The Case for Art

A few months ago I decided to purchase a set of watercolor pencils for art and nature study. After a bad experience with Loew Cornell pencils a few years back, I'd all but given up on watercolor pencils. But a Faber-Castell kit I found on clearance changed my mind! The pencils drew beautifully, and the watercolor feature actually worked. With only 10 colors, though, artistic options were limited. Eventually, I realized that pencils would be easier to transport (and far less messy!) than regular paints, so I bought a set of 48 Faber-Castell pencils and an inexpensive set of water brushes. 

But if transportation was going to be easy, I needed a good way to store our new pencils. I wanted something compact that would allow us to see all of the colors (i.e., not a regular pencil pouch). I discovered standing pencil pouches, and finally found a free pattern -- in Korean! Between the photos and video, I was able to figure it out. 

I didn't enjoy the sewing process much, due to how fiddly the construction could be -- I certainly made good use of my seam ripper... But it seemed foolish to purchase a case when I had all of the needed supplies on hand! I used some Birch Organics Tree Stripes in "Sun" (leftover from Rosa's Christmas PJs), a spare zipper, and scraps of heavy interfacing. 

And happily, it turned out in the end! I did make it a bit larger than the case in the tutorial, and in hindsight that was unnecessary. But it functions well, and our pencils are now accessible and tidy.   

We're studying birds in our Zoology curriculum this year, so we purchased a used copy of Drawing Cute Birds in Colored Pencil by Ai Akikusa -- it's excellent! We've only tried sparrows so far, but I'm quite impressed by the ease of the instructions. We have the companion Drawing Cute Animals book, too.

It's lovely to have our art supplies ready to go at a moment's notice -- better accessibility means more time and opportunities for making art!

Something for Samantha

What to do with two skeins of yarn leftover from Rosa's Magnolia Mini sweater? Make a sweater for Rosa's Samantha doll, of course! I scanned my Ravelry favorites and settled on Dolly Spring Butterfly by Rachel Evans.

I made this simple pattern even simpler by omitting all of the back details. I decided I wasn't keen on the butterfly motif, so I pretty much winged it once I made it past the armholes. Of course, I managed to forget to slip the first stitch of every row more than once, which resulted in more frogging than such a small project justified! 

I do love the picot edging on the hem:

And here's Samantha herself to model it:

Rosa's joy over a new doll sweater has certainly motivated me to turn more of my yarn scraps into tiny garments for her dolls -- less yarn in the stash, quick projects for me, and lots of delight for her!

Raveled here.

Little Bean

I've recently taken up knitting for my daughter's American Girl doll, which has been quite satisfying to both of us. Rosa loves having new clothes for Samantha (who was actually mine when I was a girl!), and I love the "instant gratification" of knitting tiny things while simultaneously using up leftover yarn.

I had yarn leftover from Rosa's winter accessories, so Samantha will soon have a matching set. While there were a few options on Ravelry, I ended up making up my own hat pattern. 

And here it is!

Little Bean

Ravelry link: Little Bean  

Size:   12 1/4" circumference (fits American Girl dolls, Bitty Baby dolls, and other similar dolls/animals)

Supplies:

• 20g (approx. 44yds) of worsted weight yarn (I used Wool of the Andes in "Blossom Heather")
• 4.0mm (US 6) double-pointed knitting needles
• 1 stitch marker
• tapestry needle

Gauge:   4.5-5 stitches per inch 

Directions:

