Capping off the Week

I know most of my readers are crafters so I do not have to always be so rapturous about the role of craft in my life. It is just, I cannot help it. It is like this amazing life line that I have found to connect me to Myself and that something deep in me that calls me to create.

Lately, sewing has been my love. I have been reading about sewing, devouring blog posts about sewing and, well, actually sewing. A few weeks ago we decided to tone down the birthday party ideas and make it a birthday weekend celebration. We plan on visiting the Aquarium again, then bringing the boys to the Griffin Park train park (The Jerk, anyone? Who remembers that scene? Tim wants me to make them shirts like the little boy in the picture). The boys are such boys, in love with all moving things and things with wheels and the choo-choo. It should be awesome.

I am totally making them outfits for the weekend, I know, cheesy but satisfying. The one thing I wanted for the train day was conductor caps because I love the way they look in hats. I googled around a bit and could find nothing that I liked and wanted to spend money on. Then I stumbled across a great hat tutorial, the Eddie Cap. It is perfect.


In my true fashion, I read her tutorial about 10 times before even sitting to cut, then I thought about it during quiet time, then I finally sat to do it. And it worked, mostly. My first attempt ended up a little to tight, but I know just the little boy to give it to. The second came out almost just right.

I am having a bit of an issue making the brim stand out from the cap. But it fit O's noggin and now that I am comfortable with the pattern, I think I can make Mason's so that he will wear it and, dare I say, enjoy it.

I started sewing just about a year ago and it makes me happy to realize that something I once thought out of my reach is now starting to feel comfortable. Not as comfortable as two sticks and some yarn, but getting there.


Other plans for sewing include an Easter dress for me, a new quilt for our bed and eventually 'big boy' quilts for the boys. And probably ten million more once my absurd Amazon order of sewing books are delivered (hey, it is march, slow months is over).

Knitting is still in motion albeit slower than usual. I am loving this little pattern from f.pea and inch along when I can.

The yarn is a bamboo cotton 'splitty but pretty' mess, and I am using size 0 because that is what I had on hand. Serves for slow knitting, but I think it will be just fine.

And though sweater weather is almost gone, I might have to modify this sweater because I am in love with it. It happens to be from the designer of Shalom, my all time favorite knit ever that I may have to keep reincarnating year after year. I always think it is interesting how we crafters resonate to a certain aesthetic and how we seem to run in pack with it.

Oh, how I wish I had 9 more hours a day to do these things. But I will be thankful for what I have and what it gives me in return. Happy friday (already!), squeeze in those few moments to create what you can, you know we deserve it!


Just one more because, god, that kid is cute.

F4F :: A Good Cause

Getting to F4F this week has not been easy. We have been mired in some sort of sickness since the New Year, Tim is going on his 6th week of respiratory complaints, the boys are in competition for which can fever/cough/drool and need the most carrying around,

and Mama woke up feeling just a bit off kilter (yoga was interesting this morning). But in spite of the challenges, I completed a few things that required completion. I find I turn even more so to creating when times are rough, helps pull me through and gives me a focus.

These all came about in increments, a pattern piece drawn and cut here, a few minutes at the machine there, moments with needle in hand.

I find myself pretty happy with the end result...especially as they are going to a good cause. I mentioned in a previous post that a blog friend, Matthew at Childsplayx2 is having an online auction for his YMCA. You can read a bit of the background story here. He put out a request for donations to auction and my first thought was, of course, I will knit something. But I could not decide on a pattern, then I realized time was rapidly dwindling, so I turned instead to my sewing/embroidery skills, meager though they are.

The result is something I think I can be proud of. Two little bebe outfits, one boy, one girl, to be auctioned off separately. Sized to fit 6-12 months (I think).

The pants are made from stash fabric, some of my coveted Heather Ross and a little contrasting (clashing?) binding hem. The cotton is so so soft and light, perfect for warmer weather to come.

