Handmade Christmas: Finishing up!

I thought I'd share my Christmas handmades again as I'm getting closer to the end! I finally crossed the finish line on Kernel about 2 weeks ago and I'm pretty close to finishing the boys' requested sweaters.

Kernel Scarf:

Pattern: Kernel

Yarn: Maggi's Linen [Rav link]

Needles: US size 6

Once I got the hang of the repeat and could "read" it well it went pretty quickly. I feel like I'm a lot more confident in my lace skills after this project, and I hope that I continue to gain confidence as I work more and more lace. I also learned to graft with even tension for this project. I've grafted sock toes before, but this was harder grafting work for me personally. Trying to maintain the same tension as I had knit with was a little bit of an adventure (read: I may have had to graft a few times)

This scarf measured 55" long and 7" wide before blocking and after blocking grew to 67" long and 9 1/2" wide.

Also in the Christmas queue:

 Ender's sweater:

I'm following Elizabeth Simmerman's EPS for the measurement here and I'm through the first decrease on the yoke. Another good evening of knitting and I'll be finished with this! I know it's just plain stockinette, but that is as requested.

Yarn: Cascade 220 wool [Rav link]

Needles: US size 8

Ezra's Vest:

Pattern: Diamond Back argyle Vest [Rav link]

Yarn: Hobby Lobby I love This Yarn [Rav link]

Needles: Size 8

 This has been a nice little intro to intarsia for me! I was able to complete the front in about 3 hours one night and didn't get too tangled up in all the loose threads on the back.

All that is left is to weave in 50 gazillion ends, stitch up the sides and shoulders, and add the ribbing at the neck and arms. It won't take long, it's just getting up the gumption to take care of all the loose ends!

Additional Christmas gifts:

1. A requested prayer shawl for my mom: in progress, 13 repeats to go of an 8 row repeat across 300 stitches. I'm finishing a repeat in about 90 minutes, but I've been really working at finishing the sweaters first.

2. Slippers for each of the boys. I have to grab yarn for this on Friday and I've made a goal for myself of being finished with Ender's sweater and Ezra's vest by then, as well as being another repeat or two farther in on the prayer shawl. I'm planning to use the Elf Shoes pattern by Pamela Wynn. [Rav link]

3. And maybe more? I might be crazy. We had our drawing for the 2 people we'll be buying for on my side of the family so now that I know who we're gifting I kind of want to knit them each something. Yeah... I don't know about that either. Totally depends on how fast those Elf Shoes go. Oh yeah- and did I mention that these 2 gifts would have to be ready for the 18th? We'll see what happens here...

School on the Fly

While we are not really any one type of homeschooler, my unschooling tendencies have been popping out during this holiday season. Aside from daily pages (a little reading, a little writing, and a little math) our school time has become "pick a book off the list, pick a project, create, create, create!" It's leading us to some fascinating places.


:: Our recent read of Peter Pan as well as the timely gift of a playmobile pirate ship from grandparents has led to a multitude of treasure maps, the wearing of eye patches and plenty of "ARGH!!!!"


:: Ender saw me looking through a cute little book all about making Little Birds and he declared one of the birds for himself. When I told him he'd have to use a real (read: sharp) sewing needle for this project, he looked a little bit daunted, but I assured him I'd be right there if he had questions. He has stitched up one seam at a time and later today he'll be ready to stuff the body and complete that portion. I'm so glad he chose a project he's going to love.


:: I ordered a stack of books from the library for our Christmas reading, and we'll be picking those up later today. I love being able to point the boys to the reading basket and say "pick one!"


:: I cut up strips of paper with some easy open-ended activities on them and these have been great for having a bit of structure for Ender but a lot of freedom to interpret what each activity means. I've included the PDF I made if you'd like to use it.


Things to Play

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Love Much

I took Ezra with me to buy our advent candles last week. He doesn't really remember last year's candles, so I told him again about the circle that ends with Christ in the center. Such a simple connection that calls us to the manger each year, but to my little one it will feel brand new and full of excitement. As we talk I pray my 3-year-old hears and understands. We talk about Jesus' birthday, about a birthday cake and celebration. We talk about making gifts to give each other, spending time together, a special breakfast... and then he interrupts.

