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It really is the little things that make me happy. Like...
the crab apple blossoms and lilacs that we put in last year.
The yarn earthmama and I kool-aid dyed the other night, drying on the rack.
Freshly made soap, citrusy in the sunlight.
A ball band dishcloth waiting to be finished and then...
finished and in use.
Enjoy a weekend full of the "little" things.
The last days of our Spring break were filled with projects. A3 decided to start knitting again, I was working on multiple knitting projects and the house was a buzz with the energy of concentrated hand work. This energy grabbed onto our youngest crafter to be and A4, my youngest son, recently seven, decided he wanted to learn how to knit too. All my other children learned to knit at his age at the Waldorf school and when we were homeschooling. We have been so busy driving back and forth to sports, school and after school activities that, I will reluctantly admit, I have been re-miss in my handwork instruction with A4. The time had come and we actually had some spare moments to sit on the porch swing and teach him the preliminaries.
A3 was thrilled and recounted her experience learning the "magic" knot and finger knitting. It was bitter sweet watching his chubby little fingers trying their hardest to figure out how to grab the yarn to make it come out right. I marveled at how quickly he went from awkward to competency stringing "magic" knot after "magic" knot. A3 helped him "check" that he did it right by pulling all of them out, pop, pop, pop, all down the line.
Then it was on to the work of finger knitting. That kept him busy for the rest of the day. He claimed one of my old small project bags as his own, made long chains of finger knitting, and finally fell asleep with his bag in his hand, full of his work of the day.
The craziness of school and sports has started again. It might be summer before we have a chance to make knitting needles and dye his yarn for his first project, but I know it will come, and the last of my knitters will join the ranks of children who know the pleasure of making something useful with their own hands.
A3 decided that she wanted to knit something today. She has not knit for a very long time so I told her that I would like a dishcloth with the new yarn I bought, but we needed to wind the yarn first. I grabbed the orange and gave her the yellow. I started winding and told her how to wind a ball. What I thought was just the beginning of a project, turned rapidly into a learning moment, for A3 and me.
A3 has an issue with being "really good" (I'm trying to avoid the p word) at whatever she does. That apple does not fall far from this tree. When she looked at my ball, rapidly expanding, she had a little breakdown. "Mine doesn't look as good as yours, I'm not good at this," etc. I remarked that I have wound many, many balls of yarn, maybe even thousands and all it takes is a little practice. She was about to give up. You know,"if I'm not good at it, I'm going to quit". Well, I know.
Normally, I would just wind the ball and get on with it, but this time I took a breath, gave her some encouragement, sat through the tears. She didn't give up, but she was not happy. After I let her try some more, I asked if she wanted some more pointers. We sat in the chair together, A3 right in front of me, just like she learned to knit. Sitting right there, she finished the ball, beautifully.
I handed her the needles and asked if she remembered how to cast on. She said she didn't, but she tried anyway. Sure enough, her hands remembered the long tail cast on like she had just done it yesterday. She also remembered how to knit, and with her sitting between my legs she started her project, happily.
Her lesson, perseverance.
My lesson, you have to let them learn their own lessons. Sometimes.
(As an aside, I am winning my mental battle with The Closet. One sleeve finished!)
I feel like we have been under that ash cloud even though we are far away. A1 was supposed to travel to France over spring break, like so many others, but her trip was derailed. This, in turn, forced the rest of the family to abandon our plans to join G for a work/ break in D.C. So, I've been busy trying to help everyone through their disappointment. A job that does not come naturally to me, as I am prone to throwing whining baby fits myself. As a matter of fact, I had to throw mine privately this week, so as not to add to the children's distress. I guess I really am growing up!
I have channeled some of my disappointment into projects and another trip to the yarn store. I am halfway through a baby sweater, I bet you can all guess what pattern by now, for one of A3's teachers. A3 requested a long list of baby gifts, then told me next week was her teacher's last week at school. It pains me not to be able to deliver, given my love of making baby things. I'm glad she asked though. I think that is one of the most amazing parts of being able to make things, the kids never asking to buy things for gift-giving occasions anymore. Their first question is always, "What should we make?" Unfortunately, The best I can do on such short notice is the sweater and hat set. I can practically knit those while I sleep.
I am almost done with the body of my new spring sweater. I hope I can successfully start the sleeves. That seems to be where I "lose" the sweater to The Closet, sometimes for years! Wish me luck.
I have also finished some new (a)rt blocks. Cupcakes 2.0. I like these much better and have the urge to make thousands, leaving one wherever I go.
I'm going to try and stay in my "happy sparkly cupcake" place for the rest of break!
I'm unravelling. First, it was B's little sweater, then a huge hemp basket that I crocheted about six years ago. I have been holding on to it for so long, not really knowing what I could do with it. It turned out far too big to be of any use but still, I kept it around. I had put so much work into it. It's just been sitting in my various closets, from one house to another.
I have decided that I'm clearing out all of the projects gone awry that I have kept, just because I made them. It is slightly painful, those first few rows, but after my ego surrenders, it's actually quite liberating. I'm making room for new ideas and new projects. I'm also reclaiming materials for these new projects, at no additional cost. It's a total win/win. Stay tuned!
It seems like it was yesterday. Wasn't it yesterday? Time seems to be speeding up. I guess that happens when you have approximately four different sports practices to get to everyday! I'm not even kidding. I am using this craziness to practice time management. I have actually been able to get some of my own projects done in the past week. I just haven't had anytime to sit down and write about them.
When I last left you, I was working on the green February Lady Sweater for L. Well, I finished that including shopping for buttons. I think they suit her perfectly, they remind me of the sea.
Unfortunately, B's sweater did not turn out so well. After the first two inches I knew my calculations were off but I knit on, like usual. When will I learn to listen to my crafty intuition? I had most of the body and one sleeve knit when I ran out of yarn. The only thing to do was frog it. I think that's the third time that yarn has been ripped back. As I was ripping back, I decided to knit her a little dress with the Gull lace pattern for the skirt. When I was at the yarn store buying buttons I picked up a sea blue skein of Summer Tweed for the bodice. I haven't quite started because I was distracted by the New color (Bamboo) of Rowan's Summer Tweed. New Spring sweater for me! Apparently the project ADD hasn't resolved itself yet.
I also wanted to share the Easter dessert G came up with. They were too cute!
Miniature bunny marshmallow smores!
