Morsels

Tasty bits from the past week...

Whew, feels like its been a while since I've been in this (online) space, so more than a few morsels...

I spent last weekend in Western Maine, skiing the Maine Huts and trails system with a couple of friends. 

If you have a chance to go, do it.  The trails were beautiful, the lodges were energy efficient, mostly off grid, and warm,with hot showers (not that I used them) games, books, fire places and kind people.   The food was mostly organic, locally grown, and delicious.  My only complaint was that I couldn't stay longer.  We skied about 20 miles over the two and a half days.  Wow.  It felt so good to move my body like that for so long, and to be in the woods for two whole days.  We met some interesting people, came up with some trail names, and suffered through one night of snoring bunk mates.  It was fantastic.  I can't wait to do this next year, and look forward to making this a family adventure when the kids are a bit older.  

                       Starting the climb to our first lodge...600 vertical feet in about 2 miles (on skis).  It was   

                       steep and hard--and way more fun coming down!

  View from the top

                        frozen "Poplar Falls" behind us

In the days before our trip Kale kept saying, "I think its going to rain, then there won't be any more snow left for your ski trip.  I informed him that it was going to snow, and that I was definitely going to go on my trip, but that it would be quick, and he would have so much fun with Papa.  

Just before I left I told Kale I'd be home in two days.  

"Two days is a long time," he said, "I want you to come back in two minutes".  

Even with his sadness Kale gave me a hug and waved goodbye.  There were no tears, no guilt, just a little boy a bit worried about so many days without Mama.  But he was fine, and I was great.  Its a nice stage we've entered into with Rob and I able to swap evenings out, or weekend adventures without any great hardships.    I love, love, love babies--but big kids are pretty swell too.  

I've just finished up a bit of a whirlwind of knitting over the past month and a half:   A sweater for Wylie, that he's worn twice despite choosing the yarn and style himself!  I've threatened to start charging him money for every week that I don't see him in it;  A "transforming" baby sleep sack for my newest niece (it unlaces at the bottom to be a toddler jumper, and eventually a shawl for a Juni sized girl.  It may be the only thing I ever knit for her!); Then I knit up the last of Kale's sweater (begun last year); and finished up the yarn from that project with a hat and neck warmer for myself.  Whew.  I didn't follow any specific patterns for any of these, but can do my best to answer Q's about yarn or details if you have any.  

      Wylie's sweater in washable wool, k2 p2 ribbing at cuffs and waist, raglan style, roll neck with     
      thumb holes at the cuff.

                           Baby Sophie's 3 skein sleep sack in Cascade 220.  

   A very proud big cousin

 Kale's sweater in Good Karma Farm's Alpaca.  Garter stitch, with raglan decreases, and front zipper with ribbon edging (which was a pain to sew but turned out super sweet and totally worth the swearing and late night required) knit pants by Auntie Heide

                    My hat.  k2 p2 ribbing for rim, with evenly spaced spirals around the midsection.  

Last week my mom moved to Maine!  She's 20 minutes from us, which is pretty much fantastic.  We're so excited to have Mimi near by, in an efficient warm house that needs no maintenance, with no firewood to haul.  Its actually my sister's old house (since she moved to the farm up the road--and has lambs! more on them later...)  We've already made use of the babysitting potential of a Mimi nearby which feels a bit like taking advantage (because it is) but we're rolling with it.  I'm hoping she's as thrilled as we are that she's closer, and I know she'll fit right into the community here.  

Kale:  "Mama wait!  I'm going to put my pants on all by myself, so when Papa says, 'did you put those pants on all by yourself?' I'll say 'I did!"

Kale:  "Mama, you're getting to be a really good Mama".

"Thanks buddy."

A running friend loaned us this extra bike trainer for a while.  Its been a sort of non stop indoor triathlon training at our house.  I've used it twice, and it was pretty stellar to be able to get in a good work out with my kids right there, while listening to "This American Life" on headphones.  Of course I was interrupted every 3 minutes or so--but it was still worth it.  

But, then we discovered that Wylie's bike fit on it.  Since then he and Juni have been hitting the training.  Of course then Kale's kick bike had be be brought in, so this is the scene around here this week.

