Encircling

Planning

This past weekend was a busy one. Early morning soccer games, shopping, church, visits to the inlaws...etc. Yet I was determined to make something and finish it. By Sunday evening, Zoe and Josiah both had new hats, and I was able to push two projects out of my head. It always feels so nice to do that.

 
 

One reason I started the hats now was because I am waiting on pattern errata for a sweater I started this week. A gorgeous cabled sweater that is a variation and an answer to an exact sweater I have seen on several people lately. Yet I didn't want a mostly acrylic(or even partly acrylic) version. Me and plastic sweaters don't get along that well.  If I will be wearing it all the time it needs to be cotton, wool or a natural blend of something else. And absolutely no mohair. We don't get along either.  I got about 2 inches into the sweater before realizing things didn't completely add up. So instead of rough it on my own and potentially screw up a great project and waste all my time, I am patiently waiting. Or trying to.  The yarn makes it really difficult to wait. It is a yummy worsted malabrigo in lettuce green. Super soft and one of my favorite shades.

Also in the works is a pair of texter gloves, though now the husband has changed his mind(after the yarn has been ordered) and wants a hat to match Josiah's. Luckily the Norwegian Star earflap hat pattern also comes in an adult size.  The texter pattern is awesome though. It comes from the book Knitted Gifts, by Ann Budd and features patterns from many designers. One of them being my aunt Theresa. Though she didn't design the texter gloves with a flap that opens for your thumb fingers, she did contribute several felting patterns of useful items for the home. It's a great book, and I have already completed a pattern from it since receiving it as a gift recently. I knit the car bunting for Desmond in Cherry Tree Hill thick and thin yarn, and used the leftovers for Zoes elf hat. The crochet trim was done in some Paton's wool/soy blend and I actually had dyed it chartreuse right before I purchased the yarn for the bunting. It was totally by accident that they matched so perfectly. I love it. The only detail I have left to finish on this is handsewing the zipper. The nylon, two way, seperating 26" zipper that was a real pain to find. Luckily for me, I live near Fabric Depot  and could buy the zipper locally.

And while I am totally happy with the car bunting, and love that I will be able to wash it just as I do my wool diapering items, and it's warm enough for me to put the baby in in just light clothing- I will say I am slightly afraid it will eat the baby. I mean, just look at that huge hood! While it is very cute and will probably invoke jokes of gnomes leaving the baby on our doorstep, it's just so big...

  
 

This week is full of shop updating and getting projects organized for the coming months ahead...

Too hot!

So we've been having somewhat of a heat spell here. I know it's not nearly as bad as it could be, or is in other parts of the country, but it's hot nonetheless. I don't do hot extremely well. I know it's good for crops like tomatoes or canteloupes, or the sun moon star watermelons I am attempting to grow here but I really prefer the 70 degree days...

So after a productive morning we headed of to the feed store to buy some more food for our chickens who- all 8 of them now -have eaten through their first bag of organic arsenic-free chick starter. They would have gone through it faster had we not been keeping them in yummy scraps, over-ripe cherries from our tree, and fresh grass.I cannot wait to taste these eggs. I bet they are going to be wonderful.

 

After that we picked up the grandma and headed to the nearby lake. Which is sort of beach-like. It also has grayish black sand, a cool water fountian and a new park structure. Too bad it was crowded because of the heat. The kids love it there. We have been a few times with their cousin who was recently visiting, and now the kids beg to go back. I prefer the beach, myself, but it's a drive.

Then we helped grandma weed her massive gardens and after dinner made a batch of soap with some fat I had rendered a couple weeks ago. I got a huge box of it from the butcher when we got our grassfed meat order recently and it is now sitting in our downstairs freezer. I have great plans for soapmaking this summer...

 

A week in review

So this past week flew by in a dizzy blur. Zoe had day camp for 3 days with our church at a camp in Oregon- which meant early morning drives across Portland to the bus and back again at night. This was after a weekend in Seattle with shopping and doting great aunties for mine and Siah's birthday. Yes, we share. It was a fun-packed, adventure filled week and I am happy to say that at the end of it, after a day home I have caught up on sleep and defeated a tummy bug passed around the camp kids. Friday is here and I can finally say my morning sickness is GONE!!!! My due date is official now at January 7th, 2010 and I am now 12 weeks and a day today.

Hopefully this new-found freedom from constant nausea will prove productive for knitting and sewing- which I tend to not handle quite so well lately. The knitting would make me dizzy and I haven't had the energy to even look at my sewing machine. I still have scraps of fabric on the floor in the craft room from the last thing I sewed. So a little more cleaning and organizing is in order now that I am feeling energetic again. 

But for today there will be painting in the bathroom and odd jobs around the house. Building a robot pinata is in order as well, as is planning a menu for Siah's birthday party this weekend. And in my spare time I will continue to teach Gavin the difference between trash and treasure, as he loves to "help" and throw things away! And of course scrubbing the floor, putting laundry away and sweeping the floor swould be good too. 

