Rabbit Is Wise

on my needles

Finally have a bit of fiber in my hands. Trying to finish up this "Such a Winter's Day" before Winter is over.

a watercolor painting...

Can I brag about my eldest for a bit?

She recently drew and painted this amazing face... oh, how in love with it I am.  I just had to share:

 

The proportions... the choice of colors.  She recently has been pouring over this manga book from the library.  It has given her new ideas for how to draw eyes, mouths, noses ...  It is so much fun to see how her practice is improving her techniques.  And when I point it out to her, she is so proud of her progress.

As am I.

free-form sewn bird toys

What do you do when your kids come to you with a crazy idea that requires your sewing skills?

In this case, my two oldest children wanted to design some stuffed-animal birds... specifically they have a dear friend who owns a stuffed macaw.  They own a snowy owl.  Somehow, these two star-crossed lovers decided to marry and have baby birds, and I was asked to make this possible.

It started with design drawings by my eldest.  She wanted to make two birds: one colored like a macaw but with owl-like eyes, the other colored like an owl but with colored wings and regular macaw eyes.  And my middle child decided she wanted a African Bee-eater.

Here is a photo of the progeny with their parents.  What do you think?

Can I tell you how hard those small round heads were to make?!?! Yikes!

treating tinea from guinea pigs

 

 

Oh my, oh my, oh my.  Who would have thought I'd write a post sharing information about tinnea (commonly known as ringworm) on a blog about crafting?  Not I. 

But after having gone through months of treating two of my kids, I wanted to share some general information I found out about going through this... information that was very difficult to find on general medical websites regarding tinnea... information that can only be gleaned through experience and piecing things together.  Always speak with your doctor or veterinarian regarding your specific situation.

First off, when getting guinea pigs, I had no idea they are commonly carriers of tinnea.  I had never heard of this before, nor that it was a concern to be worried about.  We always encouraged our kids to practice good hygene: after playing with their guinea pigs, they were instructed to promptly wash their hands with soap and water.

However, even with this level of hygiene commitment, one of our kids got an infection on her finger.  We think this was partially caused by wintertime dry skin allowing the fungus to get a foothold.  Initially, we thought the problem was just some persistent dry skin (it did not look like ringworm).  Then we thought it was eczema.  Speaking with our pediatrician over the phone, we described it and were told we could safely treat the eczema with some hydrocortizone we had on hand.

If this had been eczema, that wouldn't have been a problem.  However, because it was not, it actually caused the fungus to grow (steroids can do that with a fungal infection).  By that point, a topical antifungal wasn't enough.  After seeing a specialist, it was properly identified as a fungal infection and we were given an oral antifungal (along with the topical) to treat it. 

At that point, we were told that cats and guinea pigs can be carriers. We've had our indoor cat for years without problems, so didn't think that could be it.  Though the guinea pigs were new to our family, we didn't suspect them because of our high level of hygiene.  However, once the oral medication was started, we took all out pets to the vet to have them tested.  The cat came back negative.  The guinea pigs, positive.

We had to start a 6 week treatment consisting of lime/sulphur baths (at the vet) every 5 days.

But then a second child came down with the infection.  This time, after much thought, we realized it was likely given to her by using an unsterilized nail file.  We had no idea going into this how careful we had to be with this contagious infection.  Neither the pediatrician or the skin specialist gave us special warnings about how to avoid spreading the illness.

It was only towards the end of the vet visits for the guinea pigs that we were told that the fungus can stay on plastic surfaces, and that even a good soap and water wash may not get rid of it.  It was then that we realized our pigs may have gotten their infection from the used guinea pig cage and pigloo we had.  As instructed, we washed all guinea pig cage items with bleach to kill off the fungus.  We also replaced a wood hut (that the pigs love to gnaw on) with a new one (since washing that with bleach would not work).

The treatment at the vet is soon to be complete and we will be taking the pigs in to have them tested again to see if they are infected.  We will wait a few more weeks and test them again.

However, this was a very expensive lesson for us to learn.  I hope by sharing this here, anyone else working through this problem may avoid some of the pitfalls we experienced.

To sum up:

• Guinea pigs can be carriers of ringworm (aka tinnea)
• Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly after playing with your guinea pigs
• If you suspect your guinea pigs to be carriers (and they can be asymptomatic carriers - our pigs were.  Neither of them showed the typical "bald spots" that would indicate an infection), get them tested at your vet
• If your pigs do test positive, be certain to sterilize your cage and supplies with a bleach solution (ask your vet for specifics on how to do this). 
• If they're getting treated, be sure to clean their cage after their vet visit but before they are placed back in the cage (to prevent re-infection).
• Supposedly, this fungus can reside in carpets.  We have carpeting and don't know yet if and how we would clean it properly.  Something to think about.  I don't have a solution here.