"What do we give to God on Thanksgiving?"

Praise.

Gratitude.

Time.

Joy.

Faithfulness.

I started at the beginning of the list, but it made no sense to Ezra. He was looking for something tangible- an outward sign of thanksgiving.


When we went home we wrote a list together- a first grattitude list for a three-year-old boy- and prayed together to tell God thank you for each thing. Pictures were drawn and hung on the walls, a physical and real sign of praise for the things we depend on and the people we love.


Making my own list along with Ezra's and when I find myself beyond the usual- family, house, food... the stresses that have built up in the last few months became evident. I find the thoughts in the back of my mind bouncing around:

"Yes, thank you that Brian has a job, but You know he needs something better, more permanent."

"Yes, thank you for providing what we need, but we really need something more dependable."

I shake my head as if to erase it all and try to begin again. Thank you, for what we have right here, right now. Teach me, Father, to be content right here, right now, with what I have in this moment.


Some days it feels like there isn't much left to give after allowing my mind to be taken over by the worry and doubt- What if today is the day they tell him there is no more work? What if the job interviews don't pan out yet again? Haven't we been riding this train long enough that we deserve a break?


And there is the problem. Deserve. It's only by God's grace and mercy and sacrifice that we don't get what we truly deserve.


This thought floods my mind and I am brought to tears thinking of the woman who washed Jesus' feet with fragrant perfume and tears. Jesus' had so much to forgive her for and still she came- she came with what she had, praising Him, understanding that it was He who would save her from her multitude of sins.


God does His best work when we have nothing left to give and yet we still come before Him, offering up the only things left. Our commitment, our love, our hearts. Oh, He works in us in other times, as well, but as Jesus' says in the parable: Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little. (Luke 7:47 NKJV)

Ann Voskamp invites us to write about giving thanks. Won't you join us today?

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So, intarsia...

My "learning knitting technique" technique has been to pick projects I really like and learn whatever skill it is I need to know to complete that project. Perhaps I should be more orderly about learning new things, but it's worked pretty well so far. Ezra's chosen vest pattern is a sweet argyle vest [Rav link] in blues and grays, with a bit of red showing up as well. I didn't look far enough into the pattern and assumed that because I'd done a bit of stranded color work I'd be fine. Then as I was near the finish line on the back and had to put that red diamond in I realized what it was...


Turns out it's intarsia, baby, and I was a little more than scared- another unknown skill I hadn't planned on acquiring!


I went straight to knittinghelp, and watched the intarsia video there. It didn't seem *too* bad- keeping track of a few colors at a time would be okay in such small patches, and those hanging ends that seem to bother everyone else so much don't bother me.


Then it was into the thick. I cast on for the front and wow- slow going. Not difficult per se, but between trying to make sure I lock the previous color before switching plus working with 7 (!!!!) different yarns in one row, it's not fast progress. Add to that that I didn't really like the color arrangement I thought would work so I ripped back to the ribbing...


It's going to look great, but it's times like this when I consider learning continental knitting just so I can knit with both hands and maybe speed up a bit on color work.


Other than the intarsia invasion Christmas gifts are shaping up nicely. I have only the yoke and a bit of grafting left on Ender's blue sweater, the Kernel scarf is finished and still on blocking pins. The only bits left to start are the elf slippers [Rav link] (a pair for each of the boys).


And why no pictures of all this glorious progress you might ask? A certain 3-year-old may have misused a cord not intended for little boys so there will temporarily be no pictures until said cord is replaced. So photos of our beautiful rainbow fish paintings from last week, my finished Kernel scarf, nearly finished and seriously in progress sweaters for 2 little boys are out for now. I promise we have been making plenty around here!

Thanksgiving Week Daybook

Outside my window... We spent the weekend outside cleaning up leaves and sticks, so the yard is looking great even if the sky is gray for the 5th day in a row.


