Sing Your Heart

Two birthdays

2012-01-24T12:00:00.003-05:00

Big brother turned three. He blew out his candles all by himself and gobbled his birthday cupcake in about a minute and a half.
Baby brother turned one a couple of months earlier. I could hardly keep that crown on his head, but he ate his birthday cupcake with a fork (how dainty!) and took an hour about it.

I'm loving both of these ages so much. Especially loving the co-play, and the way the baby looks up to his brother with adoring eyes. Also when Big Brother does something "gentle-ly" for Baby. Which isn't so often, but I choose to focus on the positive. Happy birthdays boys!

It is winter

2012-01-18T17:56:00.003-05:00

How did that happen? Wasn't it just summer? Well. I've been having fun cutting paper snowflakes based on the ones on this site for at least a month. Such good fun. Back soon, I hope.

Knitting for the bigger boy

2011-10-13T13:26:00.005-04:00

So, I'm attempting to make most of my bigger boy's fall and winter wardrobe. I've always made him lots of pants, and with the addition of some hand-me-downs from a friend of my mother's and a few hand-knitted sweaters and vests, he's usually pretty well turned out. I'm going to try to share some of the things that I've made for him lately over the next few days. First up, a couple of new-ish (if you count things made over the past year) knitted finished objects:

First up is this lovely fuzzy green pullover. It's an un-steeked Grow Like a Weed Jacket, done up in Lamb's Pride Worsted. The pattern was a dream, and the boy always gets compliments on this sweater when he wears it. It's also really thick and warm, and last winter (see, I told you, these are only sort-of new knits!) he was able to wear it in lieu of a coat when it was cold-but-not-too-cold. When I first finished this sweater, I thought I was going to steek it, but I never got up the nerve. And frankly, I think it's beautiful just the way it is (is that the fear talking?). I added a few rows of plain ribbing at the neckline after he'd worn the sweater a few times and I figured out I was never going to get it steeked and be-zippered-- I think those couple of plain rows make the neckline look more normal than it did. Outside of a little pilling that will be easily dispatched by the sweater shaver, this sweater will fit just as well this winter as it did last. Definitely a stretchy, well-fitting sweater for growing little boys.

And then, (yet another) Milo vest, this time made from Green Mountain Spinnery's Sylvan Spirit that I got back in 2007 when I was considering using this yarn for my husband's Cobblestone sweater. I love this yarn for this project. The tencel content makes the vest drape-y and soft, while the wool keeps it pretty warm. I also love how the colorway is kind of tweedy and matches many different shirts. A total keeper.

Here's hoping I make it back here again soon with some more kids' wardrobe additions. Happy autumn!

Sweetpod

2011-08-05T09:32:00.003-04:00

Look at that sweet sleeping baby! This is eighteen-month-old H, riding on his papa's back through Acadia National Park last summer. He's riding in the SweetPod baby carrier that I made last spring before a different family trip, to Texas. The carrier was indispensable on both of those trips, through airports and on hikes. But it has shown its true utility now that little mister G has arrived. This is the carrier that I wear on every trip to the grocery store and the doctor's office, and every day on walks with the boys. George rides in front for now, but the day when he can ride backpack-style isn't far off.

This is a very detailed pattern with a great supply buying guide at the beginning. I did have to mail-order a few supplies, like high-density foam for the hip support and all of the heavy-duty fasteners, but the pattern includes sources for the special materials. I would encourage anyone who needs a baby carrier to try sewing your own with this pattern. It seems complicated, with the nap hood (which zips in its own integral pouch) and all of the adjustable straps, but it was much easier to complete than I thought it would be. Totally do-able. The savings over similar store-bought carriers was substantial and the SweetPod is way cuter and much more comfortable than some carriers that don't include the hip support.

I'll be using it again this afternoon, on a trip to the nature center. Happy hiking (and sewing).

Dusk

2011-08-04T12:07:00.004-04:00

Yesterday at the grocery store I was contemplating buying some flowers for our dining room table. There were bouquets of deep red, magenta, mustard yellow, dahlias and zinnias, sunflowers. But something has shifted in me and I bought the plain white dahlias.

