KnittingLongies

Weekends are for knitting

2010-11-22T09:51:00.004-07:00

We had a lovely, blustery November weekend here. Lots of rain and wind and then snow. It was perfect weather for homemade soup and bread and knitting. I finally finished the first sock of this pair. They are for me, and I started them last fall. Maybe by next fall I will have the completed pair.

Yarn Along

2010-11-17T10:01:00.003-07:00

Ginny from http://www.gsheller.com/2010/11/yarn-along.html has inspired this post. I finished this dish rag yesterday. I love hand knit dish rags. I just started reading this book. I bought it because of the cover picture (I know it is covered up, sorry!). Maddie from Persisting Stars took this photograph and I have been enchanted with it for a long time. When I heard it was being used on the cover of this book I had to buy it.

Knit-less

2010-11-16T10:55:00.005-07:00

The last couple of weeks have been rough. I have been so busy and I have not taken the time to relax. I miss my knitting time. Knitting is good for my soul, it makes me a better person. I am a better mother, wife, and friend to myself when I knit. During the week I usually have too much going on to knit, but weekends are for knitting. During the week I homeschool my children, raise and nurture them, cook mostly from scratch (I do on weekends too), run errands, take the children to various lessons, and go to school full-time myself (thankfully all of my classes are online at this point). Weekends are for knitting, and baking, and Making, and just slowing down.

The last couple of weekends there has been no knitting or slowing down, and I am really feeling it. I have been knit-less and I am not happy about it. I do not think it would be wise for me to wait until this weekend to knit again. I am going to go bake some chocolate chip cookies, make myself a cup of tea, and knit... my homework will still be here tomorrow.

Yarn Along

2010-11-03T12:19:00.006-06:00

Ginny from http://www.gsheller.com/2010/11/yarn-along.html has inspired this post. I am reading this lovely book to my children right now. The knitting is a sock for my husband.

Weekends are for knitting

2010-11-01T11:20:00.002-06:00

Weekends are for knitting, but there was no knitting this weekend. This weekend there was pumpkin carving and baking and partying galore. We baked brownies and bread and cookies and made soup. We roasted pumpkin seeds and painted and laughed. We played games and listened to spooky music and ate so many tasty treats. Happy Halloween!

{this moment}

2010-10-29T20:40:00.000-06:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
Inspired by Soule Mama

It is in the making of things...

2010-10-27T17:44:00.006-06:00

{"If a poet is anybody, he is somebody to whom things made matter very little - somebody who is obsessed by Making".
e. e. cummings
I find such joy in the Making. These pictures are from some of the Making moments this week.}

Weekends are for knitting

2010-10-24T11:37:00.006-06:00

We are having a delicious rainy weekend around here. This weekend has been exactly what weekends should be. There has been lots of knitting and watching movies and Making. The children and I made soup and flat bread and cake and apple pies. We spent Saturday evening at my sister's house playing cards and laughing ourselves sick. We took the children to a farm to pick pumpkins. We came home with boxes of apples and pears and raspberries as well. Our home is overflowing with simple abundance! I bought some cute little quilted crystal, four ounce glass jam jars that I put tea lights in and placed on our kitchen table. They are sparkly and warm and cozy when lit. They make dinner time just a bit more magical. The children are all painting at the kitchen table right now, creating joy and love. I think I will start another load of laundry, bust out my watercolors, and paint with my babies. I adore weekends!

{this moment}

2010-10-22T11:52:00.002-06:00

It is in the making of things...

2010-10-19T10:16:00.010-06:00

Weekends are for knitting

2010-10-17T15:42:00.006-06:00

This has been a glorious Autumn-y weekend full of knitting and baking and Making. I finished a pair of socks for myself. I love them so much! I made homemade broccoli soup. I bought a grain mill and ground my own flour. I have bread dough rising in the kitchen. I can smell the yeasty goodness and my children are so excited for the flatbread I will make for dinner this evening. Life is grand and beautiful!

pattern: Yarn Harlot's Basic Sock Pattern
yarn: Lorna's Laces
colorway: Trick or Treat
needles: US 2

{this moment}

2010-10-15T09:56:00.004-06:00

Weekends are for knitting

2010-10-10T12:20:00.002-06:00

{this moment}

2010-10-08T09:44:00.003-06:00

Weekends are for knitting

2010-09-26T13:12:00.003-06:00

Aah, Autumn! My very favorite time of year. The beginning of so many things. For my husband it is football and hunting season. For me it is knitting and homemade soup season, both of which I enjoyed this beautiful fall weekend.

Taking time for me

2010-06-08T16:21:00.002-06:00

Today Susannah Conway's blog http://www.susannahconway.com/ rained light down upon me, again. I participated in her Unravelling course this spring and it was life changing. Susannah shared a link to an amazing project called 21.5.800. http://binduwiles.com/buddhism/my-new-project-21-5-800/

Bindu Wiles http://binduwiles.com/ has created this project. I have signed on. The premise is that for 21 days we will commit to practicing yoga 5 days a week and writing 800 words a day. I am very excited and anxiously awaiting the journey that is before me.

Garden Song

2010-03-07T20:08:00.004-07:00

A lovely little pick me up:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3FkaN0HQgs

Garden Planning

2010-03-06T14:15:00.005-07:00

I spent the morning planning my garden and ordering seeds for this year. I am so very excited and I want to play out in the dirt and sunshine. Unfortunately, this is what my garden looks like at the moment.

A couple of days ago it felt like spring and then we had another snow storm.

My poor little gnomes.

They had to huddle together to stay warm.

I am so antsy to plant my spring crop. Just a few more weeks, hopefully...

Rebirth

2010-03-03T11:02:00.006-07:00

There is a restlessness inside of me, a stirring. It makes me uncomfortable and hopeful all at once. I feel like my tulip and daffodil shoots, struggling to break through the ground; reaching up to the light, being reborn.

All of the pictures I have been taking have been with my little point and shoot digital camera. It is a Fujifilm FinePix A500. It has been a loyal friend but I am ready for more.

My father was a photographer. He taught me all about lighting and composition and feeling the art of photography. He bought me my first SLR when I was twelve. It was a Minolta XG-M that he picked up at a pawn shop in Portland. I loved that camera and we spent a lot of wonderful time taking pictures. When I was fourteen he brought a Minolta X-700 home for me from the same pawn shop. My first couple years of High School I spent in the dark room. Photography was my passion and I loved the dark room and the magic I worked inside of it. I belonged.

My father died the middle of my junior year and so did my interest in photography. It hurt too damn much. During my senior year I took another photography class and I enjoyed it but the passion was lost, buried like my dad.

Over the years I have taken loads of pictures of my babies. All of them have been with point and shoot cameras. I have basically just been recording events and milestones.

Last fall I participated in a fantastic online writing/photography class from Persisting Stars. I fell in love again with taking pictures. Next week I will be starting the Unravelling course. It is another online photography/writing class. My little digital camera will suffice, but I want more. I want to create, not just document. I pulled out my old Minolta's and they do not work. The XG-M is just dead and my X-700's shutter will not release. It is locked up. I will be sending it out this weekend to be repaired and I am giddy with the thought of actually creating beauty with photography again.

I feel the passion once more.

Winter Wednesday Challenge #1

2010-01-28T11:32:00.005-07:00

We are getting back into the swing of things with our Nature Study. Our first activity of the new year was the Winter Wednesday Challenge #1. We went out into our backyard and looked at how the color of things differed in winter. The white of the snow really allowed us to see the contrast.