 

Hopefully someone out there finds this information useful.  Regardless of my weeks of searching the internet for information about guinea pigs spreading ringworm to kids, I had found nothing.

shalom sweater, revisited

Just recently, a Shalom sweater fell off my needles - specifically as a birthday gift for my sister-in-law.  She had seen me wear my shalom and hinted (several times) that she wouldn't mind such a sweater.  How can I resist someone actually asking me to knit them something (obviously I can't - I try to make do by knitting things for people who end up not wearing them - yes, I'm speaking of my very own children...).

I didn't want it to be entirely a surprise, because I wanted to get it just right.  I asked what colors she likes and preferred sleeve length.  Knowing she likes cool colors, would enjoy 3/4 length sleeves, and prefers tops that are a bit longer in the torso, I took that info and ran with it.

The details of my knitting adventures are posted here on Ravelry.  My sister-in-law seems quite pleased with the sweater - and with the weather we're still having here in New Hampshire, it looks like she is going to get it wear it quite a bit more before she has to put it away for the summer.

finally finished ... a sweater for my mom

I've put down my Winter's Day in order to pick up another Tea Leaves.  This one I've knit as a gift for my mother, for her birthday.

Sadly, I'm totally officially late for her birthday.  It's all good, though, because I thought of a cool modification to make to the pattern... contrasting pockets!

Oh, I love this one.  I must queue up one of these for myself as soon as I finish my Winter's Day.  The neutral color with a crazy pocket color is such WAY TOO COOL.  And it was total luck that I found such great buttons at our local fabric shop.

All the details are on the Ravelry page for this modification.  Super simple.  Given my fondness for chartreuse, I think a dark grey/chartreuse Tea Leaves with pockets is in my future.

Time to pack this one up and ship it off to her.  Just in time for the hot weather!!!

a quick doll dress

That's right ... quick and dirty.  I based the dress loosely on another doll dress my kids have (and yes, I made that doll for my daughter a few years ago - my first attempt at a Waldorf-style doll).  My daughter made the fabric choice and decision for a dress with bodice.

I took out some pattern tracing fabric and laid it over the naked doll and sketched the rough dimensions of the front bodice and back two bodice pieces.  I guesstimated the skirt dimensions and added 1/4 inch seam allowance to everything.

In piecing it together, I opted to use my rolled-hem foot to finish all the edges.  And for closures on the back, I used snaps.

I surprised myself with how easy it was.  And because the fabrics my daughter chose were scraps from circle-skirts I made here, it ended up being a "matching" outfit for the doll!

This whole process inspired my daughter to come up with ideas for further clothing items for "Finn" (her doll). 

As you can see, she wants a bedtime outfit collection as well as more daytime clothes. I'm happy to obligue and hope to use it as a chance to teach her a bit more about sewing on the machine.  I'll be sure to share the results here!

repairing our trampoline

I just love a challenge... one that involves figuring something out with the end result being something useful. 

Several years ago, we got our kids a trampoline.  One of those small ones, only big enough for one person, that can be used indoors.  Since we have girls, I never worried about super-crazy dangerous stunts being performed.  And the trampoline has seen a lot of use. What a wonderful way to get out excess energy, especially if the timing or weather are not perfect for going outdoors.

However, this trampoline came with a plastic edge/spring protection cover.  I thought it looked robust, but after several years of use, the plastic started ripping.  And then it start ripping a lot.  And then the kids helped it rip a bit more.  Eventually it was in such tatters, that even duck tape couldn't repair it.  So I had to temporarily retire the trampoline until I came up with a fix.  The girls missed it.  A lot.  What a perfect impetus to get a problem resolved quickly.

The other day, when our local fabric store had duck canvas on sale, I decided now was the time to do the repair work on it.

I started the process by removing the cover from the trampoline and using a seam-ripper to undo the seams.  I decided to reuse the elastic bands (which were in perfect condition) for the new cover.  I used a tape measure to get general measurements of the fabric and figure out how much I would need to buy.  Here is a picture of the "mess" I had to work with:

I bought two yards of the duck cloth and some thin foam material (to be used as padding).  I also purchased some contrasting thread, extra thick (labeled as "outdoor" thread).  I knew it would be getting a lot of wear and needed to be extra strong.

Because I planned on putting padding on this cover, I decided the design should be a "sleeve", ensuring the foam would not touch the springs and wear out because of it.  I also decided to not untie the elastic, but rather sewed it into the casing as it was.  I'll admit that I ended up having to rip out a seam at one point because I had mis-calculated the construction of the project.  But I was able to salvage it fairly easily.  And I'm so happy with the results.  The kids are particularly happy with my color choice.  And so am I!

As you can see, I chose to use a buttonhole stitch around the holes where the legs go.  It may not look perfect, but I think it solves the problem perfectly.

Doesn't the thread color look nice against that blue?

 

plans & intentions ... revisited

A while back, I wrote a post on my plans and intentions... to just put them out there. And to hold myself accountable for doing them.  I figured, since it is a new year, it is a good time to look back to see what I was able to do.

In a word (or rather, three)... not a lot.