Henry spotted this bluejay feather on a recent walk and he found the broken robin's egg in our yard a few weeks ago. I think they're so beautiful together, and suddenly I'm drawn to those cool blues. I love adding nature finds to our little kitchen windowsill vignette, and I love how the blues and whites seem to creep in organically near the end of the summer.
Last night was the first night that I consciously noticed the dusk coming sooner. In a light rain, the end of the day felt so *summer*, but with a twist of fall. I think I say this every year around this time: I'm so ready.

New jammies

2011-08-03T10:28:00.004-04:00

The big boy has graduated from his union suit pajamas, since body-length zippers and middle-of-the-night potty runs don't mix. Perfect excuse to try out the crossover tee pattern from Growing Up Sew Liberated!

I made the size 3, but next time I will make the 2, as this one is a lot big. This was also one of my first projects sewn with knit fabrics. The neck came out a little gape-y. I guess I need to stretch the rib binding pieces more before I sew them down? Or start with shorter pieces than the pattern suggests? Buy higher-quality rib-knit? Perhaps I just need more practice. The knit sewing has definitely made me want to get more comfortable with the serger-- sewing those seams more than once is no picnic.

He seems happy with his new jammies, no?

The shorts are from a pattern I drafted from the pants block pattern at Children's Fashion Workshop. These block patterns have been so useful. And the fabric is some cheap interlock I got a long time ago from JoAnn's. (As a side note on that, I was in there for some needles on Sunday and they still had this print! This isn't the first time I've seen a print there literally a year after I've purchased it. Is it just my location, or do they keep stock around for a long time?)At least two more sets of pajamas are on deck for my big boy-- firetrucks and frogs.

Popcorn and popsicles for supper!

2011-08-02T11:16:00.003-04:00

This has been a hot summer punctuated by projects (potty training comes to mind) that take more effort and time than you think they will. So about once a week, I find myself left with very little time before supper and nothing in the works. On these days, I've been resorting to a combo of popcorn (popped in delicious coconut oil) and a cold kefir concoction. On this day, the cold kefir of choice was kefir popsicles: kefir, frozen strawberries and honey. Last week, I made vanilla kefir ice cream to go with our popcorn. It was delicious.

Now, I know popcorn and cold, sweetened kefir isn't the most healthy supper option. But it's stress-free for both Mama and her two-year-old and it just feels so much like summer. I guess I'll have to come up with a different crunch-time go-to meal for the winter!
Grady likes popsicles too.

Hello August

2011-08-01T16:23:00.004-04:00

Hello. Happy August. I can't believe we're already into the last month of summer. Lately I've been trying to decide if this blog is worth keeping. I feel like I should be pouring my extra time into baby books for the boys or photo albums instead of writing about my crafty and country pursuits on this blog. But I keep coming back (even after extended absences) so I guess we'll see. I'm going to try to get a better rhythm going for August. There are many completed projects that have not yet been shared.

The dapper dandy that you see above is Harry. He is my older son's best friend, a doll made from this pattern for Henry's first birthday. The boy always says, "Harry is a nice doll, Mama." And then he bites him in the belly. All that love, you know. Sometimes Henry loves Harry a little too much, as illustrated by Harry's new chin. His old chin was so loved that there was a gaping hole and stuffing was exposed. We can't have that. So Mama gave him a chin graft. The sad part is that since this photo was taken Harry has lost a leg and he has a hole in his shirt. Both repairs will be happening soon, I hope. I think I'll have to sneak him out of Henry's room in the middle of the night.

Yo-yos

2011-06-13T10:46:00.003-04:00

Whew! Thank goodness I got that out of my system. Sometimes I feel the need to do a little hand sewing, and I always have grand plans for completed queen-size coverlets and quilts (see: Grandmother's flower garden, crocheted ripple blanket). This time I made myself stop with this tiny doll-sized product. It's about 9" by 11". I used Heather Bailey's tutorial for these. They're all from the scrap bin, and were actually pretty enjoyable to make. But I'm so glad to be able to let myself off the hook on this particular method. Sometimes there's too much inspiration out there, you know?

