Fall Spices

Remember my knitting hubris that I had to correct? I did finally finish the vest and the boy has worn it happily since.  I suppose his eagerness to wear the handmade love has  made all the angst worth it.

Fall Spices Vest

Pattern: Pembroke by Kirsten Kapur

Yarn: Sirdar Denim Tweed DK (it was a door prize from a LYS last January)

Needles: US 5s

• The pattern calls for changing needle size, but I didn’t do this because I forgot and it worked out fine.

Mods: I made the cables surrounding the center motif symmetrical rather than all twisting the same way as the pattern was written.  Though not really a modification, I knit the front cables without a needle and have been cabling without a needle ever since (currently on this project). From this project, then, I learned two new skills–how to fix a cable twisted the wrong way several rows back, and how to cable without a cable needle.  I’ll admit, I’m proud of myself for those gains.  Even if one of them was because I made a mistake. . .

My Bliss: Walks Made New

It was absolutely amazing weather in upstate NY this past weekend.  Laundry was flapping in the breeze on the line, the sun was shining, and we took to the woods.  On Saturday we headed out to one of our favorite walking places, Big Field, only to find it quite crowded.  It seems many of us had the same brilliant idea.  L3 suggested Webster Park as an alternative, so we headed there instead, and went to a place we haven’t tried in awhile.  I love how those choices so small can have such lovely repercussions.  Off we headed across field to wood, trying a new path, letting the kids lead the way.  It was beyond delightful.  We crunched our way along the paths, found a new-to-us playground, and even ended up in one of my favorite spots at the park that I couldn’t remember how to get to until now.

On Sunday we made our way down to the Bay, as we often do. We haven’t been since the leaves have fallen. Oh–the sounds of it all!!  And it was another lovely walk with happiness abounding.

How I love pictures for capturing memories. They don’t contain all of the sensory experiences, but they capture enough of the moments for me to make the other memory traces. The smell of pine, the sounds of the leaves and the voices, all of the little details we saw and didn’t capture on “film”, the joy in bodies set in motion–all from our pictures.  And what bliss it is to have each turning of the Wheel make everything new again.

How did you enjoy your weekend?  What kinds of sensory experiences did you have?

A New Day, A New Way

Twelve years of new days, of changes big and small. Twelve years of finding a new way.

This morning I watched the glow of the new day fill our home and gazed at the rising sun with my boy.  We found delight in it together.  When bringing in more wood I found this little sign on one of the logs.  Pieces of beauty making up the whole all around me.

I always play the “what-ifs” scenarios in my head on this day. But maybe, on this day, I’ll just think about what is, not what might have been.

Everything lost is found again

in a new form, in a new way

Everything hurt is healed again

in a new time, in a new day.

–Starhawk, “Kore” chant

The Bright Side of Life

Before this look came into our house , the kids enjoyed their dress-up for Halloween.

L3 was thrilled beyond belief when we found his Star Wars garb whilst thrifting. And L4–for those of you who don’t recognize, she is Bubbles from the Powerpuff Girls (we don’t have cable, btw, but L4 saw an episode from the library once).

L3’s costume required nothing of me this year, but I did sew the dress for little miss. It is now properly soiled after a fun time with trick-or-treating. L1 pulled her around in the wagon (also found while thrifting) most of the night because she was on her way to the land of sickness, but she did manage to run through a lovely muddy patch at one point during the night.

We usually have an ancestor feast before trick-or-treating, setting a plate for our ancestors, talking about and remembering them, as part of our celebration of this harvest holiday. Unfortunately with L1 just recovering and me on my way to being sick, it didn’t happen this year. At least the jack-o-lanterns were carved and lit-up.

Thank you, all, for your well-wishes as we all make our way back to wellness. L3 is the last of us still with fever, though truth-be-told, you wouldn’t know it if you didn’t get a thermometer reading. Not much holds him back.

Down for the Count

L3 is the last healthy one in the house. I’m huddled on the couch with a cat to keep me warm and L4 is watching far too much TV.  I hope to be back, feeling better soon.

*edited to add*

L3 awoke with a fever this morning.  Now I am home sick with two sick kids who have decided it isn’t a day to get along.  And Patti, you’re right.  I can’t afford this lost time.  I had to cancel classes yesterday and fear I will have to do so again tomorrow.  All I want to do is sleep, but the squabbling sick ones need to much refereeing.  Sorry for my crankiness–I suppose I should be greatful that they are feeling well enough for the “don’t touch me” mantra.

A Little Worry Sack

I had an itch to embroider recently. It started out making a little embroidered mini-sachet to send with a custom order from my shop as a thank you. Then I liked it so much I wanted to make one for myself. And now I’m in the process of making one for L4, with L3 to have one soon there after. They are filled with organic flax seed and organic lavender (from my garden!) so that when I rub it between my fingers a soothing scent is emitted.  And I need that right now.  Poor L1 has succumb to the flu (though it seems to be seasonal, not swine!) and I’m flying solo with the parenting, taking care of him, and trying  to keep the rest of us well and sane.  So far, so good.

Proud Moment

This past Sunday was the Youth Kata Challenge, a karate tournament that doubles as a fundraising event. It was an event only for children, and there was not sparring (“fighting”) involved, only kata, or moves that demonstrate what one would do if defending one’s self.

L3 competed in the Team Kata event (pictured above), the Bo Kata event (a weapons event), and Individual Kata event. While he medaled in the Bo Kata event, our proudest moment of the day was when he was presented with the Shotokan Award. This was given to the competitor voted as demonstrating the most sportmanship during the tournament, as decided by the participants, not the judges.

L3’s look of surprise and wonder and his appreciation, too, for this honor were wonderful. We are so proud of our boy, more so than if he had taken gold medals in all of his events.

Signs of the Season: Wickham Farms

I’ve been going on field trips to this farm with my kids since L3 was three years old. This might be the last year of them. I’ve followed their classes as they run through the maze, learn about how pumpkins grow and deer don’t learn that they don’t like pumpkins, pick out their pumpkin from the patch, have snacks, see all the decorated pumpkins the farm has made. The field trip has changed over time (ex: apples now instead of donuts), but the pure fun of it hasn’t. I’m a little sad that this era is drawing to a close.  There are always new things to enjoy as they age, but those moments of pure joy in early childhood are so sweet.    Did any of you have memorable field trips like this when you were young?

New Eyes

Exhibit A: Much-loved glasses, worn for 6+ years

Exhibit B: Much-loved glasses destroyed by Jasper.  Is it because he loves me so much?

Exhibit C: New glasses, about which I’m feeling ambivalent at this point except that the lenses are SO CLEAN.

Sweet Little Package

Upon returning home from our trip this weekend, I had a sweet little package from Julia waiting for me. Inside was the bag o’ buttons I had won in her give-away, as well as a note from her and some note-cards for me.

L4 was eager to tear into the bag, so I had to convince her that we needed to wait until daylight to get a picture of the lovely buttons.  Meanwhile, she turned the bag this way and that, staking her claim.  And when it was time, she dove right into the button bonanza

and extracted these:

Since then she’s been sorting them out, examining the different shapes and claiming more for her own.  We’ve decided together that we’ll make a bag and decorate it with some of the buttons.  It will be a project for after I finish fulfilling a shop order.

What would you do with a pile of lovely, new-to-you buttons?

Thank you, Julia!