The Best Gift Ever

Yesterday morning when checking the mail slot to see if their wishlists had disappeared, Eamon and Aine discovered a sealed envelope. There was no writing on the front. With a bit of parental prodding, they decided to open it. Inside was a letter from Santa. The letter mentioned the gift last year and how it was a bit late (a cabin weekend in the snow after New Year's). Santa apologized for the crazy schedule and said this year their gift would be early. He provided GPS coordinates, a meeting time and instructions to ask for Jasmine. They would receive their Santa gift today!

With a new afternoon plan, the kiddos and I set out for our scheduled field trip and park day. Theories abounded throughout the morning and early afternoon. They had no idea what the gift could be, but they were excited. Dave arranged to leave work early and meet us at the designated spot. Eamon was concerned that we may not be there right at 4pm due to traffic. He worried about what would happen if we were a minute too late or too early. His worries were not realized, since we pulled up exactly on time with Dave right behind us. Immediately Eamon shouted that we were getting a dog after reading the sign along the street. Aine began jumping with excitement about a dog named "Jasmine." Only Benton was worried, because he has been wanting a yellow dog (lab or golden retriever), which he would call Butterscotch. I finally convinced him to get out of the car, so we could even see what Santa had in store. Dave and I were still not convinced a dog was in the cards for our family!

When we entered the shelter, there was quite a line. As we stood waiting, a tech brought out a puppy with red leash and collar, adorned with a bow and candy cane bandana. She asked if anyone was waiting for this puppy. Aine hurriedly asked what the dog's name was, only to be bowled over when the tech replied, "Jasmine." The rest of the visit was a blur of snuggles and love. Jasmine was quite subdued, still a bit sedated from her earlier spaying. She snuggled up with each of the kiddos enjoying the attention. We signed a few forms, thanked the staff and gave a nod to Santa before heading out the door. All of us were still a bit shocked as we headed home. The kiddos could not believe WE had a dog. They declared her the best Santa gift ever.

Once home, we discovered that Santa had visited again bringing a crate, dog food and bowls. Jasmine was set. Friends came over to meet our new family member. She snuggled with everyone. Each of the kiddos keep holding her proclaiming her the best dog or the cutest. I think I even heard one of them call her "adorbs."

The love fest has continued into today. I think our whole family is glad Santa decided we were ready for a dog. This little 12 week old lab mix puppy is perfect for us.

The Art of Making: Ceramic Mugs

 

Last year, I noticed a fantastic gift idea floating around the interwebs. This year we decided to make it our own. The kiddos and I found some great white mugs in assorted sizes at the dollar store. The mugs were a collection of regular coffee cups and larger soup mugs. A friend suggested using Sharpie markers; she assured me that it had worked for her.

First the kiddos drew their images on paper plotting out what they would design on each mug. They each had ideas about what their recipient would like. Each cup was designed with that specific person in mind. There were tools, rainbows, a bike, holiday decorations, just initials and even Minecraft creepers. With a plenty pack of markers at the ready, the kiddos set to decorating. They decorated for over an hour creating their designs. A few mistakes were made which were easily corrected with a dab of rubbing alchohol.

The finished mugs were collected and placed into the toaster oven to bake. The baking set the inks after about 20 minutes. We noticed some of the colors changed, but it made it even more interesting to watch. Benton decided his mug would be his own. He could not be convinced to wrap it up for the intended giftee. So we headed out for a few more mugs and a repeat session. It was that much fun and so very easy!

The Art of Making: Wooden Crafts

With a gift list in hand, the kiddos and I have begun our holiday crafting. Inspired by a toy we saw at a friend's home, our first task was painting and finishing some wooden peg people.  A few of my nieces and nephews will be finding these little people under the tree this year. I found the people and cups at one of my favorite online wood shops, Casey's Wood. We decided to use non-toxic watercolors since the recipients will be on the younger side. Watercolors are not ideal for painting wood, but worked quite well for us. The medium left a more stained look on the wood.