Strawberries

2011-06-07T17:46:00.006-04:00

Yum! The strawberries are becoming a yearly spring tradition. We go to Wegmeyer Farm, out near my grandparents' place (and pretty close to my parents' new place, too). Everyone had a good time at the patch. Notice H's red shirt-- a deliberate clothing choice by Mama after last year's championship berry eating left his blue shirt purple with juice. This year H was more interested in picking and picking and picking than eating, though.

We picked enough for a couple of batches of jam and several gallon bags of frozen berries for smoothies. I'm always battling fruit float with my strawberry jam. Is the secret to let them macerate with the sugar for awhile before you cook the jam? For this batch, I just followed the recipe on the Pomona's box, and it's plenty tasty, although the fruit float is bad despite my turning efforts.

Also, while I appreciate the shorter cooking time (and using less sugar) with the Pomona's, for strawberries, it leaves the finished jam tasting a bit like freezer jam, of which I'm not a huge fan. (It works great for blackberries and blueberries, though, I've found.) I've got another batch of strawberries macerating with a vanilla bean in the fridge right now-- I'm going to try Food in Jars' strawberry-vanilla small batch jam tonight. It's a pectin-free recipe. I hope the extended macerating time will help me skip the fruit float.

Knitting Catch-up #1

2011-06-06T16:04:00.006-04:00

We were moved out of our house almost all winter for a home renovation, so I didn't get to blog about the knitting projects that I completed in peak knitting season. I'm going to attempt to catch up, but there may be some unseasonable photos! This is George's stocking. It's (obviously) the same pattern as the other family stockings that I made in 2009. I think my favorite thing about this pattern is that it comes together so quickly with such a nice finished product. Line them in interlock and they look like a million bucks. Here are all the family

stockings hung by the chimney with care in the little house where we stayed during our renovations.

Pattern: Falling Snow Stocking by Jennifer Hoel, a free pattern on Ravelry

Yarn: Malabrigo Chunky

Needles: US 9

Lining: Cotton interlock

Kefir

2011-06-06T15:11:00.004-04:00

I bought milk kefir grains from Cultures for Health about a month ago, and have had a pint jar on the windowsill growing ever since the grains arrived. We had been eating a lot of "kefir" from our dairy delivery (love South Mountain Creamery) in smoothies and such, but it was getting too expensive. H loves it so much that I decided to begin making my own.

I wish I could say this was harder, but kefir is so incredibly easy to make. After rehydrating the grains, you really just dump them into milk and leave it, covered, for 24 hours. H's favorite smoothie is kefir with strawberries and a little honey. We have been eating it instead of yogurt. For about a year, I was making yogurt every week, first in a little yogurt maker and then in the crock pot, but this is so much easier I don't know that I'll ever go back to making the yogurt.

Our success with milk kefir is making me curious about water kefir. I am a little wary, though, because although milk kefir is a fermented beverage, it doesn't taste alcoholic in the least. I'm worried that water kefir will be like kombucha, which I can't stand. Has anyone tried making their own water kefir?

Spring sensory bin

2011-04-26T09:43:00.004-04:00

I found myself falling back on tv as a babysitter a lot more often than I hoped as we moved back into our house. There were times when I needed to unpack a box or reorganize a closet without little people underfoot, and so into the basement H went, to watch an episode of Little Bear. I know that tv has its place (for example, he's so excited to talk about all of the characters from that show, and the things they do often relate to our days, especially on walks or at the farm), but I don't really like the way H zones in front of the screen. So after I saw the wonderful sensory bins that Counting Coconuts' Mari-Ann puts together for her son, I decided to create one of my own.

This is our Spring sensory bin, with a garden theme. Henry loves to manipulate and sort tiny things, so this has been a huge hit. I put the items in a 32-quart under-bed storage bin (with a lid!) and added a little wooden bowl for sorting. I just need to get a magnifying glass, and this bin will be complete.

