side by side

Even though I've been absent from this writing spot of mine, I've had it on my mind. I'd been very focussed on preparing for the workshops I taught at our school's Years of Wonder conference, and that preparing was mostly mental pep-talks like, "No problem, an hour-and-a-half is enough time to instruct a simple knitted body for a small doll, assemble the doll, and discuss the construction of the doll's head!" or "Sure, you can make a dozen little doll heads and give them wigs even if you wait until ten days before the workshop!" or (this is the best one and the most telling) "Yes, I can teach another workshop on a wetfelted play-mat in an hour-and-a-half. Thank you of thinking of asking me." To be honest, sprinkled in the mental chatter was the occassional, "What were you thinking?!" but I did know in my crafty heart-of-hearts that I had it in me, I just needed to exert some major power of will (talk about inner work!).

So, throughout all that mental banter, I also told myself, "Take note of these thoughts. This is part of the process. Give the thoughts their due." And so I did allow the banter. I honoured the process. I thought you might like to hear it and then see some of the results (click to enlarge):

There were sixteen terrific women in the wetfelting workshop! Thanks to the soap and the participants' lively chatter and laughter, the room smelled and sounded heavenly. Their enthusiasm and desire really carried us through what was a rather ambitious project for an hour-and-a-half session; many of them had not wetfelted before! I always worry about being a person's first lesson, I feel it is a big responsibility. All of their efforts turned out beautifully! Just imagine all the stories that will play out with these wonderful pieces as scenery...!

The doll-making workshop was equally successful, but we were a bit rushed at the end, and I had left my camera in the room where the felting workshop was, so sorry, no pictures. Enthusiasm was high though; a few knitters learned to purl; everyone finished their dolls; one knitter made two dolls (!); there was even a very friendly competition going on between two friends! Just hearing them say that their young ones at home would love this doll made me smile (actually, I'm still smiling). The two samples that I made have already made their way into Hana's play here at home, so I'll try to take some pictures to post over the weekend.

So, thank you for indulging me and my process. It's nice to have a place like this to lay such things out and take a good long look. Thank you for reading here and lending me your ear, it means the world to me. This song kind of sums up how I feel about my blog and the friends I have here; this one's for you!

much anticipated

Much anticpated treasures have arrived! Spring has brought along with her many of her glowing friends: sweet crocus......an enrobed river stone......and humble bumble. Do you see him there?
Thank Goodness for Spring's arrival, for all of her glowing cohorts, and for Margie and her Resurrection Fern always full of Nature and inspiration for expansion (check out the link at the end of her post for today 3/24/10).

moments like these

Often, when I cook, I visualize a scene of the ideal setting for the food I'm preparing (there's that optimism again). Sometimes, that fantasy can be the push I need to add just that extra side-dish, condiment, or garnish. Sometimes, more than not, the vision can lead to frustration too, wishing I had that sprig of parsley that would be so pretty or those olives that would be the perfect salty tidbit. Sometimes, though, the whole picture comes together like this... ... a new cookie recipe, a new knitting project, and a perfect cup of coffee in my favorite mug! I found the peanut butter cookies through Leslie, and with their perfect little garnish they sure make me smile. I'm knitting this top with a merino wool & silk blend which weighs next to nothing and is very soft. The silk gives the fabric a gloss and the rustic spinning keeps it all from being too sleek; a perfect combination in my opinion!

What moments are you savoring?

Oh, and guess what?! The Heart-felt Tutorial is in Crafty Crow, an awesome on-line craft project resource! I emailed Cassi of Crafty Crow to offer the tutorial thinking that it was a bit late for another Valentine's Day project, but feeling brave and that I should just try. I had cruised the projects for a week or so after I emailed Cassi, but didn't see it. Then just last week, I received an email from Helen of Curly Birds thanking me for the tutorial she found on Crafty Crow (Helen's heart pouches are so sweet). I had all but forgotten about the submission. I could (can) hardly believe it! Whoopee!!! Big news for little ol' moi. Thank you to Helen for the tip-off and thank you to Cassi for the link-up!

magic

Kindness is like magic, if you ask me. I believe in the adage, One good turn deserves another. I am fortunate to have been on the receiving end of much magic lately.

