Eighteen (and a half) Months

You might be wondering what happened to my twins boys with all the frenzied crafting round here lately. No, I did not drop them off at the nearest Church day care and forget to pick them up. They are here, as crazy and active as ever before, discovering new things and teaching me on a daily basis. We are in that odd place of pre-verbal communication, one part gestures, one part somewhat intelligible speech and three parts screaming. Yeah, I know that does not add up correctly, but whatever. I am amused and fascinated by their language acquisition and totally understand what other Mamas were talking about when they wrote of their children's verbal explosions.

Though for the most part they are still rambling little monkeys with screeches and Mason's odd French-like phrases, the weirdest words pop out of nowhere. Owen repeated the phrase 'the third grade' when talking to my brother the other day, Mason said 'sign language' after Elmo tried to teach them some signs (guess that boat has sailed) and both came up with pretty impressive versions of trick or treat. They picked it up Halloween night after our incessant repetition at the houses, their versions differ greatly but crack us up because they say it and then drop something (a toy, etc. ) into some receptacle afterward...like they are the candy givers.

Owen says basket ball (b-b-ball) and turtle (daturrl), Mason likes imperatives like "do it' 'I do it' 'This way' and possibly 'I do it this way right now', but that is with heavy interpretation on my part.

Their individual expression is astonishing, the imprint of their physicality so unique. Owen has such a deliberate way of moving, but then he can clown it up. I must have really impressed Halloween on them because O has taken to hunching down the hall way in a crouch, growling. Yeah, he also is in his own personal training for the strong man (sic Baby) competition. This is a daily activity.

Mason traipses about, always a little off kilter, on the edge of control. He loves to run but probably shouldn't. He also take fake falls that result in some pretty real injuries. I am hoping he sees the connection between these two things soon.


It is not all happiness and light though, there is plenty of screaming going on, the toddler impatience is an issue I am struggling with and occasionally snapping on. The time change has not truly helped matters much, the hour before nap and bed time are some of the worst I have seen yet. Owen has perfected the 'limp body' technique (like a 28 pound noodle, that one) and the indignant stare. Mason prefers the 'throw self backward without regards for head safety' and his scream is the perfect combination of nails-to-chalkboard-shard-glass-sharp note that literally makes me shudder. All not fun, but manageable as long as I remind myself to breathe and occ. just leave them with Tim if needed (thanks, honey, you are a good good man).


So, how does all the crafting come into play. I should totally not write this down...I won't...let us just say I find myself with a 2 sometimes 3 hour chunk of time mid day and I do not use it for chores. I do craft with them awake too. I show them materials (anything non-breakable, soft and not terribly expensive) and let them sift (actually throw and wrestle) with the bits. Bins can always be re-organized, fabric re-folded, straight pins removed form fingers (just kidding...kinda). It catches their attention and introduces them to Me, to what their Mama loves.

I want creating to be an intrinsic part of our lives, so this is what I am trying.

This past month (and change) saw a few first haircuts,

an awesome visit from Grandma Mona who has not seen them since this fit on Mason's ankle.
And even though the boys have not seen her but the one time, when she got off the plane and we saw her, they instantly went to her and knew she was family. It made my heart feel so wonderful to watch them with her. She read to them, played with them, watched their antics at the park, laughed and giggled and rolled around and even got to do all the Halloween fun with us. And we now have vowed that Halloween is her holiday and she will be here from now on. Yippee.

It saw fun Halloween tricks and Fall activities including our recent apple picking trip, a golden afternoon hike another afternoon. The next few months will probably see even more activities including a planned trip to the cabin, Thanksgiving at the beach, more festivals, and of course, a Santa picture trip. Hard to believe I even included the last item. When did it come to be almost Christmas again? I cannot wait to celebrate the holiday season, with you two, my boys.


And you know, well, that this Mama, she loves you. So very much.

Fall Finishing for Friday

Fall finishing. This autumn had been so welcome in our home. I seem to be embracing it with open arms and trying to cram as much craft as possible into the weeks before each holiday. Thanksgiving is no exception. My holiday favorites are ranked in the order they come: Halloween is always the big day in my book, followed by Thanksgiving, then Christmas. It is not that I do not love Christmas, just that the other two take higher places in my heart.