And the thousand dollar question: Does H keep the items in the bin, or does he throw them around making a huge mess for me to clean up? Well here's a little story about that. The other day, H wanted to play with the bin when I had just put it away. He pulled it down off the shelf, scattering beans and tiny things everywhere. We sat together and I made him pick each little individual item up, not letting him stop until they were all back in the bin. I told H how proud I was of him for cleaning it all up. Then I started to put the bin away, but saw a quivering little toddler lip, and relented and let him play a little more. I think this "animal bin" (as H calls it) might be the favorite toy of the moment.

I'm excited to build the Summer bin when the time comes (already have some great ideas!), but I hope he doesn't get upset when the Spring bin disappears in the night.

This bin contains: 7 pounds of black beans, 2 pounds of pinto beans, unscented (sparkly!) fishing lure worms, flower buttons, tiny insect buttons, wood beads, brown glass beads, green freshwater pearl beads, fake flowers in two sizes cut off of a "silk" arrangement from Michael's, brown pom-poms, feathers, and by far the most popular items: the contents of this Toob.

Making a home

2011-04-01T15:07:00.004-04:00

I've been filling out a lot of forms lately. Some of them have been official forms for banks, others less official (although only slightly!-- people are *serious* about preschool) ones for H's first year of "real" preschool next year. And all of the forms have a little blank for me to fill in with my profession. Each time I write "home maker". I know some people who do what I do have problems with this term, but I think it's the best way to describe it, despite some negative connotations. (It's certainly better than "house wife", for example.)

I live in an area where many women and men have very high-profile careers. When they hear that I stay home, some think that I have no ambition. But they're wrong-- this is my ambition. It kind of always has been. I enjoy making our home and being a full-time wife and mother. Building the atmosphere of love in our house and practicing our routine, day in and day out. Stacking up peaceful days like waves on the shore.

Fabric diet

2011-04-01T15:02:00.004-04:00

We've just moved back into our house after a longer-than-necessary remodeling session, and reorganizing the basement has afforded me the opportunity to lay my hands on almost every piece of fabric in my stash. There is waaaay too much. So, as of March 18, 2011 (when my husband and I shook on it), I am on a Fabric Diet. I won't buy any fabric for a year. I should mention that this diet is made slightly easier because my mom also has a huge stash, and what I need to finish up some of my unfinished projects I can probably "borrow" from her. Still, I hope I can make it!

Little helper

2011-04-01T14:41:00.005-04:00

Spring always makes me want to start approximately eight million projects at once. I think it's the renewed light that makes me overly ambitious. This year, I have a couple of requirements for any projects on which I spend my time: They have to be either (1) useful to me, my home, or a member of my family; or (2) involve finishing up an earlier unfinished project.

Lately, I've had a lot of "help" with my projects. If it's not nap time, H is so excited to help me with my "fah-ricks" or "kilts". He calls all patchwork, even if it's just blocks, kilts. You can see him above piling kilts on top of his BFF, Harry (who needs some serious face work-- definitely on the current project list!). He also loves to lay the blocks out in precise rows, or to sort them by color.
No matter what the project, I'm sure to hear "What Mama doin'?", as I did on this day, when I was trying to redraft an old kids' pants pattern to be more like what I want for H's spring/summer wardrobe (another project on the list). When he saw this photo, he told me he was "drawin' ladybugs wit the ladybug crown".

The help that H has given me on recent projects has also afforded some of the first truly two-way play between the boys. G loves the bright colors in the blocks, and waving them around haphazardly, if he can get his hands to close on them. Here you can see two out of three boys playing "night night".

I promise there will be some actual finished objects to show soon, and that this won't be a complete Mommy blog. I got a ton of knitting done over the winter and for some reason have yet to photograph any of it. If it would only stop raining around here this week, I might be able to arrange a backyard photo session.

Our dryer is out

2011-03-28T19:09:00.002-04:00

I want to remember this day. When Henry is the perfect height to rest his chin on the railing of SuSu's laundry porch. And I can hear his thudding toddler footsteps and squeals of joy as she chases him from room to room upstairs. And George smiles up at me after eating, sly, ducking his chin. And we're all bathed in the gloaming, slanting through the windows. It was a good day, despite the broken dryer that brought us here.

