bee season

Do you see that sweet bumble bee feasting in the sunflower below? He must have been completely drunk with pollen, he's hardly visible because he's covered in it! {This is a photo from last summer since this year's sunflower crop was enjoyed as salad by the deer. A few of the stalks which were left over from the deer's feast have sprouted some blossoms, but they're stragglers, late bloomers. Ah, well.}I have a thing for bees. Their buzz is among my favorite sounds, along with the sounds of the breath of a sleeping child, rainfall, chirping crickets, wind in the trees, laughter, waves.... I like achieving the point of quiet at which a bee can be heard.

I also have a thing for stripes.

Bees + stripes = happiness!These are my Skew socks in Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Bee Stripe. Socks only a bee-loving stripe-crazed knitter could love because they are busy in a dizzying way! Do they ever make me smile. I can hardly wait to sport them in my clogs this fall, but I will be patient as there is still a bunch of summer to enjoy.This pattern is genius, really. Mind bending. A leap of faith. Blind following is required. And the reward is plenty. Not entirely unlike the life of a bee, right? I really enjoyed knitting these and will probably make others. I highly recommend it to you! How are things with you? Bearing the heat ok here in the northern hemisphere? Just warming up down under? I'm wishing you well from my part of this wonderful internet bee-hive. Buzz... buzz... buzz...

will knit for honey

Early in the spring, a friend asked me if I'd be interested in knitting a baby sweater for pay. I'd not knit for a fee before, and to be honest I wasn't sure if I wanted a knitting "job". So I asked her to tell me about whom I'd be knitting for. Well, to make a long story short, a friend of her husband has a friend who just had a baby boy. The baby's father is a musician (as is my friend's husband and the intermediary friend) and the baby's mother is a bee keeper. Right about there in the story is when I decided, "yes, I will knit the sweater," and that I would rather have honey in trade than money. Phew! - uncomfortable money-related situation avoided. Hooray! - a yummy feel-good tale to tell.I knew almost immediately which sweater I would knit: ribbon-tied wool vest from Simple Knits for Cherished Babies. This sweater is an all-time favorite of mine. I have knitted solid versions and speckled Koigu versions. I love the way the sleeves cuddle a chubby baby bicep (can you call it a bicep on a baby?) and the way the baby's belly fills up the front. Since the front and back neck-shaping is the same, if one omits the ribbon at the neck, the sweater can be worn forward or backward (and the neck opening is wide enough for baby's head without shoulder buttons). The only design request was that the sweater be bee-striped. I used Dale of Norway Baby Ull which I ordered from Woolybaabaa.com. I'm especially happy with the yellow for its golden hue as opposed to a lemon-y shade; to me, it had to be a golden yellow to be bee-appropriate.
Part way through the project, a silly image of me sitting with the knitting and a sign propped up against me which read "Will knit for honey" popped into my head. I remember as a young girl, seeing people out of work, displaying signs which read "Will work for food". Thank goodness I do not need to knit for food (or money) and not intending to be insensitive here, of course, but the image of me with my sign did help me glide through my first knitting "job"!

[other details on my Ravelry page]
[oh, and the child's clothes hanger is from Small Object]

Are you having a good weekend? Except for a baseball-related black-eye, we are. Go Netherlands! Hup! Hup!

tip toe

Hi. This is me, tip toeing back into this "room", my happy blogging place. (I prefer, for myself, a quiet, unassuming entrance to a room.) So much has been happening around the woolnest, the good and the not so, as usual. Here's a bit of the good...These peppy little socks are Turkish Bed Socks by Faith Munson for Churchmouse Teas & Yarns. The yarn is from Twisted Hare Fibers and initially produced blocks of red, blue & green which would have been great in a regular sock but wasn't working for me in this anklet. So I did stripes of 3 rows except for the sole below the heel. I modified the pattern to avoid seaming (and wrote the mods on my Ravelry page). They are a happy pair of socks and make me smile. I've since knit another pair for a friend but did not take a photo before gifting. There will probably be more; they look great inside my clogs! :)Little Hana socks here, just for fun! I'm glad to be back. I hope things with you all are fine and as you like them. I'll see you again on Saturday, ok? xoxo

