Stitch Rabbit

A Felted Doll and Yarn Bombing

I finished one! She's adorable and I think she needs some children. Something about her apron tells me so. She was super fun to make, a nice easy project while relaxing on the couch. I think Frankie will love her...

We also discovered some yarn bombing yesterday on West Broadway. I have never seen any in person before, so I squealed with delight to see these on a pole!

 
Knit graffiti!! Of course when I came home I went to the internet to see some more, and I discovered this website, Yarn Bombing - and these girls are local! They put a book out last year called Yarn Bombing: The Art of Crochet and Knit Graffiti. I've seen it at a few shops around town. I love the idea of yarn bombing, when Frankie discovered it she thought it was so cool. It put a smile on peoples faces. It's totally cute. (though on a recent thread on Lion Brand wool many knitters thought it was a waste of yarn) What do you think? Would you spruce up a stop sign or parking meter in your neighborhood? Or would you save your scraps for something else?

A few more yarn bombing photos for you to enjoy from yarnbombing.com

 

 

Knitting, Felting and Costumes Oh My.

It's been a busy week here. A lot of knitting, I've finished a few more cowls slouchy neckwarmers (see this post) as well as some serious Halloween crafts going on, both the children and my own. Frankie's Halloween costume is made - after much contemplation she has moved up in the world from last years "Pink Princess" costume (I know) to this years higher ranking of "Queen". I used a bodice from a mock-up of her wedding dress and some seriously regal looking stripes to create a look that just screams royalty. Complete with felted crown and a wand made from an old knitting needle wrapped in ribbon and she's complete.

 

On our recent trip to Nelson we visited a great little store called MapleRose, a Canadian Waldorf-Inspired store that carries felting supplies, yarn, books and nature-inspired toys. It was amazing. Frankie and I went back and visited four times. I bought more roving for needle felting (I needed more colors, I swear) and this week I started stabbing wool with a needle to create some pretty adorable little dolls for Christmas...I'm using a tutorial from Living Crafts Magazine, the Fall 2010 issue. Will post the finished projects once I'm done!

 

I also got to go on an impromptu thrift date with my friends today, to a great little shop who's name I will not tell. All I can say is that they still mark things for 25 cents. Almost unheard of in the city. In the land of Value Village and mark ups for anything considered "vintage" it's hard not to yearn for the old days, or get the urge to head out - head waaaaay out of town to find some truly good thrifted deals. This little place still gives me the satisfaction of reaching for my change purse instead of my debit card.

Happy Halloween Weekend!

 

 

 

Handmade Holidays at Sew,Mama,Sew!

 First, I have to say, I LOVE this website.

Sew,Mama,Sew is a very busy, active blog that I visit, run by four women (though I wonder if they keep elves under their desks because they post incredible things every single day). It was one of the first blogs I discovered when searching the internet for kids clothing patterns and I fell in love with it. From their featured artist posts, I found a lot of really amazing blogs and websites of women all over the world, so many of them mothers like me who barely have time to brush our own teeth or remember to take the groceries out of the car but somehow - SOMEHOW - are doing exactly what I want to be doing every day. Sewing and crafting their little hearts out. I visit a lot of these blogs often, and I am always inspired.

Anyways, enough blog love, you probably think I want to marry a blog. I just want to tell you about Sew Mama's upcoming month-long holiday series called Handmade Holidays. They will be filling pages over there with tutorials, gift ideas, projects and featured artists all month long. Trust me, you will have so many projects going at once, you will feel like a freaking elf yourself.

I know, I know what you all are thinking.

This.Is.Amazing.

Meeeeee too.

 

 

The Gourd Family Craft

Yesterday we made some wee gourd guys..I saw an idea similar to this in a magazine once, and has been on my mind as a Halloween craft ever since. So cute, and so fun to make. And all the supplies (except for the hot glue) come from nature, which of course, is way cooler than glitter and sparkles in my books.

Introducing the Gourd Family...

