Spring Weekend

Finally! Spring!

Even the cats are enjoying the sunshine!

I went crazy with the woodburning tool this weekend. I buy a lot in bulk & then store in jars. I'm loving the lil' tags from Tonya.

More woodburning. Nathan's peppermint.

And still more.We just planted this Rosemary bush. I love Rosemary. I hope it will grow & grow.

My sage is back. I couldn't be more happy! It's very special, you know... I'm afraid it will not come back one year. I'd be devastated. I'm glad this is not the year.

We started some seeds, although - in retrospect - the egg carton thing might not work? Starting off with tomatoes, mostly. (Sausage Tomato. We're not trying to plant sausages.)

I baked this yesterday morning. Nunu was up very early, so I decided to use the early morning time wisely. I'm so totally not a morning person!

Blueberry-Banana Bread

I kept telling the children to let me take a picture so that I can blog about it first. They insisted they only had a nibble. I must say, it was very good banana-blueberry bread. I freeze bananas when they are brown & then bake banana bread when there's enough in the freezer.

1-1/2 c. flour

2 tbsp. sugar (The recipe called for 1/4 c. I wanted to omit it altogether, but I was adding a cup of blueberries, and I don't know my baking chemistry, so I decided to add a little bit.)

1/2 c. pecans

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. baking soda

***

1-1/3 c. banana mush

2 eggs

1/2 c. maple syrup (It's gotta be the real deal!)

1/3 c. melted butter
1 c. blueberries

***

Mix it all up. Bake at 350 F for 60 minutes. I baked it in a pie dish. It was obviously good.

This Woolrae was a gift from the lovely Rachel. I love the colors! Such a joy to knit. I making Nunu a Gnome Pixie Cape. The pattern is here. Of course, I was being an idiot and totally screwed up the gauge, because I *never* do a gauge swatch. I was at the neck-decrease when I realized it would be way too small in the autumn. So, I'm frogging. I suppose it will just give me more time to enjoy knitting with this awesome yarn. :-)

(I decided to delete yesterday's blog post after receiving a very strange comment. And I haven't forgotten about the "Grains" posts!)

WIP Wednesday

A quick post while my daughter is taking a nap & I'm anxiously, with chattering teeth, awaiting the estimate of the car repair guy... It may not be Wednesday here, but it's Wednesday somewhere in the world. Good enough for me!

So many WIPs. In the left bottom corner three skeins of Malabrigo Silky Merino waiting to become pilot hats. The two green skeins on the top left are Madelinetosh skeins a friend gifted me with for Nuri's birth. I'm planning on making her one of these. The white lil' something on the top is the beginning of a lace bonnet. The big green thing is an almost completed Icarus shawl. And then some sheep waiting to be stitched up there on the right... Truth be told, I haven't had much time to knit. I've been busy counting my blessings and looking at this:

The blanket was a gift from Christine over at a simple quilter. I thought it was too cute when I noticed that finger poking out through one of the holes yesterday. Yes, she sleeps best all swaddled up like that.

And while I'm counting my blessings, I also miss him more than ever. Oh, all the smiles this child would have brought to his face. And I'm also a bit annoyed with the stigma attached to not having a father listed on the birth certificate; no way to dip into her Kiwi heritage with a passport one day. My child, the child of a New Zealander & a German is officially an American citizen. Just slightly strange...

Midwife Monday

It starts of strange & depressing, but turns into a kind of funny story, so read on...

When I finally fell asleep last night, I had a dream. A weird dream. I dreamed I was in the birthing tub & I gave birth to a... squirrel. No kidding. In my dream I broke down crying saying, "Oh my gosh. What will my mother think? I gave birth to a squirrel." My midwife was trying to console me by saying, "Look at it. It's so cute. You will love it." - You see, I have come to terms in ways with my mother having walked out of my life over this pregnancy. I know a part of her still believes that I'm not really pregnant; that I'm just making it up. It's one thing for people to tell me I'm crazy when I've done something crazy, but this is not me being crazy! When I tried to "analyze" this dream, it had to do with having disappointed her in ways, although I truly know that this is her problem not mine.

Anyhoo.

Well, I went for my midwife appointment & wondered whether or not I should tell her about the dream. It was a strange in ways kinda dream, but then also kinda funny. I arrived & she peeked out and told me to go do the urine sample thing. I sat on the bed in her office when she came in and told me about these squirrels. No! I had not even mentioned my squirrel dream yet! She said that people know she raises abandoned squirrels; how she always has a container of cat milk, just in case. She said someone brought her squirrel babies last week; tiny ones that require feeding every two hours. My jaw must have dropped as she told me about it. I told her about my squirrel dream... It was just such a funny "coincidence."

