Crafty (Backyard) Camping Birthday

My oldest girls turned 9yo this past weekend.  They wanted a backyard camping sleepover.  My husband and I went around and around about whether to have a 'theme' or just go with a sleepover party.  Ultimately the theme idea won - if for no other reason than it helped to reign in ALL of the ideas that the girls had about their special birthday party.

I found this great camp cake recipe/idea online and did my best to create one similar.  I think I did pretty well.  In fact, making and decorating the cake with the girls was one of the highlights of the entire party planning experience.

I picked out two crafts for the girls to do as well.  The first was a photo holder: A wooden cube that could be decorated with camping signage, and then add a groove in the top that can hold a photo.  We all loved doing these!  I found the camping signs online at Etsy, each girl got her own sheet to cut from and we used Mod Podge to secure the 'signs' to the blocks.  My husband made the blocks and then used a saw to cut the groove.  Each girl went home with a couple of blocks and one photo holder.  I kept the extra blocks until the next day and then made our family a set of blocks for camping.  I can imagine using them for so many things when we are in the great outdoors - story cubes, conversation starters, etc.

The other craft was creating shadow puppets of northern woodland animals.  The girls (painstakingly) cut them out and taped each on to a chopstick.  They practiced shining the images on the side of the tent with their flashlights (a party favor) and then my husband made up a story and they acted it out.  The whole idea/production turned out even better then I ever could have imagined.  The animal shapes were free templates from a designer on the internet - there are thousands out there to choose from.

We roasted hot dogs over a fire pit for dinner with corn on the cob, watermelon and chips.  We did the crafts right afterwards, then were inside for a movie.  Then outside again for sleeping in the tent.  Luckily the weather was on our side for the weekend.  The girls all slept really well (until 8a!) and after breakfast and some playing it was time for the girls to get picked up again.  It was a great party and after the guests left my daughters ran to me with hugs saying that the party exceeded every dream they had about it before hand.  A very happy Momma moment.

This was our first foray into a friend party - up until now, for all our girls, we've kept these celebrations close with just family.  It was a lot of work to pull of the party for kids but very much worth it.  And the party was in touch with our family 'vibe' which made it really enjoyable.  I even got to craft/create along the way.

Almost Summer

poppy blooming in front yard

It was spring...and now it's almost summer.  The kids get out of school tomorrow, schedules will change with new activities and adventures.  Knitting has been on the back burner for me lately - final grades for my course were due, we're finalizing mudroom addition plans with our architect, I moved into Co-Chairing our public elementary school PTO (I did what?!), and my husband made partner at his law firm.  It's been a crazy couple of weeks.  But I am moving ahead with Vignette.  I've completed the back, both front panels and 3/4 of one sleeve.  Just a bit more to go before blocking and seaming.  Can't wait to show the results when it's done!

FO: 100th project for my 1yo

I just entered my 100th project on ravelry!  I find this to be a surprisingly delightful milestone.  I know that I've knit more than 100 items, but seeing that number - and all those projects - in one place really gives me a sense of accomplishment.  And it is amazing to look back at some of my earlier work and see how far I have come in my craft.

For my 100th project I knit up a little cardigan for my wee girl.  She turned 1yo last week.  I can hardly believe how quickly the months flew by, and find it even harder to remember a time in our family before she was with us. 

The pattern is in threes, and I knit this up in a Coed Mawr (a small scale fiber company in Cambria, WI) worsted weight; size 18 mos.  The buttons are from Jennie the Potter.  Next on my needles is a little shrug to help this cruising babe's wardrobe transition from spring to summer.

Knitting Year-in-Review

A Sampling of Projects from 2011

As the new year is now upon us, I thought it time to take a moment and collect my thoughts about my knitting over the past year.  If I had to sum up my knitting over the past 12 months in one word it would be: prolific.  I have been knitting a lot.  And constantly.  And I am very, very happy about that.

My 28+ projects have been mostly small - baby knits, kid knits, hats, toys, ornaments, etc.  Projects that were quick.  But they all involved lots and lots of color.  Each project made me very happy.  Especially the ones that went to the most enthusiastic recipients, my kids!

I still have some unfinished projects hanging out in my basket.  They include the linen stitch scarf and silk mittens, and a pair of almost done pair of kids socks.
Interestingly, my stash has grown just a little over the past year too.  I knit up many yarns that I purchased and have only a special few that are sitting, waiting for the perfect project.

So I am ending last year feeling really good about my craft - not overwhelmed by too many yarns, or too many pattern ideas.  I am holding steady with the quantity and quality of my knits; entering the new year happy and content. 

There is, however, a new opportunity on the horizon.  Twelve organically raised sheep will join our extended family (my SIL's family to be exact), and that means a lot of fleece will be available to me in the not-too-distant future.  So it looks like I may begin a new journey with wool - something with hand spinning. 

