Where I am now.

 My cast came off a week ago and this picture is what my foot looked like underneath it. All the steri-strips are gone now and so is a bunch of dried skin - though not all. I am getting used to walking again first with a set of crutches and holding most of the weight off the foot, now with a cane for balance. I am walking around the house and resuming picking the kids up from school. It feels good to slowly get my life back. My husband, the kids, friends and family really helped out and pulled together. Two ladies whose daughters are friends with mine and an old friend of the family did all the kid pick ups for six weeks. They are amazing! It is very cold right now and when it warms up a bit I will be walking outside. I have an old walker and will be taking that on outside walks to help balance especially with ice and snow on the sidewalks rather than count on a cane. Each step still hurts but not as badly as they did the first day.

I am slowly taking back household duties and very glad of it. I have often struggled with the idea of self-worth as a homemaker in today's career focus world. I have had woman angry with me for being a traitor to the women's movement, not realizing that the whole point was choice. This is my choice and I accord you the privilege to make your own choice regardless of your gender, identity, or upbringing to make it. I mourn for those whose circumstances do not allow for any choice, most especially those who feel trapped by those circumstances. Still it is hard to feel your self worth tied to very repetitive and often very unappreciated tasks. Seeing the impact of my labor, effort, and care being removed from our lives has focused my understanding of the value of my labor. So hobbling along in my boot, I am reclaiming my role, blessing my family with my labor. I am also working (or planning to work) toward simplifying, streamlining, and setting systems in place to ease and safeguard against future problems. A lot of that means more work but that is okay.

I want to value my work more and value myself more. One of the ways I am doing that it to focus on my health and to make clothing and things for myself that make me feel good. I will be making for my family too. 

The first cast on of the year is for me, this split back tank top. The photo is of my computer screen and is the designers image. I am making this in a white recycled cotton yarn for the edging and a cotton and seacell - rayon made from kelp - yarn in blues and mauve. I am really loving it.

Fingers crossed that I have enough yarn as both are discontinued and have been for years. This is also a stash busting project! I bought these yarns years and years ago from Beading Heart Studio which is also long gone! Miss it and the community of ladies who supported it. It will be the first project I make for the year of the garment kal with Kristen at Yarngasm podcast.

~Julia

Crafting on Pink Avenue

Linking up with the ladies of Crafting On hosted at Frontier Dreams.

It has been a while since I took the time to blog, I always forget how much time everything takes. There was going to be more to that sentence, but I thing it is actually perfectly accurate right like that. The kids are starting to settle back into a routine, it is a new one but it is a routine, and so will I.

I have two knitting projects going right now, both are Christmas presents. I set a goal of at least one handmade gift for everyone this year. I wrote my list in January, I wish I had started crafting them then too! I have four done so far, but lots of big time intensive things on the list yet and I want to build time into the schedule for helping the kids make their gifts too.

The Avenue socks by Expat Knitter Designs:

I just am getting started but the bonus to this new routine is two hours knitting time at the girls violin group lessons on Monday nights and an hour at private lessons on Thursday.

The Dragon Mittens which I am using but heavily modifying a pattern for (by Tanis Lavallee) , my husband is checking my math so I only have the swatch to show.

The cream is 100% wool and will be the dragon on the backs of the mittens, the green 50/50 Wool/alpaca.

Thought I would add my just finished socks, too.

These are Expat knitter's Grand Central socks, modified with no pattern on the top of the foot and adding a 2by2 rib at the ankle.

All of these yarns are stash yarns, the plan with some of the presents is to work from what I have, so far so good, I have had to buy matching yarn to finish things but so far no new unrelated yarn purchases for present making. I have in the past bought more intending to make things that did not get made for presents.

Spin the Bin Challenge

I used to talk about wool and spinning on Wednesday so this is perfect for today. I found out about the spin the bin challenge and am participating! The challenge is on the Completely Twisted and Arbitrary Spinning group on Ravelry. Basically you are supposed to comb through your fiber stash and select a bin full of fiber to spin within the year. The rules state each entry - you need 12 - must be at minimum 2 oz and you can split a larger amount across multiple entries. You have to post a picture of your bin with all the fiber present to enter and you can't take anything out of the bin once you start (ie change your mind) without replacing it with two entries. Your pictures have to be clear enough so they can tell you spun the yarn from the fiber, so most everyone posted a bin shot and then the fiber all spreaded out so you could see it easily and you also have to list what the fiber is, who dyed it, and the quantity. Then you add pictures of the finished yarn.