We made the bodies by stacking and gluing tiny pumpkins together, using leaves for hats and scarves, sticks for arms and different seeds and buds for facial expressions. Frankie chose the placement of everything while I manned the glue gun. Charlie helped by eating some of the eyes. (Gogi berries)

They're sitting on the shelf over our kitchen table, and I think I'm going to go get some more gourds today - they were so fun to make.

 

Night Knitting And The Greatest Little Town

So what exactly do you do during a nine hour drive in the dark, in between shushing kids back to sleep and all those mountain curves? Well you knit, of course. With a headlamp. Sure, you'll get strange looks from passer-byers and everytime you swing your head around to check on sleeping babes you accidentally shine a glaring spotlight into their faces, but I'm telling you, it's worth it. And I'm sure I'm not the first. I know I'm not the first.

I got two cowls done. One on the way up and one on the way down. I'm using the Dobbs Ferry Cowl pattern by Lion Brand Wool, with their wool. I love their big wool. It's easy and soft and they have fantastic colors. I found this pattern on Ravelry, a website that I look at more often than I'm willing to admit. I love this site because you can fill in a form to give exactly what you're looking for, from knit to crochet pattern, needle size, yarn weights, etc and it will give you a list of patterns.  There are a few more cowl patterns on there that I'm going to try out next. Like this one and this one. It's going to be an experimental cowl kind of Christmas. For everyone. I might get sick of the word cowl though. I already think it's a weird word. Why cowl? Why not slouchy neckwarmer?

 

Our trip to Nelson was amazing. This town is incredible, so beautiful - and filled with heritage. The downtown is filled with local and unique shops and cafes and the surrounding neighborhoods are filled with heritage homes, giant oak trees and young families. No Starbucks, no big box stores, no condos. It's heavenly. Can't wait to go back!

 

 

Busting Out!!

We're on our way to Nelson tonight. It's a long drive, just over nine hours.. but we're going to do the drive while the kids are sleeping and I have a bag full of knitting so it can't be that bad, right?

Can't wait to be in such a beautiful, inspiring town! See you next week! (Uness we find the house of our dreams, which is possibly, maybe, very very likely...) 

 

Disorder Makes Me a Terrible Sewer.

Since the room switch my sewing room has been a mess. Nothing was in it's right place, every time I reached for something it was hiding under something, out of easy reach or had simply vanished. It was messing with my sewing flow.

I was anxious to get to some projects done these last few nights, shaking really, to get into this shiny new room with hardwood floors and better light. But with my crap everywhere I felt like I was rushing through the projects, making stupid mistakes and getting really frustrated. Disorder makes me a terrible sewer.

So today, I finally got it really REALLY organized. And then Charlie went down for a nap. And then the sun was shining in the window and my tea was brewing and I was finally going to get some real, quality, QUIET me time. So I pulled out my old faithful. A quilt I've been working on for the last few months. I find I pull out this quilt when I need to work on something that has no boundaries. No patterns, no order. Just me and the crazy quilt. I like it.

 

 

 

Here are a few of the things I see when I am in my sewing room. I'm really, really happy in here.

 

Little Kids Doing Big Things

Frankie and I discovered a great little pumpkin project to do together on         The Long Thread. (Well, I discovered the project - she isn't blog surfing yet) She met it with great enthusiasm so we started it today. I thought we'd have finished project photos but Charlie woke up from his nap so a simple hour project has turned into a next day project. A perfect lesson in patient parenting.

Often I have to catch myself in the "hurry up, I'll just do it myself" mantra that parents often find themselves in. A parents life can be so busy with so many expectations, deadlines and pressures that often, slowing things down to a child's pace can be a challenge - and often a forgotten learning process.

Whether it's chores around the house or grocery shopping or even a walk to run some errands, it's easy to "hurry up" or just "do it yourself". But every time I stop and catch myself and allow my kids the space to join in and participate - the benefits are so rewarding. They learn something new, how something works, or simply build the confidence to do things for themselves, or to share in the task together.

Of course picking the fabric for the pumpkins was fun for us both. But getting down to business was another thing. The ironing that would've taken ME two miutes took US close to twenty - but she was so proud of herself for smoothing out and preparing the fabric herself! We didn't get much further than that before Charlie woke up, but she is so excited to begin again tomorrow. Nap time for Charlie is our best crafty time together. Pics to come soon!