No summer dress for my youngest babe.  We got so many hand-me-down dresses from family that this went to the bottom of my priority list.  I'm thinking now of next summer, and sewing some cute "pillow case drawstring" dresses.

No pocket cloth diapers.  No need actually, as I ended up getting some hand-me-down ones from family.  I'll figure out something else to do with the diaper fabric I bought - or maybe I'll sell it on eBay.

No two sweaters for myself.  I'm still looking for the perfect "t-shirt" pullover sweater pattern and aran cable pattern. Until then, I've just started this one for myself with some gorgeous dark smokey blue grey yarn.  I'll be sure to post when I have a bit more to look at.

No Photoshop.  No time for it.  A bit busy with other things.  But I haven't given up on the idea.  I still want to digitize some of my old photos.

I did get a whole bunch of yoga pants sewn for my eldest.  Woo-hoo for small successes.

 

Given my low percentage of success with sharing my plans and intentions, I might just hold off before doing this again.  Then again, maybe not.  I'll have to see.

possibilities

 

Oooh, I just finished with a trip to the fabric store... and a load of laundry.  All pressed and wrinkle-free, this stack of fabric screams, "POSSIBILITIES" to me.  I can't wait to dive in and then share what I'm up to.

and the winner is...

What a wonderful response to my giveaway.  I got so many thoughtful comments.  I loved to hear about all the things people were planning/hoping/wishing to make for the holidays (so many quilts - guess that is to be expected from readers of SewMamaSew - but a lot of mug rugs... what are those?!?!).

I added the comment of the winner to the bottom of the giveaway blog entry - and sent off her pencil case yesterday!

 

I particularly appreciated all the feedback I got on my question about sewing tight circles. Lots of helpful words.  It made me realize that I did pretty well and that it is a hard thing to do, even for an experienced sewist.  Some of the most helpful suggestions...

• using an awl to guide the fabric (I actually used a seam ripper on one of the bags and thought that helped - at least I didn't feel like I was going to accidentally stitch through my finger!)
• using fabric glue to baste the seams (I gotta try that one - I was doing hand basting first)
• hand-basting the seams before machine sewing
• use a walking foot when sewing multiple layers
• go slow with stitching
• sew on the circle end, not the main body side
• use a fine tip glue baste to hold the pieces of fabric together
• use a serger on the seams (sadly, I don't have one of these, but I would sure love to try this!)

Some additional ideas I had uncovered after further research that may help me:

• be sure to clip/cut the curve (not sure why I didn't remember to think of this myself!)
• use small binder clips or Clover clips to hold the fabric together instead of trying to pin it

 

I would have liked to have replied to everyone who posted.   I'm rooting for each and every one of you who is hoping to squeeze in your projects before Christmas.  I'm totally a last-minute crafter, and have really been able to pull some things out of my hat, so I know it is possible.

I had such fun with this giveaway, I think I'll need to participate in another one.  So keep coming back!

 

And then there is the tutorial for the pencil case.  I may be biting off more than I can chew to post a tutorial here BEFORE Christmas, but who knows.  Otherwise, I promise to post it soon.  Very soon.  Please come back to have a look at it.  I'll try to make notes of all my tips/suggestions to make the process of sewing the bags as easy as possible.

a pencil case giveaway!!!

 

How many of you out there work best under pressure?  I'm sure I see some hands raised.  There is a lot of crafting I want to do, but I've found that, unless I have the pressure of a deadline, I don't always get it done.

I thought it would be fun to participate in the Sew Mama, Sew! Giveaway Day (if you don't already know about this, be sure to follow that link and find many other crafty bloggers participating in this day - you might find some other things you'd like to try to win).  This was the perfect excuse for me to play around with an idea I've had in the back of my head for a while.

I'm quite fond on pencil cases.  Several months ago, I found an on-line pattern to make and shared that with you here already.  However, my favorite pencil cases have always been tube shaped.  I first encountered these type of pencil cases when I did a study abroad in Germany.  That was years ago, and I still have a few precious leather pencil cases from my trips to Germany - all well worn and loved.

While I'm not ready to play around with making one of these in leather (though I think I might try that soon with some leather scraps I've been saving through the years), I thought doing a quilted one might be fun.  I find that no one can have enough small bags.  In addition to pencils, it could easily hold knitting/sewing supplies or makeup.

I used my favorite leather case for dimensions, and then figured out how to construct it out of fabric.  I plan on making a tutorial about this and posting a pattern here.  If I get enough traffic for the giveaway, I may try to even do that soon after the giveaway, so people would have time to sew these up as holiday gifts!  They are really easy.  The hardest part I found was some of the detail work, and that is where I hope you might help me out...

THE GIVEAWAY:

To be entered in the giveaway, I'd like you to either tell me about a crafting project you plan on doing for the holidays (or wish you had time to do.  Feel free to post a link related to your project, but if the post is blatantly an advertisement, I'll mark it as spam - please understand) OR give me tips/tricks for machine sewing detailed work!! 

