Creative Endeavors in a Busy Life

Craft Domination

2012-01-29T08:31:00.004-05:00

I guess I operate under the expectation that there will usually be problems in making the vision in my head manifest in the world. I mean, why should that be easy? Usually the creative process involves angst, so I have come to expect it now. There's always a row that needs ripping out. Or a seam that the machine goes wonky on. Or some error in my understanding of the pattern that means I sew the handles of the bag totally the wrong way in, so that they are encased between the two layers of the fabric and not poking up and out, like you need them to be. Usually whatever it is, it's fixable. We're talking about craft, not organ surgery.

or in this case, snow jump creation:

realizing that the jump was placed too high on the hill,

not enough momentum to get over it.

Remember how I was tentative about sewing with wool? My concerns were about how it would iron, sew, how hems would feel, would it be bulky, etc. Clever Joanie suggested I make a small project to test it out. Her exact words were: "I think you'll find the wool to be a willing participant."

I liked the idea that wool would be a willing participant. And Joanie always has good advice.

So, driving home yesterday, I thought of a Keyka Lou little modified pouchlet (one pocket only), like these. Except not with a magnet closure because I need a carrying pouch for my little device; I have been concerned about the health of the device longterm in the pouch I made for myself with the magnet (because of magnets and electronics not being friends).

Nice aqua wool exterior and a little hedgie appliqué for practice.

The wool was indeed a willing participant. Hello? Dream to iron (with press cloth)! Like, one second with the iron and zoopzoop---as though it had never thought of a wrinkle! Love that.

The wool was easy to cut and easy to sew. It looked adorable with a little zigzagging edge stitching.

OK, but the button hole. I have maybe done 2 before, and it always makes me hold my breath. How does this thing weird attachment for my sewing machine work again? Did I measure my button properly? What is the appropriate amount of "ease" in a button hole, i.e. not too loose, not too tight???

I did a tester and it worked. This felt like a big accomplishment. Rocking the buttonholer!

The best part was knowing the Keyka Lou pattern well enough to modify it, when to sew in the button, and now, being a good enough sewist now to try something new, eyeball that button placement, do the button hole, and ----voila---little pouchlet!

I'm proud of myself.

And here is what happens if you lay the chia paste on too thickly on your Chia Obama:

Check out those hot eyebrows! And the hardened chia crust afro, with the little green shoots coming out!

~fabric therapy~

2012-01-22T13:16:00.004-05:00

I see that I am right on target with my January Fabric Therapy trip to Alewives. This year, it is only just now looking snowy enough to pass as winter which I am loving. I also loved my bright sparkly ski through the forest this afternoon through the fluffiest sparkliest snow ever.

But still, the pull of fabric is strong in January. The need to see all that color and lusciousness. I went with the idea of making a birthday project for a February gal.

Once there, I started thinking about how I don't have a single winter skirt made by me. I went over to the corner of the shop where there is yummy colorful wool fabric. I admit to being a little bit afraid of working with wool fabric, a new sort of animal and all.

At first I was being boring and practical, looking at neutrals. But my eye kept going back to this nice vintage-y aqua and imagining a lovely toadstool and hedgehog appliqué. I recalled the Kate M. theory of ordering at restaurants which is that you can dispense with the notion that you "Should" get a particular something, and just get what you want. Goodbye boring and practical neutrals. Hello, aqua wool delight.

And then there was the impulse buy.

I spied this little layer cake while I was nearing checkout. Little foxies. Little toadstools. Little Red Riding Hood. I knew that if I left the store without it that I would have non-buyer's remorse AND that it would get scooped up by other sewists in less than a millisecond. Carrie B. and I once discovered the perfect vintage Astrakhan wool coat in a Goodwill in Chicago, left the store, quickly realized we made an abysmal choice, returned to the store and BAM. Gone. Poof.

It will make a throw-sized quilt, is decidedly girly, and you know what? I say great. I will even share it with the gents around this place if they care to be swathed in pink Red Riding Hood and little toadstools. To heck with neutrals.

If you have not become acquainted with Vi Hart, let me invite you to discover her inspirational math/art doodles. We all have a little crush on her.

~owl love~

2012-01-20T08:12:00.002-05:00

Owls. Love them up. I made these ones out of felt, from an idea I saw here. I think I'll hang them somehow. No doubt you have seen this video where I learned that lovely owls can smile.
On their backsides they needed something else. To hide the knots and such and send a message of love. A little Stitch Witchery Fusible Web on some linen, some hand-cut stamps, and these little owls are ready to spread their love in the world. Valentine's Crafts can't be beat.
Yummy, dense bread, and easy too. Full of all things wonderful and lots of different kinds of flours, currants, pumpkin seeds, molasses, and nutritional yeast. Best. Toast. Ever.

Here is what it looks like this morning.
Like winter!
Finally.

Nature Inspired by Andy Goldsworthy

2012-01-16T15:37:00.003-05:00

~photo by Mr. Crafty, taken in Canada this summer~

Didn't you need to see green, people who dwell in the northern hemisphere? This is the January photo from our family calendar.

I was going to show you the beautiful pork dumplings I made (with a much more generous approach to spices, including garlic, ginger, tamari, and scallions) but iPhoto crashed during the transfer from the camera and the photos were lost.

I was also going to show you some cute little owls I sewed. Another time. Technology plagues me lately.

~Making and Mending~

2012-01-12T12:32:00.006-05:00

We had a mild conflagration last weekend. During a filmmaking session a halogen light was leaned up against the big puffy pillow that goes inside of Sylvan's Huggle Pod. It was noticed pretty quickly, but not before a hole had been burned.

So I thought: what would Kim do? Make a mushroom patch for all that green, of course!

I have not very gracefully been learning and playing with the New Camera. I am not very patient with myself and easily frustrated. But I still feel lost sometimes and annoyed with myself that I am not wildly overjoyed every minute I am using it.

The light outside this time of year is less than inspiring, mostly gray. Occasionally there are beautiful moments that I see on my way to or from work, but I don't always have the camera, or if I do I am usually rushing. I am taking the New Camera with me more often and trying (trying!) to leave a little early in the mornings---already early enough at 7 am!

The Lacy Baktus is coming along well. I am adoring the Good Karma Yarn: a delight to handle and the colorway is gorgeous. And for all of you knot-haters out there, I can tell you that I haven't had a single one in this whole skein. I have decided to keep on knitting, past the 23" the pattern specifies (before beginning the decreasing), because I want it long enough to be drapey and wrappy.

Oh and this bag? Adorable, yes? From dear Joanie, purchased at Nest, which looks like a must-visit destination. The fabric is light, like a pillowcase, with these sweet embroidered birdies on it. Perfect knitting bag because I can sling it over my shoulder and knit on the go, or sling it over the arm of my chair by the fire.

Like right now. At home, on my very first snow day as a teacher!

The Impulse to Make

2012-01-07T14:38:00.005-05:00

When the spirit moves me, don't try to hold me back. Last week I saw the Lacy Baktus shawl on a friend and loved it. I was immediately obsessed. It's long enough to do a generous wrap-around, or worn over a coat, or on the head and tucked around.

The pattern had just the right mix of interesting, but not too interesting that I couldn't chat. This is important criteria for me as a knitter right now. I knew just who I wanted to knit this shawl for and knew just the right yarn for the project. The right yarn is a merino and alpaca blend from my friends at Good Karma Farm, in a colorway called Peacock Feathers: so beautiful, soft, and perfect for a recipient who wears emerald green like a queen.

While I awaited the yarn's arrival, I was itchy and twitchy and ready to start the knitting! It's my favorite moment of anticipation, of imagining the making, thinking about the pattern, yarn, any modifications I might foresee, etc. It makes the actual making that much more delightful.

Now I am knitting and loving it.

little fairies made by my friend B.

I am knitting for this friend because I miss her. The knitting makes me feel closer to her: I carry her in-process-Peacock-Feathers-Baktus-Shawl in my bag and it brings my thoughts and attention to her. I think about places we've been together and moments and ideas we have shared. Yarn stores we have visited!

There's no timeline on this knitting. It's just happening and will be finished when it is done.

As you can see, it is the season for cinnamon rolls.

~Playing~

2011-12-30T14:10:00.005-05:00

Wishing you a peaceful New Year.

(Someone put an ice pack on top of our new Peace Ice Cube tray and they got stuck together.)
A little peak at the lovely Rockport Harbor on a gray wintery day. Snow: Please come here now.

Lots of inside, windowsill shots because it has been cold and unappealing outside lately.

We had a small visitor who likes to snuggle with Mr. Crafty. I am learning my new camera, still feeling a little tentative. But playing and learning is good---and I have time to do it! We have also been falling down the Youtube hole, and we discovered Bobbie and Tony singing Tell Me Why. Cutest. Couple. Ever!

More sewing! Can you believe my luck? A whole stretch of days spent at home, sewing more little clutches for more friends. Can you guess who the one with the birdie head and the laundry line fabric interior is for? (ME!)

~Holiday 2: Did it~

2011-12-26T18:53:00.003-05:00

Take note of the army guy, at lower right that has been vanquished just in time from a sneak attack on the manger. Way to go, Ox! Baby Jesus has survived!

Twinkling Juggler, Robot PJs, AND roller skates?! Seriously. For realz.

Beautiful tables set, loving family, and just the right kind of company with a lower case "c." The kind of company that brings their own instruments and makes music! Beatles sing alongs should be part of every Christmas henceforth.

We had a crazy gift swap and I ended up with a DVD from Goodwill: Yoga Booty Ballet Abs! Booty Ballet---can you believe it?! Also on the floor were a hula skirt, felt jester hat, truffles, a Chia Obama (not ours), a 1990 Jack Russell Terrier Calendar, a collection of used cookbooks and odd kitchen implements, a yogurt-maker, and much more silliness. I am sure we will see some of it again next year!

But the best is that I am a blogger with a new camera. A real deal digital SLR camera of my dreams! Thanks to my husband for organizing some family support towards this amazing gift. And for choosing a camera over an iPad because he wanted to support me as an artist, not just a consumer of technology. I am batting my eyelashes now and my heart goes pitter pat.