I am listening to... Chris Tomlin. I love his voice.


I am wearing... Jeans, a long sleeve tee-shirt and cardigan, and knee socks. It's a cold morning!

I am thankful for...

Extra sleep just when I need it most

Christmas projects done early

Fresh advent candles ready for Sunday

Time off from work all this week

I am thinking... about the food article in Christianity Today this month.

I am reading... Forge by Laurie Halse Anderson, the continual parade of knitting books stacked up on the night stand, and continuing our family read-aloud of Peter Pan.


I am creating... Christmas gifts and Bible study plans in the evening hours, lesson plans in the early morning.


Always learning... This week it's all about Thanksgiving and a little introduction to the pilgrims. Since I have the chance to be home all day this week we have a lot of projects planned. :)

Around the house... I'm working on the closets that seem to get out of hand every 4 or 5 months.


I am planning... for Advent. I'm very much looking forward to the season.


Towards a growing faith... Brian and I are continuing our reading in the New Testament, still in Matthew. I'm reading more John Piper on my own.


I am praying... for friends with a big decision to make.

One of my favorite things... early morning quiet.


A few plans for the rest of the week... Lots of time with my boys, time to cook dinner every night this week, spending the holiday with our families over the long weekend...

Collecting Christmas Links

I know it may be a bit early for some folks, but I'm deep into planning for advent- if I don't start planning now we would be half through the season before I pulled myself together.

I have a habit of collecting seasonal links for the next year- we never get to every idea, but we do get to a few every year (last year I made these stacking Christmas trees) and I really like having the abundance of new ideas- you never know what will spark new traditions!



Here are a few we're looking at including this year:

Elizabeth Foss's HUGE list of links- reading lists, crafts, baking... seriously, you could spend hours looking through it all!

Fun and Easy Garlands to make with your kids

We are sooo trying this Peppermint Bark this year!

I love this Coffee Filter Wreath, and Ender agrees, so we added it to our craft list for next weekend.

I am also researching Jesse Tree options- this will be our first year using the Jesse Tree to structure our advent season. Ann Voskamp may have a version ready by the 27th- I'm sincerely hoping so! Her materials are amazing.

*****

What do you do to prepare for the season? I'd love links to your family traditions, favorite Christmas books or favorite projects and crafts!

One step

I didn't mean to tell the story I told, but when a dear friend asked if she could pray for me words tumbled out- all the words I never meant to share. It started simply enough- that the restored faith of a family member has been underwhelming to me when I thought it would be so joyous. And joyous it certainly was at first, but a bitter spirit crept in during these last weeks and I found myself pouring the ugly out too- words of jealousy and anger - the true words stuck in my heart:

"I have been faithful through everything all these years when so many people told me it was okay to turn away. And does anyone remember my obedience? My prayers? My faith?"

I suddenly realized what I'd said, what it sounded like, what it really was . . . and I cried.


There I was, the prodigal son's brother, worrying about what people thought of me when all that mattered was a soul returned to the Father.


It has only been a few months since I heard those words come out of my mouth and I felt a punch to the gut that sent our house upside down. I hadn't even fully realized that I'd been harboring those thoughts before they were born into actual words, but with that realization came a serious attitude adjustment that affected the whole family.


Learning to truly be thankful is a process, you know- a hard and dirt-revealing process. It took a full re-boot to my heartsong, the words that live in me, that I breathe in and out every day. And I know it's not complete.


Sometimes choosing to be thankful is a drop-you-to-your-knees-in-awe kind of thing, but far more often it's choosing to whisper little words of thanks as you work through the day, one simple step after the other. Thankful as you make breakfast, a few words of praise with every folded shirt, as you drive to the library, tuck littles into bed...


One step in front of the other. Obedience, faithfulness in the little things that we are called to do.


Ann Voskamp invites us to write about giving thanks today. You can visit her at A Holy Experience.

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Bigger Things

Never have I been more grateful for a timely post than I was when Sarah shared yesterday in Sometimes, I Feel Like Quitting.