 

Lets talk diapers

It is after all, one of my favorite subjects. Cloth diapers, that is. 

The way I figure it, if I am going to be washing diapers, folding them, looking at them - they need to be cute. I am down with good quality prefolds, and plain covers, but I love cute hyena type diapers. I alays have, and now that I am fully equiped and able to sew my own I can proudly say I have not really bought anything for Gavin except prefolds and a few snappis. I have made his diaper stash myself. There were the Very Baby newborn AIO's, the Very Baby fitteds in newborn size, and a few self-designed covers and one or two Very Baby PUL covers. The rest of his pants and covers were knit. I used Little Turtle Knits, Curly Purly, and Fern and Faerie patterns.  I also made his size small stash and am currently(too slowly) working on his medium stash, which is half done. Medium is the size all of my kids so far grew into and stayed at.We never progressed beyond it to a large. 

The latest pattern I purchased was the Cuddlebuns pattern. As I worked away at cutting fabric for Gavins diapers a few weeks ago I decided that one-size was the way to go for the next child. Sure, I will make newborn size still(included in the pattern- bonus!)because all of my large babies start out smallish in the diapering area. I will also be making sized knits. I may even make a few Very Baby AIO's. But I can tell you very certainly that I will not be making any sized fitteds besides nb. I am done as far as that goes. 

I am hoping for a girl, and I figured I would try out my new pattern with some leftover fabric and an old t-shirt of mine. A stretchy cotton jersey. I even had snaps to match!

I am also working away at a few covers. Because I just couldn't resist the thought that I have a 50% chance of having a girl..so why not? If I'm right, I will have saved time. If I am wrong, I will get a good laugh and have gifts to give later on.

And I am super excited to think that I may be able to use some beautiful striped knits and t-shirts I don't wear anymore to make some of the diapers. I am totally into repurposing.

So I really need to find an answer....

to a very pressing problem. I seem to do my best blogging in my head- while out and about, on long car rides, or any place that just ahppens to not be my own home with acsess to a computer. I think I may need some sort of recording device.

Most of my time this past few weeks has been spent barely functioning. I take frequent rests in a large comfy chair...and try to forget the fact that I need to throw up. I am still nursing, so my body sends clear and strong signals when it needs food- which is often. Luckily for me, I never really throw up. So all is good as far as that goes. I really can't wait until this stage passes though. So that I can get more accomplished. Being able to think clearly would be nice as well.

When I can, I've been cutting fabric for diapers, knitting myself a new sweater(the February Lady Sweater), and gardeing with the kids. The weather has been just lovely lately. We also moved our chickens outside, so that has been fun. The kids love to find the girls worms and give them grass seeds to munch. I've also been painting a second coat of paint in our bathroom wall whenever I get a few moments - which has been a long time coming....And we are getting new windows installed throughout the house. I am super-excited about the new windows because, well, the ones here now pretty much suck.They are single pane, and ancient with storm windows attached and screens lost. Which translates into = large contained space where hornets and wasps and spiders have nests. 

A week of making.

So last week was a whirlwind full of making and getting things finished. My ever-growing pile of projects and ideas now has a considerable dent knocked out of it. I was able to take 5 minutes here, 15 minutes there, and create. Or mend...or cut fabric. It was nice. I think I am finally finding a rhythm to this. It also helps that Gavin slept a lot this weekend due to teething/growth spurts/early waking.  And who cares if I was over-caffienated for a few days? 

 The goods:

(There is actually more to be shown, but due to the nasty weather today, I will have to snap pics tomorrow...)

A pair of size small pants I knit Gavin in a pear-green cascade wool got lost in the wash. They emerged the perfect newborn size. So naturally, since I just found out I am pregnant(!) I decided to stitch a few wool hearts on, and give the pants a drawstring with leftover sock yarn in a matching colorway. 

 

Yes, we actually decided about a month ago that another baby might be a good idea. It just happened very quickly. I am hoping for another girl, and am afraid Zoe might be mad at me if I dissapoint. You can put hearts on a newborn boy, right?

I am due sometime early Jan, 2010.

Up next there was the fast and furious sewing of the baby clothes quilt. Idea from Alicia Paulsons book Stitched In Time. It was really a fun and quick project. I used *some* of Zoes old baby clothes, and even a few squares of coordinating fabric we had lying around that tied the colors together. The back is an Indian cloth that a friend brought back for us before Zoe was born. I made the bias tape(so fun!I love making bias) and I think the backing of the quilt just matches so nicely- bringing out the little bits of violet. Don't mind the wrinkles in the picture, or the warped lines. It really is sewn straight, I assure you. I just took pictures hastily.

Then there was the re-purposed fabric tote bag. I used an old smock of Martha's, torn up and pockets off. As well as some bright green coordinating fabric she had. (It was sort of scary how well they matched)

I added the pocket inside the tote and made one handle short, and one long for ease of carrying.

I can always use more shopping bags.

I even re-worked a pair o ffrogged longies in a different gauge. hopefully this time the colors will pool in a good way.

