Ruths Hands

Autumn is my favorite

2011-10-13T08:34:00.000-07:00

How did nearly 5 months pass without a word from me?

I have been busy living. Growing. Preserving. Gardening. Mothering.

We have grown our farm by two grunty pig faces, who will eventually make it to the dinner table but in the meantime are my sweet little friends. We are having more fun playing with our food than we ought to- but who can resist those faces? Having never raised swine of any kind, I am really amazed by their intelligence.

We have been trying to get the harvest in gradually so there isn't a mad dash the day it is expected to hard freeze and then mountains of stuff to preserve all at once. Some lessons take years to learn.

Thar she grows!

2011-06-22T13:01:00.000-07:00

It seems only fitting that we would have the garden completely planted the day before the summer solstice. This year we met the goal we have had for years to fully pack our back 1/2 acre overflowing to the brim with garden.(now we are scheming on the front yard) This was no small task! In fact it feels like we have been laboring towards this goal since March.

The weather this spring has been cool and we have had record rainfall, so our work days were really scattered. As you can see in the photo that is top center we started creating raised beds with old straw bales (to keep them in place we drove in the short green stakes on the outside of each bale) These go together really quickly it is the dirt moving that takes time.
( how long these hold up will be one of our many experiments)

I am most excited about is the variety of crops we planted.

Starting back in February when we had cabin fever and garden cravings Joe and I started collecting seed packets and poring over seed catalogs. Every day each of us would come home having found some unusual heirloom or unique seed to high five and geek out over. By the time spring actually came we had what felt like hundreds of seed packets. The reality of creating spaces for them all and getting them in the ground on time felt overwhelming. I spent a few hours organizing and categorizing them. First I separated them into plastic bags labeled with planting dates then I rubber banded similar crops together based on type ex: vine growers, bush growers, compact growers, early and late harvests. Once we had them all separated the task no longer felt overwhelming. Now as the season progresses I have dates on my calendar and everything is labelled so we can easily remember when to get them into the ground.ahhhh...

The crop I am most stoked about are of course the Tomatoes. The digging of the 33 4'x4' holes took me a little over a month to complete (where do you think we got the dirt for the raised beds?) Then we took several family fishing expeditions to find carp and catfish to put in the holes, (the carp we use only as compost, the catfish we clean and freeze the fish before using the rest of the carcass for compost) then we would fill each hole with water right before filling it with compost, leaves, and rabbit manure to plant our seedlings into. It is quite a tedious process with that many plants but after last years tomato success we are convinced it is the best way to get 6'+ tall tomato plants and a huge yield even in a 'bad' tomato year.
all of our seedlings were heirloom varieties including
Brandywine, Dr. Carolyn, marvel stripe, amish paste, amana orange, cherokee purple, ananas noire, omars lebanese, Dr. Wyckes, Black cherry, silvery fir tree, Riesenstraub, Thessaloniki, isis candy
Such a beautiful array of tomato colors, textures, and genetic diversity. I may have to have a seed collecting harvest party this fall!

Eat yo greens

2011-06-21T08:39:00.000-07:00

From the time we are children we are told to eat our greens. Why? Because they are good for you

When I say greens I am referring to the dark leafy variety which have been labeled superfoods. (mustard, turnip,radish, spinach, chard, kale,collards, beet and many more) When I am offering people greens from our garden the most common question I am asked is "these are beautiful- but how do I cook them?"

Traditionally people have cooked them down to a mushy, stewey, slimy texture which often really turns kids (and adults) off to the idea of eating them at all. When approaching the preparation of any fresh organic vegetable I try to find ways to cook it without cooking it to death, so as not to kill all of the good living energy in the food reducing the nutritional value.

(turnip greens)

One thing to keep in mind while preparing greens is that they cook way down so you will always need more than you think. I like to slice them crosswise before cooking so that they are a manageable bite size.

In a large pot heat your olive oil on medium high heat (you can also add garlic and/or onion at this point)

add your greens to the pot turning them with tongs as they cook down. add salt, pepper and liquid aminos to taste. Cook down until tender but not mushy.

other variations:
My mama likes to add Cajun spices to her greens.

If you add a little red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar to this recipe it will give them a tangy flavor.

For an Asian flare add some teriyaki sauce, freshly grated ginger, and sesame seeds.

If you are making any kind of vegetable stir fry greens are a wonderful addition.

How do you preserve greens?

We wash and chop them then put them into freezer bags to add to soups all year. They add fantastic flavor to any soup recipe. Most home preserving books will tell you to blanch them so they retain color- I generally opt out of the blanching step because anytime you heat and cool delicate greens it tampers with the nutritional values (and it is just an unnecessary step) The other thing I have done with an abundance of spinach is I puree it in my food processor and put it in quart sized freezer bags for pulling out and incorporating in spinach pesto, spinach dip, spinach lasagna, and creamed spinach dishes.

Fathers Day

2011-06-20T08:04:00.000-07:00

A few simple preparations...

apple rhubarb crisp and green garden salad...

table set under our favorite shade tree, wildflowers and grasses picked

pasta

table filled round with children

Dogs waiting patiently

One very happy Dad.

The hard work of spring

2011-05-06T09:44:00.000-07:00

There has been manure to scoop, straw bales to move, trees to remove, mulch layers to add, barns to paint, tree slash to burn, not to mention the normal spring cleanup-oh the list is never ending. I love all of the physical exercise I get in the spring garden it always feels so good to shed a few winter pounds and get some fresh air!
The longer days and friends eager to help us with the many tasks at hand have been a key factor in accomplishing everything we have so far this year. I am so grateful.

I am currently working on getting 30 (yes 30) tomato holes dug (only 8 more to go) so the moment the weather cooperates just enough for us to put our heirlooms in the ground we can get it done quickly.

and this one is for my mama....

With a chick chick here...

2011-05-04T19:56:00.000-07:00

first came the barn, then came the peepers in the mail

we have added 12 laying hens to our homestead

6 Partridge Plymouth Rocks

6 Barred Plymouth Rocks

and they are all very very well loved

Simple Easter

2011-04-25T10:21:00.000-07:00

Let Saturday Commence

2011-04-23T08:21:00.000-07:00

Soaking in Spring

2011-04-22T15:17:00.000-07:00

After a long cold winter spring feels like a miracle to me...

I find myself breathing deeply after the rains

experiencing each moment without the past or future to distort it

Stalking the honeybees which make the miracle of food possible

being whole

being love.

Because I can

2011-04-21T12:35:00.000-07:00

Back to blogging... because well, I feel like it... simple as that.

frozen lake

2011-01-03T07:41:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we went out to our favorite lake to throw rocks in the water. It was about 23 degrees outside so we bundled up the crew pretty well. We were actually surprised to find the lake frozen over. It wasn't solidly frozen except along the edge of the shore.

My favorite part of this day was the sound that the rocks make when you throw them, the further you threw them (where the ice was thinner) they made the loudest sound.We were all trying to see how far we could get our rocks because when they landed they would either spin like a top or go sliding across the ice.

Ice formations are so beautiful to me, the kids had fun trying to find the most unusual formations.

Going out in freezing weather is sort of a new thing for our family, something we haven't been able to do much of the past few years due to tiny babies... but now look at my babies! They had so much fun on our little trip to the lake. Maybe next year we can take them all sledding.

Lilah is a trooper, she is always happy to follow behind the kids and engage in whatever we are doing as a family. She was fine for the first 10 minutes of that, but then she decided her little legs in her bulky suit just couldn't move by themselves anymore and she wanted a lift!

When we hit 20 minutes in the cold she was pretty much done.. She couldn't resist taking off her glove to suck her thumb...then she wouldn't put her gloves back on so as soon as her little hands were cold we all packed it in and headed home to a nice pot of tea.

It was a beautiful day, a great way to spend the last day of Christmas break as a family.

treat or treat

2010-11-03T08:45:00.000-07:00

We had a really fun time this past weekend getting the kids all dressed up to go "treat or treating" at the local farmers market. The thing I really loved about going to the market this year was that they didn't get too much candy, just enough. We also walked away with a new jar raw honey for a winter of tea drinking, a bushel of fresh granny smith apples for $2, and 4# of beautiful organic concord grapes. We got to say a "farewell till next year" to our favorite vendors, and listen to Elvis serenade us as we walked around. I had this moment where I stopped and was filled with a sense of appreciation that this is my town in all it's wonderful quirky glory.

Perrin came up to me after eating a good bit of candy and in the most concerned tone opened his mouth wide and asked "Mom, are there any holes in my teeth??" It took everything in me not to laugh out loud, at least when it seems I am preaching to brick walls they are actually absorbing some of the warnings I give them on a daily basis.