1. Cast on 60 stitches, place 20 sts on each of 3 DPNs, and join for working in the round (I recommend a stretchy cast on, such as the old Norwegian or Jeny's Stretchy Slipknot Cast-On). 
2. *K2, P2* repeat to end of round.
3. Continue in K2 P2 ribbing for 1" (about 7 rows)
4. Next row: K all sts. Continue knitting until work measures 3" from cast-on edge. 
5. First decrease row: *K3, K2tog,* repeat to end of row (48 sts remaining)
6. Next row: K all sts
7. Second decrease row: *K2, K2tog,* repeat to end of row (36 sts remaining)
8. Next row: K all sts
9. Third decrease row: *K1, K2tog,* repeat to end of row (24 sts remaining)
10. Next row: K all sts
11. Fourth decrease row: *K2 tog,* repeat to end of row (12 sts remaining)
12. Next row: K all sts
13. Cut yarn, leaving about a 12" tail. Using a tapestry needle, thread yarn through the remaining 12 sts (removing double point needles as you do). Pull tight. I like to thread my tail through these stitches again, for extra security. 
14. Weave in the cast-on tail, but leave the tail at the top for attaching the pom pom after blocking. 
15. Block (if desired/needed).
16. Pom pom: wind yarn at least 60 times around two fingers, a fork, or other implement. Tie off the center tightly with a scrap of yarn and clip the yarn loops. Trim until tidy. (Here's a helpful little tutorial: 5 Min DIY: yarn pom poms). Use the remaining yarn tail on the hat to attach the pom-pom, then weave in the tail.
17. You're done!

I'd love to hear from you if you try this pattern, and please be sure to let me know if you have any issues!

Spring Break

It's been about a month since we had our Spring Break, though I'm just now getting around to posting about it. I thought keeping to our normal school routine would be best during the pandemic, and I'm so glad we have; life feels as normal as it possibly can, and I think that's helpful for the littles (and me!). But we really did need a bit of a respite, and there were so many little projects and activities that I've been putting off because it's hard to find the time during the normal school week.

This was probably our most successful batch of homemade play dough so far -- I gave up and used
regular food coloring, and the results were so much better. I also bought two pounds of cream of tartar,
so I'll probably have some to pass on to my grandchildren one day! *wink*

It was a respite, but our days were pleasantly filled with adventures (the stay-at-home type, that is). Sometimes chaotic, often messy, but such great fun! The weather cooperated, and we ate many of our meals outside. We treated ourselves to chocolate banana ice cream for breakfast -- which is not quite as naughty as it sounds, because the only ingredients are frozen bananas, milk, spinach, and dark chocolate cocoa powder. We played countless games of cornhole, built our thrifted volcano kit, made bath bombs, dyed yarn with Koolaid, painted herb pots and then potted herbs, played games, and generally had a lovely time together. I think I actually said "yes" more than "no." 

Little Man helped dye his orange yarn, destined for the heels and toes of his socks

We used lemonade and blue KoolAid to dye the green yarn (which came out a bit
lighter than I'd hoped), and then speckled the yarn with blue and orange)

Mt. Vesuvius, in all its glory... *ahem*

The little love using bath bombs even more than they love making them!

Rosa's yarn was dyed with a blend of pink lemonade, grape, and black cherry KoolAid

I used the extra time to finish my yarn swift, so that we could wind our dyed yarns easily

It didn't take long for Emma the German Shepherd to un-pot these! Ugh. Fortunately they survived!

We've just learned to grill hamburgers with the grill lid open, and it makes such
a difference! Homemade hamburger buns are a new favorite, too.

All of our adventures left us quite tuckered out! Scout took a decently long  nap in this position.

It was surprisingly difficult to resume our studies the next week -- after numerous complaints about having to do school, I was almost ready to declare that we'd never have a Spring Break again! But we got back into our routine within a few days, and I am glad that we took a week off. I don't often dedicate a week to the littles, apart from school. And I managed to work on quite a few personal projects, too! I've been convicted lately about investing in my children -- as I grieve the many babies we've lost, I don't want to waste the precious time I have with the children I can hug and hold. 

We only have a few weeks left in the school year, and I'm eager for a little more freedom in our schedule -- and also hoping we'll be able to venture a bit futher afield soon.

May Assortment

The Great British Baking Show finally spurred me into action, and the littles
and I had our first attempt at macarons. I was shocked that they actually turned
out pretty well! I definitely piped them too big, but they were still a (delicious) 
success.