More little things

2011-03-21T14:54:00.005-04:00

Like little fingers and toes to nibble. Little smiles and the light in little eyes. Little George here was born on Thanksgiving day, 2010. And we are so thankful to add this new warm and wonderful soul to our family. Below is a photo from Henry's first opportunity to "play" with his baby brother. He's been very sweet and generous with the kisses, engrossed by the tiny hands and feet, quick to name and touch gently all of BG's ("Baby George") features. And only a little jealous-- mostly of the baby's ability to take up real estate on Mama's lap. George seems to love his big brother, too, always watching his comings and goings.

Two baby children has been a challenge, definitely, but my heart is so full of love for these little boys.

Little things

2011-03-21T14:20:00.004-04:00

Two-year-old Henry is obsessed with little things. The smaller the better. When we are out in the world he fills his pockets with tiny pinecones and pebbles, seeds and buds. His favorite foods are small ones, raisins and beans that can be manipulated as they are eaten. Many of the favorite toys are tiny, too. A recent exchange at the doctor's office:

The doctor had given him a token to put in the machine for a prize, and he chose a bouncy ball. (Never mind that the doctor shouldn't have given him the token at all, since he's not yet three and has a tendency to put tiny things in his mouth...) Out popped a red ball colored like a basketball. So excited! He threw it and threw it while I was checking out, eventually throwing it somewhere he couldn't follow it: into the office of another doctor, who was on a phone call. I dragged him away from the doctor's office door, and the "mean" nurse (another whole story there) gave him one of the plastic frogs that are approved for the under-threes.

H: Want boun-see ball.

Me: We have balls at home, Hon.

H: Want red boun-see ball.

Me: We'll get a ball at home, Sweet Sweet.

H: (More plaintive) Want red boun-see ball wif stripes (repeat ad finitum).

Me: Let's just get to the car.

"Tiny" and "little" are major parts of his vocabulary, and when he doesn't get the small object that he wants, he just adds more adjectives. Today:

H: Herry want ring.

Me: No, Honey, why don't we play with the cars?

H: Nooo. Herry want gold ring.

Me: No...

H: Herry want tiny gold ring.

I guess the want-ys and "no"s go with the territory in two-year-olds. But how I love my little boy and his love of little things. Here's a photo to show you the rest of the winning outfit that he was wearing the day that I took the photo above.

Back soon, I hope.

Cross-country skis

2010-02-26T14:27:00.003-05:00

So, getting back in the swing of things... This winter our area has gotten more snow than it has since the 1890's. This is all old news by now, but I thought I'd share a couple of photos of one of the activities we enjoyed during the snow.

We've had our cross-country skis for a few years, but only managed to use them a couple of times at the farm since our town is pretty good about plowing the roads. All that changed during this series of snows. The top photo shows my set-up with the baby. We are on our street during the initial snowfall-- this was before things got really bad and deep. Skiing on the street was pretty easy; the roads are relatively flat and I think the falling snow was distracting Baby H enough that he wasn't doing too much wiggling. A nice leisurely ski with Brian and only a few minor hiccups (like the house where they got a little snowblower-happy).
Fast-forward a week. With the same set-up, I took Baby H out into the "wilds" of Loudoun County, skiing with my friends Karen and Helen at a farm near Karen's house. This was probably more fun, but definitely much harder. First off, there were hills. When I would settle into chair pose to navigate down a slight incline, the baby would throw himself forward (see below--this was during one of our re-mounting adventures) or to the side, asserting his independence, and it was really hard to stay balanced. I think we fell three or four times. It was hard to get back up because without the skis, my legs sunk through the snow, sometimes up to the hip where snow had drifted. But Helen and Karen were troupers and pulled me out of more than one drift. The baby was a sport too, really, and only cried once. I think he was just taking it all in.

All in all, I'm really glad we got out there despite our limitations (small child, less-than-usually-coordinated mama). And it makes a great story to tell Henry someday about the Great Snow of 2010.

