Get Set...

This was a very busy crafting weekend for me! I don't get to have a weekend this full of sewing a knitting very often, but I was able to finish or come within a few seams of finishing several things.

First up: the February sock- complete!

This sock is the Lace and Cable sock from Wendy Johnson's book Socks from the Toe Up. I finished this one in just over a week, and I've already cast on the second to act as March's sock.

The next photo is the most accurate to color. I was hoping to be able to photograph some things outside this weekend for good light, but nature had a totally different idea- ice, snow and fog. Oh yeah, and a thunder storm when it was only 36F out- it rained for the better part of 24 hours.

I used this project to learn to cable without a cable needle. I cabled without it as much as I could, but some nights I wasn't up to dealing with it and used a toothpick. The pattern wasn't difficult, but there was a little bit of extra thought to it because of how it is charted- there is a left cable and right cable chart each 4 rows a piece and then the main lace chart that has a 16 row repeat. So on row 6 of the lace chart you have to remember to be on row 2 of the cable charts- again, not difficult, but I did have to pay attention, so this was only knit after the littles were in bed.


As for Me-Made-March, it starts tomorrow! Are you going to participate? Tonight I'm going to try to finish up the two skirts that basically just need hemmed to be finished, and then I'm going to try to look through my options and plan ahead a bit. I know one hole in my me-made wardrobe is tops and I don't know if I have something to match each of my me-made skirts without just wearing black all the time. I'm looking at patterns right now for tops to see if I can figure out a good match for items I already have.

Would you vote?

:: I'm deep in planning for the next year in the studio and there are big changes ahead in schedule and format.

:: It leaves me with more time to be with my boys, to homeschool, to cook, to make things to live an intentional life.

:: So my mind is stuck thinking about time and how best to use what I have and it begs a thought...


:: Would you mind taking a moment to glance at my sidebar and letting me know what you like to read in this space? Would you mind clicking through from your reader for a moment to help me decide where my time is best spent in this space? You can select more than one option and I would greatly appreciate your time and thought.

Get Ready...

February's sock, Wendy's Lace and Cable Socks from her first sock book. The pretty purple Leyburn socks are in timeout, not because they've done anything wrong but because I made one of the silliest mistakes a knitter can make- ignoring my true gauge and going with "but I always knit X gauge on that size needle!" Go ahead- mock me. Someday I'll actually learn. So they're in timeout while I decide whether or not to keep knitting and give them to someone else (even though that Claudia handpaint yarn was a birthday gift to me to use for myself!) or to rip them completely out and restart in the correct gauge.


These are going much better, thank you, *and* they actually fit...

And my sewing desk looks like this:

which is quite atrocious, I know, but necessary. I'm trying to get a few more things in before the beginning of Me-Made-March next week , including two skirts that are oh so close to being complete and a pair of pants to re-cut. And all the tulle? Petticoats, my friends. Probably two, maybe three. I started out using the Sugardale tutorial and then it became something else. It's probably not "correct" but it's going to work and NOT be itchy (since I'm using cheap tulle instead of crinoline).


The petticoat in progress is for a 22-ish inch skirt, but I also need one for tea length and I'm considering  a third for the two ankle length skirts I wear regularly, but still pondering how that will have to be constructed.


What are you working on this week?

For February

Today's Gratitudes...

11. The relief that comes after a week with sick little boys.

12. Extra knitting time this week.

13. Daisies still looking as bright as they did on Valentine's Day.

14. A few days of warmer weather, even though we know this winter is not over.

15. Unexpected visits from family.







Outside my window... another cold wet day, but it doesn't seem so bad after almost a full week of warmer weather.

I am listening to... Never Not Knitting podcasts while I've been cleaning this week.


I am wearing... a long black jersey skirt and a red blouse. I'm trying to branch out from the plain black I wear too much...

I am thinking... about first grade things still. I like to have a lot of time to consider and think through before making a decision, but I think I have an overall direction now.

I am reading... Found,  Redwall and One Thousand Gifts. Taking my time with Ann Voskamp's book.

I am creating... I've been working on this month's sock over the last few days and I've got a pretty big pile of almost finished sewing in preparation for Me-Made-March (hosted by Zoe) to finish up before March 1.

Always learning... we went to a local science center this week to explore the new water exhibit and ended up spending an entire morning there with plans to go back. It was so much fun exploring water pressure, currents, and building boats that would actually float.

Around the house... I'm planning some painting projects for this spring/summer and currently exploring colors. Brian is pretty set on a grey for the living room, and I'm trying to decide if I can be happy with that with the right accent colors. Thoughts?