In the process of creating the pattern for this bag, my biggest challenge was machine sewing the circle ends of the bag.  Maybe it is my machine that is the problem, but it is quite likely me - the bulky fabric doesn't want to stay under the presser foot and my sewing lines get all wonky.  I had the same problem when I was sewing the other pencil case and found that the only way to have perfect control is to hand-stitch.  Just so you know, I did baste stitch the seams and bias tape before machine sewing it down - that helped a lot but I still had problems.

I will only be giving away ONE of the bags, and it will be the winner's choice.  I'd like to give the other two away as holiday gifts for friends.  So if you know which of the bags you like best, you can include that in your post.  Otherwise, I will ask once the winner is chosen.

I plan on using something like a random number generator to pick the winner (I've never done a giveaway before, so I'm learning).  I'm happy to ship this item internationally, so for any international readers, please feel free to enter!  There is an option when posting to include your email address (which isn't shared with the public).  Please use this so I have a way to contact you if you are the winner!

The giveaway is open until December 13 at 5pm PST, at which time I will close comments.  I will email the winner by December 15th and post the name of the winner within this post.

I hope I didn't miss anything.  Good luck to you all, happy holidays, and I look forward to hearing your stories!!!

 

Comments are closed.  I'll be picking and announcing a winner tomorrow!!!

 

The winner is:

Amy said...

I would like to make a few cowls for my sons' preschool teachers:) Thanks for the giveaway! Amy @ gasudimack(at)sbcglobal(dot)net

girls yoga pants

I have mentioned a few times before that my girls are quite particular about the type of clothing they wear.  Each has her own bugaboos that need to be addressed with any new clothing.

It was a few years ago that I ran into the "pants problem" as I'll call it with my eldest.  Jeans or cords are out for her.  Jersey fabric pants are the only type she will wear, but even then the fabric has to be a certain kind and the fit has to be very specific.  When she was 6, she gravitated to one particular pair of pants and literally wore them to shreds.

When we went back to the store where we had originally purchased the pants, we were no longer able to find them (darn that whole seasonal fashion thing!).  And it was at that point I had an epiphany... why don't I trace the pants and sew them myself?  Looking at the pants, I was able to easily deconstruct the pieces, and using a bit of tracing paper, came up with a pattern.

Each year as Winter approaches, I take the previous pattern out and adjust it to accommodate the growth my eldest has done in the intervening year.  Of particular note to this pattern is an unusually low crotch - a tweak to fit that could only be done by sewing something yourself.

So I went to my local fabric store and bought 1.5 yards each of all the colors of rayon jersey fabric they had (except white, which wouldn't wear well).  The rayon fabric has a particular softness and springy-ness that is a requirement for these pants.

In my mind, the best part of these pants is the waistband.  I basically take a long rectangle of the fabric, stitch 3/4 inch elastic along the inside, sew the fabric into a circle, fold it in half and attach that as the waistband to the legs.  It is very soft, the elastic keeps the pants up.   I tried thicker elastic and my eldest hated how strong the elastic was - so 3/4 inch seems to be the sweet spot for her.

Here are some pictures of the results:

I can tell you that I've thought more than once of trying to come up with a pattern to fit me, so I could have a nice pair of yoga pants.  I might yet do that!  If I do, I'll be sure to share my results here.

homemade halloween goodness

"The best-laid plans of mice and men..."  That's what I'm feeling now.  Oh, so much I had wanted to do and share on this blog o' mine.  But life gets in the way sometimes.

I've been busy, that is a sure thing.  And I'm happy to say that this Halloween has not passed without some homemade goodness for my little ones.

We started out our Halloween festivities last Saturday, when we found ourselves at Strawbery Banke participating in their annual Ghosts on the Banke festival.  That meant that I had to be sure the costumes were ready almost a week before Halloween!  While at Strawbery Banke, my gregarious middle child introduced herself to another angel she saw, and in the process, got us in the local paper!  I loved hearing her brag about her homemade costume and treat bag!  It made it all worth the effort.

Luckily, this year, the girls seemed to know what they wanted to be and weren't changing their minds every few hours.  Phew.  My littlest didn't have much choice.  It was decided that she would wear a lion costume we had in our dress-up bin (no extra sewing in my part, and the costume was warm enough we wouldn't need to worry about a coat).

My eldest wanted to be a ninja.  My middle one, an angel (so appropriate given that last year she was a devil).

The ninja costume was simple.  Black pants (which I, by the way, made myself, but that is worth another blog post), long-sleeved black shirt, ninja mask.  In a fit of inspiration, I was able to make the ninja mask out of the same rayon jersey fabric I use to make her pants.  I basically sewed a long tube-like cowl, made straps out of the fabric to attach to one end of the cowl, and tie those straps behind the head to form the "mask" part.  It makes more sense if you look at the photos:

It would be easy enough to tuck the hair in to hide it, but when I suggested that, my eldest stated that she wanted to be sure everyone knew she was a girl ninja!  We also made some throwing stars for her costume, out of aluminum foil, glue and cardboard.  No pictures of those.