This year I found the time to gather some scraps of glittered things and shining leaves that have lurked in our craft storage box and fashion them into a wreath. For years I had two red berry wreathes (target store bought) that graced each side of the mantel. But they had seen their use and were misplaced/given/gone and so now we have this pretty.

I love that it came from stuff I had bought previously and hoarded away. The remaining leaves ended up in an impromptu bouquet on the mantel, accompanying some very odd seed pods collected one afternoon. I have been good about gathering a few of nature's latest offerings when out and about with the boys, some pretty leaves and acorns, seed pods and sticks. It makes me recall those younger days when I loved getting these objects to take home and display.

I hope the simple example carries over to them and they find delight in the slight seasonal changes we do get to see here in California. Right after they stop tying to sample all my collected nature items.

Speaking of seasonal changes, we finally backed down from the 80/90 range and saw a few days of chilly temps, sure, we are talking 60s, but that is cold here, people. It gave me a chance to wear my Bandwagon (aka February Lady Sweater) for three straight days in a row.

I love this sweater, along with the other 1200 people who have knit/blogged it. It really is ingenious, just the right length/weight/style to pair with jeans or pants, trainers or flats. I layered it with a light shirt one day, threw it on over a sweater in the chilly afternoon park play another.

It is such a great pattern and I think any new knitter longing to try their first sweater should go to this pattern. The always genius Elizabeth Zimmerman has such an intuitive way of designing and the pattern by FLintknits could not be written any better. I am pleased with the buttons, a find on Etsy, some type of dark wood, not highly polished and truly beloved by little fingers. We are practicing counting to three with them, so thanks EZ for advancing the next generation.


The last project was a bit of a collaboration. I asked my brill brother Jon to sketch a turkey that I could use as an embroidery pattern. The kid is a natural, I handed him the pad and he was back in ten minutes with this cutie.

I ended up using blank shirts from this company, dyed them with Rit in a giant pot on the stove top and transferred the pattern with my trusty iron on transfer paper. The end result is the cutest thing I have stitched to date.

He captured the look I wanted to the tee. This plump turkey looks a bit desperate and googley eyed, hopefully he is the one that gets away this season.

I cannot say enough about the talent my brother carries with him so gracefully. He is currently in his senior year, contemplating art school. He has me contemplating an idea to help fund his education. I am thinking of having him design seasonal sketches that can be put up for sale in the shop and downloaded after payment. It might be a stretch, I do not even know how to do a pdf right now, but it would be so cool to do this with/for him.

And here is what Mason really thought of the modeling session with me.

Stay tuned for next week, if I can figure out the pdf thing I want to release the turkey sketch for you stitchers to try out and give verdict. Have a great weekend. Off to contemplate apple picking, some jam and applesauce making, oven cleaning and attic trips to figure out electrical problems. Whee.

Introducing : My first pattern

It is a little nerve wracking to jump into the world of pattern design after reading and befriending some of the most awesome knitter/designers out there. But here I go.

A little background on the pattern. A few months ago I went to Santa Barbara and found a lovely little yarn shop, they have an extensive supply of the Habu yarn line, including the Silk Wrapped stainless steel.

This threadlike yarn intrigued me and I bought a small cone, determined to find a use for it and not really sure what that use would be.

Well, a good sorting of my stash revealed a skein of lovely purple Calmer, almost an exact match in color. And from there I thought of combining the two, the Calmer’s softness and body with the structure the Habu would lend to the knitted fabric.

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I found a stitch pattern in an old binder of knitting instructions and the result is what I have come to call the Swagged Cowl.

Yes, I have jumped on the cowl bandwagon, they are such useful and simple pieces to knit, a great way to show off a lovely stitch pattern and I think it an interesting yarn combination. I am not sure the Habu lends as much strength as I anticipated, but I do like the finished product.