~Holiday 1: Preparing~

2011-12-24T18:41:00.005-05:00

~favorite handmade ornaments~

all the Eichenlaub news fit to print

Christmas Eve hike up Beech Hill with friends and kids and Santa's Little Helper, in the frigid wind and gorgeous afternoon light. The wind was bitter and our cheeks were shiny and pink with cold on the way down. But our hearts were light and warm from good companionship!

It's important that everyone get their daily required dose of baked goods this time of year. Fat Means Flavor is Jake's idea for a way to advertise butter.

beautiful pie crust in process by my mother-in-law

Still Making Things, little clutches from a pattern by KeykaLou. Cute Cute Cute! And I came up with a few pattern shortcuts after I made a few. :) The making part took a little while to return, but it's back now, as I begin to feel less like a Mama with a brand new baby and more like a person again. A person who can see her friends! And stay up past 7 pm most nights! Who can, once again, bake for her family!

This person, below, just turned 13, even though this picture makes him look like he's going off to college! What a big (bigger than me!), handsome, clever, and intuitive fellow.

The 3 Fs

2011-12-04T15:12:00.004-05:00

Friends, Family, Food. The most important and the best. (And reading.)

This year I didn't have to host a big Thanksgiving and I didn't have to travel far either. Yay and hooray! We had a white Thanksgiving and our first snowplow!

good cheer!

In other news, let me tell you how thrilled I am that our 3rd grader had his first homework: to make foccacia.

He copied the recipe at school and brought it home, read it himself, gathered the ingredients, kneaded the dough, with only the occasional check-in with me.

He was delighted and so proud, literally skipping through the house as he waited for it to rise. With no standardized testing interfering with instructional time, a teacher who requires children to greet adults respectfully (and stand when an adult enters the classroom), knitting and handwork, and homework like this, I am grateful every day for the education my boys are getting. Oh and there's still time for academics, and I do mean all of them, not just language arts and math!

~Gnomes~Textures~HandWork

2011-11-20T11:28:00.008-05:00

I'd like to eat this plant.

I saw it at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, which was stunning even in November. They have a reflexology labyrinth made of stones that you are invited to take your shoes off and experience (M&S: we are going there together next summer when you visit!!!!) and a beautiful children's garden. Not to mention a stunning art show by dear Toki!

I finished Jared Flood's Cobblestone pullover, which you may have seen bits of along the way here. It is my new favorite weekend cozy thing to wear, knit from SeaColors by Nanney Kennedy. I like the side detailing in garter stitch.

Friends: I miss you.

Here I was spending time in this new gorgeous kitchen around dinner time with my dear friend B.,: two mamas and a 5 year old and a 1.5 year old, trying to navigate a beautifully photographed recipe for a garlic/goat cheese tart. Two adults felt like the bare minimum: baby holding, recipe reading, snack giving, chopping, etc.

This pot rack was made by my crafty, hip friend, B.---and she made the light fixtures too! With the red colander! Love. It. Helpfully, the kitchen includes a little workspace for small helpers: this creation turned out to be a Vegetarian Compost Tartlet made from scraps of dough and veggies.

My own Tomten (brought back from Sweden) has been awaiting this mushroom for about 30 years. It is perfectly sized for him. And how could I resist a craft kit of little Amanita Gnomes to go with?

Sylvan, mad crafter himself, has been busy writing instructions on how to make a Pine Cone Balm (Bomb) with earnest and fabulous invented spelling:

And some kind of circle weaving, good for making bracelets and anklets.

The craft is returning. Eichenlaub Annual is on my mind. Family photo calendars too.

hands, etc.

2011-10-15T14:33:00.004-04:00

The new life feels crowded and often unbalanced. But there is still room for the occasional moment for a girl and the camera.

I still love hands, little and big. I still like a good apple fresh-picked from the tree. I still love the golden light of fall the best.

Hayrides and apple-picking. Hikes. Hanging the occasional load of laundry. Cooking yummy food on the weekends together.

I appreciate my good, dear, and patient family and miss them.

This is how I feel sometimes, turned upside down and clinging on:

Moosehead Annual Report

2011-09-04T09:17:00.005-04:00

~favorite shot of Moosehead 2011~

~This post's for you, Joanie. Busy hands.~

more leaping

2011-08-03T14:01:00.003-04:00

organic u-pick raspberries: $2.50/pint=a steal

You know how when you are about to give birth to your first child, you know your life is going to change pretty radically, and you've read all you can, and you've folded all those baby clothes, and you can demonstrate all those nursing positions you read about, and you're as ready as you can be...BUT.

You have absolutely no idea what it will really be like. Leaping blindly into the unknown.

I'm having all that all over again and this time, it's not a baby, but a new chapter in my librarian life that I am preparing for. I've been hired to be a district elementary librarian, starting this fall. This is just what I have been working for in my master's program, it's exactly the field I want to be in, and the benefits are many.

I have also left behind a fabulous part-time job at my beloved Rockport Public Library: the people, my colleagues, my mentor and leader (boss is the wrong word), have all helped me become this professional person who I am. It's kind of weird to leave a job I love so much.

But now, this summer, I am folding all those baby clothes, excited and a little scared and having no idea the directions my life will have to change and re-form. I am reading a lot of kid lit and school library materials, preparing benchmarks and lessons, creating systems, and doing what I can to make this transition smooth. I'm sure I've overlooked some really big deal thing that will blindside me in the fall, but oh well. I am doing what I can.

After that first child is born, you can't remember not having him in your life. What did we DO before parenthood, we ask each other, what did we TALK about, and think of the TIME we wasted! I'm thinking of my family, my boys who are grown up enough to do a little bit more for themselves, but I know they'll still need me as much, in different ways. I'm thinking of Mr. Crafty, who is ready to step up his already-significant involvement here at home and bolster me up and give me ideas, the way I have done for him these past 12 years. For my part, I am planning our fall menus at least through October. Because that is a complete creativity-suck for me.

And as for the creative endeavors part, that's part of the mystery. I know a lot of creativity will be in my work life: creative organizing, teaching, and managing. I'm stepping out of my home life and into the workforce, full-time, for the first time. I will always be a Maker of Things, it will just be different now than it has been.

I'm waiting to see how it unfolds.

Speaking of unfolding, this quilt will be a gift for my eldest who will turn 13 this December. Check out the Yellow Submarine-inspired fabric in that lower left corner. Love. It. And I love the boy who it will snuggle. SHHH! It's a secret!

Blog Readers: I'm asking for any advice you might have about making this transition. Thanks.

leaping

2011-07-28T10:51:00.004-04:00

People are living in their bathing suits around here. And you know I couldn't resist these little ruby slippers, tossed off under the restaurant table.
Must be summer. A little crazy, a little sanguine, like this pile of noodles: colorful disarray. Everything wonderful, intense, and schedule-less.

Slipway in Thomaston:

best seafood around,

great location

If you live in Maine...

2011-07-13T09:39:00.005-04:00

You probably didn't move here for Hot and Humid reasons. I, for one, did not. You are already familiar with the fact that Hot and Humid are not my friends. So when it's like this, I can tell because I am wilted and grumpy, and I end up washing a lot of towels (single use only or they smell funky because---surprise---they don't dry) and a lot of linen clothes.

The dress that you can see, above, is pretty much a glorified nightgown that happens to be appropriate to wear to work. When I put it on I always think: "Hmm, am I really just wearing a brown shapeless sack?" Not that I care, on a day when I am preparing to stand in the heat at work and attempt friendliness and patience all day. I'll take anything that helps (mint water is a good plan also). But surprisingly I get a lot of compliments; the buttons down the back elevate it from brown-sackdom.

Today: utter bliss. Waking up, instead of icky damp hotness, to clear, blue skies, and clean-feeling air. Laundry day. I feel like the universe is sending me a Valentine on days like this ("really? you love me this much?").

This is My Weather!

And may I introduce you to my hand-me-down pink, cheetah print, synthetic summer skirt? Pretty much the opposite of the linen dress and not something I'd opt for in H & H weather or for work. But she rocks it in a whole different way. She's sort of a home skirt, an over-the-bathingsuit skirt, a garden skirt.

Note to self from the boys: "these are the only good sparklers to buy, so don't be cheap and buy the lame ones ever again."

Summer. Sigh. Now I need to go out and hang another load on the line!

(Thanks for the nudge, Hilary S. xo)

what happened to June: Part 3

2011-07-03T14:08:00.005-04:00

mr. crafty at work again,

this time to make a hanging fairy house

And then a brief, stressful day of laundry and repacking and reorganizing (some yelling, frustration, irritation, and exhaustion too) before we were off to Monhegan Island. You'll remember it from last year.

Once there: utter bliss. Total relaxation. No meal planning to worry about. No dishes. Big questions like: Is it time for ice cream again? Hmm, which book should I read now?

Lots of hiking, reading, fishing, knitting, fairy houses, and beauty everywhere.

You know. The usual. So much gratitude for this special time outside of time.

what happened to June: Part 2

2011-07-03T13:56:00.005-04:00

Back in the land of cool mist and fog...

the flowers were wearing a delicate mantle of dewsparkled spider webs

so we knew for sure

it was enchanted there

A vacation in two parts. First, at Fiddlehead, a little cottage designed to look like several lobster huts put together. With a secret loft room for two scrambling boys.

Reading, rocks, and beach clean-up, listening to waves break from my bed. The crescent moon over the water. Every room looks out on the ocean. Totally relaxing.

you can tell mr. crafty was here

what happened to June: part 1

2011-07-03T13:43:00.005-04:00

We were in the land of fancy, beautiful weddings, with many pairs of fascinating, beautiful shoes. It was also the land of hot and steamy and no one was wearing polar fleece at this formal affair!

I was happy in my "dress flipflops," thanks.

(taken through an open window)

Then, home again, where the hot and steamy followed us (briefly). Sometimes, after dinner on a thunderstormy night, all you can do is just lay right down on the cool floor and read aloud by candlelight. (The Penderwicks at Point Mouette---another family favorite in the series!)

