Knitting In The North

The Bare Minimum

 

 

This week has been all about the bare minimum.  On the weekend, the kids & I took Stuart to the airport, where he flew off for a week of training in another city.  The day before he left, I was finally felled by the nasty cold that everyone else had last week.  Not to sound whiny, but being on my own with 4 (healthy, energetic, bouncy - thankfully) kids, while I crawl around feeling miserable is not my idea of a fun week.

 

It was good for me, though, as these things often are if we're willing to learn the lesson hidden inside.  Because I had to let go.  Let go of my wonderful meal plans, clean house ideas, crafting goals...  Admit that I'm imperfect, yet again, and that that's okay.  I'd venture to say, it's better than okay, actually. 

 

I came across the quote posted on my fridge over at Perfect Sentiment, just when I needed to read it.  It says, "The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak."  Exactly what I needed to hear, and my nice clean fridge door (about the only household project I accomplished all week) is just the reminder I need. 

 

Unnecessary:: Perfect meals, spotless home, exciting activities, doing it all "perfectly"

Necessary:: Lots of tea, snuggling in bed with 4 kids & a dog, reading good books (still), watching an old movie or two

 

How about you?  What's necessary for you right now?  What's not?  

Goings On

 

 

Lots of good fall things going on around here these days:

 

• Great thrift store finds (like Gwenyth's fabulous coat - wool, of course - and matching boots)
• Vegetable stock simmering on the stove
• Apple cake in the oven (as we put the batter in the pan, I asked Gwen how it looked.  Her answer?  "Slimy"  Oh, my literal girl.)
• Toasty armwarmers knit up for me & Katie
• Reading good books as a family (we're on #2, and the excitement is still building) 
• Homemade chocolate syrup
• And really, really good for me this week (helping me along on my journey  to embrace the Imperfect) - this quote

What are you up to?

 

PS - Miss Gwenyth has a request - she is in desperate need of some postcards to brighten her day when we bring in the mail.  If anyone is willing to send her a little piece of snail mail happiness, please let me know - she will be very, very grateful.   

 

Girl Time

Gwenyth has, I think, been feeling a bit like an empty sponge over the last several weeks.  The big kids have gone back to school, I'm working again (outside of the house - the stuff I do inside the house doesn't count, apparently), we're in the swing of fall programs and appointments and meetings.  At the ripe old age of four, this leaves Gwen kind of in the lurch.  And she's old enough to know it.

 

I've been making an effort over the last week or two to set aside some special "girl time", for just the two of us.  Even if it's as simple as taking her along on an errand, or stopping by the library for a quick visit, it seems to be helping.  The other day, she said it would be nice to have a day at home, and I couldn't have agreed more!  Once Liam was down for his nap, the two of us went into my studio, turned on Gwenyth's favourite music and whipped up one of these little hair kerchiefs.

 

I followed this tutorial, and it was simple and fun!  (It did take me more than 5 minutes, but I'm pretty slow.)   Gwen picked out the fabric from what we had around, and she chose a Care Bear remnant, and some rainbow-ish geometric Ikea print.  The kerchief is sewn onto one of those thin elastic hairbands, which makes it really functional (which is important to me - nothing makes me crazier than making something to have it sit around and become Stuff).  Also, Gwenyth has been growing out her bangs for the last year, and these kerchiefs are awesome at holding back any wisps that escape from whatever hairstyle she happens to be sporting.

 

Even if you are new to sewing, or afraid of your machine, I highly recommend this project.  It would be great, as well (and might show up in my own home) in grown-up size.  'Cause what grown up girl doesn't need her very own hair kerchief?

 

PS: Yes, Gwenyth is wearing the Pirate Sweater I knit for Brian.  Don't you love it when you can pass your knits down?  (And how on earth has Brian gotten so big?) 

Preparing for Winter

 

 

 

 

There are so many things that need to be done at this time of year, and it all needs to happen Right This Very Minute!  We've been busy for the last week gathering our winter's supply of firewood, and yesterday, made a day of splitting and stacking the whole bunch.  (That is a rented gas-powered log splitter, in cast you don't know.  The orange lever moves that big splitting maul, letting us split the whole bunch of logs in one busy morning, instead of days and days with an axe.)