We made candy apples, harvested more peppers from the garden, drank tea and ate soup. What a beautiful weekend it was.

what we did last summer

2010-10-19T08:48:00.000-07:00

I would like to say our summer was awesome... how I will miss it horribly, and I can't wait for next year...but the reality is that our summer was very stressful. It is kind of a blur of slushies, and fatigue. I learned a lot about approaching summer with 4 children using structured activity, and busyness to keep life in order. I vow it will be different next time.

However, it wasn't all bad...There were plenty of sweet moments scattered amidst the chaos. There were evenings of garden dinners on the grill. Time at the lake. Wildflowers picked. Festivals with friends. Lots of fun play. Unforgettable sunsets. Love.

I cut my hair short and I LOVE it!

renewed

2010-10-15T16:05:00.000-07:00

new perspective, fresh thought, and more in touch with the core of myself.

My right hand

2010-07-18T08:28:00.000-07:00

All of the kids have started to get involved with the summer food preservation operation this year. But, my Kahlan girl has become attached to my side when I am in the kitchen.

There are lots of little jobs for 3 year olds when it comes to canning... counting jars, lids and seals. Helping mommy put the cut fruit in the food processor.

Moving fruit from the boxes to the colanders.

She really thinks she ought to be allowed to use a knife, but instead I gave her a spoon and was surprised when she was actually able to pit some apricots with it.

I guess I have been the most surprised at her attention span, she will be contented for hours completely thrilled that she gets to help mommy every step of the way.

in the garden

2010-07-14T07:58:00.001-07:00

It has been somewhat of an unseasonably cold and wet spring and early summer. The crops are slower, and later than usual. We made some amazing progress on expanding the garden out to be a half acre, a job that we will be working on for the rest of the summer. The garden has been somewhat of an all consuming beast this year, but I have to say I have really enjoyed the time with Joe talking and working until the sun sets. It has taken some true teamwork to get things in place, and looking at what we have accomplished together this season so far is very satisfying.

I wrote a little guest post all about Garlic for my friend Heather over at her blog Living Senses for her Go Local Challenge

BSG 2010: Beer + Pie= YUM

2010-06-23T08:10:00.000-07:00

Friday night Amy and I attended the ColorBombers Beer+ Pie gathering at Velma's camp. It was so good to hang out with so many artistic minds. Let me just tell you that Velma is awesome and I heart her very much. We had a hoot of a time spinning and shooting the breeze.

Amy bought this cute little wheel at BSG and this was her first real go with it.

Color Bombers at Sundown.

This is Aunt Janet from Aunt Janet's Fiber Mill She is such a sweet lady. She is a wool processor out in California, who also has a felt making machine. I have a few fleeces I am going to wash and mail her way very soon to be made into felt for kids Christmas toys this year. She also has all kinds of wool that she has processed and dyed herself for sale in her etsy shop.
The tiny little spindle she is holding she made herself.

Lilah ran all over the campground, and we left not long after dark to get her to bed.

A good time was had by all.

Black Sheep Gathering 2010

2010-06-22T11:15:00.000-07:00

I returned Monday morning from my trip to the Black Sheep Gathering in Eugene Oregon. There are so many things to share that it will take me a few days to sufficiently collect my thoughts...

I shall distract you with adorable sheepy love.

Lilah was enamored with the sheep, especially the Wensleydales.

Romney

This guy was practically falling asleep when lilah was petting him

Lilah fell in love with the BFL sheep!

Summer has begun

2010-06-13T08:35:00.001-07:00

The wild rose bush from Montana is cascading with these beautiful, fragrant blooms...

The rain is giving way to the warmth, and the salad greens are beginning to bolt and change into beautiful exotic looking flowers.

School is out, and mama is tired...

Lilah had her first taste of a Popsicle.

Fiber Festival season is beginning....

She runs with needles

2010-06-10T11:34:00.001-07:00

I know that I have sung the praises of sock knitting more times here than I can count, but now having all 4 of my children running constantly when we are outside playing I have to have a project that is easy to remember, and very light and portable...socks.

I have seen really fancy yarn ball holders on etsy for people who like to knit on walks, so I improvised...
I use a small drawstring mesh lingerie bag to hold my center pull ball while I am outside watching my kids play and having to follow them around the yard, you can find these in the laundry section of most stores ... Mine came 2 for $1 at the dollar store.

In fact you can use any small (homemade??) fabric drawstring bag with loops big enough to hang on your wrist, and VOILA a cheap solution for the knitter on the run.

Wham Bam Baby Lamb

2010-05-21T22:01:00.001-07:00

I have been doing experimentation with textures and colors, and this art yarn was a happy result of my experiments...

I really love the wham bam thankyou lamb cowl I made for myself last year, so I figured I would get one made for the girls for next winter...

When I look at these pictures, It hits me that this baby is growing quickly... how can it be? She is getting so big.

Random: Spinning

2010-05-21T16:04:00.000-07:00

I have been washing, dyeing, and carding batts..... turning a lot of this....

into this! Because I am re-opening my etsy shop in June!

I got my hair cut, and I LOVE it!

I finished some socks for my feet.

did some navajo chain plying...

Sold my traveller, and bought 2 new wheels... this one I appropriately named "Big Sexy" for obvious reasons... seriously have you seen a sexier wheel? I bought Big Sexy for production and art yarn spinning and a Lendrum. My wheel setup finally suits my lifestyle and spinning style. (yay)

it is a curious thing...

2010-05-11T16:00:00.001-07:00

That I can photograph the same exact flowers each spring....

yet somehow I feel as though I am discovering something new about them each time...

I have high plans to fill my flower bed to overflowing with new and a few unfamiliar (to me) blooms this year.

I am loved.

2010-05-10T08:40:00.000-07:00

My day was full of a constant stream of little hands full of lilacs, home made cards and gifts, a chat with my Mom and sister, a family brunch, a cleansing cry ( I miss you mom), a nap, some yard work in the sunshine, some time to reflect on the many mamas who have impacted my life and continue to guide and inspire me, so much love from Joe and the kids all day long, and a relaxing evening with my feet up and knitting in my hands. I had a beautiful day.

Today.

2010-04-18T15:10:00.000-07:00

Cole turns 10

2010-04-12T10:40:00.000-07:00

I know I say it every year, but I just cannot believe my firstborn can possibly be ten years old. A whole decade of learning, growing, and mothering. Ten feels like such a turning point to me, and he frequently reminds me that in a few short years he will be a teenager....

It hit me a few weeks ago when the flu hit our house. It cycled through each of the kids one at a time, then it was my turn to spend a day between the couch and the bathroom. Usually the house becomes completely dismantled when I am sick for a day, but he was there to help. He jumped right in helping put snacks on the table for the little ones, and keeping Lilah out of trouble. I saw a glimmer of maturity in my boy that I had never seen before. Where there are some usual sibling squabbles, he used his influence to rally the little ones in a positive way.
I was totally amazed by his compassion and attentiveness.
I couldn't be more proud of the young man he is becoming.

Happy Birthday Cole, mama loves you so much.

rattlesnake cake, courtesy of my very talented mother in law Linda.

A Happy Easter

2010-04-05T08:42:00.000-07:00

Please shine down on me.

2010-03-26T13:03:00.000-07:00

The weather has been so beautiful lately.(today's weather not included) I can not tell you how delighted I have been for the sun's return. We have been spending so much time in the garden. This would be the first year ever we have been right on track with all of our planning, planting and prep work. Next on our list: expand the garden to cover the entire back yard

My little roots has grown more and more round recently. I am worried she is at risk for health problems if her love affair with dog food continues like this much longer.... so we put her on a diet. I am determined to get her out for runs as soon as the early mornings warm up.

I happen to like daylight savings time in the spring, having the longer time outside to play and relax together has been wonderful. I especially love that the sun streams into the kitchen when I am making dinner.

A Retreat

2010-03-08T15:49:00.001-08:00

This weekend I retreated to the mountains to submerge myself in all things fiber. It was so much fun.

There were several different classes all going on simultaneously dyeing, felting, weaving, spinning.... I didn't actually take a class this year since I had Lilah with me, but really loved watching everyone. Especially the weavers, I love the sound of the little bobbins spinning on the shuttles.

A gratuitous arty photo (couldn't help myself)

Sometimes you just have to get out of your normal patterns and do something different, and relaxing.

I was really tired when I got home, mainly from Lilah not sleeping well while we were there... but was very inspired by all of the beautiful fiber art, artists.... and the landscape.

soaking it in

2010-02-22T10:05:00.000-08:00

We spent the day yesterday working out in the yard filling up on sunshine. We got the cold crops in for early harvests, and fresh air in our lungs. It felt so good to talk with the neighbor who exclaimed "Hibernation is over!"