Then came the angel costume.  I had some tough hurdles to overcome with that one.  Highest on the list was the fact that my middle child is VERY particular about the type of neckline she has on any clothes she wears.  Case in point - I had to chop off the arms of her turtleneck shirts so she would have something to wear during the summer.  The key is that the neck must be high and tight.

Again, the day was saved by this rayon jersey fabric.  My idea was to create a white robe out of some stash white fabric I had and then sew another of these long cowls and attach it to the neck.  Here's a picture to show how it turned out:

This time, I suggested leaving her flowing hair out, to show it off, but no, my middle child wanted to hid her hair under the cowl.  Oh well.  A feather boa was sewn in a circle as a halo.  The wings were made from two wire clothes hangers, bent to shape, attached together with white duck tape, and white felt hot glued over it for the wings (two layers).  I love the swirly white patterned felt I found at the fabric store.  It allowed me to avoid having to glue feathers on the wings.  I sewed two pieces of elastic into circles then duck taped them to the wings.

The idea I'm most happy about was to sew two big buttonholes in the back of the robe to run the elastics for the wings into.  That way, the elastics wouldn't show over the robe and a nice silhouette would be maintained for the costume.  Here's a close-up:

Both girls were over the moon about their costumes.

And then I made everyone's trick-or-treat bags.  Very simple... 1/2 yard each of two different fabrics - the girls got to choose.  One for lining, one for outside and strap.  I made the strap long enough so they each could wear it over their costumes cross-wise.

With a chill in the air and Halloween behind me now, I'm anxious to get some wool on my needles so I have a few project to share with you!

a german tradition ... Schultüten!

 

Those of you from Germany or who have lived or visited there around the time schools begin in the Fall will be familiar with this fun German tradition. 

And though we do not live in Germany, my connection with the country inspires me to incorporate various German traditions into my family.  And though we homeschool, we still start our school year at the same time public schools start.

This year is a special year because my middle child is starting first grade, the traditional year to receive a Schultüten.

"What's a Schultüten?" you ask?  It is a gigantic decorated paper cone filled with special treats for the first grader.  In Germany, you can buy these in your local stationery store.  In America, you either have to order one online or make your own.  I opted for the latter.

It was simple enough.  I wanted something more stable than craft paper (which I had used when making the cone for my eldest several years ago - it was fragile to say the least), so I purchased several pieces of poster board.  I didn't want to leave out my eldest from the festivities (she's entering fourth grade), so she got a smaller cone.  But my first grader got a cone as big as she is.  That means, for the eldest, a single piece of poster board was enough, but for my middle child, I put together three pieces of poster board:

 

I placed two pieces connected by their longest side and the third piece with it's longest side connected to the top of those two pieces

 

I used packing tape to connect the poster boards together.  I then used a pencil and non-stretching string to draw a partial circle on the paper (as a guide for where I cut):

I simply tied one end of the string to the pencil and held the other end at a corner of the paper.  Using this as a type of homemade compass, I drew the quarter circle line all while holding the string at one corner of the paper.  Look at the photos to see which corner I chose.  This was to get the maximum size of quarter circle as possible out of the paper.  I determined the length of the string by finding the furthest point it would go without running off the paper.

I then rolled the quarter circle into a cone and used packing tape to tape down the inside seam of the cone.  Using a glue stick, I glued the outside seam shut and used rubber bands to hold the paper in place while it dried:

I then weighted the inside of the cone to ensure it would sit on the seam for added pressure to help it dry together:

Once both the cones were dry, I then had the task of decorating them.  I chose a "space" theme because the unit study we are starting the school year off with is "The Moon".  I have no pictures to show of this part of the project so you'll have to use your imagination.  Start by imagining the cones standing on their large ends drying after having been hand-painted with black acrylic paint.  Next, imagine a lot of scraps of felt being used to create a moon, stars, and a rocket ship.  There in the corner is my hot glue gun.  Imagine me using that to glue all the pieces of felt together (such as the details on the rocket ship) and then glue these felt items to the cone.  Now imagine me with a stack of tissue paper, deciding what color I would use for the tissue to go around the opening to the cone.  Glue stick in hand, I paint a line of glue along the inside rim of the cone and then quickly pat down the chosen tissue (length-wise).  I use two pieces of tissue to make it around each of the cones.

Now the fun part.  Stuffing the cones.  Imagine me again with that pile of tissue paper.  I knew if I just threw the goodies in the cones, they would look sad and empty, all the small items having fallen to the bottom of the cones... so I loosely wrapped each item separately with tissue paper and placed them carefully into the cone.  It did the trick and made the cones look very full.  I chose items I knew my kids would be excited about: small stuffed animals, pencils and stickers, gum and gummy bears (an homage to Germany!), wooden tops... stuff like that.