Happy Birthday my bug!

2009-12-11T23:14:00.002-07:00

Gunnar is 12 today. I cannot believe my first born is so old. He loves hunting with his dad and playing video games. He is so patient and sweet with Clementine and he always asks if I need anything. I am enjoying him immensely!

Poor Nutkins

2009-12-01T16:03:00.002-07:00

I tried, really I did. The nutkin sock is just not progressing. Every time I try to work on it I just get frustrated and I want to banish my children to their room. I cannot concentrate on the pattern when I have children constantly talking to me and climbing in my lap and needing me to put the knitting down for a minute to help them with something. I do not want to be frustrated with my little ones. They will only need me so much for a short time.

I adore the yarn so I think I am going to RIP it and them just knit plain stockinette socks with it. I will save more difficult socks for when the children are older. I am ok with this. :)

Weekend knitting

2009-11-16T12:30:00.006-07:00

Krull is elk hunting today and he needed an orange beanie so I whipped this hat up. I knit almost the entire thing on Saturday. I only had a few rows to finish it up but my hands were aching so I went to bed and finished it up on Sunday.

pattern: LTK Pumpkin Hat
yarn: Lion Brand
colorway: Orange
needles: US 4 & 6
modifications: I did not knit the green stem on top.

And-

My Very Own Shiny Sock Club (MVOSSC) November 2009

2009-11-15T13:57:00.003-07:00

I totally stole the yarn and pattern idea from the Yarn Harlot. Nutkin socks and Dream in Color Starry yarn. My colorway is November Muse.

Finally!

2009-11-11T11:08:00.002-07:00

I have finally finished the socks I started for myself forever ago. I love them and am so happy to actually have knit a pair for me!

pattern: Yarn Harlot's Basic Sock Pattern
yarn: Socks That Rock Lightweight
colorway: Rainforest Jasper
needles: US 2

My Very Own Shiny Sock Club (MVOSSC)

2009-11-10T14:51:00.007-07:00

I love the idea of sock clubs. The new yarn and pattern all put together just for you. I have never joined one though because I have very definite ideas about what yarn fibers and colorways and patterns I love. I only knit plain socks. I have knit one pair of ribbed socks for Krull and the rest have all been simply stockinette socks. I adore stockinette socks. While there are a few here and there that catch my fancy, I find most patterned socks unappealing.

In an effort to capture the joy of sock clubs for my self and to broaden my knitting horizons, I have decided to make my very own shiny sock club. Each month (or two or three) I will choose a yarn (either from my stash or somewhere else) and a pattern (or not, some may end up plain) and knit. I am very excited about this! I have already chosen the pattern and yarn for November and will start as soon as the yarn arrives. It is absolutely beautiful and I cannot wait for it to appear in my mail box!

Curtains

2009-11-09T11:37:00.003-07:00

I made these curtains for the children's room. They were inspired by The Handkerchief Curtains in Handmade Home by Amanda Blake Soule. I bought this fabric 6.5 years ago to make a ragged quilt but it never happened. The curtain is a tan flannel and the patches are cotton. I love them and so do the little ones! This is a picture of the little window in their room. There is also a much bigger window that has two of these panels hanging on it.

Moths!

2009-11-09T09:02:00.002-07:00

Horrific little buggers! I have been seeing a few moths here and there the last month in our house but I just thought they were coming in from outside because someone is always leaving the door open. Last week I found a couple of wormy things in a ball of my yarn and went berserk. I looked through everything else I have and never saw anything even remotely suspicious. Still though... I had Hunter throw away the infested ball and then I managed to stuff a third of my stash in the freezer. I have been rotating stash through and haven't found any evidence of bugs. I didn't realize I had so much yarn. It is a beautiful thing.

Use of creative space

2009-10-31T11:34:00.006-06:00

One of the assignments this week in the class I am taking is Creative Space. I had a lot of fun with this one. I enjoyed making use of creative space. Instead of just laying my knitting on my bed and snapping a shot to make a record of my knitting I really thought about things. Autumn is my very favorite season and I wanted to incorporate the season with my warm woolens. We have this tremendously colorful climbing plant all around our front door. The wind was blowing something fierce and I was afraid that the picture wouldn't turn out well but it did and I adore it!

These socks are for Krull. He wore them duck hunting on Thursday and loves them so!

pattern: Yarn Harlot's Basic Sock Recipe
yarn: Patons Classic Wool
colorway: Dark Grey Mix
needles: US 7

Self Portrait

2009-10-24T11:35:00.002-06:00

These are my comfort books, my old friends. I know them and they know me. The yarn is my favorite (that I haven't knit up yet) at the moment.

I am taking a fabulous photography/writing e-course from Persisting Stars. Th course is Persisting Stars ~ Yes! http://www.persistingstars.com/e-courses/

Autumn smiles

2009-10-22T15:46:00.003-06:00

"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth
seeking the successive autumns."
- George Eliot

Happy Birthday my Autumn girl!

2009-10-21T10:31:00.002-06:00

Rain turns ten today. I cannot believe how much she has grown. She is beautiful. She is passionate about life. Rain loves to read and knit and write and study herbs and laugh. She is so much like me but with an infinite amount of joy. She still loves to play with dolls and takes such good care of her little brother and sister. Rain wants to be a Healer or Midwife when she is grown. She wants lost of children and she wants to homeschool them. She is an amazing girl who I am extremely privileged to raise.

Happy Birthday baby!

Thursday knitting

2009-10-16T09:05:00.004-06:00

We usually take the children out on Thursday's but with Hunter sick and all we ended up staying home. I knit and alternated between being The Loving, Cuddling Mama and being The Mean Mama. Hunter would rather lay on the couch and die than drink when he is sick. He has been running a fever (all gone now) and I just couldn't let him get dehydrated. This means I had to stay on him about drinking water. I have actually been The Mean Mama for several days but he is alive and on the mend and actually drinking water without me nagging him.

These socks are for Krull. The totally amazing thing is that I cast on this sock yesterday and got this much knit in only a couple of hours. That is what happens when you use worsted weight yarn and size 7 needles. LOL!

Outdoor Hour Challenge #10 Picnic

2009-10-14T10:13:00.011-06:00

Last week we took the children out to Cedar Valley where Krull grew up. We had a picnic up at the rodeo grounds. Krull spent many, many days and nights here playing with his friends. After our sandwiches were finished we hiked a little more than a mile up behind the rodeo grounds. It was so peaceful! The scrub oak was beginning to change colors and the little ones had so much fun!

Outdoor Hour Challenge #3

2009-10-12T10:06:00.014-06:00

Two weeks ago we took the children up to Strawberry Reservoir to the visitors center. The kokanee salmon were spawning and we wanted the children to get a chance to see them. Kokanee salmon are fresh water salmon and silver when they are young. When the salmon are mature and ready to spawn they turn red and green. We went up on a Thursday and it was cold! The wind was blowing and there was a slight skiff of snow. Luckily for us that meant that nobody else was up there. We really do not like crowds. We knew we it was pretty late in the season but apparently it was the last day. The Fish and Game wardens were up there and one of them came over and started telling us all about what they were doing and how the fish were faring. It was so much fun! We asked all kinds of questions and had a blast. Thank you to the lovely Fish and Game department.