I have my hands in many knitting projects, I am nearly done with the red sweater- the funny thing is that I have been knitting on it pretty faithfully for an entire month, all I have is about 30 minutes of finishing work but I am not motivated to do it. go figure. I am working on the blankie again... 6 squares in one day is not too shabby! I was also given a skein of Manos Del Uruguay which I promptly cast on for a cowl for myself, I needed a quick finish project after all that red yarn monogamy.

I smell spring

2010-02-21T09:29:00.000-08:00

The past few weeks have been difficult for me... The complete absence of the sun seemed to get to me more this year than years past for some reason. I was beginning to feel as though spring would never come. I felt a lot like a pregnant woman due to have a baby any day but still convinced that she would be pregnant forever....
I knit and knit...drank coffee with friends and laughed at life- and let me tell you assuredly that laughter is very good medicine, and friends are a blessing.

Then we had a few days where the sun actually came out, and we were able to emerge from the house without coats.... I saw birds busy building nests, and noticed the ducks walking in mating pairs. But when I saw the tulips beginning to spring from the ground I was so happy, and energized.

The groundhog was wrong.
Spring is creeping in.

2010-02-12T11:20:00.000-08:00

The cards are all made, kids class parties are done for the week.... a few pans of rice crispy treats have been toted to school, and shared with friends.... Working on a few surprises for my kiddles.
Stretching my fingers and wrists in preparation of the Knitting Olympics, casting on during the opening ceremonies!

hearts forward

2010-02-08T12:02:00.000-08:00

It's February, and cold outside. We have had a few bouts of sickness around these parts, including Cole recently having an allergic reaction to something ( we are still trying to figure out what) We are all doing well now, but the few weeks of sick kids+ gray overcast days really began to wear on me. I am finding during these sorts of times when contentment is a choice, I do well to have something to look forward to. I am knitting a sweater for myself (in red)....and making little hearts for Valentines. I love love... I love hearts.... and I really love Valentines day.
Also, looking forward to the fiber retreat in March...

here is a link to free printable Valentines for kids, sans commercialized characters

I will try to pop in all week with the crafts I am working on to give my family.

I pull these nesting heart boxes out every year, my mother in law painted them many years ago when she used to do a lot of toll painting, and I love them.

a thousand tiny stitches

2010-01-25T23:09:00.000-08:00

There are thousands of tiny stitches in these socks... they took me a year, but I would knit a million more for him.

prayers for Haiti

2010-01-16T10:36:00.000-08:00

These past few days since the earthquake in Haiti I have been overwhelmed with sadness, and empathy for the people there. I cannot fully even comprehend that magnitude of suffering. I have also found myself reading news which I don't otherwise do (at all) and having to even limit how much I absorb since I tend to really internalize things. My thoughts seem to gravitate towards the mothers and children... I can't imagine what it must be like for those who have been widowed or lost children.... children who have lost parents and siblings and are completely alone.... and then the world who is scrambling to respond in time to save those who can be saved....

I can say my heart is encouraged by the outpouring of love and resources, my prayer is that those resources can be utilized properly, ethically, and mobilized in time to do the most good.

Recently a close friend inspired me by saying "we should count it a privilege to be given the opportunity bring warmth to another human being." I am keeping my eyes out for knitting chairity projects I can participate in, to hopefully send healing, and love to people in Haiti in my own tiny way.I will let you know when I find a good one.

in the meantime consider donating to doctors without borders via knitters without borders

olive you

2010-01-13T00:00:00.000-08:00

These are the olive dolls I made at Christmas for my neices, I still have one cut and mostly assembled to finish for Lilah. I really enjoy sewing these little dolls, they are so sweet. I didn't have time to make accessories before Christmas so I decided that since they got the dolls for Christmas I will sew the dolls accessories for birthday gifts.

Another recent project... A netbook cover. I knew the moment I recieved my cute little netbook that I would need to knit it a cover. I made this one out of Boku color #17, the stoneware buttons were handmade by my friend Keren.
This is a nice easy pattern, and knit up really quickly. LOVE IT!

Kahlan is three!

2010-01-09T08:47:00.002-08:00

Kahlan is my day after Christmas baby. As any Mama of a Christmastime baby will tell you it can be really difficult to carve out a special moment during the flurry of festivities that belongs completely to that child. In the past we have celebrated her birthday at the first of the month, before all of the merry making business gets into full gear, this is ideal... This year we waited until the new year to have a small family gathering to Celebrate Kahlan's three years of life. (pronounced by her "fwree" as she holds up 4 fingers)

As special as these family celebrations are, I wanted to do a small something extra for her this year. Being the little sister of two very active boys Kahlan is able to roll with the punches... she wrestles, plays with transformers, has mud fights, and is always only a few steps behind the big brothers.... When they go to school however, out come the baby dolls, her my little ponies, the kitchen play toys.... So I invited two of her special little girl friends over for high tea.

I dug out the tea set my mother gave me as a child, carefully unwrapping each piece.... I was flooded with emotion and memories. I can still see my little girl hands holding the little perfect china cups... I remember when I got married and left home and my mother handed me that tea set, at the time it felt like a right of passage. My passport to adulthood.

.I was filled with so much joy setting this little spread of special treats complete with circus animals, and strawberry wafer cookies. The girls played so sweetly together, and it was a beautiful peaceful time...

Happy Birthday Princess, Mama loves you.

Resolute in 2010

2010-01-05T13:54:00.001-08:00

I am pretty big on making goals every new year...Optimism springs forth afresh with the gift of a blank slate.... An opportunity to be different, to try something new, to turn a new corner, or fulfill a dream. As I read back through my blog archives and past new years resolutions I have more of a perspective on the woman I once was, and how easy it is to forget her while trying to see who I am in the everyday . Every year I marvel at how much has changed, and how many things remain the same.
On New Years Day I sat down with a sketch pad and a fresh package of pens (fitting for the first day of the year don't you think?) and just began to draw pictures, and dive deep into the things I want to embrace during the coming year rather than create a big to-do list.
these are the things that came to me...

Right along with these meditations, this coming year I hope to come to more of an acceptance and peace with how I was created, and stop even considering how I am perceived by others. Old habits die hard. Of course organizing my home is on the list again, which will be mainly in the form of some pretty ruthless and dramatic purging of stuff.
to view past resolutions click here:
2009, 2008, 2007, 2006
if you are wondering about my resolution in 2005 (pre-blog) it was to learn how to knit...fancy that.

2009 in photographs

2010-01-02T11:07:00.000-08:00

turn on your volume... push play....

"2009 in photos"

Create a free slideshow with Picnik!

2009 Life in the garden

2009-12-30T08:18:00.000-08:00

We had a beautiful year in the garden, though it really was a lot of work getting it all caught up from the previous year. Joe was able to get out this fall and get some layers put on so that Spring 2010 won't be quite as laborious. The best part of my garden this year were the friends that would come over to fill up a basket, eat a few tomatoes off the vine, help me pick, and talk.

2009 The Knitting

2009-12-29T07:52:00.000-08:00

Here's to 47 FO's in 2009!

2009 Has been a year full of experimental knitting, and larger scale projects than ever before.It has been a wonderful year.

I could have never imagined the worlds largest sock (in progress) would not only sit on my kitchen table but spend a lot of time in my hands and a whirlwind trip to the Sock Summit.

If you had told me I would cast on the Shelly Kang "Blankie" I would have told you that you were nuts... For those of you who are curious, the blankie has emerged from it's Christmas hibernation and is back in my hands. I also was so blessed by the kind contributions of scrap sock yarn that so many donated to my "cause" :D The blankie is one of those projects that you just have to focus on one little square at a time... one moment.... not the big picture. When I began I thought I could crank it out in a year ,butnow after spending some time working on it I think 2 is a little more realistic.

Meeting Stephanie Pearl-McPhee was a huge highlight. The Sock Summit in general was a wonderful even magical experience.

I had no idea when I knit the brain hat what kind of response I would get from other knitters. I guess because it wasn't really technically difficult I didn't think much of it. It was a test in patience, and a little bit fiddly. I have discovered this year that I love weaving in a million ends.

Meeting Michelle from Fickleknitter my longtime friend (and a kindred spirit) was pretty awesome.

I also did a little bit of knitwear modeling and test knitting for her designs :)

2009 Spinning

2009-12-28T10:26:00.001-08:00

2009 is the year when I let go of my pre-concieved ideas of what handspinning should be, and threw them out the window. I know it is from being directly influenced by my time and lessons with Lonna, coupled with allowing myself to be freed from perfectionism and replacing it with an complete immersion into color, texture, and whimsical carelessness.
To truly experience our work- we must be fully present in the peace and joy that comes in the process. I had to come to a place where I stopped judging the end product of what I was making while I was making...
and just let it be what it is going to be... beautiful, art, learning experience, or complete crap.

I have a sketchbook full of ideas, and a new wheel soon to come, 2010 shall be fun.