Here are my bin fibers:

The top row:
1-2) Camel & Wool blend. I bought in 2016 from a guild member’s stash, no idea how long she owned it.8.6oz.
3) Southdown. I bought as a whole raw fleece in 2015. 9oz.
The middle row:
4-5) Royal blue dyed by me, Lincoln Longwool. I bought in 2010. 8.20oz.
6) Cotton. I bought in 2015 from a guild member’s stash in a grab bag, no idea how long she owned it. 3.75oz.
7) Teal blueish dyed by me, Lincoln Longwool. I bought in 2010. 5.55oz.
The bottom row:
8-9) Afghan hound, given to me by dog’s owner in 2012. 11.1oz.
10) Brown sheep wool, dyed by me in 2014. Blending with a bombyx silk and merino blend I bought in 2016 from a guild member’s stash, no idea how long she owned it. 2.7 oz of the first & 2.8oz of the latter for 5.5oz total.
11) Yak! bought in 2015, 2oz.
12) Cotswold, given to me as a raw fleece in 2013. 5.7oz.

I am not looking forward to the cotton - it is terrible cotton, but I figured this was the only way I was likely to spin it - it came in a grab bag and luckily the rest of the fiber was a nice alpaca. I am also not looking forward to the Afghan hound, as it is very smelly, if anyone has a suggestion on cleaning tips I would greatly appreciate it. I am excited about the yak and the Lincolns.
The brown sheep blending with merino/bombyx silk is to be the ply strand to more of the brown sheep that I have waiting and will be where I start. I originally had 8oz of green roving that I split into thirds (horizontally) then I spun the first two halves on separate bobbins and this spin will hopefully make two bobbins to ply against them.

I should probably get to work! 

Yarn along - socks and sweaters #2

Joining Ginny at Small Things and the other creative ladies in the Yarn Along! I am really looking forward to seeing what is in everyone's work baskets!

 It is knitting before reading here! The Pikachu sweater is coming along. I want another 2-3 inches before I do the decrease and begin the color-work. I am thinking I should have made it a little looser on him and plan to add a few inches around to the girls' sweaters when it is their turns. My husband and daughter designed Bunny's next sweater during dinner the other day. It will feature a large bunny playing a violin (my daughters both play) in the center body of the sweater and have a circle of carrots decorating the yoke. Thankfully, my husband is actually interested in this, so as soon as I decide on yarn and can give him the gauge he is going to design the bunny/violin section's chart. Also this weird thing happened Monday night, I ran out of the ball of yarn I was using on this sweater, no worries I have four more, but they were all down in my studio and I was tired, so I switched to my socks.

 My socks are coming along, I am about where I want the heel to start. So Monday night after I switched to this project I am knitting along and that's it I am out of the yarn. I am knitting up stash yarn and started this with only one ball. I went to Joann's and managed to get a ball of the same yarn but it is a bit brighter on the ball, I knit five more rows and can't really tell. I am doing the heels and toes in a grey.

My husband is away this week for business and I never sleep well when he is gone. Which is why when I ran out of yarn on Monday for both of the above projects I did not go to bed like a sane woman, I pulled out my very sleeping Milk fiber sweater, this is the Gyre pattern and is for me. After awhile I realized two things 1) twisted rib is easier continental 2) I was going to run out of my ball of yarn soon. I have never had that happen where three projects all needed joining on the same day. I took it as a sign and went to bed!

Reading-wise, I have been fitting my reading in around things and not finishing much.

I did finish Libations of the Eighteenth Century last night. I enjoyed it and will likely try some of the brewing and punch recipes, I might try some of the coffee replacement ones while camping. I do wish the author had looked into the herbs he suggested a bit more thoroughly, in other aspects he mentions things used or methods used that are not considered safe practice anymore, he points that  out but give the historic mention for information. I dislike that pennyroyal and comfrey are listed as flavoring for beer and tea without warnings. The first is traditionally used as an abortificant and the second is strongly linked to cancer and not considered same for ingestion anymore.

I am finding Bloody Old Britain to be slow.

