One Collection of a Ten Year Old Boy

One year, the non-crafty daughter used a wood-burning kit to personalize this box for my son.  The "Live Strong" bracelets were popular and he couldn't part with any.

 

He has saved his first knitted item - which he knit around age 5 or 6.  He coined the term "Knit Strong" for this knitted bracelet.

  

You know you've passed a love of fiber on when he has even saved his first handspun yarn, made on a drop spindle at the "Little Red Schoolhouse."

A Basic Bulletin Board Transformed

It's amazing what a coat of paint can accomplish.  We have painted many pieces of furniture in our day.  A nice coat of white paint makes a piece that can be used in almost any room.  But for my "pink" daughter, that wasn't quite enough.  She dug some rick rack out of my sewing room and glued it on - the perfect girly touch!

Alone

"...I want first of all...to be at peace with myself. I want a singleness of eye, a purity of intention, a central core to my life that will enable me to carry out these obligations and activities as well as I can. I want, in fact - to borrow from the language of the saints - to live "in grace" as much of the time as possible...By grace I mean an inner harmony, essentially spiritual, which can be translated into outward harmony...I would like to achieve a state of inner spiritual grace from which I could function and give as I was meant to in the eye of God..."

---- from  Ann Morrow Lindbergh's "Gift From the Sea"

I recently read this book because Marie from Permission to Unwind mentioned it.  I actually listened to the book on a college road trip while I spent quality time with my son (who was wrapped up in headphones, texting, or sleeping.)   The writing and themes in this book struck a chord with me.  The author, wife of Charles Lindbergh, wrote the book in the 1950's yet it speaks to women today.  She writes from the seclusion of the beach about the stages of a woman's life....the busy-ness of our lives and our desire to be at peace.  Although she doesn't have all the answers, simply enjoying the book's prose is soothing.  And, as Marie and I have discussed, there is comfort in knowing that she asked the same questions that we all ask.  That we are all on the same journey.

I envy the author's opportunity to be away at the beach for three weeks.  Away from her kids, the trappings of home, the tv, the phone, the computer.  We had a power outage last night for about 30 minutes and it was the most peaceful half hour in our house in a long time!  Rarely do I get a chance to be truly alone.  When I am at my job, cutting fabrics and filling orders, I enjoy a sense of being alone.  My mind can wander and think through problems in my day.  When I am knitting, I experience a similar sense of being alone in my mind.  But too often my life is filled with music and the computer, worries and simply many, many "to-do" thoughts.  Occasionally, I head to the beach alone.  I especially love the beach in the fall.  The screaming children are back in school, the sun warms, but you can enjoy it in your street clothes, the winds and waves are strong and help to drown out your thoughts.

A number of years ago, I read Alone, the amazing account of Admiral Richard Byrd's five month stay at the South Pole.  It's a remarkable story of survival.  I try to imagine how, under these extreme circumstances, the spirit endures.  Although I wouldn't want to be alone for five months, I try to imagine what I would do if I were alone...  I remember a homily from our dear, former pastor who talked about this book and used it as an inspiration for us to try to find some "alone" time during Lent.  I feel that I spend more time seeking to be alone....to find that peace....to re-center....than actually reaching it.

Found My Sewing Mojo With This 60's Retro Fabric

I better be careful or I'll start acquiring fabric like I acquire yarn.  But I couldn't pass up this mod fabric from Contemporary Cloth!  I just got my sewing machine back from a long-overdue tune up and decided to make some valances.

 

  

  

  

The valances aren't for my house because I only have one rod in the entire house.  But after everyone, from husband to the kids, admired this valance, I am now considering sewing some for us - it could really punch up a room!  These valances are for sale on my Etsy shop.

Button Ring

Annie made this simple ring by gluing a button onto an adjustable ring that we bought from Tofukitty.  She used hot melt glue.  Epoxy is suggested and we will use that next time.  It makes a quick and fun gift.  This would be perfect for girly gift-giving at Christmas.  It also came in handy for her older brother to give to his girlfriend on Valentine's Day.  (She charged him for it.)  Next up - a few shamrock rings!

