Still Learning

 My mistake fix on the inside of my Fair Isle Vest (second crochet reinforcement and weaving ends still need to be done.  With slippery yarn you can never be too careful right?)

My mistake fix from the outside of my Fair Isle Vest.

I was having one of "those" moments with my son.  We were doing a simple writing exercise to work on his printing and he made a mistake.  I said not to worry there are erasers for such moments and that is why we use pencils.  He was angry at himself, me, the situation.  I got frustrated and angry myself at what I thought was blowing out of proportion a minor slip of the pencil.  He rewrote the lowercase "a" over a dozen times never quite happy with it.  I sat losing my patience until I realized he was having a perfectionist moment.  You know those moments when you can see in your mind what you want to happen and just can't seem to make your body do it the "right" way?  Well, I have had quite a few of those in my time.  In fact, they used to completely immobilize me until I learned that not doing something you wanted was worse than trying.  I needed to help him learn that lesson too.  So after calming myself down and finding my reasonable voice again I told him a story.  I asked him if he could remember a time when I didn't knit.  He said he couldn't.  I said you would think with all that time and practice knitting I would no longer make mistakes right?  He said yes.  And I followed with the following example of a big mistake I just made.  

My Fair Isle Vest that I am knitting is too big in circumference.  I did all the right things.  My substitute yarn weighed the same as the original for the same amount of yardage.  I knit a swatch in the round as I would be knitting the sweater.  I carefully measured over a large area and averaged the stitch count.  I got gauge.  But the gauge my sweater was coming out as was a 1/2 a stitch off.  How much difference can half a stitch make?  Try 5 inches difference.  Yup, too big by a lot.  What to do?  Well, I contemplated the options of 1) frogging it all and starting over.  2) finishing it as is and give it to someone.  3) cutting out the extra inches and seaming to the right size.  I chose option number three.  I went through the cast on stitch amounts for each size dividing by my gauge of 6 stitches to the inch to see which one was closest to my chest size.  I then took the difference between the stitches I cast on and the stitches for the size that would fit at my gauge and marked off the 32 stitches that I needed to remove.  By consulting the charts for this new size I would be knitting I was able to pick where to take these stitches out so the patterning would match up.  I then did a crocheted steek, cut out the extra inches and used a mattress stitch to seam the two sides back together.  On the right side of the vest it is very hard to see the seam, but on the inside it's a bit bulky with the steek salvages on each side of the seam.  So, it's a trade off, but tearing out all that knitting would have been just too difficult emotionally for me, not to mention the fact that I diligently wove in all the ends already.  

So, I closed my story with saying that by making the mistake I learned something new.  I learned how to make a repair in my knitting that I've never done before, and that maybe a "quick" in the round swatch is not the same as a true in the round swatch, at least for me.  That really I needed to slow down even more.  I needed to knit the tube swatch or hat , measure gauge, wash it, measure gauge, repeat if adjustments are needed and finally start my project.  I told my son slowing down is ok, there is no deadline and rushing is not necessary.  Mistakes will happen, but what we do with our mistakes is what's important, not the mistake itself.  As always, I don't know what he will take from this little exchange, but hopefully he'll stop worrying about being perfect and simply try.  

Joining in with Nicole for Keep Calm Craft On and Ginny for Yarn Along.

YOP Update - Mittens, Pokemon and Corn

This week has me getting no where fast on my Year Of Projects list, but my knitting inspiration is running at high speeds!  Yup, that's right, nothing has been started, knitted on or finished from my planned year list of knitting projects.  Instead, I am being inspired by Kate Davies Seven Skeins club yet again this week.  My friend's "Baffie" slipper socks are now completely done (blocked too!) and all ready for their trip to Washington DC. 

While they were drying on the blocking mat, I launched right into another of the club's patterns (they are available to everyone come January 1st on Ravelry) called Kokkeluri - a stranded pair of mittens with a flower design on the back and a twill pattern on the palm side.  The flower reminded me so much of sunflowers that I had to knit them in yellow.  Kate's 7 skeins of Buachaille yarn does not include a yellow so I used her natural grey called "Haar" for the background and purchased some Jamieson's Double Knitting in the Scotch Broom colorway for the flower line drawing.  My goal is for the mittens to match my Michele hat that I knit a while back whose matching double knitted mittens are languishing in my WIP basket.  The double knitting was just getting too tedious and boring to knit, but these Kokkeluri mittens - they just beckon you to keep going.  The only sad thing about these lovely mittens is they are a little short for my long fingers.  The pattern talks about blocking them "vigorously"by pulling them down over the tall end of a sock blocker, so I am putting my trust in those directions that in the end the mittens will emerge the right size for me.

