A Fairy Nice Day

So what is a mom with three girls at home for the week to do? Why make wee fairies of course!

Fairies are a big deal in this house. We read books about fairies, watch movies about fairies, play games about fairies, and on and on. About a year ago we bought the book Felt Wee Folk by Salley Mavor and started making little flower fairies. This book is really wonderful with beautiful pictures and clear step by step instructions.

We have kind of developed our own style - a little less fidgety than those in the book. The book was worth every last penny as the little fairies we have made have produced hours and hours of play time, both creating the fairies and in imaginative play. These dolls are about 2 1/2" high, and are inexpensive to make - a few dollars worth of supplies will make many fairies.

PBSJ Yarn

At long last I've bought my yarn for the PBSJ! I like this yarn well enough as long as I don't look at it side by side with the Jo Sharp DK in Glade that I really wanted to buy. At almost half the price I decided that the Dalegarn Hauk was a suitable alternative. After swatching with the needles called for in the pattern I'm realizing that I need to buy some needles the next size down. Did you ever notice that no matter how many needles you have in a multitude of sizes, you never have the right size for a new project?

Priorities

My friend Corey's recent posts have made me think about what it is that's most important. "The only thing that remains is what you have left behind...did you give it your best?" I hope that as I journey through this life what I leave behind are children who grow into kind, responsible and happy adults with fond memories of their childhoods. At least I'm giving it my best. Oh, and I hope that they knit as well!

Happy Easter

It's been a busy time, decorating for Easter. This is the first year that we have made an egg tree. We used a Marble Swirls egg decorating kit which was a big departure for us as we always use the classic PAAS. You can't tell from the picture but the "swirled" eggs look marbelized and just slightly glittery. They're very pretty, and were easy to do with children.




Emily, Alissa and Caroline have been very busy girls drawing these pretty Easter pictures.

What the?

So I had this great idea to make these very cool Fingerless Mitts for Alissa. I had this ball of Noro Kureyon with what appeared to be lovely shades of olive and purple.

When I began to pull from the center of the skein I found miles and miles of this dull-as-dirt brown. Not exactly the color to get a 10 year old girl excited.

Then suddenly this bright rust appears. Now I've knit with Kureon before, and never had this experience where it appears as though the skein is made up of two completely different color lots. I think that if I knit this up the mitts won't even look like a pair. Maybe I should by another ball and knit 2 pair - hmm...how to proceed here.

This whole tangle reminds me of this crazy glass sculpture we saw while visiting the Corning Museum of Glass over Winter Break.

Happy Feet

Caroline's rainbow sherbet socks are finally done. These were supposed to be my March socks for the sock-a-month KAL, oh well now I can get an early start for my May socks. I'm pleased with how they came out - this is the first time I've knit a picot edge. I used this wonderful tutorial from Booga J. I really prefer how the socks look using straight stockinette, rather than ribbing, but I was concerned they wouldn't stay up using a simple stockinette.

Caroline is pretty pleased with them as well - she picked the yarn out to match with her pink, pink shoes (She is my girly girl). I didn't have to do any convincing to get her to model on the kitchen table - she watches far too much of the Style Channel. Caroline immediately put on her best Zoolanderesque Super Model persona.

I used Elizabeth Zimmerman's basic sock pattern from Knitting Without Tears, using 48 stitches on size 2 dpns. The yarn is Sockotta from the Plymouth Italian Collection 45% cotton, 40% superwash wool, 15% nylon. I'm a little worried that they feel a bit scratchy, hopefully they'll soften up with washing.

As long as I'm talking socks I was wondering about the Magic Loop, or knitting on two circulars. I really like knitting on dpns, but I'm forever misplacing and losing those little needles, so I do find the idea of a circular kind of appealing - any opinions out there?
Update: I've just found this 'magic cast-on for toe up socks' in the new issue of Knitty - looks interesting, a possibility for May.

I've Been A Very Good Girl

Taxes - done. House - Clean. Ran - 4 miles.

I've earned this...