2009 Hands and Feet

2009-12-27T13:04:00.000-08:00

With our hands we give, learn, share, and create.
Our feet are for exploring...

This week I will be sharing a series of themed photo mosaics from the past year with some commentary and reflection peppered in here and there...

Christmas 2009

2009-12-26T17:30:00.000-08:00

Christmas has come and gone for 2009, the anticipation, the crafting, the shopping, and baking... has all been replaced with peace and playing children...
It was a sweet time together...

I am excited for January.

making merry

2009-12-19T09:04:00.000-08:00

Meet Cara... First let me say that I am not even remotely a seamstress, whatsoever..... in fact I delight in buying all of my sewing friends' fabulous creations because though I own a machine, know how to basically use it, can sort of sew in a straight line (sometimes) it isn't really my gig....... I had really wanted to buy a handmade waldorf doll for Kahlan this year, but wasn't sure she was old enough to care for it so I thought I would sew her a softie doll to see how it would go..... then I found the Wee Wonderfuls pattern for Olive and Archie....bought the pattern with high hopes I could pull it off, cut out one doll for each of the girls and what do you know... I enjoyed it.... so much so that I cut out 5 more dolls.. I think every little girl in my life needs one of these! I made this one for Lilah origionally, tucked it into the bottom of my knitting basket and carted it to my local craft night to show all my knitting friends that *gasp* I sewed something, and it isn't hideous! Kahlan went rifling through my basket like she often does (I have been known to stash hostess cakes in the bottom), discovered the doll and immediately began to swing her around and dance around the room.... When I told her it was a surprise for Lilah's Christmas present... she said no.... "it's MY bebe" and without skipping a beat...."her name is Cara" (pronounced kurrah) and so it is that a moment has not passed since without Cara tucked under her arm.

her body is organic killington flannel, her hair is made from a recycled wool (felted) sweater, the fabric for her shirt is a vintage print I was given from Grandma Ruth's stash years ago, the dress was sewn from a thrifted scrap as well as the vintage ribbon... her shoes came from a pair of bright green oshkosh that each of the children had worn.... I dearly loved them and was sad to say goodbye, to but very happy to up-cycle...

I went to 'paint your own pottery' at my local art store one evening with Kahlan in tow, just us... It is rare she and I get to go somewhere without the whole bunch... I got her a few smallish ornaments to paint while I chose a larger peice for myself, a turtledove...I painted it brown, and added some blue details, I was going for a very minimalist, simple look..... when kahlan reached over with her globby red paintbrush..." I wanna paink yo duck" and *squish* there was a huge glob of red on my simple blue and brown duck... so I just went with it, we finished painting it together, using every color available, and had so much fun... I enjoyed it so much more than fussing over the simple details I had added before...

and it turned out so very pretty.

The peppermint is finally complete, and whew was that a LOT of knitting! It felt like it just went on and on and on! I knit it in Brown Sheep Lambs pride worsted, and it is so so warm on my lap. Despite the miles and miles.... did I mention MILES? of garter stitch, I really enjoyed this knit...
It was mindless, I could knit it while reading or watching a show with Joe... I fell asleep while knitting it in the evenings a few times.

I like the snow

2009-12-16T22:13:00.001-08:00

Those aren't leaves, they are birds...Starlings to be exact, and when the flock takes flight it is pretty amazing... They were right outside the window and all over the horse pasture the other day. The pretty snow is now slush after a few days of rain. I will take snow over rain any day.

whatcha stitchin' mama?

2009-12-15T21:24:00.000-08:00

"I want to do it tooo.. can I do it?"

"I wike the pupow and pank."

"look mama, I'm doin' it- I can do it too!"

makes my heart pitter pat.

How can you say no to that?

2009-12-12T09:49:00.001-08:00

brrrrrrrr it's cold

2009-12-10T20:03:00.000-08:00

Whew it has been a cold week! The temperatures here have been dropping into the negative didgits the past several nights... as I type this it is currently 5 degrees outside...
There is snow on the ground, and more is promised this weekend....

I have been countering the cold by staying in (as much as possible)....listening to Christmas music, eggnog in my coffee, chocolate truffles, a good read, a dog curled on my legs, snugly kids and a good knit in my hands....

Lilah is one.

2009-12-06T09:04:00.001-08:00

It is so hard to believe it has been a year already. I know I say that every year, and with every child's birthday, but truly it has passed in a flash..

Well she has been one for a few weeks, how could it be that not a blog post was written?!
In Lieu of cake we had lemon meringue tarts that were just lovely... I guess if you think of desert in a metaphorical way, it could be said that this particular birthday was both sweet and sour for me as a Mommy. Lilah being our last baby, I find myself wanting to hold on for just a little longer... Linger here just an extra few moments... be fully aware that in another few blinks she will not be a baby anymore.

Lilah took a few steps this week, and is getting more proficient at balancing herself... She is the delight of everyone around her... her siblings argue over who gets to play with her or carry her around... She has a gentle way about her, and it is a pure pleasure watching her grow.

she enjoyed the lemon tarts too...

the state of things

2009-11-28T08:19:00.000-08:00

Mama's late night Christmas toy making workshop has officially opened....
Yarn, thread, scissors, felt scraps and other materials have been multiplying over every work space in the home....spilling out onto the floor...

The dishes are piled in stacks.... the laundry baskets are over flowing... the floor needs some love...

It is cold outside.... really cold....This week I structured my schedule around dropping and picking up kids from school, and my next pot of tea...

Rather than waking, showering, dressing in real grown up people clothes and taking the day by the horns like a really determined housefrau.... I woke up, showered, put on a clean pair of yoga pants and slipper socks and cuddled up with kids on the couch with knitting in my hands and tea by by side. On Thanksgiving I had to search high and low for my favorite bra because I realized it had been most of a week since I wore it.

what is noteworthy this week is that my most favorite teapot crashed to the floor and smashed to a million pieces. I cried a little.... I have grown accustomed to not being emotionally connected to things in my home, I cling lightly. I was attached to this teapot for a lot of reasons.... We bought it on one of our summer vacations to Montana. I believe it was the year I was pregnant with Kahlan....We were driving to see friends and I begged and begged Joe to pull over so I could experience Clays in Calico for myself... He stopped, and he purchased me the teapot and a pitcher completely spontaneously- something he rarely does. I was happy. I felt so special.... The teapot has been used through each day ever since, and has the nicest pour of any teapot I own...

Despite the beautiful things that came from my hands this week, today....a Saturday.... I really have to get down to business and get caught up on things. My standards of cleanliness are pretty low these days- but do still exist to some extent... so today the bucket and mop will emerge and hopefully we will have clean clothes in our drawers..
Happy Weekend Friends.

le knits

2009-11-24T21:10:00.001-08:00

In October I started to anticipate Christmas decorating (weird) and all I could envision were peppermints... beautiful peppermint swirls of red and white. I started this project out thinking it would be a tree skirt, but as I near closer to completion and the heavy garter fabric sits in my lap- I am convinced it shall be a lap mint. I am working with Brown Sheep Lambs pride worsted and really enjoying the monotony of the project... in fact it is so plain and mindless I started training myself to read and knit....simultaneously. (that's skills)

I am pretty sure this sweater was just waiting for Piper to come along. I initially knit it for Lilah then did not weave ends or add a button and she grew out of it before she ever got to wear it....

she has the most beautiful halo of hair on her head, and is so squishy sweet....It was so nice to see that little dainty sweater on her.

Perrin chose this yarn himself two weeks ago when blue was his favorite color.... he informed me today while putting on his socks this morning that blue is no longer his favorite, it is now green.... but he made a point to reassure me that he still loves his socks because they have green on them too... He takes after his mommy that way.

family

2009-11-23T09:01:00.000-08:00

Auntie Bobbie and Lilah
My sissy
Nana and bebe's
Aunt Jeannie and Grandma
Uncle Moon and Lilah on the tractor
Heather, Moon, Lilah (and Tyson)
Christopher
My BFF Liz
Cody and his puppy Juno

a walk through history

2009-11-22T08:02:00.000-08:00

While visiting we took a trip to a historical Cemetary in Midway Ga

I was so taken by all of the thick mosses, winding trees, thick ferns, and green all around me... It is interesting how surroundings which were once so familiar can become foreign when you haven't seen them in years... even the feeling of moisture in the air felt strange.

Joe and I almost got married in this church...

The history recorded on each grave was so interesting... It had me thinking a lot about my own family history, and how our generation will be remembered someday.

This pink moss was growing on the Cemetary wall, and I caught it out of the corner of my eye... it was about the size of a quarter... hearts seem to follow me wherever I go.

Georgia on my mind

2009-11-22T07:26:00.000-08:00

I am home from Georgia, rested up and settled back into the normal flow of life here.

