Knitting In The North

FO: Girly Mitts

Gwenyth has, for a while now, been asking for a pair of fingerless gloves of her very own.  It was one of those little projects, that, because it was so little, I kept putting off for one reason or another.  This week, with Christmas out of the way, and a couple of small projects promised to others done, I got these on (& off) the needles.  I think because I tend to wear fingerless gloves most of the time, Gwen feels very grown up and special with these on, which makes me feel great (and a bit guilty I didn't get to them sooner).

 

Particulars:

Yarn - Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sport, Carrot, less than one skein

Needles - 4mm bamboo DPNs

Notes - I hadn't used this particular yarn before, and now am a little bit smitten.  It's very soft, and nice to work with, and beautifully dyed, and I need to find some more.  Ahem.  I held the yarn doubled, which gave me close to the same gauge as the pattern, and the finished mitts fit both Gwenyth & Brian (ages 4 & 7, respectively), so it's all good.  (Not that Brian's allowed to wear them, of course.  I had trouble getting Gwen to take them off while she was eating her lunch!)  The pattern was well written and  fun to work.  I certainly foresee more of these in my future...

 

I realized the other day that I have several projects from 2009 finished that I haven't shown you yet - I gave a couple of them a fresh blocking yesterday, so stay tuned.

Lil' Buddy

Liam, as the youngest of our brood, has become aware recently of all the coming & going at our place.  Really, the coming is a wonderful thing, and Liam is generally the first at the door to greet the new arrival.  The going, however -  not quite so fun for our guy.   

I've been for a while now thinking about a special doll for Liam - one that could be his very own buddy.  Now, with the realization that people keep "going" places, a buddy that doesn't go seemed especially important.  I found this guy a little while back, and was saving it for Liam's birthday in June, but after a particularly sad day, I brought it out to put a smile back on that sweet face.  

 

What do you think he did with it?  My boy immediately sat down and took off Buddy's coat.  "Go," said Liam, while he shook his head and frowned.  I do believe this is one buddy that's not going anywhere...

 

Quietly Thankful

I have to admit - I've been feeling a bit grumpy lately.  The days are short, the sky is cloudy.  I'm working two (paid) jobs, added to the joys & chores of running a household of six.  I've been questioning if this is really the right path - is it worth all the maneuvering and organizing and planning and doing without and and and...

 

Worse, I've been grumping and snapping and complaining, even with all the mess in Haiti, even though I know how much we have, even though we are so, so fortunate in so many ways.

 

Thursday, I had a particularly cranky day.  The kids were miserable, no one was listening, I was tired.  The carrot in front of me, all day long, was nap time.  My daycare guy was leaving early, both Gwenyth & Liam needed a nap; I was going to have two glorious hours to hide in my studio and sew myself a new apron. 

 

Just - and I mean just - as I was tucking Gwenyth into bed, the telephone rang.  It was Katie's teacher - poor Katie was also having a miserable day, and the teacher thought it might be in her best interest to come home early, have a rest, and start fresh the next day.  (Such a thoughtful person - not only did she consider Katie's best interests, but the school secretary ran Katie home, so I wouldn't have to take Liam & Gwen out of bed.  Who says public schools are all impersonal, useless places?)

 

I quickly said goodbye to my quiet sewing afternoon, put on the kettle and whipped up a pot of "happy tea" (equal portions of lemon balm & chamomile - Gwenyth calls it "flower tea", as she says it tastes like dead flowers), and Katie walked in and burst into tears.  We spent a quiet hour in the rocking chair, with my big, almost-a-teenager girl in my lap, talking and snuggling and sipping tea.  While we sat together, all I could think of, over and over, is that this is why we do what we do.  Being able to be home when all Katie needed was some quiet time with her mum is worth all the running-around-like-a-chicken-with-my-head-cut-off crazy days.  And I was so thankful.  Thankful to be there in the chair with Miss Kate, thankful to have a husband who supports me in my decision to stay home, thankful to be able to make it work when there are so many people who would love to do what I do and just can't. 

 

I will confess that earlier today, the grumpies were sneaking in.  I reminded myself again of Thursday afternoon, and returned to feeling quietly thankful.

Won-Ton-less

For our soup night last week, I tried a new recipe - Chinese Vegetable & Meatball.  I'll admit I was a little worried that the kids would all rebel, as they're not usually into the won-ton soup idea when we order Chinese food, and this is basically won-ton soup without the rice paper.  I was pleasantly surprised, though - not only did the kids all eat it, but Stuart had three (THREE!) helpings! 