Happy Friday

 

Happy Spring

While busily avoiding my spring cleaning and taxes - I found some new places to visit. The little picture above is from Brown Betty. Molly Chicken has some other great links to Japanese cuteness. Who knew the Japanese made such cute, cute things? I could just shoot myself for not knowing this while my brother and sister in-law were living in Japan. I'm also a fan of Netherlands cute like this little spring daff at De Witte Engel.

Tongue in Cheek is a beautiful blog by an American woman living in France, married to a French man. She has gorgeous pictures, writes insightful posts, and shares her life in France, and her passion for French flea market finds. We also found this link at Tongue in Cheek, and although spring has arrived the girls have been busy making loads of snowflakes.

Some knitting sites My Dog Ate My Mittens and Two Left Needles

Cool places Shelterrific - "where obsessive homebodies hang" found via wee wonderfuls

Just plain weird: Do it yourself animals at eatliver.com (found this one via blackbird)...freaky.

The Incredible Stretching Sweater

I finished up the Hourglass as planned Tuesday night. I tried it on and it fit perfectly - sleeves perfect, neckline perfect, length perfect. Everything perfectemundo. So I gave it a nice little bath and layed it out gently on a soft towel, smoothed it and went to bed feeling rather superior. You see I read the Hourglass KAL page - I knew all the pitfalls - I had an extra skein of yarn, I made 3 extra sets of neck decreases to avoid the too big neck, yes I was pretty pleased with myself. I may have even gone so far as to say aloud to my husband that I have perfect guage. Well can you see where I'm going here? Wednesday AM, my sweater still looks lovely, in fact the stitches are now looking dare I say it? - perfect. Wednesday afternoon - feeling almost breathless - I try on the Hourglass, and what the ??? The sleeves are now at least 3 inches longer dragging on my knuckles, the neckline - bra straps sticking out WIDE, and the length now hitting at the widest part of my hips....huhh?? My cute little Hourglass is now a tunic.



OK this mirror shot stinks - it is really hard to take a picture of yourself in the mirror - I kept getting all mixed up trying to center myself with everything being opposite in this really weird way. Anyhow this shot doesn't really show the length problems, but look at that droopy armpit!

Paul finally took pity on me and took this picture which shows the crazy-long sleeves.


I've never had this happen before, was it the silk content in the Noro Cash Iroha? (as an aside - it does drape nicely though)

So what do I do now? I'm wondering can I rip back the bottom of the sleeves and re-hem them? I think I could live with it if the sleeves were at least the right length. Maybe run a length of elastic through the neckline to help keep it in place? Re-block it and try to squish it all back in place? Any thoughts out there??? Please.

On the knitting front

Here's some evidence that I do actually knit once in a while. I'm so ashamed that I'm still working on my Olympic sweater, but finally the 'Hourglass' is off the needles! Unfortunately loads of hemming to do.




I'm starting to feel a little panicked about completing my March sock for 'Sock a Month' club. This little picot edged cutie is for Caroline. I haven't allowed myself to work on it until the Hourglass is complete - I am vowing to finish it today. Then it will be a mad dash to finish the socks, then...I'm committed to the Pearl Buck Swing. Yikes the pressure!



How do some of you find all the time to get so much knitting done? There's Iris who seems to whip off a pair of socks on a daily basis, while homeschooling her children and living the most idyllic life I think I've seen. And Jane - who knits, sews, embroiders, reads, bakes, takes incredible photos, loves her children like mad, and writes some of the most intelligent posts. And Jeanne who also seems incredibly smart, well read, insightful, as well as an accomplished knitter. Christine - who knits, raises her children, attends classes - (really hard sounding classes) - as well as doing a knitting podcast in her spare time. Francois knits fabulous projects, and comes up with the most wonderuful collection of knit related artwork for her blog. Oh I could go on and on. These bloggers are all so inspiring to me, not just for my knitting - but how I think, and how I live and raise my children. So even though I feel a little inadequate at times, that's OK because I just love everything I learn from the little glimpses into these other lives. Thank you bloggers.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Having a bad time of it - decorating for St. Patrick's day that is. I do love the holiday, just not the color. I just can't get into that kelly green. It's lovely on grass, a tree, perhaps a mossy rock - but clothing, or home decor...no. Now sage or olive, that's another story - I'm not anti-green or anything.

