We like snowflakes, swags, and sunshine. Doilies, felt, ribbon, branches, rosemary, candles, lace, a felt bowl, and stuffed Star Wars toys really do brighten up our December days.
Love to you all.
Saturday, December 7, 2013
Saturday, November 23, 2013
Bea, it's been nice sitting with you, looking out of the big window this afternoon. The cold dry stones out front are so pretty next to what is left of the less than leafy trees. You are getting big, older! Ten months, six teeth, nearly thirty inches long, and twenty pounds heavy.
I love walking with you. You leading me with your arms above you, holding my hands, my mama hands and your baby hands. Yell for dad. Go ahead, he loves it.
And I love strolling with you. Your finger points to everything, e v e r y t h i n g a l l o f t h e t i m e. My favorite of your favorites is the rose. Somehow you can spot it without buds and from quite a distance. That's impressive, m'lady. Onward!
And now, it's time to start crafting on a budget. To be continued!
I love walking with you. You leading me with your arms above you, holding my hands, my mama hands and your baby hands. Yell for dad. Go ahead, he loves it.
And I love strolling with you. Your finger points to everything, e v e r y t h i n g a l l o f t h e t i m e. My favorite of your favorites is the rose. Somehow you can spot it without buds and from quite a distance. That's impressive, m'lady. Onward!
And now, it's time to start crafting on a budget. To be continued!
Saturday, November 2, 2013
A calendar
A calendar is important in the way that the fabric on your couch pillow is important, creating a feeling in your living room, catching a visitors eye, warming them a little. It is important in the way that the small white tea cup is special because it comes from nana. When you use it or look at it, you remember her vegetable garden and wise, big smile.
A calendar helps you visualize time even if you're not much of a planner (like me). December brings winter and all things chilly outside and warm inside. We have ideas of seasons and months and having time on your wall, in the form of a calendar, is a celebration of these things. Circle the 28th because it's your daughter's first birthday. You could draw in the squares of September because years ago somewhere around those weeks you met a handsome man in the beverage aisle of a grocery store. What if March is a hard month? Maybe the yellow wellies drawn above the numbered days will make you feel okay at least once that dark month.
This calendar, this one here is the one.
The folks over at Redbird Studio have such delightful, simple treasures. They make the loveliest little wallets, a simple thing about the size of a credit card (but can hold many) with a simple fold over top that's closed by a single clasp. They make hats, bags, stationary, books, pins, clothes and now their yearly hand silk-screened calendar.
There are only 30. There will only be 30 of these in the whole world. Look at those lemons!
If you don't live in Portland Oregon, you can give them a call and order one for yourself or a loved one, http://redbirdstudio.biz/. If you do live in Portland visit them at 2927 ne Alberta Street.
*Thank you Redbird Studio for letting little hand knits use your photo.*
A calendar helps you visualize time even if you're not much of a planner (like me). December brings winter and all things chilly outside and warm inside. We have ideas of seasons and months and having time on your wall, in the form of a calendar, is a celebration of these things. Circle the 28th because it's your daughter's first birthday. You could draw in the squares of September because years ago somewhere around those weeks you met a handsome man in the beverage aisle of a grocery store. What if March is a hard month? Maybe the yellow wellies drawn above the numbered days will make you feel okay at least once that dark month.
This calendar, this one here is the one.
The folks over at Redbird Studio have such delightful, simple treasures. They make the loveliest little wallets, a simple thing about the size of a credit card (but can hold many) with a simple fold over top that's closed by a single clasp. They make hats, bags, stationary, books, pins, clothes and now their yearly hand silk-screened calendar.
There are only 30. There will only be 30 of these in the whole world. Look at those lemons!
If you don't live in Portland Oregon, you can give them a call and order one for yourself or a loved one, http://redbirdstudio.biz/. If you do live in Portland visit them at 2927 ne Alberta Street.