Waiting is hard...

An American classic for Memorial Day. My pie crust game could use some work...

One of many house finches that frequent our feeder. I have to fill it at least twice a day --
it's been a bit more popular than I'd anticipated!

Black chinned humingbird at the feeder -- you can see his gorgeous purple throat. 

A resident of Little Man's "Beetle Sanctuary" -- a plastic box filled with gravel and rocks

Misty morning -- this is the view out our back yard (I only notice the chain link fence when I try to take a photo! Grr)

Laddie has his own Redwall book, which he "reads" regularly. We're working on his "sounds," as he calls his 100 Easy
Lessons reading book, but he has a long way to go before he can handle Lord Brocktree!

Quail are exotic birds to us suburbanites, so we're thrilled whenever they visit the bird feeder!

The Biker Gang -- Rosa and Laddie have been using a balance bike for the past few
weeks, and when we finally replaced the worn-out tires on their "big kid" bikes, they
were off! I'm a true fan of the balance bike now.

May is somehow over, and June has arrived with a burst of warmth and sunshine (though the morning are still chilly -- we had a few in the 40's recently). The high desert temperature swing still throws me for a loop. Forget April showers, May was the wettest month we've had here so far. We had several hailstorms, rain almost every afternoon (and sometimes all day), and chilly temperatures. I've never been so eager for summer before! But we've certainly enjoyed the resulting green all around.

Much of my sewing time last month (not that there was much!) was spent altering clothes -- pants to shorts, long sleeves to short sleeves. A little too soon, as it turned out! A warm spell early in May convinced me that summer was on its way, but no sooner had I adjusted wardrobes than the cold set in again. We made do with the few warm clothes I'd left out, and now I think we're in the clear.

I've decided to give Instagram a go, and so far I'm enjoying it immensely. There are so many little moments that I'd never take the time to blog and it's lovely to have a little space to document them. I don't use any other social media, so I'm also enjoying the opportunity to connect with friends (including some former bloggers that I used to follow, but had lost track of). You can find me here if you're on Instagram!

My creative juices haven't been flowing very steadily lately. The Balta is still underway, and I'm nearing the end of the back yoke. Then I have the front yoke and the edging to finish. I was able to kind of try it on, and I think it will work! But I'll be a little nervous until it's actually done. Anyway, I'm hoping my sewing motivation comes back soon, so I can work on my stash a bit more. I'll have more time once we finish up school in a few weeks -- the move West set us back about a month, so we'll finish up at the end of June. I think we're all looking forward to a bit of a break!

The Ella Bella Cardigan

After purchasing my Wool and the Gang alpaca (a well-thought-out, but nevertheless spontaneous purchase), I guiltily dug through my stash and started a project! I'd had plans for a cardigan for Rosa using KnitPicks Shine Sport in "Blush," but when the pattern I'd picked turned out to be harder than anticipated, I lost momentum.

Determined to finally make it work, I settled on the "Elizabeth" cardigan by Georgie Nicolson. The pattern name "Elizabeth" reminded me of my daughter's Bitty Baby doll, which used to be mine when I was her age. I named her "Elizabeth," and now my daughter calls her "Baby Ella." The name "Ella" reminded me of Ella Bella ballerina from James Mayhew's delightfully illustrated book series. And this little cardi seemed perfect for a ballerina, especially in the colorway "blush!" So, "Ella Bella" it is (goodness, if that's not the most circumlocutory way to come up with a project name, I don't know what is! It all makes sense in my brain... Also, you get bonus points if you know which Dickens novel features the Circumlocution Office). 

I loved this pattern so much! Far more than I thought I would when, part way through, I was required to pick up and knit -- a technique that still causes me considerable stress (though "pick up and knit" is much better than just "pick up!"). There ended up being quite a bit of that technique, but I somehow made it through. 

