Category Archives: Books

settling in for a long winter’s knit

Through the famously appley wood-smoked season that opens all heart’s doors into kitchen industry and soup on the stove, the signs wink at you from everywhere: sticks of kindling in the fire, long white brushstrokes of snow on the branches, this is the whole world calling you to take up your paired swords against the brace of the oncoming freeze. ~Barbara Kingsolver, Knitting Yarns

I’m currently reading various Ingri & Edgar Parin d’Aulaire books to see if and how they might fit into our studies.

The pink leggings, nee tights, are finished.  They didn’t fit right and I had to pull out sections of the legs.  Once the extra length was added in, there wasn’t enough yarn left for feet.  Honestly all I want to do is knit sweet little baby things.  She’s already well into toddler sizes and I feel like my window of baby knitting is rapidly closing.

My yarn came, a jewel box of colors waiting to be explored.  There is the muted variegated yarn in shades of deep autumn, a bright blue, rich red, pure creamy white, pale violet, deep plum and more.  Some of them are smooth and silky, some fuzzy, some a bit scratchy, for one reason or another, I kind of love them all.

I had thought I was in pretty good shape with my gift knitting.  I finished a hat each for Mairi and Galen for Christmas.  Mairi’s birthday sweater is completely done and I’m in the home stretch with Iain’s.  But when Steve and I sat to talk about what we were getting everyone for Christmas, the answer always seemed to be that I would make something.  You know how some people have delusions of grandeur?  Well I have delusions of productivity.  I don’t believe myself to be smarter, more influential or of more significance then others.  I do, however, persistently and with full knowledge of what I’m doing, grossly over-estimate my ability to accomplish things.  You would think the “knowledge of” would cancel out the delusions, but no.  I can give myself a stern talking to about how overly-extravagant and unrealistic my plans are and really just a moment later be thinking, “ooo, perhaps I’ll make this too…”

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baby things, Books, Kids, Life, WIP, Yarn Crafts
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finishing work

“Knitting is power and can be a fulfilling means of self-expression, with a useful and lovingly made garment as a side bonus.” ~ Elizabeth Zimmerman

As feared, I’ve run out of yarn for Iain’s birthday sweater.  No matter how many times I refresh it, the tracking page persists in telling me that the yarn will not arrive until next week.  A watched package never ships?  With a bit of time on my hands I thought I would see if I could cobble together enough leftover yarn to make a Christmas hat for Mairi.  That one came together quickly enough and I don’t think it’s obvious that I pieced together a combination of yarns for it.  I’ve cast on for another, much needed, pair of tights now.  This is for times when knitting is the only option.  Mostly I’ve been trying to finish off several projects that I’ve put aside; working in ends and adding buttons.  I don’t think it’s wise to keep scissors in my lap while say sitting on the floor playing with the baby or riding in the car.  The knitting is for those times.  And also times when I just want to pick something up and knit a stitch here and there.  It’s far more portable.  I wish to start crossing some things off my mental to-do list, which I can’t do until they are really, truly done, not just mostly done.  Last year I read a book that classed unfinished projects as clutter.  That really struck a chord with me.  While I am forever trying to cut down on clutter around the house, I’m terrible about that kind of mental clutter and I don’t think it does well by me.

I chanced upon Cynthia Harnett’s historical fiction in the form of The Wool Pack, also known as The Merchant’s Mark.  It came to us through a friend just as we were studying the Tudor time period and turned out to be a perfect companion for our studies.  I’ve raided the library for additional books by the same author to see it they are also ripe for passing on to the big boys.  The Writing on the Hearth is excellent so far!

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Books, Homeschooling, WIP, Yarn Crafts
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wooly thoughts

“Knitting is the saving of life.” ~Virginia Woolf (considering the source, this is perhaps not the best long term option for everyone…)

I’ve been having trouble concentrating this week.  It happens from time to time.  Looking back, I feel like this is the time of year when it’s most likely to happen, usually accompanied by visual disturbances, along with other little signs and signals, as a precursor to a massive migraine (something to look forward to).  Books of essays weren’t full enough to let me get into each story.  Books on all one subject felt like they were dragging on and on.  I took to bringing two books at a time with me when I cuddled up to nurse, just in case.  I didn’t want to be marooned with a book I had no tolerance for with no other options on hand!  It’s possible that in a bitter moment, in the back of my mind, I may even have accused the writers of not every trying to entertain me.  I finally seem to have settled into Knitting Yarns: Writers on Knitting, edited by Ann Hood.