I started reading Treasure Island - never have before - as my treadmill book, I read 70 pages the first day but haven't managed the treadmill since!

Bunny and I are re-reading Anne of Green Cables as a bedtime book. We read through to the third book before but didn't finish and Bunny wanted to restart for continuing on.

Yarn along - socks #1

Inspired by listening to podcasts over break I cast on socks on Friday the 30th. Like most of us, I am hoping to use up some stash this year, the yarn for these socks is in keeping with that goal. The downside is that I don't exactly know what the yarn is. I believe it is Paton Kroy. I also think this is a full skein. But I am not sure. If someone recognizes it let me know! These are for me and I know I won't have enough yarn, later today I am going to go find a coordinating yarn. I love socks.

I am hoping to read more than 200 books this year, my Goodreads 2017 challenge is made. I also want to leave my favorite fiction style on the shelves. My husband made a comment about idealized views and I wonder if reading romance novels and books involving other topics but including people who are falling in love is perhaps harmful. I don't believe or want all roses and sunshine, but I know that I am susceptible to desiring what others think I should want in place or in addition to what actually makes me happy. So for awhile at least I will be reading more non-fiction and classic fiction. As to the challenge, I have two done already.

This year I will be reading Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitter's Almanac. I will only read the month's chapter at a time, and am not currently committing to knitting along with her, but I might.

I am also reading Bloody Old Britain - OGS Crawford and the Archaeology of Modern Life by Kitty Hauser. This is slow to get into but I am enjoying the insight it seems to offer on current thought. "What seems to look backwards in time might in fact be attempting to mould the future."(Hauser, 12.)

My sister got me Libations of the Eighteenth Century by David Allen Woolsey, I am not too far in yet but am very excited to read and perhaps try some of these recipes.

In other knitting news I knit in and then ripped out all eight Pikachu faces in my Mouse's Christmas sweater. Six colors is too many for me to work in strands and pulled in too tight, I could no longer get the sweater on him. SAD doesn't cover it. so out came 30 rows. I think I will 1) set them a bit higher in the sweater - not around the shoulders 2) have a few less as that will put them after the decrease 3) set the faces into the body intarisa style but do stranded colorwork within each face to put in the cheeks, eyes, and tongue.

 This should have been sitting inches lower on him. Every row I did he would hug me. Now he is sad and doesn't want to talk about his sweater. I need another day or two away from it before diving back in.

Linking up with Ginny of Small Things for the Yarn Along.

Yarn Along

Well it is a my picture is upside down kind of day.

On the needles: is my Christmas Sweater for Mouse. It is  Elizabeth Zimmerman's percentage system, with one inch 2-2 rib on all the cuffs. On size 4 needles, the Key is 162 stitches and the gauge is 5 stitches to the inch. The yarn is a German company's sport weight, 100%wool, which has been hiding in my stash for years after I picked it up thrifting, I think it was 99 cents a ball. I am sure you will never see it but the yarn is navy but up close there are fibers of gold, purple, and green within that blue. I want to do a colorwork yoke in some geeky pattern but have 8 more inches and two sleeves to figure out what one.

Books:
I have been slowly reading Sir Winston Churchill's The Birth of Britain Volume 0ne. Slowly because while it is interesting and his writing is everything you might guess it would be, I kept it on my nightstand. I am breaking that trend this week and hauling it around. William the Conqueror just died - to let you know where I am. 
The COE Handbook. Which is a awesome and intimidating look into all the work I will have to do to get my Certificate of Excellence in Handspinning.
Spinning for Softness and Speed by Paula Simmons, which is one of four pages of suggested reading for the course and interesting. I plan to work on learning the technique - which in involves only using the palm, ring, and little fingers of one hand to spin and she claims completely eliminates over-spinning and you can do without looking after you learn (hoping that claim holds up.)

Joining along with Ginny and everyone at the Yarn Along.

Quilting and other projects left too long!

 I started this rag rug years ago, from cut up clothing of the kids and me. I tucked it away and recently in cleaning the giant stack of unfinished projects I found it. I am now trying to get it done. About three rows inside of the pick circle was where I had stopped previously, so I am making great progress. The little pinkish spots outside of that row, were you to look closer are tiny bunnies. I want to find a blue or read shirt to cut up as the other ball of ready to go rags has tiny bears dressed as knights and kings in red and blue.