Bridges, Sewing...

2011-06-10T07:32:00.006-04:00

When our dear, pleasantly round-bellied friend turned two, we knew we had to make him a little round friend. These babies are small in size, easy for a toddler to hold, about 6" high. So, I did make the little brown one at left, and fashioned him in the image of the boy who would receive him.

Oh and then there was my adventure with making a tunic top out of this raspberry cotton voile. Sleeves, people, are not easy. My first attempt resulted in a wicked fit of frustration that included the destruction of what I had done up to that point. Good thing I over-bought on fabric, right? Here's a link to a very helpful tutorial by Don't Fear the Ripper, which really walked me through the steps, although the author was a little glib about the sleeves. I will have a photo of the finished garment soon. I am a little sad that there is not as much shoulder/arm ease as I would like...but I am not skilled enough to know how to adjust the pattern for future attempts. Harumph. I'll still wear it, but it doesn't fit me as I wish it would.

Then there were the 6th grade bridges. We knew this class was amazing and creative and it certainly showed in their bridges: some designs that had never been tried before in the history of this project! Teams of students work together to create blueprints and a model of a bridge, in addition to each student's business letter responding to the call for bids on a bridge, and their bid price, based on their estimates. It is a math block: lots of record keeping for supplies (toothpicks and glue), check-writing, interest-rate calculations, payments for workers and engineers, healthcare percentages, etc.

Jonas's team, Sky High Engineers, created a suspension bridge. The first!

And then the bridges are tested out to see how much weight they can hold. It's not all about the weight though: they are graded on craftsmanship and beauty as well. A five-gallon bucket is suspended from the center of the bridge and water is added, one yogurt container at a time, as the eager audience counts in anticipation! Lots of excitement.

Do you see in that picture, above, that there is one full bucket already? Crazy, right? Notice the tightly held anchors (the nylon thread), pulled so very taut.

I think they filled TWO buckets....

...Before she finally gave way! (Sky High Engineers were the winners for weight!)

announcing: a small offering

2011-05-29T19:45:00.004-04:00

But a big step for me: my postcards for sale (http://www.etsy.com/shop/irisdagmar). Somewhere along the way I think someone told me that being paid for something I love to do, like art, wasn't possible.

Um: What. A. Lie.

Actually my paid working life is pretty excellent at the library (teaching people, learning every day, information matchmaker, and the other day, someone just gave us a brand new Kindle---see? excellent!). And my unpaid working life at home, also is excellent.

And now, the hard part: accepting payment for my art. The part that is uncomfortable and awkward and strange. So, there you have it, me, pushing myself out there beyond my comfort zone. Anyway, four separate sets of cards, on Etsy: Kids, Food, Favorites, and Clotheslines.

Also, according to Blogger, this is my 301st post. Thank you for reading.

may in maine

2011-05-22T14:41:00.004-04:00

is sometimes gray. and cold. and rainy.

~(for weeks)~

it didn't stop us

from enjoying the beach:

bubbles, ballgames, birthday cake

cookout, scraped knees

cutest kids

sun was optional.

~we had tractors~

Quinoa Power!

2011-05-11T21:06:00.000-04:00

My New Roots - How to Cook Quinoa from My New Roots on Vimeo.

I like to cook and eat quinoa (KEENwah) way more than my family would like me to cook it. Let us say that they are not fans. So when my friend Kate shared this video from My New Roots, I got pretty excited. THIS, finally, was the marketing campaign quinoa needed in my household! Quinoa is cute! Quinoa is groovy! Quinoa is beautiful! I love every part of this video. It's so cute that my teeth hurt in a totally organic, wholesome way.

"Guys, guess what, I have this fantastic video to show you! It's gonna knock you right out of your socks!" That's how excited I was when I called the boys to the computer.

OK, fine, the truth is that they were underwhelmed and not converted to quinoa through cuteness.

But on Mother's Day, the mother in this house wanted two things for dinner: beets and quinoa salad. (If I had included mushrooms and anchovies we would have hit all the most hated food items in this house.)

So we made a little quinoa movie of our own, with original music used with permission by our very own, talented, 13 year-old friend, Jamie. As always, Jonas was my gracious and patient iMovie tutor and filming assistant.

Ladies and Gents, (do we have gents reading this? come on gents, make a comment if you're really out there)... I give you Quinoa Power!

Bunnies, Eggs, Children

2011-04-29T13:10:00.011-04:00

Have you heard of Operation Bunny Drop? I hadn't. The first and second-graders at Ashwood, including Sylvan, are crafting bunnies for Japanese children through this project. There were several pairs of adult hands to go around and I was invited to take some photos.

The small hands holding needles and thread were precious. The focus and intention. The capability of these young crafters. The emerging personalities of each little rabbit. These gifts coming from one child to another.

"Children, when you are stuffing your bunnies, remember that they are not fat polar bears, just plump little bunnies."

"The stitches may not be perfect, but they were made with love."

"Can you imagine losing all of your toys?"

"I didn't even know I could sew this well!"

(Overheard.)

There were also riddles and jokes that were shared, mostly made-up. "Imagine you're in a golden room. No way out. No windows, no doors. How do you get out?....Stop imagining it!!!!"

There was a wild two year-old rolling a hula hoop around and spinning himself into circles. Did it distract from the sewing? Not too much.

And of course there was Easter and a party with friends, with lots of activity on the driveway for our pavement-deprived children: scootering, pedaling, ball games, chickens wandering about, kids and grown-ups, and once a small fairy girl sitting in the midst of all the chaos using chalk to create a mandala. You know. Just because.

~favorite photo of the day~

Lots of little girls in Easter finery to be seen.

And a really thorough exploration of a flower, by a one year-old, until the stage of complete disintegration.

~favorite photo of the day~

An amazing face painter was on hand who patiently transformed many young faces. Sylvan is ready for the Lion King. Oh darn, he was actually a tiger.

Next up: baseball season...

A Hat for Me and Knitters' Math

2011-04-03T10:49:00.012-04:00

You already know about the angst I experienced with the Husband Sweater this year. But you have not been privy to the shorter-lived angst that has been the Wife Hat. He found the pattern on Ravelry (Mini Mochi Fair Isle Hat, knit with Mini Mochi in blue and variegated rainbow); I helped with the color choices, since it's good to know what you're good at, and color choices and naming things are two of my acknowledged strengths in the family.

no dainty sewing scissors for trimming the tails

for THIS knitter

I will tell you that Mr. Crafty was not daunted by the tiny needle size (2-3) or the Fair Isle carrying or the number of stitches required to cover my large head circumference. The stitches are beautifully even on both the front and the backsides.

He only quailed a little when he realized that the original pattern suggested a finishing technique that wasn't what he wanted, but then concurrently understood that if he was not going to pursue that particular finish to the hat, that he would have to take out a couple of inches worth of hard-won knitting. Yes, friends, a couple of INCHES of Fair Isle, two-color knitting on tiny needles, which you cannot just tear out but have to pick out, stitch by bloody stitch, and THEN untangle your two strands of yarn. This is the finish he chose, which is lovely:

At about 200 stitches per round, this was a significant commitment from a knitter whose attitude is usually more towards "living with" mistakes and incorporating them somehow into the design. It takes all kinds of knitters to make this world go round, I say.

And my Mr. Crafty is also a Math-Teacher and has, I think, finally succeeded in explaining the principle of Inverse Proportions to me, as it applies to gauge and needle size and total number of stitches. (This was the one personal obstacle that would prevent me from ever working in a yarn store.)

Here goes: You have 10 stitches per inch on some ridiculously tiny little needles. You have 4 stitches per inch with some thick needles and bulky yarn. Even though your needles are fatter, your yarn is bigger, your fabric is thicker...wait for it...you will have FEWER TOTAL STITCHES for your bulky project.

Taking this principle a little further, and I'm testing myself here, if your hat pattern has you casting on 200 stitches with a suggested gauge of 10 st/in, your total circumference will be 20 stitches. But what if you're getting 8 st/in? (Yes, this is the real question that would have stumped me before.) If you're getting fewer stitches per inch YOUR HAT WILL BE BIGGER than you want it to be. In this case, by a lot: FIVE whole inches! Wow. My huge head is not even that big.

on the April Fools' Day blizzard

we all wrote letters

So, if there are any gauge-doubters out there, I hope this brief entry on applied math will convince you. EZ says "Check your gauge or end in a rage." (I did both on that sweater, as you may recall.)

Mr. Crafty, you've made me a brilliant, gorgeous, rainbow hat that is executed with precision and fits me perfectly. Thank you. (And I hope I never lose it.)

reading reluctance

2011-03-27T13:52:00.007-04:00

liquid gold,

our own maple syrup

In my work at the library, I often have the great pleasure of helping people, kids and adults, find things to read. Sometimes successfully, sometimes not. I have one particular customer who is my personal challenge reader because she is difficult to please; I love this and will never give up on finding her a book that she will relish. This is one of the best parts of what I do and I take it very seriously because I know the panic of booklessness, or even potential booklessness. Like the idea of a particular handknit sweater is what makes it itchy, according to my sons. It's a terrible thing to face an empty bedside table and the thought even makes me itchy.

Being a good listener helps. Knowing how to ask the right questions helps. Having a good knowledge of what's in our collection helps. We have tools that help (NoveList, Amazon, etc.). (Readers, check out NoveList through your library---lots of great ways to use this tool, like readalikes, books in a series in order, there is even a K-8 version.)

2nd Sunday: sewing liberation project

Sometimes I also get a trickier question: parents who are looking for books for their kids. It's harder to do my job when the reader is not in front of me, but it's still possible. There's a sense of remove though and no instant feedback.

Then there are parents of reluctant readers. These are worried parents, usually. Sometimes annoyed parents. And what they want is a magic pile of books that will make their kid a reader. (And since I'm no expert on learning disabilities, I'm talking about kids that can actually read without challenges.) Reluctant readers can be boys or girls, but it seems there are more boy reluctants than girls, according to Michael Sullivan. And he has lots of lists of books for boys; interestingly, girl reluctants will likely find books that appeal on these lists, too.