I am planning... studio schedules for summer and fall- already! I can't believe summer enrollment hits in 6 weeks, followed shortly by fall enrollment...

Towards a growing faith... Back to getting up early this morning after a week of sleeping in. Getting up and down with sick boys all week really threw off my schedule. Back to normal today now that the boys are sleeping through the night again.

I am praying... for a dear friend possibly facing divorce. We are pouring prayers on her and her husband.

One of my favorite things... Dr. Pepper, but I'm trying to stay away. Caffeine has been wreaking havoc on my sleep and I really have to cut it completely to reset.

A few plans for the next week... getting back to normal around the house and in the studio, finishing up the details for our 10 year anniversary, a trip to the library for more YA to read, and much more sewing

Now You're a Boy

We took a "listen and look" walk yesterday. It was windy, but sunny and quite silly to see the world in a state of half-winter.

There were many shouts of "iceberg ahead!" as we ran into big mounds of snow left from the blizzard about two weeks ago.

Ezra insists on having a hood on outside at all times now. Maybe after being bundled up in the bitter cold for a few months he finally got used to having something on his head?

I asked Ender what we should look for to know if it was spring yet and after he answered he asked Ezra for an idea of what to look for. Ender soon realized that Ezra didn't know- it was all new and exciting information for him! Ender quickly took over, telling Ezra about buds, when the flowers would show up, warmer weather, rain, planting . . . And when Ezra said he was sad because he didn't know all those things, Ender put his arm around him and said,

"That's okay. You were just little last year- but now you're a boy and you can do the same stuff as me."

It's true- last year Ezra was two, hitching a ride with Ender and I as we went outside to explore, but this year he is three and he wants to see and find and know for himself.


I'm so excited to be able to add this little boy to our outside adventuring!

Have you been out adventuring yet this week? Take a trip out, even if it's snowy and cold, to find out what is going on out there!

Bringing Winter In

We've been working our way through the winter craft list. My boys are kings of scissors and glue during this season! Basically I printed a bunch of things for them and they have free time in the morning to make whatever project they'd like. Ezra cuts very well for his age so he's able to do most of these projects on his own, but some 3 and 4 year olds would not quite be ready for this with their own skills, but you could still cut for them!

Here are some of the crafts currently on the school table in some state of progress:


Snowman Dress-Up

Make a Penguin

City at Night

Snowman Card

Handprint Wreath


And of course there is the entire winter section at The Crafty Crow that I haven't yet dived into...



We also have a few more wintery foods in the works this week:

Peppermint Cocoa

Snow ice cream

Pioneer Woman's Mac and Cheese

A New Beginning

The sun greeted us this morning and along with it temperatures in the mid 40s, maybe even 50s by this afternoon! We've already been out to walk and play and it is beautiful - though it's a little weird to see piles of snow still built up from plowing when it's so warm out.


Doesn't today seem like a good day to begin counting gifts?

1. The surprise of 50F in February


2. The prayers of friends


3. An  Voskamp's gift of words and love that I am trying so hard not to gulp down in just a few sittings


4. Little hands clasped behind my neck


5. God speaking through Chris Tomlin


6. Second Chances


7. God's provision, precisely when we need it


8. The cello joining our family of instruments


9. Starting a new knitting project for the newest nephew due in May


10. And best of all, a new (and now official) permanent job for Brian!


Thank you so much for your prayers, dear friends, as he's been looking for work these last several months. Not only is this job with a great local company but it is in a field he has always wanted to work in AND doing a job he really enjoys. It also means big changes in the next year for us toward the intentional life we've been working for. He gets to work a little less and be home more, and I will work significantly less in the near future to have more time with our home and family. The prospect is so exciting, and at the same time a little scary. Thank you so much for your kind thoughts, friends!

Me-Made March

I, Erin at Mama In Progress sign up as a participant of Me-Made-March '11. I endeavour to wear 1 handmade item each day for the duration of March 2011.


As I discovered back in September on this challenge, I didn't have enough to really mix and match beyond a few outfits! The September challenge really made me aware of some of the holes in my handmade wardrobe! That experience really helped me to focus my crafting into items that are needed if I'm really going to transition to handmade the way I would like to. Since finishing up Christmas things I've been working on a  few items for myself to fill those holes and I thought I'd let you know what the plan is for the next few weeks in case you'd like to join in!


:: 3 (THREE!!!) sweaters that are one sleeve or less away from being complete. It's quite ridiculous and it's time I get over my weird little "allergy" to finishing sleeves. Sleeves are going everywhere with me over the next few weeks!


