Joy in What You Lack

I've been noticing that my slightly angst-ridden teenager could use some experiencing and some wisdom that her schooling has been lacking.  I admit that I leave a lot of teaching up to the school system, and I haven't  had any beefs with the teaching up to this point, but  her words and actions are still very narrow-minded and contradictary to what's going on around her.  So I've been asking myself what will she need to know to stand up for herself and people less fortunate than her.  What will she need to know to make good decisions and choices?  What will she need to know to feel good about herself?    I also don't want her to believe everything I say because I don't want her to believe everything everyone else says either.   I guess I will need to tell her that there are always lots of perspectives and to listen to all of them.  Nothing is black and white or simple.  Maybe we'll talk about digging deeper before coming to conclusions.   Maybe we'll talk about what people gain or lose from what they are saying and doing.  She's a book smart kid.  She's very sensitive.  She also wants to fit in.  What teenager doesn't?   I really want her to be resilient.  I want her to be empathetic.  I want her to be happy.  I'm not sure what I'm trying to say here.  I guess I just had a lightbulb moment, and I feel like I have a huge job ahead that I'm thinking could turn the dread of raising a teenager into something I might actually enjoy.  I say 'enjoy' because I have no doubt that I will learn a thing or two myself.  I'm feeling very hopeful.

Anyway, last night, I started with just spending some one-on-one time with her and sharing some simple skills and even learning together.  We sewed a little dress.  She sewed all the straight seams, and she even did the gathering stitch around the top edge of the skirt which I had never done before, so I was floored when she figured it all out by herself.   It took us a good amount of time, but we exercised a good amount of patience and humour. :)   I checked the errata afterwards as I was a bit disappointed with the width of the bodice.  It was much too small for our skinny 7-year old family member, and yet it noted that it would fit an 8-year old.  Well, the errata included instructions to widen the bodice which we had figured out already for our next attempt.  Regardless, we have a very pretty and sweet dress for a 4-year old.   And I've already begun to measure out a pattern that will fit our Bumblebee.  And after that?   We are going to make the trapeze dress for El.   And then I want a kimono dress.  So we have our work cut out for ourselves.  Literally and figuratively.

N

Behind the Scenes

The Bumblebee is modelling (unreluctantly once again) our newest craft table project.  My sister and I whipped up a dozen of these head scarves last weekend in multiple sizes.  We really do have something for everyone.  Funny thing is we only asked her to try it on, and we never got it back.  I insisted that we needed it for our craft table, and she threw us a fiver and told us it was SOLD.   Our first sale!!  The pattern can be found in Heather Ross's Weekend Sewing book.  I LOVE this book.

And I've delved into the fair-isle yoke!  I found the two shades of purple in my underbed stash.  They are Noro Cash Iroha, and I am not sure that I should have used them.  Maybe I should have stuck with a similar ply as the Patons Classic Merino Wool as the cream, green and paprika.  Regardless, there will be no frogging - just knitting full steam ahead.  I wouldn't be surprised if I am finished this sweater in the next week.  Just in time for the summer. :)

N

Sweet things

When 2:30 rolls around I grab a cup of tea and something sweet as a little pick me up. Unfortunately this frosted doughnut wouldn't be able to satisfy anyone but if you're doing some sewing it would come in handy. I crocheted this doughnut pin cushion for my sister whose birthday is coming up. The sprinkles are straight pins so keep an eye on it before someone takes a bite!
This is an actual cake...no yarn here. Mr. T was out of town for a conference so upon his return I decided to surprise him with a chocolate cake with chocolate butter cream. Yum! I'll take advantage of any opportunity to have cake.

Like a Real Aristocrat

It's the weekend once again, and we thought we'd shake it up a bit and CRAFT.  Shocking, right?  We're very unpredictable.  I've been drawn back to the chiffon flowers, and I've bought some barrettes and a glue gun, and instantaneously I have rose hair clips.  I required something with a little more skill and thought involved, so I found myself digging up a few old holey thrifted wool sweaters, and I sewed up child-sized hats.  The Bumblebee declared them "painfully itchy".  But they're so pretty!  She agreed that they were very sweet, but there is not enough money in the world to convince her to place it back on her head.  So very sad.  As for other crafty endeavours, we found the watercolour pencil crayons that the girls got for Christmas, and we drew flowers, coloured them in and brushed it with water.  Our pictures turned out brilliant!