My knitting has been much the same…scattered.  Which may well be part of why I’m feeling out of sorts.  I am making some progress on Iain’s birthday sweater.  I finished the second sleeve and have joined both sleeves to the body to work the yoke.  The sleeves seem long, but then again, so are his arms.  A couple of observations from this project: this boy of mine, who came from me, that I bundled and carried for so long, is a giant.  Also, the yardage estimates on this pattern are way off.  There is a box of yarn headed my way and I’m praying it gets here fast before I lose all momentum again.  I have no real project at the moment for when Iain is around.  I’m in knitting limbo.  It is an uneasy and restless feeling for me to not have something to pick up and knit a few stitches on here and there.

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Books, Life, WIP, Yarn Crafts
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yarn along

I’m currently reading the Fedco Catalog.  That probably sounds strange to anyone who doesn’t get the Fedco Catalog.  Perhaps even to people who do?  But it’s full of articles, stories and advice.  Though honestly I read most of the plant descriptions as well and dream, dream, dream.  I’ve planted millions of lush gardens in my head.

I decided what Seraphina was being for Halloween ages ago, But it was just last night that it occurred to me that I should probably actually make the costume at some point, so that is what I am now working on!

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Books, Gardens, Yarn Crafts
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yarn along

“There is nothing so comforting as wearing clothes your mother has sewn or knitted for you.”

~Joyce Carol Oates, What My Mother Gave Me: Thirty-one Women on the Gifts That Mattered Most

I’ve been having a very frustrating couple of days working on a photo heavy post.  Every so often my blog decides to randomly remove the pictures that I insert into a post.  I add a picture, save it, the picture disappears.  I add 5 photos and come back to find 3 of them gone and so forth.  It’s enough to make me want to rip all my hair out.  And I don’t have the time or patience for it at the moment.  So here is a simple one photo post instead.

Currently I’m reading “Adios Barbie, Young Women Write About Body Image and Identity” and knitting pink tights.  The irony is not lost on me, indeed it amuses me.  I popped Mairi’s new ballet slippers in there just to top things off.

Our Sweet Wild Violet is in need of both socks and longies, tights seemed the logical conclusion.

I thought a book of essays would be just right for traveling.  The experience of mothering girls has been in the forefront of my mind lately.  In selecting What My Mother Gave Me, the inter-library loan system brought up Adios Barbie as a similar book.  Other than being a book of essays written by women, it wasn’t.  The former was poignant, the essays short, sweet and generally touching, hinting at the essence of each mother-daughter relationship.  Adios Barbie didn’t really make much of a impression on me.  While it’s interesting, sometimes even fascinating, to read about other people’s experience with body image and identity, the general tone and writing style wasn’t my cup of tea.  It was so heavy on pop culture references that it felt dated less than a decade after being published.  And in general it just didn’t really strike a chord with me.  In all fairness to the book, I’m thinking it’s mostly an age/stage of life thing.

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baby things, Books, WIP, Yarn Crafts
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spring green

Our first day of spring.

In March I’m all about the green.  There is no green outside at the moment, with the exception of the evergreens that have steadfastly held on to their hue throughout the winter.  But even they are leaning more towards brown and grey, with their dull and bleak weather worn needles.  But on my needles and at my sewing machine there surely is a lot of green, in many different shades.  It seems to happen this way every year, though I never consciously plan it so.

I started accidentally designing some baby over-alls, which doesn’t sound like something that could happen so easily as to be accidental, but somehow for me it is.  I started off with someone else’s pattern.  From the beginning I planned on changing the yarn weight, needle size, gauge (obviously) and stitch pattern.  I got just a tiny bit into the project, decided I didn’t like the pattern at all, started doing something entirely different and never looked at it again.  Next time, starting from scratch on my own, I’ll do some things differently.  When I look at these I can see exactly where I switched from theirs to mine.

I’ve been questioning my button choice a little, maybe?  I can’t decide.