Even though I'm getting better at stranded knitting through these projects, it still is a bit tiring for me.  Thus, for something completely different, I started on a project for my son.  He is back into loving Pokemon again and requested some Pokemon mittens.  Here is what I came up with using this hat pattern as a jumping off point.  They are pretty straightforward with changing colored yarn and a bit of duplicate stitching being the only oddities.  The mitten came out a bit long and slim looking, but it fit my son just fine (me too actually.  He's only 9 and our hands are almost the same size! Sigh.)  Now, I just need to make the second one, which I think will be pretty quick, so I can get back to finishing my own mittens.  Although, I do think I may surprise him with a matching hat as I have plenty of yarn left over.  We'll see...

This week I am leaving you with a photo from today of my husband and son who attended the Sever's Annual Corn Maze.  It is a humongous maze cut out of a corn field with a different design each year.  This year it was a firefighting truck.  It was their first time going and boy did they have fun!  Pig races, a large bouncy play area (think bouncy castle without the top and make it the size of a baseball field), zip lines, giant slide, petting zoo, you name it. They also have a corn pit you can dig, play or in my son's case bury yourself in.  Yup, my guess is this is on the Fall "to do" list for next year.

If you want to visit the other Year of Projects, or YOP for short, participants you can head on over to Ravelry and find them here.  Have a great week everyone!

Lessons, Goodies and Progress

 

Hello everyone!  Yes, I am in good spirits after a lovely trip to WI for the Sheep and Wool Festival this past weekend.  We arrived in Jefferson on cool and breezy Thursday night to set up camp.  I needed to make an early start the next morning for the class I was attending.  It was a class on Natural Dyeing where we dyed skeins of yarn, then saddening those dyes with iron and finally over-dyeing with indigo.  I've taken a natural dyeing class before through Community Education, and done some natural dyeing on my own, but there is always more to learn and I definitely picked up some new knowledge this past weekend.  We used cochineal (bugs), madder (roots), logwood (tree), osage orange (tree) and pomegranate (plant) as our dyes. Each class member dyed 3 skeins in each of the colors, then we kept one skein "as is", re-dyed another in the same pot, but with added iron which "saddens" the color by graying and darkening it.  Then we took our last skein and over-dyed the original color with indigo.  The results I think are quite stunning in shade and variety.  The pomegranate (bottom three skeins) was a bit boring on it's own, but over-dyed with indigo it makes a lovely sage green.  This class really showed me the infinite possibilities available using only alum, cream of tartar, and iron as your mordants.  True, you can get even a wider array using copper, chrome and tin mordants, but these are dangerous to use for the dyer as well as the environment.  I'm really excited to get started on some more dyeing now that I'm home and already have some black walnuts lined up with which to begin.

The other great part about the Festival, besides all their Wonder of Wool classes, is the Marketplace of all things woolly or wool animal related  There was yarn and fiber in every imaginable shade, tools to create with fiber as well as tools for removing fiber, books, dyes, soaps, cheeses, meats, baskets, wool pillows, wool blankets and comforters and the most beautiful hooked wool rugs.  Really the rug hooking work was stunning and I was sorely tempted to give it a go, but resisted as I do not need another hobby.  With all the goodies available you'd think I'd come home with an armload of stuff, but I managed to only purchase a few things.  Soap was actually on my list to purchase thus I was happy when I found Maple Hill Farm's sheep milk soaps.  They only use essential oils which is a must for my husband who is very sensitive to scents and fragrances.  I chose unscented, lavender and peppermint to take home.  While I love handmade soap I hate paying for shipping soap as it's heavy and therefore expensive so buying it in person is my only option.  I'm hoping these three last until the next market I visit.  Since I was so excited to start dyeing I was very excited to find these 2 undyed skeins from Sheepish Creations.  The first is a BFL/Nylon tweed sock yarn which I'm planning to dye with indigo and the second is an incredibly soft (like dipping your hand in a vat of melted butter soft) single ply of a merino/silk blend which will be dyed with black walnuts for a rich brown.  At the end of my visit to the Marketplace I finally braved the beauty of the Fiber Optic booth and chose a Paintbox Gradient in the Copper to Verdigris colorway to take home.  It consists of 15 mini skeins of 30 yards each and will most likely become a shawl. 