The end result proved to be a useful and pretty cowl, quick to knit and great for a Christmas gift for those that actually need to wear the things due to inclement weather. The cowl is knit in the round, with a simple slip stitch pattern that I decided to stagger to create some visual interest. This is my first attempt at pattern writing and I would love any feedback, as long as it is nice, (be nice internets) and/or useful.

Without further ado I give you:

A Swagged Cowl

Materials:

= 1 Skein Rowan Calmer (493 Plum)
= 1 Cone Habu Silk wrapped stainless steel (Violet)
= 1 set Size 9 circular needles (16 or 20’)
= 1 Stitch Marker

Holding two yarns together throughout, cast on 100 stitches and join to knit in the round. Place marker to indicate beginning of round.

Beginning Border : Knit 4 rows Moss stitch

Row 1/3 : K1, P1 until last stitch
Row 2/4: P1, K1 until last stitch

Begin Pattern Rows: Pattern consists of six row repeat that is staggered.

Row 1-3: Knit all stitches
Row 4 : *Purl 2 stitches, Slip 3 stitches from left to right needle purlwise with yarn in
front*, repeat * to *until last stitch
Row 5 : Knit all stitches
Row 6 : Repeat Row 4

You will repeat these 6 rows to form the swagged part of the pattern. In order to create a staggered appearance to the swag, follow these directions:

= Once the first repeat is complete (i.e. first 6 rows of pattern):
-Knit Row 1 of next repeat. When you reach the stitch marker, remove it, knit 2 stitches and replace the marker. This is the new beginning of the round for the second repeat.

= Once second repeat is complete,
-Knit Row 1 of next repeat, when you are 2 stitches from marker, slip these 2 stitches off the left needle, remove marker, replace the 2 stitches to left needle, place marker, this is the new beginning of the round for the next repeat.

Alternate the above instructions until piece measures 6 inches from cast on edge.

End Border : Knit 4 rows in Moss stitch as for Beginning Border…or just proceed to next step if you want a rolled edge.

Cast off in purl (I just think this looks better). Wet block, then wear or gift.

I think it looks great with this accessory…a cute baby.

Many thanks to Jeanette, my sister in law/model…and you know the drill: copyright, yadda yadda, personal use, enjoy. Smiles. Now get back to your gift knitting.

ADD: Here is your Ravelry link if you want to queue it!

A Memory : Halloween '91

17 years ago on this day I was lying in a hospital bed, having survived the worst car accident of my life. It was Halloween night, actually it was Dia de las Muertas (Day of the Dead). We were teenagers, coming home from Knott’s Scary farm, and it was really late, actually, it was early morn, 3 a.m. or so. The driver, another teen friend fell asleep on the freeway and drove off the freeway overpass 2 blocks from the exit that would have delivered us safely home. We were all asleep, my friend, my brother, another younger friend. Out cold. I woke up just as we went off the freeway, totally confused and trying to figure out why Metallica was blasting while we were careening off the road. I do not truly recall the actual impact, but I can still feel the sensation, a vague overall rush of pain, when I do think back.

In a way, I am glad I woke up. That is how I knew we were in trouble. When I came to we were upside down, in a smashed up little Toyota that was on fire. I will always vividly recall the events that occurred. I remember getting out, unable to walk but trying, hearing my baby brother in the car, pleading for us to get him out because he was trapped. He was saying, ‘please, don’t let me die’ and the fiercest rush of power and determination came over my body, I did not even feel my injuries. I remember my friend freaking out and running in circles and me telling her in a very loud (likely screaming) voice that she would help me. I remember getting my brother out, releasing his lap belt as he hung upside down and dragging him out of the car, praying we would not hurt him any worse.

There were no people to help, we were on a non-residential street, the same street my childhood church is on. It took awhile for people to respond, to come out and look over the back wall of their property. But help did come, help that moved us further from the burning wreck as it blew up, help that reassured us we would be okay. I could not see due to glass all over my face, my newly purchased contacts were not longer in place. I begged the workers not to cut up my new jacket, one I had just gotten for my 16th birthday. I told them all of our names, our addresses, our parents’ names, their numbers, and kept reiterating we were not drunk, we were just tired, please make sure our parents know that. I felt eerily calm and heard someone behind me question when I was going to crack.