It was absolutely beautiful up there! I took a bunch of terrific pictures:

Gunnar's picture of the salmon:

Rain's picture of the salmon:

Hunter's picture of the salmon:

Clementine's picture of the river and salmon:

Happy Birthday Muffin Man!

2009-10-12T09:47:00.004-06:00

My little Hunter turns six today. My beautiful boy, my muffin man. Hunter is a sensitive soul. He loves to garden and be outside. He loves blocks and can spend hours building things. Hunter loves trains and hiking and digging in the dirt. Hunter has requested my homemade mac & cheese and rolls for his birthday dinner.

Yesterday he started feeling sick and fell asleep in my bed late afternoon. I checked on him a few times as he was sleeping and realized he was running a fever. Poor little guy. Our elderberry glycerin is finished so Hunter had the honor of being the first to try it out. He loved it and the other children were very excited to see what it tastes like (raisons, in case you were wondering). He slept well and is feeling a lot better today. Still a bit bright eyed and flushed, but better.

Weekend knitting

2009-10-12T09:33:00.005-06:00

Weekends are for knitting around here. I do not get much knitting done during the week with all of the learning and outings going on but come the weekend I knit and watch movies. The children and I watched Dante's Peak, Pride and Prejudice, and Little Women. Rain and I knit and the other children played and colored. I LOVE weekends!

I finished Gunnar's hat:

pattern: my basic beenie
yarn: Red Heart
colorway: Camo
needles: US 4 & 6

I am getting close to being done with my second sock:

This is the hat I knit for Rain a couple of weeks ago:

pattern: my basic beenie
yarn: Plymouth Encore
colorway: grey and cream
needles: US 4 & 6

Autumn skiff

2009-10-06T13:09:00.001-06:00

Autumn skiff
Originally uploaded by Auroraknits

Beautiful things

2009-10-05T11:36:00.004-06:00

We have finished up our elderberry study and are ready to move on to October's Lemon Balm! Our elderberry tincture is just about done and we have had a blast shaking it up each day

In knitting news: I knit Rain a hat and am now working on one for Gunnar. It seems they don't truly appreciate the pumpkin hats anymore. Hunter and Clementine still wear theirs with pride and look absolutely adorable doing so. The weather has been nice and cool the last few days and I am blissfully happy! I am also knitting a pair of socks for myself, I am ready to start the heal flap on the second sock. This beautiful autumn-y sock yarn arrived today and I cannot wait to cast on for another pair for me!

Lorna's Laces Trick or Treat colorway:

Krull keeps mentioning how much he loves his pair of warm wooly hand knit socks and bemoaning the fact that he only has one pair. LOL! I have some STR that I plan on knitting up for him. I was thinking about giving them to him for Christmas but I don't know if he can wait.

Outdoor Hour Challenge #2

2009-09-17T19:19:00.007-06:00

We did the second challenge today and enjoyed being still and listening. Lots of giggling was heard as we used our words to describe what we heard. Clementine made a little home for bugs in her wagon.

After our nature time Krull and the children played basket ball and then soccer. I picked up a couple of pizzas and we ate dinner outside in the shade. The clouds started rolling in and the wind picked up. As I was bathing Clementine it started raining. I LOVE the rain!

Krull read the last few chapters of Robinson Crusoe to the children while I showered and had some time to my self.

Expanding my craftiness

2009-09-16T08:23:00.006-06:00

I knit and tole paint but I have always been afraid of sewing. I can do it a little bit, but it intimidates me. When I was pregnant with Hunter I sewed several little cloth diapers and they turned out pretty well and I can sew baby blankets but that is it. I have decided to spread my wings and sew.

This book arrived in the mail yesterday:

I have thumbed through it and I am in love! I picked a project and am going to use this fabric that I bought when I was pregnant with Hunter. I had planned to make a ragged quilt but that never happened. This fabric has been sitting in my room for 6 years. Time to use it.

I washed the fabric all up yesterday and then just stared at it. In theory the project is fabulous. I was terrified to cut the fabric. I almost gave up before I even started. After I put the children to bed I busted out the chocolate (for courage) and went to work. I didn't cry. About half of it is cut out and I am not afraid to finish today. I cannot wait to have the finished product!

The Outdoor Hour Challenge #1

2009-09-15T18:11:00.015-06:00

Krull had the day off today and we took the children to a wetland preserve park. These are some of the neat things we saw.

Herbal Roots Zine

2009-09-14T17:12:00.003-06:00

I have found such a treasure! http://herbalrootszine.blogspot.com/ Herbal Roots Zine is a monthly zine that focuses on one herb each month. I bought September's this weekend. Elderberry is the herb of the month. This is just so neat! There are so many activities and so much information.

Today I introduced elderberry to the children and we recited the poem and song. I do not know where any elderberry is off the top of my head but we are on a mission to find some so that we can make the elderberry syrup and dye.

Planning for the upcoming school year

2009-08-22T15:52:00.008-06:00

I have been super busy this last week getting everything ready for our official first day of school next Monday. The children are so excited they can hardly wait! It is so much fun to see them happy about learning.

We have tried nature journals in the past but we tend to be stop and go. This year I am beyond thrilled to have found this blog. http://handbookofnaturestudy.blogspot.com/ (Can anyone help me put links in my blog posts?)

Here is a quick show of last weekend in pictures:

I found this yummy blueberry cake recipe at http://totallysmittenmama.blogspot.com/

Sunshine

2009-08-09T09:25:00.003-06:00

"Keep your face to the sunshine
and you cannot see the shadow.
It's what sunflowers do."
by Helen Keller

Neglected garden

2009-08-08T21:09:00.006-06:00

We didn't expand our garden this year as planned. Our little garden was planted but pretty much neglected. I have a few pictures to show you though.

Round Black Spanish Radish:

Royalty Purple Podded Snap Bush Bean:

Tomatoes:

Moon and Stars Watermelon:

Basil:

Flowers:

I leave you with this thought:

Connection with gardens, even small ones, even potted plants, can
become windows to the inner life. The simple act of stopping and
looking at the beauty around us can be prayer.
- Patricia R. Barrett, The Sacred Garden

Garden Sanctuary

2009-08-07T13:51:00.002-06:00

I will have garden pictures tomorrow. For now I leave you with a lovely gardening poem.

Garden Sanctuary~
You who walk,
Maybe with troubled thoughts,
Come, enter here and rest;
And may the sweet serenity of growing things,
And the heavenly peace,
Be mirrored in thy soul.
-Doxis M. Palmer

Back at it

2009-01-05T09:51:00.003-07:00

We have officially started school again. We are more than ready. It seems that things fall apart here without our normal routine. We are supposed to get a lot of snow here again today and it is the perfect setting for snuggling up with my children and reading and baking.

I think today calls for homemade soup and bread. The children and I could eat soup and bread every night for dinner and be perfectly content. Krull, on the other hand, prefers to not eat soup. I have expanded my soup repertoire to include more hearty soups and stews and the husband is much happier. Our new favorite is Linda's Lentil Soup. I doubled the garlic. I LOVE garlic!
http://fourlittlebirds.blogsome.com/2008/12/01/lindas-lentil-soup/

The seed catalogs continue to pour in and I often find myself lost in dreamy thought. The day the first one came I threw myself in my cozy chair and time melted away as I devoured it. Krull would make comments about, well I do not know what exactly, and I would answer and get back to my seeds. Eventually he started laughing and I pulled myself out of my happy place and asked him what he was laughing about. He said that every time he said something I would look at him and start talking about different seeds. Apparently I didn't even realize what I was doing. Later that day I asked him if he would go shovel the snow from our walk and he looked at me and said, "So, what about those seeds?" LOL!

