Better Late Than Never

I have been working on my cousin’s wedding gift since August, to be mailed out in a day or so so that it can reach Arizona by November 5th, her big day. For her second anniversary, that is. Yes, this gift is two years late. Being so late, I had to put more energy into it than getting something from their registry (which I could have two years ago as I did for her shower). Without further ado I present the very late wedding gift. I hope they like it. And if they don’t, I hope they don’t tell me!

Pattern: Pom-Pom Awning from Greetings from the Knit Cafe

Yarn: ArtYarn Serenade by Reynolds, 70% Pima Cotton, 30% Angora

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Get the Cold Frame Habit

A picture story of getting the cold frame ready for the 2007-2008 winter in upstate NY.

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Good Run at Goodwill

This is a portion of the treasure we found at Goodwill this past weekend. We brought three bags of goods over to donate and left with a bag of “new” stuff for us. I’m often disappointed by the thrifting experience around here compared to all of the wonders people seem to find out there in blogland, but this past trip was a hit.

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Quiet Evening

This past Friday L1 & L3 went to a special karate event at the UofR, leaving L4 & I home for the evening. We had a grand, though quiet, time. She spent the evening either constructing various play areas with her favorite things of the moment, “cooking”, or trying to do what mama was doing. The cooking made me laugh because she used her lego blocks and scrap fabrics as her “food.” She cooked zucchini bread, beans, and had syrup to pour on it all from her tea kettle. She had an entire meal of “beans” ready for me to eat with her. I eventually heated up some leftover black bean soup and cornbread scones from earlier in the week and ate them on the floor with her. (Recipes from a Moosewood cookbook, yum.) The culmination of the evening, for me, was sitting on the floor with L4, turning a blanket I had just sewn the first stages of to its right-side. I was trimming around the many scallops of its edge and L4 decided that she wanted to cut fabric, too. Using the scissors one of her old “teachers” at school gave her, she sat next to me doing just that. I don’t know that her scissors actually did any cutting, but she enjoyed herself nonetheless.

As an aside, I’ve been having quite the interesting time trying to teach L4 how to say fabric correctly. She just can’t seem to get it. Instead it comes out something like fag&*t, much to my chagrin. Doubly so when we are in a fabric store and she shouts it at the top of her lungs! And what 2.5 year-old is going to use a quieter voice in a store when Mama asks and said little one thinks it is soooo funny to be loud? *sigh* At least she likes being at the fabric store, most of the time.

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Fleece is NOT My Friend (Or Why I Should Wear Safety Glasses While Sewing)

This tale begins with me trying to be uber-mom for L3, without him even asking. This is red-ribbon week in the schools, and at his school they do a different theme for clothing every day this week. Today’s theme was, “wear as much red as you can!” Okay, then. L3 has a red t-shirt, no problem. I kept thinking, “It’s too bad he doesn’t have red pants.” Then I looked at the bottom of my sewing desk at 8pm last night to notice that I have some red fleece cut out for a pants pattern for L3, purchased at the end of August. (We won’t even talk about that!) Of course I thought, “Hey, I’ll make those for him tonight to surprise him in the morning!”

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Reflections on Rhinebeck

Yesterday was our whirlwind trip to Rhinebeck for the NYS Sheep and Wool Festival. The weather was beautiful, the children were good, and there were so many things to see, smell, touch, hear, and taste! To see some of the sensory goodness, check out our Flikr folder with pictures from the day.

Before going I experienced a variety of emotions. When we first decided to go, I was excited. As the date came closer, I became less excited because I started thinking about what I was going to do there, what was the purpose of the trip? When I was reading people talk about the festival on Ravelry, it seemed like it was supposed to be one big shopping fest. Hmmm… how is that going to help me try to live more simply, reduce my consumerism? I’m going to take the 4+ hour drive (one-way) to buy more stuff? Do I really need anything? And I don’t spin, and that is a big focus of this festival (or so it seemed). Between those thoughts and other things going on in my life (see my “Drowning” post) I was less than excited as the day drew near.

But once we got there, I was happy to be there even if I don’t ever go again. I did do a little buying, some yarn to make holiday gifts for my in-laws. Other than that, we bought some sweet treats (fudge, and some vegan tasties) and some naturally made soap samples.

The kids loved all of the things to see and do. L3 was fascinated by all the spinning wheels. I think he stopped and watched every single one on which someone was working everytime we passed one. Of course he wanted to touch all of them, too! L4 loved all of the rabbits. The other animals made her nervous, at first, but eventually she enjoyed them all.

For me, seeing the sheep, goats, llamas, and alpacas in the flesh was inspiring. First, I knew there were different kinds of sheep, but I didn’t realize the range of variety! Observing the animals, seeing some of them get “haircuts” and then seeing the fibers, the spinning, the weaving and, of course, the knitting, gave me a new appreciation for the fiber arts. So much energy is put into the entire process! A skein or ball of yarn is so much more than the its tactile softness or visual brightness, it has such a history of creation. All the more so when it is a handpainted or handspun yarn (or both!).