basics

In my last post, I captured a highlight of last week: rollerskates! Good ol' 4-wheelers! (I learned they are referred to as "quads" in the sporting goods world.) Oh boy, are we having fun with these!So, what I wanted to tell you more about was Hana's new sweater. I purchased the yarn online at The Knitting Garden. Buying yarn from Elizabeth is always a pleasure, and the yarn is the softest that I've ever knit (that's saying a lot!). The style is simple; sometimes with all that is going on with her other clothes "stylistically" (ahem), a simple something on top is nice (necessary!) She has worn it everyday that's been cool since it's been finished! She reports that it is soft enough to wear with short sleeves; she's happy that the cuffs don't need turning; the buttons are easy; "I love my new sweater, Mama!" And for that sweet comment, she's probably going to get a variation of the cover sweater come autumn...

I'll tell you about the skirt too. It's a Lazy Day Skirt from wonderful Oliver+S. This pattern is a freebie from the blog (over in the sidebar). I've made this skirt a bunch of times, always with easy success. I've taught to friends with happy results every time. The main fabric I used this time is from CottonBlue at Etsy. CottonBlue is full of beautiful Japanese fabric & zakka (= useful goodies). Each of the little matroyshka dolls is a bit different from the other; one holding flowers, one with a bird, one with a flower in her hair, one with a bundle of hearts. I really like prints with a bit of a story to tell, sometimes if the mood is right Hana will spin a little tale from what she sees in a special piece of cloth. The pattern teaches a clever hem technique which calls for ribbon. If I don't have a ribbon that I like with the fabric, I fall back on this huge roll of chambray double-fold tape I made thinking that I was making double-fold bias tape (much grumbling upon that discovery). The tape has turned out to be very useful, so it wasn't a complete loss. For Hana, I can still get a below-the-knee length skirt from a half-yard of fabric and a half-hour of sewing time! Truely a happy bargain.

Have you heard about Kids Clothes Week Challenge? Meg of Elsie Marley is sponsoring a challenge/sew-along for the second week in May. The challenge is to commit at least one hour each day to sewing some kids clothes! Awesome, right? I want to play!!! Wanna'?!

remedies

The warm sunshine today was like a remedy for my winter-trodden soul. Ahhh... We get what we need.

Another recent remedy: my Rose Remedy Top! I'm really liking a short-sleeved sweater over a long-sleeved t-shirt or blouse lately. The change in season means a whole wool sweater might be too warm, but a top like this keeps my shoulders and core just right! Please forgive the hodge-podge of pictures, it's the best I could get, and I wanted to show you this top before... well, before I forget to! The sleeve construction is so unique, and while knitting I wasn't sure how it was all going to go together. There are several eyelets that you create with the front & back pieces, then those eyelets set off the sleeve like a visual seam. After seaming, a few rows of stockinette to add a rolled edge, and ta-da! a short sleeve!

When I first saw the Sage Remedy Top on Ravelry, I failed to notice the feather & fan motif on the lower portion of the back. Had I seen it that time, I probably would have queued it up sooner. It wasn't until I viewed another Raveler's photos of the back of hers that I got the whole picture and was sold.

Here's the feather & fan section of the front (along with Hana's ponytail!). The placement is perfect, in my opinion. The scoop neckline hits at a nice spot on me. I'm shopping around for the perfect t-shirt (aren't we all?) to go with it; the t's I have all seem to be pretty high crewnecks... I know, I know, get over it, right? ;)

Besides being a cute picture of the Wee, this picture shows the gathering that happens right beneath the lace section on the front. This makes the top blousey in a very nice way, pretty. I'm glad that the yarn (Great American Yarns Merino/Silk) is so lightweight, almost airy, because it doesn't weigh down the top. You can see in the top photo that there is a ribbing. That ribbing works to pull in the bottom of the top just enough, again accentuating the blousing effect. The ribbing looked too tight while knitting, but once it was blocked (the pattern tells you just how wide to stretch it), it's perfect!