Kale: "Tell me a story.  About a whole family that goes walking in the woods--no sledding in the woods, and they hear a scary sound...and its a bear.  No, wait, they hear a scary sound and its a...what has more sharp teeth a wolf or a tiger?"  

Me:  I think a tiger. 

Kale:  "They go sledding and they hear a tiger.  No maybe its a dragon that makes fire!" 

Me:  "....and the family is walking along and suddenly they hear-----"

Kale:  "Wait!  How about its wolf.  A little baby wolf that can't even howl yet".  

And its nearly March.  Painless.  I think we're getting the hang of this February thing.  

A cowl for you friends...(and you)

I've been wearing this cowl nearly everyday since I knit it up about a month ago (maybe I should wash it?).

I've received so many compliments on it that I realized ya'll would want to knit one up too.
I finished this in a weekend, making it the ideal holiday gift for your girlfriends--and guys too perhaps.  Anyone who can knit a stitch can whip out a few of these babies.
Make one for yourself while you're at it.

The Details (you know how I am about patterns, so bear with me): 

Cast On: 30 stitches, or enough to give you 6 inches according to your yarn and needle size.  Knit a gauge swatch if you're not sure.  

Knit in Garter stitch (back and forth knit stitching only) until the piece measures approximately 22 inches--you can test your length around your neck as you go. 

Bind off.

Here's the secret--don't worry its not at all complicated.  Using the same yarn and yarn needle sew together one end to the edge of the opposite side (as below).  This forms the nice triangle point, distinguishing it from other round cowls (and possibly identifying you as a cowgirl).  

Now put it on, and quick knit up another.  

You could change this up so many ways and have a different style for all your friends, or one for each day of the week!  Maybe try seed stitch, or ribbing, a variegated yarn would dress this up a bit, and stripes are always fun.  Enjoy!

Make it!

These past two weeks we've all been feeling creative.  Rob's been hard at work rebuilding  the bridge, he and I are brainstorming ideas for a platform bed, and the kids and I  have been painting, cutting, sewing, knitting, you name it.  There's barely a surface that isn't claimed by some ongoing project, and since birthday preparations have begun (Kale is 3 this week!)  the studio is a wreck.  Its all good.  

  

Kale's first "sewing" project.  He's hoping it will be a sweater for his new baby cousin.  

 

 

And his first people ever...he made them as gifts for his friends.  I Love these!

 

Painting before breakfast.  

 

The kitty family (made entirely from old shirts, wool, and buckwheat hulls) flew out west for my niece's 4th birthday.   

 

Wylie's sweater (nearly done) and a little baby project Juniper has just begun for her new baby cousin (due in just a few weeks!)

Its that time of year---throw another log on the fire, put the kettle on, roll up your sleeves and get to it!  

Monday Morsels: Other People's Good Ideas

If you have stairs and you have children, chances are your staircase looks something like this.  Or maybe not.  Maybe you actually carry the stuff upstairs where it belongs-- or maybe even your children do this themselves!  I'm going to assume you don't because I know you're all way too busy doing much better things, and hey so are your kids right?  Exactly.



Enter the bucket.  You may have seen these here or over at  soulemama.  Disclaimer:  There was a time in my life (ok so I'm still kinda in that time, but working to get past it) that I considered using anyone else's idea to be copying.  Copying, as in the annoying thing little sisters do, as in never to be done.  Being creative involved creating everything--every idea, or so I thought, from scratch--or at least making it my own as best I could.  Now in the world of crafting blogs, and homeschool resource sites etc. I'm realizing people share their ideas because they are good ones!  Because they know you will like them too and want to make them for yourself.  So, here is this bucket.  I did not make it up.   I copied it, and I love it (and so does Kale, can you tell?).
This one is actually Juni's.  All of the stuff to be returned to her room goes into the bucket and when she heads upstairs she takes it with her to empty and return.  At least in theory.  The boys have some coming as soon as I can find the time.
And viola!  Clean stairs (at least in theory).  

