handy

Our little family has been quite busy it seems lately.  With the end of fall, Thanksgiving, and the beginning of the Christmas season, we have been blessed with lots of fun things to do. 

I've kept our older ones particularly busy with lots of handwork as we work on making our Christmas gifts.  Since Logan is the 3rd baby boy in 4 years, he really needs nothing.  The boys decided to make him some little people that he can 'chew' on.  I bought some peg people from Casey's and some milk paint, and beeswax polish and they went to work.  They had lots of fun working on them and enjoyed making something special for their baby.  It was also a great weekend project - bonus for me!

 

We also worked on things wooly - which is the norm here!  Both of the boys dyed yarn for their teachers so I can make them some mitts for their presents.  They were sneaky, which was fun for them, and found out their favorite colors and then I made the dye solution and they painted it on.

 

making Thanksgiving gift bags for class:  mulsin bags, homemade playdough, ring pop, gummies, and a cookie cutter.

and of course, the best...the last bit of warm weather play!

this moment...

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. 

Have a wonderful weekend!             via Soulemama

Yarn Along Wednesday

Participating in the weekly Yarn Along with Small Things...

This week I am starting to frantically work on Christmas gifts.  I don't know why I've waited so long to start them.  I have a hard time doing multiple projects at once.  I am getting better at that since some knitting can be tedious.  Right now I am working on mitts based on the pattern Albina Armwarmers.  They are my second pair so far this week.  My first pair turned out so cute that I couldn't wait to do another one.  This time I modified the cuff so it is a bit less bulky.  I do love knitting with handspun yarn.  I really look forward to learning how to do that someday.  The Annabel sweater from last week is finished but I don't think it is long enough so I'm waiting for yarn to come.  The Pogona that I'm slowly working on looks no different  -darn sock yarn.

In reading, I've finally picked up Radical Homemakers.  It is interesting and quite outside my comfort zone.  I'm used to reading words like dither, verily, Mr. Darcy, blood feuds and not "We have come to believe that the viability of the corporate world is integral to our social and individual progress."  It is good though and I'm sure it will teach me something and ultimately make me feel guilty for not doing x, y, or z.  I just finished listening to the audiobook At Last Comes Love- which is a sweet historical romance. My children are enjoying Harry Potter and have been very excited to start reading our Christmas books since I just rearranged them and have them organized in a special basket.

Last stocking today!

My last stocking on my Hyena Cart Store is today at 12:00!  I put up some really super deals on superwash fiber. Reagan dyed it all and choose his own color combination inspired by his artwork.

this moment...

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. Have a wonderful weekend                 via Soulemama

 

Yarn Along Wednesday

this week's Yarn Along... my link isn't working! 

Participating in a yarn along!

This week I am still slowly working on my Annabel sweater.  It is taking forever.  With a sick (again) baby, it seems my time is very limited lately. 

We just finished reading The Magic Treehouse's Dinosaurs Before Dark.  I've started reading aloud chapter books from the witching hours of 6:45-7:45.  So far it has seemed to help keep the chaos down and the kids selecting more independent toys/activities to play with while they listen.  Logan wants to be too busy to sit in my lap and read so I like doing this for him too.  Anything Dinosaurs works for my crew.  They really want me to start reading Harry Potter to them.  I can't wait either but I think they are too young to understand that yet but we will try a chapter tonight.  I'm listening to the audiobook Crave by J.R. Ward.  I usually like her books and her series but so far I'm not a fan of this one.  I'll need to find something new soon as I can't go a day without listening to something!

A favorite toy

With the holiday season approaching, toys are on the mind.  They are mostly on the minds of my children.  I am constantly told all of the wonderful things they might like.  Constantly.  I hope they start to get the message of "it is not all about them" soon, or Santa is not going to be as fun as he (she) could be.

But...I do want to share a favorite thing in our house.  Capes.  They aren't really even that.  Just silk retangles that Reagan and I dyed one afternoon to add to our make believe basket.  They are so much fun.  I can't believe how much they are used and by how many kids they have been used by.  We've taken them to BBQs, used them when we didn't have 'girl' dress up clothes, and when a herd of boys were over playing.  They are used almost daily at our house.  Our neighbors will often drive by and see at least one boy hanging from a tree house with a cape on.

They are super cheap and easy to dye.  We dyed them with professional grade dyes because I have them since they are the same as what I use to dye wool.  Kool Aid will work too though! 

Perfect stocking stuffers or something to do during those long winter days ahead. 

this moment...

www{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. 

Have a wonderful weekend                 via Soulemama

teeth

"What did you say?"  

"You can get more teeth in your mouth?"

"I better get working on them"

 

Yarn Along Wednesday

Things are going so slowly lately.  I'm not sure why!  I've frogged a project I started for my cousin-in-law as it just was a terrible pattern and not what I wanted. 

I've been stitching away on two projects in between more immediate quick knits.

One is the Annabel sweater by Quince and Co. and I'm using Quince's Ospery in Peacock.  I must say that this base is fantastic.  It will be a cozy, squishy sweater for sure!

 The other project that I'm slowly knitting is a Pogona shawl.  I've contemplated more than once frogging this but it has taken me forever to get to this point so I'm going to keep on truckin'!

I just finished "reading" a great series, again.  Poison Study, Magic Study, and Fire Study by Maria Snyder.  While I do love, love, love to read, I find it is hard for me to knit and read at the same time.  Since knitting is what I do when I sit down, I listen to books by the dozen now.  Audible is my friend.  I love to be able to listen to a book all through out the day (and night) while I do my daily house blessings, knitting, feeding the baby, and driving to and fro. 

--participating in a Yarn Along at Small Things.