As I knit the gift socks out of the yarn purchased from the small, independent farms/vendors at the show, I think I’ll be more contemplative than usual. I didn’t just buy “stuff” this time. I purchased a whole chain of energy for this product, and am going to continue to add to its energy history before it reaches its final destination. It would be far easier and “cheaper” to simply buy socks for the intended recipients. But my own energy and intent would be lost, as well as something greater. I can’t quite articulate what I mean here, but perhaps you understand what I mean?

If you’re reading, Amy, I’m glad were were able to make the trip together!

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My Bliss: The Women in My Life

Words of wisdom, laughter, kindness.  Support beyond anything material.  To all the women in my life, thank you.  You’ve turned the tide for me today.

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Drowning

Have you ever been in a place in your life where you felt like you were drowning?  Where things were so overwhelming that you felt like you’d never get out?  What did you do, how did you cope?  I don’t want to go into details, but I’m drowning in that place right now.  I’m trying to stay calm, to focus on the moments of peace, calm, and happiness in my day-to-day living.  But the undertow is strong.  Words of wisdom, inspiration, or anything else would be much appreciated.

Thanks for reading.

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Gift Knitting Almost Derailed!

As I was about to finish the last of yesterday’s (ahem) rows this morning, I ran out of yarn. Yes, about 10 stitches from the end of the row. At first I thought, “No problem. L4 and I can have a little trip to the yarn store before lunch to pick it up and I’ll be on my way.” Then I started to feel a bit of panic. I realized that I had purchased the yarn for this project in August. Would the shop still have it in stock? Would it be the same dye-lot? What would I do if the shop didn’t have it anymore?!!?

Thankfully, the yarn was there. And L4 was extra cute wearing her Piggle hat and garter-stitch scarf I made her. The women at the shop told her that they liked her hat and scarf and she said, “My mama made for me.” 🙂 I love that she knows that and that she loves to wear what I make for her. Being a small world through blogland, SouleMama actually wrote something about that today.

If you’re ever the recipient of a hand-knit gift, cherish it. Not only did someone think of you in giving you a gift, but that person probably spent hours and hours working on it. Don’t hide it away and never use or wear it! And when in doubt about how to treat it, ask the maker.

Now back to my gift knitting, because it is so much better than grading. (Though the assignment is a fun one. My Psych of Gender students had to go to a toy store and answer a series of questions that I had for them, sort of like a scavenger hunt. They should be interesting to read. I just have to get myself to start.)

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What on Earth Are You Doing?

It’s Blog Action Day. People all over the world are blogging about one topic today: the environment.

My question of the day is: What on Earth are you doing? Some people think that being more “crunchy” means that they have to change the way they live. You may have read in the past about me trying to give up paper tissues for my runny nose. This doesn’t mean YOU have to do something like that to have an impact. Here is a list of some simple things you can do:

• Try to make your trips out more efficient. Instead of making several trips all to the same place, plan out where you need to go, figuring the shortest route possible.
• Walk to places that are close!
• Install a water-saver on your shower head.
• Recycle!
• Reuse materials. Example: instead of throwing out bags you might get your produce in, bring them back to the store next week.
• Obtain and use reusable bags for shopping, and not just when you get your groceries. If you don’t remember a bag, try to think if you really need a whole bag for your one item.
• Skip the bottled water.
• Hang your clothes out to dry when possible.
• Turn down your hot water heater by 10 degrees.
• Use a programmable thermastat, and try turning it down a couple of degrees cooler in winter/warmer in summer than you usually would.
• Rethink your purchases. Do you need something or just want it?

And for those that want to do a little more:

• Compost! All you need is a little spot outside to put grass clippings, leaves, and kitchen scraps (sans meat & dairy). You can put coffee grounds, filters, tea bags and more in your compost pile, where it will actually decompose and become new soil, rather that sitting in a plastic garbage bag where it won’t decompose. I know there are options out there for apartment dwellers, too, I just don’t know as much about them. I am fortunate enough to have land available to be able to do this.
• Try growing some of your own food. Lettuce is an easy one, as are some herbs. Zucchini is relatively hard to kill, too, and doesn’t need much care.
• Make some of your clothes, or shop at thrift and consignment shops. Check out Wardrobe Refashion for ideas in this vein.

These are only a few small things. Some of the things we do in our family are so much a part of our daily lives that I’m probably forgetting to post them here. One change we continue to work on is the idea of consuming less. We have a smaller house by choice, and we are trying to get rid of “stuff” (mostly through donation) and to not buy as much. Teaching that to young children can be difficult when they are surrounded by the big message of “CONSUME” in our culture, but that too is a work in progress.

Please leave comments about things that you do to live a more green life. It can give me and others ideas!

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