As for knitting, I plan to cast on for a hat that will match the newfie mittens.  If you look in the comments below our Newfie Mitten pattern post, Wendy has graciously written a pattern to make a matching hat.  How flippin' awesome is that???  So keep your eyes out for more hats!   It's gonna get crazy around here.  Seriously.

Happy Saturday, my friends!

N

Sweets

I am now absolutely certain that if I didn't work outside the home, I would 'make' every day in epic proportions.  Oh yes.   So far on my four days of no work, I have baked dozens upon dozens of squares and cookies, I have sewed up two origami wraps (thank you, Queen of Origami!), made trees for my impromptu winter village, made holiday cards, and knit two fairisle hats with one skein of Briggs & Little.  And I'm reading a really awesome book with very little punctuation and lots of wit.  And I watched Where the Wild Things Are, and tears streamed very heavily when Carol waves good-bye to Max.  There is something very moving about a beast with sadness.   I am pretty sure I had to look away at one point.

Today we're going to get our skates ready for ice skating, and I'm going to brush up on my turkey cooking skillz.  I even bought a baster.  It's as if I'm getting very serious about turkeys.  Watch out, my friends!

N

Prickly Pear Cactus

Most of the year, this cactus looks really dead and gross, and for the briefest time, we get a glimpse of its spectacular flower. This was taken last week. It's gone now, and I must return to apologizing for its hideousness, but honestly, I think it's worth it.

This week I am being inspired by . . .

* Books of Colour (I've always adored Keri Smith's collage journals)
* Handmade Home (it arrived in the mail on Wednesday, and I have been lugging it around in my knitting bag to sneak peeks any chance I get)
* Sewing for Little Ones (perfect for the Bumblebee)
* Mara (I've already cast on!)

I find myself blogging tonight to past the time while I wait for the dryer to finish one load so that I can put in the second load before I get cozy in bed. Plus I was brilliant enough to whip up another flippin' peach & blueberry cobbler, so now I must wait another hour for that to cook and cool for another hour. It's going to be past midnight before I can call it a day. Thank goodness tomorrow is Friday!

N

Thread Themed Thrifting

:: a tiny hoop for little hands on which to learn embroidery

:: a queen-sized quilt for a toonie simply needing some stitches in the ditches (perfect for the beach this summer)

:: six wooden spools of thread plus three rubber thimbles

N

Happy Pillow Dance

I guess she likes it. I'm pleased. It's even been paraded around at school. Score one for mum. The tutorial can be found here. I made three in an hour.

Happy Wednesday!

N

Definition of VonTrapping

Dresses made from old pillowcases . . .

Skirts made from old curtains . . .

A Sunday spent yodelling with my sister . . .

Thanks for all the zany birthday greetings. I had a wonderful day yesterday - I beat the 6-year old at Scrabble Jr. and ate a big bowl of ice cream, and I truly believe that every day should have a little Hoff. I can't look at him without smiling. :)

N

Oot and A-Boot

That was the longest winter EVER! In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it snowed again tomorrow. So we've been taking advantage of all the sunshine and milder weather by walking around our neighbourhood and along the river.

I'm not walking fast - the family walks really slow. I do yell back at them every now and then to speed up, but they can't hear me over the constant howling. What do they find so flippin' funny that they can laugh for a hour straight? I don't get it. Breathe, people.

So I take pictures while they roar and snicker.

When we get home again, it's quiet time. I catch up on my correspondence and drink a cup of tea or coffee - whatever is put in front of me.

And in between all of it, I have been sewing and knitting as per usual. Here's B's new skirt I whipped up using this free pattern. Very easy and quick - I have more fabric cut and ironed to make two more. They'd be done by now, but I was interrupted by the timers that indicated the quiche and muffins were finished baking. I just haven't gotten back down to my little craft corner to sew them up. I doubt they'll take me more than 20 minutes. I recommend this pattern to any beginner. This skirt matches the new spring tunic perfectly!!

And on the knitting front, I am on the bind-off of the Hemlock Ring blanket. I didn't really believe that this row would take FOREVER. It will. I am convinced that it will literally take me the entire weekend. I wish I were joking. I should really just stop whining about it, and git 'er done.

Toot, toot.