My Rose Remedy Top has been worn a bunch already. It is a cozy & pretty reminder that Spring is inching its way here...

Now, to remedy the blah way I've been feeling about the interior of the house, tonight I'm channeling my inner Lucy of Attic 24 (cookies too, except mine have dried cherries!). She has an attic in her home where she crafts, how awesome is that? In my imagination, it is the artist's garret of my dreams, candelabra and all! I'll be back tomorrow to show you how this remedy works...

What sort of remedies are you applying these days??? I hope they're working wonders!

accumulation

An accumulation of gratitude, snow, and granola bars...

I thought I should drop in here to say, "Phew! February is on it's way out!" And I would like to say thank you for all the encouragement to be bold back to this longest shortest month, and return all the virtual high-fives you gave me about the Crafty Crow appearance. Thank You!This is some of the beautiful snow that fell last week. Here is what we did with some of it:*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

For some reason today, I just had to make granola bars. I haven't tried making it from scratch before. I've found it hard to find one that I really like at the store. I'm picky about the bars I buy; I don't tolerate cashews, don't want the chocolate (I know, I know, blasphemous), like a good portion of chew, a titch of salt, and not too sweet. Please. Oh, and I love knowing exactly what's in there. I guess it should have occurred to me sooner. I tweeked a recipe I found over at delicious Smitten Kitchen. My modifications: I only had whole almonds, so I sent them through the nut-grinder. I didn't have wheat germ, so substituted oat bran. In my impatience, I added the oat bran before I was instructed, so it got toasted with the oats, almonds, and coconut (unsweetened); no harm done. Our honey is very solid, so I melted it a bit before mixing it in. And I felt compelled to add 2 tbls of butter, melted (Deb said I could!) For fruit I used dried cranberries, dried apricots, and raisins. You can see the sunflower seeds on top; that's because I forgot to mix them in. I just pushed them onto the top of the granola bars after it was all pressed into the pan. YUM. I think you should make some too. {By the way, that rigatoni is calling my name!}

So, if you're reading, you've made it through February too! Hooray for us! I hope to have a finished object (or two) to share later this week. Time to check out the Closing Ceremonies; the Olympics really helped me through this last bit of the calendar. :)

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!

buffer

Buffer, filter, protection... whatever you call it, I've been applying it in many forms. In my last post I mentioned getting away and lots of tea, additionally there have been pots of soup and baking, game playing, reading, and most recently Olympics watching. Throughout all of those wonderful modes of coping with February, there is the constant presence of my wool & needles. Here is the way I've been buffering my noggin from the cold:
It's a Coline hat from Lucy at {a-black-pepper}. I used Berroco Ultra Alpaca in color 6257 and size 8 needles. In the pattern, Lucy has links to a few versions of a tubular cast-on, and I used Ysolda's from that list. Had I the right (smaller) needles with me on our get away, I think the cast-on edge would not roll at all, but I only had the 8's. So there's a tiny roll and it has grown on me, and I kind of like it now. The pattern is perfect and clear. I had not worked cables in a long time and was a bit tentative, but I really wanted this hat. Can you see that some of the areas within the cables are in stockinette stitch and some are in reverse stockinette stitch? I didn't notice that until I sat with the pattern, but it really makes the pattern special and is probably what subconsciously attracted me to this cable hat over others I have seen. I love the effect! I made the medium size hat, and it fits very well. I love it with my new red down coat! (hey, there's another buffer!) {eta: the designer's name is Lucy, for some reason thru a message on Ravelry, I got the idea her name was Kim... even though I was pretty sure it was Lucy. Strangeness. Anyway, Lucy is the creative brilliance at {a-black-pepper}, you should check her out!}
Also, I have a new top to protect me from our drafty windows! It's very comfortable and colorful. It is a Grown-up Girl Neighborly from Larissa of Stitches in Play. She modified Jennifer's (JCasa*Handmade) original Neighborly (for little girls) which I love too. Hana will get one someday. Jennifer's concept for Neighborly includes knitting an additional top for someone else, a "neighbor" so to speak. So, to honor her intention, there'll be probably at least two more coming off my needles! It was a pleasure to knit in an adult size, so I can only imagine that it will be quick and fun in wee sizes. My top turned out to be a stash-buster as I've had the two skeins of navy Lamb's Pride in the Stash for about ten years! The two skeins of Noro Kureyon are newer, but still had been in the Stash for a good while. Very satisfying to be chipping away at the Stash! Even Hana's color choices are skeins from the Stash. (there are more details & modification notes on my Ravelry page)

