of the scraps of this yarn are being turned into my christmas ornament of the week, wee little mittens...which i am starting to think i might need to step up a bit and turn out two a week... hmm.
thanks to everyone for the leaf recommendations. i ended up dipping them in beeswax with T's help. goodness i love that smell. they are now hanging in a little garland over our fireplace (though have to move them when there is a fire).
T's slippers are now finished and both pairs got a make-over this weekend...with new chamois cloth soles added for traction. i am still thinking of adding something to the green ones. they look a little too old man for me. any thoughts?
crafting on,
hilary
did anyone wonder when i would ever finish T's quilt...well it was last week. after ordering and reordering bias tape makers (which sort of de-railed my momentum), just a wee bit of time and some focus and it is finished!
i am not sure who is more thrilled T (loves snuggling under it, telling visitors "mama made it" and pointing out all of the sea creatures folded into the fabrics), David (loves that i made it and backed it with possibly the softest organic fleece ever), or me...i mean, look, i did it!
here are some baby booties that i am knitting for a friend who is expecting her first in these next few weeks. these are my first booties and i am head over heals for them. i forgot how teeny tiny brand new feet are.
T loves the booties too. she kept asking for me to make her green booties. so these are works in progress too. although they are a bit funny in a toddler size, i think i will add some felt applique to them...any recommendations as to what i should put? i am hitting a bit of a wall here and would love some input.
we gathered many leaves this morning and i can feel a project coming on. i am just not certain what form it will take. suggestions on how to use these are also welcome.
and lastly...i am hoping each wednesday to have an ornament to share (that way by the time we get our tree i'll have some handmades to hang). i remembered this only today and strung this together. i used sea shells that we gathered from our trip this summer. i think it is perfectly simple.
please join me at the flickr group mamamadeholiday...there are several of us sharing the gifts and decorations we are making for our holidays. it is quite inspiring.
grateful for progress,
hillary
