Poppies and Milk

july :: since we last met...

i have to be honest.  i have become so backed up on the organization of the documentation of life around here that i just stopped trying to catch up.  that worked for a bit, but now is time... (i might add that the sign of my absence from this space here can only mean that i am having too much of an amazing time in life to stop and write about it ;) so, here is a snapshot (or many) of what life has looked like around here since we last met (which was in late spring, if you actually remembered...) 

the may festival at the redwood lodge...

in the workshop of the redwood lodge... such a great space for the children.

late spring thrifting treasures...

early summertime backyard...

painting...

planting... (this particular sunflower is now 6 feet tall!)

water play

more painting...

more planting... (the scent of marigolds will forever remind me of my grandma)

and this is the kale, tiny then, which i harvested in abundance last weekend for a huge raw kale salad.  

maybe tomorrow i will get caught up on my knitting posts! ;) 

 

december :: the most beautiful girl in my world...

 

Her school celebrated Saint Lucia Day today.  She is the oldest, along with another who shares her birthday, so they led the way.  Every time I see photos of her these days, I just cant believe how beautiful she is.  Like my heart might actually crack open with love...  (more amazing captures of this day by gary yost)

november :: infusions of color in the autumnal glow...

{i dont know, i just liked that title...}

we have all been so busy... not in a hectic-busy way, but in an inspired-busy way.  each and every day this week has been filled with vibrance, warmth, freshness, melody and vitality.  here are some snapshots of our days in the glow of autumn...

the last of the season... 

what she made.

giving it a try.

better with help from his sister... 

what am i and how do you use me?  (don't laugh, it came from our CSA and i just don't know...)

we have been doing this a lot lately together.

he is the best co-pilot!

eden decided she hasn't taken enough photos lately... here are some of her shots of us (and his monster face)

and his other face... 

treasures from point reyes... 

lots of crafting for the winter faire.  thanks, erin, for the lantern idea! 

lots of little things brewing... 

so many tiny things to sew, paint and knit...

golden eggs for the rainbow nests i am felting...

remember this?  I never posted an update on that... some vintage spools and patience time made for a nice and tidy ribbon rack... 

vintage hankie collection- keep thinking of doing a set of flags for eden's room with these, but it is really hard to not just leave them untouched, they are all so beautiful and delicate...

more eden photos of our jam session last night.  {thanks to nana for the tiny guitar for the recent birthday boy.  he really really loves it!}

tuning the tiny guitar... it actually sounds pretty good.

:::::

this is really the most loving little guy i have ever met.  what a sweetie.

and this morning, a tiny friend joined me for tea.  

then had to be on his way...

{hope you are relishing in the glimmer and warmth of autumn...} 

 

november :: the big three!

my sweet boy turned three yesterday!  my girl worked really hard on the card the night before- she didnt even ask me how to spell anything as she wanted to do it all by herself! 

"Happy Birthday Elijah!  

Dear Elijah,

i hope you like the card i made for you.

i hope all you wish's come true.

Love, Eden"

and the inside, well... all of the things that delight this little boy of mine right now... 

and from all of us:  his own kingdom!  the castle pieces and the knights were his present, the rest were part of our collection (which, I now realize I will still have long after they have grown out of it because I love each piece so much... they are all little works of art.)

he knew exactly what to do... 

{if you look closely, you can see the black knight spearing the dragon in the corner there...}

and of course, the cake! {and my sweet little vintage plates which arrived in the mail about an hour before the cake was served- a little happy coincidence!}

she wanted to be in charge of it all... 

they have the sweetest little bond... 

his delight... 

and even more delight!  

Happy Birthday my sweet soulful and spirited boy!  

 

october :: doll knits, yarn and a new library bag...

 

I have been knitting and knitting and knitting lately.  Just finished a sweater for me (!!) and almost done with a couple of hats, another cardigan for Eden, a striped tunic/dress for Eden, trying to finish up some striped knee socks for me (slow going), working on a shawl for a holiday gift, just cast on another sweater for me, another vest for the boy... (wow, writing it all down there is a bit daunting- and exciting at the same time!)