I must go and deal with the laundry but I leave you with this thought.

IT IS GOOD TO BE ALONE IN A GARDEN AT DAWN OR DARK SO THAT ALL ITS SHY PRESENCES MAY HAUNT YOU AND POSSESS YOU IN A REVERIE OF SUSPENDED THOUGHT. ~JAMES DOUGLAS, DOWN SHOE LANE

Garden in December

2008-12-21T12:51:00.001-07:00

A Tea Party for Clementine

2008-12-20T10:06:00.001-07:00

After felting. All done!

pattern: The Pattern Box Tea Cup and Saucer
yarn: Peace Fleece Worsted
colorway: Natural and Glastnost Gold
yarn: Pattons SWS
colorway: Natural Denim
needles: US 8

Notice the Ravenclaw colors? That is my House. My daughter Clementine (2 years old) has claimed the tea cup and saucer. She asked me what I was knitting and when I told her she started clapping her hands and jumping up and down saying, "Mama knitt'n a tea parteee for meeee!" How could I refuse?

This was very fun and a fast knit. I haven't been inspired by my knitting in a while and this was just what I needed. I was so eager to finish and I really enjoyed this little project.

A couple of knitting projects I finished this summer

2008-12-06T18:20:00.002-07:00

First up, Krull's socks-

pattern: Country Socks
yarn:Nature Spun Sport
colorway: Charcoal and Natural
needles: US 2

And then some socks I knit for my sister's birthday-

pattern: Yarn Harlot's Basic Sock Pattern
yarn: Socks That Rock Lightweight
colorway: Lucy
needles: US 1.5

So happy

2008-11-26T10:59:00.004-07:00

Monday my landlady and I were talking about the economy and the hard times. She was telling me how her daughter had put up a bunch of food from her garden and was sharing with her. I mentioned how our little garden had provided good things for us this summer but not enough to put away for the winter. She commiserated with me and then I asked her if I could put in more boxes next year. She said YES!!! I am so happy and so very grateful. She said we could put in as many as we want.

Now my head is spinning with ideas........

Happy Thanksgiving all!

Putting the garden to bed

2008-11-25T09:36:00.003-07:00

Yesterday morning I put the garden to bed. While I pulled out dead plants Krull and Gunnar raked up leaves.

These are our five 3x3 boxes. Krull and the boys built the trellises on the back.

Here is an up close picture of one of our boxes. We have one square of carrots left. I will pull them next time I make soup.

Last but not least, a picture of one of my little garden gnomes. I have one in each box!

Garden lessons of 2008

2008-11-24T11:15:00.002-07:00

Lots of lessons learned this year!

-Next year I am going to triple my tomato plants. We had 5 and that was enough to eat but we did not have any to make into salsa or sauce to bottle for the winter.

-I am going to plant the pumpkins somewhere else, probably along the fence. They took up so many squares in our boxes and I need those to plant tomatoes. I baked tons of pumpkin seeds and they are already mostly gone.

-The watermelons just didn't work. They were all gushy and rotten inside.

-The zucchini did great! I planted 4 plants out by our mail box. We had lots! Plenty of zucchini bread and fried zucchini for dinner. I also have 24 cups of shredded zucchini in my freezer.

-We need more green beans. We had enough to eat while we played in the backyard and for dinner a couple of times a week but not enough to bottle for the winter.

-We need more radishes. They grew so well and we loved them!

-We need more carrots too.

-My spring crop didn't do so well. The radishes and carrots did great. The spinach, lettuce, chard and peas did not. I think it was just too cold at first so they did not grow well. Then it got too hot and they wilted. The peas finally started growing just when it was time to plant the tomatoes and I needed those squares. We had one good salad from the lettuce, spinach and chard.

-I want to more than double our garden space next year. We have five 3x3 boxes. I want to add four 4x4 boxes come spring time. I am not sure our landlady will approve that though.

-I also want to do a 4x4 herb garden. So I guess I need five 4x4 boxes.

It's about time!

2008-06-07T13:41:00.004-06:00

I finished Krull's socks. Really, I did. I am so happy and relieved. Seriously, it is a very good thing. Krull is very happy and put them on right away. I can now knit other things and not feel guilty.

Pictures to come.

Slow start

2008-05-26T09:40:00.003-06:00

It has been a pretty cold wet spring thus far. We have had some nice warm days lately but it is has been raining 4 of the last 5 days here. My little garden was very slow to start. Everything is growing now but soon it will be too hot for things like my peas and spinach. They are just getting started. As soon as it warms up later this week I will plant the tomatoes and peppers, beans and squash.

As far as knitting goes, well it's laughable! I have so many projects going at once that I never finish anything. I believe it is time for another UFO-a- thon. I need to get these finished.

I have been working on de-cluttering and I feel good about it. Right now I am in that horrible place where I have worked my tail off but there is still so much to do, *just keep working, just keep working* and, we will be debt free by the end of this summer. The end is in sight!

Peas are planted!

2008-04-19T12:28:00.003-06:00

Monday we planted our peas, carrots, lettuce, spinach, beets, and chard. Oh, and Clementine's strawberries and Rain's pansy's. Our little garden boxes look so cute and I am really enjoying this gardening thing. :) Pictures will come..............

Knitting content

2008-04-12T15:50:00.003-06:00

I actually have knitting to show you today. :)

I am working on a little sweater for my nephew. Here is all of the yarn for it:

And here is the beginning of the front:

It is going to be super cute! I also knit a Mason-Dixon Baby Kimono which I will post pictures of soon and I am almost done with Krull's socks!

Apricot Jam

2008-03-25T14:23:00.002-06:00

So, a few years a go I tried my hand at canning for the fist time. I canned apricots and made apricot jam. The jam was fabulous but the fruit was a disaster. We don't like them and haven't eaten them. The jam was gone in a matter of months. I realized that the problem was I processed them far too long in the water bath. They are just a mushy mess. I decided to make them into apricot jam and I have been doing that today.

20 pints done, many more to do. It feels good!

Seeds are here!

2008-03-19T11:03:00.002-06:00

A box of seeds arrived today! This is most of them, a few are backordered and will ship when they are in.

Aren't they pretty?

Baking bread is good for the soul

2008-03-18T13:04:00.003-06:00

Gunnar, Clementine and I made banana bread this morning. Three beautiful loaves!

While we baked bread Hunter laid in misery on the living room floor and Rain read to him. We are having banana bread, cheese and juice for lunch.

We have decided(starting this year)that we are going to focus on the Resurrection on Easter and not do secular Easter stuff. We are going to do "spring" baskets instead of Easter baskets. We will give the children these baskets on the first day of Spring. This way they still get the fun of Easter eggs and hunts and baskets and Easter Sunday will be about Christ.

I am planning on our Easter supper being broiled fish and honeycomb. I will probably add something to the meal as that seems not a lot to eat. I was thinking of serving cheese, and grapes, dates, flat bread...

We are also taking a few minutes each evening this week and talking about what Christ did on that day during His last week. So, Sunday we talked about His Triumphal Entry, yesterday about cleansing the Temple and tonight we will talk about some of His parables and teachings.

I have this great book called A Christ-Centered Easter that has a bunch of great ideas and has been very inspirational in our quest to truly have a Christ-Centered Easter. The authors are LDS. I picked it up at Walgreens a couple of years ago and am just now getting around to making the changes.