Ash Wednesday, Rudy and Holy Music

I hope the Pope doesn't read my blog...I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who knows the theme of the movie "Rudy" was played during Ash Wednesday service.  Well, my daughter knows, too, because she was the one playing it on the piano!  She leads the music ministry team at her high school and picked very appropriate hymns for the beginning and ending of the service.  For prelude music and quiet, contemplative music during distribution of ashes, she reached for her green binder filled with the music of the O'Neill Brothers.  If you enjoy beautiful, relaxing piano music, check them out.  The Notre Dame Experience CD is filled with lovely tunes and includes the title track of Rudy.  Rudy easily brings a tear to many eyes, but brings a tear to my eye even more so now that my dad is gone - he was a huge ND fan.  My daughter played a lovely medley of songs, including Rudy, at his funeral.  The organist also played many traditional hymns that my mom loved.  We were given permission for him to sing "Danny Boy" during the service and my daughter and her cousins sang "Homeward Bound" as a prelude.  The music made it meaningful to us.

I think music has the power to move us but it can be very personal.  The Church usually does not allow secular songs, like "Danny Boy", at funerals and weddings.  Proper liturgical music is supposed to be sung during the Mass.  I have often pondered what makes music "holy."  I'm not sure I know the answer, but have discussed it with many people.  Sure, Mozart's Requiem sounds holy to me, but so does the Beatles' "Let It Be."  (My son played that a few times at school Masses until someone higher up put an end to it.)

I will continue to ponder this question.  For now, I "know it when I hear it."

I've Got the Blues

 

The Blue Jeans Shawl is coming along.  

It's a fairly simple knit, and one that I have been able to bring along to the auditions, but it still requires a bit of concentration.

So I cast on for the Pressed Flowers Carry All.

I am very excited about this!  It was an adventure in dyeing.  I used RIT's denim blue and I'm pleased with the results.

 

Not only will this be a fun tote to have but I needed something that involved some mindless knitting.   I can knit this while reading blogs!  

I have been holding on to this swatch that I made - can't even remember how many - years ago. 

  

It's a lovely denim yarn that is waiting to be knit into a sweater for me.  Someday.

I will probably design my own sweater using Sweater Wizard since I can't find exactly what I'm looking for.  I remember seeing Kyra Sedgwick in a denim sweater in the movie Phenomenon, but I can't find a picture.

My dear friends gave me this belated birthday gift.  (There were also some wonderful Notre Dame gifts!)

They know that I love to bestow my woolens on others, so decided to wrap me up in this gorgeous wool boucle!

I love my "blues"...probably cuz I'm a basic blue jeans kinda gal.
Did all this talk of blues get you down?  Check out Kate's giveaway.
She's giving away three skeins of gorgeous handspun!

Check Out ChillinJoy

If you read my post about gifts for wine lovers, you know that I enjoy wine.  I've been introduced to another wonderful product called ChillinJoy that I will add to that list!  

"The first of its kind, ChillinJoy uses a system of neoprene technology and removable ice packs to chill a room-temperature bottle of wine to the optimal drinking temperature and keep it chilled for hours.  ChillinJoy is the perfect gift for wine lovers." It was developed to be more than just a cooler -  to actually chill a bottle of wine -  perfect for an outdoor picnic, concert or for the increasingly popular restaurants that are allowing you to bring your own wine.

The backyard ice rink on a rare sunny day.

Since we are not exactly having picnic weather, we thought it would be fun to have an indoor picnic.  One can only stand so many sun-less, sub-freezing days before going a little stir crazy!  We invited our wine-loving friends over.  We are not high-brow here...we started with a few mini weenies!

Yum!  Our neighbors are quite knowledgeable about wines.  They have visited wineries in  Napa Valley, the Niagara region and our own wineries in Northeast Ohio.  Last year they treated us to a Wine and Chocolate Tour during which we were introduced to many fine wineries with beautiful vineyards right in our backyard!  They are also involved in wine events that are major fundraisers for Cystic Fibrosis.