With all that was going on while at the Festival and then while visiting Madison I got very little knitting done.  Oddly, I went for a project that I had not been planning on knitting the Dudester Scarf for my friend Anna's friend.  It's a super easy 4 line pattern, but I kept managing to still make mistakes and did quite a bit of tinking back.  It's knit in Kollage Yarns Scrumptious which is 70% angora and 30% silk.  Kinda an odd choice for a man's scarf, but he's Filipino like my husband who is super sensitive to wool,  so I thought a super soft yarn might be a good choice for him too.  We'll see what he thinks come Christmastime.  The scarf is a project on my Year of Projects list so there's a bit of headway there.  No finished objects to share with you, but I'm hoping to get something done by next week.  I won't even try to predict what it will be as I seem to change my mind all too often.  If you want to see the other YOP participants you can check them out here.  That about wraps it up for me.  Have a great week everyone!

A Thing About Turtlenecks

It drives my husband nuts that I have a thing for turtlenecks.  Make that a deep resounding love of turtlenecks.  Cowls are a close second, as they almost do the same job, but turtlenecks oh they snuggle my neck, take away some of my chin and keep me pleasantly warm.  My husband though, likes to sneak up behind me while I'm busy in the kitchen to give me a ticklish kiss on the neck (which always makes me jump and give a little shriek), but with turtlenecks he's instantly thwarted.  Ha! So, now that you know how much I adore turtlenecks it won't be a big surprise that I am currently working on two turtleneck knitting projects.

The first is the lovely Hugo turtleneck poncho I talked about last time.  He has since been put in time out for the moment.  His issue, because of course it couldn't be my fault, is that the purl, ktbl, ktbl, purl detail I used to replace the cable pattern is looking rather wonky.  The increases occur on either side of this "seam" and as you can clearly see the one side is nice and tight and the other is all gaping.  I knew this for some time, but kept on knitting thinking it would go away if I knit fast enough, but alas it's here to stay.  Since it really irks me I will indeed be frogging back to the collar section to begin again, probably to use the original cable patterning.   With there being quite a bit knitting to frog back I need to steel myself to do it hence, the time out he's taking in his project bag.

Because this girl can't go without knitting for more than a few minutes I grabbed the nearest project and volia! another turtleneck found it's way into my hands.  This is Thea Coleman's White Russian pattern which I last knit and blogged about this past June.  I have only progressed about 3 pattern repeats since last time, but I'm only 5 more repeats away from separating the sleeves from the body.  That will be an exciting moment dropping those extra 160 stitches.  It should make the body rounds feel like they just fly by right?  Since this project and I are getting along well I think it will become my project for our upcoming road trip to Madison, WI.  Five wonderful hours of car knitting there and then another five coming home - yay!  We're going to the WI Sheep and Wool Festival which is about a 1/2 hour to the east of Madison.  My husband and I both went to UW Madison for college so it will be fun to show our old haunts to our son.  I'm taking an all day class on natural dyeing at the Fairgrounds while the boys go exploring in Madison.  Then we will spend the next day at the Festival and round it off with a night in a hotel in town (we're camping for the first 2 nights.)  Leaving us a final day with all three of us together in Mad town.  I hoping it's lots of fun for everyone and not just this the fiber enthusiast.

Joining in with Nicole for Keep Calm Craft On and Ginny for Yarn Along.

What to Say...

Even working diligently away on my distraction shawl I have very little new to report.  I'm about 2/3 way through the 3rd section (out of 5) and according to my pattern notes that means the shawl is at  60% completion.  In the beginning of a triangle shawl you progress so quickly, as the rows are short, that it pushes you to knit on, but as those rows lengthen it gets to become a bit of a slog.  We are now in that very slow section of the shawl.  I really want to finish it though, so I am going to try and be a monogamous knitter until it's done.  We'll see how that goes...

I usually don't put down what I'm reading for Yarn Along, because frankly after reading aloud to my son each day I'm kinda done reading and would rather knit with my free time.  But, then I got to thinking you might be curious as to what books a nine year old boy finds interesting so here goes.  We have just started Gergor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins.  It's a fantasy series where a boy falls through a grate in his apartment building's laundry room and finds himself in a new world filled with giant bugs, bats and rats.  He learns he is part of a prophecy which might be the key to finding his missing father.  Thus far, it's good and engaging with a little bit of gross humor thrown in for good measure (seriously all you have to say is poop and my son starts rolling with laughter - I so don't get it.)