All that was left was to give the cones.  Both girls were excited to receive their cones:

And best of all - the large cone was so large, once it was empty, both girls took turns crawling into it like some type of hermit crab (sorry, no photos of this... you'll have to imagine!!!).

 

{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 inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. ..... in solidarity with SouleMama

 

{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 inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. ..... in solidarity with SouleMama

 

a blacklight art show

This past week, my middle child and I have been exploring all things neon in our basement.  My eldest is away at a daycamp and I wanted to do something special with the one who stayed home.  The culmination of our efforts will be an art show tomorrow night where we will be inviting some friends to come and enjoy.

We're most excited by the fact that the blacklight aspect of it will (should be) a surprise.  Our intention is to bring everyone to the basement for the show while all the standard lights are lit.  Once everyone has seen all the works and asked all their questions, we'll explain that there is another part of the show and ask them all to close their eyes.  We'll quickly turn off the main lights and turn on the blacklights.  I expect the reveal to be quite exciting.

I have to say that this is the most fun that I've had doing art with my kids.  I couldn't stop myself from exploring my own ideas for playing with blacklight and art materials.  Because of that, half of the works on the walls are mine.

If everyone is game, I plan on then getting the attendees to create their own art.

So let me get to the knitty-gritty details of the process.

• I started the whole process by visiting a local hardware store and buying some blacklight bulbs.  I learned my first lesson there.  Although the incandescent blacklight light bulbs are cheaper and labeled "blacklight", they do not cause items to fluoresce.  You need to spend the extra $2 to get the CFL blacklight bulbs.  When I discovered the first kind don't work, I did a bit of research, and found that florescent lights work best for blacklight, so CFL's fit the bill perfectly AND fit in standard lightbulb sockets!
• Next, I tried a bulb and looked around my craft supply to discover what items glowed. It was a lot of fun to discover what takes on a new look under blacklight.  I found out that various papers I already had glowed, as well as standard copy paper.  Some other supplies worked as well.
• This was a great excuse to visit an office supply store and get a few things.  Sharpie has come out with some new neon markers that state that they glow under blacklight.  With a bit of testing on various papers, we were able to find a paper that doesn't glow (white copy paper doesn't work like that) but doesn't absorb the ink so much that the ink doesn't glow (construction paper has this problem).
• A huge part of the fun of this project was testing things.  We got neon tempra paints and had to test them on various papers to see which papers made the paint glow best.

Here are some of the works to share with you, along with comments:

 

Special neon tempra paints

You can see which colored pencils glow!!!

I noticed during my blacklight sweep that some of the pom-pons glow, too!

The special neon glow Sharpies

Standard white copy paper takes on a ghostly glow

Here is a wide-angle view of the main part of the exhibit. Note the cursive alphabet made of neon yarn glued so a long strip of easel paper.

I discovered that some white thread glows under blacklight, hence my idea to make this "lace star" from pins, thread, and a yoghurt lid.

This is made of cut-out bright copy paper

Cut out shapes from the neon copy paper made for fun 3D creations

Even some colored feathers from the craft store glow under blacklight - an inspiration for this flamingo

 

I imagine that we'll have another showing which will include art from my eldest (who will likely want to play around with the effects of blacklight)!!!

i'm back...

No photos (camera battery almost dead and not sure which box the charger is packed in)... only just got my computer set up today (finally, oh how I missed it)... 

I can't wait to share a bit more about our new place.  The best thing of all... I do have a sewing room all to myself.  Once it is properly organized, I'll take some shots to share.

I spent the morning with a close friend who lives in the town we now live in, picking blueberries at a local farm with all my girls.  It was heaven.  And just down the road.  To say I'm happy would be an understatement.  I'll share more once I can find that charger!

plans & intentions

No photos today.  No sharing of a project.  All our stuff is packed up.  I don't even have easy access to my knitting needles (though with this heat, I really don't want to knit).

But before total radio silence, I wanted to share my plans here.  By sharing, I'm hoping that will help me  complete my goals... by being held accountable because I shared my intentions...

So, my sewing and knitting plans for the summer include:

• sewing at least one summer dress for my youngest babe, hopefully with matching bloomer pants
• sewing some yoga pants for my eldest.  I have the fabric.  I've done these before.  She's outgrown and worn-out the others I've made for her, so it is time!
• sewing a pocket cloth diaper from the cloth diaper sewing supplies I purchased months ago (including a snap-install tool thing).  If it is a success, I'd like to make a whole batch.
• knitting a flattering t-shirt styled pullover (likely with a v-neck) out of linen yarn (I want it to be classic and lightweight for summer wearing or layering).  So far, my trawls on Ravelry haven't shown me a pattern that exists that is exactly what I'm looking for, so this may involve making something up.  Goodie!
• planning for and starting? on a classic aran cable sweater for myself.  I've always wanted to make one of these for myself.  I would like a cardigan, I think with pockets.  And I'm planning on using some Quince & Co limited edition osprey yarn that I got just for the occasion (who could pass up trying Quince & Co. yarn for only $6/skein?!?  I've always wanted to try it and now I have a reason - even the natural color will be perfect for the project, no dyeing needing).  Again, I haven't found the perfect pattern for this, and I think I might like to come up with my own cable configuration, so this may be another pattern I kinda make up myself.
• learn how to use Photoshop to scan and retouch old photos from my college photography class days and share that process with you here on the blog.