It has been about 9 years since I had made the trip back home. Once we started really having babies in full swing it was almost impossible for me to make the trip. Though 7 days felt like an eternity to be away from Joe and the little ones- it really flew by once I was there.
Lilah did well on our flights, and it helped that we sat next to some really lovely people on the way.

What struck me the most during my time there were the smells... they brought back so many memories... I drove past the place where I first met Joe, I drove through our old neighborhood... the place under the streetlight where Joe scooped me up in his arms, and kissed me with complete abandon... the church where we were married... I drove past the place we used to park to look at the stars...I remembered when our hopes were all ahead of us, and our children were just a dream.... and it made me happy as I looked back how far we have come together- and how the beautiful life we could not have even imagined has unfolded before us.

fairy petals

2009-11-09T20:22:00.000-08:00

Occasionally a handknit comes along that is from beginning to end complete joy. This project began when I received the fiber (Nurturing Threads fairy petals Superfine Merino) and I began to spin... and I spun.... and I spun... The colors were a pure pleasure, and when the singles came together into a 2 ply it was magical. then I hung the yarn to dry, and as soon as it dried I cast on for this little dress...

It is the "Little Sister Dress" by Tora Froseth Design, the pattern is free on Ravelry. It is very well written, and easy to knit and the finished product is warm and squishy...
I think I am in love..

I will be flying home to visit my family for a week tommorow... so stay tuned for lots of family love, a bit of nostalgia, and some southern hospitality

recent handspun

2009-11-08T19:10:00.001-08:00

Purple Junk Yarn
Spooky Junk
Core spun mohair locks

Winter wonderland beaded junk yarn
core spun wool

capturing the sun

2009-11-08T08:31:00.001-08:00

I can't say I am a fan of the whole time change business, I like the longer days. We have had some beautiful sunny fall days recently, and made a few trips out to the lake.

Joe collected rose hips for a medicinal tea blend I recently learned about, wading through the stickers to pick me a handful of berries is love, true true love.

my favorite jeans, that are now falling off (I lost some weight) though I think they are worth buying a belt for.

love.

there's new yarn, new knits, and packing going on here... more soon.

Medulla oblongata

2009-11-01T07:33:00.000-08:00

so yes.... I was dressed as a brainiac...

The inspiration for this hat came from a similar hat that was knit on Ravelry...

wondering how I made it?

I made a straightforward, simple hat from the hat recipe pattern in Knitting Rules, and knit a lot- I mean a LOT of icord....I placed hat on the foam head and centered it the way I would be wearing it. I drew a line down the center of the hat with washable fabric marker separating the hat into even parts..
I then started to pin the icord in place trying to make the sides as symmetrical as I could... turns out really only the front was symmetrical, the rest were just squiggles. I wasn't going for anatomically correct, just a hat that looked like a brain.
once the brains were all tacked in place I began the very very slow process of tacking them down by lifting up a little bit, removing pins, then whip stitching them in place.
I began trying to keep the backside neat and perfect up to competition standards, but about halfway through realized that at that rate it would never be finished, so messiness be damned I just started messily tacking the brains in place... After I took the photos for this post I realized I was wearing the hat backwards- DRAT!

and VOILA... there you have a brain hat.

I really thought that the childrens decoration of my foam head added to this projects charm, it makes me laugh out loud every time I see it.

also noteworthy is my friend Mary's costume... Mary knitterhands.... and what is that around her neck?!.....

my "spooky junk" handspun...

2009-10-31T22:05:00.000-07:00

Cole really likes to get into character...

Perrin was really tired and sort of cranky when it was photo time, but managed to give me his best dragon impressions.

Kahlan was set on being a "pincess", this little princess has two older brothers- she was climbing, running, jumping, and on the go in her pretty princess dress pretty much all day..

Remember this costume from last year?

last year lilah was dressed as a pea in the pod...quite literally.

"everyone say CANDY!"

and mine... well, I'll show you tomorrow.
neener.

wee one

2009-10-26T19:56:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it has nearly been one year?
This time last year... I was waiting, marveling at new life, and knitting up a storm...
It feels like it has passed in a blink.

Lilah is a sweet, sweet child.

I have been working on a special birthday dress out of my handspun yarn..

to everything turn turn turn

2009-10-19T20:00:00.001-07:00

turn on your sound... listen to this... then proceed.

collecting my thoughts.

2009-10-18T22:54:00.000-07:00

it's Socktober

2009-10-06T11:31:00.000-07:00

Caution: looking too closely at the white legs has been known to cause blindness... (don't say I didn't warn you)

It's that time of year again... time to knit socks for cold feet and the winter ahead. It's also time that knitters begin project planning, buying (or spinning) yarnz, and knitting special things for Christmas, unless you are in the wee percentile of good knitters who knit for Christmas year round, mark off every wonderful aspiration on their giving list...
not me.

me, I wait until October- and in years past have been known to wait clear into November at which point I start mapping out my time, putting pressure on myself, bribing self with chocolates, and staying up to all hours to complete projects - you know weaving ends and sewing doll hair in on Christmas eve notsohealthy.

I am hoping I can get with it this year and get some things done in good time before the Holiday comes, and maybe even fit in a bit of festive decorative knitting....but the bottom line about me is that I am very rebellious... I do not like being told what to knit. I hate expectation. When I feel pressure, ideas of everything BUT what I am supposed to be working on start swirling in my head and uncontrollably start casting themselves on... it can be a problem.

But October is for socks, like Virginia is for lovers...
I love October, and I love socks- and my feet are all warm with the scrappy socks now while I attempt to get a pair made for each of the kids this month.
Christmas knitting can wait until November.

It's been 10 years

2009-10-04T08:03:00.000-07:00

This weekend we celebrate 10 years of marriage.

We spend the entire weekend in bed........................sleeping.
Sleep is quite a luxury to us these days, getting 4 kids to nap simultaneously is a challenge so usually we are taking shifts with kids so the other can nap on weekends. We had breakfast out, where we got a cinnamon roll the size of a dinner plate, we rated Spongebob episodes in order of the funniest episodes of all time...We watched funny you tube videos in our pj's, We visited a yarn shop, we visited the bookstore, we had a pint or two and some wings while watching the BSU game, we watched the storm clouds roll in while we were snuggly warm inside...We had a weekend that was authentically us. Lilah was happy to tag along for all of the fun.

Joe is the bread to my butter, the carrots to my peas, the yang to my yin, the earth to my sky, the cinnamon in my cinnamon roll, the coffee to my cream...
you get the picture.

He pulls me out of my comfort zones, he helps me grow beyond who I am today, he loves and accepts my dorktasticalness, he encourages my art....
I love him, and he loves me....

If it were not for him, I would have never ever tried sushi, my favorite food on the planet..

Since I know you really want to know we concluded that most of the best episodes of Spongebob are all in season 1

1. Bubble stand
2. ripped pants
3. Tea at the treedome
4. Krusty Love
5. Texas

busy harvest

2009-09-30T21:37:00.000-07:00

I have been so busy working outside this week getting as much picked and preserved as possible. We had our first frost last night so all of the soft crops (tomatoes,beans,eggplants,zucchini,cucumber)had to be picked and brought inside- we still have several things that will be harvested once they have undergone a few frosts, right before the first hard freeze (taters, sweet taters, grapes,peppers) and I have to say I am sort of relieved that the cold is here.... Logistically getting the kids all bundled is more of a challenge, but as much as I love and savor the summer season the lure of hot pots of soup and bread pulls me.... the warmth of a hot cup of tea in the evening with a bit of knitting to keep my hands happy, tangled flannel legs and woolly socks under down bedding... it's true, I am ready to hunker in for winter...
dare I say I even feel ready for the snow.

We had one last surprise treat pop up in the garden, a beautiful cluster of shaggy manes that we enjoyed for several nights in a row for dinner, such a rare and special treat! I will mostly miss the fresh eggplant, my favorite of all the garden vegetables.

I bought myself a nice food processor to shred the large zucchini to freeze... I was just tickled by using it, if you can believe in the 10 years I have been cooking I have never owned a food processor.. the speed at which I can now shred or slice anything just makes me flat out giddy- the children were also memorized by watching the processor eat the squash and spit it out in shreds- it's a marvelous thing! I shredded and shredded gallons of squash.
Joe's favorite carrot cake will be a chore no more.

Here's a sneak peek at my current special knitting project, I have a whole sleeve to finish on this baby and only 2 days to do it before the special anniversary weekend.... so amidst all of the chopping, coring, peeling,shredding.... I am knitting like the wind to try and finish it on time. This yarn is Rowan Kidsilk haze in the discontinued (yet still available online) color ice cream, it is a champagne cream with a pink undertone. I have heard other knitters swoon about this yarn, and wax poetic on and on about how luxurious and wonderful it is to work with -and wow were they ever right! I have been dreaming dreams in kidsilk haze ever since starting this project.