Armed with the watercolor palette, we painted the people a rainbow of colors. Each of the kiddos got into the action throughout the day. I was a bit strict about how I wanted the colors applied and how each peg person needed a matching cup. Fortunately, we had a few pieces leftover and each commandeered several for their own. Eamon decided to use his as a gift for the person he drew in our homeschooling gift exchange. Aine painted hers for her dollhouse, and Benton just likes to carry his. Those extra pieces were painted magical combinations of colors which pleased both mama and kiddos.

Once all the paint was applied and allowed to dry for a few days, we lightly sanded the toys. A very fine grade paper was used to smooth the edges. This went quickly with so many hands. In order to help seal the watercolors a bit, we mixed up a finish for the toys. I heated 1 ounce beeswax in a double boiler. Once it was melted I added 4 ounces olive oil. With this mixture, we polished all the toys and even quite a few wooden spoons we found int he kitchen. The polish really brightens up the toys. All that is left is sewing a few cloth bags to hold the toys and mail them off. We are sure the recipients will enjoy them as much as we enjoyed making them.

Getting Over Myself

The doll from last week is almost finished. It is adorable. Once I accepted the yarn and tiny needles, it moved rather quickly. I just had to get over myself. The knitting is still a bit persnickety. Such a tight gauge in cotton worsted with small needles can get tricky. I find my hands need little breaks, so I fill in with my red garter sweater, which is slowly growing in length.

I think my mom will be pleased with it as a gift. I had really hoped to have it finished before we left DC, but I still have a leg to knit. So close! Aine has requested that I forget about her grandmother and give the doll to her. She really loves it. She is only appeased with promises to make her one. She is eager to pick out the colors for it. Later Eamon held up the doll and asked for his own. It appears to be a winner. In addition to their dolls, I plan to make a couple more for the holidays. I have a few nieces who just "need" one.

Reading has been intermittent this past week. I have been busy planning our next leg of this adventure. With a few days of camping ahead, I hope to return to the written word. I finished Plainsong and thoroughly enjoyed the story. I thought the character presentation was quite good and interesting- such a small peak into the lives of people. I started a beach read recommended by our local library entitled The Castaways. I have only just begun, but it has quite a bit of drama in just the first few pages.

Linking up with Ginny again for more yarn and book goodness.

A Powerful Motivator

Last year I finished up a doll that I had started several years prior. I hated the project. The yarn split and the needles were fiddly. However, the end result was adorable. Too adorable in fact. My mom saw the doll when she went to visit my sister and promptly requested one. She wanted to give it to her grand-niece. I complained. She assured me that it would be easier this time. I ignored her requests and offers of money. I claimed to have too many other projects. I hated the project that much.

Finally after enduring the guilt of ignoring your mom for five months, I succumbed to her pleas. I realized she and my dad would be traveling east and visiting with her intended recipient. I couldn't ignore her anymore. So last week I started another doll. I had leftover yarn from the last doll, and I firmly believed I had enough for this one. Not even close. I whipped up the panties for the doll with the old yarn. They went really quickly as did the hair, and I began to think my mom may have been right. I tried to cobble together enough yarn from the remaining partial skeins, but I soon realized I had to buy a skin tone yarn for the body and some for the dress. Since I was running out of time, I had to try the local chain craft store.

After hemming and hawing, I bought some cotton yarn. It is horrible. I am back hating the poor doll. The needles are small, and the yarn hurts my hands. I am halfway through the dress, and it is huge. Of course, I didn't check gauge this time (I didn't last time either). I am just hoping the increased size will translate throughout the whole project. This doll will definitely be much bigger than the last. I hope my sister realizes what a great gift she received, since this one may be a bit wonky in size. I would love to make two more for my new nieces, but I don't see that happening unless I find better yarn. Dishcloth cotton will not work.

When I have not been complaining about the power of guilt and my dislike of this project, I have been reading quite a bit. I am still working through Amanda's recommendations. I finished When God Was a Rabbit. I liked the characters and story, however the last half was not as good as the first. It seemed a bit disjointed. My next read is Plainsong. I feel as if I have read this in the past, but I don't think I have. I am enjoying the diverse characters in the book and the way the people are presented to the reader. It is a quick read, and I am over halfway through it.