 

Here's the recipe, in case you want to try it for yourself:

 

Chinese Vegetable & Meatball Soup, from $3 Meals by Ellen Brown

Meatballs:

• 2 T soy sauce
• 2 T cornstarch
• 3 large egg whites
• 1 T Asian sesame oil (I used whatever I had on hand)
• 3 scallions, white parts & 3" of green rinsed, trimmed & chopped (I used green onions)
• 3 T chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 T grated fresh ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled & minced
• 1 lb ground pork
• 1/2 cup finely chopped water chestnuts
• salt & peper

Soup:

• 7 cups Chicken stock
• 6 scallions, white parts & 3" of green rinsed, trimmed & chopped (I used green onions)
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled & minced
• 1 T grated fresh ginger
• 2 T soy sauce
• 1 large carrot, peeled & julienned (I grated mine)
• 2 c chopped iceberg lettuce or Napa cabbage (I used bok choy)
• 1 c thinly sliced green beans (I omitted, and threw in the rest of the can of chopped water chestnuts)
• salt & pepper

 

1. For meatballs, mix soy sauce with cornstarch.  Combine egg whites, soy sauce mixture, sesame oil, scallions, cilantro, ginger & garlic in a mixing bowl, & whisk well.  Add pork & water chestnuts, season to taste, & mix well into a paste.  Chill for 30 minutes.
2. For soup, combine chicken stock, scallions, garlic, ginger, soy sauce & carrot in a 3-quart saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat to low, and simmer soup, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
3. Using wet hands, form meatball mixture into 1-inch balls, and drop them into simmering soup.  Cook for 7-10 minutes, or until cooked through and no longer pink.  Add lettuce or cabbage & green beans, and simmer for 2 minutes.  Season to taste with salt & pepper, and serve hot.

Note: The soup can be prepared up to 3 days in advance & refrigerated, tightly covered.  Reheat it, covered, over low heat, stirring frequently.

 

FO: Bella's Mittens

There is a young girl that I work with, who is very sweet.  When she started making noises around me that she needed, more than anything, a handknit pair of mittens, what was I to do?  She happens to be a fan of the Twilight movies, so this pattern was an obvious choice.   

 

Particulars:

Pattern - Bella's Mittens

Yarn - Paton's Shetland Chunky Tweed, Reds, 2 balls

Needles - 5mm DPNs

Notes - I followed the pattern as written.  I didn't realize, though, when I started, how long the cuff would be, and had I known, I would have taken the first two repeats of the cable pattern off.  I started with one ball of yarn, and would have needed only that, had I shortened the cuff.  The longer cuff is a big hit with people, though, and it does look very fancy. 

 

The recipient was thrilled, and went all over the store the day I gave her the mittens, showing them off and telling everyone how wonderful they are, how warm and soft and cozy.  Really, what better payment could any knitter ask for?

 

Word of the Year: Simplify

 

My word of the year for 2010 has been rolling around in the back of my mind for months, now, but summing up the direction I feel this year is going was trickier than I thought it would be.  Here's the thing - in the past few years, I've changed quite a bit.  I've learned new things, and found my values & priorities shifting.  Not big, scary ordeal kind of changes; small, yet still significant changes. 

 

The thing is, I feel like my life outside hasn't quite kept up with the changes inside, you know?  I do things on autopilot, because that's the way I've always done them, not because that's the best thing to do at that particular moment.  Change is uncomfortable, but as I went through my year of embracing the imperfect, the more I saw that my life just didn't match some of my new values and beliefs and ideals.

 

I thought this year would be called "Live Deliberately", like good ol' Thoreau said, but he also said, "Simplify, simplify, simplify! ... Simplicity of life and elevation of purpose".  And the other day, I was reading, and came across this one, which clinched it for me:

 

"Simple living begins when people become conscious of their values

 and live congruently with them, whatever they may be."  - Mark Burch

 

So - simplify it is!  I look forward to sharing with you the surprises I find, and changes I make, as I do some soul-searching...  It will be an interesting year!

 

 

Much Thanks

Gwenyth would like me to tell all of you who have sent her cards in the mail, "Thank you very much".  It has been wonderful (and highly entertaining) to watch her little face light up each day that she gets "mail of her very own"!  Really, thank you, thank you.  It is a small thing that has made a very big impact.