 

 

 

 

This is one job that I love.  I love it.  I love going out to the woods to cut the logs; I love running the splitter; I love using my body in the fresh, crisp air; I love the whole family pitching in together; I love feeling like we're ready for snow to fly. 

With temperatures only a few degrees above freezing today, this job was a priority, and today - I love that it's done. 

 

 

 

 

 

There is Too Much, Let Me Sum Up

With the arrival of the official first day of fall, I feel like I should touch on the summer lists that have been important around here over the summer (which is really over now.  Really?  Already?).

My summer knitting list - ahem.  What can I say?  I knit not a single thing from the list all summer long!  I'm not sure why, really.  One item was started and then frogged, but I still like the pattern & plan to knit it one day.  Another was cast on, but put aside for other, more important projects.  Sorry, Ali - maybe next year I'll do better!

What was a big success, though, was our Summer Things To Do list.  Although I estimate we actually did just over half of the items on it, this list served it's purpose of keeping us mindful and intentional during our schedule-free days.  It was great to see the kids turn to the list when the "I'm bored"s were ready to strike, and we all found satisfaction in marking something "complete".  We will definitely make this an annual practice in our home! 

How about you?  Did your summer go as planned?  

One Last Taste

 

With me working weekends, taking a family camping trip was something that didn't look like it was going to happen this year.  Earlier this summer, we sold our old tent trailer, and I figured that going camping (something I LOVE beyond reason) would have to be missed this season.

I didn't take into account my husband's super bargain-hunting skills, though, and he found us an amazing deal on the exact piece of camping equipment we were hoping for.  We had planned to purchase a trailer next year, to take out to Ontario and visit all the family there, but this one was just waiting for us.  Naturally, we had to take it out, just for an overnight.  In a short time, we packed in a bit of hiking, a decent campfire complete with s'mores, and a chilly early morning by the river.  One last taste of summer for us all - bliss!

Summer's End

Today is the first day of school here, which made yesterday our sweet last day of summer.  We spent it hanging out with family, and then took a nice little hike into the forest.  The air was fresh and cool, with a distinct whiff of autumn. 

Stuart grabbed the chance for a new kid photo, and then got some awesome individual shots.  I have a collage frame I picked up at Ikea on our trip to Vancouver earlier this summer, and I've already uploaded and ordered some prints to frame - a simple way to hang on to these quickly fading warm days. 

Soapy Goodness

The kiddies & I decided to spend an afternoon this past week trying out a melt & pour soap kit we picked up at a garage sale a little while back.  The whole process couldn't be simpler, and was a great activity choice, as it was fun whether you were 4, 7, 11, or 32.

I cut up a big chunk of glycerin, meltable soap and put it in a pot.

Once it was liquid, we added about a half dozen drops of scented oil, and a few chunks of soap dye.

The kids each chose a couple of molds, and I poured the pretty smelling green liquid in.  They pressed some dried flowers into the back of a couple, for a "fancy" effect.

A short play-time later, the soap was ready to come out of it's mold, and we all admired our pretty handiwork.

 

One of these days, I plan to make some soap the longer way, but for now, this was unanimously a satisfying way to spend a quiet afternoon!

On The Farm

*** Warning: Picture Heavy Post Ahead! ***

This weekend, I took the three big kids off to a local petting zoo , to check out all the wonderful animals.  What an adventure we had!  We came home, each of us longing for a hobby farm of our very own, populated with goats, sheep, horses, bunnies, ducks, chickens, alpaca...

 

 

 

Button, Button, Who's Got The Button?

 

What to do on a rainy, cool morning with six kids wandering around?  Sort buttons, of course!  It's amazing, really, how dumping a jar of assorted buttons out on the dining room table will draw them all in like a magnet. 

Taking my button jumble from the various jars and containers, and turning it into this nicely organized collection kept everyone busy for a good hour - even Liam (who obviously only got to check out the few giant buttons lying around - no matter how hard he tried!).  The rest of the time, he made messes elsewhere, trying out his new sweater:

 

Now that appropriate buttons have been found, I just need a quiet evening to sew them on, and you can get a better look at the finished product.  Finishing the knitting on this, though, made it legal for me to cast on my own fall sweater - always a thrilling enterprise!