After watching our 3-year-old running around in circles for a full 5 minutes my husband looked at me and asked, "Are you sure you shouldn't just plan to put him in school when he's 5? He's going to be really hard to teach."


I laughed and brushed him off with a quick joke: "He has two more years to shape up."


I know my husband is just joking, but it is certainly true- Ezra is going to need some totally different teaching techniques than his older brother and I'm still trying to figure out where he gets that crazy supply of energy that wakes him up at 6:30 a.m. smiling and ready to tackle the day. And this isn't the first time someone has mentioned this particular fact to me. Ender appears to be a pretty "easy" kid because he has a laid back personality and Ezra is . . . well, three. Doesn't that say it all?


Have I worried about how to teach him? Short answer: Yes. Do I hope he'll mature a lot in the next 2-3 years? Yes. Am I planning to ship him off to school? Not a chance.


Really what I think when people bring this up to me is how much more Ezra needs to be home, particularly in the first few years of his education. He will need more room, more time outside, more of a chance to experiment and learn hands-on because he is such a physical kid. We don't homeschool because it's easy or fun or always a lovely day- we homeschool because there are more important things than the little details of education.


Sarah's words are so much more eloquent than mine:

I believe in home education because I see incredible value in the child living and learning in the context of family life. Because I want sibling relationships to be stronger than peer influence. Because I want my child to love learning, long after graduation. Because I know that my most important job is to guide these children to the doorstep of Heaven, and I'm convinced that will be a heck of a lot easier to do if I can stand by their side for a good long part of the journey.

                                                                                               ~Sarah at Amongst Lovely Things


We have far bigger things to do with our kids than learning to read, write or add- we have been implored to guide our little ones to God. As Sarah said, how much easier if we're walking with them for much of that journey!

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{This Moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, visit Soulemama to leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Early November Daybook

Outside my window... It is cold and crisp and we're waiting on a bit of much needed rain.


I am listening to... Casting Crowns. I'm so not the girl who longs to listen to Christmas Carols all year, but I felt the need to start early this year for some reason. Christmas music it is.


I am wearing... Layers. Lots of layers. Still having furnace wars with friends- you know- who can go the longest without turning the heat on? You're allowed to have the heat on if a baby comes to visit or if it snows. :) Whoever lasts the longest is the winner.


I am thankful for...

The chance to just stay home every day all week long, even though I worked

Ezra's morning cuddling

a few of the most beautiful words I've ever heard "I cleaned my room just for you"

the hard work of my husband

flowers on the table in November

I am thinking... about a friend's words: "We ask God to teach us to be patient or to trust Him but then we get mad when life suddenly gets difficult- isn't it just God giving you opporunities to be patient and trust Him?"


I am reading... The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan (almost done!), a few knitting books stcked up on the night stand, and continuing our family read-aloud of Peter Pan.


I am creating... Christmas gifts and Bible study plans in the evening hours, lesson plans in the early morning.


Always learning... We finished up our study of Asia and we started reading about Australia this week.


Around the house... we were finally able to replace some very leaky windows last weekend and the difference in our heating is already tremendous. Now to replace the trim on the doors, re-paint . . .


I am planning... for Advent. I'm very much looking forward to the season.


Towards a growing faith... Brian and I are continuing our reading in the New Testament, still in Matthew. I'm reading more John Piper on my own.


I am praying... for my boys. Always for my boys.


One of my favorite things... desert for breakfast. Mmmmm...


A few plans for the rest of the week... finishing out the week in the studio, working on the house, and hopefully lots of artwork and knitting time this weekend!

In This Place

"Mama, I'm glad you're here."

Sticky fingers wrapped around my neck, and he sniffled as he tucked up against me. He forces his fingers between mine to hold onto me.


Little colds seem to hunt this child down- never serious, but just enough to knock him back a little. His usual "go, go, go!" attitude slows just enough that I can actually catch him and hold him for bits of time here and there throught he day. He still smiles, because this boy always smiles. From the second he wakes up in the early hours to the second he goes to bed, his ear-to-ear grin accompanies him everywhere.