Palm Beach in winter

2010-01-12T17:05:00.002-05:00

My grandparents are snowbirds. After Christmas each year they drive down to a small town in Florida near West Palm Beach to spend a few months out of the cold. One year, maybe the year after we were married, my husband and I went down to visit them in their golf course community. We took golf lessons, went out to eat, shopped. It was warm, but everything looked windswept and crispy, dry. Being Florida, the decor in many of the restaurants and shops included aquamarine blues and a fair amount of magenta. This quilt reminds me of the memory of that trip. Does that make sense?
In truth, this quilt was born out of panic. After my son was born, I didn't have time to craft at all. In those first few months, I was worried that I would never again be able to devote time to quilting and the other handwork hobbies that I love. So I panicked, and bought a few Amy Butler Midwest Modern II charm packs. I'd never bought charm packs before, but I needed a quick fix, and these hourglass blocks fit the bill. I added in some Heather Bailey prints along with a couple of other things from my stash, and made several blocks each nap time. Until I couldn't make any more.

There are 169 blocks in this quilt. It measures about 47.5" square. I have seven or eight leftover blocks, but I couldn't even make enough more to finish out another row of 13. I was burned out on hourglasses. I wish it was a little bit bigger, but it's a decent sofa lap quilt for the basement.
I love the backing fabric, a cotton/linen blend birdseed print (that made the quilting a little bit tricky). I think it's perfect for this quilt. This quilt was actually finished several months ago, and has been serving couch duty since then. The quilt may have proved that I can find time for crafting with an under-one-year-old, but there certainly doesn't seem to be all that much time for blogging, too!

Three hundred sixty-three

2010-01-12T16:56:00.004-05:00

So, in an effort to learn to use my camera better, to make documenting our lives more a part of living, I've begun project 365. Only I began a couple of days late, so for me it will be 363. I'm too chicken to open my whole set up to a broader audience yet, but I'll share a few images here from time to time. Taking photos everyday really does help me appreciate the beauty in our routines, in our little house. The growing set of candid snapshots of some of the tiny pieces that make up our days is really making me happy, too.

Christmas stockings

2010-01-05T11:03:00.004-05:00

The first (ahem) several years that we were married, I kept promising my husband that I would get around to making us some Christmas stockings. Some new stockings to hang in our new family home. I even started a couple of stockings with Hillary Lang's elf stitchettes, but although the stitchettes are dang cute, they didn't feel substantial enough, special enough to anchor the family stockings that I wanted to make. When the baby came, the pull to make the stockings got much stronger. Here is what I finally decided on, knit and lined in time for Christmas.
These are just what I imagined. Soft and substantial and huge. Homey and cozy. I love them-- they're probably some of the best things I've ever knit. Just before Christmas, my mom talked me into buying more yarn in other colors, enough to make more stockings for any other little ones who might (we hope, we hope) come along.

Pattern: Falling Snow Stocking by Jennifer Hoel, a free pattern on Ravelry
Yarn: Malabrigo Chunky (has to be my very favorite chunky/bulky yarn-- so so soft)
Needles: U.S. 9 dpns
Lining: Very nice cotton interlock that my mom gave me, sewn in by machine

PS: Here's a photo of our baby-friendly Christmas tree in action. I didn't want to set up a full tree and then put a gate around it, and we didn't want to be constantly pulling the baby away from tree and ornaments, or worrying about the whole thing toppling down on his head as he tried to pull up on it. So, tiny tree on a table it was (is, actually; it's the 12th day of Christmas, so the whole thing's still set up). H loves to lie underneath and stare up at the lights, wiggling and pumping his little legs. Sweet boy.

Happy New Year

2010-01-04T15:22:00.003-05:00

Listen to your life. See it for the fathomless mystery that it is. In the boredom and pain of it no less than in the excitement and gladness: touch, taste, smell your way to the holy and hidden heart of it because in the last analysis all moments are key moments, and life itself is grace. -- Frederick Buechner, from Now and Then (Oh how I love Frederick Buechner!)

Happy New Year. The photos are from a trip to the farm just before Christmas. I love them. It is still very cold here, and the remnants of this storm still cover our lawn. The wind is bitter. But the expanses of white feel very apt for the fresh start that is the new year. Clean and uncluttered. Ready for more moments of fathomless mystery.