What I have learned the hard way, through lots of questions, is that often these young people actually ARE reading. Just not the way they "should" be, according to their moms (it's usually the moms that I see). "He only reads comics." "She only reads nonfiction." "He never finishes a book." "All he reads is Captain Underpants." "He only likes magazines."

So mostly I reassure them that all of this is actually reading and building important skills like vocabulary, comprehension, retention, etc. A veteran librarian just told me that it's quantity, not quality that makes a reader. I know plenty of adults who only read the newspaper (online). Or adults who are intelligent people who don't read at all (my brother is one). I send the moms home with an armload of books that might appeal to their reluctants and I try to encourage them that keeping a steady supply of books coming is a good thing, or that it's OK that their kids only read comics, or that it's lovely that their child still really prefers being read to.

As long as the reading is fun.

inspiration returns

2011-03-23T11:56:00.008-04:00

OK, enough whining. Let's get on with it, despite a new head cold, strep throat, and snow this week. There is so much talent around me, it's staggering.

The mom who, having finally discerned that the reason her daughter hated wearing hats was because of the preferred hairdo of said daughter (2 long ponytails, perched high, then braided), decided to knit a two-ponytail hat. (And it's not underpants, GooneyBird.) Adorable and innovative.

~another friend loves me by mail~

And frankly, there's some real fashion-forward/fashion-freedom happening in the 6th grade, my son's class at school. I love that it seems to stem not from boy-craziness or "I'm so cool," but in a true spirit of Makership and Art.

We have the delightful innovator who has been wearing her family's wool, appliqued Christmas Tree Skirt (you know that skirt that fits round the base of the tree?), every year since first grade as a festive winter assembly skirt. You can imagine that it was ballroom length when this started, and it has slowly gotten shorter as she has lengthened!

I spotted a very sweet Leprechaun hat perched atop her head, just recently in honor of St. Patrick's day. Fashioned out of felt and about the size of a cupcake, it appeared to be fastened to a headband.

In the same 6th grade, there is also E. You must remember her from previous posts. We like to swap things we Make. E. is a sewist, crafter, and Maker of things. She makes bags out of repurposed plastic shopping bags, fused together, then sewn. She might get a whim to make pants one day...and just make them, and wear them the next day to school. Or she creates shorts, using an old tee shirt. A Christmas skirt from some crazy South American woven fabric she found. She totally pulled it off: the sewing and the wearing.

The point is, E. has no fear. She has an idea. She cuts up the fabric and then sews it up. Simple. And OK, so the hems are not usually finished. And sure, the pants ended up with a split seam. Disasters are part of it, part of learning, part of creation. Is this a person who asks herself if she has a knitwear needle? Or who stops in her tracks because the thread isn't an exact match? No fear of failure.

People try their whole lives to unlearn the fear of failure in Making. They spend $100,000 at art school to learn to innovate. Or thousands of dollars in therapy to unlearn that "can't" is a total mind construct. I do hope this gal ends up at art school someday. And someday, she'll finish a hem, I just know it. She recently used a pattern!

remember this sweet new friend?

made for me by E., from a pattern!

You already know Denyse Schmidt, fabric designer, quilt designer, and inspired Maker. She gives workshops ("Improvisational Patchwork"), too---she was even at Alewives. Her quilts and designs have this quality of asymmetry and freedom. Some of the blocks I have seen, like this one, have been tickling the back of my mind. When I got her book though, it was all so measured out and instructions and.... It stopped me. It didn't match the idea I had of what the process and spirit of those quilt blocks were.

This weekend I had the itch of Making. I dumped out all of my scraps and started piles of scrap friends. Pretty soon, I was thinking of Denyse Schmidt and E. My inner rule-follower wanted to call those gals at Alewives right up and ask them for tips. Instead, I pretended I was E. I chose the Scrap Friends pile that excited me most in that moment, cut up a rectangle and found a strip to sew along side it.

The rule-follower said: "Wait! Don't you want to save your longest pieces for the outside of the square??? Be sensible!" No thanks, I want this fabric, and I want it right now.

I measured nothing. I set aside the cutters and the rulers and used scissors. I just had fun playing with fabric and sewing. Following the fabrics and who they wanted to rub shoulders with. At the end of it, I trimmed it down to about a 15" square. Next time, I'll try being even more radical with my cuts and slants.

"Is it a pillow? What's it going to be?" They asked me.

"Don't know. Don't really care. I think it looks pretty good tacked up on my inspiration board for the moment."

::Look at this:: More inspiration from someone who's under 18.

::Reading this:: Because my very liberal liberal arts education denied me the pleasure of reading classics.

::Watching this:: When I was so sick that I couldn't do anything, this was the perfect escape. The costumes! The BBC! Swoonful.

::Listening to:: Manu Chao station on Pandora.

March, I hate you

2011-03-18T12:15:00.006-04:00

airing out the quilt after a month of sickness:

the first clothesline photo of the season!

March in Maine is not my favorite. In fact, I consider it the armpit of the year, with very little to recommend it. It can be cruel and demoralizing to live in Maine in March: the warmth and light return, and just when you begin to let yourself hope for spring, you are soundly walloped by a snap of cold or sleety rain. There's a sense of looking over my shoulder nervously, waiting for the smack.

"But what about November?" you ask. Well. November is elegant in its bleakness. The study in grays and blacks and browns feels like a painting. The clouds and sunsets are complex purpley gray worlds. There is the anticipation of snow. November is a class act.

What we have now, March, is pretty ugly. The snow has mostly melted, but there are a few patches left: dirty and mangy and ill-tempered like a dog you'd secretly like to kick, if you weren't an animal-lover. We have mud. Sometimes icy mud. Sticks and rocks all over the lawn. Thawing chicken poop in the yard. We have sodden snowpants and mittens heavy with their wetness and about ten pounds of dirt. Wet, odoriferous boots.

organic oranges. eating sunshine.

We also have illness. Illness which has morphed from and into new and amazing types of germs in our family. No one has vomited, but I think we have run the gamut of most other symptoms from mild to high fevers to pack-a-day coughing fits to strep throat. And lots of other things in between.

Do you have the picture yet?

Here is the one thing March has going for it: maple syrup making time. (Grudgingly offered.)

Thankfully, I do have friends.

The best kind of friends, who see a pair of bright red rubber gloves with little chicken embellishments and think of me. Let me tell you, the package doesn't lie: "Caution: Use of this product has been known to cause laughter. Guaranteed to class up your day." Wearing these gloves could also inspire an outfit-change. Heels might have to be dug out of the far reaches of my closet. And apron will most definitely be worn, and in fact, perhaps I need an apron designed specially to coordinate with these gloves.

And a friend who can't make just one pie. Or leave it undecorated. Beautiful apple pie with whole wheat pastry crust delivered to my door one morning. Really, the best.

We are also blessed by live music in the house. Even when it sometimes feels like just another chore to practice.

Swaps are Swell

2011-02-25T15:19:00.005-05:00

I like swaps. Blog swaps are great, but sometimes swaps with people I actually know are also great. So lately I have had the opportunity to knit two pairs of Fetching Mitts for two women who inspire me weekly. (My mods are here.)

Kimberly, my exercise teacher, (but really that's too tame for the work we do in Sacred Sweat), got the first pair in exchange for some classes. Community, a strong and healthy body, and spiritual awareness is an amazing thing to trade for some little cabled mitts! I found it was hard to put a price on what I had created, but she's used to pushing me (with love!) into new territory.

Carrie the Quilt Artist/Iron Woman/Mom of 5, who also makes these great hand-dyed tank tops and work-out bras, got pair number two in exchange for some of those amazing tanks/bras. It was pretty amazing to find this perfect-for-her yarn in my stash. And they really looked amazing on her!

But then there are gifts. And gift-knitting is also wonderful. Knitting for anyone with intention is a powerful act of transformation. It brings that person closer to your heart with each stitch. And if they're far away, physically, too far away to hug, it's about the only thing that can be done.

I saw this pattern (entitled The Age of Brass and Steam) here first and fell in love with the delicacy and batwing edging. The batwing edging was the inspired twist provided by Moonstitches, in how she blocked it. I used a linen/baby mohair lace weight yarn, and the way that the linen took the dye is slightly lighter than the mohair, so it has this wonderful sheen to it. Who wouldn't love a little red cape, anyway?

Finally, we had some delicious sweet and sour chicken stir fry here (thanks to Tracy who turned me on to the recipe). And although the photo is not so great, the recipe was. I added way more veggies (broccoli, garlic, onion), and had more chicken and pineapple, and doubled the sauce. Everyone ate it and lots of leftovers!

happy valentine's day

2011-02-13T10:36:00.004-05:00

~My favorite holiday.~

parents of 6th graders:

DO NOT show your children this picture, Jonas implores you!

One of my favorite memories of being little was sitting with my mom at my tiny table, making potato stamp Valentines for my kindergarten class. I remember the window next to our table. And that it was sunny.

A day when we get extra encouragement to spread the love.

At Rockport Public Library tomorrow, come pick up a BookLover or Love Books bookmark for a donation in any denomination to benefit the library. Old check-out cards upcycled from RPL; new stamps carved by yours truly.

Now go out and spread some love!

Ringmaster in a Circus of Sloths

2011-02-11T13:10:00.006-05:00

The title of this post is how I identify myself in the mornings: as in, I am the ringmaster trying to get the sloths to shake a leg, stay focused, get their stuff done, stop teasing, pick up their______, find their _______, brush their _______, and do it all before we leave at __:___. Sometimes I succeed at getting them out the door without yelling. Not very often.

new lovely plush toy, Ella,

made for me by a young seamstress.