I write this at 11:30 p.m, in a quiet house, with a cup of constant comment with cream. I'm tired.

how I see things...

2009-09-24T11:52:00.000-07:00

joyous reckless abandon...

freedom to play and enjoy life.

I forget about this happy patch of crocus every year until it pops up to say hello to me.

This week I discovered lots and lots of this fluff in the neighbors pasture. It is milkweed down which after a little research I learned is one of the most insulative plant fibers, yet not very durable by itself.... spinners card this fluff into some wool to add the warmth properties to their yarn.... We are going to go out and harvest it all this evening, and as an added bonus we will be helping the neighbor combat the reproduction of noxious weeds.

the turkey and guinnea hen are molting.... I am collecting feathers to clean, dye and add to my art yarns.

when you mow your yard frequently you are missing out on the magic that is dandelion fluffs.

sometimes she is me

2009-09-23T14:39:00.000-07:00

The other morning I woke up earlier than normal, early enough to have my coffee in a leisurely way rather than the frantic gulping that normally ensues.. I laid out the kids clothes for the day, packed lunches and backpacks, realized that the littlest boy had a photo sharing project due that day....so I printed pictures out with him, cut, pasted, and helped him arrange his poster board.....roused all the babies from bed, fed them and got them dressed.

We were walking out the door, and loading into carseats when I realized that Perrin had taken the water hose to his school shoes the evening before and they were still sopping wet. Since his boots were nowhere to be found and flip flops are not part of the dress code, off we went to the Wal mart to pick up a pair of shoes.

When I got there I realized that I was still wearing Joe's big t-shirt.....the one I wore to bed the night before with no bra, no makeup, yoga pants, old sneakers, hair up in a wad on my head, and my whole gaggle of kids-late and rushing to the shoe aisle....

I felt humbled because I was that woman, you know the one.... the one you judge without realizing your judging her -with no frame of reference.....thankfully the underground walmart paparazzo were taking the day off...

suffice this all to say that sometimes we are thrust into someone elses shoes, so we may better see ourselves ... and it's a good thing- just go with it.

hello autumn

2009-09-22T14:55:00.000-07:00

Autumn is one of my most favorite of seasons, but this day I embraced the green around me....the green that will soon change to brown, then be covered in snow...

I have been working on the perpetual man socks pretty diligently, this is a whole lot of ribbing on #1 needles.... this is one of about 5 projects on the needles all in different stages of progress.... including something lacy and silky for myself for our special 10th anniversary coming up, ooh la la. The beginning of fall and the cooler weather brings with it a swirl of knitting ideas for keeping warm, but for now I am sticking to a stringent (HA!) knitting schedule.... I can't think about fall knitting until I bang out at least 3 of the top knits on my list...

Lilah is crawling really fast these days, pulling up on the furniture, and this week she started to let go and balance herself in a stand. She has two pearly whites poking through on the bottom, and is really enjoying the new foods she can eat with them.

She claps when you say "yaaay" she likes to dance when music comes on, and is starting to pickup on social cues like waving bye bye..

oh these toes....I could mush on forever about them....they inspire me so much- to knit wee socks of course.

spinning fairy petals.

GO BLUE

2009-09-15T07:50:00.000-07:00

It's bronco season...
nothing get's my blood pumping like some college football, the energy of the crowd is electric,
a few beers at the tailgate, the smell of kettle corn, hotdogs with sauerkraut and mustard, people watching...

time with my love, who doesn't mind bringing his woman to hang with the guys.

the knuckleheads...they kept me laughing the entire time.

the excitement of football, one of the most wonderful of American traditions.

the marching band, which brought memories of good times, hard work, and special people who have passed...

School spirit.

recent fibers

2009-09-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

Wensleydale lamb fleece turned boucle.

Junk yarn, one knitters junk is another knitters treasure.

I recently went to a beautiful summer wedding, so I had to knit myself something to wear of course...this little shrug pattern felt like instant gratification, simple, well written and went perfectly with my dress.

some handspun 2ply for a friend...

the newest spinning medium- I have been spinning ostrich feathers.

I learned the hard way to be careful of the floaty feather fluff, (say that 10 times fast!)
sometimes it likes to land on your eyball.

A novelty beaded art yarn spun with naturally colored alpaca, cria, and a wee tiny bit of bison fluff... the darker fluffy bits are the cria leg cuttings...

someone we know won a few ribbons at the state fair....this happened like a month ago, but I felt a little bit shy about it for some reason....
I won the blue ribbon for the hummingbird, and a 2nd place for the worsted 2ply purple wool.

enter the wham bam thankyou lamb cowl.....it is squishy wonderful! I have been wearing it on crisp mornings just because I can :)

it's like deja vous

2009-09-09T07:56:00.000-07:00

Every kid needs to taste playground bark at least once, right?

Daddy and baby squealing with delight makes my heart swoon...

chubby little arms and "rubberband" wrists, that smell, her sweet toes....

her laugh is so perfect.

and this girl... it wasn't so very long ago when she was just as small and squishy.... now she is a big girl- who would swing all day long if you let her.

lord have mercy, this man...his torn jeans....his smile.....yes.

the end of a long weekend

2009-09-08T14:44:00.000-07:00

Our lives are insanely busy these days.

The path we have chosen for ourselves is not the easiest path to choose, yet we know that in the long run it will reap it's own rewards in due time.

when you focus too much energy on the long run, the here and now can get lost somewhere in the tangle of it all...

one can forget what it feels like to breathe in and out, and the gift that is...

this weekend we took a moment to pause, play, and enjoy today.

we gave the ordinary a second glance, turned over a few rocks, and were spontaneous...

We watched the sun completely set, the fish jump for joy, the children were worn out...

we breathed.

five years old.

2009-09-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

On Friday we celebrated Perrin's 5th birthday with family... I can hardly believe he is five.
We had a dinosaur birthday complete with a dinosaur nest cake, with a cascading waterfall courtesy of one very artistic Grandma.

Perrin seems to be doing fairly well adjusting to school, his class is the perfect size and his teacher is very patient. We are all getting used to the new early to bed early to rise schedule... or in my case late to bed, early to rise then drink a gallon of coffee schedule

Perrin is learning how to:
write his name
be patient with others
personal responsibility

He enjoys:
coloring
playing in the dirt
playing with his dinosaurs
the color blue

this is the face he made when everyone sang for him, I used to make the same face.

"there's sour stuff in those dinosaur eggs!"

Saying goobye to the BigSock

2009-08-29T09:16:00.000-07:00

What an adventure it has been hosting the bigsock!It grew from 5 to 15 inches in the time we had it, and about 300 people knit on it during this time.

(10 sets of needles were rubber banded and ready to go, yarn was clipped in place)

What a happy experience for me!
p.s. I blogged over at the bigsock blog

sometimes...

2009-08-27T18:59:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it does a girl good to complete something she started.

The pattern was a freebie from knitsimple magazine, and the yarn is my handspun.

school time

2009-08-26T08:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the first day of school for the boys. Cole is an old pro at the first day, he was like "later Mom- peace out-have a good one!"

Yesterday was also Perrin's Birthday which of course had me thinking about his birth, and his first ever day of school, and all I could think is... "my baby, my baby is growing up..."

this at the door photo, which is a little annual family tradition is classic.

I could tell that he was a little bit nervous about it all, he held onto my hand tightly and just sort of took it all in.

Perrin is going to love school, his teacher is super sweet and loving.

I got him all settled in, drove away.... and then broke down into the ugly cry.

When I picked him up at the end of the day he told the teachers aid who walked him to the car "I am so glad to see my Mom!"

the children right now...

2009-08-20T08:19:00.000-07:00

Cole

Loves Art
is at a very goofy age
has mixed feelings about the start of school
has lost teeth faster than the new ones can grow in- there are definitely braces in his future
is learning some hard but critical lessons about life and respect-challenging me daily.

Perrin

is a monkey
is excited about school starting
is sometimes too smart for his own good
treats each day like an adventure
is often found in the garden, or climbing trees
talks to the neighbors pony

Kahlan

is the mother hen to her siblings
loves her fingers and toes painted
will love the one on one time we will have when the boys are in school
loves to be read to
likes to sleep in

Lilah

is crawling, and now pulling up on furniture
learned how to clap yesterday
says la la la la, and da da da da
is enjoying trying solid foods
is always watching and absorbing everything the big siblings do
loves to pet the dogs
eats random bits of everything she can find off of the floor

gone a swatching

2009-08-18T18:40:00.000-07:00

no words tonight, only pictures...

ok maybe I lied... I will talk about this one...
This is my most consistent worsted (fingering weight) handspun to date... I am quite proud of it.. it deserves to be something beautiful.
Bamboo Merino dyed by fiber optics

A shout out

2009-08-17T15:15:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!
p.s. I left you a message, I love you!
-H

pickin' twees

2009-08-15T19:36:00.000-07:00

NOM NOM NOM
freckles loves apricots.

pucker up, she loves to give kisses...

seeing through orange lenses

2009-08-14T18:57:00.000-07:00

The fresh salad tomatoes for dinner

the flowers on my table

This is that wensleydale lambs fleece I showed you the other day, dyed and spun into a boucle.... I was not hot on the color at first, it had to grow on me.

getting back to the normal stuff of life

2009-08-13T08:17:00.000-07:00

There is a sort of let down that happens when one gets out of her comfort zone to participate in something as intense as Sock Summit and then comes back home to real life... normal for me is photographing flowers..

and processing grease fleeces....this is wensleydale, you should see what I am making with it....tomorrow.