 

We had a nice selection of wines at room temperature.  We chilled them just for a few minutes in the freezer and then placed them in the ChillinJoy with the frozen gel packs.

Normally, when you carry the wine in the ChillinJoy tote, the wine cools as the liquid sloshes around.  We weren't walking anywhere, but we did test it out as a tote.

The wine can be opened without unzipping the tote, another convenient feature.  We enjoyed a glass at the perfect temperature - chilled, but not ice cold.

We also enjoyed a nice dinner, good conversation and lovely wines.  We are looking forward to using our ChilinJoy at summer picnics, jazz concerts, and backyard barbecues whenever warm weather arrives.  Keep it in mind as a gift for yourself or for the wine-lover in your life.  Companies could even customize the tote with their own logo rather than the ChillinJoy logo to make a nice gift for employees or clients.

Thanks to our lovely friends for a fun-filled evening.  It's nice to know that these 30-somethings don't mind hanging out with us 40-somethings....

Practical Tip - Old Sock Wrist Warmers

For some reason, we blow through socks very quickly in our house.  I think it's because some walk in their stocking feet and we have wood and tile floors which are probably extra hard on the socks.  It sure makes me appreciate that I am not hand knitting all my family's socks!  (Or perhaps if I WAS, they would not be wearing out as quickly....)

You may have seen how I used a sock to make a cuff on a winter coat.  Well, this is a similar concept without the sewing and it is especially useful for playing out in the snow.

First, I save all holey socks - all sizes and styles.  I cut off the heel and foot of the sock to leave a ribbed tube.  Then I throw them in a stash bag, or on the floor where all the kids' outdoor gear is usually found.  Place a sock tube on your wrist.  Slip your coat on and then your mittens and you have a perfect cover up for that little bit of skin that always gets exposed.

When my kids were little it always seemed like the mittens never covered their wrists.  If we went sledding the snow blew up into their sleeves.  So this has been a handy tip for many years.  When they were toddlers and tykes I would simply slide the sock over their mittens and made sure it extended over their coat sleeve.  Now that the kids are older they still use the socks for heavy duty sledding days. 

Winners!

Thanks for participating in the recent giveaways!  We have some winners.

There were 385 entries in my excel file for the CSN Store prize.  The lucky winner is:

Missy!

She chose this cute doll house kit.

I'm so glad you got to know Marie a little better and hope you were able to join in her blog party! I'm a wee bit tired from all this partying...but I have picked two winners!  I always enjoy entering blog giveaways but hate being the first or last to comment, thinking that being in the middle gives you a better chance of winning.  (I know it doesn't.)    I used random.org to generate two numbers - imagine my surprise that it generated 1 and 4!  The birthday girl herself won!  And so did Sewfast!  Congratulations!

Party and a Fiber Giveaway!

It’s a PARTY!!!

Marie, from Permission to Unwind, is hosting a blog party to celebrate her birthday. Other bloggers have joined in the fun. So head on over and look for giveaways, recipes, and fiber-y fun!

I’m hosting my own giveaway as part of the celebration, but first I want you to meet Marie. I only know Marie through her blog and she is someone who just exudes energy. How does she do that? I’m not sure if it’s her exuberant smile, her enthusiasm, her witty writing style, or her passion for knitting and life….but you can just feel it when you read her blog. I thought it would be fun to learn a little about what makes this mother of three boys tick and she agreed to participate in my blog interview.

How long have you been knitting? blogging?
I've been knitting for 24 years. It's amazing to see the changes that have taken place in the realm of knitting in the last 10 years, though... it's an entirely different ball game now than it was when I first started.