~LOVE~

So being a systems girl, I like to try new things and tweak the existing system, particularly when it's a faulty one. Only reminding a person once. Throwing a boot. Leaving the house and sitting in the car (this only works when I don't have to be at work myself). Writing lists on a slate. Staying in bed and avoiding the whole business, my favorite option (this one works great, but only if Mr. Crafty is getting them out the door).

arugula and beet salad with red onions, pine nuts,

kicking vinaigrette=mind blowing eating experience

Also being a teaching type of girl, who is married to a teacher and the daughter of a teacher, I always assume that if they're not getting it, this is because of something I have or haven't done. Am I asking too much, too little? What's appropriate for the 12 year-old vs. the eight year-old, and can I stand the discussion about what is/isn't fair? (My favorite answer is always: "Of COURSE I wouldn't dream of treating you equally! That would be terribly unfair!!") How can I coach them to be successful in whatever we're trying to do? What can I do differently to engineer the outcome I want?

Finally, we've already established that the demands of the mornings are my least favorite part of the job we call motherhood. Cleaning up vomit is a close second, but thankfully it doesn't happen daily.

someone knows me well:

a birthday box full of the most delicious stationery

So now we come to a new system, on day 2. Knock on wood, no yelling either day. Each boy has a checklist: things to do appear up top, just under the departure time of the day (which changes based on whether Mr. or Mrs. is driving in).

"Think through your day and all parts of it. What will you need?" This question is followed by the items a boy might need for his day. I think it's an essential question because really, that's exactly what I ask myself when I am leaving the house for the day.

They seem to like checking the boxes off. Perhaps it's because they go to a Waldorf school.

The following two sentences, on the reverse side of the letterpress Thank You/Birthday set, seem to also relate to what we've been speaking of here:

EZ Seamless Hybrid: Finished

2011-02-07T12:58:00.005-05:00

The sweater that brought me to frustration at each and every turn, cursing like a sailor at times, cast aside until I could bear to look at it again...the first and only time I have ever run out of yarn...gauge problems...techniques that were foreign to me...panicked emails to strangers on Ravelry...you name it, it happened here with this item that I had intended to knit with love for my husband. It was knit with a lot of teeth-gnashing and anguish.

Actually there was a lot of fear also. Fear that the finished garment, which had so delighted in torturing me, would not even actually fit the wearer the way the artist envisioned it. So part of my reticence to finish it, though I was eager to be done with the blasted thing, was the dread that it would continue to torture me in perpetuity because I would be staring a big, ugly, ill-fitting mistake in the face. Forever. Because of course he would have to wear it, even if it fit like an elephant wearing baggy tights.

Fortunately, I was wrong. The sweater fits Mr. Crafty as though it were made for him---ha! It was! I'm not certain I will embark on another male sweater again for many years to come, but this one will have to do for now. He didn't even let me block it and has worn it quite a bit already. Finishing it amidst my January blahs felt like a great exercise of will. If you want to read what Tom said, and some tips from me, it's on Ravelry. I may be adding some more details to the notes when I can stand to re-visit the drama of my knitting notebook.

And the birthday girl chose to celebrate her day with lady friends and little girls, making Valentine's cards together. Lots of treats including lemon squares with rosemary shortbread crust, spanakopita triangles, cookies, cake, and coconut sorbet with vanilla bean!

Would it be a Creative Endeavors post without someone's charming child? Here is Mr. Crafty holding Adorable A. while modeling his handsome sweater. His job during the party was mainly as baby-holder, and he didn't mind snuggling this sweet girl.

Cheaper than a ticket to NZ

2011-01-21T15:16:00.008-05:00

Thank you for your terrific suggestions about pulling out of the January Blahs. While the trip to the New Zealand beaches for a real visit with my blogfriends Miss Smith and Mary Nanna sounded really fabulous, the airfare is a bit out of my price range at the moment.

Dear Anonymous seems to know me so well... I have my guesses about who she is. I have taken bits of her advice: particularly, spending time with other people's children, like these sweet feet.

And an impromptu lunch date with four year-old, RaRa. And some knitting with lady friends. And remembering to take my Vitamin D.

So in lieu of a trip to New Zealand or even to a big city, and considerably cheaper, I had a therapeutic shopping excursion to Alewives Fabrics this week. I went knowing that I wanted to make myself pajama pants in flannel. And that maybe I might like to begin a quilt for my boy who will turn 13 this year (December, so plenty of time), in colors of orange and blues. You will recall that his room is orange.

Imagine my thrill when I discovered a precut pack of twenty fat quarters in just the colors I had envisioned, for a Turning Twenty Quilt. That's an amazing retail experience, even more than the usual to be had at Alewives. So, I splurged for it and the border, backing, and binding fabrics and will begin working on it this winter, when I need the color therapy too.

I also discovered a bag I had to make, the Winslow Market Tote (free pattern here). And if you're wondering, the answer to the question "Do you really need another bag?" is *always* Y.E.S. It's lined with linen and is a nice hefty size for all of the stuff that usually travels with me.

And now it is really snowing like crazy outside and I have been home all day sewing intermittently with breaks for shoveling. Perfect.

Here's what I can tell you about Pajamas for Everyone in Heather Ross's Weekend Sewing. For size medium adult, you need more fabric than she says, and don't even try to use a fabric that has a directional print. This called for 2 yards and there was just no way to make that work with the direction she wanted you to lay your fabric down in. So I turned and folded my fabric another way and it worked.

pajamas for everyone with small bums

One more thing to know, and this may be TMI blogfriends, is that I do not have a very large bottom. I would call it medium flattish. But the way the PJs fit me is just a bit more snug around that area than I would like. I'll definitely still wear them, but next time I will also adjust the pattern. Maybe I just like a loose PJ. Anyway. Aren't these the happiest looking pants you've ever seen?

I don't think I ever showed you this bit of sweetness that I purchased at our school craft fair at the Mosey Handmade table. It is the perfect size to protect the little bits of technology items that we carry around these days.

January blahs

2011-01-17T12:25:00.004-05:00

On the up side: the fabric was gorgeous, the cross country skiing delightful, and the women's sauna was divine.

new apron for a good girlfriend

a pre-teen deep into the world of fantasy

new sewing corner,

with adorable fabric and little lights by Joanie

new pair of dashing mitts for my brother, who lost one,

modeled here by Mr. Crafty

(I made a few mods on Ravelry)

Christmas jammies,

modeled by two silly boys

Sometimes when your child falls into their snow fort and can't get out, you have to say: Wait just a minute, let me get the camera!

Can you see the crocodile tears here? He really was stuck, but not so traumatized as all that.

I'm just not quite myself lately and feel like going far far away to a nice warm beach. By myself. So, sorry if I am out of blogland lately. Tell me how you cure your winter blahs.

~fusion~

2010-12-30T16:05:00.005-05:00

Herod couldn't get near the place

The fusion of families, of people we love, of all my folks (4 in total) and his folks (they're still married to each other!), of friends who come and go unexpectedly as well as those who last, the fusion of a staunch traditionalist and his tradition-less wife, the fusion of food and many hands, and finally of plastic and Waldorf and technology and wood.

The fusion of cowboys, knights, Indians, the Queen's guard, and WWII soldiers.

The fusion of the Force (old and new movies) with the lovely Star Money candle tableau.

Does our philosophy about technology for children change now that it is infiltrating our lives a bit more, with certain 12 year-olds who now have certain devices, gifted by certain relatives? Nope.

How about plastic toys? Yes, we have them alongside our wooden ones, and they are frequently integrated by our children in their play. How else could you build a ramp for the 20+ year old matchbox cars that have survived the years of Demolition Derby, enacted in this very hallway? (Well, OK they're not plastic, are they, if they lasted this long; they are the good, old school metal variety.)

Many hands made light work of the Lego White House model.

So. Fusion. And compromise and integration and limits and boundaries. And flannel pajamas warmed up by the woodstove.

EZ: WT*?!

2010-12-15T12:53:00.006-05:00

and sometimes the quartet of tiny gnomes

say the heck with it, and

just take off in the red truck

I am a constructivist knitter: I like to explore new ways to create 3D forms with yarn. I am intrigued by patterns that open up new ways of thinking for me about the possibilities that exist for a certain form: sweaters knit from the top down, socks knit from the toe up, a new type of neckband, a particular shape for a hat.

That being said, let me tell you a little about Elizabeth Zimmermann (EZ as we call her in the knitting world). She is one of the godmothers of modern knitting who empowered knitters to make patterns their own, to use percentages and ratios to create garments to fit individuals everywhere, to do what is right regardless of what the pattern says. EZ hated knitting on two needles and was a big advocate for circular knitting because she loathed sewing seams. Her knitting books are fun to read because she was witty and clever, and she also did not believe that people could legitimately be allergic to wool. I love her commitment!

So her style is to give you a rough overview of a pattern and then follow this with alternatives and modifications and then a set of "pithy instructions."

Now I am deep into knitting her Seamless Hybrid sweater for Mr. Crafty for Christmas, of course, though I started it way back in the summer (ripped it out, started again, etc.). So the sweater feels a little epic right now. And I have one finger that is suffering a knitting-related injury, which is why it's great to knit both continental and European-style (though I am slower with European). This sweater is no surprise gift, he knows it's coming.

And I'll tell you right now that I am heading into unknown territory: knitting a saddle shoulder. This is the part of the sweater that comes up your upper arm and then gracefully flattens out as it heads towards your neck. EZ is leaving me completely in the cold on this one. Her pithy instructions are not nearly as pithy as I need them to be and I am at a loss about the overall concept. (I have ordered yet another EZ book through Interlibrary Loan which might help me, but it's not here yet.) Hello, EZ Help Hotline?! I am in a knitting emergency!!!! Yeah, ok so I have been knitting seriously for almost 20 years, I know my way around the lingo and yet whammo, I am humbled by the challenge of this learning experience.

Enter the Internet, Ravelry, and finally, my own Mr. Crafty. Yes, I trolled blogs, forums, posts, etc. Turned up nothing, which is embarrassing for a librarian.

Finally, my own Mr. Crafty came to my rescue. And I will admit that I was reluctant to involve him at first, though he is both a knitter and spatially excellent. We looked in detail at this post, particularly at the photos at the end. Somewhat annoyingly, though totally helpfully, Mr. C. "got it" just by looking at the pictures. *I still don't get it!* But I feel better knowing that he does and also that I don't need to face this tricky part for probably another week or so.