Last spring I wrote about my huswif project and told you about how generous Theresa was with encouragement and guidance. Well, her kindness has been constant since that time in the forms of reading here, commenting, and thereby encouraging me further. For those gifts I am humbly grateful. In December, she hosted a give-away which I entered, fingers crossed, and considering her large readership, I figured I didn't have much chance of winning. I did not win. Jokingly, I posted a "whine" comment, and she took pity on me! (or probably more accurately, she saw an opportunity to be generous!) The give-away was for some goodies from Namaste, a company that specializes in knitting bags in some beautiful colors and styles. Bag Lady that I am, I had no Namaste bags in my collection. Well, Theresa remedied that and then some! Look what she sent me for not winning but whining:

Now, I do not advocate whining, I have a five year old, and she'd be the first to tell you that my hearing is unusually poor if a request is made in whiny-voice. I thought maybe I'd get a chuckle out of Theresa with the whine, but, wow! She sent me a parcel with a colorful, handy Namaste Catalina pouch, a purple Namaste totebag (did you know purple is my fave?), and two skeins of Noro Blossom which is soft and jewel-y and gorgeous! All that, out of the kindness of her heart, her generous heart. Thank you, Theresa. <3

And also from her generous spirit, sprouted the idea of a Magic Yarn Ball Swap a'la Knitalong. The participants (it took me about 20 seconds to join that fun!) were assigned a swap partner, and we each wound a Magic Ball to send. My swap partner, Britt, was so quick! The guidelines for the swap allowed us until January, so my last-minute tendencies found me sending my Magic Ball on Saturday. I had fun hiding items inside, and I hope Britt enjoys it to its very core! Here is the ball I received:

Do you see those very curious bits of paper? I've been dying to find out what's inside this ball, but I've been waiting until I sent her Magic Ball, it only seemed right. I'm planning on casting on for a pair of JCasa fingerless mitts today. Thank you, Britt! <3

Of course, you noticed that delicious pile of flannel goodness that the Magic Ball is perched upon... more generosity! My knitting group recently gathered for our holiday celebration (better late than never), and the Girls rolled my birthday in there too! It's a bunch of Anna Maria Horner flannel from her new Folksy Flannel line and the cherries are from Sandi Henderson's Farmers Market line. I'm looking forward to some happy sewing time and all the comfy-ness this fabric will yield! We're planning a pj pants sew-a-thon sometime soon. :) Thank you, thank you, knitting Girls!

So, about that saying, One good turn deserves another:

Theresa, I've sent a wee little something. :)

Britt, your Magic Ball is on its way. :)

Knitting Girls, let's make some pj's! :)

xoxo - Annri

color infusion!

I have noticed a pattern in my knitting project color preferences which follows the seasons. Spring whispers, "Pink, bright green, clear blue." Summer inspires me to choose watered down bright shades: sky blue and dusty pink. In the autumn, orange, purple, green, grey and brown call to me, "knit me! knit me!" Then winter shouts out, "Anything bright & cheery, please!" It happened last year, I recall clearly. And here I go again!I would never argue that anyone has a better color sense than Mother Nature, but I could be convinced that the color folks who dye Malabrigo must have some kind of hot-line to Mother Nature's palettes. I've just started another Lyalya Hoodie in Malabrigo shade Flora. And I often have knitting at my side in the kitchen (what, don't you?). So the yarn was sitting on the counter, waiting patiently while I sauteed, and when I turned around I noticed that some of the fruit in the fruit bowl were nuzzling the yarn. I wasn't surprised and I don't blame them. Grapefruit pink & gold, Honeycrisp red & pink, Orange, well, orange! Totally yummy!

This hoodie is going to be a gift for a friend's Little who will soon be two. Shhhh... don't tell. I would like to introduce you to this very talented & beautiful friend and mother. Her name is Nancy Melet-Daly. We met about twelve years ago, when I received a pair of her silver hand-linked earrings which were on display at a cafe where the sprout of a knitting clutch was forming. At the time of receiving the earrings, I only knew her name and her work. Perhaps two weeks later, Nancy showed up at our weekly meet-up with her knitting! A friendship was born. Many knit-nights later and many, many earrings, necklaces and bracelets later, I am proud to say that we remain friends, I won't say "more than ever" because it's never about degrees with Nancy, she's an all or nothing kind of friend. I admire so many things about Nancy; the way she conducts her business, her family and friends, her hair, her jewelry, her sweet child, her home, and I could go on... Check out her site, check out her Etsy shop, heck, give her a call! She will welcome you with open arms and treat you like a good friend. Oh, and just in case you're wondering what this has to do with my color infusion post (besides the hoodie), just look at this vintage glass goodness or this:

Slipping this bracelet on this morning was just the infusion of cheery color that I was craving! Thank you, Nancy, I love you.