She also gave me a lovely necklace with a bear on it. She said when she looked in her box, she immediately knew that I had to have it. She said bears are good mothers. :-) She reminded me that human gestation is 37-43 weeks, but that we've come to a place in society where it's hard to accept anything beyond 42 weeks. It was nice to have the reassurance that all is well. Lil' Bean's heartbeat is just fine. Healthy movements. All is well.

I'm going to insert a bit of "normal life" here. I'm really trying to hang in there, but I just miss him so much. The last few days have been especially difficult. I don't mean to be the depressing blog in your queue, but I also can't deny that it is so.

Yesterday I ended up having to dust the birthing tub. There were dust bunnies. A sure sign one has been waiting for a long time... My living-room fireplace is the only one not bricked up, but it used to be a coal-burning one, so it's not suitable for wood-burning. I put some candles in the spot & I have been enjoying the magical light in the evenings.

The boys have been fixing dinner almost daily. Here's Noah with a pizza bagel. The recipe was their idea. They were quite tasty.

I finished the Rosie Shawl. It needs blocking, though. On the needles now is my version of the Icarus Shawl - with a bit of a stockinette section. I'm using Swan's Island Organic Merino. I love the green hues, but the yarn must have been rinsed poorly or somethin'. - My bamboo needles are turning green! Yikes.

So much for Monday.

WIP Wednesday

Here's the "Rosie" shawl I currently have on the needles. Very close to being finito. It's my first time using a variageted yarn in a shawl that's lace throughout. I wonder how it will look. It might be a bit busy, but sanguines need shawls, too - right?

The yarn is a Merino sock yarn. I had started a gazillion projects with it and had a bunch of tiny skeins. The dye lots are slightly different, but not different enough for me to tell them apart when the yarn is wound. I'm noticing a bit of striping in the shawl, but it'll be what it'll be. Someone will love it, I'm sure.

Some dear friends are giving me a Blessingway this evening. It will be here, in my house. In this stage of pregnancy I'm glad I don't have to leave my air-conditioned home. It's so humid outside. Crazy. A nice opportunity for some more of that nesting-cleaning. Other less creative WIPs include oodles of laundry. Amazing how much more laundry children create, especially musty teenagers. :-) 

Wednesday

I woke up energized this morning, despite having slept poorly. I cleaned off my desk & decided that I wanted it in a different spot in the living-room, so I moved it there. It looks so tidy now. All organized. I dusted the baseboards, put a load of laundry in the washer & hung it up to dry. It's so hot the load was dry in less than 45 minutes! Thank you sunshine.

I started another shawl. I'm using Malabrigo Sock again. I like to wear brown & I wanted a brown shawl for myself for the autumn. I'm using Swallowtail as a guideline. My very first lace shawl was a Swallowtail. I knit it in New Zealand last year, as blogged here and here. I love the Lily of the Valley border. I did a stockinette main section & I'm planning on knitting an extra Lily of the Valley repeat to increase the size a bit. The nupps are driving me slightly bonkers. It's been slow going. And I'm wondering what in the world I was thinking when I decided on brown lilies of the valley? Tsk. - Let's just blame that on the pregnant mind. Only a few days to go. I want to take full advantage of that excuse.

In my insomnia I went blog-browsing last night. Some blogs seem to be written by people who only blog when they are depressed or something bad has happened. Their life is a TV soap opera. Then there are blogs on the other side of the spectrum. There's no way in the world that life is always a happy, cheerful bubble like that where everyone lives harmoniously in love and light in a space that's constantly cleaned to perfection. It made me wonder where my blog falls in. I'd hate to be so depressing that you have the feeling you must smoke something or swallow a pill, or - worse, eat chocolate after you're done reading here. I'm sure my blog doesn't fall into the happy, cheerful bubble blogs. I'm just too melancholic for that. I suppose my hope would be that it's somewhere in between, 'cause then it would be "real." But I'd love to hear your honest feedback on that one.

WIP Wednesday

It's after midnight. I can't sleep. Time for WIP Wednesday!

Ishbel (Ravelry link) using Malabrigo Sock in Archangel.

I just love the colors & the yarn is so soft. I did the small stockinette section, but I'm planning on doing the number of lace repeats one would knit for the large version. I got that idea on Ravelry. And if all goes according to plan, I will have 20g of yarn left - enough to make a square for the Barn-Raising Quilt, which is a project that needs some attention as it's approaching its One-Year-WIP Anniversary. I'm also trying not to neglect Nathan's Wonderful Wallaby & I'm working on some special hens & chicks. More about that later this week.

I'm looking forward to seeing your WIP Wednesday projects!

WIP Wednesday

This blanket is inspired by two blogs I like to read.