I started blogging about 5 years ago and dabbled in several different genres, trying to find the right creative outlet. At one point I had as many as 6 blogs, but I couldn't give enough attention to any of them and ultimately narrowed my efforts down to one: Permission to Unwind. Although I do contribute to a couple of other blogs on a part-time basis, PTU is my baby,

Who taught you to knit?
My maternal grandmother. She was (and still is) an earthy, eclectic woman (like me!) who believed in living off the land and being self-reliant. When I was young she told me that she was afraid the art form would die out in my generation. Because of that, I made it a point to teach as many people to knit as possible throughout the years. Clearly it's not a dying art anymore, but I still love to teach. It's something I'm truly passionate about in life.

What's your favorite thing to knit?
It really depends on the day, the week, the month... I love lace work and texture, and that tends to be what draws my eye more than the type of project it is. I like knitting sweaters and hats more than anything else, but depending on my mood I can fall in love with just about any fiber project. I sort-of enjoy knitting socks; I love the first sock, but then need a hiatus for a month or two before I feel like knitting the second one.

What knitted item are you most proud of making?
Gosh, I don't know. My time is so limited that I tend to stick with projects that provide a bit of instant gratification, as opposed to ones that take months to finish. I have a feeling my proudest moment is yet to come; perhaps with my newly acquired love for knitting in the Bohus tradition. I'm knitting a gorgeous Bohus-inspired hat for the Ravelympics, and that may be my crowning moment thus far in terms of challenging myself.

Where's the strangest place you have ever knitted?
I took my knitting with me while my husband had his vasectomy. I sat in a chair next to him and worked on a scarf, I think. Honestly, at the time it didn't seem strange. I take my knitting absolutely everywhere with me, and it seemed like a natural thing to do. It didn't occur to me how funny (and perhaps insane?) that was until I mentioned it to a friend and saw her eyebrows raise an inch. But seriously... that is such a Marie thing to do.

Why do you blog?
I'm passionate about connecting with people and inspiring others. Blogging is also a great creative outlet, a place to gather outside opinions, rally support, and share common experiences and interests. I've met some of my dearest friends through blogging.

Marie's Pressed Flowers Carry-All Pattern

Do you enjoy other hobbies?
I used to be an avid quilter, and still love to sew when the mood strikes (but I don't sew clothing... ever). I also love paper crafts, cooking/baking, reading and writing. I decided to learn French about two years ago just because I'd always wanted to, and that has become something of a hobby for me, as well.

Tell us about French Picnic.
French Picnic was born as an outlet for creative synergy between my dear friend Gabrielle, and myself. We're both passionate about inspiring creative people to think outside the box, use recycled or found objects in their art, and find a practical and/or beautiful use for everyday items. Creative gurus in past years insisted that you had to buy a host of expensive and/or complicated materials in order to create something wonderful. We're not those people. We believe in finding a creative balance and learning to use what you have. We're by no means purists who shun the craft stores, but our goal is to get people out of the box. We have big plans for where French Picnic will someday be headed, but we're allowing it to be an organic process. We both have a lot on our plates, and so it makes sense to take our time and let it evolve naturally.

Do you work and/or study outside the home?
I do. I work as a wellness counselor and aromatherapist part time, and am also a student at Kaplan University. I have a few other business concepts in the works, as well.

Are you a small town or big city girl?
I'm actually both, if that's possible. Urban areas have always appealed to me because I can walk or bike to the places I love to go. I love the culture, access and diversity of a big city. However, I have also lived in little villages in the middle of absolutely nowhere, and I love that too. The slow, quiet pace of the country really soothes me. My challenge in life is finding a place where I can have both! 

Favorite vacation spot.
My favorite place to vacation with my husband is Kauai. I grew up with a special family connection to that island, so being there feels like my second home. But I also LOVE Europe (especially France), and would visit again in a heartbeat. As a family, we love camping and try to take at least one or two camping vacations every summer.

Fondest childhood memory.
I don't know if I have one particular favorite, but I remember bottle-feeding baby goats when I was about nine years old while wearing a floor-length green dress with big orange and yellow flowers (and off-the-shoulder puffy sleeves). Good times!

Who would you like to be for a day?
Either Miss Marple or a rock star. I secretly (or not-so secretly now) want to learn to play the drums before I turn 40.