The lace pattern is so lovely, and also very simple. Which is a winning combination, in my opinion. I did make a few mistakes, which were (fortunately) easy to fix, partly thanks to my training-wheels method of placing stitch markers at every pattern repeat (and there were a lot of them!).

The yarn was also a treat; the mix of Pima cotton and modal is silky and satisfying as it slides through your fingers and off the needles. I tend to prefer animal fibers, but the Shine sport is a lovely and inexpensive yarn.

I think I'll be knitting this again in a few years, though I'm hoping Rosa will have at least another year out of this cardigan (the sizing is forgiving). My gauge was a bit big, so I knitted the size 4 to a size 5 length for my five-year-old.

Of course, I still ended up with almost an entire skein left! I'm wondering if there's any way to get a Bitty-Baby sized sweater (in a simpler style) out of that much yarn...

It felt lovely to finish a larger project -- well, a child's sweater isn't exactly large, but it's more than just a hat or scarf, you know? Anyway, the next project in my queue involves some "selfish" knitting with that Sugar Baby Alpaca!

Raveled here.

Yarn Along: Knitting for the Girl

I've been wanting to join Ginny's Yarn Along for ages, and just haven't for some reason! Granted, I've only just picked up my knitting again after a bit of a hiatus, so I wouldn't have had much to show...

I've been working on an Elizabeth cardigan for Rosa -- I've had the yarn for ages, but, as usual, had procrastinated actually starting the project. 

The pattern is a dream! I've been enjoying it immensely -- it's interesting without being tear-your-hair-out difficult. I'm enough of a novice lace knitter that I put in a stitch marker for each and every pattern repeat (every six stitches!), and I'm so glad I did; noticing that I had seven stitches in a repeat instead of six has saved me from making a number of costly errors.

I'm also reading The Modern Natural Dyer, which I miraculously found in our library system -- there was even a copy at our teeny tiny local branch! I've been curious about dyeing yarn for some time (mostly due to Ginny!), and this gorgeous illustrated book seems to have everything I'd need to know to give it a shot. We'll see...

This picture is actually a week old, so I hope to be able to post a picture of the finished cardigan soon!

Linking up to Ginny's April Yarn Along

Taming the Toys

Ask any parent, and toy storage/organization would probably feature as an area that is (or was) an issue! It certainly has been for us. While we have tried to be careful about how many toys we've allowed into our home, the "keepers" still need a home! Between moves and new babies and other priorities, most of our toys were sorted into a variety of bins stashed in a variety of places (mostly the floor of our sunroom/playroom). And with most of the toys stored on the floor, our littles found it difficult to discern between toys on the floor versus toys in a bin on the floor. Cleanup was a nightmare! 

I liked the idea of the IKEA Trofast system, but didn't like the look of the actual units. Then I spotted Shanty 2 Chic's DIY Trofast unit, and I was sold! In the past we've designed (or at least seriously modified) plans for most of the furniture we've built, so the idea of following instructions to the letter was actually quite appealing. 

We did make a few changes, of course. We added top pieces to each support, so that the bins won't topple out when they're half-way open (because with so many little kids, they are bound to be half-open quite a bit! This has proved to be incredibly helpful). We also added a few supports to the top area, giving us the option to use either medium or small bins. The other change was to add a piece of wood to the top; our dimensional lumber wasn't quite nice enough to look good on its own, so we stained a piece for the top.

I can't believe how much of a difference this little unit has made. Not only does it fit more toys than I thought it would, but there was an instant improvement in the clean-up routine. "Time to clean up" is no longer followed by "Don't you see all the stuff that's still on the floor?" The top of the unit serves as a home for Lego creations, which was another source of mess and aggravation.

At last, there's a little peace in the toy department -- and peace of any kind is welcome with four active littles underfoot! Scout has recently added himself to the fray, dragging himself around the house with a grin on his face and a pacifier trailing along behind (which inevitably collects all of the hair that I'm losing postpartum. Grr.). We've made a few other pieces to help with organization, that I might get around to sharing -- unless I'm too preoccupied picking up little bits of who-knows-what before they end up in Scout's mouth...