Nothing to say and too much to say

2008-03-17T11:55:00.004-06:00

It seems that I have nothing to say, and too much to say all at the same time.

Life goes on and for that I am grateful. I have four beautiful children who are the light of my life. I have lost three little ones and I mourn them and the "could have beens".

I am about to the heal flap on Krull's second sock. I am trying to finish it before Friday(our anniversary). He loves these socks so much and I have been dragging my feet knitting them. Poor guy! What better way to show him I love him than give him squishy, wooly hand knit socks?

Little Hunter started throwing up last night. He was vomiting every two hours all night long and it has continued this morning. I had the pleasure of washing towels last night because there are never clean towels when the children are puking. This morning I washed bedding. Gah! I hope the other children do not get sick too!

We are spending the day camped out in front of the t.v. I do not have it in me to be creative today.

Another Loss

2008-03-12T12:26:00.002-06:00

I lost another sweet baby last week.

I knew from the moment of conception that I was pregnant. I felt her spirit and energy so strongly around me and inside of me. We weren't trying to conceive but I absolutely fell in love with the baby and desperately wanted her. I knit two tiny baby items(the longies and the sleepy soaker sack that I posted here earlier)and had such hopes and dreams. I was pregnant and then I was not. Just like that.

My heart hurts.

Teeny, Tiny Longies

2008-03-10T10:49:00.003-06:00

pattern: LTK Picky Pants
size: Preemie
yarn: Patons SWS
colorway: Natural Denim
needles: US 8

Aren't they just so very sweet?

Here is a shot to get the feel of just how little they are:

The sage green longies are ones I finished for Clementine a few weeks ago. She is 20 months old.

Dreaming of compost

2008-03-09T10:59:00.004-06:00

The last couple of nights I have dreamed of compost. Kinda weird, I know. Because we rent here I wasn't going to compost. We plan on moving next spring and my plan was to build a beautiful compost pile then. I really want to compost now though. I am thinking about vermiculture(worm composting)and I might go ahead and do that now and then have an outside compost pile next year. I have also been thinking of getting one of those tumbling bins to put out in the back. Decisions, decisions. I just know that I need to compost this year. *grin*

I am really excited for our seeds to arrive. We live in zone 5b so it will be awhile before we can plant. Confession here: I have never really liked the look of Square Foot gardens. I don't like the look of the boxes and it just seems so controlled and man made. I LOVE traditional row gardens but we just do not have the space here. I started planning our garden a bit grudgingly this year because I didn't want to use this method. The excitement has taken hold though and I am happy to be able to garden at all. I have fallen in love with my little garden on paper and I think it will be spectacular. I do not want to think it is ugly.

I knit a tiny pair of longies last week and I will post pictures soon. They are just too adorable!

Seeds have been ordered

2008-03-07T09:33:00.002-07:00

I ordered our seeds from Seeds of Change yesterday. I cannot wait for them to arrive!

Ordered:

PEA, SNAP, SUGAR
BEAN, BUSH, BOUNTIFUL STRINGLESS SNAP
BEAN, BUSH, GOLDEN LUMEN WAX
BEET, DETROIT DARK RED
CARROT, OXHEART
CHARD, RHUBARB
CUCUMBER, LEMON
LETTUCE, OSCARDE
LETTUCE, LOOSELEAF, SIMPSON BLACK-SEEDED
MELON, WATERMELON, MOON & STARS
RADISH, GARDEN, FRENCH BREAKFAST
SPINACH, AMERICA
SUMMER SQUASH, BLACK BEAUTY ZUCCHINI
PUMPKIN, SMALL SUGAR
BEAN, BUSH, ROYALTY PURPLE
CALENDULA, PACIFIC BEAUTY
BASIL, GENOVESE SWEET
CILANTRO, SLOW BOLT (SANTO CILANTRO)

Start Small

2008-02-27T09:08:00.003-07:00

Krull brought home 4 boxes yesterday that will work great for our garden. I was so excited I revamped my plans to include all 4 boxes. Our land lady said we could use the backyard so I have plenty of room. In the book Square Foot Gardening the author suggests starting small. I struggle with that concept. I want it all, now! After much thought I have decided to just do two 4x4 boxes this year. This way the children and I can get used to caring for a small garden and expand next year. This will be our first year with a "real" garden. Last year we grew a few pumpkins in the front flower bed after the daffodils and tulips were done blooming. The year before we grew a handful of peas, about 20 radishes and lots of cherry tomatoes in the little spot of ground just south of the front flower bed. I have high hopes for this year!

I will be ordering our seeds within the next few days. We are firming up our choices. Each of the children will get one square for their own. Gunnar is still undecided, he is leaning towards cherry tomatoes. Rain is going to grow calendula. She likes that she will have beautiful flowers in her square that will also be used for making a salve(something she and I both want to learn to do this year). Hunter is going to grow watermelons. It was an easy choice for him. I am going to put strawberries in Clementine's square. She loves to eat them and I believe she will be so happy to have her own square like the other children.

As soon as I place our order I will post here with what made the final cut. :)

I am off to hang diapers up out on the line again. I am planning on Potato Cheese Soup and fresh sourdough bread for dinner tonight!

Interesting

2008-02-26T13:23:00.001-07:00

You Are An INFJ

The Protector

You live your life with integrity, originality, vision, and creativity.

Independent and stubborn, you rarely stray from your vision - no matter what it is.

You are an excellent listener, with almost infinite patience.

You have complex, deep feelings, and you take great care to express them.

In love, you truly see relationships as an opportunity to connect and grow.

You enjoy relationships as long as they are improving and changing. You can't stand stagnation.

At work, you stay motivated and happy... as long as you are working toward a dream you support.

You would make a great photographer, alternative medicine guru, or teacher.

How you see yourself: Hardworking, ethical, and helpful

When other people don't get you, they see you as: Manipulative, weak, and unstable

What's Your Personality Type?

Spring Fever

2008-02-25T11:07:00.007-07:00

I have it, bad.

This winter has been very snowy and cold. I love winter but I am definitely ready for spring. I cannot wait to dig my hands into the earth and bring forth life. Yesterday it was a balmy 51 degrees! As I was walking out to go to church yesterday morning I saw this:

Isn't it beautiful? I love the sweetness of new little plants just poking their way up through the ground. The front flower bed will be a gorgeous showing of daffodils and tulips.

When I was in the backyard hanging up the cloth diapers on the line I saw this:

Our first daffodil of the year! This is out by our dryer vent and this spot gets a lot more sun than the front flower bed.

And, this was a glorious sight to behold:

The first time the diapers have been out on the line all year. I cannot describe the pure joy I feel when I look at the cloth diapers on the line. I kept looking out my kitchen window yesterday just so I could watch them blow in the wind.

To top it all off I show you this:

My amazing perfected sourdough bread!

I have spent the morning planning our garden. I think we are going to try making and planting two 4x4 square foot beds this year. We have room to put one right to the south of the front flower bed and then we could put one in the flower bed. I was thinking that after the daffodils and tulips are done blooming we can but a box in it. I do not really like that idea though, but I am not sure our land lady will let us put the boxes in the backyard. The front area is kind of "ours" but the back is kind of "hers". If she will let us use the backyard we would put in three boxes back there. There is room for more but we do not want to start too big. It doesn't hurt to ask, right? I am conflicted about it though. The boxes would be so much closer if we did them on the side and I think I would take better care of them if they are just outside the front door(we do not have a back door so we walk all the way around the house to get to the back yard). Really not a big deal, but it might be better to start close. I do not know. I waffle. *grin*

Gunnar is getting ready to pull the few weeds we have. He is very excited to do it. Rain is making chocolate chip cookies. Hunter and Clementine have croup and are miserable sick babies. It is freezing cold again today. *sigh*

Some knitting finished projects to show you!