I'm leaving you today with a photo of my son taken at the MN Landscape Arboretum where we visited this week.  The butterfly sculpture in the background is not pixelated but instead is composed entirely of Legos as were 12 other sculptures on display throughout the gardens.  They are part of a traveling show and if they come through your area they are definitely worth viewing.  Each one lists how many Legos were used along with how many hours to complete - it was fascinating and so fun for kids.

Joining in with Nicole for Keep Calm Craft On and Ginny for Yarn Along.

YOP Update - The Scots Won!

 

 

My debate with myself as to which cardigan to cast on last week, the one for myself or the one for my mother, was a tricky one, but I decided to go with casting on Kate Davies Blaithin for my mother's Christmas gift.  The Scots won out!  I say this because Kate Davies is Scots as well as my mother so they make a good pair I think. What tipped me to that verdict?  Well, I have been really digging the idea of getting all my gift knitting done by Fall and then having uninterrupted selfish knitting time all Winter.  So, onward with the gift knitting!  You can see my progress on Blaithin in the first picture.  I finished the pockets and am onto the boring stockinette section.  It's a cardigan that's knit in the round and then steeked up the middle which is marked by my little flower stitch holders.  The yarn I'm using is Jamieson's discontinued Soft Shetland some of which was leftover from a previous sweater of mine and the rest I purchased from another Raveler.  All have been in my stash for about 2 years.  Thus, it will be really nice to finally get this stash yarn knit up and the sweater in use.

Because I am on the boring stockinette section of the sweater I find myself wandering over to Ravelry often to give myself little breaks from the monotony.  Maybe that, coupled with looking through my stash, is the reason I cast on for something completely unplanned for - a poncho.  Growing up in the seventies my mom and I had matching ponchos that she knit us and I really loved mine.  It was for mainly wearing outside as it was pretty thick and came down to my wrists , but this model is knit in sport weight yarn and is shorter making it more of an inside garment.  I think it will be a chic way to dress up my boring turtlenecks this coming winter.  The yarn I'm using is one I purchased online here and sadly it was rather a disappointment.  It was purchased it in a effort to buy more environmentally responsible locally sourced yarn.  And it fit the bill being 100 percent alpaca grown and processed in the US then dyed with marigold flowers that were grown on the same farm as the alpacas.  The color is fantastic, but the yarn is a bit rough and has lots of neps that I have to keep picking out.  Also, it was also supposed to be DK weight not sport. Well, I probably should have returned it, but I just didn't have the heart to do so.  This poncho I think will be the best use for this yarn since it's not next to the skin and the alpaca's natural drape will only add to the style.  Since the size I am knitting takes about 1000 yards it will be some time before I see the results.  

The last photo is of some yarn I purchased yesterday with my son for a pair of felted slippers.  He actually asked me to knit him something!!!  This is very thrilling for me.  You see, a couple of years back he told me he didn't want me to ever knit him anything and said he hated sweaters (proving this point by wearing only short sleeved t-shirts all winter long - brrr!) as well as hand knit hats and mittens.  Oh, the knitter in me was very sad that day.  So, of course I have to jump right on this project when he asked.  He wants simple navy blue slippers like the ones my husband and I have which I knit from this pattern.  The only twist is he wants a Minecraft pixelated squid face on them.  If you've heard of Minecraft (which is a video game) you might have heard of iBallistic Squid who is a Youtuber Minecraft personality.  I'm going to create the squid face out of colored wool felt sheets which I'll cut into squares and then stitch onto the tops of the slippers.  Sam's feet are as big as mine so he is out of children's footwear sizing and all the fun slippers they make for kids.  And, being only just 9, he is still very much a kid and wants something fun to wear on his feet.  I'm really hoping I can make these slippers to his liking and then maybe, just maybe, he'll ask me to knit him something else.  Ah, a mother can dream...

With these unplanned for projects popping up I think I will make an "Additions" section to my Year of Projects list.  That way I can still see my original intent at the end of the year and can better gauge my progress.  To check out other YOP participants check here.  Enjoy these last couple weeks of summer everyone!