 Remember how I was going to make one quilt square each month for my mother in law and father, from the Fandom in stitch Hobbit series. These are them for January. I am way behind and these were and absolute beast, but they are done and I am told they are the most difficult in the whole series. I am turning my MIL's into place mats.  Now if I could just remember how big I made the first place mat...

I hope your creative space inspires you to try new and old things! ~Julia

Update on my Dad

He cruised through the surgery! The Dr was very pleased with how well it went.

The story:
Mom and I sat out in the waiting room worried and fussing at each other. My Mom is disabled and has strong nesting instincts, she can't go anywhere with a hundred things. The morning of the surgery she had a tote bag, a purse, and a basket to take with her. and her walker. and her thermos bottle of soda. I brought my purse and the weather blanket -wanting a pattern I didn't have to think about. Mom's purse along weighted 30 pounds! The tote was overfilled and when Dad grumbled at her she grabbed her knitting bag out of the basket jammed in into the tote and we left for the hospital. Dad had his overnight bag for the stay which was to be left with us. Once dad got checked in and taken back, they told us it would be an hour until we could see him while they got him ready, then we could wait with him until it was time for the surgery. I decided, that as I was the one expected to carry all this stuff it was getting downsized. Mom -who was going to be with me the whole day and expected to go home that night - had 9 magazines for herself and 2 as a present for Dad, three coloring books, three packs of colored pencils and a book of crayons, a newspaper, 3 knit picks catalogs, 2 lion brand catalogs, a Mary Maxim's, and a Shopko ad., four knitting projects (included a beaded knitting project and several thousand seed beads,) nine tubes of lipstick, three compacts, 4 smushed candy bars, and all her meds and wallets. Plus about 30 expired coupons and some broken candy canes. I edited her take about 40 pounds of stuff, dad's bag, and everyone's coats back to the car.

We saw Dad, they took him back and the waiting began again. She knit, I crocheted. Three rows later she informed me she left the size 6 needles, she needed next, at home. Frustrated as I was at her having brought so much unnecessary stuff with her and left the thing she needed, I also found the whole thing funny. We decided the sweater would be just fine finished on the 7's. She has been working on her first ever sweater for a cousin's baby since the baby was born, mistakes have been made luckily one of them on the size of the sweater and nearly a year later she is almost done.

They told us he had done fine and asked us to wait another hour while he woke up and was moved to a room. She finished the sweater although the seed stitch end is about half seed and half k1/p1 rib. Stress knitting.

Dad did great got up and walked the first day, decided that he needed mom to stay with and we discovered his love of the cookies at the hospital. Like Scooby snacks Dad worked for those cookies. He is home now and working to gain back his mobility.

Mom and I both caught a terrible cold at the hospital. Hoping to feel all the way better soon.

Julia

Yarn along - what I can't show you

Joining Ginny and the ladies of the yarn along...

 

 

I am working on a present or two for a dear friend's first baby, so until next week I can't show the knitting that has taken up most of my time lately, and boy do I want to show it. When I have not been knitting on that I have been crocheting this throw, as a Christmas present. I am looking to clean out my stash and spend as little as I can for presents this year, so this simple but soft blanket will be switching it's pattern soon. I have been doing 5 rows black then 2 rows silver, I am nearly out of black so I am going to do 5 rows silver then a row of black and 5 more rows of silver, then flip the blanket do 5 rows of silver a row of black and 5 more of silver. Hopefully, both colors will hold out and I can get a nice throw out of it. I found a tiny bit more of the black this morning so fingers crossed.

What I can show you...

This is a closeup of the black, I don't really like crocheting with it but the material is soft and warm in the blanket. As for reading I have not gotten much done, I am reading through the Backpacking reference I showed last time, it is very dry but interesting if sometimes way overly detailed. I am sure that the section on boot construction would be great if I were looking to buy boots but as a read through it is deadly dull. Which may explain the sleep I am getting as I only get a few pages done each night before turning off the light. It is good though. I have this knitting book too, which I love, I want to make lots of the things shown but more I want to have the author over for a cup of tea and knit. 