2008-02-23T10:41:00.002-07:00

pattern: LTK Picky Pants
size: Medium
yarn: Peace Fleece
colorway: Kamchatka Sea Moss
needles: US 8
modifications: I knit the legs several inches longer

and

pattern: Dandelion Dreamers Sleepy Soaker Sack
size: Preemie
yarn: Patons SWS
colorway: Natural Green
needles: US 4 & 8
mosifications: I knit the ribbing with size 4 needles instead of the recommended size 6.

February Magic Ball of Yarn(MBOY)

2008-02-20T11:24:00.007-07:00

I participated in a yarn swap this month. What you do is get some treasures and wrap them up in yarn and then send it to your person.

Let's just say that the lovely person that had my name has made us very happy knitters in this home! Thanks Theresa!

The ball on the left is mine and the one on the right is Rain's.

Rain was so surprised and happy to have a ball sent to her!

The yarn is Peaches and Cream cotton and inside were lots and adorable sheep stickers(which Rain shared with her brothers and sister)and the cutest little hair clips! She loves it all! Rain cast on for a dish cloth last night:

My ball in all its glory:

The yarn is 500 yards of Henry's Attic Carrera. It is a 50% wool/50% silk yarn and just heavenly! Theresa kettle dyed it a gorgeous cocoa for me! The yarn is so beautiful!

The brown shades vary slightly throughout:

Can you see it? You really cannot capture the soul of fiber on a camera.

I am waiting for it to whisper to me what it wants to become. Any suggestions? Something for me.

Also included: Cute whale buttons, lots of yummy tea and chocolate!, lavender wool wash, a cute dragonfly keychain, some pretty little stitch markers, a beautiful pink and brown ribbon!, a lovely candle.........I know I am forgetting some things.......OH! a cute little sticky pad that will be great for marking my patterns..........what else?

Thank you so much! *grin*

Seeking Simplicity

2008-02-19T10:04:00.004-07:00

Simplicity.

I really feel that our family needs to move forward in this direction. There are so many facets of our life we can simplify that I am having a hard time deciding where to start.

Along with simplifying I feel the call to be more green. I feel it all goes together, at least for us. We already cloth diaper and I knit all of the diaper covers we use(longies, shorts, soakers).

I have read of compacting and I am considering that. I only have a loose understanding of it but I think you make a Compact for yourself and family. Basically you are trying to reduce consumption and waste. You refrain from buying things new if you can avoid it. You focus on supporting local business. Anyways, I am butchering this I know. I will post more when I actually know what I am talking about.

De-cluttering is another thing we really need to do. We live in a small basement apartment. We are a family of 6 living in 900sqf. I like living in a little home. We are overrun by clutter though and our home will be so much more enjoyable when it is clutter free!

I have another sponge started for sourdough bread. My last attempt was pretty good but I am still working on baking the perfect bread.

A change of heart

2008-02-16T08:41:00.008-07:00

I have knitting to show you, maybe tomorrow.

I mentor a study circle that meets via conference call on Saturday mornings. I just love this! We focus on understanding the atonement of Christ and internalizing it and applying it in our lives. This is the second time I have mentored this group and I am so grateful to the amazing woman I have had in my circles. We study scriptures from The Book of Mormon and work to apply the principles found in it.

Today we talked about trusting in the Lord and putting Him first. One of our past prophets, President Benson said "When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives" (President Ezra Taft Benson, Ensign, May 1988, p.4).

They key is to really put God first. I challenged our circle to try that this week. To start each day by going to Him and asking for for His guidance. To ask to know His will and for a willing heart.

I am excited to see how this week unfolds! :)

Finding a balance

2008-02-06T10:16:00.000-07:00

Dinner was good last night. I ate one bite of the roast and didn't gag.

I am trying to find a balance here. I have found a lot of valuable information relating to traditional foods. I just do not believe it is all good for my family. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints we have been given a revelation about our health. It is called The Word of Wisdom and is found in the Doctrine and Covenants- Section 89. I have found that most members of my church focus on the "don'ts". No alcohol, drugs, coffee, etc... But, and this is a BIG but, there is so much more revelation given in this section!

Grain is ordained to be the staff of life. Herbs and "as also fruit of the vine; that which yieldeth fruit, whether in the ground or above the ground-" are for us.

Verse 10 And again, verily I say unto you, all wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man—
Verse 11 Every herb in the season thereof, and every fruit in the season thereof; all these to be used with prudence and thanksgiving.

Verse 12 Yea, flesh also of beasts and of the fowls of the air, I, the Lord, have ordained for the use of man with thanksgiving; nevertheless they are to be used sparingly;
Verse 13 And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine.

Verse 14 All agrain is ordained for the use of man and of beasts, to be the staff of life, not only for man but for the beasts of the field, and the fowls of heaven, and all wild animals that run or creep on the earth;

I love the Word of Wisdom! Here are the last few verses. I find them so beautiful and hopeful!:

Verse 18 And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones;
Verse 19 And shall find wisdom and great treasures of dknowledge, even hidden treasures;
Verse 20 And shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint.
Verse 21 And I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them. Amen.

You can find the whole section here: http://scriptures.lds.org/en/dc/89
You will have to copy and paste, I cannot seem to post a link on this blog.

I am going to be revamping our diet to better meet the needs of our family and the revelation given to us.
1-Wholesome Grains are going to play a bigger role in our diets. I am going to keep working on my sourdough and hope to have something spectacular soon.
2-I am going to find a raw milk source and I hope to get cream too so I can make butter.
3-We are going to eat more fruits and vegetables.
4-Meat will be eaten sparingly but I will also prepare it in a healthy way. I am also going to find a source for healthy meat.

I know more inspiration will be given to me as we go. "Line upon line, precept upon precept......."

I am really looking forward to spring. I want to join a CSA and be a regular at the farmer's markets come summer time.

I am excited about our little garden. We have but a tiny patch of ground so I am going to be researching square foot gardening. I have much hope for the spring!

Lost?

2008-02-05T11:24:00.000-07:00

I have discovered Lost. I rented the first 3 disks of Season One a couple of days ago and I am hooked! I have finished those so I am going to head over to the video store this afternoon to pick up a few more disks.

I forgot about my new sponge last night until I was in bed cuddled with Clementine. My back was in spasms and I had a headache so I stayed cozy warm under the blankets. This morning it smelled like vomit so I threw it out and I will try again.

I have a chuck roast in the crock pot for dinner and broccoli and noodles in the oven for lunch.

Today I just want to crawl back into bed and sleep.

Sourdough Take One

2008-02-04T10:57:00.000-07:00

I want to document how I made this batch so I can remember. I made a sponge in the morning with 1.5 cups starter and added 3 cups WW flour and 2 cups unbleached flour and 4 cups water. I let is sit for about 11 hours and then I added 4 cups WW flour and 1/2 cup water and 2 tsp salt. I kneaded it for 10 min and then oiled my dutch oven. I put the dough in the pan and covered it with a cloth diaper and let it sit overnight on my counter.