Fresh yarns…

Clearly I was in a very neutral place the day I ordered these!  Perhaps dreaming of working the earth in my garden?  This was a very important part of my postpartum planning as well.  Yes, ordering yarn.  And no, I’m not being sarcastic.  Included in the above is yarn for Elijah’s birthday sweater.  I still love each and every one of these for the project that they were chosen for, but it’s back to being so grey and dreary again that I’m rather sorry I don’t have something a little more cheerful to look forward to.  I had had my heart set on treating myself to some rainbow yarn, with a sweet baby sweater in mind, but they sold out of that particular colorway before I got around to ordering.  In retrospect I probably should have tried to track it down elsewhere.  Having just ordered a box of yarn, I’d feel too guilty doing so now.

Books!!!  Thank you so much for all of your suggestions!!  I’m making a great big list out of them for future reference.  Immediately after writing that post, before the suggestions began pouring in, I started looking and thinking and ordering a great many books through inter-library loan.  Many, many books.  Books for the kids to read, books for me to read, books for me to read to the kids.  Books for school work (primarily a selection of books on the Tudor Period).  A collection of J. R. R. Tolkien books for Iain.  Yet more Black Stallion books for Elijah.  They switch off with each other after they finish each book.  The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew to read aloud.  Because somehow, despite the fact that this one has come highly recommended to me by several sources who’s opinions I hold in great esteem, we still haven’t read this one yet.  I think that maybe it wasn’t available the last time I looked and then I forgot to look again?  Another of the All-of-a-Kind Family books.  My Father’s Dragon as a first chapter book for Galen to read aloud to me. A little Tasha Tudor for Miss Màiri Rose (A Tale for Easter), as well as Poppy’s Babies and Spring Story, both from the Brambly Hedge collection.   A book on large family logistics.  I presume, based on the looks and comments I get when people learn this is our fifth baby, that at this point we qualify.  A Piet Oudolf gardening book.  Three books by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, a.k.a. The Yarn Harlot.  I’ve already finished this one.  I very happily still have this one and this one waiting for me.  I decided to get a couple of Chris Bohjalian books, even though they don’t tend to be lighthearted at all.  But I’ve enjoyed reading his books in the past and even met the man once (he made me laugh, in quite a good way) and it’s been a while, so I thought, why not?  I ordered The Sandcastle Girls, which I haven’t looked at yet and The Light in the Ruins, which I picked up for the first time yesterday.  It turns out that I may somehow in reading the on-line descriptions have missed the bit about the serial killer. hmm.  Not exactly what I was looking for just now.

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baby things, Books, Yarn Crafts
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Week in the Life Thursday

Snow day.  Irish dance was cancelled, the daddy worked from home.  We made moon charts and valentines.  Rosebud walked around singing “Oh My Darling, Clementine”.

Coffee filter hats (leftover from crafting) became all the rage late in the day.

Current bedtime favorites for Màiri Rose:

The Apple Pip Princess and The Dollhouse Fairy, both by Jane Ray.  “Favorite Things” and “Winter Wonderland” for songs.

For Galen:

Steve is reading him The King of Ireland’s Son, but I don’t think it’s quite made “favorite” status yet.  For songs he exclusively requests tunes that he can accompany on the ukelele.

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Books, celebrations and festivals, crafts, Homeschooling, Kids, photography, snapshots
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Week in the Life- Wednesday and 07/52

A rare late work day for the Papa.

Iain and Elijah took it upon themselves to try to bring down a bunch of wood off the driveway before the storm started.  Over the course of the day they transported an entire cord (that comes out to enough wood to make a 4′ x 8′ x 4′ stack, for those who aren’t conversant).  By evening time they were out with a head lamp, with little ones helping, trying to sled down the last couple of loads before Steve got home.  They like to surprise him.

A gnome a day?

I was informed that this day required a ballet bun.

They danced…

and they danced…

and danced.

They put on several shows, all with a Valentine’s Day theme, in case you couldn’t tell from their costumes.

Writing about Elijah’s horse book inspired Galen’s current school project.  I thought how nice it would be to write out, illustrate and bind one of his stories.  He’s hit a tricky age in regards to school work.  He’s coming out of that oh-so-excited to be big enough for school phase and entering one where there is a lot of frustration over what he perceives as inadequacies.  He wants everything to turn out perfectly, but that’s just not possible for a not yet 8 year old body and mind, very frustrating, poor little guy (though please don’t tell him I called him that, as we’ve hit that stage as well!).  We have some experience with this as his older brothers went through similar phases, but it’s still a challenge.

New topics for the older children.

Valentine’s tea party…

with Pumpkin Gingerbread.  They insisted on spinning for place settings and things like in the Tea Party game.  Elijah downs the tea in those little cups as if he’s doing tea shots.