Of course, this Wednesday I am linking with Ginny's Yarn Along. A Quick doll saving question -for those of you who knit with cotton, do you have any suggestions for this doll. Someone at my knit night mentioned cotlin from Knitpicks, but also said it hurts her hands. I would possibly like to make another, but I need better yarn. Would a superwash wool be just as good? Help! I am knitting on size one needles with yarn that I dislike. I need ideas.

The Blanket

The kids and I headed to the post office last week with a special package. I was finally shipping the blanket I made for my niece. With it safely out of my hands, I am able to share a few photos of it (sorry about the poor quality. I had to take them outside the post office on a very bright day).

When I first started thinking of items to make for my newest niece or nephew. I figured I would make a teeny baby sweater. Even in a hot climate they are used since most places are heavily air conditioned. When I was told the baby was a girl, I even bought yarn. Then one day I was looking at Ravelry, and my plans changed. Somehow I stumbled upon a simple baby blanket. Someone had changed the lace border. They added a leaf motif modified from the saroyan shawl pattern. I loved it. See, my sister in law is Hawaiian. I thought this would be perfect for her and the new baby. (Because truly baby gifts are also for the mom, since the wee one does not care). The inspiration blanket was even called maile, which is a flowering plant native to the islands. 

I bought more yarn (yes, I have a bit of a problem). This time I found a bright blue for the ocean and a green for the plant life in the place my sister calls home. The huge garter blanket quire knit up rather quickly. I then crocheted twice around the edge to help transition into the green leaf border. The border seemed endless. I knit each little leaf and kept measuring, because I was sure I had to be close. Finally I single crocheted it onto the blanket. It was still too short. I knit many more inches and sewed the edging together. I am so very pleased with the result. I used Ella Rae Baby Cotton for the blanket. No wool since the babe lives in Arizona. 

I still had yarn remaining, so I decided a cute pair of booties would complete the gift. These Saartje booties knit up quickly taking only a couple of hours. Benton helped me pick out the buttons which bring in a bit of the green. They are petite little flowers for my beautiful little niece, Lillinoe.

Knitting ADD

The birthday socks are complete and ahead of schedule. The colors came out well and should please the purple loving giftee. Self-striping yarn can be a whole lot of fun. For these socks, I used an afterthought heel for the first time. I am not sure how I feel about this construction. It seems a little misshapen to me. I truly prefer a good old fashioned heel flap. Of course, I would probably feel better if I saw them on an actual foot. Since my foot is quite a bit bigger than the recipient, I can only guess at how the pair will fit. I wouldn't want to be accused of stretching them out!

As I was finishing the heel, I began plotting my next project. The planning, researching and listing of patterns occupies a lot of my knitting time. I love exploring Ravelry in search of the perfect pattern. I type in my yarn and lose myself amidst all the amazing projects knit from it. I find myself easily distracted by the options. My queue and favorites list overflow with the possibilities. Some may use their queue to actually keep track of what they will knit. I use mine as a suggestion list. I spend countless hours making lists only to be lured away by a new pattern and yarn.

This has been my problem the last few days. When I was in stash-busting mode a few months ago, I listed my upcoming projects in my queue. I vowed to stick to the list. Now that I look at the list, I am not satisfied. There are so many other things I want to make. I decided I would have to compromise. I reevaluated my yarn bin and settled on one project from my browsing, one on the needles(or ready to start) and one from my queue.

The project which resulted from my recent browsing is the Bedford pullover. Since I made my squishy, snuggly legwarmers, I have been enamored with Rowan Purelife Organic Wool. The yarn is now discontinued, so I was able to get enough for the sweater at a reasonable price. The pattern calls for a worsted weight. Based on other finished sweaters and my experience, I think this yarn will work even though it is a dk weight. I also will make it with a bit less positive ease. I am afraid a bulky sweater would not be very flattering.

In another yarn along post, I mentioned the Through the Loops mystery sock. With the birthday socks my first priority, I never even cast on for the mystery socks this month. Since I have the yarn, pattern and needles at the ready, I will make it my second project. I admit that I cheated and peeked at the finished socks on a spoiler thread. I like them and think they will make a great gift for someone this year. I am just not sure who.