N

Doh Re Mi Fa Sew

I mastered the zipper! I was terrified, but I used Amy Karol's illustrations and notes from Bend the Rules, and I did it. In fact, I used up all the zippers I bought on Saturday, and I had to go back to Fabricland and buy seven more. It felt good.

Then I copied T and made some project bags. I'm now taking orders! : )

N

Eight Dancing Princesses & A Fairy

She was going for 12, but had only 8 stickers. I am head over heels in love with the princes and the fairy buzzing around up top.

Have you seen this tutorial? It's crazy addictive, and if you are sick of the magazine Christmas trees, try using up your magazines this way. Origami wreaths - perfect for slapping on top of a gift or throwing into a card.

Found my addi turbos (after I dashed out to Michaels for a pair of Susan Bates Velocity circs which are incredibly equal to addis in every way!), and I resumed churning out mittens.

And because I have a 12-year old who whines horribly when I am baking shortbread snowballs, I have probably baked a dozen batches of these so far. They disappear faster than I can make them. I have stocked up on bricks of butter like it's going out of style. This is all T's fault.

Back to the sewing machine. Ugh. I love the finished product when sewing, but I really dislike the whole process. That machine is going back to storage after the holidays. I swear to Todd it's jeering at me from the corner of the dining room.

4 more days to go,

N

The Birth of Ninja Jesus

It doesn’t feel like I am getting a heck of a lot accomplished, but I just looked at my handmade holiday to-do list, and I crossed off a fair amount. Good.

My sewing machine has been giving me hassle, so I have been loathe to get it out. Unfortunately I can not possibly knit everything on my list. I very much hope that my mum can come over and guide me through some jewellery making. I picture very simple drop earrings – maybe a clear oval bead on a pin? Or bright opaque rounded rectangles? We’ll see how that goes.

I had every intention of posting a tutorial on sewing a robe out of a sheet, but I don’t know if it is meant to be. First off, I found an old stained flannel bedsheet that was heading to the trash, and I cut it up like my hippy vintage sewing book said. I made the robe too long, chose not to add a hood, and my sleeves turned out really skinny. Well, the sewing part was easy. Getting a pre-teen to wear it was another story. So I adopted the sad, stained too-long robe, and it’s warm, but it makes me look a little discipley. I had to hold it closed a good deal of the time, so I started using a black knitted belt from a sweater that went missing. And that’s pretty much how I came to be known as Ninja Jesus. The girls think nothing of asking me to bless their bagels before I karate-chop and toast them. Oh yeah, it’s super hilarious. And no, I am not posting any pictures. I can chalk it all off to not paying enough attention to the pattern and choosing a gross bedsheet. Here’s to hoping the next one is nicer.

The concerts, potlucks and traditions are filling up our evenings, and so far, I have managed to keep up with the pace. Last night was B’s first Concert des Fêtes, and she sang beautifully, looked absolutely precious, and enjoyed herself to no end. The little boy she stood beside was in tears because he couldn’t find his parents in the massive crowd. B tried to console him and said, “Don’t cry. I found MY mum and dad.” Her intentions were the best – she saw us and felt good and couldn’t imagine anyone being sad after having the pleasure of seeing us as well. (shrug) I’m just trying to spread cheer one kid at a time.

I mistakenly clicked on this youtube video last night just before I headed to bed. Bad idea. I hope you’re all reading this in the morning, so you have time to shake it off. Or for heaven’s sake, just trust me and skip it entirely. I don’t think I’ll be going to see this movie or borrowing it from the library. Do you think the library would even have it? Eek! I'm scared.

Fifteen days and counting,
N

Reconstructed Skirt

I have such a hard time throwing anything out. This creates big problems - mainly mountains of crap. My new personal favourite are the clothes that are getting smaller. This knitting gig doesn't do anything for the body. So as I was cleaning out one of the dressers, I found a pair of jeans that I haven't worn since El was a toddler. We're talking ten years. Oh, and they're those horrible high-waisted, billowy hipped, and narrow-ankled black jeans. Ugh. Not flattering for someone whose butt needs no help emphasizing. B noted this morning that the rolls of fat over my pants were a sign of too much food. I rose above her and gave her a sweet kiss on the forehead and shoved her out the door to her grandmother's arms. "She's all yours, today!", I yelled from inside.