Judith said a few things during our class that really stayed with me, I even wrote some of her quotes down... one thing she said was that we cannot rely on Libraries to preserve our craft, she looked straight at us and said to us " you are my library" so in that spirit, I spent yesterday spinning the rest of my cashmere with Kahlan on my lap....just filling my library...

I had this color kicking around in my brain when I over dyed this crystal palace kid laceweight, I am really pleased with the results, and since I bought this from Michelles stash I think I should knit one of her designs with it...

Making the switch to minimalism does not lend itself well to going to open markets, in fact I had such a hard time buying anything because there was so much to see and I couldn't spend all my money in one booth not knowing what was in the next :)
I purchased this book "Woolbur" for the children, this was one purchase that was very easy to make- this story is so delightful I think it should be in every childs bookshelf. The Illustrations really capture the heart of the story as well... it's a must read...

so including the book all I walked away with were two hanks of luxury fiber a new drive band for the wheel, and a WPI tool....

this is "Chartruses Sister" dyed with natural dyes by A verb for keeping warm. I would have to say that they are my new favorite dyers... The colors they achieve are so subtle and earthy.. I also really like that they dye a lot of luxury blend fiber. I couldn't really capture the true colors of this fiber with my camera... One thing wonder Mike said to me while in the verb booth was "buy that cashmere girl, you deserve it!"

merino/bamboo pencil roving from Fiber Optics, The dyer at Fiber Optics was very personable and helpful- I loved her colorways...She is on my map for near future online purchases for sure... I see this hank as becoming some laceweight 2 ply for a shawl. This was also a very easy decision to make!

Lilah Pearl loved Sock Summit

2009-08-12T08:14:00.000-07:00

I wasn't sure how Lilah would do at the Sock Summit, especially with so many people coming and going from the big sock where we spent most of our time....see, this might shock some of you but she doesn't always warm up to every new person we meet. She has been known to burst into tears when a stranger gets too close talking to her. I think she knew that we were among our people, because she warmed up to all of the knitter-aunties as if she had known them forever.

She was in the pack for most of each day, taking naps on my back and just rolling with all of the new activities like a total trooper... She would go all day and still ham it up when we would go out to dinner with friends in the evening, she thought the MAX was fun....

She was loved and adored by all, and by Sunday since most everyone had circulated around the bigsock and met her I would be walking along and random knitting-aunties would say hi Lilah Pearl as we walked past.... sweet sweet baby girl.

the portland vibe

2009-08-11T12:07:00.000-07:00

almost every wooden electric post was covered in concert signs and staples.

this interesting painting is at the Montage

look Ma I got inkd in porland, at the Sock Summit lol!!!

the view from the train bridge

our reflection on the light rail, we hopped on the wrong line one day and it took about an hour to get back to the Convention center, it is a good thing the company was awesome!

Meeting Michelle in real life was just icing on the top of this handknit cake, we had such a crazy fun time!!!

Judith Mackenzie McCuin

2009-08-10T10:41:00.000-07:00

Judith is gentle, patient, loving, and so very special.
Everything she says has profoundly deep meaning.
On Sunday I was able to take her Sock Exotica class, we learned how to spin cashmere and other exotic fibers for sock yarn. This class, and meeting Judith was my sole reason for wanting to come to the Sock Summit. The class size was perfect, and she made an effort to connect with each student in a personal way.

She showed us this sock that is over 100 years old, it is knit at the finest gauge I have ever seen outside of machine manufactured socks. (She said that it was knit on wires)

She shared a lot about the history of our craft, and animal husbandry- two of my favorite subjects.

I cannot even describe what a wonderful experience it was to meet her. I came away from her class with so much-what a gift.

Sock Summit 2009

2009-08-07T23:59:00.000-07:00

Stephanie Pearl McPhee, the Yarn Harlot loves miss Lilah Pearl...

I met her first thing in the morning only for a moment when I arrived with the big sock, and later in the day when we went to the book signing we were able to have a few moments talking while she signed my coffee stained,bent corner, well loved copy of knitting rules

The Sock Summit is unlike any knitting event I have ever experienced... I mean there is just so much wonderful in one place that it is almost completely overwhelming... in fact I did not even get my way through the marketplace today- we were totally swamped helping people knit on the big sock. This thing was a serious undertaking. I mean, really... I now understand all of the talk of long hours, endless meetings, post-its stuck to foreheads and such now that I see the fruit of what this group of people have been working on for so long... I was so happy that Lilah brought Stephanie some joy for a moment today-during such a crazy wonderful but exhausting time.

How do you tell someone how much you truly admire them and are inspired by them and the impact they have had on your life? (without stuttering and sweating profusely?)

So while standing in line chatting with other giddy knitters totally high on fiber fumes they doted all over lilah and told me of this old tradition... that if a master knitter puts a pair of knitting needles in a babies hands the baby will grow up to be a master knitter... so when we were talking with Stephanie and taking part in this fun tradition all of our needles were buried under knitting so she leaned over and borrowed needles from Anna Zilboorg
(I know right?!!!!!)

Then lovingly let lilah hold the needles of a master knitter, and Lilah wanted to eat them...

I love this lady, she is seriously as wonderful in real life as she comes across on her blog.

oh yes and she enjoyed my blankie as well, I knew if anyone could have an appreciation for the blankie it would be her.... and she didn't say I was crazy for knitting it like is the common response I get from most.

Recognize this square? seen it somewhere before? huh?
yep it's the one I sent in... it was so cool seeing it seamed up into a blankie for the raffle.

We ended our long exhausting incredible day at the Montage... if you are ever in portland you must eat here.... really.

it is 1 am Portland time, I am so tired I am bleary eyed, I am pretty sure I repeated the history and explanation for the bigsock no less than 100 times today...I blogged over at the bigsock blog... so there you go folks.

my contemporary chic bed is calling to me.
more tomorrow.

bag is packed and I am on my way.

2009-08-06T07:28:00.001-07:00

I am on my way to Portland for SS09 My lists are crossed off, projects packed, books to be signed in tow.... ready ready ready.... and new sock earrings to wear toboot!

you all should prepare yourself for on the spot blogging all weekend long, so long as the wireless internet cooperates.... I will be taking an insane amount of photographs to share.

Michelle was worried that they wouldn't let her check her new tin foil hat design on the plane, so she mailed it to me to bring with me out to portland.... at least I won't have to worry about alien mind control, or electromagnetic waves distracting me on my mission...

A stroll through the garden.

2009-08-02T08:18:00.000-07:00

There are all sorts of wonderful things happening in the garden right now... I am collecting lettuce seeds from my spring plants, blackberries, a few tomatoes (they are a little late this year) ,fresh cucumbers, more potatoes and squash than we can eat , and the eggplants are blooming, aren't there flowers so radiant?!

This sweet little mama quail decided to make her nest in the middle of our cucumber patch, there are about 10 perfect little eggs in her nest, and I just couldn't believe that she did not move a muscle when I was really close to her with my camera.

volunteer tomatillo plants will make some awesome salsa verde in September. I just love the look of the papery lanterns that grow around each fruit!

thorny blackberries, I have to get out my shears and whack away at the bush just to take part in the fruit.

beans reaching to the sky

I love fresh potatoes!

and....I love my new haircut.

show and tell...

2009-07-28T12:43:00.000-07:00

One of my scrappy socks is complete. I had all kinds of leftovers of the leftovers while blankie knitting and they were just too beautiful to do anything else with. I really love the look of projects made from scrap, that do not match... The mate to this sock will not be the same colors or yarns- the only similarity will be size.

and because I know you will ask to see..... here's a pic of the sock innards... I almost have them all woven in- and it didn't take quite as long as one would think.

glory.

Another halo yarn

This is that Hummingbird superfine merino I bought from Nurturing Threads all spun up into a flame boucle.

YUM.

This is over 300 yards of 2ply superwash that is destined to be a sweater for my Lilah babe.

and signs of inflation... cole lost another tooth.

Heather and I are having a lot of fun times before she leaves, thus the lack of blogging... I wish she didn't have to go home. :(

and there is a new blog post on the bigsock blog.

living in the right now...