My queue project is the Holden Shawlette. I really like this shawl, and I think it will look good in the yarn I paired with it. The yarn is Wollmeise in the Am kalten Polar colorway, which I bought too many years ago. I am hoping the shades of blue and purple meld with minimal pooling. With generous yardage, I may add another repeat to the shawlette and make more of a shawl.

As far as my reading, I picked up Songs of the Humpback Whale again. I started this a few months ago, but had to abandon it when my library holds were available. While waiting for more books on hold, I decided to resume reading it. The novel is broken into several character voices, and is pretty good thus far. I keep waiting for the wrinkle that Jodi Picoult inserts into all her books. I am also listening to A Secret Gift when I can. It really makes me ponder resiliency and true hardships.

So, are you an ADD knitter or can you just plan and execute without even noticing the next new shiny thing?

(I have also linked up with Nicole's {crafting on})

A Good Blocking

Two years ago, I knit Dave a hat. The pattern was Turn A Square by Jared Flood. I proudly gave it to him to help combat the chilly Arizona mornings and nights. He tried it on his head, smiled and put it away in his closet. It has stayed in his closet for the past twenty-four months. He has never worn it. Last week, I suggested that if he was cold, he could wear his hat of love. Guiltily he pulled it out. When he put it on his head, we both laughed. It did not cover his ears and was a bit big at the top. 

I realized that in my eagerness to give it to him, I had failed to block it. I knew I could fix it for him. I soaked his hat in warm water for about a half hour. When I pulled it out of the water, I formed it around an inflated balloon. This blocking technique worked perfectly. He tried it on today and it fits - covers his ears, is smooth on his head and looks good too. I only wish I had paid more attention to the stripes as they are a bit wavy in one spot. He doesn't seem to mind. At least now he is willing to wear it, which is a good thing.

Holding Back

Earlier this week, the kiddos and I showed up at our weekly park date to someone commenting on our unschooling ways. One of my children wore no shoes, another monster slippers and the third a costume. I let them choose what they wear and most of the time run little interference. My kiddos have a lot of choices in their lives, and I like it that way. This is not always easy for me. I cringe sometimes when I see what my kiddos plan or what they want to wear. I take a deep breathe and then let it go.

This weekend Aine was invited to a birthday party for a friend. We talked a bit about a gift for her friend. Aine's eyes lit up as she claimed she knew exactly what she wanted to give her. She ran into her playroom and came back with a little dog and carrier. I hesitated a moment while my thoughts collected. I looked into Aine's gleaming eyes and said that would be a great gift. But as I said it I wondered if I shouldn't buy the child a gift at the store or give a gift card too. Was a handed down gift acceptable? Would the other family think us odd? Was my continual mantra of handmade, handed down or hand picked too much? Did it really matter what I thought?

Aine proceeded to gather the dog's accoutrements together. With a newspaper end roll at her side, she sat down on the kitchen floor and wrapped her gift. She could only find black electrical tape from her brother's bin, so she used it. A quick note was written with a birthday wish. She used notebook paper instead of the stacks of construction or craft paper. Again she knew she wanted the paper to have holes, so her friend could hang it.

As we walked into the skating rink for the party, Aine was so proud of her gift. She confidently carried it up to her friend wanting her to open it right away. Instead we set it on the table with the other pink, purple and glittery gift bags. At the close of the party, her friend opened her gifts. She opened the gift from Aine first after much urging from my little girl. It was a huge hit despite the wrapping and the lack of a store box. Aine knew her friend would love her gift, and she was right.

Quick Holiday Knits

I realized that December is fast approaching, and I have a few presents that need to be mailed. Since I finished Eamon's holiday sweater, I figured I had time to spend on other knits before tackling Benton's sweater (I will post some pictures of Eamon's sweater tomorrow with my thoughts). Nothing like a postal deadline to shake things up a bit.

For my nieces and nephews, I am knitting mostly hats this year. Fortunately hats are cute, funky and, most importantly, quick. Today I cast on for the Bimple hat by Woolly Wormhead. I love her designs, and her book Bambeanies does not disappoint. She often incorporates creative construction in her designs and tries to keep the look fresh. In keeping with my stash busting, I am using a skein leftover from Aine's stocking. It is Wool of the Andes bulky from Knitpicks in the wine colorway. I love the depth of this red and think it will work well for this hat. I am planning on adding a baseball when I am done either in crochet or knit as an embellishment if it fits. After this one I think I will knit Queenie or Ruskin or maybe Aurora or perhaps Tipper or Moochie or truly I really love all the possibilities.