So, I just needed a break from all of the "big" projects that I have been working on.  Needed some instant gratification, if you will.  I have never knit up anything for any of their dolls before and have been itching to do so.  This is just using some scrap yarn from the striped dress I am making for E.  (dream in color: classy in spring tickle)

For this dress, I fused two patterns together.  Notes are on my Ravelry if you are interested. (the doll is June, a 14" Moonchild doll, also if you are interested)

I was excited to try out this pattern at the bottom and I love it!  It will be at the bottom of Eden's dress so testing it out this way was great to work it out before doing it large-scale.  

And since I am sharing doll knits, here is a sweater that my mom just made for another doll of Eden's.  this is Charlotte modeling her new waldorfmama doll cardigan.  Though I did not knit this, I put it up in my Ravelry just to add another great example of this sweet little knit to the gallery.  

And some new yarn to share... madelinetosh sock in baltic

A new yarn for me- bugsnugger's alder in mane...

...and bugsnugger's alder in smolder.  I really like this yarn and the colorways are great! 

And lastly in this jam-packed post... a new library bag for Eden!  We usually use one of those baskets with leather handles, but she brings so many books home from the library, that I thought an over the shoulder bag would be more practical.  Also, I have been holding on to this fabric (Echino) for a little bit too long, waiting for the perfect project (see my last post...) so, this seemed like a good time to use it.

Here is the back.  Another colorway of the same print.  I made it roomy, tall and square-bottomed.  It is lined with organic canvas for sturdiness and has a little pocket on the front for her library list and card.  

She wanted me to model it so that she could turn the tables and be the photographer.  You can see that it is fairly large, but since I am not that large, it is actually a good size for her :) 

Happy almost Friday to you! 

 

october :: energetic, eventful, industrious, purposeful, lively and engaged

These are the words that came up when I looked up "busy" in the thesaurus.  Much more colorful of a description of what is going on at our house that simply saying "busy" in my opinion! This post is an eclectic mix of what life looks like (and feels like!) over here right now...

evidence of the late autumn flower burst in the garden

her inquisitive nature: exploring plant colors all on her own... 

all from the garden (except for the carrot on which she was snacking at the time...)

SO many great seasonal books from the library!  

yet another impromptu apple harvest.  our tree is very productive this year and they actually taste good!

big WIP pile- stocking up my shop in preparation for the holidays.  thinking about sharing a table at our school's winter faire... 

new shoes!  love.

made 24 comets for the michaelmas play...

made some extra for super-charged backyard shenanigans...

those colors... these are so fun to make and to play with!

(used Cindy's tutorial.  thanks!)

a sweet little trade...

she deemed this to be the "longest fingerknit ever"

and played with it for a good hour straight. (it works perfectly as a jumprope!)

finally using this amazing handspun... 

(and finally using the handknit holidays book I have checked out from the library 3 times now!)

Autumn is in the air... so good. 

 

september :: school sewing {first day dress}

Oh, I have been doing so much sewing and so little sharing about sewing!  So, catching up with myself, I share some school sewing that has been done recently...

inspired by a dress kyrie made a while back and using this pattern, I present: 

the first day of school dress: second grade edition.  

you might recognize this pattern from before...

just without sleeves this time.  

he was so excited for her to go off to her first day of second grade. 

then, I think it dawned on him that she was not going to be around with him during the day anymore... 

she was great a reassuring him that she would be home soon... 

in the classroom... 

he loves those nature tables...

after a quick kiss goodbye, we got out of there swiftly as those little rows of tidy organization don't stand a chance with this boy! 

april :: this moment {silk dance}

{this moment} 

Joining Amanda and others in this friday ritual.