I can't wait to start on all this - but that won't happen until we've settled in on the other side.  I think I may even be getting my own little sewing room!!  Fingers crossed.  If I do, I'll be sure to share a few photos of the space.

warning ... radio silence

I just wanted to put it out there that, if you saw my last blog post, you may be able to intuit that a move is in my future.  What that means is that things here will be a bit silent for a while.  I'll likely be losing my computer soon to have it packed up, and it can take a week or so on the other end to get internet in the new place and such...

If I can (and have anything interesting to say or share), I'll post here.  Otherwise, if things are silent, try coming back here mid-July.  My family and I should be nicely settled into our new place by then and I should have a lot to catch you up on!

{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 inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. ..... in solidarity with SouleMama

 

success!!! a knitting disaster averted

This past week, my whole creative focus has been directed at finishing a knitting project, specifically this project.  I was knitting with some yarn I had picked up a several weeks ago from the New Hampshire Sheep and Wool Festival.  This has kept me from thinking about or working on anything else creative, hence the radio silence on the blog...

The moment I saw the yarn at the festival, I was hooked (the photos don't do it justice.  We've had horrible weather this week, so cloudy, and the morning sun just wasn't right - and I didn't have the patience this morning to tweak it in iPhoto to correct it so it looks like it does in person - which is a beautiful, ethereal ice blue). 

I think I walked past the yarn and fondled it three times before committing to purchase it.  For the longest time I've had the Katrina Ballerina Lace Layering Cardigan in my queue on Ravelry with the hope of knitting one for myself.  And when I saw that yarn, I thought of that sweater, and, for me, it was a match made in heaven.

Now, one of the unusual things about the yarn was that the hang-tag on it had basically no information on it.  It gave the color as Japanese Indigo (handwritten), but said nothing about yardage or weight or anything.  The woman at the booth explained that it was yarn that her friend had sent off to have spun and then had hand-dyed - and that she was selling it at the booth for her friend.  No info beyond that.  We chatted for a while to see if we could figure out a bit more about the yarn.  We had guessed that there was probably ~200 yarns on each hank.  I nearly purchased only two of the three hanks that were there (because one was noticeably darker and I worried about working that into the project).  But in the end I bought all three and carried them home with a smile.

Two weeks ago, I started the project with high hopes of finishing it in short order and maybe getting to wear it during the unseasonably cool weather we were having.

And then the past two weeks happened...

Not only has the weather steamed up here and my fingers were sweating while knitting - but I got to the middle point of my third ball of that amazing yarn and realized that I wasn't going to have enough to finish the sweater.

I sat on it for a few days.  I took out my cooking scale, carefully placed the ball of yarn on it, wrote down the weight, then knit two rows and weighed it again.  About 2 grams per row with 50 grams left would mean I had 25 rows to finish off the sweater.  Given the length that I wanted the sweater to be (falling to the widest part of my hips), I knew I was off by around 10 rows.

So I had to make a decision... do I frog the whole project and find something else to knit with that yarn?  Ack!  I couldn't imagine it.  I really wanted that sweater in THAT exact yarn.  Do I make the sweater shorter than I want to accommodate the amount of yarn I have?  Nah, that wouldn't work.  I wasn't looking for a cropped sweater.  My ample bosom wouldn't look flattering that style.

I decided my only course of action was to search my local yarn stores for a yarn that would match the one I have closely enough to make the transition to it into a design element.  I hoped it wouldn't be too hard to find a yarn that was similar in color to the original, only a bit darker - that way the "weightier" dark color would be on the bottom of the sweater and it would look intentional.

My first trip to a yarn store turned up nothing.  But I did learn that looks can be deceiving with colors.  I would spy what I thought would be a good yarn from across the store, only to discover when I came closer and put my sweater up to it that it was TOTALLY wrong.  Hmmpff.

Just a few days ago, I made the trek to another nearby yarn shop.  My youngest in tow, the trip did NOT start off auspiciously.  About 15 minutes before arriving, she woke up in her car-seat and proceeded to scream the rest of the way there.  I wasn't going to let that deter me from my goal.  I got there, took her in with me, tried to calm her down by showing her all the yarns, finally gave up and found a secluded chair in a corner, and nursed her back to peace.

Once she was fine, I found the shop owner and explained my quandary.  I thought I saw her give me a bit of the eye (for getting myself into such a knitting pickle), but we then walked the store to see what she had.