So that is how I've been holding winter's cold at bay. Simple, humble knitting. To cheer my soul and warm my bones. Thank goodness for the tools at hand and for having the able hands to apply to comfort. click. click. click...

How have you been comforting yourself through these days?

Ps - Thank you for the pep-talk in the comments on my last post. It has truly put a bounce in my snowboots! :)

eternal optimist

My feelings about the month of February boil down to a feeling that it is to be endured. It has seemed this way since some time in high school, so some 27 (!) years ago. However, I am an eternal optimist; my husband has even called my optimism dangerous, as in it is dangerous for me to be optimistic about everything, it can cause disappointments (he says this out of concern for my well-being). He exaggerates, but in a way, he is right. Each year, as February rolls around, I give myself a pep-talk and make plans to power through. I tell myself, "Really, Annri, this is the shortest month; buck up, power through, it can't be that bad." And then, for the most part, February shows up and messes with me.

Now, I like to tell it like it is, not too much sugar-coating because I don't like to play Fool to Reality. Here we sit at the half-way point, and I'm still fighting back (imagine me in a put-up-your-dukes stance like the NotreDame leprechaun), so that's a good sign, right? And if I look at this February through my usual rose-tinted glasses, by George, I'm still standing! Sure, we were sick, but we're better now. Sure, February is grey, but we've got a bunch of snow now! Sure, the walls start to move in closer by this point in winter, but I got away last weekend! Sure, it's taken boxes of St.John'sWort tea (with orange rinds added!), but there's nothing wrong with that! I'm chipping away at the yarn Stash, that's good! I've enhanced the Stash, and that's always good! I'm finishing some projects that have been hanging around for a long time, that's good!

So to summarize, it seems that this year I am tipping the scales, folks! Call me optimistic, but I think that here at the half-way point, I'm staring February down, and I think I see its knees shaking a bit! Cheer for me, okay?

it's so cold...

...but the sun was out to play!::: eating cinnamon roll bread ::: thanks to Beth
::: knitting on a neighborly ::: thanks to Jennifer and Larissa
::: reading & cuddling ::: I can't wait until she's old enough for Pippi
::: drinking hot tea ::: St.John's Good Mood Tea, Traditional Medicinal
::: listening to some good stories ::: thanks to NPR
::: hoping that you are cozy & warm wherever you are ::: really!

eta: thanks to Heather too!

love-dipped

More hearts! I heart Elizabeth Zimmermann! Her patterns with their indirect directions (if you've ever knit from her writing, you know it's not really an oxymoron) empower a knitter to think through a construction and adapt it as desired.

I give you, for instance, the Heart Hat from her book Knitting Workshop (scroll down to find it). In the book, she refers to the hat for an example on applications for i-cord (the cord formed from knitting a small number of stitches circularly). I-cord encircles the neck opening and face opening of the Heart Hat. In the photo-caption in the book, it refers to the pattern in the index. If you go to the pattern, you will find the instructions for an adult-sized hat or a heart-shaped elbow patch. Great! But what if you want to make a baby-sized hat??? Elizabeth would probably tell you to pick yourself up by your bootstraps and figure it out. That might seem a bit harsh at first, but really, if you've read through her books (which often read like prose) then you have the tools you need to figure it out: that garter stitch maintains proportion when scaled down or up; that a simple percentage system (which she outlines for you) can yield a custom-fit sweater; that algebra and geometry have true application in the real world (of knitting).