I have been researching/reading how to wash, clean, card and spin fleece into yarn.  I have been looking at local woolen mills and their minimums for processing fleece(s).  I have invited myself to the home of an accomplished hand spinner for a lesson or two.  This is going to be fun.

So, no big knitting resolutions here - just moving on one stitch at a time.  [And a little elf brought some qiviut/merino yarn for my to try out this year too!]

Putting my feet up

After the morning rush I decided to put my feet up. I made myself a cup of tea, read the newspaper, and watched the first flurry of the Wisconsin Winter descend outside my window.

To do this for myself was an actual decision that I had to consciously make. Normally I sit down in front of my computer, and let the (sometimes crippling) guilt of all that remains un-read, un-written, and un-finished wash over me. But not today, not this morning.

If you'll notice, my toes were warm inside my freshly finished socks. A nice treat for myself. I grafted the toe for the second sock on the morning after I successfully defended my dissertation. I did that on Monday evening. So you see, there isn't too much more to write at the moment. And all of the articles that I never read? Well, that's water under the bridge as far as graduate school goes.

I still have more revisions to make before depositing my dissertation - and since I plan to publish portions of it, this thing isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Some days I love it. Some days I am sick of it. But the best part is that it got me to where I am today, this morning. In my favorite chair, emboldened with a great sense of accomplishment.

The loftiest goal for today is to bake banana bread. I plan to spend my free time snuggling with the kiddos, and looking through my stash for a celebratory cast-on. What to make?



The socks are the finished TTL Mystery Sock '10 in madelinetosh sock (colorway: amber trinket). I did have enough yarn to finish both socks...and there's a bit left over too. Maybe I'll add another sweater to my winter door decoration?

And picking up my conversation from the last post, today was the first day that we put up our advent calendar. Hurrah for handmade holiday traditions! The girls don't exactly remember it from last year, but are very excited to participate this year and already have the rotation (who goes first, second, etc.) for picking socks worked out.

Calm

It's calm around here again. Our family has headed home and I am spending lots of quiet time with my girls again. We had guests for 6 nights and seven days - making it the most special, magical holiday season in our home yet. We had as many as 17 folks sleeping under our roof for on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We even had a meal for 24 people. Lots of food, lots of dishes, lots of sweets and lots of energy. If I could bottle it, I'm sure it would be enough to sustain me all through the year.

There were highs. Like when my girls squealed with excitement at the presents they made for each other. There were lows. Like when the basement (which we gutted and worked overtime finishing for the holiday; new lights, new carpet, new stairs, new drywall, etc.) flooded on Christmas Day. On balance, however, there's nothing like family to see you through the rough spots and celebrate the magic of the season with.

As for handmade gifts there were some successes and some not-so-surprising un-finished gifts. I was able to delve into sewing for a week before Christmas and made quite a few things: superhero capes for my nieces and nephew, new down quilts for my older girls, gifts for each of my girls to give to each other. DH and I even collaborated on the big gift for the girls - a play landscape that can be used for many purposes, but is currently home to a family of horses and unicorns. Unfortunately the vest is still in my knitting basket - the pieces are done, but blocking, assembly and finishing has yet to start.

I'll write a few posts over the next couple of weeks about the various gifts and projects, but today is a dedicated play day with my girls. I'm off to enjoy more of the holiday magic that is still all around us.

New Sewing Machine

Our local newspaper recently ran an online auction. I won a new sewing machine. It's proven to be better than my old one by leaps and bounds (and no problems with the tension).

I'm celebrating the new machine by working on a coin quilt. This one is modern fabrics (Amy Butler, Anna Maria, Kaffee Fassett, and others) in green/blue/tan tones with white sashing. I'm loving how it's turning out. I've got fabric for a second one cut, but in red/yellow/tan tones. I'm thinking of matching quilts for my twin daughters; similar in spirit to these. I'm hoping they look a bit like this one when they are finished.

Mauda Woodworks

My husband is an amazing woodworker. He has recently decided to sell sets of his heirloom-quality, all-natural children's blocks at Mauda Woodworks. I'm here to support him - shamelessly.
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edited on 12/7 with new photos!
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I've also added a photo of a recent gift from him to me; one that he made for me. A beautiful cedar-lined blanket chest. Contrary to it's stated purpose, the first occupants of this piece are some skeins of yarn and other knitting supplies. For now it's tucked into the corner of the living room. DH says that he didn't make it to be a downstairs piece of furniture - it's supposed to go in a bedroom - but I think it's too beautiful to squirrel away up there.

Auburn Studios

The inspirational font of, more than a few, creative benders [seriously, I have left my computer in the middle of reading her posts and dashed to my sewing machine] Mr. Monkeysuit has just opened her own etsy shop, Auburn Studios. Go over and check it out - I promise her products and patterns will help you along your quest to create lovely handmade holidays.