knit happy girl

My almost-seven-year old daughter is truely knit happy lately! She amazed me yesterday when she sat and listened to stories on CD while Mia and I worked on our main lesson for the day. Vivienne knitted an entire scarf in a sitting. And the next day, she completed several shorter pieces and sewed them all together to make a lovely, well crafted piece. She also came up with an interesting texture by first finger knitting the yarn for a length, then knitting that, and continuing again to first finger knit, then knit for the duration of the skein. It gives it a very pebbled, snuggly texture. There is even scientific evidence that knitting can offer long term health benefits! Time for me to pick up my knitting needles, too.

And my little  gloves with the hole are continuing to become new things. Here is a little finger puppet.

Happy knitting!

Three Woolen Gloves

What does one do with a shrunken wool glove, or for that matter, a single without it's match or a glove with a hole? Surely, I cannot bear to throw these away! Just thinking about the amount of work that goes into knitting in the round for the five little fingers of each hand! Since I have started knitting and sewing, I have so much appreciation for the efforts that clothe me and my family. Materials which have used energy, time and precious resource to exist.

So, here I have one glove that no longer fits any person in the family after having several accidental trips in the washing machine, and a one of my gloves which has a huge hole. The kids and I had a fun time finding ways to recycle them.

Spring is on my mind!

Vivienne's cupcake pin cushion

Mia's hand, wrist and finger warmers

Finger warmers - the NEW look! The kids all wanted a golden ring.

Mia's heart goggles complete the look. Recycling is fun!

More Handmade Goodness

Vivienne's origami dwarfs, inspired by this book

It was with great satisfaction that I watched my children make and give handmade gifts for the holidays. For nine weeks, the girls would attend their Friday school at Dancing Springs Farm and tirelessly work on their handwork projects to give as presents. They made felted soaps, flavored honey, beeswax ornaments, knitting needles, knitted washcloths, sewn pouches, felted soaps, wood burned spoons, beeswax lanterns and MORE! And at the very final day, they made recordings of the beautiful songs that they learned , painted their own paper and wrapped their lovely handmade treasures. I could see the gratitude they felt for giving their treasures and it was so lovely to witness.

Vivienne made this pretty felt pouch for me

Mia's toadstool bag (and behind it, a treasured baby quilt made by Aunt Eileen)

Little dolls for the New Year's treasure hunt, made by Mia

When Grandma visited from Oregon, she made her traditional Springerle cookies with the kids. I love the special decorative cookie molds. They have a very special texture, kind of crusty on top and a bit chewy inside. I cannot stop eating these delicious cookies!

I love the contented feeling of working with my hands . Now that the busy holidays have passed and the cold winds are blowing, I will be knitting and making things for birthdays. It is the season for handwork projects, toasty fires, good reads and hot cups of tea!

Celebrating the New Year

This New Year's Eve we were blessed with the company of friends and family to say good bye to the old, and welcome in the new. We had a lovely dinner with good luck lentils and hoppin' john, rosemary collards with caramelized onion and a beautiful salad (thanks Brad!) and honey roasted pears for dessert. We enjoyed floating the walnut boats, a family New Year's tradition. This year we added fortunes and a more festive landscape for the boats to travel, per the suggestions in All Year Round, my hands-down favorite seasonal idea book. There is something so magical about combining the wonders of fire and water together. The kids were mesmerized and continued to play in the water until we dragged them off to bed.



Another beautiful element to the evening was observing the blue moon. It was the second full moon for the month, and as the evening grew dark, we stepped out the front door and the moon greeted us right there across the street. It shone in a way that reflected my own feelings of hope and wonder for the year ahead.

May our path be peaceful, may we always be good and true to ourselves. May we strive to treat others in the way we wish to be treated. May we find gratitude for the gifts in our every day. Blessings on your journey into this new, beautiful year! Happy 2010!

Into the Woods

After the comforts of home for the holidays, it was a beautiful day to get outside and enjoy the fresh, crisp winter air. The climb up the north slope was somewhat precarious, with an icy layer on top of the snow. We carefully stepped around the well tread path and made it just fine. Jasper's legs flopped and slid like a rag baby, so my friends and I carried him most of the way. We stopped at the Christmas tree deep in the forest, where we left our gifts to the animals. A handful of carrots, apples and beautiful bird seed ornaments, made by Ines, from squash rings coated in peanut butter and seeds. There were little hand made beeswax ornaments, a little bell, and pine cones hanging from the tree. It reminded me of the scene in Efner and Tasha Tudor's The Christmas Cat, when the animals in the forest are fed. By the time we reached the tree on the South slope, the sun was bright and happy, and we sipped hot cocoa before the end of the loop. My little camera malfunctioned and I got very few photos but such a lovely hike will surely live in our memories for a long time.

Grandma Karin, Mia and our Collie friend, Stewart

Happy Winter!

Winter Wonderland

Glorious Snow! What a beautiful gift for the December days as they draw closer to Christmas. Despite the fact that I could not mail my packages and run my errands today, it was so pleasing to be home bound. Rather than bustle around, I wrapped presents and baked, and walked in the silent white landscape that only somewhat resembles my neighborhood. Happy passers-by bundled to the tip of their noses pass by, waving cheerfully, walk their dogs and pull children on sleds. Vivienne is most eager for the baked apples we will enjoy, a family ritual for the first snow of the season.
















Yummy treats from Martha Stewart - Peppermint bark and chocolate gingerbread bars



Happy Winter, everyone! Time to throw some logs on the fire and enjoy a cup of cocoa with Grammy and Granddaddy, who are visiting for the weekend.

Little Gnome Tutorial

The days are growing shorter, bringing us indoors a bit longer each day. All things woolen and comforting call my name. This is the time of year that I especially enjoy crafty projects and good books, alongside a cup of hot tea to sip. One project that Mia, Jasper and I enjoyed yesterday was a wonderful ornament shared by my dear friend, Ines. Many thanks for letting me share this charming project! It reminds me so much of little gnomes that I remember from my Grandma's Christmas Tree. They are such cute little characters, we can't stop making them.

Step one: Gather materials. Need wool roving for head, wool felt for caps (cut into little triangles), white wool for beards, little pine cones (we used hemlock), cotton thread, needle and glue (we use a glue gun)

Step two:The little round heads can be water felted or needle felted. Heads and beards are glued to the pine cone body.

Step three: caps are sewn with a doubled thread, from bottom of cap to tip, leaving extra length for hanging. Cap an then be glued to head.

Now you have a cheery little gnome to dance on your Christmas tree!

Thanks again to Ines for sharing this cute little project! Vielen Dank!