Michaelmas Candle

Pysanky: Easter Preparations

 

Winter Parenting

Parenting in sub-zero weather can be at its best and its very worst. These January days are so short and so cold that time outside is limited and time inside gets boring. Little arms and legs get restless and big voices miss having a space in which to loose themselves. It's not always easy to find ways of getting that energy out without destroying anything and everything in its path.

Knitting Purse Essentials/ Les Necessaires du Tricot Pour le Sac a Main

This is it; when I have on my person the items pictured above, I can withstand being stranded for just about any amount of hours in complete harmony with the world, (but a cup of coffee does wonders for the mix): one or two sets of 9" Hiya-hiya circulars, one set of 4"DPNs in Harmony wood, from KnitPicks and yarn, any yarn. If there is no yarn, I might unravel a hospital sheet or my own sweater and make up a new pair of socks, a hat, a mini mochi mochi dinosaur or cupcake or some fingerless mitts. The Mini Mochi Mochi are all done with the double-pointed needles. The KnitPicks set has six different sizes; sufficient for any weight of yarn that would work for a tiny project. The hat in progress is on a 9"circular, it will be completed with the DPNs.

Le voici; quand j'ai avec moi le materiel ci-dessus, je peux rester en attente des heures entieres si il le faut, en toute tranquilité, (bon, une tasse de cafe, ca peut rajoutter a l'experience): une paire ou deux d'aiguilles circulaires de 23cm de chez Hiya Hiya, des aiguilles a double-point de 10cm en Harmony bois de chez Knitpicks et de la laine. Si la laine vient en manque, je pourrais toujours defaire un drap de l'hopital ou mon propre pull pour en fabriquer une paire de chaussettes, un bonnet, un dinosaur ou gateau mini mochi mochi ou bien des gants sans doigts. Les mini animaux, etc, sont tous fait avec les aiguilles .Le bonnet en progres est sur une aiguille circulaire de 23cm. Je le terminerai avec les aiguilles a double-points.

Knitting...a useful occupation, or not

I have fallen in love with the incredibly utilitarian art of knitting teeny tiny critters and other things. The new book by Anna Hrachovec; Teeny Tiny Mochimochi, is a delightful foray out of the useful sock or hat, into the world of Japanese-inspired sweet, funny little creatures. This little guy was the smallest I've done. The birthday cupcake collection I have begun for each child's special day will be ready to photograph real soon.

Mochimochi: World's Tiniest Dinosaur

 

More Screen-Free Ideas

Paint the playhouse in the back yard

 

 

Try our hand at Pysanky egg-dying

Give hair cuts in the kitchen

Draw tatoos on our brother

Build a skate ramp and a theatre stage in the basement

 

Make a perfect "buche de Noel"

 

Or pot of gumbo

Try out new ways to wrap a pretty present

Make candles in muffin tins

Build a plant shelf (thank you, mon amour!)

Mother-Daughter Knitting Project

Lily made me these great purple socks for Christmas last year. The toes were a little tight and I promised her I would undo and redo them to my size. However, as I was unknitting, the idea of having my very own pair of pedi-socks was so much fun that I asked her permission to leave the toes out and add green trim. Voila; peek-a-toes AND warm feet!

Knitting Toys/Pets

Thank you to my friend, Marlis, for the inspiration to knit toys again. It had been a long time, and I am hooked again on small, cute projects, like this one: http://www.justcraftyenough.com/2011/09/project-little-black-owl/  that I made for her, with joy! New Year's knitting resolutions: a crocheted blanket for my daughter (ha!) and more toys, knitted and maybe even crocheted. The first photo revealed a flaw in the beak that I snipped away for the next shot, felt is such forgiving stuff. We could take a page out of felt's attitude. It is durable, dependable, easy to work with and forgiving of faults.

Hibou

Knitting: Little Pouches for Easter

Morning's Knittings

I finished up this little guy for my little Arthur, the pattern is from "Knitted Toys" by Debbie Bliss, "small bear in Wellies and sweater". I gifted him with the bear a couple of weeks ago, and the yarn has felted like a well-loved toy. Then, at Arthur's request, when I finished the sweater, I wrapped the whole thing up and gave it to him all over again. He loved it, and his next question; "Mama, can you wrap it up when you finish the next pair of boots and sweater?"

Lily's Socks

First Pair of Socks of the Trip

 

Here are the socks I made in the first two weeks; started in the car sitting next to my father on the way to the O'Hare, a nice knitting-distance drive. Continued during the wait in the airport, the darkness of the sleeping airplane with baby in my lap. On to London, the bus, the ferry, but not the car ride from Paris to here, I slept!

I love the colors, but the texture is a little scratchy, it was a lot of fun to knit. One error in the yarn (yarn was tied in and the color scheme messed up) translated to different feet, but they started out the same! Knitted with a Hiya Hiya 9" circular, size one, easiest way to knit socks I've ever tried!