Another Gift Bites the Dust

Happy Wednesday everyone!  Yup, I'm in a good mood this morning.  I finished my husband's wool socks last night before bed, which means another gift gets crossed off the list.  Happy dance!  The toe up sock pattern is one I used many times before so not much new there.  Cast on with Judy's Magic Cast on 24 stitches, followed the pattern for the large size, and cast off using Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off.  The only bummer about this project is the socks don't totally match color wise.  Not a big deal when you think they will be stuffed into boots while my husband shovels snow this winter and no one will see them.  But, as I've said before, I'm kinda a matchy-matchy gal so it irks me a little.  Probably couldn't be helped when I was working with 1 full skein and 2 partial skeins to create these socks.  Of course the last word on the matter will be my husband's and I already know he won't mind one little bit.  So that's that.

Now, I should go to my YOP list and see what I want to knit next, but I went looking at the new patterns on Ravelry the other day and heard the siren call (think mythology not ambulance.)  Yes, a new Thea Colman Baby Cocktails pattern called Mezcal jumped off the screen and shouted "KNIT ME!!!!"  There is even appropriate yarn in the stash to begin knitting it right away.  Thus, I swatched last night, and yes, I make skimpy swatches and leave them attached to the ball so I can reuse the yarn as I'm pretty frugal (or at least that's what I call it) and got gauge.  Now, I just need to decide whether or not to start a completely new unplanned for project or knit something off my list.  Not quite sure which way I'm going to go yet.  The other main contender is the Blathin sweater for my mother.  If I knit that sweater I would only have 1 more Christmas gift to knit (a vest for my husband) and could do selfish knitting all Fall and most of Winter.  That has an awesome appeal as I have never been that prepared for Christmas.  Maybe another cup of tea will help me decide.

I thought I'd leave you with a picture of my son Sam who turned 9 this past Sunday.  He wanted to go to Bryant Lake Beach with his Dad and me on his birthday to celebrate.  Dad usually only makes it to the beach once during the summer on the 4th of July for the family celebration his mom throws every year.  But, this year Sam had a really bad biking accident the night before the 4th tearing up his knee, hands and spraining an ankle so needless to say there was no swimming the next day.  Of course his wish was fulfilled this Sunday and we all had a great time.  Sam and Dan went swimming, we all played in the sand and the boys finished off the afternoon with a paddle boat ride while mama packed up.  Then later that night we had a Nerf gun battle with a couple of neighbor boys in the park, ate some cookies and took turns swinging on the swing in the backyard.  All in all a pretty great day. 

Joining in with Nicole for Keep Calm Craft On and Ginny for Yarn Along.

Lake Superior Trip With Socks

Since we are homeschooling this year, we decided to take a trip the weekend after Labor Day instead of before with the thought of less people, traffic etc.  Did it work?  A resounding YES!  We ventured north, as Minnesotans are wont to do in the summer time, to Lutsen, MN along the northern shore of Lake Superior.  It is where I went as a child with my family, where we went for our honeymoon and as a young couple and I couldn't wait to show Sam the beauty of it all.  We stayed at Cascade Lodge, which has been around since the thirties, in one of their "cabinettes" meaning 4 "cabins" in one building.  It was cheaper and still woodsey, but I think next time we will stay in a cabin with a kitchenette to save on food expenses.

 Sam and Dan at Gooseberry Falls - High Falls section on the journey north.

 Dan and Sam at Cascade Falls State Park.   

Finding a walking stick along the way is a must for this family.

Cascade Falls looking like root beer at the bottom don't you think?

 Dan and I with Lake Superior in the background.

Lake Superior coastline at Lutsen, MN.

The blazing fire Dan and Sam built on the rocks of the shore on our last night there.

Me wearing the socks I just finished on the trip and starting up another pair.  

Winter is coming soon you know.

Here's a close up of those socks.  I can't find the yarn tag to tell you what yarn/colorway it is though.  

 Here's the socks I started up north from yarn (Fortissima Colorpack 1) I purchased at Yarn Harbor in Duluth.  A little more Caribbean blue than Superior blue, but it's a nice remembrance from our trip.

 We enjoyed all the hiking, waterfalls (really can anyone have enough of seeing waterfalls?), the city of Grand Marais, The Angry Trout restaurant in said city, swimming at the community pool, playing tether ball and Foosball at the Lodge, knitting, campfires, stargazing and lastly the serene beauty of Lake Superior.  Did Sam enjoy the trip?  Why yes, yes he did.  In fact he kept saying "This is so Awesome!" so many times Dan and I couldn't stop laughing at his exuberance.  What a trip!  We loved it so much we're going back next year, that is, the weekend after Labor Day.