Happy weekending... 

february :: artisan

If you are like me, a "maker", perhaps you can relate...  I find that I am so often looking at handmade goods and saying "I shouldn't buy that, I should be able to make that myself, or at least try..." and mentally adding it to my never-ending list.  I was talking with a friend (also a maker) at our school's winter faire a little while back about this phenomenon and how it is so difficult for us to be able to purchase the handwork of another because it feels so indulgent (like when you have someone clean your house... the guilt...) Anyway, she and I agreed about how wonderful it is to be able to use and fully appreciate handcrafted items that we did not handcraft as well as support our community of artisans close to home and at large.  I recently was realizing how many amazing artisans I have had the pleasure of coming into contact in one way or another in recent months.  I thought today I would share with you some of their beautifully handcrafted work that has made its way into our home... 

Handcrafted essential oil soap and candles by the lovely Amber of Oakmoss.  Her blends are earthy and magical... I highly recommend "Caravan".  I am hooked... And the tiny handstitched thank you note (!) Simply wonderful...

 

Handcarved Cherry Wood sauce spoon by Claudia of Marshkat.  This has become my "everything" cooking utensil.  Look at that lovely wide handle! 

... and a collection of salt spoons in Rosewood, Cherry and Dark Walnut.  These are so cute and so well made.  These can be used for so many things, I am finding... 

Handmade "Double Scrubbies" by the very sweet Diana of Cocoa Beans.  These have very successfully taken the place of the kitchen sponge.  I can throw them in the wash and they are good as new.  Double thick and sturdy cotton.  They hold their shape well and are really perfect for wiping up counters, etc.  I also bought a stack of the "Bathtub Scrubbies" for all of us to use in the shower and tub and I will say, I truly LOVE them!  They are the perfect "roughness" for getting kids (and grownups) clean without being too rough as well as being the perfect size for little hands.  I am sooo happy with these, I will definitely be adding to this collection as she has so many great colors... 

The adorable stitch markers attached to this new needle case (which I am soon to post in my own shop) are made by the amazingly talented Karen of Karatstix.  Browse through her "sold" items in the shop also and you can see so many goodies that are available for custom order... 

I also purchased from her a needle gauge in the shape of a little sheep and an ingenious little Kitchener Stitch Tag (peeking out of the pocket here).  If you are like me and always have to haul out the book (or the computer) and look up the kitchener directions every time you need them, this is totally for you!  She also has some great accessories for spinners... 

I am sure you have seen little Buttercup by now, but I just have to dote again on this lovely handmade which found her way into our home around the holiday season... She is made by Jenny of Little Jenny Wren Dolls.  I still am in awe of the details of this incredibly well made little doll.  She even arrived with her own little handknit outfit, a handsewn set of pajamas and handknit camisole and underwear set (!!)  as well as handknit shoes! 

She is just the sweetest little doll and Jenny is such a dear to work with!  

And last, but not least, is this Amber necklace from Nova Natural. Though not technically a "handmade from a (local) artisan", I really love supporting this family-owned business and support their philosophy of play, crafting and family-care.  I really just love everything they sell and they are just so nice!  

SO, if you have any other great artisans that you have been loving, please do share!  

Happy Monday! 

All in a Day...

OK, so yesterday as I was browsing Ravelry, I found the perfect solution for my daughter's recent "I wont wear a hat" stance on cold mornings.  (Yes, I know, it brings a tear to a knitting mama's eye...) But, low and behold :  the Calorimetry!  What is that, you ask?  I thought at first when I saw the title that it was some sort of post holiday kitchen torture device for portion control or something (laugh it up, I know...) but when I saw it appearing in so many of my Ravelry friend's project lists, I knew something was up.  Then, yesterday, Nicole posted the finished product modeled on her sweet girl and I just ran as fast as I could to start this up for my E.  She knit hers with modifications for a 3-4 year old size head, so I made my own modifications based upon these for my 7 year olds head (notes in my Ravelry).  The result:  a perfect fit with room to grow! And Yes, It only took 2 hours (I know, I didn't believe it myself!) 

So in a day, we went from this... 

Or if you prefer, this... (ELIJAH"S FIRST PHOTO!!!) 

To this! 

Shown here buttoned...

And THIS!!

And she actually likes it and wants to wear it!!

Thanks again Nicole and Shelley for your inspiration!