Badger has been working with her daddy on cooking her favorite breakfast food. She made me this waffle all by herself, I was in the kitchen if she needed help but the only things she asked was for me to fill up the smaller bottle with oil - she can't lift the big one - so she could measure that and if I wanted maple syrup or corn syrup. Maple, of course, although I will pour that next time.

looking forward to seeing what everyone is working on,
~Julia

What I made for Easter

I am just posting this now due to taking a little break after having some dental work that is only really feeling like it is healing well now. I made two dresses for my daughters for Easter using only materials I had on hand (except a zipper for each dress) and in the colors they picked. I also made them each a matching knit shawl/bolero/jacket thing in matching yarn that was not only stash but stash yarn but originally bought at a thrift store. Beaver did not want me to make him anything and Mouse got a hand made kilt - that was not really finished by Easter but wearable - and got to be in the photos with the men in kilts at church. He was very proud. There is a large group of Scottish descendents in the parish so for major holiday they all wear their colors. I will post more about his kilt as I finish it.

 This is Badger's dress, I wasn't sure about the colors but she was determined and I like it now. Please excuse the wrinkles as this is after she wore it and I washed it but before I ironed it again.

 These pile of fluff do not look like much but on the girls they are fuzzy cuteness and covered their arms, halter style dresses not the best choice for this years weather.

A sneak peak of Mose's kilt. I decided to go with a flannel shirting in a color very close to his fathers ancestors, but not to buy the really stuff for a 8 year old. Someone else I have in mind to make on for will be all out though.

 This is Butterfly's dress. It looked great on her and the best part of both dresses is the pattern thinks little girls are much bigger that they are.  I had to take the dress in 4 inches and up four inches for Badger and 2 each way for Butterfly. Even then the dresses are very long and not snug. So they will last a long time!

I am a day late joining Crunchy Catholic Momma at the Stash Bash! I hope your creating fun, useful, maybe even beautiful things! ~ Julia

Stash bash - apple sauce

Linking up a day late with Crunchy Momma's Stash Bash!

What is a momma to do when she finds out that she has canned (& canned, & canned) a whole bunch of applesauce from the apples from her trees, only to discover that only one of the kids likes applesauce! This was 2011's summer crop as our apples produced nothing with this past summer's weather. I still have lots of applesauce!

Then I discovered that I could get them to eat it if I took my 'stash' of applesauce and make it into something they all like - fruit leather. This is a great snack for school as my younger kids are required to take either a fruit or a veggie that is also not messy as snack time is during course time. So my dehydrator is getting a workout this week making school snacks.

Side note: I firmly believe we as a society would be better eaters (with less health problems) if we spent a little less time harping on what we ate and a little more time eating. My elementary kids are given 20 minutes to get to the lunch room, go to the bathroom, get their lunch and eat. I really think that making eating important and focusing on doing it would be a better lesson in the long run than teaching kids to eat as fast as they can without thinking about the food or tasting it. I know my Butterfly would be nicer when she got home if she had enough time to eat her lunch, she is so hungry but never gets through her lunch.

On a more crafty note my stash busting crochet flowers are coming along well. I am using up all the bits and pieces of yarn I have, I think I will stitch these all together when I am done and make an afghan for my living room.

Hope your creativity is turning your leftover supplies into things that improve your life!~ Julia

Stash bash - brown skirt.

linking with Crunchy Momma for the Stash Bash!

I have been wanting to make myself some skirts. Thinking, wanting, planning... but not sewing. I mentioned that I wanted to turn the fabric into something useful to a friend. She said she would love a skirt. Suddenly, having someone to sew for and I am off. I am happy to sew for her, but wonder at myself being unable to start when it was for me... I have promised myself that I will start mine immediately after finishing hers.

I have no real clue when I bought the material or what it was for originally.  I recently cleaned my sewing room and was horrified at the sheer volume of random stuff. I have been saving old/too small/broken clothing to make over into something else. So I really need to actually do it or let go of this stuff. Here is the skirt I have started, the waist band is from a fat quarter and while the casing is done I did not insert the elastic yet.

Today my Butterfly had dress as your favorite story character day at school.  She chose Fancy Nancy - of Course!   She was spinning in circles too fast for me to get a clear picture of her whole outfit, pink Easter dress from two years ago that still fits great and is all tulle and fluffy, pink sweater with lacey front, pink leggings (because her snow pants would not fit over the dress) and a ridiculous amount of hair clips. FANCY!