I hope you're having a colorful day! xo

ETA: When I say, "...all or nothing..." I mean that once you are Nancy's friend, you might as well be family, because she loves you just like you were. <3

a toast

Here's to 2009 in craft! {click the photo to enlarge}

Thank you for all your visits here. Your comments put a smile on my face and lift my heart; I really appreciate that reverberation, and I hope that same good vibration echoes over into your place wherever your nest may be. I have made re-connections and new connections, have been reassured of kindness and generosity, and have marvelled at creative beauty in so many forms because of this Woolnest and my travels around the wonderous web. The experience has nourished me in the most delicious way!

So, I raise my needles (tee-hee!) to You, to 2009, and to 2010, bring it, I'm ready! (that is, once I finish those few straggling projects from 2009....) ;-)

xoxo

best - Annri

Thanksgiving

quiet expression

abundant inspiration

joyful gratitude

My wishes for you, my family, my Spirit-Sisters and my Friends. Thanks to you for what you give. All days and today especially, I hope you find yourself surrounded by goodness and goodies and heaps of gratitude.

Much love - Annri

the makings of a happy birthday

warning: long story but with a happy ending.

Hana turned five last Monday. To start things off right, she opened a few gifts in the morning, before big brother and dad went off for their days. Then, our usual but special playdate. Next, meatball making, cake baking and decorating with me! That all requires a stay-at-home-day which is our favorite kind, so there's a bonus gift. After her favorite dinner, came opening the extra surprise: her cool pink plasma car! Then blowing out the candle on her birthday cake! Check out the cute candle holder doll from The Small Object! That was one of Hana's a.m. gifts, and she was so tickled with a special holder that she decided to forego any other candles because "this is special enough by itself, mama." Sweetie! It was a great day.

After the "business" of celebrating, on Tuesday we began to prepare for her birthday party, which was Sunday. Hana's vision for the party included a pinata, "We definitely, definitely need to have a pinata, Mom!" She had been very consistent with that wish, so it became my vision too. My vision for a pinata included homemade, so we made a pretty good-sized mess with some flour, water, and newspaper; it was so fun! I love that after the mess got going, she asked for her apron (the one my mom made for her) and then there was no stopping her! I even took a pretty long phone call while Hana pasted away! One round bowl, one flat-bottomed bowl, some tape, some poster paint, a red felt ball cherry on top, and a healthy dose of imagination, and by Sunday we had a cute, petite cupcake pinata filled with lollipops, some mini candies, and flower fairies (and a race car, believe me, he liked the race car better)! Alas, I did not get a photo of the pinata.

For the party, Hana requested a vanilla cake with chocolate frosting and strawberries on top, yummy! Serendipidously, Alison posted her recipe for buttercream frosting just that week, mentioning a chocolate version... hmmm... perfect! I got up the courage to try it (by myself Saturday night) and it worked out delicously! It seemed like Alison was right there in my kitchen holding my hand and encouraging me through the whole thing. Thank you, Alison!

Do you remember my watched-pot knits? Well, Saturday night while watching the frosting do its thing, I was putting the finishing re-touches on the princess crown hat Hana is wearing in the outdoor photo above (click on the pic to enlarge). Alison also held my hand through that one, as she designed it and included the pattern in her beautiful book, Fairy Tale Knits.

To make a sweet long story shorter, Alison and I go way back, about fifteen-years-and-five-children-between-us back (not to mention the number of knits and baskets between us!). After we'd known each other for about six years and had become very good friends, life moved her family away from Ann Arbor. I am a poor long-distance friend (however this blog and the internet are helping me mend my ways), so Alison and I were only in touch very infrequently. Miraculously, the occassional out-of-the-blue phone call or note would land itself at the moments in our respective lives when something wonderful was happening for the other; another baby, a year in Rome, Italy, another baby! Most recently, a comment on this blog cropped up, and the something wonderful was her book! My amazing friend, Alison, wrote a book! We have picked up where we left off many years ago, even coming to the realization that we read the same blogs, knit the same projects, and need a good buttercream frosting recipe! These coincidences are nothing new to our relationship, but even over all the miles and all this time, the things that brought us together when we were two miles apart remain the same; that is such a reassurance (and a testament to her patience as a friend). Thank you, Alison.