The onesie is the coup de grace though. My youngest brother Jon is an amazing artist and has a knack for character creation. The little monkey is named Fred and first debuted in a small childrens book Jon wrote and illustrated for his French class. I love Fred,

he is impishly cute and a little spacey and will steal your heart. Someday I am going to find a publisher for the booklet...if you could just see Fred with his bananas. Here he is depicted diapered and happy. So, thanks Jon, for lending us Fred for a spell.

The Friday finish was important as Matthew wants to have the auction up and running by February 16th. He plans on keeping it open for two weeks and I am excited to see what else shows up. The blogging community is so diverse with so many interests, so I am sure there will be a little something for everyone. I plan on posting a link in the sidebar once the auction is up, I will be sure to let you know.

I sent out another little love package earlier this week for a family. In it I included these toddler socks.

They are a simple sock pattern, ribbed leg and your basic heel flap/gusset construction. I used stash sock yarn, a bit of Cherry Tree for the leg and Koigu for the foot. I love how they remind me of Spring. Like a flower coming up.

I just used the boys mallet feet for reference, cast on 32ish I think and went from there. The boys hated them on, but I am holding out hope that the toddler on the other end might not be so averse to their wear. And if they really are intolerable for toddler feet, well, at least they are really pretty to look at. (Horrid indoor lighting on the pictures though. Does not do the color justice.)

Ah, Friday. I see a Valentine's of cough and snot and little romantic endeavoring. No worries, I never really took to the holiday itself. But I am planning on making some cupcakes, both for family and friends. I have a recipe from Orangette for a perfect white cake...oh, so delicious. And then SK posted these car bomb cupcakes that must be made because the husband loves Guinness, chocolate and cake (in that order). And the whiskey might burn the sick out. Right?

And by Sunday, when I gather with my knitting friends, with plans of (them) divesting stash yarn and (me) taking it all because they will be lulled by the sugar coma from the cupcakes...well, I will myself to be better because what better way to end a weekend?

I hope your Valentine weekend hearts you and leaves you sick with love and not the flu. Hugs, friends and happy V day.

F4F :: Baby Gifting

Of late in this post holiday season, I have fallen hard for baby knitting for so many reasons. Fast, cheap (you can use up every bit of your stash) and the teeny things that result are beyond adorable. I have many lovely pregnant friends on which to shower the endless procession of tiny knits coming off of the needles. This is a good thing as we do not need to leave the stuff lying around, reminding me of how frikin' cute tiny babies are. Thank you, my Picasa files do that for me nightly.

The other part is I truly believe in EZ's declaration that every child should have something hand knit. It is a great way to let Mama know that I think their choice to bring a being as special as a child to us is a blessing in ways we cannot describe and only know once we have done it.

One of my favorite gift projects for Mama and Baby is this washcloth in all of its glorious versions.

It is a classic, made from 100% cotton and very user friendly. And one thing I know is that new babies use washcloths. This can be done in the ubiquitously cute 'Baby Feet" pattern, but I have taken to knitting up an initialized version if the parents disclose the baby name.

This one is for Baby Hayden, with an L for her big sister London. I wanted to make sure London was included, as big sister she can 'read' the letters to her little sister someday. I think these washcloths will last that long.

I use the Lily cotton Sugar n Cream for these projects.

Joann/Michaels carry a small assortment, but the colors are fairly insipid and uninspiring. Instead, if you have a good amount of washcloths to knit, you might order here. The color selection is amazing, price very good and shipping reasonable. I ordered from them over two years ago and just ran out.

I used this yarn for the first knitting project post (truly during as I started to knit the washcloth during prep for Csection) Beans

and it has been used and abused and wrung and wiped and washed and still holds up and does its job. Novice knitters, pick up the Mason Dixon book. Oldie but goodie. These two projects could use up any stash left after knitting up your best friend's baby's name-to-be in washcloths (I did it for my sister, the intent was to give her a stack of washcloths. She hung them over the baby's crib. But she will use them someday. I know it).