Charlie got a great taste of big kid stuff today too. He expressed great interest in the washing of the lunch dishes today, in that unreachable small tub Mommy always seems to have her hands in. I put him on a chair, spread about ten dishtowels on the floor and let him go for it. He. Was. Stoked. After a few big water dumps on the floor, I let go of the MommyAngst and got stoked too.

Let's just say the three dishes he did were very clean, and the floor got a good mopping too.

 

 

 

 

 

Doll Making

I'm in the middle of my first project out of this book,

Wee Wonderfuls: 24 Dolls To Sew and Love by Hillary Lang. The book is fantastic, all the dolls are adorable and the patterns and instructions are super easy to follow.
I'm working on the Sleepover Pals", a set of three tucked in a sleeping bag. Frankie requested these first, though since then she has requested each and every other doll and stuffed animal in the book as well. I have my work cut out for me.
I started on the faces, tonight, even though it was late and not a good time to start such a delicate project. I embroidered on a face from a transfer from another doll pattern that I prefered, but it turned out looking more like a South Park character than a peaceful, sleepy sleepover pal. So I ripped the stitches and did what any good seamstress would do and picked up my knitting instead. Oh mindless knit and purl, how I love you on nights like these.

Room Swap

Our house is small. For most people. For a family of four with a love for collections it is tiny. It's a two bedroom house with a shop (thank goodness, because where else would Gabe's tools go?!) One bedroom is quite large and houses our toys, crafts, sewing and home office. The other bedroom is fairly small and holds us. All four of our sleeping bodies, our clothes and our practically wall to wall bed.

Every fall I get the itch. The lets get out of here we need to move itch. The rooms are too stuffy and too full of stuff and dammit, it's time to move. Well, it just wasn't reasonable for us to move this fall, no matter what my crazy "turn of the season" moving whim was.

So..I switched rooms. And it has made all the difference.

The big room is now our bedroom, bright and airy and comfortable enough for us to lounge on our beds (plural) and play with toys and not feel suffocated by the looming piles of clothes.

The small room surprisingly fits our crafty habits quite beautifully. I was really surprised and totally excited that we now have a room dedicated purely to artistic endeavors. There is a sewing area, a paper crafts station on wheels, a computer desk, a bigger closet for more crafty storage and the kids personal favorite - a giant crafting bookshelf dedicated to puzzles, pens, play dough and paint. All in one place.

We're stoked. And inspired. Because just in time for all that cold weather, we have a reason to stay indoors. I personally can't wait to cover that floor in fabric scraps, pattern pieces and pins.

 

 

Ozetta Handmade Knits

Sometimes, I shop online. This can be a very very habit-forming past time. I don't buy a lot online, mostly sewing books for myself or gifts for my family. I of course, do most of my online shopping on Etsy. And sometimes - sometimes - I buy a little something for myself.

I am waiting for a little something in the mail this week:

 

http://www.etsy.com/listing/58996861/the-aztec-cowl-cilantro

 

I can hardly wait, just in time for (real) fall. This woman (Hailey from Ozetta) makes beautiful things. I love the big, chunky wool this season, well - most seasons. This of course is what has inspired me to knit my own big, chunky pieces for the kids this year. I've got to say, they're coming out alright, considering I'm a very basic knit and purl and not much else kind of girl. Nothing compared to Ozetta's designs though, they're pretty beautiful and very unique.

And the chevron pattern on this Aztec Cowl - well it's crochet I'm sure, and I've never crocheted. Plus I can't make a chevron pattern. So I think my online shopping is quite justified. I have purchased inspiration.

At least that's what I'll tell my husband.

 

Birth.

Today I was honored to be at the birth of a beautiful baby girl. I attended her older brother's birth not that long ago, while I freshly was pregnant with our own baby boy. I have taken a long, happy year away from the birth world of on call and hospitals and many hours away from family and life. It has been a great break, and time that I needed to be with my kids, one of them being in his first year in this world. I felt very strongly about staying home for as long as I did, I think the first years are so important in the attachment of a child and mother, and it guides and eases them into a very natural and confident independence.