So, did you catch that, re-touches to the hat? After I finished it the first time, it stretched in length like crazy, it covered Hana's eyes! The beauty of the repair was that I only needed to take out the hem and picot edge since the hat and crown were knit separately and then joined for the edge and hem! Yes, I did see the wee hours of the morning, but hey, it wouldn't be a birthday around here if I hadn't!

Still with me? I warned you this would be long, but I hope you smiled a few times... we sure did!

my place and yours: blog hq

This week's My Place and Yours theme is Blog HQ. So, here's my computing corner. It's in the living room these days, tucked in the corner by the window. I can be nearby for Hana playing around since her favorite play space is any space I'm in! It's nice that the feeling's mutual!

It's an old table that we found at our local treasure shop way back when, before kids. It has a creaky sway to it; one of those sounds that worrisome yet familiar and homey. The candle holder was a birthday gift from a too far away friend. The lidded pumpkin sculpture is a Koji original (I think from grade 5?); I can't tell you how precious it is to me, but you probably have objet d'art for which you have similar feelings... A gnome home and the resident gnome from a school sale many years ago. A stack of wooden slices which Hana placed there a while ago and for some reason I like them there (they also make nice coasters). And then the small piece of free-form crochet, also from Koji's hands (grade 3). On the wall, a root wreath that friends gave to me for my birthday over a decade ago at our local farmers' market. Within the wreath, my wooly goddess of curly-locks, Aubergine, whom I bought for myself for a long-ago birthday.

My corner is full of love, you see...

Happy Halloween!

BOO! Did you have a fun-filled Halloween? We sure did! Pumpkins to carve, leaves to jump in, food to bake, costumes to change into (and change into again!), grandparents to visit, and dinner & trick-or-treating with good friends! Phew. The baking I did were gallettes/handpies a'la Maya. Yummy! I will definitely make them again, soon. (note to self: do not shy away from making home-made crust, it's no biggie!) Mmmm...

I will try to have a Socktoberfest Mini-sock/stocking wrap-up post tomorrow. My attention turned to the craft room today, so it's looking pretty tidy and ready for some holiday creatin'!

<3

Getting cozy! It has been unseasonably cold this past week, and somehow this woolly girl found herself with no slippers. How did that happen?! No time to knit and felt a pair, I felt it was an emergency! So in keeping with my interest in looking after myself more regularly, I fixed it: So, now you don't need to worry that I'm cold. ;-) By the way, Alison wrote out some nice thoughts about taking care of oneself; reading that was like she was talking directly to me (as she's an old friend, I could even hear her voice).

Look what came in the mail!!! Some Sophie's Toes in the Christmas Tree colorway; isn't it great? I was looking to score some more Christmas Lights, but wasn't shopping at the right time over at Emily's shop. No problem! This is going to make a bunch of mini-socks/stockings and a pair of baby booties. I think I was getting a bit bogged down with so many in the same color, so looking forward to a fresh color should help me get caught up. Emily also sent a small ball of an autumnal colorway that will make a mini also! Yippee for knitterly kindness! Thank you, Emily.
Yes, you read right, "caught up." I've got eleven mini-stockings knit. Today is the 17th. I think I can catch up, but I am not going to be self-critical because I have been legitimately otherwise occupied. By otherwise, I mean: lots of soccer games (did I mention the cold?), substituting in kindergarten :), other knitting, family-keeping, birthday celebrating, and it's all great and fun but has not led to many finished minis. The other knitting that has been keeping me busy is almost done, so I'll try to get some nice pics and post again soon. Oh, and I won't come back without at least one more mini-sock! ;)

xoxo and <3 (that heart is from Hana)