The other project on the needles is one dear to my heart. The BSJ. You hardcore knitters know what that stands for. It is not done yet because I am savoring the knit. This is the best mind boggling knit ever.

It was my first EZ project and will possibly be reincarnated for the toddler boys I now own. Because have you seen this? Ack. Adorableness. And is it weird I just called knitters hardcore? I shudder to think of my not knit friends reading this.

I will make sure to do a photo shoot of the BSJ (stands for Baby Surprise Jacket for you not in the know). Because it is a marvelous invention by a woman I would quite literally have to die to meet. I do wish Elizabeth Zimmerman was still here just to hear her sassy speak in person. Oh, well, I will have to let the Yarn Harlot fill in that space in my lifetime.

So, have some babies coming your way? Get cracking with the needles. And if you do not knit, why don't you sew up a pair of these?

My latest pair(s) for the boys, soft flannel full of dragons that they roar at when they spot them, which is frequently as they are wearing them on their pants. My favorite part of making them was when they were clamoring to put them on after I sewed the seams up. They like me. Oh, they really really like me.

Happy Friday all, it has been a week that started high, but has ended low for me. Do me a favor? Hug a lot of people this weekend, any you can get your hands on. Because you just don't know. Love.

Friday Finishing : Alcohol, anyone?

Oh, so glad this week is Finished. It just felt like a bit of a long hard slog. It was up and down, good and bad, dry and wet. And it is Friday and I am Finished.

One nice thing finished was being asked to participate in a new feature at one of my favorite sites, How Do You Do It? I have been reading at the site since its inception and always find great information, funny stories and a lot of support from other Mamas of Multiples. It is how I met Carrie and found other Mamas that I love to read. Give it a read if you would like to know a bit more...as if that is necessary considering how much I talk about myself here.

But the true finished project of this week involves alcohol, thank god. And it incorporates the abundance of citrus, currently a crop in season here in Southern California.


Back at our Christmas party my Mom's friend brought over a home made apertif. I fell in love. It was smoking hot sweetness, so I grabbed the 'recipe' and gave it a whirl. It is a nice way to use up the accumulating bowl of orange fruit and a nice way to git my liquor on. This is vodka infused with Satsuma peel and doused in simple syrup. This is my Friday.

Want a recipe? Here goes...
:: Grab some citrus of the orange variety. I used Satsuma mandarins which were a bit hard to separate pith from peel, but I got it done with my sharp Wustof (the only one). I also added a bit of blood orange peel from the tree in the front yard. Let peels air dry until crisp.

:: Grab some vodka, we had half a bottle of Absolut. Do not know why because I am a beer girl. I was a beer girl. Put the peels in the vodka.

:: Put the bottle away for a few weeks.

:: Take it out , strain peels and add some simple syrup.

:: Decant, pour a shot and sigh, because it is Friday.

Whew, smoking hot sweetness. And it was not morning per se when I tried a sample. It was past noon, okay?

The boys love the fresh fruit and Owen has learned the art of the peel.


And Mace just reaps the benefits.


And a good lesson in judging book by cover. Our friends supply us fruit via their abundantly producing trees. The fruit looks a little rough, as if it would not be good and juicy and ripe because the peels are mottled and variegated.


But inside is pure sunshine.

The lesson of home grown food it that it does not look like store produce, but then it does not taste that way either. Hope the weekend brings your own form of sunshine, be it via sky or bottle. Slainte.

Finished for {Friday} : 2008 Version

I am not sure if this counts as Finished For Friday, but I going with it anyway. Let's call it Finished for 2008, shall we? I really wanted to share some of the wonderful things my baby sister Emmalien made for the Christmas season. It was awesome to open them and find all of the craft and love and true precision she put into each gift. The girl can sew, let me tell you.