I started reading The Yellow House by Patricia Falvey this week. I am only 50 pages into it, but I like it thus far. The kids and I finished Travels of Thelonious (Fog Mound), which we all really enjoyed. We are now reading from two books, one of the Boxcar Children series and Sugar Plum Ballerinas #1: Plum Fantastic. I have a few more titles on our reading list that are due back to the library soon, so we have been reading a lot during the day.

What is on your needles this week and on your bedside reading pile?

Knitting and Reading with Ginny as part of her Yarn Along

Finishing

A few projects have occupied my time this past week. The one that occupied the most mental space was a baby doll I started in April 2008. The doll has been completely knit for quite some time. Most recently I pulled her out to sew the limbs into place. This was back in February 2010. I also finished the dress and hair at this time. Unfortunately she was stuffed back into the closet unfinished. The problem? I hated her hair.

When I recently pledged to complete all my "works in progress," I pulled out the doll. The intended recipient was no longer the right age. I decided to give it to her younger sister who had a birthday coming soon. I asked a few friends what they thought. They gave me a few ideas, but I still wasn't sure what I would do. I began looking at what others had done on ravelry. I found hair I liked, so I knit it this past week. The new 'do looked so much better to me (Aine still thinks the other hair is superior). With new hair, my interest in the project was renewed. Today I embroidered eyes onto the face, sewed the hair to the head and then affixed the head to the body. The doll I started three and a half years ago is complete.

My Epitaph

A while ago a friend of mine talked about an article she and her husband had read. The premise of the article was to summarize your life in 6 short words. It could be a memoir or a succinct epitaph. We talked and laughed about many versions that would work depending on the timing. She and I came up with quite a few good ones that day. Most were situational: she thought she'd be skinny again, she loved really good dark chocolate and she'll never know the story's ending. Some were more serious.

That conversation has stayed with me over time. I often go back and think about how I would summarize my life. What is the overall theme? How will I be remembered? I always go back to the same one I came up with that day:

She always had really good intentions.

I always plan to be on time, mail gifts before the actual date of the event, do more things with my children, eat healthy, exercise, smile more, yell less, etc, etc. Each day I have great intentions, and by the end of it all, most have fallen to the side.

Fortunately I don't forget about those good intentions, and I often roll them over to the next day. After enough days, they do actually happen. Today was one of those days. I finally made good on two birthday gifts that were very belated.

My niece had a birthday a bit ago. Okay, it was in April -- early April. I promised to make her a sling for her baby doll. I kept intending to make it. I even told Dave that I HAD to sew today on several different occasions. Finally after a quick reprimand from my niece, I made her present today. I hurriedly had Dave take it to her when he took Aine on a date. My niece was so pleased. She called to thank me and, so I am now off her list of bad aunties!

My niece Kailana

The second gift took a bit longer to make, but it wasn't quite as overdue. I knew what I wanted to make after reading about the project on Jean's blog and looking at the tutorial. I had most of the materials on hand. I did need a bit more fabric, which I picked up weeks ago before my nephew's actual birthday. I truly planned on making and mailing the gift well before his big day. Luckily my good intention finally paid off. I sat down today and cut copious amounts of feathers for a set of dress-up wings. It is amazing how long it took just to cut the material. I assembled the wings quickly and without difficulty. Instead of seam binding I attached the wings together with black grosgrain ribbon. I also used the ribbon to finish the rough feather edges for a cleaner look. For the neck I sewed velcro onto a ribbon loop. I think they turned out pretty well. The package is now in the mail. I really hope he likes his new dress-up wings.

Loving it

Benton received a belated gift from his auntie and her family in Texas. He absolutely loves it. He changed outfits several times while exploring his new crown and sword. First he was a princess knight and then a crocodile knight. He and his siblings have been knighting each other and slaying dragons. I am certain he considers it his best gift ever. Now if only it could go in the bath.