Oh, and I'm still working on the socks.  Just turned the heel today!

Joining in with Nicole for Keep Calm Craft On.

Rainy Day Train Ride

It was a very rainy Saturday morning when we took a drive to Osceola, WI to take a trip back in time on the Osceola Saint Croix Valley Railway.  Along for the ride was myself, my mother Jean, my niece Anya and my son Sam.  Unfortunately, my husband Dan had to stay home due to catching my cold from the previous week.  Although, feeling poorly he was happy to have the house to himself to sleep in peace and quiet while we were gone.  Here is our hour and a half ride in pictures.

 

The train consisted of coach cars, dining cars, box cars with gates over the open doorways, observation car and even an old mail car.  Once the conductor punched our tickets we were free to roam the cars at our leisure.  The ride was smooth and went by quickly and before you knew it we were back at the depot.

The sun decided to shine upon our return giving the children a chance to see the engine up close and play on an old caboose car.  It was a fun excursion with great volunteers happy to answer all the many questions the children asked.  If you are in the area I would recommend a visit to anyone young or old.

Gratitude Friday

I am trying out an format where on Fridays I give a list of what I am grateful for this week. I got the idea from Waldorf Mama. The purpose is to keep me in the moment and well, grateful for my life here on this earth. Also, I suffer from depression, which I manage pretty well, and reminding myself of all the good in the world helps me from spiraling down. As my mom used to say "count your blessings and you'll feel better." Here's what's blessings I see this week:

Her's my mom helping Sam make cookies. He's wearing the red vest I made for Valentines Day.

1. Having my mother living with us and how much see helps out with caring for Sam, cooking, cleaning and shopping. Thank you MOM!

2. The telephone as it lets me talk to Dan while he's in the Philippines - amazing.

3. My son Sam's constant building of forts; so much fun.

4. Hummus with crackers and carrots - yum!

What do you find blessing you and yours this week?

A Sad Ending

In my Gratitude Friday Post I mentioned that my Father - in - Law had a horrible fall. Well, the outcome was a sad one with him passing on Sunday about 12 hours after my husband arrived in the Philippines. John was loved by many and especially by his wife Clarita of forty years. They were just beginning their retirement together at the home they built in Biliran, Leyte the Philippines; the town where Clarita grew up. We're all in such shock that a life can go so quickly, that life can be forever changed in a moment.


Here's Grandpa John with Sam in 2007. This is the only picture I have with them together.

Now, the heavy decisions are being made about where to bury John, they are Catholic like many Philippinos, either on their property there or back here in Minnesota. If it's in Biliran Sam and I will be flying out with Dan's brothers to be there. The flight is a three legged trip totally about 24 hours and with a four and a half year - lord help me. Apparently they have an elaborate funeral tradition in the Philippines which takes about 30 days. Currently they are having 9 days of prayer for John. The only consolation in all of this is that Clarita is surrounded by her family - her brothers, nieces, nephews, cousins. The whole town is pretty much all related somehow and they are all en force showing their support. Community is such a beautiful thing!

Hug the ones you love be they family, friends or neighbors and let them know you care. I'm happy we at least had a going away party for John and Clarita and we all hugged them before they left. We just didn't know that would be our last goodbye.

Gratitude Friday

I am inspired by Waldorf Mama and her Gratitude Friday posts and thought I try one out for myself. Currently, our family is in a crisis mode as my father-in-law has had a horrible accident and is presently in a coma. What makes matters more complicated is that he is in the rural Philippines where he and my mother - in -law, who is Philippino, built a house. My husband just left early this morning to to be with his mother to help her through this time. So, Sam and I are on our own for a month. To keep myself from wallowing in sadness during this crisis I thought I'd list some things I am grateful for:

* The rest of our combined families are healthy and well.
* The joy and love my son Sam brings to me everyday.
* The offer of compassion and help from our friends.
* Knitting which relaxes me and keeps me in the present moment.

Sam says he's grateful for:

* Marble runs
* Mama
* Time snuggling

What are you grateful for on this Friday?