I woke up this morning to find my dough had risen over the edges of my pan. So, I squished it back in and let it rise an hour longer. I placed my pan on the back burner of my stove and turned the oven on to heat it up nicely.

This morning I preheated the oven to 400, slashed the top of the dough and cooked it for 10 min. Then I turned the oven down to 325 and baked it for 70 min.

The crust was pretty hard. I oiled my dutch oven with coconut oil but I still could not get the dang bread out in one piece.

It was so heavy my poor cooling rack was sagging! LOL! The inside was nice and chewy. Pretty sour though. I am not a big fan of sourdough but I will learn. :) It tastes much better with butter slathered on it. I think I will make a smaller loaf this next time. I started a new sponge with 1 cup starter, 1 cup WW flour and 1 cup unbleached flour, and 1 1/2 cups water.

*fingers crossed!*

In knitting news-I am working on Clementine's longies:

My proofing box

2008-02-03T10:14:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of my lovely proofing box.

Here is the inside:

I now have 4 jars of starter and I have a sponge sitting on my counter. *HUGE grin* My mom and sister are each getting a jar of starter and I will ask my sister-in-law of she wants one as well.

Here is my sponge:

See that bubble? That little bubble in the bottom left corner? It is much easier to see in real life. My sponge has only been sitting out for about an hour and it already has one bubble! I cannot believe how excited I am about this sourdough experience(or should I say experiment?)

Traditional Foods

2008-02-01T08:47:00.000-07:00

I am looking into the Traditional Foods way of eating. I have been a vegetarian for the last 17 years. Except when pregnant I crave meat so I eat a little chicken then. Really, I HATE the taste and texture of meat. It makes me nauseous to even think about eating meat, let alone to actually have it in my mouth. *shudder*

My health is in the toilet and I have been feeling for the last year that this is something I need to do.

I have sourdough starter in a proofing box that Krull made for me yesterday. We all went to the hardware store and Krull picked out several gadgets. He came home and a little electrical tape and fidgeting later I had a snazzy heat light on a dimmer switch. He cut a hole in the top of a styrofoam cooler and put the light through it. Viola! A proofing box! Now my starter is in a quart canning jar under the cooler. I am really excited about this. I LOVE to make bread and I love to bake and be in the kitchen. To be honest, I find that when I am making food for my family that is healthy I tend to say a little prayer over it. I do not do it consciously(most of the time)but I want to start doing that.

Yesterday as I was mixing up my culture(I ordered it from sourdo.com)I found my self saying a little prayer and thinking about the health and well being of my family.

Bread is the easy part for me, and I am going to start making yogurt. I am looking into raw milk sources and excited about that as well. I do not want to think about the meat aspect. LOL!

Krull and the children eat meat and they seem very excited about this change. :)

I figure even if I only eat one or two bites of meat to start it is okay. Baby steps.

We had tons of fun talking about how sourdough works and the children are just as excited as I am about watching our culture do its stuff. They are helping me monitor the temp in the proofing box.

I bought Nourishing Traditions and Wild Fermentation to read and when I ordered my sourdough culture I also ordered Classic Sourdoughs.

Wish me luck!

Knitting as a spiritual practice?

2008-01-29T10:16:00.000-07:00

This question came up on a board I frequent. Knitting is very spiritual to me.

My 4yo had to have 2 oral surgeries in the past few months and I was a wreck. I took my knitting with me and knit socks for him while I sat in the waiting room. Each stitch was an expression of my love for him and filled with a prayer. I felt much more calm and like I really was doing something to help him. Not just by actually knitting him a couple of pairs of socks, but by focusing on him and praying for his strength and health and for wisdom for the doctors.

I realized that when I am in a knitting funk it is because I have gotten caught up in knitting to get something finished and I have stopped focusing on the spiritual aspect of it.

One poster mentioned knitting a prayer shawl and that really speaks to me. I really want to knit one now.

So, today I am going to sit down with my knitting and reclaim it as the spiritual process that it is for me.

A kitty named Pippa

2008-01-23T10:48:00.000-07:00

I want a cat.

Now, this seems so strange to me. I want chickens and sheep and maybe an outside cat for the barn(all on the farm we hope to have someday)but I have always said I would never have an inside animal for sure.

But, I have had this yearning for a few months now. I want a little gray kitten and I would name her Pippa. She would be so cute and cuddly and I would love her so!

It really will not happen though because both Krull and Gunnar are allergic to cats but I just had to get it out.

In other news: My children have been exposed to the Chicken Pox. Gunnar and Rain have been exposed twice before and didn't get it. Hunter and Clementine have never been exposed. I guess we will see what happens?

I am off to go do some dishes and make brownies. *YUM!*

Knitting Funk

2008-01-22T11:26:00.000-07:00

I seem to be in a knitting funk. I have far too many UFO's and nothing is inspiring me at the moment. So, let's list them from oldest to newest(if I can even remember):

LTK Babywearer Poncho: Started Fall 2006

Country Socks for Krull: Started May 2007

Cardigan for Merry for Clementine: Started Fall? 2007

LTK Picky Pants for Clementine: Started December? 2007

Mittens for Rain: Started December 2007

Mittens for Krull: Started December 2007

And I need to knit Hunter mittens too.

6 UFO's !!! That is so sad!

I really just want to knit something for myself. Everything I knit is for someone else and I am feeling sorry for myself. Pity Party here. LOL!

I have some gorgeous sock yarn for me and I want to cast on but then I feel guilty when I think of all the UFO's and the people they are for. *Sigh*

I need to come up with a plan to knock these pesky UFO's out so I can knit for me and not feel any shame. :)

We have the PLAGUE!

2007-12-20T19:12:00.000-07:00

We are all sick over here. Really, really sick. Some nasty cold has invaded and it is winning at the moment. No knitting has been done in the last few days and I do not know if the Christmas knitting will be finished in time. :(

I am off to drink hot tea and snuggle little sick babies.

Mittens!

2007-12-16T12:53:00.000-07:00

These are for Gunnar:

pattern: Uncle Chubb's Fleece Stuffed Mitten
yarn: Peace Fleece
colorway:Ancient Fern
size: Large+
needles: US 8

These are for Clementine:

pattern: LTK Family Mittens
yarn: LTK Farm Wool
colorway: Cranberry
size: Toddler
needles: US 7

These I have started for Krull:

And these for Rain:

The 12 Days of Homeschooling

2007-12-13T12:31:00.001-07:00

I thought this was fun!

The 12 Days of Homeschooling By Anonymous

On the first day of homeschool my neighbor said to me,
“Can you homeschool legally?”

On the second day of homeschool my neighbor said to me,
“Are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the third day of homeschool my neighbor said to me,
“Do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the fourth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me,
“What about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the fifth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me,
“YOU ARE SO STRANGE! What about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the sixth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me,
“How long will you homeschool, YOU ARE S0 STRANGE, what about P.E. , do you give them tests,
are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the seventh day of homeschool my neighbor said to me,
“Look at what they’re missing, how long will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE!,
what about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, do you homeschool legally?”

On the eighth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me,
“Why do you do this, look at what they’re missing, how long will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE,
what about P.E. do you give them tests, are they socialized, do you homeschool legally?”

On the ninth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me,
“They’ll miss the prom, why do you do this, look at what they’re missing, how long will you homeschool,
YOU ARE SO STRANGE!, what about P.E. do you give them tests, are they socialized, do you homeschool legally?”