So, the boys each received a book and a stuffy. The books blew my mind. Just take a look...

Every page handmade; embroidered and sewn. The details are awesome and there was a moment when I considered putting them away so the prying hands of Team Demo could not mar their beauty. I thought better of it, as isn't that what she made them for, curious little fingers that can touch and turn and read each bit.

The other day I found Owen with the Veggie book open to the grape page as he ate his morning snack of grapes. And I melted. So, they love them, Memchis...you are the very best of sisters, of aunties and of crafters I know. And rest assured, if those boys start to rough them up they are going on Mama's nightstand for some light evening reading.

And I was showered too. I now have a roomy new purse that is sturdy and beautiful. It is my new go-to bag and holds all that I need and more.

I love the buttons and the construction. Emmy, your seams make me swoon.

And I can finally claim to own a real wallet, with places to put pictures and cards and money.
I would say my sister rocks, wouldn't you? I have linked it before, but give her a visit and a shout out in the comments if you can. She blogs at EmNatural.

I had intended to post about my almost successful hand made Christmas gifts but the time whirled away during the holidays so I will just plug it in here, following along with all the crafty goodness. Most were knits, the few sewing projects I sent without getting photos. The 'almost successful' label is only there as a few projects did not pan out great, and one was made after the actual day due to a custom request..but here they are.

The fruits of labor that started waaay back in August. I loved doing it all and gifting the efforts upon my loved ones. But next year I think sewing shall take the front seat along with some canning and planting.

All in all, it was a good Finish for the Year. Now I can focus on what is hand. Which includes an exciting night of knitting and friends and cake with my fiber girls.

Oh, and you should make these.

Homemade English muffins. Not too be vulgar, but I am pretty sure Tim might take me in the kitchen if he comes home to a warm basket of this love again. TMI? Sorry.
(Yeah, so I once read trashy romance novels. What of it?)

Back for Friday :: KNitties!

Well, I took a little break from the Friday Finishing as I was enjoying the holidays and thinking less on deadlines and more on resting those sore knitting hands. I loved giving all hand made gifts, but it did just about do in my poor wrists and I felt a bit burnt by Christmas Eve. Next year, me thinks I will sew a bit more and knit a bit less.

Once I recovered, my love of the knitting craft returned and I found inspiration in a few new places. I looked through the stash and found some lovely sock yarn dating back to my last trip to Oregon. It is Lorna's Laces, my first time working with it. And my first toe up sock (Rav), loosely based on this pattern .

It was easy and fun and quick due to my vow to only knit sockettes. I love the freedom to explore a new technique in the short row heel, though I would like to play around with it a bit.

The socks fit nicely and warm the toes, which is about all we need right now as our temps steadily climb into the 70s. I look forward to using my newest sock yarn in a toe up pattern, maybe with a bit more flair, I am thinking some smallish cables on the foot with ribbing. Hmmm, I think I like this sock thing. Finally.


And the other little bit to leave the needles was this simple but adorable hat for a bebe to be, Aviatrix (Rav) . Modeled by my trusty friend Clyde.

I love the construction, simple wedges created by using short rows. The pattern did not call for knitting the wraps, but I did. Not sure if that matters. I think it will look a lot cuter on a bebe, Clyde's head is a bit flat.

But he is my go-to now as my boys have gone and grown up and I cannot make them model any new knitties coming off the needles. They did not feel warmly towards Clyde during his photo shoot and kept ripping the hat off his head.

Now I just have to decide which bebe to give this first one to, believe me, this is one of many to come. I really like this pattern. And it looks super cute on, I have seen it on a real baby and that is what drew me to try it.

Next week I plan on featuring my sister's amazing Christmas gifts. She sewed up a storm and gave us some treasures that I will use and cherish for a long time to come. And I might get to the mosaic of all my knitted gifts. I think I photographed them all, now just to locate them in Flickr. Until then, happy crafting. I feel like I am back in the proverbial saddle. No plans to dismount anytime soon.