Slow Cooker Sesame Chicken with broccoli and quinoa as an attempt to make the single parenting dinner/bedtime easier.

After Steve got home we wanted to show the big boys how much we appreciated all of their help with the wood.  We finally settled on watching a movie together.

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52, Books, Food, Homeschooling, Kids, Life, photography, snapshots
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Week in the Life- Tuesday

It was a very busy at home type of day.

No matter how many times I ask her not to, she always sneaks away to scrape the pans when she thinks no one is looking.

Everyone woke up quarrelsome and cranky.  After breakfast and math I decided it was in all of our best interests to send them outside for a bit (especially mine!).  They set about harvesting icicles, my children are strangely obsessed with icicles, and working on their “snow caves” and came back much refreshed.

Finishing up some of the schoolwork overflow from last week, getting ready to start on a whole new topic tomorrow.

So many deliveries today!  A package from UPS, a package from FedEx, a delivery of extra wood (because it’s been that kind of winter), our birth supply box and birth tub liner.

A somewhat impromptu midwife’s appointment (she was in the neighborhood).

Other random odds and ends:

Playing “Pease Porridge Hot” with Màiri Rose and “Cat’s Cradle” with Galen.

They are still all about the clay.

And catapults.  Because apparently one house can never have too many catapults.

We wanted to go for a walk, but the wood guy who was supposed to come in the “morning” showed up around dinner time and there had to be someone here waiting to meet him.

Reading practice and knitting in bed late in the day.  This book was mine when I was little.  I distinctly remember sitting on the steps outside our kitchen door on a warm spring day, listening to sounds of my mother cooking through the open window, and reading this entire book from cover to cover.  It was one of the first books that I ever read entirely on my own.  It has such sweet illustrations and a darling, gentle stories.  I’m so glad to have it to share with them.

Busy day= easy and simple dinner: kielbasa, cabbage, collard greens and apples, all cooked together in a bit of broth.

Steve stopped in at the post office and the library on his way home and came bearing letters from friends and the next two books in the “Black Stallion” series for Elijah.  Which means that he will not be resurfacing again until he’s devoured both books and written a reply, likely in that order.

This would be his siblings trying to get him to come help set the table for dinner.  Behind the book he is grinning madly and trying desperately not to laugh, which is why I didn’t bother to intervene!

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Books, Food, Homeschooling, Kids, Life, photography, snapshots, Yarn Crafts
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Elijah’s Equestrian Art Room

Before:

When we first moved in this room was the subject of much speculation.  In a house were every other room was painted the brightest, most vibrant colors, this room was beige to the extreme.  Beige carpets, beige walls, beige trim.  Perhaps they hadn’t decided on the right vivid color yet?  I suspect that there was one person in the family who craved a calm neutral space.  Steve’s theory is that it was the punishment room…”that’s it no more color for you young man!”

After:

The details:

He chose the paint color: Yolo Colorhouse Leaf .07.

The flooring is a local wide plank white pine.

I made the valences and the curtain for the closet door for his birthday.  The valences are burlap leftover from the table coverings from our vow renewal.  The horse fabric came from this Etsy shop.

The little bookshelf was built by Steve several years ago.  The desk was another birthday present.  Steve built it by modifying the Narrow Farmhouse Table plans by Ana White to fit the space. (yup, we’re still pretty crazy about Ana here)  Elijah and I talked a lot about how best to finish it.  He wanted both wood grain and color and he wanted it to be unique.  Inspiration finally came in the form of these wooden bowls.  I used General Finishes Water Base Dye Stain in both green and blue, layering one over the other and rubbing it away in parts to give it the uneven appearance, featuring many different shades.

Owl stencil here.  We decided that the shape of the owl was most like a Great Horned Owl.  That’s what I based the colors and shading off of.  After the initial stenciling, I came back in and added some free hand details and connected all of the pieces.

The lamp over the bed.  The desk lamp came from Goodwill.

The hammock chair was a gift from my sister.

The rug by the bed was Galen’s Christmas present to Elijah last year, made of wool roving, woven on a peg loom.  We dyed the wool for the middle with oak leaves.

And all of the artwork, of course, is his own.  He highly recommends the following books: Draw and Paint Realistic Horses and Drawing Horses: A Complete Drawing Kit for Beginners.

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before and after, Books, crafts, Kids, Our Home, The Renovation Journal
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