On the tenth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me,
“What about graduation, they’ll miss the prom, why do you do this, look at what they’re missing, how long will you homeschool,
YOU ARE SO STRANGE!, what about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the eleventh day of homeschool my neighbor said to me,
“I could never do that, what about graduation, they’ll miss the prom, why do you do this, look at what they’re missing, how
long will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE, what about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized,
can you homeschool legally?”

On the twelfth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me,
“Can they go to college, I could never do that, what about graduation, they’ll miss the prom, why do you do this,
look at what they’re missing, how long will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE, What about P.E.,
do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the thirteenth day of homeschool I thoughtfully replied:
“They Can go to college, yes you can do this, they can have graduation, we don’t like the prom, we do it cuz its best,
they are missing nothing, we’ll homeschool forever, WE ARE NOT STRANGE!,
We give them P.E., and we give them tests, they are socialized, AND WE HOMESCHOOL LEGALLY!

On the fourteenth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me,
“How can I get started, why didn’t you tell me, where do I buy curriculum, when is the next conference, WILL PEOPLE THINK WE’RE STRANGE? I think we can do this, if you will help us, can we join P.E. and we’ll homeschool legally.”

Beautiful Sabbath

2007-11-18T09:33:00.000-07:00

Today is absolutely beautiful! The weather is cold and crisp and sunny. Just perfect for the sabbath.

It has been a while

2007-11-17T15:42:00.000-07:00

Things have been busy here and not much knitting has been going on. I only have two FO's to show you.

First up, longies for Clementine:

pattern: LTK Picky Pants
size: Medium
yarn: Peace Fleece Worsted
colorway: Tundra
needles: US 8

and then, socks for Hunter:

pattern: my own basic sock pattern
size: just right for Hunter's feet
yarn: Colinette Jitterbug
colorway: Jay
needles: US 1.5

Baby needs more longies and Krull would like his second sock knit. Christmas knitting needs to be started as well.

I LOVE knitting for Autumn babies!

2007-09-16T18:37:00.000-06:00

My niece is expecting a baby boy next month. This is for him:

pattern: LTK Pumpkin Hat
size: Newborn
yarn: Plymouth Encore
colorways: Pumpkin & Dark Green
needles US 4 & 6

and

patern: LTK Moc Booties
size: Newborn
yarn: Plymouth Encore
colorway: Dark Green
needles: US 6

A Pumpkin Hat in a Pumpkin Patch!

2007-09-11T15:15:00.000-06:00

This is for my new niece too:

pattern: LTK Pumpkin Hat
size: Newborn
yarn: Plymouth Encore
colorways: Pumpkin and Dark Green
needles: US 4 & 6

Blossom and Bootees!

2007-09-05T09:05:00.000-06:00

Blossom and Bootees for my new niece:

pattern: Blossom from MagKnits
size:0-3 months
yarn: Knit Picks Andean Treasure
colorway: Wild Rose Heather
needles: US 3 & 5

and

pattern: Saartje's Bootees
size: Newborn
yarn: Knit Picks Andean Treasure
colorway: Wild Rose Heather
needles: US 3

Pioneer Day

2007-07-24T19:35:00.000-06:00

Today was Pioneer Day and we had a wonderful dinner! Krull and Gunnar cooked little chickens on the fire and we ate those, homemade bread and butter and corn on the cob. It was fabulous! We talked about the pioneers and the things they suffered and experienced. We talked about the way of life and sang songs(walked, and walked, and walked............) LOL!

In knitting news:

This is what I am knitting with the baby alpaca

It is so pretty and soft

It is a "Cardigan for Merry" for my Clementine.

A couple of weekends ago I knit this:

pattern: Ball Band Dish Cloth from MDK
yarn:Peaches and Cream Cotton
colorways: Pumpkin and Warm Brown
needles: US 8

I love the detail

I love this dish cloth so much that I have kept it in my knitting basket loathe to use it. Today I needed to wipe down the counters and all of my towels and dish rags were in the washer. In desperation I wet the beauty of a dish cloth and used it. I LOVE it! It is so scrubby and thick. :)

So, I cast on for a fraternal twin for it:

I love knitting! *grin*

Poor Krull

2007-07-12T16:21:00.000-06:00

I started Krull's socks the end of May. I was in love with the yarn and the pattern and I was just cruising along. He was very happy and excited to wear them. Then I became bored with them. I cast on and finished the Apron top without even picking up the sock. Then I cast on and finished the doll. When that was done I knit a few rounds of the sock and then cast on for the MS3. Here it is with chart A finished:

It is not blocked and it looks pretty raw but I love it. :)

This is not all. I swatched for something else(super soft baby alpaca!)and have big plans to cast on for it tonight. Pictures to come.

I feel a little guilty. He hasn't said anything about it but I know he really wants these socks. I suppose I should go knit a bit more on the sock.

Happy Birthday Sweet Clementine!

2007-07-09T11:30:00.001-06:00

My baby is 1 today! Little Clementine was born into my hands one year ago. She is an adorable bundle of love and fire.

Mama loves you baby!

Little Dolly

2007-07-07T15:19:00.000-06:00

For Clementine's first birthday coming up:

pattern: LTK Fluffy Doll
yarn: Peace Fleece
colorway: Natural
needles: US 8

Because I want to

2007-07-06T08:43:00.000-06:00

I have been seeing things posted about the Mystery Stole 3 all over the internet. I really wanted to join but it says the project is not recommended for inexperienced lace knitters. That's me. No lace experience. I had decided I just was going to have to pass this year. I could learn to knit lace and then join MS4 next year.

I read The Yarn Harlot's blog last night and fell. Hard.

This is my guage swatch. It was loads of fun to knit. I do not think this yarn is laceweight though. My sister got it from a friend of hers and then gave it to me. There is just a little tag on it that says 100% wool. I used size 5 needles and think I need to go up one or two more. I am trying to decide if I will go ahead and use this yarn or head to my LYS this afternoon.

Here is the doll stuffed and felted:

A work in progress

2007-07-05T08:37:00.000-06:00

This is a doll I am knitting for Clementine. Her first birthday is in a few days. Here is the doll knit. It still needs to be stuffed, closed up, felted and then hair and a face put on.

Stone Soup

2007-07-04T10:19:00.000-06:00

Last Tusday(Krull has Tuesdays off)I told the children the story of Stone Soup. They were enthralled and we had a great discussion after about the moral of the story. Then we talked about each of us having unique strengths and talents and how working together as a family benefits all. We discussed each person and their strengths and it was an amazing afternoon. Then we made Stone Soup! I filled a dutch oven with some water and put a stone in it. Gunnar and Krull built a fire outside and then we all put something in the pot. It cooked outside and we watched it bubble and smelled the yumminess coming from the pot.

We had Stone Soup and homemade bread for dinner. It was a hit! I LOVE homeschooling and the opportunities it affords our family!

My Saturday Night

2007-07-01T08:21:00.000-06:00

Chamomile tea, homemade chocolate chip cookies and knitting. *grin*

For Clementine

2007-06-30T12:13:00.000-06:00

pattern: LTK Apron Top
size: 12-18 months
yarn: Rowan All Seasons Cotton
colorway: ???
needles: US 10

Swatching

2007-06-19T10:08:00.000-06:00

I swatched last night:

2007-06-01T10:37:00.000-06:00

This is Krull's sock on our little wood pile. We burn it in our BBQ and cook in our dutch oven too.