This is why it's good to marry your best friend, who also coincidentally happens to be good at things you're not. Like he was about to start knitting a hat and showed me this hideous yellow with a multicolored bluegreen, and I wrinkled my nose and said: "And who would you be knitting THAT for?" "Ummm....you? I guess not." "And do you ever see me wear yellow?" "Ummmm...no." So I helped him find the most gorgeous yarn for a hat he is knitting me (pictures will come).

little dolly for my niece

Ultimately, what really helped with the EZ conundrum was not my husband, but a complete stranger on Ravelry, TomofHolland, who kept popping up on the EZ forums as a guy who seemed in the know. He wrote me a lovely, in depth explanation of the process and I will post it soon for the betterment of knitters everywhere, who like me, may be new to saddle shoulders and need some kind hand-holding.

and the craft was all around

2010-12-09T15:11:00.011-05:00

birthday table setting

In all rooms, in all media, in all corners, at all times of day, some secret, some not secret, with friends, alone, with Christmas music or hiphop, while reading, at night, morning, and afternoon.
Crafts with scissors and glue.

Or just scissors.

Fabric, of course. These are going to a sweet family of three: hankies for the whole family!

So I was invited to participate in a cookie swap, a first for me. I blithely said sure, thinking I'd make a batch of cookies and bring them to swap a few with the ladies involved. Actually what I had happened upon was a cookie swap not intended for the faint of heart.

pj pants for my dear boys

shhh! secret!

(Did I mention that the instigator might have a future in roller derby? Yup, she's hardcore as well as a fellow fan of hedgehogenalia and cute little toadstools.)

So we were to make two dozen cookies for each of the participants (6 total, including ourselves), which friends, let me spare you the math, is 144 cookies total. (In laywoman's terms that translates to a metric $%^@-ton of cookies.) The idea is that you can make up little boxes for teachers and friends, etc. which on paper is totally, absolutely great and logical.

I broke it down into a half-day of dough making and a half-day of baking, followed by an hour of icing. Which worked out fine, as I had chosen a recipe for sliced cookies. But now I am faced with transport: iced cookies do not like to be squished. I have every available cookie sheet and one pizza pan covered in iced lemon sugar cookies.

And then there was my own dear sweet boy who turned twelve this week. The morning of his birthday was quite the same as the morning of his very first: rosy dawn and snowy. He was wide-eyed and curious about the world then as now, though over the years we have gotten to know his unique twinkle, humor, generosity, and grace. He loved the tricky candles that kept relighting until we were gagging from the smoke!

versatile blogger

2010-12-01T13:04:00.006-05:00

Thank you very much to Miss Smith for nominating me for the Versatile Blogger Award in a recent post. (Oh and wait, be sure to check out this post that details some crafty holiday ideas!) Really, I am a winner because you are here, reading this.

el camino, Brunswick, ME

Sometimes it's my turn to be fragile and I am today. So it seemed like an extra good idea to remember that my connections and community are broad and wide, thanks to this little thing called the Internet.

I think being versatile is a way to describe a lot of things in my life. Am I a true Renaissance woman? Probably not. But being a librarian is pretty versatile: there's a fluidity in my work on a few levels. For one, I am meeting each person with an information need in the moment. There will never be two interactions that are the same and my job is to figure out the scope of what is being asked so that I can find a source for the answer.

I am versatile in what I read. I like a good Young Adult book (Will Grayson Will Grayson, The Book Thief, My Most Excellent Year), graphic novels (The Arrival, French Milk), meaty works of literature (Cutting for Stone, Italian Shoes, The Elegance of the Hedgehog), and sometimes things that are totally fluff (here, here, and here).

I am versatile at home, but you know that already.

So here are 7 things about me, as per the instructions for this award:

1. Rats, tomato horn worms, and my basement scare me. Bats, heights, and dogs do not.

2. I am reading the new Ken Follett book right now, The Fall of Giants.

3. I have at least three unfinished knitting projects that are lying dormant right now and I have no plans to do anything with them other than occasionally finding them and feeling guilty.

4. I like sweet better than salty. But chocolate with salt is wonderful.

5. My idea of a perfect morning does not involve my family; this sounds mean, but it's the truth. I still dream of having a nanny for the mornings who would get everyone fed, ready, and nagged, and I would float down the stairs in my silken robe to administer little kisses as my family left me a quiet house in which to enjoy a cup of coffee, my breakfast, and a book.

6. The autumn is my favorite season. But I also really like winter until about the end of February.

7. I would rather knit a new pair of socks than darn them.

a little early holiday cheer

from someone who knows me well

So, now the hard part: picking a few good bloggers out there who make me smile when I see a new post waiting in my Google Reader. If you'd like to take the torch and run, great, and if not, take this as a thank you for sharing your good ideas, humor, and talents with the world (and me).

Tollipop

(she deals with scorpions with panache)

StillmanSays

(versatility to the extreme)

BeautyThatMoves

(inspired, always)

good morning

2010-11-29T08:40:00.004-05:00

~some halloween pictures, belatedly~

S. was Russell from the movie Up

Sometimes people around here are fragile. And grumpy. And we might jump up and down and yell and make unreasonable demands (not unlike Rumpelstiltskin). And we want to stay in bed all morning because we are so cozy, but it's a school day. One of us in particular tends towards fragility in the mornings (he takes after his mother who has always enjoyed leisurely, relaxed lie-ins): needing dad or mom (usually it's the one who's not available), or needing more cuddles to jolly him into the day. For awhile there, I couldn't get out of bed until we had had our morning snuggle because that would be a short circuit to the Rumpelstiltskin effect.

Russell is a Wilderness Explorer

To prevent this we have found a couple of things that work.

mama was the pirate Jack Sparrow,

from the Pirates of the Caribbean

Getting enough sleep to begin with is key.

on our enchanted forest walk

Sneaking up to crawl into bed with him for a snuggle helps.

the fairies were plentiful

Once snuggled, the magical conversation topic that brings immediate smiles and joy and happy demeanor, is about our favorite small (but not really so small, actually) person, Little T. We might speak about how he is learning to play football, and can say HIKE, and recall a recent video in which he was practicing some moves while wearing a nightie. Or the way his golden curls form a sort of halo around his head. Or how when he kisses (and we re-enact this for the full effect), he puts his lips on you, draws away and THEN the smack-kiss-noise comes, a bit of a delayed reaction. We love this. And just thinking of this boy must stimulate our love endorphins and is a terrific and joyful way to start our morning.

i love these people with leaves in their hair!

However, if we have missed the window somehow, and can't begin the day as above, then we have to do damage control to turn our Rumpelstiltskin back into our lovely boy before he heads off to school. Usually I go back to the wisdom of kindergarten at these moments: taking care to form the space around my boy with love while tending to his physical needs.

This morning that meant pulling up a small chair next to the woodstove so he could sniffle and eat his toast and oatmeal in a cozy place. It meant picking his clothes out (3 longsleeve shirt options, for my picky dresser) and warming them up near the woodstove. Some days it means brushing his hair for him or making a lavender footbath. It helped that I wasn't trying to get out the door to work.

So, just a few ideas for those fragile folks you may encounter in your life... They just need a little more "holding" whether it's physically or psychologically or just in the folds of your mind.

Novembrish Things

2010-11-17T14:29:00.007-05:00

A little sewing, for Ashwood's Yuletide Fair and Artisan Marketplace of last weekend, which in turn benefitted the school. It was a tricky business to be given the parts of this advent calendar and told how to put them together, and then do it without worrying too much about realizing someone else's artistic vision. Would my idea of perfect be perfect enough? It turned out the answer was yes, as the two that I made retailed for $42 each!

Remember those little hand warmers, first pictured in last post? I used local yarn, from Good Karma Farm, the rainbow skein with a little of their green variegated alpaca blend at my oh-so-sensitive wrists. I find that I like them at this length quite a bit: knitted just up to my first pinkie knuckle makes them just a bit warmer than others I have made, but still functional for knitting or typing.

note how that central figure is slightly light in value?

amazed that S thought to convey the notion of distance and perspective that way.

note the bulgy muscles on this fellow

(Babe Ruth)

Here is a good un-blogsworthy photo of what our dining room table usually looks like, just to keep it real:

And for those of you who know our house, you may notice a different view out the window, in relation to the table! We have made a major swap in our downstairs layout. This was a brainflash that I had in the midst of feeling really awful, during a recent nasty cold, when I found myself pulling up a duvet in front of the woodstove and lying on the floor of my dining room.

A few days later, when I was turning the corner towards health again, we swapped the dining for the living room. Hello? Duh? I hear you wondering how come it took us eight years to figure this out... The room with the woodstove should also have the couch in it!

The room with the woodstove and the best nighttime lighting should also have comfortable places to sit for reading and knitting! The room with the woodstove is actually quite hot and annoying in the winter to eat supper in, when we have the stove going.

The former living room was really not much more than a glorified hallway, I never sat there, and now we sit by that big window and eat dinner together. And the slightly longer walk from the kitchen? Not a problem.

It feels like a new house.

And while I grew up with a mom who loved moving furniture a few times a year, this move of ours was a big shock for my boys who have had everything pretty much the same since we moved here. Definitely a creative endeavor and an opportunity for some deep cleaning too!

hello dear November

2010-11-04T20:57:00.007-04:00

Well, what am I doing that's creative these days anyway? Are you wondering this? I am.

Today I made a delicious apple crisp to the sound of pelting rain on the windows. It was so grim and cold and dreary though that there was really no way to photograph the process with any loveliness.

Before the rain though, I had been admiring the austere elegance of November. Those clean lines on the sky and the intensity of the starkness, the russet color of the oak leaves (always the last to fall down). The sky is so big all of a sudden and the clouds so swirly and serious.

our beautiful wristers

This day was a walk with a favorite friend and her four-legged rocket of blackness, Dog. The day was absolutely Novembrish, even if it was still technically October. We just caught up, as women do, enjoying the beauty and movement and company.

We kept stopping to admire things like grass hummocks or a single colorful yellow blossom.

It's that time of year when my semester's end is in sight, which is great and also *yikes*. Suddenly things are speedy just when I want them to slow down so I can get snuggled into my nest.