Harvest

Apart from a few snow peas and beans, and a tiny carrot plucked prematurely by an over-zealous Laddie, cucumbers have been our first real "harvest" -- grown from seed, no less (a monumental accomplishment for these novice gardeners)! I'm amazed how quickly these shot up. They have completely overtaken our make-shift trellis, and we've already collected two 10-inch cukes. There's another that will be ready shortly, and an abundance of babies that are just starting to mature. I never realized how spiky cucumbers and their vines are, and didn't know that the cucumbers forms behind the flower instead of "inside," like tomatoes and peppers.

We are learning so much from our garden this year -- for instance, the dogwoods that were leafless when we planned our garden are now providing too much shade for some parts of the garden. Also, I'd have planted the snow peas earlier, since they seem to already be suffering from the heat (we'll plant some more in the fall, though!). I like to be successful -- who doesn't?! -- so a few "failures" are disappointing. But I'm reminding myself that one does not become an expert gardener in one season, and next year we'll have so much more experience. And we'll be planting more! So, so much more. In the meantime, it's delightful to enjoy some of the fruits of our labors -- one of our tomatoes is finally ripening, and I can hardly wait to try it.

The Littles and I will be studying botany for the next school year, and I'm excited to channel their enthusiasm for our little garden plot into learning more of the details of God's magnificent designs. They eagerly watch the progress of our plants, and love to sample the herbs (Little Man offered me an "herb taco" today, consisting of rosemary rolled up in a mint leaf. Much as I love those herbs individually, I declined that particular combination... *wink*). 

I marvel at how the little cucumber seeds we planted have not only turned into flourishing vines, but are producing multiple cucumbers of their own, each loaded with its own seeds that could be harvested and planted to produce more cucumbers (which would have more seeds, which could be harvested...). The way in which God has designed these plants, to provide food and also the means of growing more food, fills my heart with wonder and gratitude. He truly is Jehovah Jireh, the Provider (Gen. 22:14). 

Pause

As my belly grows and our little fellow's gymnastics become more pronounced, it can be difficult not to get caught up in the seemingly-endless list of "Things Not Yet Done." Oh, how I want everything squared away and just-so, right now! I've never been good at waiting, though you'd think four babies would have honed my skills a bit.

So I am trying to take a pause -- there are projects I can tackle, but I don't need to worry myself about the ones I can't. It helps to walk into my living room and see this:

That's my childhood Beatrix Potter treasury, being read and loved by my daughter -- to know that she loves reading, and reading the same stories I loved at her age, is such a joy!

And a stroll through our garden (two rows of straw bales) helps when it's tempting to feel overwhelmed. There's always something new to notice there, something growing and changing. I can't wait to pull out the carrots that these fluffy tops belong to!

And there are so many clusters on our tomato plants! I love to peek under the leaves and check their progress, partly so I can enjoy the pungent smell of tomato plant on my fingertips. We had to stake them recently, because they were so large and heavily laden that they were sagging precariously. My container tomato plant last year produced two tiny Roma tomatoes (and that was a comparative success to most of my plant-growing endeavors!), so this unexpected abundance is quite heartening -- perhaps I've inherited my father and grandmother's green thumbs, after all? I suppose I should let the season play out before I become too confident!

The Littles somehow got into their heads that we needed to make strawberry jam, so we took advantage of a sale at the grocery store. You know you're a bit too thrifty when your children ask wistfully if such-and-such a fruit or veggie is on sale! We put a pound of strawberries in the food processor with a tablespoon of chia seeds, and blended them until the mixture was as smooth as it would get. Then into the fridge overnight, resulting in a delicious and fresh "spread" (it's not as thick as a jam). It's already been earmarked for our Sunday tea tomorrow afternoon, which means we'll be putting scones on the menu, as well!

And so, I pause. Before I go find something else to organize, paint, or purge...