*Thank you Redbird Studio for letting little hand knits use your photo.*
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Standing
In the midst of trying to decide what this blog should be primarily, I've put it aside completely this month. And so a decision: it will be what it will be, each time different. Maybe a glimpse into something creative, especially the sort that involve fiber, maybe a peak into family life and now and again some thought.
No need to not do something because you want to do it all. I need to remind myself of this all of the time. You know, when you've got piles of apples and you want to make pies and cobblers and sauce but the fruit ends up rotting because you don't know where to begin? Well folks, the apples from the apple festival did not spoil this year. I feel very proud of that.
The sun has been shining and the leaves are in flux and the temperatures are lowering. It has been really wonderful this fall. It's like I'm seeing autumn for the first time, in a way. The girl just loves being out there, in the changing color and with the birds. She looks up at every crow she catches from the corner of her eye. She crumbles every leaf she can find. She tastes every left over from summer cherry tomato we let her. She crawls through the all of a sudden tall grass mission less but for a reason. It's fast. She is kissing and hugging mommy and daddy. We loved her then but boy do we love her now. The journey of newborn hood to now is long, really long and somehow short because I know nine months isn't a long time. That's the only reason it seems short, actually. But, I've got to say, I appreciate even the hard days Bea and Kenny. You're my family.
Do you see all of the standing?
No need to not do something because you want to do it all. I need to remind myself of this all of the time. You know, when you've got piles of apples and you want to make pies and cobblers and sauce but the fruit ends up rotting because you don't know where to begin? Well folks, the apples from the apple festival did not spoil this year. I feel very proud of that.
The sun has been shining and the leaves are in flux and the temperatures are lowering. It has been really wonderful this fall. It's like I'm seeing autumn for the first time, in a way. The girl just loves being out there, in the changing color and with the birds. She looks up at every crow she catches from the corner of her eye. She crumbles every leaf she can find. She tastes every left over from summer cherry tomato we let her. She crawls through the all of a sudden tall grass mission less but for a reason. It's fast. She is kissing and hugging mommy and daddy. We loved her then but boy do we love her now. The journey of newborn hood to now is long, really long and somehow short because I know nine months isn't a long time. That's the only reason it seems short, actually. But, I've got to say, I appreciate even the hard days Bea and Kenny. You're my family.
Do you see all of the standing?
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Home
Home time.
We've been loving our home time. Oregon weather has been lovely and wild. Tea, mostly coffee, chocolate, and lots of record listening particularly Rocky Erickson, over and over. There have been naps, kind of, and even venturing out into the wild because when you live up north you just have to leave the house sometimes.
Today, we are listening to opb on the radio and boy is it hitting the spot as the trees sway vigorously and the rain comes down in slants.
We've been loving our home time. Oregon weather has been lovely and wild. Tea, mostly coffee, chocolate, and lots of record listening particularly Rocky Erickson, over and over. There have been naps, kind of, and even venturing out into the wild because when you live up north you just have to leave the house sometimes.
Today, we are listening to opb on the radio and boy is it hitting the spot as the trees sway vigorously and the rain comes down in slants.
Thursday, September 26, 2013
A pattern
I know I mentioned a while ago that I would write up a pattern for a little dress I made for Bea. I totally knitted a new and better one, I just haven't gotten around to writing it out completely as she really needed a fall hat. You see, the rain has started off and on and the evenings and mornings are chilly. Already, she is covered with knitted sweaters, shawls of mine, and now her hat and I'm really wondering how in the world we'll be able to put more on her as it really starts to get cold. This weather isn't even that cold, but you know that a wool lover waits and waits for this time of year to bundle up her babe in pretty stockinette and squishy garter stitches!
Oh baby stitches, you are loved! You are loved next to the rich red hawthorne berries and the rusty orange maples, the tall kale and the darker mornings.