Tell me about how you describe your November.

...and then my mind was blown into a new hairdo

2010-10-24T16:55:00.011-04:00

Pop!Tech. I had heard about this phenomenon in years past, had seen the cadre of smartphone-wielding hipsters dressed in black, had taken note of their glorious and fashionable shoes.

This is an annual conference that brings together great modern innovators, thinkers, and do-ers across various disciplines for three days of intense, mindblowing presentations.

Experts on marriage/family, neuroscientists, technology designed to reignite passion for nature through citizen science, education innovators, citizen activism to bring peace to inner cities, people who sail across the Pacific on a boat made of plastic bottles, using sewage to create bioplastic, and so much more.

The really crazy thing is that this event draws people from all over the world to the tiny little enclave of Camden, Maine, right in my own backyard. (read more here.)

~archilace~

This event is wildly out of my price-range but it's something that I am interested in because of my work with technology and libraries and teaching/learning. So I decided to volunteer my time this year and it was lots of hard work (10 hour days!) but also immensely rewarding.

screening room

My volunteer work began with a five hours or so of helping the creators of a Rube Goldberg machine with their elaborate set up. (Filling 500 balloons with a small LED light can actually give you blisters.) Watching their process of failure, tweaking, failure, tweaking, and sometimes success, was fascinating.

sexy green race-cars

built by a high school team

hold on...

does this sign refer to our personal digital devices,

the ones in such abundance at Pop!Tech?

And only a few days later, when I saw my children again, I saw this same spirit reflected in their elaborate and creative set-up of blocks, marbles, trucks, and ramps...trial and error enacted in a matchbox car jump set-up.

An onsite artist was there to document the presentations while they progressed:

And as you can see, the theme of the 2010 conference was "Brilliant Accidents, Necessary Failures, and Improbably Breakthroughs." I love that line, above: Fail Faster Now!

pop!tech booty

So my days were very full and my brain was more full. The volunteer cadre was a great team to be on and it was a very dynamic atmosphere. So many ideas! So many people! Great people-watching! It was so easy to engage with people, and fun to be outgoing and welcoming with these interesting visitors to our town.

~thanks Pop!Tech~

I think I'm hooked.

Big City Adventure

2010-10-19T11:28:00.004-04:00

s. drives the amphibious vehicle in the Charles River

Sometimes we get out of the wilds and into the city. Things like escalators and public transit are as exciting as museums and zoos. And oh, do the boys ever love the sidewalks at their Grandpa's and Mimi's house---Scootering is possible! It's the little things.

We did touristy things like go on a Duck Tour with our extended family, and our clever driver was Disco Dan. We crawled through Boston's notorious traffic, feeling oh-so smug that we were the most massive thing on the road amongst all the tiny little SUVs, and heard about some of the city's history. And then we crawled into the river. I got a good shot of Disco Dan's amazing platform shoes: a little pretend goldfish is in there! Love it.
And we visited the zoo. Which I am more than a little ambivalent about, philosophically. But it was a gorgeous fall day and we decided to go for it. Of course certain members of our party particularly enjoyed it when the gorillas vomited into their hands and then ate it. I preferred the colorful birds and the tiny pygmy falcons who were eating their lunch of bits of raw meat.

The lion was pretty impressive, in his fully relaxed snooze position, letting it all hang out, so to speak.

It was really the perfect time of day for a nap and I think the Grandpa was jealous.

Oh and no visit with our extended family would be complete without a little ubiquitous computing on handheld devices. It's so fascinating that someone could be born digital, but even when deprived of daily contact with media devices, could still be more proficient with handheld devices than many of his elders. Without the distractions of media in his daily life we are raising a voracious reader, artist, thespian, problem-solver, strategist, collaborator, and most especially, a boy who at almost-twelve who still knows the value of play.

Autumnal Bounty::2

2010-10-12T07:51:00.006-04:00

more loveliness by Orange Iron Fabrications

Well the bounty keeps coming. And I'm not talking about the bounty that Jabba the Hutt placed on Han Solo's head, either. This time the bounty is from our school's recent Harvest Festival and Michaelmas celebration. The weather was sparkling and crisp and this year's festivities involved no caramel apples from hell.

beautiful harvest market offered by the 3rd grade

our 6th grade table of baked goods

But getting back to Star Wars, which we are always getting back to around here, there is some serious fanaticism around here. It goes way beyond the conversations about "if you could have one ship from any of the movies, which one would you choose" or "which character would you be" or "who would win in a fight if _________." (For the record, my answer to that final question is always Yoda and usually I am right.)

2nd grade's activity was sauerkraut-making

scary grater thing for shredding the cabbage

Jonas has a rather ridiculous memory for detail. And he knew more about the plots of all of the movies than we did, even before he had seen them (thank you, interlibrary loan) because he had read a bunch of comic books that covered the movies and then, even better, some of what happens between and before and after the movies. Now from a literacy standpoint, this is kind of cool, because even before seeing the movies he was building up some pretty interesting connections between the complex plot lines and time lines.

Yesterday afternoon, in the car, he was marveling that Chancellor Palpatine (hey, check me out I got the spelling right!) could have set himself up so well to become Supreme Chancellor by vote. This led into a discussion about politics in general. That to me, it wasn't so surprising because I imagine he had been hard at work forming alliances with the senators.

two kraut-pounders hard at work

Which then led to Jonas suggesting that really, what he would like is a block of study on Star Wars (blocks last 3-4 weeks, typically). I think he would have to teach it, frankly.

Me: And just imagine the parents' surprise to find pages of diagrams of various important ships, beautiful colored-pencil drawings of important characters, and essays on the relative merits of the tactics used by various rebel and empire forces, sandwiched between your lovely geometric constructions and geology drawings!

We had a good chuckle.

At one point during his monologue, when I was just murmuring my assent, he said "You couldn't care less about this, could you?" And I answered with honesty: "You're absolutely right. But I love hearing you talk about it and I love listening to your thought process."

May the Force be with you.

Autumnal Bounty::1

2010-10-06T11:30:00.010-04:00

It's been ages since I have been here! Mostly it's the balance of school and work and kids that's getting me. But as you can see, we have been busy in the world. Look at all this color!

silks for sale!

needle-felted doll, hand-painted masks, felt crowns, handmade buttons!

Jonas and his friends had a successful business venture at the Common Ground Country Fair, selling their wares at the Youth Enterprise Zone, which you read about here. There was a lot of group process, mostly by the kids themselves, as they worked out details of the display table, how to keep track of inventory, how to price, etc.

notebooks and pouches

made from recycled plastic shopping bags!

And they did it so gracefully and collaboratively. They made change for customers, worked in shifts, and lowered prices when the afternoon rolled around.

oh! the needle-felted owl!

costumes, aprons, tunics!

beautiful wooden swords!

I don't know why I was surprised that when I looked at their table of wares, it was all stuff that the children have grown up playing with, the essential play things: dress-up, play silks, and wooden swords. It was lovely to see them create such beautiful things that have so much play value.

And in other news, our winged friend hatched and took flight. I, of course, was worried for him/her because the hatching preceded a week of very windy and rainy weather and a low pressure weather pattern. But within a couple of days, this small creature took flight.

Who am I to doubt nature?!

Isn't it fascinating to see what was left behind? This one's for you, Carrie.

Finally, check out my new hair accessories from Orange Iron Fabrications, aka my friend Kate. They made me happy all day long yesterday. So fun and her colors are amazing. Just visit the etsy site if you need a little color therapy, come winter. (Or better yet, you could buy something and bring that color home!)

Stuffed Grape Leaves: My Nemesis

2010-09-26T19:16:00.004-04:00

For some reason, I'm not sure why, it seems that the market is saturated with Thai food (which I already hated, before I lived here) in our area of Maine, with not many other interesting ethnic options. Why not Indian? Or Ethiopian? How about Greek?

Well, I was absolutely hankering for something vaguely mediterranean or possibly middle eastern, with maybe a side order of Indian naan bread. Last week I made falafel with a yummy cucumber-tahini-scallion sauce, served in a sort of Indian naan bread (fried in my skillet). Oh and stuffed grape leaves sounded great. (It was all because of a really pretty colorful spread in the Moosewood Cookbook.)

Let me tell you about grape leaves. They come in a jar, all rolled up in a sort of cigar-like bundle, in a little briny water. The thing that seemed impossible is that the jar offered absolutely no guidance in the form of directions on how to unroll the bundle with grace. Because the bundle was sort of tucked under on one end, and the leaves were very thin, I found it nearly impossible to unroll the individuals without shredding them.

shreddy grape leaves

I'm a patient person. I can unravel a knotty skein of wool. I can do tedious, repetitive tasks with good cheer. But this was a new and altogether maddening form of tedium. So in the end, I had a few unmolested and unshreddy leaves of grape, ready for stuffing, and a really delicious lemony-minty pot of brown rice. So I stuffed the few leaves that I had and then served the rice as a side dish, with shreddy grape leaves to be mixed in as the eater desired. Despite the ugly appearance of the shredders, the meal was embraced as a success by all eaters. My boys like falafel, a lot!!!! (In my day, when my mom made it, we called it "Feel Awful.")

Sylvan was bored one day, so I suggested he go outside and build a bike jump. First he had to bring his CD player outside, find an extension cord, and get his music cued up (Bruce Springsteen). Then he built the bike jump and used it while rocking out to classic rock.

Common Ground Country Fair

2010-09-16T19:24:00.006-04:00

...And more transformation!
It's the annual Common Ground Country Fair, sponsored by MOFGA (Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association), coming up in just two weekends. It's a great sort of groove fest, with all sorts of awesome vendors and amazing food and animals and fiber and art. And they also have all sorts of great speakers and panel discussions which I never get to go to because I am usually running hither and yon to satisfy everyone's whims. (I forget that this part can be pretty stressful.)

This year Jonas and his friends have secured a table at the YEZ (Youth Enterprise Zone), where they will sell their wares. Jonas has been dying silks and even hand-stiched a couple of silk capes (all rainbow colors represented!) and making wire-wrapped crystal pendants. Other friends are sewing costumes and making wooden swords.