That's so ten minutes ago...

This is what I often feel like, given the speed of the events of our days. I feel as if I sometimes can't keep up. I really love to sit and savor precious moments, yet if I wait to long the kids are already on to something else- leaving me in a trail of dust. 

I have been trying to keep ahead of the game lately. I have been keenly listening in on conversations trying to follow the kids interests. We get books, we do experiments, we share what we already know about any given subject. I especially love it when I know the answers to what they are asking me. Like, completely. Without having to google for it. I just need to find the best way to record it. To mark their learning. ...Or maybe this is partly unessecary?I mean the real test is what actually sticks with them, right?

Most of our days now are spent reading library books and gardening outside.After all, we are doing the unschool thing. The world is our classroom. I love it that I can feel so relaxed as we are learning. The sunshine seems to help and can easily turn a gloomy day around, given that sun is a rare commodity here. Even when we are outside and it starts to rain, the sun peaking out just a little seems to encourage the kids to stay out longer.The kids also do better on days when we need to do lots of shopping, having had their fill of outdoor time.

There has been lots of knitting of soaker shorts for Gavin, who is *so* growing out of his size small diapers and pants. I really need to get on the ball thsi week and start cranking out size medium diapers. He has serious plumber now and it's starting to bother me that he is one snap row away from diaper malfunction. So I am knitting every chance I get, and trying to carve out time at night for sewing. I feel some very long nights ahead of me. 

There has also been lots of pattern research, and fabric collectiong. I am gearing up for some nice new things for all of us- like spring pajama bottoms, skirts, quilts, bags, and the like. Oh, and uber- long lines at a certain chain fabric store that bears no mentioning. You all know which store I am talking about. I am sure. I thought I went on a non-holiday sale time, but the line still got me.

I wish I could stop time just for a few days and catch my breath.

For now I'll just make another cup of coffee in the mokka pot and think motivating thoughts...and edit my typos, and upload pictures. I should probably toss those flowers on the mantle that were so pretty last week as well.

Maybe I will eat some of the yummy sorghum sweetened strawberry rhubarb freezer jam we made too.

  

A lot can happen in a day..

So I caught Zoe role-playing the crucifixtion. I'm so glad she gets the meaning of it ,and it's cute to hear the kids chatter on about their understanding of what happened. Amidst the egg dyeing and spring decor, the death and resurrection of Jesus is what we end up talking about. And I love it. And I am so thankful.

We have a busy weekend planned with garden shows and other fun, eating out hopefully somewhere nice and of course egg hunts. As I sit here we have just dyed one batch of eggs using a vintage PAAS kit found in the cupboard and there is a pot of coffee grounds brewing to hopefully make a nice dirt colored batch to hide near on the soil out back. I'm trying out some lace-dyed eggs, and we are going to make some homemade peeps( we tried with our normal recipe and failed miserably).

And in the meantime I am seaming up some loose ends on Gavins sweater. It keeps getting put off. Luckily, my Aunt sent me some fabulous new books, with one that has just the illustrations I need to finish. I also started a new pair of picky pants for Gavin. I swear, I really didn't try to coordinate them with the eggs. I just seem to do things like that.

Getting back in the swing of things

Adams birthday kicked of the first day of spring for us here. Followed by yet another round of tummy bugs. But this meant we were home, and I could get some crafting done. I organized, and had a more than mild case of Spring Cleaning fever. I hung shelving, deep cleaned closets, baked wonderful breads and desserts, ate some local farmers market bounty, picked more than a fair share of daffodils from the backyard, you name it- I probably did it. All that good springtime stuff you dream about over a long cold snowy winter that just seems to drag on.

I think I have espeicially enjoyed spring here in the Northwest because in Florida we just never had the same sort of spring that you get here. And now my kids get to experience all the bulb flowers waking up, the birds nesting, and the weather changing (albeit very slowly) from cold to warm. And the color. I could go on and on about my love for the spring colors that suddenly surround us. And I have been picking out some spring from my yarn stash to make  knit eggs, and baby booties for a friend. I have been adding splashes of color to the craft room, and to the living room area. Anything I can to bring the outside  a little bit closer to cherish it while it lasts...

Catching up.

On lost time due to having colds, that is. Yesterday we did loads of valentines crafting. Woven hearts, puffy hearts- basically lots of glue and paper bits flying about. Good times. Over the weekend we all came down with a bad head/chest cold and after goofing up on a sock and having to frog a large portion I had temporarily banned myself from crafting. Instead I stuck to organizing, cleaning, and all the other silly things I do instead of resting, while sick. I even went to Ikea- though my mind was in such a fog that I need to go back still and get what I originally went for- large plastic tubs for storing fabric. Large quantities of fabric and scraps. I have 3 of these bins already.

I managed to get a few things mended yesterday, and even reworked Adam's sock while watching Lost. I also made a yummy quiche and got the dished done soon after. If I can only get all the laundry put away before it completely takes over our living room, I will feel truly victorious...