Friday nights

2009-11-22T19:38:00.003-05:00

On Friday evenings, I knead the dough alone. But by the time it has risen and the pizza needs topping and baking, he is usually home. We talk about the week. He spreads the cornmeal on the pizza peal carefully, and I give it the final olive oil drizzle before it goes in the oven. We've got a comfortable rhythm going.

Another hunting post

2009-11-20T11:58:00.002-05:00

How charming the sight when Aurora first dawns,
To see the bright beagles spread over the lawns;
To welcome the sun, now returning from rest,
Their mattins they chant as they merrily quest.

Then hark in the morn, to the call of the horn,
And join with the jovial crea,
While the season invites, with all its delights,
The health-giving chace to pursue.

Well, this was a very different meet than the last Thursday meet I wrote about, and not very much in keeping with the sun-filled verse above. We met at a misty Oakland Green. The field was small, and since the corn's been cut and turned under, the pack was a little slower in finding a scent. Still, we were on our way and I was breathing deeply. And then. We went by Dr. Marion's and two of his family's horses jumped a coop to follow the field. So there was a long period of cowboy/cowgirl work to get the loose ones contained before we could be on our way again.

Then, almost immediately as we moved off, it started to really rain. The whole time we had been out, the cloud ceiling had been slipping down in the sky, until it felt like it was sitting on our shoulders. But then, from the clouds, steady rain. Most of us headed for home. Something about this fixture this year. It really rained the last time we met there, in October. I didn't get quite as soaked this time.

Still, it was beautiful. I always think that the damp in the fall makes the colors more clear and bright and crisp, set off as they are by the dark black branches of wet trees. Until next time.

Happy H-owl-oween!

2009-11-02T09:26:00.003-05:00

Our little family had a pretty low-key and very nice Halloween. H happily went as an owl in the felt costume I constructed with this Martha Stewart "tutorial" as a guide. I use the term tutorial very lightly as there was much filling-in of the blanks. It was a good costume for a wee one, however, because all of the annoying pieces were easily removed and nothing about the costume hindered crawling.

On Halloween day, lucky Henry got to see both sets of his grandparents and his great-grandparents. We ate North Carolina barbecue on a Virginia back porch and went to a baby party to see our buddies, baby Raggedy Ann and the Cowardly lion. There were many trick-or-treaters to greet at the door, and the weather held out long enough for baby H to visit all of the important neighbors. I think having a baby really enhances my experience of the changing seasons and the holidays. Something about the wonder in his eyes prompts me to experience everything anew.

A Hunting Song

2009-11-02T09:07:00.002-05:00

Away to the field, see the morning looks gray,
And, sweetly bedappled, forbodes a fine day;
The hounds are all eager the sport to embrace,
And carol aloud to be led to the chace.
Then hark in the morn, to the call of the horn,
And join with the jovial crew,
While the season invites, with all its delights,
The health-giving chace to pursue.
We had a great day's cubbing from the Glebe a couple of Saturdays ago. We began the day with a viewing-- the youngest riders saw him first across a hilly field. We lost the pack a little bit in the middle of the first run, but recovered nicely and covered a lot of ground. Up Mount Gilead and then down to the swinging bridge through vineyards. Back through the bottom to Askari's, where we ran through fields of wild mint, that lovely scent wafting up from fleet hooves. Crossed the Goose more than once, wading at one point, pony riders picking up their knees. Even on a less-than-eventful day, this is a sport that makes me feel alive and connected. Beautiful day.

The verses above come from a very old book that my mom put in my Christmas stocking several years ago. I don't know anything about it, except that it is a book of songs titled "Roundelay, or the New Soren, a Collection of Choice Songs including the Modern," and was published by Sondon, and "printed for W. LANE, Leadenhall Street", maybe in London? It's about a quarter of the size of a piece of typing paper (trigesimo-segundo, or thirty-twomo size, google tells me) and bound in leather. There are many other verses to this song, and many other songs about the fair sport of foxhunting, so you may see more here in the future. I wish I knew what tune this song might have been sung to!