These were his very first ones. Up next: purples and blues! I think the dying process was really exciting for him (and fun for me to be the coach!): it's so alchemical and magical! And the results are beautiful. (We used these dyes.)

Here is our new friend, now on day 8 of being in her crysallis. She ate and ate and pooped and pooped for two days and then over the course of one night: WHAM. She turned from yellowy-black striped caterpillar into this jade green gem speckled with gold flecks. Seriously. Gold flecks!!! It blows my mind. I was really hoping to watch the transformation process, but I guess it's private.

Sometimes your mom is so annoying when you are reading your comic book and she tells you to "freeze!" "stop!" "I need that picture!" So here is a real picture of our domestic life, none of these overly-pretty bloggy pics: a few empty apple crisp bowls and a child being pestered by his mother.

Transformation:: 2

2010-09-11T13:54:00.004-04:00

Transformation from green to orange to exploding sweetness in my mouth and finally into my belly! This was from a few weeks ago when they were really peaking. It's really like eating sunshine, these Sungold variety.
More transformation.... We added this shelving in our bedroom to be a yarn storage solution as well as to be sort of a colorful, ever-changing installation of color. The shelves were upcycled cubbies from school!
Below is my other wall of inspiration that I get to look at as I fall asleep and wake up each day. Art by the family, at left, and my brother's painting from when he was in Tuscany. Surrounded by talent at each turn.

And now some pictures from our new office space, formerly our boys' bedroom. This color on the walls is just incredible. It's such a wonderful green, changeable in different lights (Ben Moore "sesame").

We now get to have ALL of our books in one place in the house (well, except cookbooks, which live in the kitchen, and the boys' separate collections, and the pile on my bedside table). And the librarian's heart went pitter pat to place them in a logical semblance of order. We think a lot about "findability" in library world, because if you can't find it you may as well not have it.
We have a lot of nonfiction, which somehow surprised me. Perhaps because there are few novels which I deem appropriate to actually own my own copy of. And of course, quite a large children's collection (classics and not), crafting books (sewing, knitting, Martha Stewart Baby magazines, knitting magazines too!), teacher books, library theory books, parenting, and gardening---are our major subject areas.

Enjoy this day! I am going outside to check on my laundry.

oceany goodness

2010-09-05T14:27:00.004-04:00

We spent the afternoon at the beautiful Reid State Park (click here for last year's visit) with the waves and sun and a few great kids and friends. This was the week of our heat wave, the unseasonably humid, hot weather that reached into the 90s every day last week. We live in Maine for a reason: to avoid this type of nonsense, thank you very much.
So. I actually swam in the ocean waves! I felt the sparkle of salt on my skin! And when I was tired of the sparkly itchiness, I used the outdoor showers at the very nice, new, and clean restroom area.
We wrapped up the afternoon by continuing south down the peninsula to the little village of Five Islands. Quintessential Maine cuteness! A little dock with a lobster pound, some picnic tables, and a little Annabelle's Ice Cream stand (and there was delicious lemon sorbet for me, since I am not eating dairy!).

Boats, water, sun, sky, ice cream, adorable children, and good friends. What more could one ask for?

Oh yes. Small(ish) feet. My favorite kind.

When I get old and am looking back on all of my photos, will I still have such delight in children's sweet feet? Somehow I am always moved by the innocence that I see captured there, and particularly by the barest glow of light on the leg hair (at right): so unselfconscious and perfect and right.

table for two, s'il vous plait

2010-09-04T11:24:00.007-04:00

~the light was golden~

Unexpectedly... We had a night to ourselves recently!

Both boys were accounted for and happy and not in our care, and although it's the crunch time of school looming upon us (me already in classes and the Mister about to start teaching 6th grade on Tuesday), we decided to go for it: drive down to Portland for the evening like two carefree, kid-less people! (Part of the date was the car ride together.)

Evangeline was adorable. I started with a lovely pear and endive salad with some bleu cheese---a total yummy delight of flavors. I had the steak frites (bien sur) that came with this delicious hen-of-the-woods mushroom on top and actually could have been the main dish of my meal. Our waitress/bartender was recently featured in this hipster publication. So we really felt extra hip on top of doing a really pretty hip thing like going out.

Besides for the notice required of 24 hours if you're going to order the Canard Presse, the bottom of the menu says "Unfortunately the use of cell phones causes our stove to malfunction."

::Thank you, Rickie, for the treat!::

It's my inner grandma

2010-08-29T16:36:00.004-04:00

Oh, finally, some sewing again! Bad lighting be damned, I said, and just got to it. You could wait around your whole life for perfection, but that would be so much waiting and not enough fun. In the meantime, I whipped up this little number, in fabric selected for me by Susan and Matthew on their recent visit to Alewives Fabrics.

who doesn't need an apron with personality?!

There was something so freeing about tasking them with picking out fabric for this project. I love surprises! Also, I knew I would love the fabric no matter what because: 1) they don't stock bad fabric at Alewives and, 2) I love Matthew and Susan. So now this apron has a nice connection with some dear friends.

The Church Ladies' Apron Pattern by Mary Mulari was pretty quick to work up and took just one yard of each fabric for front and back. I lowered the location of the pockets because otherwise they were located around my midsection, which I am not keen to draw attention to. Also, I found that the piece that fits around the neck needed about 1" less fabric to fit right on my 5'6" frame. The only tedious part was ironing and hemming the pockets, and there was a small discrepancy between what the pattern said and what I thought was right; I went with 1/4" folded under once and then again to finish the pocket hems.

Such a fun way to showcase fabrics with great prints. My apron's reverse side is this lovely textured green. And, though I love my pretty half-aprons (just waist down), they are not so practical for actual cooking, where I tend to splatter and spill on my upper parts. So now, this lovely addition to my collection.

You can't have too many aprons, shoes, or handbags in my opinion.

the Beautiful was all around, pt. 2

2010-08-25T20:33:00.006-04:00

...And also the ridiculous.

While sitting shoreside, knitting, chatting, making sure no one drowned, and sharing book titles with a dear friend, I became aware of this odd buzz/hummy sort of sound. Very rhythmic. Perhaps a boat rubbing on another something? Pretty soon, the above creature, buzz-humming through his face mask, came forth from the unbriny depths and I captured him on film. (This might possibly be the best picture of summer, but let me know if you disagree.)

We also saw these creepy crawlies as well.

above photo by Mr. CraftingMama

(this one's for you Aunt Carrrie, check that greenish one out in full-size)

Did I mention the knitting? The maker of these socks was reclined in a hammock, oh so lovely, creating these rainbow visions for her feet. She finished the first sock in about one day plus a little more---I know, crazy. And she complained about the second sock syndrome??? Go figure.

The sweater sleeve! Begun here. And then here (again). This picture is just a few inches from completion. Now it's done.

Some of us adore strategy games like this one (and for the record, my gamer says that this is the original plus TWO extension sets, Seafarers and Knights/Cities), and if you're a regular reader, you'll know I'm not one of them. The rules alone sometimes take hours to hash out, and I'm pretty ready to move on after about the first 10 minutes of this. "I'll trade you a sheep for a brick." This is the type of talk that you hear when you walk by the game table and it sounds pretty absurd: really? a whole game about sheeps and bricks???

The days begin like this. Reading on the porch in our cozy nests of hoodies and blankets, sometimes cuddling up with a friend or relation for added warmth. The Personal Librarian was remiss this year, for although she came bearing a bag of library books (13 in all), the complete TinTin collection stayed at home. (Not entirely an oversight, but let's move on). Bilious blue blistering barnacles, in the words of Captain Haddock! I promise promise to never leave Tintin and Snowy behind again!

the Beautiful was all around, pt. 1

2010-08-24T21:40:00.004-04:00

Once upon a time there were two boys and a boat. And a kayak paddle. They explored the limits of the elements and the vessel and had quite a grand time doing it. One time they realized that there was too much wind for them to sail back and there they were, marooned! So a rescue mission was enacted: the two boys paddled back to shore in the relief kayak while a dad and another boy waited in the boat. Another dad found the keys to the motor boat, and he and the two boys motored out for the rescue of dad and boy, towing the sail boat home.

coming to dock was always a bit hairy

One small and salty sailor (wait, or should that be fresh?) tied another sailor up!

Mostly there was lots of water and plenty of boats (allsorts) and kids and friends and giggles and knitting and games and meals for ten. (OK, so we had no mattress-riding this year or live private piano concerts by a professional musician, but you can't have everything all the time.) What we had was restful and relaxing sleep to the sound of the loons calling. And somehow being *away* from all of our projects and email and to-do lists was a pretty great gift too.

Transformation

2010-08-18T13:18:00.006-04:00

The studio corner is coming along. As you can see, it's a little dark over there, so we'll be thinking of some lighting solutions. And I have no chair yet, but I am manifesting something thrifted/found and red, please.

Jonas's orange room looks great. The color is most true in these two above photos. He is enjoying setting things up for himself---you'll notice the LEGO display cabinet, above. What he really loves about the new set-up is the ability to read in bed (now that he's not sharing with Sylvan)...sigh, a boy after his mother's heart. It's a pretty cozy set-up! It's a good time to have a space of ones own, at almost-twelve.
And from the summer kitchen...

The garden is bursting with tomatoes, something that is unusual for us Mainers. It's been hot and mostly dry. (Gardening readers, why am I seeing some little white mildewy spots on the leaves just today? Is there something to do about it?) Our favorite snack is these little Sun Golds, which are like eating exploding sunshine candy in your mouth.

We're fans of salad pizza around here. A little drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette on the dough, pile on a bunch--really a bunch!-- of greens (this was kale and arugula), then shredded beets, cherry or sun gold tomatoes, red onions, a little goat milk feta (for those eating dairy), and a bit more vinaigrette on top. Delish. And a great way to eat a lot of veggies in one meal.

Off for the last hurrah of summer at Moosehead Lake, our annual visit of fun and kids and friends and water. The summer is almost gone and although it's been great, it's also been hard work. I am ready for some structure again!