Rather than throw those hideous jeans out to the curb, I found this fantastic tutorial to convert the jeans to a skirt, and I went to work on my sewing machine. At first I was making it for El, but she scowled and practically spit on it. I am assuming that means she doesn't want it. Whatevs. So I gave it a whirl, and guess what? Those old high waisted pants suck the entire tummy blubber inside. It looks like I have been doing crunches instead of eating crunches. Don't ask me what that means. I need to go look for more of those butt-ugly pants fast.

Huzzah!

N

Simple Gifts

I enlisted some of my talented co-workers who also have had the pleasure of working with T to help me with her wedding gift. The gift had to be handmade - that was a given. Surprisingly, there was no knitting! Four lattes, eight cats, a glass of wine, five phone calls, two slices of buttered cheesy toast, and three hours later, Jane and I had sewed up four gratitude wraps 'sans' binding. We made four wraps so we would have room for three errors. To be honest, Jane did all the sewing, and I cut, ironed, and pinned. I am a Grade A assistant - just ask Jane.

I then drove across the city to chill with Heidi and baby Andile where we stamped a gazillion note cards. Good times. Heidi was a pro stamping cards with one hand and holding onto Andile with the other. That's no easy feat as he is one chubby bubby!

How 'bout a toast to good friends?

N

Cats Go Meow Meow

I remember the exact moment like it was yesterday. I was at Chapters early April, and I just wanted to see Amanda Soule's book in real life, and I was drinking a latte. I was certain that her book would be in the craft/hobbies section, so I was perusing it intently (to no avail as it was in the parenting section across the store unbeknownst to me even though that made complete sense), and I came across GOLD - a whole series of Aranzi Aronzo Cute Books! Oh, I wanted every single one. I also know too well my tendency to look and not do. It didn't seem like a good investment at the time because of that fact as well as the fact that I was heading to a huge Knitters Fair in a few weeks' time, and all of my play money was spoken for. I tried to forget these pretty books, but when scoping the library catalogue online some time later, I spied The Cute Book once again! Holds were placed, and the waiting game began. It stayed IN CATALOGUING for a very long time - months. I found out why this was (one of my bestest friends is a librarian and is very patient about my constant inquiries into the system). Apparently a certain number of holds have to be placed on a new book for it to hit the shelves. Well, this should come as no shock, but I have four library cards. Well, I have three other family members in my household, and I put them to work. Altogether I put four holds on that book, and still I waited months more. Apparently this book was way under the radar.

Last week, I finally got my notices - there are two copies of this book in the system, and I currently have both in my hands. I have two more weeks to have them laying about my house, and I will then have to return them until the next time. Of course, this got my butt in motion, and I am embarassed to admit this, but it took me two nights to finish off one little gal. A crazy little cat who gets into everything. She hasn't a name yet, but that shouldn't last. Isn't she cute?

I am very aware that the needlework looks to be done by a 5-year old, and although I could believably use this as an excuse, this shabby work was completely my own. I am still head over heels in love with her and her imperfections. Even B was startled and excited this morning to see kitty sitting pretty by the sofa.

I want to make more, but we must get ready for B's birthday dinner tomorrow. She turns SIX next week!! This house is a disaster area! Really. I'd like to blame it all on the kitty and the kids, but truth is this first week back to school has been keeping all of us busy, but in the best way. Honestly, I am seriously loving getting back into the regular routines, and it's the first year that both girls are in school full-time. Hurray!

Cheers!
N

Sewing Kit Swap #2

El received her sewing kit from Mallory yesterday afternoon, and she was absolutely thrilled! The bag that her mum Sherry made is so awesome, and El loves it. It was filled to the brim with brand new sewing notions and felt and lovely handmade yo-yos and fabric - all in El's favourite colours - orange, green and yellow. I can't wait to see what she makes with all of it.

Thank you, Sherry, for all of it!

Thank you, Melissa, for organizing this swap! Being my first swap ever, I was quite anxious, but the girls and I had a ton of fun - it was really nice having a project to work on together. And now I have sewing projects that will allow us to bond even more. Not to mention, we met some very fantastic-ly talented moms and daughters along the way! That was probably my favourite part. Thank you!

I think that El may want to keep a close eye on her little sister 'cause I caught the little kook trying on the bag.

Now I have some good ideas to use up some of these pretties - must convince the gang that I know best. :)

N