And it was just by chance that I spied something I thought might work.  A kinda tweedy yarn.  I pulled it out and put it by the sweater and was shocked how nice it looked.  Beautiful yarn.  And it had a hang-tag!  Whoo-hoo!  It's called o-wool from the Tunney Wool Company... 50% certified organic merino and 50% certified organic cotton.  Hmmm.... cotton?!  My dream-yarn was 100% wool.  Would this work?  Mixing yarn like that?  But the color was perfect (jade 3125 to be precise).

I couldn't find anything else that matched so nicely.  And if I had known at the start of the project that I wasn't going to have enough wool, I would have gotten a contrasting color to use and then put a bit of that at the neckline and sleeves to tie it all together.  I think it would have been easier to find a nice contrasting color.  But to find a matching color - well, that was harder.  I had to get this and make it work.  I knew I wouldn't be so lucky as to easily find another yarn in 100% wool in a matching color.

I bough two hanks (I wasn't going to get myself into another pickle!).

I wasn't disappointed.  As soon as I started to knit with it, it still looked great next to the other color, regardless of what lighting conditions I viewed it under.

I decided that to make the transition look all the more intentional, I would do some alternating rows as I worked in the new color: two rows new color, two old, two new, two old, two new, two old and then new on to the end...  (that is how I worked that third, darker ball into the project, and it definitely makes it look like a design element).

So I've blocked it, picked out buttons (the mother-of-pearl ones reflect the color so nicely, I think) and have worn it a few times already.  I LOVE it.  But it makes me realize I don't really have any tops I can wear with it that match nicely (hence the lack of photos of me wearing it!).  With the small batch of cool weather we just had, it was nice to have something to warm my core!  I can totally see myself getting a ton of wear out of this sweater.

And my husband said something extra nice about it - that it has a slimming effect.  I'm all over that!

The only thing I would have done differently if I did this again?  Move that top buttonhole maybe one or two rows higher.  Otherwise, it is perfect!

{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 inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. ..... in solidarity with SouleMama

 

six

 

 

My middle child celebrated her sixth birthday yesterday.  Two hands, as she says.  Over a month of anticipation for the special day... and she got most of her wishes granted:

... pancakes for breakfast

... movie at the theater with father and older sister

... games and rides at a fun center with the whole family

... homemade pizza for dinner with family

... birthday presents galore (her favorite being the gummy snakes she got from our neighbors - and yes, that was on her wish list)

Such a bright star, this one.  So full of energy and excitement... And six years ago, I had the most wonderful and peaceful homebirth I could have wished for with her.

Happy birthday, my dear one.

a hot cat

It has been so hot here the past few days that this is what I found in our living room today:

I don't think I've ever seen him sleep on his back that way!  Ever!  Maybe I'll start putting ice cubes in his drinking water to help cool him down.

{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 inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. ..... in solidarity with SouleMama

 

my climber...

 

 

This little climber of mine.  Everytime I turn my back, I turn around to find her scaling some new height.  This is (partly) why I've been away from here for a few more days than I would like.  The littles are keeping me busy.

See that dark spot on the screen that she is looking at?  A big mother-of-a-wasp inside our screened porch.  Once I realized that, I put down my camera and did some bug hunting (gotta protect the babes, especially since my eldest has a horribly long history of getting stung by wasps - just really bad luck).

slime...

Isn't that crazy looking?  Doesn't it look like something you would buy at the store, maybe Hulk Hands or something?  Well, it's not.

It's just homemade slime.  Who knew it could be so much fun?

I've seen recipes for this but never tried it (because it has Borax as one of the ingredients).  Now that my girls are older, we just play by the rule that you have to wash your hands after playing with it - no hands in the mouth.

I was surprised at how many inventive games they came up with to explore the possibilities of slime.  Above is the "typewriter" game... typing on the slime to make a Morse-code like message.

There was the "cover the hand with slime" game.

There was the "make a bubble" game.

My middle child liked pretending the slime was raw chicken (I don't think she has ever touched raw chicken before - but I imagine it feels a bit like it, especially when the slime has just come out of the refrigerator).  She would rip off pieces and place it on a plate and watch how all the pieces would "melt" together.

Hours of fun.  Literally.

There are so many places on the web with the recipe, I'll just redirect you here to find one.  We used white Elmer's glue (I don't have any of the clear - I'll have to find some)... we'd like to try clear with glitter!

on my needles

I'm so excited about the project I am knitting up.

It's the Katrina Ballerina Layering Cardigan... sleeveless, so I think it'll be nice for Spring and Fall.

I'm using some of the yarn that I got while at the NH Sheep & Wool Festival.  I don't have a name of the yarn as it was being sold by a friend of the person whose sheep it was made of - I only know it was sent away to be spun and she then hand-dyed it with natural plant dyes.  The color was called Japanese Indigo. 

It's turning out to be such a quick knit.  And I am in love with the color.  It is such a pale, almost silvery blue.

I'll be sure to share again once the sweater is finished and blocked.

{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 inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. ..... in solidarity with SouleMama