Sharon over at down---to---earth inspires her readers to keep it simple, homemade & to use what you've got. I love her wisdom. I had lots of this pretty Robin's Egg O~Wool left, but in varying dye-lots. I've finally decided to unravel this project, too. I just didn't "get" the pattern anymore once I got to the sleeves & the baby it was intended for is almost one year old in the meantime. The perfectionist in me wanted to go and splurge on oodles of "matching" fancy yarn. However, I don't think the baby will one day need to see a therapist because his baby blanket was created from different dye-lots. I decided to use the remainder of the O~Wool I have for the center & I will use variegated sock-yarn leftovers for a colorful border if the O~Wool doesn't create a good size.

Franklin over at The Panopticon has created some stunning baby shawls, like this one or this one. And y'all know I like me some lace-knitting. :-) He calls them baby shawls because they are not the kind of blankets you wanna see dragged around on the floor. I'm a lace-pattern-designer-wannabe - emphasis on wannabe... For now I'm happy modifying the designs of others. For this blanket ('cause dragging it around on the floor is gonna be okay with me) I chose a simple fir cone lace pattern & I'm knitting it in the round from the inside out.

The beginnings of "Lil' Boy Blue"

I also wasn't gonna let another Wednesday pass without some progress on Nathan's Wonderful Wallaby, "Fisherboy." Sleeve #2 is almost done! Yay! He will be going on a camping-type trip in September & I hope to have it finished by then. A hanknit hooded sweater just seems a perfect thing to have for somethin' like that.

Heartache & WIP Wednesday

It was the kind of day that makes you wonder if things had turned out better had you just stayed in bed. Lots of strange things happening around paperwork-related things that really annoyed the bleep out of me. As I was driving home, I started crying & screaming. Why did he have to die?

I flung myself on a living-room chair where this caught my eye on the bookshelf & things went downhill from there...

It's one of my favorite pictures in the book New Zealand Landscapes by Andris Apse, although certainly all the pictures are stunning. What an idyllic homestead in the midst of these beautiful hills! It reminds me of Canterbury, although it's actually near Tahora on the North Island. Brent gave me the book for Christmas. He had given me The Penguin History Of New Zealand when he first visited in April of last year. It has 500+ pages and I never read the entire book, so Brent joked that he would only give me picture books from then on... and he did.

He wrote in the front of the book, "Happy Christmas 2009, Cadi! The landscapes are better with you in them. Maybe some places to visit next time. Much love, Brent"

Less than a month later he died. "Next time" was supposed to be now.

Sigh.

Deep breath.

Now let me climb out of the pit to do the WIP Wednesday thing...

Something finished. Yay! I love the buttons.

Plans for this stash from bottom up: 12" square for a Friendship Quilt swap; Percy Lace Shawl; mini shawl.

A pilot-hat (Malabrigo) in the back (I finally got started, Cat J B!) & a Vanilla soaker in the front.

This should get the reward for "the longest lasting WIP ever." Remember? At one point I had three sleeves done, now I've "progressed" to one done.

Working on gathering the things listed on the homebirth supplies list.

And still unpacking...

Noah's bookshelf is coming along.

Ever heard of a dresser full of Legos? Well, it's reality in our house. There was a time when I wanted to sort them by color - in rainbow order. Crazy, huh?

Really? Me? Wahoo!

I woke up to an e-mail from Katherine over at Sleep and her sisters. I won a set of the art-cards in her blog giveaway. Amazingly, beautiful & gorgeous images on those cards! Check out her blog & etsy shop! What timing. Needless to say my day was off to a good start.

As for WIP Wednesday. - I think today is Wednesday... I'm still working on the Wonderful Wallaby for Nate. I'm still packing. There's a WIP on the stove... A huge pot of black bean soup for Nate's class & to feed a family who just had a baby (& us, too). ;-)

From Ughhh! To Treasure...

Early WIP FO Wednesday. Alright. Patience may not be my virtue. The comments were strongly in favor of this route, though. Not as bad as I thought. I kinda like it - a lot.

I got the Mother of Pearl buttons at the local yarn shop today. Kinda like those, too. (Ravelry link) Now back to knitting Nate's Wonderful Wallaby. Thank you for all your suggestions & wisdom!

J e w e l

I'm usually in the midst of a busy week on Wednesdays, so here's my WIP Wednesday 4 days early (or 3 days late if you're a melancholic.) I've started a sweater in an 18 months size. I just had so much of this pretty Malabrigo. I wanted to create something "a size up." Mossy by Jolene Lye turns out to be an awesome pattern. I love the moss-stitch & I found the collar just simply shaped, yet an eye-catcher. The perfectionist in me also appreciates the raglan shaping with two stitches in between right & left slanted increases, so sleeves look more uniform. Now on to think about two perfect buttons. I'm thinking, "wood." What ya think?