Trying to weasle an invitation for our family to my mother in-law's for St. Patrick's dinner. She's a proper Irish girl, who can cook a proper Irish dinner. Goodness know I've tried, but this German/French girl just can't get it down, and I don't understand why - you pretty much just throw everything into a pot and boil the '@#$%' out of it. Maybe it's genetic.

Anyhoo - I highly recommend this CD for your St. Patrick's day listening enjoyment.

Ahh...The English Seaside

Uhh...it's gray and snowing, freezing, and hurricane windy. I want to go here -

Stunning beach house in Whitstable built in 1884 for use by the British Army. Fantastic interior and interesting props. Private beach and decked seating area. Large pretty cottage garden. (What was the British Army doing at this fabulous beach house? Sign me up.)

I found these gorgeous pictures at jujulovespolkadots. Now that would be a dream vacation - to be in that cottage by the sea, taking classes taught by Julie. She just seems so clever and funny. It's fun to dream anyhow.

As long as we're dreaming, check out the other country estates pictured at the Oak Management web site - can you imagine?! I think I'd enjoy 'The Woodland House' in Bath while on my Jane Austen tour. They even have a category for 'Quirky' properties. Can you tell I'm really avoiding the housework today?

nothin' could be finer than to knit with Caroliner

Today's a half day at school. Alissa went to a friend's house, and Emily has a full day (poor girl), so I have Caroline all to myself. Guess what she asked to do?.....she actually asked to knit with me - oh my heart goes pitter-pat!

March is Red and Pink

I'm not officially participating in Project Spectrum - but I thought I'd make something red just for the fun of it. I love the color red, but for some reason, I don't ever wear it, decorate my home with it, or craft with it - hmm... So this little word cloud was about all I could pull off.

Now pink is another story. In a home with three little girls we have loads of pink, and I mean that literally. I am amazed that I can do two full loads pink (or pinkish) clothes each week.

As I finish this post I've realized that I overlooked some red that is literally staring me in the face - this groovy 3-D poppy that Alissa made hangs above my computer.

Get Unstuck

Eight Irresistible Principles of Fun

Sick Day

Caroline is home with me today - she ate too many strawberries and got a tummy-ache. It's nice to have her here. We're reading The Hundred Dresses - a great book for little girls to read, and help them think about being kind to other girls who might be a little bit different.

Caroline found this tea cup in the bag where I keep all the shards of lovely things I've broken. I usually can't bear to just toss them. I imagine that some day I'll make something clever out of them. Anyhow, she salvaged this pretty cup (apparently I only broke the saucer) - she's been sipping her OJ from the cup with a bendy straw, very elegant.

Signs

Is the Pearl Buck Swing Jacket in my future? I'm beginning to think so. Although I'm completely put off by all the piecing and finishing involved, I'm still drawn to it. First it really is a beautiful sweater, second the model in IK looks just like a grown up version of my niece Anya, and third The Good Earth is one of my favorite books ever. Last night I opened up my e-mail and found this:

Be-eth ... Be-e-eth. Kni-i-it me...

Love, PBSJ


strange.

TGIF

I've been waiting for this day. My red envelope arrived from Amy probably over a week ago (along with the always fun to peruse King Arthur Flour catalog). But I haven't dared to open it until I had a day - a day to myself to really enjoy it. It's been long in coming, but hurray the day is finally here and how cute are her illustrations?!




I feel like a little kid, so excited to have something fun arrive in the mail. Now maybe I'll actually get myself organized. It's just so nice to have the house to myself - it seems so rare these days. I plan to spend the rest of the day with Hemingway, and my Hourglass sweater.

This is the view out my kitchen window



So I was feeling quite pleased with my picture of these cheery daffodils (although beginning to droop a little) in their humble little Ball jar.



Then I checked out Yarnstorm as I always do - and could only laugh when I saw Jane's fabulous vase of Daffs. Now how sad are mine?