Best advice on raising boys.
A little dirt never killed anybody. Laugh a lot. Listen. And always remember that boys are never too old for hugs.

What's your favorite chain type restaurant?
I love Mexican food (but not one particular chain), and the big salad at Olive Garden.

What things are unique to where you live? As in special customs, favorite restaurants, slang, etc. (I love to find the unique things of an area when I travel. So much of the US is homogenized - Anywhere USA).
We are transplants to this part of the U.S.. and the first thing we noticed was that the world here revolves around Cabela's (the hunter's mega-store). The company was born here and it's the backbone of the community. It's rather ironic considering that we are vegetarians who don't hunt!

Favorite candy.
I'm more of a salty chips girl, but now and then I will treat myself to Toffifay (a caramely-hazelnut candy).


Your scariest moment?
I can't recall off the top of my head.

What helps you when you are in a bad mood?
Knitting and a hot bath (but not at the same time).

Use one word that best describes yourself.
Passionate!

Passionate she is!  Which is why we are celebrating!  I will host a giveaway open to US and Canadian readers. You have a choice of two prizes:

Two skeins of Berroco Touche in red, each 89 yards, 50% cotton/50% viscose, 20st /24 row gauge:

Nine skeins of Lang Golf, each 125 m, 100% combed, mercerized cotton, 25st/ 30 row gauge:

With each prize I will include one pattern magnet (color, my choice.)

 

Simply visit Marie's Permission to Unwind and/or any of the other partying blogs listed on her site and leave me a comment below saying what you liked.  Also, let me know which yarn you are interested in winning and a way to contact you.   The contest will remain open until the end of February 10th.  Have fun at the party!

(If you are reading this post on the 9th, you can still enter my other giveaway.)

Audition Damson

The college application process seems a lot more grueling than when I went through it a looooong time ago.  For a music major, the process lasts well into January and February because decisions are based on an audition.  We visited some schools last spring with the family in tow, but decided that only one of us would accompany my son to his auditions.  So I have been criss-crossing the state (and country) with my son.  I knew that I had to have a good project in hand...something that would be simple enough to do in the car and while waiting for him to audition, take theory and aural tests, ....Damson was a perfect project.

I love the yarn, Dream In Color Smooshy.  It was my first experience with yarn that is so....well, smooshy!

The pattern, by Ysolda, is well-written.  I managed to make many mistakes in the beginning.  I seemed to reverse the front and back occasionally which immediately throws off the yarn overs.  I finally got the hang of it.  Later, in the stockinette portion, I managed to forget many psso's....that was a bit harder to fix, but fix it I usually did.  I adore this little shawlette!  I blocked it, which just made it hang so nicely.

 Although it is probably a bit small for my ample back, it still is enough to keep the chill off my shoulders.

During its travels, this Damson heard many things:

"Gift From the Sea" by Anne Morrow Lindbergh
The White Album - Beatles
Elton John - Greatest Hits
Sergeant Pepper - Beatles
In My Living Room - Carol King (3 times at my husband's insistance!)
These are the Days - Jamie Cullum
The Dance - Dave Koz
Becoming Jane Soundtrack
Sense and Sensibility Soundtrack
Wicked Soundtrack
Earth, Wind, & Fire Greatest Hits
All the Seasons of George Winston
And a lot of Hail Marys!

Remember when my son bought me this shirt?

I told him I'd wear it to every rock concert he ever gave.  Well, it's a little too tight for my comfort level, so I need to decide if I will creatively modify the shirt so I CAN wear it or just save it for posterity.  In lieu of the shirt, I will wear "Audition Damson" to my son's concert tonight.  He is playing in the finals in a High School Rock Off at the House of Blues.  Here's hoping Damson brings a winner!

PS.  I have to say that even though I don't like all the rock that I will hear tonight I have a great appreciation for the time and talent that these bands have.  I know the creative time that my son spends composing his songs and the hours he and his band mates practice.  It's a lot of talent and hard work!