finger knitting and fabric play

For this week's Yarn Along with Ginny, my girls wanted to get in on it and show how they like to knit. In the above photos Annah demonstrates oh-so-easy finger knitting. Simply weave the yarn back and forth through four fingers and back again so each side of each finger is wrapped. Then lay the yarn across the fingers about half way up the finger above the loops and pull the loops on the fingers up and over the working yarn that is laid across the fingers. It's that easy! It's a great way to teach the basics of how knitting works.

This week the girls also pulled out their fabric paper doll set that my mom made them. These darling cloth paper dolls are made from a yard of this fabric. Simply cut out the dolls, back with iron on interfacing and flannel and create a play mat with flannel or chenille.

As far as my own knitting, I'm still working on my Annabel sweater in quince & co. mustard yellow, but in the meantime I needed a quick and easy project because the rows of garter stitch on the sweater is pretty monotonous. This domesticated wrap skirt was just the thing. It took me about 30 minutes to make and I love the fabric - the yellow even matches the Annabel. The great thing about this skirt is that when one side gets dirty (or covered in spit-up as happens to me way too many times a day) you simply untie, twist the skirt around and retie (see the two photos above). And you have an entirely new skirt! I made this with two 3/4 yard pieces of fabric and I bought bias tape instead of making my own. You can find the directions to make your own here.

Painted Peg Peoples

 

Okay, before everyone hates me I want to note that we don't always sit around and craft - we do watch movies and read and cook and clean (always cleaning), rock crying babies and distract naughty toddlers and do mountains of laundry every day, but because this blog is a journal for my children I'm choosing to capture the more interesting things we've been up to like painting little dolls. And Sunday afternoons have turned into an unofficial craft time for the girls and I while the boys nap. I love getting new ideas for things to make and have a running list of things I want to do with the girls in my little notebook.

I found these fun little wood pegs on this etsy site for just a few dollars. I think you can also find them at Michaels and other craft stores. We first painted the heads a peachy color then painted the bodies and hair. We used fabric scraps to embellish the girl dolls with circle skirts or in ruffles using little strips of fabric hot glued to the doll. These soy paints are my absolute favorites for wood crafts and you can find them for about $2 per bottle in stores or online.

Sometimes I get a little too wrapped up in these crafts and want to take them over myself. I had to restrain myself and let the girls paint the clothes and faces since it was, after all, a craft for them and not for me. If I could spend all day painting little wood dolls for myself I would but a baby that needs to be fed is waiting and the vegetable chips in the oven are ready to come out (oops I burned them to a crisp).

from woods to table

My father-in-law built this beautiful table for us from Central Oregon lodge-pole pine. He hand-milled and built the table over a period of 25 days. It was inspired by SouleMama's harvest table. I love that we now have a place to gather as a family that was made from wood where both Shane and I grew up and made with love by someone dear to us. As a small gesture of thanks, the kids and I baked his favorite treat, two lemon meringue pies (tricky but they turned out great). When I sit at this table I can't help smile and think about the many family gatherings, birthday parties and arts and crafts that will take place around this table throughout the years. It will be a beloved piece of my children's childhood and, I hope, part of their children's as well.

rainy days are here again

 

We've had some serious rain the last week, enough to cause much flooding around the valley here. Eight feet deep in some places! Thankfully we haven't had any problems like some of our neighbors who've had flooded basements and yards. Since many of the roads we travel were closed due to the flooding, we stayed home from theater practice and celebrated the winter storms by  reading favorite books like Winter Story, playing make believe tea shop with darling embroidered days-of-the-week tea towels (a garage sale score by my mom) and snuggling with much loved dolls like this Wee Wonderful boy we made for West last year. Please ignore his butcher job haircut. Trying to cut a toddler's hair is an art I don't ever think I'll master. Thankfully my mother-in-law, a professional hairdresser, is coming this weekend and she's promised to bring her shears.

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're also participating in Amanda's "this moment" link-up please leave a comment so I can see your moment from the week.

today

Knitting: my Annabel sweater as fast as I can. I received the yarn (quince & co. Osprey in Carrie’s Yellow) for Christmas and I absolutely love the color. I can’t wait to finish it and wear it. I have two baby sweaters to knit for friends and some spring sweaters for my own kids that I also want to whip out in the next few months. (Joining Ginny for this Yarn Along update. Rav notes here.)

 Watching: the snow gently fall outside and wishing it would stick.

Reading: All-of-a-Kind-Family, a favorite read-a-loud for the girls. We’re so enjoying this book together and look forward to our reading time after lunch.

 

Obsessed: with Lark Rise to Candleford, the BBC mini-series about life in rural England in the 19th century. Shane and I watch one episode every night on DVD and we can’t get enough. We both look forward to our Lark Rise evenings (they usually involve a square of Moonstruck dark chocolate or red wine).

Thinking: about simple living and what that means when it isn’t so much a choice but a necessity. Choosing to spend less, make more from scratch and do less is one thing, but being forced to because of finances is another. 

Waiting: anxiously for my new dining table that my father-in-law is so generously making us. Hand-milled from lodge pole Pine, it will seat 12 people and it is beautiful. I can’t wait to share pictures here.

Enjoying: the return of art and music study. Right now we’re enjoying learning about John James Audubon. There are so many great children’s picture books about him at the library and we’ve been having fun drawing birds in our own nature books.

keeping their hearts

I was recently inspired by Ginny to do some crafting using embroidery hoops and some wool felt I've been saving for a special purpose. When yesterday found us home after church with bad weather outside and a long afternoon ahead, I decided to do this project with the girls. While the boys napped and Shane watched football, the girls and I cut, glued and decorated the afternoon away. We had fun creating these Valentine's decorations together and I love their addition to our front room.

I should note here, given all the recent crafty postings, that it isn't always my first choice to craft, read to or do an elaborate activity with the girls. Many times I choose my own personal reading, knitting or computer time over spending that time with the children. But I so want to build deep relationships with my girls and spending quality time with them daily is important to me. I try to keep these values in mind when I'm tempted to spend the free time for myself. It helps a lot to do something, a craft or a cooking project, that I myself enjoy or a read them a book that I loved as a child. Getting them involved in my interests helps make it more fun for me and it is so sweet to see how much they want to share in what excites me.

Oh, for stencils I simply googled heart images and we used these paper cut outs to trace the hearts onto colored felt. With a little hot glue and sequins, bead and embroidery embellishments, the craft came together. We used clear suction hooks to hang them on the front windows.

on snow

Molasses on Snow Candy

Combine 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup molasses in pot and bring to a boil. Boil for about 5 minutes until mixture thickens and turns into a ball when dripped into a glass of cold water. Use spoons to dribble mixture onto a pan of fresh snow and let harden. Enjoy!