ETA - I just noticed that Emily has taken her shop to a show today, so check back there in a few days to shop her yummy sock knitting related goodness! <3

form of fall

Fall has been taking beautiful form here at the woolnest. Daily rhythm of school for the boy, lots of crafting and stories for the girl, dedicated at-home time for me, and the freedom of "school's out" for the dad. All that good routine, plus some novelties in the form of soccer, dance, girls' weekend, and Michigan football games has made us all very content.It seems that we're always crafting something, but to facilitate happier days at home for Hana and me, I try to think out some specific projects to pull out of my hat. A couple of weeks ago, I made appear a felting project that I had been mulling over for a while now. These pumpkins are the result of about a half-hour's worth of wet felting. We wrapped roving around some pinky balls (you know those super bouncy ones that are about the size of a tennis ball?), about five layers, with special attention paid to laying the fibers crosswise to the previous layer. Then we lowered the roving-covered balls into a basin of hot, soapy water, cradling the ball in our palms. Then I instructed Hana to cuddle the ball as gently as she could, as if she were handling a little chick. As I notice her wool starting to felt, I let her know that she can now pet the ball more like she pets the cat. Then, finally I let her knead the ball like bread dough. She really loved the whole process. After a night of drying, I snipped open the tops, and we felted the rims of the lid and the base so they wouldn't look so frayed and loose. Then we carefully needle-felted the stems; first the handle, leaving some loose bits to attach it to the lid. I plan to knit some wee mousies to hide inside the pumpkins for a bit of Halloween anticipation-quelling treat. Do your kids ask you every day, "How many days until Halloween?"?

And speaking of anticipation-quelling, here are the mini socks to-date for the Advent garland that I am knitting for Socktober. No. 6 is on the needles, a dark red one. I'm glad to be making these again, they are so cute and fun! We have also discovered that the sock is just the right size for Charlotte, Hana's newest not-new doll! She and her dad found themselves in the local "treasure store" while I was away, and scored a cute vintage doll! That's my girl! So, Chinese Lanterns and bouquets of basil, pumpkins and black cats, and mini-socks! I love the fall!!!

be well - xo

there, that's better

I woke up in a funk this morning. So, I took a hold of the situation, and after a bit of pot-banging while making breakfast, I made myself some cookies. World Peace Cookies. If I had some toffee on hand, I might have tried Alison's recipe, but that'll have to wait until the next trip to the grocery. Now I feel much better! One of my regular gripes around here is, "No one makes me cookies." It is only a half-hearted complaint, as I love to bake. But sometimes, when I haven't had the chance to, and I really could go for a treat, those words escape my mouth (unto deaf ears usually).

So, here I sit in the porch, Saturday afternoon, kitty in lap (achoo!), coffee steaming, cookies waiting, and some knitting looking for some attention. I hope your weekend is as beautiful as mine is turning out to be! Here, have a cookie!

in the air

Things that are "in the air" here right now:

* cat dander (sorry if that made you sneeze),

* the smell of oatmeal+chocolate chip cookies,

* steam from the rice cooker,

* a few unfinished knitting projects,

* live guitar twangs (singing to go with),

* lots of laughter from cousins (and sisters) who are happy to be together,

and finally,

* autumn!

I will submit that it's probably really just Indian Summer, but this morning it sure did feel like fall here. Chilly and wet with a vague drone from crickets, frogs, and cicadas, all of them seeming to me like a call out for change. The change that is coming is nearly tangible in the air, it's definitely visible in the garden; the leaves of many of the plants are just slightly more yellow than last week, the hummingbird is visiting less often, the nasturtium are full and glowing, the pumpkin plant seems to be racing to spread its vine.

Of course, then there's the calendar (sometimes I just want to bury it!) Early September means a surgery for my father. The surgery brings a visit from my other sister. And, of course, autumn brings high school for Koji with all the dates to be kept for welcome-gatherings, parent orientation, etc. Also on the calendar is hubby's graduation from graduate school - big, happy letters on the calendar next weekend, then a lot of free time that certainly wasn't there for him/us over the last year-and-a-half. That will be a very welcome change!

Seeing that last paragraph written out explains to me why I feel a sense of pending. I'm glad for this place to think, write, and share. Thank you for reading. I hope you are all well wherever you are in place and time... :)

buckets of thanks

Earlier this summer at Camp Michigania, my campmate with whom I sewed (alot!) gave me a "thank you for the pj pants sewing workshop" gift. She gave me a Maya*made coffee sack/burlap bucket! Now, I don't think my friend knew how much I'd been wanting one of those, hovering at Maya's etsy shop, waiting for just the right one, but somehow in that way that good friends (or sisters!) always seem to know, she knew! I gushed thanks at the time, but here's another big shout out: THANK YOU! to K... ;-) You're such a generous friend.