 

What I didn't love about the cards coming into our home, though, was finding her collection All. Over. The. House.  Stray cards were in her bed, in the bathroom, on the coffee table, the dining room table, the kitchen counter...  Sigh.  In my constant battle with clutter in a small house full of many people, this was not a good thing.

 

The solution I found in my copy of Handmade Home - a mail satchel, of course!  Why didn't I think of that?  Once the holidays were over, and I could think somewhat clearly again, I ran down to my studio on the first available afternoon, and made one.  (Isn't nap time wonderful?)

 

 

It was a big hit.  (And see the lovely thrifted ribbon?!?  I love ribbon.  Um, I may have mentioned that already?)  Now, even if I find the bag in Gwen's bed, or the bathroom, or the coffee table, or the dining room table, or the kitchen counter, it's a much more pleasant reaction I have, and a much easier problem to fix. 

 

The outside of the bag is thrifted fabric, (which matches this skirt, conveniently enough, and even better, not planned) while the inside is a remnant Gwenyth picked out herself ages ago, and I've had floating around ever since.  The satchel is nicely sized to hold all possible cards & letters.  Isn't it amazing how the little things can be so special?

 

 

:: If you sent your return address with your card, you may just find a thank you note of your very own in your mailbox one day.  If you didn't include a return addres, but would like a custom made, Gwenyth-designed card, please feel free to drop me an email, okay?

 
 

Christmas Jammies

One project I was absolutely determined to finish in time for the holidays was a pair of pajamas for each of the kids.  Part of our Christmas Eve tradition is to open just one gift before bed.  It's always pajamas (sometimes with a little extra tucked in, sometimes not).

 

About a year ago, our local fabric store closed down.  At the big closeout sales, I picked up the fabric I used for both Gwenyth & Katie's pjs.  The blue & red dinosaur flannel I found at the thrift store (a very exciting find, indeed).  I had planned to sew little bottoms for Liam, just like Katie & Brian's, but then found this one-piece pajama in Liam's size at the thrift store.  They were so cute, they even have a little "trap door" in the back.  So sweet.  I appliqued a dinosaur onto Liam's jammies, and a store-bought t-shirt for Brian.  On Katie's, I appliqued a silhouette of a purse.

 

Gwenyth's nightie was much more of a trial for me - I don't think I'll be doing that again anytime soon!  Another nightgown, fine, but that particular pattern is out.  The ruffle was supposed to be hemmed, but that seemed like a nuisance, so I finished it off with binding tape.  The back of the neck was meant to have a tie, but ties just get tangled in Gwen's hair, so I skipped that part, too.  "Winging it" can be really hard for me to do, but sometimes, it just has to be done, right?

 

I had hoped to sew up little tote-type bags to hold each pair, but didn't manage to get there.  I suppose that can start my list for next Christmas!  The most important part, of course, is that each child really seemed to appreciate them - Brian loves that "the boys match", Gwenyth floats around like a princess, and Katie's were just cool enough to pass muster.  What more could a mother ask for?

New Supplies

The nasty cold spell has broken, and I managed to sneak in a thrift store visit yesterday morning.  When one can finally leave the house, what better place to head for?  After the essential trip to the library, of course. 

 

I'm always so very happy to come across craft supplies, especially ribbon.  I love ribbon.  I love ribbon so much, I have a hard time using it.  Which is silly, I know.  I also found some binding & twill tape, which I am less reluctant to use, and so always glad to find. 

 

I did manage to use some ribbon, the very same day I found it, a feat almost unheard of in these here parts.  I will show you, but I have to take a picture first...  Tomorrow, perhaps?

 

Are you a thrifter?  What kind of treasures do you hunt for?

For The Birds

The kids took this picture a few weeks ago, of a giant flock of birds resting in my favourite tree...  it has become far too cold here in the last week or so, even for the hardy birds.  With the temperatures dropping below -30C (-22F) at night, and not rising much higher during the day, life has become very, very quiet. 

 

It's a strange contrast to the busy time that December was - now, people have hunkered down, and try not to leave the house unless absolutely necessary.  It's been nice for me, actually, because it feels like the house exploded over the holidays, and I am very, very slowly catching up.  Mountains of laundry, toys, books & dishes all need to be dealt with, before I can even start the packing away of decorations & reorganizing for the new year...  Ah, well.  It will all get done, and in the meantime, I am very grateful for the big woodpile outside, the bag of flour to turn into bread, and the bin of root vegetables waiting to become soup, or something equally tasty.

 

The forecast is calling for it to warm up by the weekend - I wonder if I'll be all caught up by then?  I might need just a few more "home days"!