WIP Wednesday

A pile of gnome body parts & flute cases waiting to be stitched up. Students are finishing their projects. A sign the end of the school year is near. A busy time for the handwork teacher in me.

WIP Wednesday

Simple baby "Green Man" socks. Also in progress: Nathan's Wonderful Wallaby. I'm on the third sleeve. You read that right. I can't decide on a style...

WIP Wednesday

Baby Brights by Bev Caleskas. (Ravelry link here.) Malabrigo Silky Merino in Artadecer. What a dream! US 6 (4 mm) needles. I purchased the yarn at the local yarn shop with a gift certificate I had gotten for my birthday. I immediately fell in love with the colorway. The Paua buttons look so beautiful with the yarn. They were a gift from Brent. This will be a special lil' sweater indeed.

WIP Wednesday

A pilot-cap in Koigu Painter's Palette Premium Merino. I love that yarn, but hardly ever treat myself to a skein since the local yarn shop doesn't carry it.

I'm also working on a set of spring chicken egg covers. My class will do this as an Easter project. The kit is available at Peace Fleece. I love all the fun colors.

Tomorrow I will be 35. I remember how happy and optimistic I was at my birthday last year. Just such a different feeling this year...

Belated WIP Wednesday

Our school's annual auction is coming up in about two weeks. As part of "time & talent" I'm offering a doll-making workshop & I have been knitting doll-clothing for people to purchase, so they won't have to take the doll home naked. Pictured is the only Waldorf doll we still have. He's wearing a pilot-cap I made a long time ago & I played around a bit to make a dollie version of the Milo (Ravelry link) - on teensy needles with leftover Merino sock yarn. I'm also donating a cabled baby raglan that I haven't even started yet. Yikes. Better get back to knitting now.

WIP Wednesday

This was sort of the trial version of Lottie's Paua Shawl. I used a lace-weight Merino & size US 1 needles and made a doll shawl to give to a friend's daughter for her 8th birthday. It fits a 16" Waldorf doll. I finally blocked it last night.
I'm also working on the Wonderful Wallaby (Ravelry link) for Nathan, using Brown Sheep's Cotton Fleece. A big project (1720 yards of yarn!) for someone used to knitting hats, mittens & shawls, but a simple knit. I went a bit crazy in the yarn store the other day, so lots of WIPs lining up for the weeks to come.

WIP Wednesday

Third snow-day in a row. The boys are at a friend's house. I should be doing laundry or scrubbing the toilet, but here I am attempting a rather normal crafty blog post.

I'm literally three rows from completing this lace shawl for Lottie. I'm at about 300+ stitches now, so a row takes a bit. It is way late, but Lottie has been so patient & I guess not really needing a wool shawl 'cause it's summer where she is. I will need to show you sometime what she sent me in this swap of ours, but if you go to her blog & look at the quilt in the header-background, you'll get an idea. This lady might think she's slightly mad, but I just think she's way talented! :-) Of course the shawl will look much better once it's blocked. I'm using Evelyn Clark's Leaf Lace Shawl by Fiber Trends & O~Wool in Robin's Egg. I hope Lottie will like it.

These socks have been on my needles forever. I'm on the second one now, but not making much progress. I started them when Brent & I drove down to Savannah, GA for Christmas at my Mom's. I loved knitting while Brent drove. He was very good about staying on the "right" side of the road. I got the yarn in a swap, so I'm not sure what it is, although I know it's a superwash Merino. I'm using the free Menehune Cobblestones pattern.

This was just another Milo. It's such a quick knit. I used Malabrigo Merino in Deja Vu.

WIP Wednesday & Trade Treasures

I'm in need for some phunky Christmas tree ornaments in the rainbow spirit, so I've been working on some felted acorn ornaments. I just poke a hole into the acorn cap using a thumb-tag, pull embroidery floss through using a small yarn-darner, and then add a few drops of hot wax to "glue" a previously wet-felted or needle-felted "egg" into them. So simple. ♥

On another note, the beautiful creations from Softearthart - The Enchanted World Of Needlefelting have arrived on my porch all the way from beautiful New Zealand. Can't wait to put the birdies in the Christmas tree & can't wait for spring now when the root children will find a place on our nature table. Another favorite of mine in the shop are the koru princesses. Thank you so much! ♥

It's not too late to sign up for the blog giveaway!

Happy Thanksgiving!

WIP Wednesday

Out with the old, in with the new - or something like that. Someone gave me the hat on the right & two skeins of yarn and asked if I could recreate the hat without a pattern. It was pretty simple and straightforward to figure out that the ear-flaps had been worked with a provisional cast on, where the decreases needed to be placed and so on. I was pleased with the outcome & the person who requested it was, too.

I've also been crafting angels for the Holiday Bazaar at the school this upcoming weekend, from mini ornaments to big tree toppers.