Now, right before camp, Maya made available in her Etsy shop a PDF pattern to make a round burlap bucket, and I did not hesitate to purchase that as soon as I saw it. I set the pattern on the sewing room table for "someday". Well, "someday" happened last week, and look what I made! Speaking of generous people, I think it is very generous for designers/makers to share their patterns for re-interpretation; it is a kind-spirited offering on many levels, don't you think? So, thank you to Maya too!
I made the medium size, without handles, and turned over the top inch or so for show. I used heavyweight linen which I purchased from LinenMe for the outside and quilting cotton for the linings. Since the linen is so sturdy, I only padded the bottom of the buckets with cotton batting, not the sides as in the pattern. I left the selvage exposed because I like the look of the linen strings. The cotton of two of them matches the new bathroom cutain.

The buckets are now housing the lotions+potions in the bathroom. I'm very happy with these! The pattern is very clear, it was smooth sailing all the way. I'm sure I'll make more since there seems to be so much stuff around here that needs to be contained! It might as well be a pretty container, right?!

Just for fun, since I know you'd like to see it:

This threesome visits out apple tree every day. :-)

the living's easy

Well, hello! How are you? The weather here has been so beautiful that we've been outside or in the porch more than in! Sunflowers blooming, morning glories climbing, nasturtium glowing, birds singing, hummingbirds humming, breezes blowing --- it all points us outdoors. And all the being outdoors makes me very happy. The big boy's guitar has even ventured outside a few times for some evening fireside strumming. Did you know that Green Day songs count as camp fire songs? ;-) One must take what one can get; but truthfully, I like all the music that streams from that guitar and my boy's hands. At this current stage, the teenager only exposes such obvious parent-pleasing behavior very sparingly, so these moments are noted and treasured! We've also been out of the house visiting over at my folks often this week, because one of my sisters is in town! Also, we celebrated my brother's birthday. It is very fulfilling to spend time in each others' company; that kind of easy company that can only be shared with one's family or very closest friends. We're looking forward to my other sister's visit (it includes cousins!) next month too!

When I come in at night, and I spend some time on the internet (an outing of sorts), I have been happily inspired by friends whom I've come to know. Wow, there is some seriously beautiful creativity going on out there, everywhere. I'm astounded by the open thinking, the kindness, the perspective, and the generosity. I can't get over the reciprocal visits I have had here; women whom I see as virtual celebrities, really. Somebody pinch me! Thank you for the visits and comments; they are like treasures to me.

The knitting is still going on, surely. The Spring Garden Tee from Never Not Knitting is done, and I hope to get some pics of it on its wearer this weekend. Hana has worn it once (immediately, upon completion), and it looked sweet, but I think a more blog-worthy ensemble is in order. It is a great top, the pattern was smooth sailing, and I plan to knit a wee version soon. I'm thinking of a wool version for the fall too, as the shape will lend itself to layering beautifully. I'm sold on Alana's patterns, it is obvious that she knows what a little girl needs to/wants to/will wear. I just downloaded the Chloe cardigan too! A topper like that is bound to get a lot of wear over dresses, keeping everything cozy as we like it.

So, you see, between posts here, life is good. I hope it's good where you are too. Thanks for stopping by!

xo

back at it!

So, we're back from a great time at camp! It seems like every time we go, it's the best time ever, and considering that we've been going for eleven years straight, I think we're pretty lucky! It was hot and sunny, perfect to be on+in the water. When we weren't blowing bubbles, playing catch, or listening to the birds, the sewing machines were humming happily making pj's, pj's, pj's! and a couple of adorable unicorn skirts:

That's the best picture I have at the moment, but you get the idea, right? We used the Lazy Day Skirt pattern from Oliver+S. I'd made a few already, but my friend wanted a private camp workshop, so I gladly obliged since I wanted to make one more from this dreamy adorable double-gauze from Heather Ross' new line, Far Far Away. I hadn't used double-gauze before, but now I am hankering for more! It is so soft and sews up easily (I was worried). The gauze ups the dreamy factor of the magical unicorn print, and of course the way Heather does color is magic in itself! Our little girls love the skirts! What you cannot see in the photo is that the girls are wearing self-made unicorn horns! Part of the kids' experience at camp is beckoning and waiting for the magical unicorn who lives in the woods by camp. At the end of the week the unicorn delivers candy for all the kids! I love camp!