Gnome Pouches and a Personal Note

This idea came to me watching my son Sam's Waldorf Kindergarten class. The children in the class are given a "little one", a small doll, from their teacher when they turn 5. The children then get to sew a bag to carry their "little one" around their neck. This way their doll can go on adventures with them and be close to their heart. It really is the sweetest thing to see both boys and girls playing with these doll; although the boys vehemently say they are not dolls but little ones.

So, here is my version for carrying - what else but - a gnome! The pouches are made out of plant dyed wool felt from fellow etsian mamajudes same as my wands. The bag portion measures aproximately 3 1/2 inches x 5 inches and the chain is 17" long. Sam tried them on for me but I haven't gotten him to hold still for a picture, but they sit at chest level with the gnomes hat coming almost to his chin. I decorated them with a rainbow so that no matter what gnome you choose it will match, and frankly can anyone have too many rainbows? Of course then I had to use my lovely bulky rainbow yarn to finger knot a chain for the bag. Sam is so eager to finger knit, knit and sew it's hard for me to keep telling him soon you'll learn this in Kindergarten, as he really isn't ready yet. He is just such a boy of action he wants to do, do, do not just watch. I think of these bags for gnomes, but they could be used for other dolls, or treasures, or maybe even secret messages!

On a personal note our In Vitro Fertilization or IVF prodcedure was not a success. I'm coming to terms with the fact I won't be pregnant again, but it was hard for Sam. He really wanted me to be pregnant and to watch the birth (he loves to hear the story of his birth - sliding out of mama into the water.) We'll now focus on adopting from the Philippines (my husband Dan is 1/2 Phillipino himself.) I find myself hoping to adopt siblings so Sam can have the brother and sister he wants to complete our family. Looking towards the future is good right now.

I'm Back

Well, it's been a bit of a long absence for me in the blogger world, but now I'm back. I spent most of May doing 1 of the following 2 things: planning for Sam's School's May Fair and undergoing IVF treatments and holistic support therapies for having another child. Needless to say life has been a bit stressful.

First off May Fair. I was in charge of getting vendors to sell their wares at the event; finding artists and people who reflex the Waldorf School Philosophy. Here are a couple of my favorites. Community Homestead - a community of people who make beautiful watercolored wooden puzzles as well as all the tables, chairs and desks in our school, Wonderment - a local shop with all sorts of Waldorf inspired toys (bow and arrow sets were a big seller for her with the second grade boys), Universal Pants - is a woman who makes these fabulous pants that are cut on the bias and look good on everybody! And lastly me! Yes, Simply Playing made an appearance selling my knitted cats, gnomes and crowns as well as felted wands and rainbow window stars.

Here's my "booth" on a table in the early childhood classroom.

The day didn't go as planned. It was to be as an outdoor event, but we had a dilly of a thunder storm come through. So, just about the time everyone was set up we had to move everything inside. The vendors set up in the classrooms while the food and crafts were in the Social Hall. It was all a jumble, but cozy, and everyone rolled with it very well. The sad part was there was no May Pole Dancing at May Fair, but we did have a queen, the green man, pocket people and many fairies flitting about the school. The day was truly festive and a coming together of community. For us it was a family affair as well with my selling crafts, my mother giving fairy card readings, my dad being a pocket person and Dan helping out with all the vendors setting up and breaking down. Sam was left to his own devices from time to time, but the community held him well which was wonderful to experience.

Gnomes anyone?

As much fun as May Fair was with pony rides, tug of wars, raw food, baked treats, crafts, jump rope making and shopping, I'm glad all the work has come to a close. It's our last big festival of the school year as next week will be the closing and graduation ceremonies for Spring Hill Waldorf School. What a joyful way to begin summer!

Back to my 2nd distraction for the month of May - IVF (in-vitro fertilization.) My husband and I went through IVF many years ago to have our son Sam who is now almost 4. Sam did not want to be an only child and I loved being pregnant so we thought we'd try another round and see if we could be successful again. We're in the waiting period of watching the embryos develop before they are transferred back into me. I'm completely excited and wanting to fast forward another 2 weeks. But, at least I am now done with Mayan abdominal massages, acupuncture and 4 shots a day of follicle medication. I'll keep up the wheatgrass and green drinks through the pregnancy and the 1 shot of progesterone goes through the 10th week. This is probably way more than any of you want to know but it's so all encompassing right now I feel the need to talk about it. Wish us luck and you'll be hearing about the pregnancy soon!