Now I feel ready to be back as a birth doula. Of course, I miss my kids when I am away, but I am also so proud of how amazing they do when they are with somebody else. Now that Charlie's old enough to communicate his needs to loving caregivers, I feel confident in whisking away into the night to help another family emerge and birth into this world. It is amazing, how long the umbilical cord truly stays attached, long after it has left your body and your child.

The birth that I was at today was a very easy "toes in the water" kind of birth. Being a repeat client whom I love dearly, and also that she was kind enough to make it a very quick and beautiful home birth made it a fabulous birthing day. I did pack some knitting just in case there was some downtime, but instead she had me running out the door before I could brush my hair!

^{*Now, I won't normally talk about my families on this blog, as it is a very sacred and private honor that I share with them, but I know that this would not mind me revelling in her birth one bit. *}

After picking up my kids and driving home I spent some time thinking about the births of both of my children, and how different and amazing they both were. I can hardly believe how big they are already, when their birth-days are still so fresh in my mind. It makes you want to grab em and hold em and not let them go, because one day, they won't fit so perfectly on your lap, curled in a ball snuggled against your chest. They'll keep on not fitting their shoes and not fitting their pants and not fitting their beds, until one day they are so old that they walk right out of your house and begin lives of their own. One day way, way too soon.

 

But they will always, always, fit inside your arms.

 

 

 

 

I Need Some Land in My Life

I want a horse. I really really want a horse. And some donkeys. And just about all the things you find on a farm - I want and desire and dream.
We live in the city (for now) but we know it's not forever. We want a different life for our children and for ourselves. One that includes land and mountains and fences that don't hold in kids. I want to wake up in the morning and pull my boots on and work outside, where the children roam free and lunch comes from trees.
I don't know where this magical dreamland is yet, though I have a few good ideas thanks to MLS. ( I must drive Gabriel crazy, I find "the one" about once a week)
The wheels are turning and our hearts are roaming. The city has been good to us, but I want a horse. And I don't think our landlords would let us.

ThankFul.

I have a lot to be Thankful for this holiday weekend. I got to spend the day cozied up inside and out of the downpour, playing with my kids and even getting some good knitting in. I got to spend the evening with my friends, a community of families ever-growing and ever-loving. I've got an amazing family with bright, spirited kids and a husband who supports and encourages me in everything I do. I'm baking (slightly burning) pies and pumpkin bread and planning a trip to see my parents tomorrow. I am thankful for all of these things, all of the friends and family I have around me, and the quality of my life. I can only hope to always be this lucky in my life.

I hope you all have a very thankful weekend as well!

 

A Natural Remedy

Sometimes we get stuck in a rut. An "every morning for the last three mornings, we haven't gotten out of our PJ's yet and there are still no groceries in the house" kind of rut. Toys are strewn from room to room, the dishes are piling and the furthest we've ventured is the backyard.

Then you start feeling the guilt. The "I am stunting my children of the experiences this world has to offer, oh god we're eating Annies noodles for lunch AGAIN, what are we, shut INS?" kind of guilt.

I'd like to believe these ruts are for a reason. A re-energizing period for our bodies and our souls, often after a busy weekend, busy week or busy month. A time of reflection on what has passed or even a time of preparation for what is about to come.

Sometimes, I think it's a way for me to focus completely on my family and their imminent needs, like meals and cuddling and what stories we should read next. I feel it from my kids too, that some days they would much rather spend the afternoon on puzzles or play dough than outside socially. And we all get to know eachother a little more, have more time for eachother, less hurry.

Nevertheless, after about day three of our homebound state, I start to feel like it's becoming a rut, and perhaps the sun shines a bit brighter that day, or the changing season beckons us to come outside and explore. And so we get dressed and pack a snack and some tea, and with a new sense of recharge, my family and I step outside, ready again to be with the world.

The other day that was Cate's Park. A beautiful trail along the inlet, and at the end is a crumbling stone structure that the children are convinced is a castle.

And the adventure begins again.