Re-entry has been pretty gentle since the hubby is on vacation this week too! We attended a birthday party, watched some baseball, worked in the garden, and had some painting done in and out. The barn got a fresh coat:

And in the mainfloor bathroom the walls got a long-awaited and much-needed fresh coat of sunny apricot! Shortly after we moved into this house, in a moment of diy delusion, I painted the bathroom. It was great until the next day when it was dry, then it began to crackle! A professional painter I am not! Wrong type of paint on top of the right kind of paint... So I made "lemonade" and washed a sunny orange over the white crackle and for a while it worked. Eventually, the cracks started chipping, and so it went until now. Now it's as it should be and pretty to boot! And since I can steal away to the sewing room pretty easily when dad's around, the bathroom window got prettied up too! A simple tabbed curtain from some stash fabric and muslin. I think some fresh towels are in order, don't you?

While at camp, friendship bracelets were the teen craft of choice (I made a few too!). For a while now, I've been ruminating on a crochet necklace w/discs or flowers or tiny granny squares, so since I hadn't put the embroidery floss away yet, I've been crocheting discs. It's addictive! I get lost in the possibilities of color combinations, sizes, and patterns! It feels great to get around to an idea that's been rattling around, you know? The pink+yellow version is Hana's pink lemonade necklace. Here's another one still in progress:


Fireworks tonight! More relaxation tomorrow! It's good to be home!

knit night

For ten years, on Monday nights our knitting group had been gathering for knitting of course, but also for the comraderie. Some nights we'd just talk; the need to share our days trumping the need to knit. Most nights though, knitting & chatting went together accented by the occassional burst of laughter.

Some how over the last year our meetings have dropped from our calendars; family illness, returning to school, and plain old family life happened, and our gatherings have become a rare event. We check in with eachother via email or running into one another around town, but it's just not the same. We had a good run there for that decade! The occassions that we do still try to gather for are one another's birthdays; what better gift than to make time for a friend?I was out of town for the last birthday get-together, but tonight we had a plain old knit night, so I brought along the birthday gift in hopes that the birthday girl would be there. (She was!) The zipper pouch is made with a Etsuko Furuya echino fabric and is lined with some chambray (ala repurposed Ralph Lauren bed sheet). It is large enough for a 100g ball of sock yarn (or two 50g), needles, notions, and sock-in-progress (about 9x3x3). I put a handle on one end which can fit around a wrist for knitting on the go. I drafted the pattern for the bag myself after seeing similar bags at an on-line shop that was always sold out - I wanted one! I've made many of these bags as gifts for fellow knitters and have gotten nice feedback, so I'll keep making them! I'm kind of proud of their utility, and the geometry of the box/bag pleases me somehow. Hooray for DIY!

For this birthday girl (our knitting group's co-founder), I added a yummy ball of LanaGrossa Fun sock yarn which matches the bag! Yes, she wears handknit socks and she drives a Vespa! She's very cool.

Isn't my photo-stylist cute?!

may day

What a beautiful day full of sunshine, music, song, dance, and friends. May Pole dancing at our son's school, a faire, quiet moments with a good friend; I will call this day the beginning of spring. The weather has been teetering on the verge of spring, but today the sun tipped the scale! I've felt on the edge of many situations in the last weeks, and peering over the edge has been scary and made me feel insecure. Today, I claim to stand firmly on this edge knowing I am strong enough to do what is needed of me for those I love, including myself. I will be sure.

simple

Lately, I've been practicing "getting with my gratitude." I admit, I need to remind myself frequently. Once it occurs to me, it's not hard because I am a fortunate being. I'm getting better; catching myself before complaining (or whining), turning the situation around in my thinking, looking for that silver lining.


The cotton washcloth is a gift for a young girl who sees the silver lining just by virtue of being a child, even though she could rightfully find a bone to pick with Fate. I'll wrap it with a bar of handmade (not by me) lavendar soap and a book.


I've also been pushing myself to act on ideas that have been lingering on the list of "somedays." Asking myself, "Why not today?" And that has brought about the moss terrarium below and the one I made for a friend. Looking at it makes me smile and sends my imagination off into that forest of tiny-ness. Soil from my garden, moss from here & there in the yard... why did I put that off?!

It's not the clearest photo, but this post is not just about the pictures.

Here's to doing the To Do List and smiling about it!