2009-07-22T12:48:00.000-07:00

My big sister Heather is visiting from Georgia, it has been 9 years since we have seen one another. It think we were both a little nervous about seeing one another after so much time, but truly it is as though we never skipped a beat- though individually we are completely different than we were 9 years ago. There have been late nights, lots of heart to heart, she is helping me get to the bottom of my junk and get my house into shape.

live long and prosper.

Canning all manner of summer fruit into syrups, jams, and preserves, this week it has been strawberries and apricots

Different blooms on my table each day, right now my cheery sunflowers...

A new viking icord tool a Lucet, handcrafted here in Idaho by Lynn the Weaver.

Taking nature walks, and trying to keep this boy out of mischief.

The bigsock has arrived, and I am currently writing on the bigsock blog...

first foods courtesy of Auntie Heather, she says that it is payback for me painting her daughter's fingernails back when she was a month old and I was a teenager.

This little fledgling Robin fell from the tree and perched on my finger for an hour before he went along his way into the great big world.

interview with a 4 year old

2009-07-10T08:30:00.000-07:00

talk about melting a mamas heart!!!

2009-07-09T09:55:00.000-07:00

I was canning those pie cherries the other day and decided to make some tri-berry jam at the same time, I figured I might as well since I was in the kitchen already and the kitchen was "canning clean" so I dug around in the freezer and pulled out the organic black berries that came from my mother in laws garden last year, the frozen organic blueberries I bought on sale in bulk a few years ago, and then the frozen strawberries I keep on hand for smoothies.... I threw them all in the pot and made jam....
I think a lot of people believe that you have to live in a rural setting to put food up, they think you have to live down the road from a farm, participate in a CSA, or have the space and time to grow yourself.... I guess what I am trying to say is that though all those things are ideal for canning, they are not totally necessary.Find your closest bulk food store and buy a big bag of frozen fruit to put up. When there is a good sale on seasonal produce at the grocery market, take advantage and use that... just use whatever is available to you in your area.... Go on...give it a try, you know you want to...

Now would you all humor me with some advice please? I have a quart of local raw honey, I had only dipped into it once.... the ants got in, UNDER THE LID... Would you scoop out the dead ants, and put the honey in a better jar with a better lid, or would you chuck the whole jar??

Yesterday I completely gutted this room that was once a nursery, then my office, then a storage/junk room which is now being transformed into a room for the boys... I ripped up the carpet and padding, took a crowbar to the nail strips, and got all of the staples out with a hammer....I had all 3 of the kids wipe down walls and baseboards so I can paint today... the color is not going to be the turquoise you see, that was one of those things I started then had second thoughts about before completion.... the color will be the faintest sky blue and I am hoping that I can create a space they can take pride in caring for.

Mr. Clean magic erasers truly are magical... I am thinking about buying stock!

Nurturing Threads

2009-07-08T08:29:00.000-07:00

I have these friends with a WAHM dyeing business.... their stuff is seriously, utterly beautiful. You know me, I love to throw around adjectives (a lot)... but the words that come to my mind when looking at their yarn and fiber are.... luscious....delicious....juicy.....scrumdidlyumptious... and O.M.G love!..... these ladies have a serious handle on color. The base yarns and fibers they dye are top notch quality... and this superfine merino I am spinning is so oober soft it is almost addictive.

These ladies have 11 children between the two of them which in itself is pretty amazing. Like a lot of indie dyers their stuff is not always in stock so you have to wait for it to come available, but I think it is well worth the wait.
The colors speak for themselves....
check them out!

they also have a ravelry group which is a good way to keep up with stockings, see colorways and what other people have made with their yarn...

Since I am on the topic of yarn... I should share with you the rainbows that leapt from my imagination onto this wool stripping.... Something about summer makes me want to work with bright vivid colors, I didn't give this pendleton wool stripping a second glance when I passed it in my LYS.... that is until a strip of it was included in the dye class I took....So I bought all of it.... brought it home and skeined it.....

and this is what came about....I haven't decided whether it will be a rug, or a shaggy knit comfort shawl...

filling our days

2009-07-07T09:44:00.000-07:00

We had a very nice fourth spent with family and friends...

mud fights.

I harvested in the garlic the other day, we planted it last fall and I am so excited about how big our bulbs got... We are going to plant another crop today so we can harvest more right before winter. You know your garlic is ready to dig when you have 3+ stalks coming up... though the really big bulbs had 6 or more.

a friend brought me over two bags of cherries the other day, they have a tree that is producing more than they can handle... sounds like a good problem to have to me wouldn't you agree?

I have been doing a lot of work in my house, I realized that my focus keeps going back to those goals I set at the start of the year, but it feels like more of a natural progression rather than a forced checklist.... I feel like I am liberating myself from my self imposed slavery to stuff...I have the back of my car completely packed with donations, and the trash cans are filled to overflowing. So much of this process is slow psychological ongoing work, yet I feel like I am taking giant steps.
I am letting go, accepting myself, releasing good things to others, being mindful.

BIGSOCK, littlesock, sock, sock, sock....

2009-06-30T09:18:00.000-07:00

The BIG SOCK is coming to my house.

The BIG SOCK is coming to my house.

The BIG SOCK is coming to my house.

The BIG SOCK is coming to my house.

The BIG SOCK is coming to my house!!!

Sometime in the next month it will be arriving for it's tour of Idaho, and trip with me out to Sock Summit 2009, I am so excited about the summit and all of the people I get to meet, but most of all I am happy I get to meet my long time friend fickleknitter and we get to take a spinning class together....

check out the flickr group for the big sock!

well hello, deep end....

2009-06-29T13:39:00.000-07:00

It's good to be here.

The pattern is here.... the yarn was handpaint from a swap, and the needles are 0000 available at yarndogs

and just in case you were wondering... yes they are smaller than toothpicks.

oh yes.... and look who's grown.

fun with dye

2009-06-28T13:25:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I took a wonderful dyeing class from my very favorite Lonna Steele, I cannot say enough about how fantastic I think she is. I have done my share of experimenting with colors and dyes over the years, but I learned a TON from her yesterday. I appreciate the way she approaches her art. She always fits as much technical and historical information to her classes as well as the hands on learning. Most of all, she always maintains a sense of fun, adventure,and play which I have come to learn is essential to this craft.
I have some pretty pretties to play with, and some mohair fiber which will be spun just as soon as I free up my bobbins..

this week I plied a 3 ply wool silk yarn which came out so pretty.It felt like it took me a long time just because the singles were so fine to come out with 230 yards of worsted weight yarn.

so now I am working on my fair entries, and have crazy wool woven stripping soaking in the bathtub with dreams of rainbow colors....

lazy summer

2009-06-26T06:27:00.000-07:00

We have been spending a lot of time outside on the blanket.... at the park, watching kids run around, under the shade tree...

We spent one day taking Kahlan to the doctor... she had a runny nose, that just wouldn't go away, it got green and really really stinky (TMI I know) so I took her in to see our wonderful pediatrician, and he quickly discovered she had lodged something up her nose.... so in with the tweezers.... can you guess what she had stuck up there?
wool.
yep wool.
she took a fluff of my spinning wool from the floor and shoved it up her nose... I think we will be talking about this one for years to come.

I cranked out this barn raising square from Regia Fafe Fassett (Rainbow) sock yarn, it is going into one of the quilts that will be raffled off at SS09 for doctors without borders.

The other thing I am working on right now is teaching the kids how to care for what we have... by getting rid of the bulk of it- making them help clean it and care for it... and taking most of their possesions away so they appreciate what they have..... this has to be one of the most challenging aspects of parenting for me.

A gift from the birds

2009-06-15T08:56:00.001-07:00

When I think about "going local" when it comes to my food I need not think beyond my own backyard, I know what sorts of things I put into my land- I don't have worry about compromises that even some local farmers have to make about their crops.

I think about children with bare feet running through the garden crunching on some sort of natural treat in hand....
It doesn't get any better than fruit trees planted by bird droppings.... that is the case with our mulberry trees, 3 of them.... all planted by the birds...We were going to chop them down last year because we had no idea what they were and where they came from until they fruited...I didn't bother picking my mulberries last year because they seemed to squish when you picked them by hand.... then this year I learned a little trick.,... you have to shake the L right out of them and then collect the berries from the ground..
(ok those of you with a weakness for vintage sheets stop looking at me like that.... this one is going to be cut into strips for a rag rug...) Mulberries are kind of mild when compared to other berries, but they are very juicy and have a unique flavor..
The trees are really packed, so I will be shaking them down all week long and saving the berries in the freezer until I have enough to make jam. I think I will add some 100% white grape juice concentrate to it to add more sweetness to compensate a little for the mild flavor.

who is that hunk?! Lord have mercy.