So, channeling my inner-Elizabeth and with my fingers crossed, I forged ahead to make a Heart Hat in a baby size using dk-weight yarn and size US size 4 needles. Guess what? It worked!
This sweet little hat fits loosely on a newborn baby! Sweet M will be able to wear this hat all winter (we still have a lot to go, I'm afraid). I tipped the i-cord ties with the rose wool, and I think it makes them look dipped... love-dipped!

crabby

Not me, him! This little guy has found his way home to the Pacific Northwest to live with my oldest sister's family. One of my nephews has a crabbing licence, how cool is that?! The whole family goes camping & crabbing whenever they get the chance. So when I saw the pattern for this fellow on Knitty, I knew that one day this would make a good gift for the family who crabs together!

The pattern is excellent and it was very fun to knit this crustacean. I didn't even mind all those legs! I think the top shell is my favorite part with its curved rim above the mouth (formed with shortrows) and the bobbles that make him lumpy. Although, the pincher claws are pretty awesome too. I'm so glad I had someone to make this for! He's going to have a good life.

And about me being crabby, actually I think it's just me being tired. After the holidays, the new year brings a bunch of birthdays, resuming the family schedule, and gray days one after another. And once all that busy-ness subsides but the gray remains, I have a tendency to fall into a lull and at the same time keep looking out for a flash of brightness. If there happens to be such a flash, I'll lunge for it (thus the heartfelt tutorial) and then return to that more watchful state. That's where I am now, looking around and seeing some really beautiful light and wondering which direction to go next.

What direction are you headed in right now?

ps - Thank you for all the kind words about the heartfelt tutorial! I had fun putting together my first tutorial. I've put a link to it in the side-bar so it'll be easy to find later.

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

bottle this

I wish I could bottle the creativity that bubbles over from her. All of this in one day. One very good day.Finished a hat for Molly. She'll need her own Ravelry page soon. ;-)Built a playgym for the dollhouse kids.Figured out that you can hopscotch with snowshoes on! Thanks, Aunty!


:::


On my creativity front, I finished a couple of hats. Two heads worth of Malabrigo goodness!
On the left, a Felicity in the Whales Road colorway (just imagine the whales' journey). I'm hoping that blocking will relax the wool so the hat will fit an adult head. In the meantime, it's super cute on Hana. On the right, another Lyalya Hoodie. Hopefully, this one won't meet the same fate as the first! I used what was left of the Cuarenta colorway with some Teal. It is a great hat pattern and the wool is so soft she never complains of itches. {details on my Ravelry page}

I have been starting projects like crazy. I'm noticing that I get this startitis every mid-winter, once the knitted gifts are all given, usually in January sometime - ahem. Yesterday, I began a pair of Give a Hoot mittens for myself. They're almost done! It is an awesome pattern. I'm using the same Morehouse Farms Merino 3-ply that I used for Dad's leg warmer. Simply cozy!
Here's a pic of the first owl sans button eyes; I really hope the button stash is up to this job. I had to hunt for a while to find my cable needle; it had been a while since cables came off my needles. Someday, I'm going to make this owl-y goodness too! I hope you're having a cozy weekend. After our re-entry week and getting back to our usual school, work, play schedule I've ended up with a head cold, nothing serious, but enough to keep me quietly knitting. I'm kind of enjoying it. I know you understand.

best - Annri

don't play with your food!

Just kidding! Play all you want! Because these three squares are meant to be played with. :)