And then, finally, they had us in the ambulance, piling blankets on us, as I listening to Jess wail. And then I lost it. After knowing we were going to be okay, that we had helped my brother, that someone else would take care of us now , I lost it. I remember starting to shake and ask for my Mama, that I just needed her. And the wonderful EMTs kept reassuring me she would come. But then I started to feel like I was falling, falling, falling, even though I was lying down.


And then, in the only time I have ever felt this, I felt Him holding me. I am not an overly religious person, but He was there, quite literally holding me. And I felt an immediate strength and calm and quiet in the midst of the wildest storm of my life. And in very clear way I began to hear a song run through my mind, this song. I had only heard it once or twice on the radio, but every word was ringing through my brain. And it continued until we got to the hospital. As I came back to myself, I heard an ER nurse comment, “Well, it was a quiet Halloween,” which made me laugh for some reason. Which really hurt at the time.


We received excellent care, we all survived. My brother had broken both back and neck in the accident, I had a crushed ankle and I had gone through the windsheild with face and arms, my friends had a few breaks and bruised organs, but we were alive and intact, no brain injuries, no lost parts. When I think on this, I marvel. After years of working with the aftermath of traumas like this, well, I marvel. I know He was holding us way before I felt him, he was watching us from the minute the car went off the road and out of control.

A few days later, my brother and I were still in hospital. I had not been able to see him, he was awaiting back surgery and I was not able to get up to a wheelchair. But we had talked a few times by phone, reassuring each other that we were okay, we were okay. He asked if he could send me a tape his friends had brought in, one I could listen to while laying around. My mama brought it down a few minutes later. It was a single, only one song on it, the same song I heard that night as He carried my broken body when I needed carrying. I listened to it over and over, at 16 not really comprehending the feeling I had then, the feeling of awe that we had been so blessed, just knowing that there was a reason for this.


The months after were hard. I was a dancer in my school’s dance conservatory and my ankle made it impossible to walk properly, much less dance. My brother was recovering from his injuries, trying to just be a freshman with a Halo on. My face, which initially they predicted would need plastic surgery to correct, healed up slowly but much better than imagined. I credit it to a RN in the hospital. She gave me a special cream called Silvadene, usually reserved for burn victims. She told me to use it daily and it would fix things. And it did. Just another of those miracle angels we had surrounding us in that time.

As I was writing this, I began to wonder why this came up now. I always think about the accident when Halloween comes around, it is inevitable. I call my brother if I am not going to see him and tell him to stay put. We laugh a little, but never really rehash the night. I think the memory upheaval is in part due to the fact that his back went out this past week, a reminder of his injuries from that time. And I have been waking up with a really painful ankle in the morning, my reminder of the earlier injuries. And that I have been looking at pictures from that time since my Dad started sorting through old photo boxes. And that I feel really, really blessed of late in a life that I am very glad I was able to keep. 17 years ago I was still a kid, but one who had found out a very essential thing. That life is so precious, that it can be taken away in a moment, by accident. And that it is to be cherished and embraced.

I think that night long ago has done a lot to dictate how things have gone forward in my life, my choices and sometimes my reactions to things. It has given me a deeply abiding faith that transcends any religion, it just is. And now as a Mama myself, it makes me truly comprehend what my parents must have felt when they heard of the accident and saw us in the hospital.

As we enter the month that helps us to focus on giving thanks, I cannot help but feel surrounded by the true meaning of Thanksgiving. The accident was a long time ago but still makes me realize and find joys in the smallest things in life. I hope this month brings you time to sit and reflect on the things you cherish. I would ask that you offer a few prayers for those seeking support this month, my brother in his trial with his back and his pain and also this little girl, named Tuesday. One of a set, she has been battling an unexpected and aggressive cancer. She is a fighter with an amazing family, but any prayers will help. If you have a moment please leave a comment at her Mama's blog, I know it bolsters the family to know we are praying.