Introducing Bea's Raindrop Hat,
Bea's Raindrop Hat
by little hand knits
Keep the littles warm
Yarn
Cascade Eco + (less than 200 yds) and three other colors of the same weight at about 1-2 yds in length
Gauge
4 st = 1 inch
Needles
16in size 8 circular
size 8 dpns
Notions
One stitch marker, tapestry needle
Abbreviations
CO: cast on
pm: place marker
k2tog: knit two together
Notes
*When knitting the three color work rows, be sure to carry your colors loosely, being careful to twist the yarn in the back consistently the same to keep rows from bunching and to keep the inside of the hat neat.
*When selecting your three color work colors, label them as colors one, two, and three.
*This hat was knit for an 8 month old with a pretty normal sized head. If the child you are knitting for has a bigger head, knit for an inch or more longer when knitting body of hat.
Pattern
With main color, CO 60 stitches, pm and join in a round. K in rib pattern (K1, P1) for 2 inches. K in stockinette until your hat measures 5 inches from the cast on row. Start color work rows as follows:
Row 1: starting with main color, alternate main color with color one
Row 2: starting with color two, alternate color two with main color
Row 3: starting with color three, alternate color three with color two
Knit two rows. Start decreasing as follows:
k2, k2tog and repeat until end of row
k row
k2, k2tog and repeat until end of row
k row
(switch to your dpns right around here or when stitches start stretching across circular needle)
k2tog all the way around
k row
k2tog all the way around until there is one stitch left.
Break yarn, leaving a tail. Thread tapestry needle and bring tail through last loop.
Weave in all ends.
Enjoy, you all!
Oh baby stitches, you are loved! You are loved next to the rich red hawthorne berries and the rusty orange maples, the tall kale and the darker mornings.
Introducing Bea's Raindrop Hat,
Bea's Raindrop Hat
by little hand knits
Keep the littles warm
Yarn
Cascade Eco + (less than 200 yds) and three other colors of the same weight at about 1-2 yds in length
Gauge
4 st = 1 inch
Needles
16in size 8 circular
size 8 dpns
Notions
One stitch marker, tapestry needle
Abbreviations
CO: cast on
pm: place marker
k2tog: knit two together
Notes
*When knitting the three color work rows, be sure to carry your colors loosely, being careful to twist the yarn in the back consistently the same to keep rows from bunching and to keep the inside of the hat neat.
*When selecting your three color work colors, label them as colors one, two, and three.
*This hat was knit for an 8 month old with a pretty normal sized head. If the child you are knitting for has a bigger head, knit for an inch or more longer when knitting body of hat.
Pattern
With main color, CO 60 stitches, pm and join in a round. K in rib pattern (K1, P1) for 2 inches. K in stockinette until your hat measures 5 inches from the cast on row. Start color work rows as follows:
Row 1: starting with main color, alternate main color with color one
Row 2: starting with color two, alternate color two with main color
Row 3: starting with color three, alternate color three with color two
Knit two rows. Start decreasing as follows:
k2, k2tog and repeat until end of row
k row
k2, k2tog and repeat until end of row
k row
(switch to your dpns right around here or when stitches start stretching across circular needle)
k2tog all the way around
k row
k2tog all the way around until there is one stitch left.
Break yarn, leaving a tail. Thread tapestry needle and bring tail through last loop.
Weave in all ends.
Enjoy, you all!
Monday, September 23, 2013
Colorado
We just got back from Colorado where we visited with uncles and aunts, cousins and grandparents, and most importantly Bea's great grandma Elaine. Bea crawled near great grandma as she laid under her pretty yellow sheets. Our squirmy eight month old landed on great grandma's legs every once in a while but Elaine didn't seem to mind. She grabbed her hands and played with her rings. Great grandma smiled for Bea. She played with her feet, told her she loved her reddish hair and let us just be with her. Her whole house was full of love. I felt it every time we stepped in and saw it on the pictures that hung on the walls and felt it on my knees as I played with the kids on the fuzzy carpet, the same carpet Kenny and his brothers played on. It was an emotional and difficult trip but a good one. I'm so glad Elaine has the care-giving family she does. I can't say it enough, there was a lot of love there, a whole heaping lot of love.
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