Hope your projects are going well. ~ Julia

Stash bash - at random moments.

Joining Tricia as it is Thursday still. (Hey, I have a little more than an hour here!)

I have one finished project which I showed in yesterday's yarn along and a bunch of in progress things going.

A Toothbrush style rag rug made from stripes of old kid clothes!  

This Rug will be for in between Badger's and Butterfly's beds, they are very excited.  Their room is at the Northeast corner of the house with windows on both and it's wood floor gets very cold for little toes!  I think they have asked at least once a day if it is done yet.  Then they trace their favorite colors with tiny fingers.

Braided length of rags zigzag stitched to a piece of old receiving blanket.  

This is going to end up being a bath mat to catch the splashings of tub monsters. I will need to cut and braid more to make it bigger.  Very low priority for me as the other rug is both quicker and much desired. I think this picture looks a bit like a giant cabbage.

I got more spindle spinning done, I ply-ed about 13 yards yesterday and spun a single (I'll will likely ply it) that is about 22 yards.  This evening in between reading textbooks (I needed a break and did not need more ice cream which is what I wanted) I did another full spindle. I am really enjoying the spindle, but my right arm (really just one muscle) is really angry with me tonight.  I expect this will get less painful rather quickly at this rate!

Updates and stash busting.

Update:
The antibiotic seems to be working fine at healing up my sinus cold, and gang busters at making feel utterly horrible - ill and dizzy.  However, the blister - aka open wound - is still draining and about half my right breast is purple. (Backstory here) I saw the doctor again today and he has added two more antibiotics.  He also mentioned the possibility of a biopsy in the future.  Hopefully, the additional antibiotics will end this whatever it is and not make me too much more sick as classes start tomorrow.

Stash busting:
One of the main things I end up storing in my craft room, certain I will turn them into something, is old kids clothing.  I cut a bunch of stained up clothes into stripes and braided them about a year ago.  I was planning on making a braided rug.  I got it out last week and was going to stitch it together when I found it was way too hard to push a needle through.  A quick google search showed me I had done it the hard way.  I thought Ok, I finish what I have started then start a new one using the instructions for a toothbrush rag rug. (Sorry I did not save the link) Butterfly took one end of the braid and stretched it out full length.  I had like 300 yards. Then she said "Mommie I broke it."  The braid un-wound at random placed through out the whole length.  I had joined each new strip wrong!!! I un-braided the whole thing and set it up to do the tooth brush method.  Here are my balls.  The white braid is attached and braided correctly so I am going to do a machine sewing style one with that.  Hopefully it will be big enough to serve as a bath rug.

 I turned a too small pair of Mouse's pants into a skirt with the addition of some flannel floral material that I bought about two years ago as a remnant.  I really can't resist them.

In process of turning a too short pair of Badger's pants into a skirt, unfortunately, I trimmed a bit too much so I will have to alter it further before she can wear it.

I really have not gotten much done as I was feeling so lousy but I am working on it.    Check in on the other ladies stash busting with Crunchy Catholic Momma

Stash busting - post one.

So this year I am going to attempt to bust my stashes and use up all the bits and pieces of crafting supplies I have invested in and are taking up space cluttering up the house.  I will fail.  I will buy stuff I don't need and store it.  I am however going to try.  I am also not going to say I am not buying any fabric or yarn all year, but I am going to try to get some stuff used up first. Here are some pictures of my studio/office and not the whole mess I assure you but it gives you the idea!  I am joining Kelly at Creating a Family Home and Tricia at Crunchy Catholic Momma.  Tricia said she would post on Thursdays so I will try to post then as well and link up, and Kelly had the side bar button. 

As far as plans. I want to get my UFOs done.  I have:

One glove for Beaver
a Market Bag
A shawl
a rag rug
a baby blanket &
Knitting kits for gifts.

that I need to get done off the top of my head.  Plus a few more babies of cousins to knit for.

Under the table is filled with clothing I want to upcycle or turn into rag rugs. The bins behind the sift are full of fabric, notions and wool. & yes those are three bolts of fabric.

Baskets and bins of yarn, Bins of fabric and the big black bag is wool.

and a small confession I bought three balls of mohair today that where being sold on consignment from the knitting instructors stash.  For $10.