:: I have 2 skirts in the sewing plans for next week, which is an off-week in the studio. I'm only teaching for about 5 hours that week, so I have extra crafting time!


:: A pair of Khaki pants that I'm going to re-cut. When I originally made them last summer I made them wide-legged but they just don't look right on me, even though I like the cut on other people. So . . . time for a re-do.


:: I've been collecting 50's dress ideas for most of this fall/winter and I think I might be ready to try a muslin for one and then hopefully make the dress. I don't know if it will make it in time for MMM, but it's in the sewing plans for the end of February. It kind of depends on how many more snow days we might acquire!


:: What I'm desperately in need of is some great fitting shirts. I haven't found a pattern that I think will be versatile but I need some great shirts. And honestly? They scare me to sew. Another weird crafty fear to get over.


:: I'm also going to try to plan ahead a bit this time and plan to post 1-2 times a week about sewing/outfits rather than having a giant long post at the end of the month.

In a Week

It's been strange to not write here the last few days, but it's been for good reason.

It feels like life exploded a little, but in a good way

So my nightstand looks like this after a week in a row of very full evenings instead of the quiet we usually enjoy.

We're taking on something new

A step toward the intentional life we'd like to lead

And on top of already wondrous opportunity is the possibility of 50F temperatures starting this weekend and going into next week even though it looks like this outside today

Ezra has been marking his name everywhere in the house this week (and I mean everywhere. I might as well follow him around with a Magic Eraser scrubber!)

And we'll share more when everything is official. God is so good!

Celebrate Winter: Soul Refreshment

Last week was a long week.

The blizzard moved through here on Tuesday, which meant a cuddled up snow day here but the rest of the week was a frantic rush of making up lessons to students who had missed for snow, a few extra hours for work with the worship department at church, my nephew's first birthday party, and family in from out of town. Oh and did I mention that Brian and Ezra were sick most of that time and I lost my camera?


I don't know about you but the colder it is the more I want to cuddle up in blankets and promise to come out when spring returns. The truth is that getting up, getting out and doing is an important part of keeping those spirits up, even when the effort to get out of the house takes a lot more energy. Doing makes a big difference in attitude, and for me having creative time to knit a few more stitches, to cut out new pajamas for little boys, or to write new words makes the difference between "worn down" Mama and "refreshed for the next day" Mama. Too often though that is the time I choose to drop after a long day and I feel the difference after a few days in a row without making *something*.

* * * * *

This Celebrate Winter endeavor is all about changing my mindset about this season- to search for the great activities found only in this season, to beat the winter blues that often come on in February, and most of all to choose joy during this time, resisting the urge to curl up and hibernate.
 

What do you do to feel refreshed through these colder months?

On My Mind

:: Ann Voskamp's guide to Simple Homeschooling



:: The Spring Pallette Sewing Challenge hosted by Colette Patterns



:: Potential Valentine's Day Projects to do with the boys



:: Designing Your Own Masters from Simple Homeschool



:: Have you met Princess Lasertron and her "Have this Party" series? We have plans to try out the popcorn bar party if we can actually find a night when it's not pouring snow!

What is on your mind lately? Share the link love in comments!

Popcorn + Marshmallows =

YUM!

Okay, so maybe melting marshmallows and butter to make sticky popcorn isn't the healthiest thing to eat, but it seemed to be the perfect way to pass the time on a{nother} very cold snow day.

We received another 12+ inches of snow on Tuesday and spent much of yesteray huddled together watching movies and reading books in between the handful of students that were brave enough to venture out for lessons. The popcorn and mug after mug of hot chocolate certainly helped our moods!

Saturday = Art Day

Saturdays are the only day of the week where the adults don't work and the whole day is truly our own.

I usually spend Saturday mornings catching up on housework while Brian and the boys run errands, but in the afternoons we have fallen into a routine of making art of all kinds.

The boys were gifted some paint by number boards and Ender spent a long time hunting numbers down.

We also experimented with mixing yellow, blue and red tempras to give us secondary colors for finger painting. Ezra had never done that lesson with us, and it was fun to watch Ender get so excited to share his experience with Ezra. Ezra guessed that all the mixes would result in more red since red is his favorite color. Ender would put his hands on hips, shake his head and say, "you can't get red from that!" in his fake exasperated voice.

We also experimented with painting with cotton balls. Ezra figured out that you can rub the paint on like a paint brush and even mix colors on the page instead of in the tray...

And Ender was quick to use the cotton balls to make dots on the page as well as toothpicks for lines and "coloring", which he decided didn't work very well.

What have you been making lately?