Sometime around the age of two, Hana received a generous, timely, we-can't-believe-our luck! hand me down gift of a beautiful wooden play kitchen. She has loved that toy so much! It's a rare day that goes by without Hana cooking up some kind of goodness there. At first, dry millet, a jar of little felt balls, water, and strong imagination were all the "food" she needed. However, by the time of her fourth birthday (she's five now), some real food was requested. So for her birthday I made her some of the food below. The invitation for her party were in the form of a simple menu, and guests were asked to rsvp with their "order". Between rsvp date and the party I got busy making, and each guest was presented their "order" as part of their party favor from Hana's Cafe party. It was so much fun!On the daily menu at Hana's Cafe: for breakfast, a shortstack of pancakes with maple syrup and a pat of butter. Yum. {knitted and felted from this pattern but smaller with Rowan Scottish Tweed DK, free-hand felt syrup & butter}Then for lunch, a mixed greens salad with carrots, cucumber slices, mushrooms, and peas. Yum. {lettuce & mini carrots with Brown Sheep Nature Spun worsted, cucumbers with Debbie Bliss cotton and Nature Spun worsted, mushrooms & peas were handmade gifts from a friend who knew the party theme, big carrot wet felted with Peace Fleece roving}Sushi for dinner! Salmon roll, cucumber roll, tuna roll, and salmon roe! Yum. {rice & fish in rolls needle-felted from Peace Fleece roving and wrapped with black nori/felt, little roe pieces wet felted into tiny balls then onto the rice, then wrapped} This sushi is a recent addition to the fare at Hana's cafe, you know, for the more mature chef. ;-)Dessert! Yea! An oreo-type cookie. Extra-Yum! {amigurumi cookie from Brown Sheep Nature Spun & Cascade 220 and a wee bit of felt & embroidery floss} This cute cookie is really one of Hana's dad's holiday gifts (he's an oreo fiend from way back), but he has "allowed" her to play with it in her kitchen.

For the party invitations, we also offered pasta with tomato sauce. I made bowtie pasta with white felt cut in small rectangles (approx 1"x1.5") with two long sides cut with regular scissors and the two short sides cut with pinking shears. I pinched the center and stitched it a few times to secure it; about ten pieces makes a nice serving. The tomato sauce was a "splat" shaped piece of felt. As is the way with the cobbler's children, Hana's kitchen hasn't received its delivery of pasta from the distributor, but don't worry, I'm on it! :)

I'm posting about this play food now because the colder weather means indoor play is gaining favor. As I put my mind to sprucing up her play areas to expand her options, I thought it would be nice to share these ideas with you. There are few things better than a little one witnessing the creation of a toy (or anything for that matter) just for them, or by them!

Just food for thought! {Gah! I can't believe I just typed that, but that's me, so there you go!}

xo - Annri

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

glad tidings + trimmings

I must be improving my perspective on what it means to be me, because today this mass of "raw materials" might seem like a headache to some, but it really makes me happy. I took this photo this morning before Hana and I started our wrapping fest. It will stand as testament to my commitment to spreading some handmade cheer for the holidays. There are some gingerbread felt ornaments, a top secret red gift (if you're Si, do not click link), a soon-to-be-felted and embroidered bowl, an embroidered snowflake pendant, a beaded necklace, some pom-pons, gift boxes of recycled catalog covers, and a few other last-minute goodies. It's like an I Spy puzzle! My own workshop at my spot at our table; I love it!

So that's the storm, here's the calm:

I love to sit on the sofa and gaze at our Christmas tree (cue the Charlie Brown Christmas music). There are a lot of sweet memories stitched, glued, and folded in our ornaments; the ones we made, the ones made for us, the ones we chose to add that represent a special time or sentiment.

Some of the handmade ornaments hold the memory of a fun crafting frenzy that swept over me and some friends any number of years ago (anyone remember felt gingerbread babies? or beaded snowflakes?). I haven't yet tired of making ornaments; each year I find inspiration for a different few that I must add to our collection and share. Thanks to many blog-friends, I've already got a list of projects to make for next year!

So, again, it seems that I'm recognizing the balance and the teetering involved; keeping my eyes open so I can see all the shades of light and dark, because it's all there. I believe.

new hat!

I had a vision for a seed stitch beanie and I had a skein of Malabrigo worsted in Brillante. I put them together and now have a great hat! I wanted the seed stitch to go right to the edge, no ribbing, so used a smaller needle size for the first inch or so. It is simple in form, fits just right, and so cozy. When I first spotted this colorway, I knew it would be a hat for me (the color in the left photo is most accurate). More details and my cryptic pattern on my Ravelry.

And now that I got that hat out of my system, I can get back to the regularly scheduled gift knitting. Can you guess what this is?!

I hope you're all warm, wherever you are!

xo!