Morsels:  
* Juni and I put together this little "Mr. Gumpy" set for Kale's Christmas present.  "Mr. Gumpy's Outing" is one of Kale's all time favorite books.  This is reminiscent of a project I learned as a preschool teacher, we called them Coffee Can Stories, and kept all the props for telling the story in a coffee can.   I made a set similar to this for my nephew's 5th birthday.  He has since outgrown it (he'll be 9 next week!) and  it was returned to us last summer, but promptly lost.  So, here is a new one.  It's just a felt boat, plastic farm animals and some tiny wooden people.  But it has been a big hit.  It's so sweet to hear him reciting some of the pages almost word for word in his tiny baby voice.  He is saying so much now--6 and 7 word sentences with pronouns and everything but his voice is still so sweet.





* I made these granola bars the other day.  They don't look like much but they were really the best granola bars I've ever had, except maybe a little too sweet.   I made them with gluten free oats, but I'm still skeptical about the gluten naturally found in oats.  I ate several anyway, as soon as they were cool enough to cut.  A word to the wise however (and most likely all of you already know this):  wax paper is not the same as parchment paper.  Oops.  Fortunately I used an all natural wax paper, so I didn't mind too much that parts of them were coated with the wax that melted to them.   We ate the entire batch in a day so I made another using rice flour and rice puff cereal in place of the oats.  These were also really yummy, but not quite as good as the first.
We'll definitely be making these again this week, with few substitutions:   honey or maple syrup in place of sugar, and less of it.  In the first batch I used some condensed milk I had kicking around in place of the corn syrup and it was great, I'm guessing just a bit more honey would do the trick as well.

* We finally got a bit of snow the other day, but have really been enjoying the clear ice for skating this year.

* This morning Wylie said, "how come Juniper can knit and I can't?".  Well, he tried and he could!  He's finished two tiny scarves (for Duck Duck and Boris) and has started on one for himself.  Here he is sporting his new Mama made hat.  I can already tell Kale is going to need a pom-pom hat too.

*Big raar, num you up! (Kale's good idea, inspired by "Olivia")

    sunrise on a cold morning, minus 12 degrees

Happy Monday!

Monday Morsels: Cranberries!

Wow!  I've never been so excited about cranberries before.  I mean, I've always liked them just fine--but there's something so exciting about finding wild food, in abundance, right in my yard.  Obviously we're psyched.  And my birthday rake is just the tool for the job, loving it!  

* Morsels are a little late this week--its been a busy one.  Just a few highlights from last week:  

fun in the leaves 

 for some...

* Last week we had a cold snap and broke out all the woolens.  Kale is sporting two hand-knits from Wylie's toddlers days.  Love that.
 

* Just as quickly as the cold came, it was gone.  Eighty degree days in October are a bit off, but we'll take 'um.

*Mime came for a quick visit, with treats for all:  candy corn, sushi, and playmo' guys.
Favorite Juniper quote:  "That Mimi is full of mischief!".

* Kale is all about guys lately.  He used to be all about the trucks, but now he's figured out that there are worker guys who get to drive those trucks.  Now all of our little tractors have mini guys propped in/on them somehow.  I love that his definition of a "worker guy" can stretch to include a Lego mini figure of a pirate woman, a Guatemalan worry doll, and even a tiny plastic chicken.  All of whom happened to be just the right size to fit his needs.  He and I found his "train guy" hat at Goodwill.  We both think its pretty much the greatest.

* The peppers survived the hard frost (they were in the cold frame).  The beans and basil did not.  Bummer.

A few survivors

* The sunflowers were a crazy 12 feet tall!  The garden looks so different without them.  I hope the seeds were far enough along to dry for the birds.  I've tried every year, but mostly they just mildew.  Any suggestions?

Hay wagon 

*  Last summer we gave our runner ducks to a farm where there were no dogs trying to eat them.  We miss our funny ladies, but know they are happier there.  I ran into their new farmers last week, who mentioned that one of our ladies is a new mama.  Ducklings might just be the cutest baby animal I've known. Certainly the funniest!

* With this warm spell I put a late crop of lettuce/spinach/kale into the cold frame.  I also thinned the carrots and beets and fed it all some chicken poop tea (seriously).  It seems late to me--not sure if they'll get a good enough start before the cold really hits.  If they're not big enough to harvest before snow they should at least have a great head start on the spring.  

                      Nearly full moon over the bay

Happy Full Moon!