He smiles even while his nose runs, cuddles close and settles in.


My thoughts immediately jump to discontent: wishing I could just be home with my sweet boys all the time, wishing for better work for my husband to make that possible, then it disolves into the kind of detailed discontent I easily find myself stuck in: If I stayed home full time I could cook the way we'd like, homeschool exactly how we'd like, keep the home exactly how we'd like...


Bad habit revealed. I find myself recently with this ugly habit of discontent that I justified for too long as things that were "good" to desire. But the truth is that God has me in this place for a reason, and He doesn't call us to have a heart longing for places we are not in. Our heart is meant to be devoted to His service right here in this place. Finding joy, purpose and grattitude in this place is virtually impossible while longing to be elsewhere.


So re-training begins. Taking thoughts captive, re-focusing on praise and thanksgiving, pealing back the longing words in my mind to get to the heart of the matter: trusting God. Lord, I know what is in my heart. Continue to teach me to trust You in the place I'm in, not where I think I should be.


It's a long process, this thankfulness journey. Sometimes 10 steps back before a tiny toe forward is made, but oh! That toe forward leads to contentment and peace, right here in this place.

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Ann Voskamp invites us to write about giving thanks. You can visit her at A Holy Experience.

Handmade Christmas

I'm still hard at work over here knitting for Christmas.

This scarf has grown quite a bit thank goodness, but I've been a bit stalled for the last week. I was knitting 2-3 of the 16 row repeats every evening and feeling pretty good about that progress until I hit a serious snag on Thursday night. I would knit a lace row and end up off by 1 stitch every time. Fortunately I'm only knitting across 49 stitches so it isn't too bad to rip back, but when you have to repeat the same row 4 times before you can move on that gets REALLY old. I finished only half of a repeat that evening and ever since then I've been knitting on Ender's Christmas sweater.

The lace pattern really is pretty and when it's going well it's a fun and interesting knit. I returned to it last night and made it through 2 repeats without any trouble. Only 9 repeats left before finishing the edging and completing it!

I don't have current pictures of Ender's blue sweater, but I finished the body up to joining the sleeves and I cast the first sleeve on on Monday. I'm currently "ribbing like mad" as Elizabeth Zimmermann puts it in an attempt to keep him in the sweater all winter even if little boy growth spurts attack in the next few months.

Still to work on for Christmas?

:: A pair of slippers for each of the boys (knitting)

:: Ezra's vest (knitting)

:: new pajamas (sewing)

:: drawstring bags (sewing)

:: the prayer shawl for my mom (knitting, and also probably not going to be finished by Christmas, but she knows that)

The current plan is to cast on Ezra's vest as soon as either Ender's sweater or the Kernel scarf are finished and next after that is the slippers.

I have a few days off coming up and I've already blocked time to sew on those days. The sewing is pretty easy so it shouldn't take much time, but now that I've just written those words I'm sure it will take twice as long as I expect. Isn't that always the way?

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Curious Art

Ezra has been interested in shapes for several weeks now, so I've been drawing various shapes for him to cut out or color lately. About 2 weeks ago his shape obsession evolved into something else- he started drawing his own shapes!

It's the next part that is so curious to me though: He draws a circle-ish shape and then very carefully colors over the line he made:

And after about a week of that, he has spent several days drawing shapes and then filling them in with patches of color:

I've never seen a three-year-old do this before! We have never had any kind of conversation about "staying in the lines" or anything even close to that conversation, but he has arrived to his own "fill in the shape completely" conclusion.

He takes this project very seriously and when he starts to work on one of these pieces of art he is completely focused for about 20 minutes. I think I can safely say it's the longest he sits still for any one activity!

If You Give a 3-year-old Scissors...

If you give a 3-year-old boy scissors he will ask for something to cut.

If you draw something simple (like a square) he will say, "I think I want some leaves. You can draw leaves, right?"

If you draw 2 pages of free-hand leaves he will surely say, "Can you make me some more?"

And if you draw him more and more and more leaves he will cut and cut and cut until you have a nice little basketful.