And speaking of bebes. The boys had their 20-ish month check up and Mace is in the 3rd percentile for weight/10th for height. I was a bit surprised, as it seems like he was a little higher up there before. O's head still measures in at amazing and I think he is more towards the 25th or something. Carrie: I think they were 20# (M) and 23# and change (O). Why do they feel like they weigh 70 LBs when I pick them up? They did great on their shots and actually made our fairly stoic, fairly old Dr L. laugh. Highlight of my day. And they watched as the RN that gave the shots dropped the used needle into the sharps container, with intense laser focus..tracking the offensive object. Yes, my boys crack me up.

Friday Finishing : No way!

Friday is here again? Wait, what? Friday is here again? You mean we have just a few days before Christmas is here? I am not sure I am getting this right, that December is almost over, that 2008 is almost over. What do you mean 2009 is coming round the corner? I just got used to writing 2008, when I actually have to write anywhere else but here on this blog.

Yes, Friday is here and with a list of things to do and places to go, people to meet and entertain, bathrooms to clean and breathes to be taken. I am actually not terribly burdened by it all, just astonished by the stunning alacrity of time lately. It seems it will not cooperate and allow the 45 hours I would like in each day, just to cram a bit more in.

So, to show. I have the ballet flats, all finished and prettied up and ready to go.

I am so excited about giving these. We arranged a hand made exchange between a group of women in my life, some close and some new. All terribly excited (and a bit nervous) about the gifting and giving. There is something so intimate about sharing something made by hand, bits of self and soul go into it and stay with the person who takes it home. We drew names but left it all open from there, any craft or creation welcome, any expression. These are mine. They are fairly simple, lots of garter and big needles, etc. They obviously do not fit my foot, but they looked a little forlorn sitting for the photo shoot so I slipped them on.

The wool is lovely, not too scratchy, but warm and soft. I am loving the detail I added on a toe, just a little needle felted flower accent with a pearly button.

I am also really happy they came to fruition as it is a new pattern and I did not want a mess at the end seeing as it is going to one of my fave ladies. There will be more of these at some point. I posted the deets on Rav. I am getting so much better at doing that.


And in other news, since we are without an oven to do holiday baking in, which is usually furious and insane in this house, well, ornaments are the name of the game this year. And the table has been filled with bits and paper, felt and pins, shiny sequins and scalloped ribbon all week. I have to say, I cannot claim these finished creations. Get this, they come from my brothers, Alon and Jon. Both have really taken to the creating of keepsakes for the tree and I am in awe of their stamina and inspired by their results. The ornaments are Alon's doing, he wanted to emulate my Mama's original and came up with a few beauties. There is a foam ball, hollowed a bit and wrapped with ribbon and embellished here and there. The picture in the center is a close up of pine needles from a live Christmas tree from years past, once planted in the yard but now felled and gone. But remembered here.


And the cards are all Jon's. He is a master with paper and imagination. He created the little creatures in there, they were meant to become embroidery patterns but Time has not allowed that to happen. Maybe next year, I will start this embroidery stuff in August. That way it gets done and we can share it round the crafting world.


Now, onto the weekend. Whirlwind cleaning in order tonight, husband's work party tomorrow (where extremely fine food and drink always abound) then onto our home celebration. I am excited and a little daunted by it all. I still have a few items to try to finish so I am writing it here to give me my 'list':

::Maine Morning Mitts in Kureyon
::Garter Mitts in Malabrigo
::Robots to be stuffed and embellished
::Lumpia to be prepped and stored
::Maybe monkeys to be made, maybe not though.
::Photographs taken of all hand knits before wrapping, just so I know what I did.

Have a wonderful weekend filled with light and family, with your embrace of this holiday season and all things easy, good and full. Hugs, to all of you, my blog friends, wishing the best of the best as we plunge into the Season.