But when you have a basketful he will look at you with those sparkling baby blues and sweetly say, "Can you pass me the glue???"

And he will most certainly enlist his brother for help, because a project is brewing...

And another wall poster is born! And for the first time a project was brought to life by the little guy.

Our tree books:

A Tree Is A Plant

Why Do Leaves Change Colors?

The Autumn Leaf

Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf

In My Heart, All the Time

I shared my goal with my husband about 2 weeks ago. I was going to be working back into the habit of memorizing Scripture and he was the one who inspired me to choose the Psalm I am learning.

"What would serve you the best? What passage do you need in your heart all the time?"

A prayer begging forgiveness.

A prayer for a clean beginning washed with Christ's blood.

We sin fresh each day and each day (sometimes many times) we must be wiped clean.

The passage I need all the time? Psalm 51.

I spend the first minutes of my morning with this piece of the Word, and through the day I revisit, tasting these words again.

Ann Voskamp invites us to write about our memory work. You can read more at A Holy Experience.

Defining Us

We are fortunate to live in a large and vibrant homeschooling community. There are opportunities here for just about everything you might be interested in and I have been fortunate to be included as one of the commodities among this community. About 70% of my music studio students are homeschoolers! With 50 students and their families coming through our home every week, many of them homeschoolers, I have received a lot of questions on our homeschooling style- mostly to the tune of "what method do you use?"

And because I'm about 12 shades of ecclectic this is a really hard question to answer. Charlotte Mason, Classical, Unschooling, Montessori, Project Based Learning . . . you'll find bits and pieces of all of it in our home, and I just can't answer that question without a tremendously long explanation each time. I have always been the kind of teacher to pull the best of many styles together rather than stick doggedly to one method.

After yet another odd conversation on this topic, I jokingly started to write down a list explaining what our homeschool philosophy is during a break in my teaching day, but as I wrote I had a bit of a realization: I don't have to categorize us and what we do. It works for us, the children are learning and enjoying the process, we're meeting the requirements of our states laws, and we're having a great year. So I finished the list to share with you today.



Our basic principles:


1. We aren't other families and comparisons do nothing to help us.

I have my kids with their learning styles, the particular lifestyle we lead and our particular schedule to work with. Because of these three factors our homeschool doesn't and shouldn't look like another family's.


2. Our homeschool is not about the material.

It's about the time we work together, about the learning process and about using what works. Even if it's a workbook.


3. Bible First.

Always.

If we do nothing in a day but read scripture and pray we have had a successful day, and it's okay to count it as such.


4. Our goal each day after time in the Word and in Prayer is to accomplish three things: something with numbers, something with reading, and something with writing.

These are the plans every day. The science and continent units we do are the "extra" in our day and don't always happen. And that's okay. I'm not attached to sticking to the plans I wrote out- if we don't use them for some reason they shift to the next available day or we skip them and I file them. They can always be used again another time.


5. Take time to notice at the end of each week exactly what we do know so as not to be panicked by what we don't know.

Have you ever had that happen? Even when you know you're using good material and working hard each day you have a little panic over "what if we're not doing enough or we're not keeping up or..."? Taking a little inventory over the weekend of our accomplishments for the week helps me maintain balance. Some of the greatest work we do can't be shown through a project or memorization or a drawing- sometimes finally learning to button your own buttons or how to deal with hurt feelings is truly great work for the week.


So that's us. We're just as likely to use copy work as Explode the Code, to practice writing numbers with sidewalk chalk or to hop up and down the stairs when we count by twos. We do a lot of memory work, we have the potential of a year long project on blue whales with full on research (today marks the beginning of 4 months on the topic!), and we might have a few days at a time concentrated on making "stuff" with very little academic work to show for our time. We read a lot, we write a lot and we make a lot of things.


Defining these 5 things has helped me kick a bit of that worry over whether or not something is "Charlotte Mason enough" or "gentle enough" or "academic enough". Each activity of the day is viewed through the lens of these 5 criteria and whether the activity is inspired by Charlotte Mason or Montessori doesn't really cross my mind anymore.

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