Monday Monday

2009-09-14T15:49:00.004-04:00

When we get to this point in the year, things seem to move really fast. Maybe it's the chill breeze in the air, but in the fall I feel like I can't get everything finished in a day or a week or a month. This afternoon I'll be making yogurt and picking up farm share vegetables and just trying to take a breath. I saw a meditation poem on another blog late last month (unfortunately I can't remember which one), and these simple words, repeated with each in and out are really helping me to slow down and calm down in this busy time. Try it:

in, out
deep, slow
calm, ease
smile, release
present moment, beautiful moment

Ah. Isn't that nice? Above is a wee little kangaroo vest that I made (from the book Closely Knit) when I was pregnant with Henry. It's the one-year-old size, done up in Malabrigo worsted, and it's fitting him now, finally (although the head is a little bit of a tight squeeze). I love seeing my baby in things that I've made for him.

Zig Zag

2009-09-10T08:59:00.005-04:00

We spend a lot of time on the floor lately. Henry crawls and bangs things together and ignores his toys in favor of much more exciting things like outlets and electrical cords. I sing and bang things together in an attempt to make his toys look interesting and thwart his constant attempts to electrocute himself. These days, camping out on the floor is how we fill our time between naps and meals and occasional trips to the farm.

So there couldn't be a better time for a new floor quilt. Papa calls them H's "activity mats". This one measures about 40" by 47". I wish it were a bit bigger, but I love its bold pattern. Later, I hope those zigs will become rivers and the zags roads and mountains. For now, H wads the quilt up with busy knees on his way across the room or allows me to drape it over his head for a game of peek-a-boo. He examines the patterns and fabrics in the quiet moments before naptime, and every so often he actually pops his thumb in his mouth and lays down his head, ever so briefly. Good enough for me.

Preserving

2009-09-09T09:39:00.003-04:00

Inspired by Jennifer's great new site Putting By and by Liz's amazing pantry photos, I've been trying to can more of summer's bounty this year. My mom and I made bread and butter pickles last month and planned to do more, but life has gotten in the way. We use a mandoline to cut the cukes as thin as possible, as my mom's Mimi did. Mom winged the recipe from memory (and of course taste and smell) and they turned out just great. We've already eaten through the refrigerator jar. (The last jar filled, not quite full, which isn't processed and is instead eaten as close to immediately as possible-- the next day if you can wait that long for the flavors to meld. Does everyone do a refrigerator jar?) It was great fun to can with my mom.My Granna makes damson preserves each year that she can get good damsons. This year my grandfather picked up a couple of quarts for me, and Granna told me her recipe. I only tinkered with the ingredients a little (reduced the sugar), and followed her procedure (which involves standing over the pot and fishing all of the pits out one by one) exactly. These preserves are great, too. I love the way the skins taste. I also loved getting a word-of-mouth recipe from my grandmother.

The last thing I made for the larder is those little jars of pizza sauce you see in the middle. We've recently started a Friday night homemade pizza tradition, so those should come in handy. I got the recipe for this sauce from the Ball book.

The stash is building and I love seeing those bright clean jars stack up. I'm itching to pressure can some Brunswick Stew next, but we'll see if I get any time over the next couple of weeks. I think some multi-colored quart jars would look just dandy next to my current jar soldiers, protecting my family from winter hunger. I'd be interested to hear what other folks have canned or preserved recently.

Out of season

2009-08-31T22:08:00.005-04:00

Today the weather really feels like Autumn, and all of a sudden I noticed the slanting light on the dining room table as I fed the boy his peas and carrots around five this evening. My grandmother called this afternoon to tell me that the damson plums are in at the farm stand, and the foxhunting season (cubbing) starts this week.

Suddenly, the signs are all around us that summer is over. I'll sleep with the windows open tonight, and breathe deeply.

(These are some unrelated crafts that have been completed lately. Top: The Baby Sophisticate sweater done up in Dream in Color Classy held double. I made the six to twelve months size and it's already kind of snug around the middle. Oh well, still cute. Bottom: A wee wonderfuls kitty made for Cousin Hannah's third birthday.)

The Fourth

2009-07-06T22:54:00.006-04:00

There was a little bit of this:
Mixed with a lot of this:
And then some of this:
Followed by a lot of this (for everyone):
And that was about right. I hope your Fourth of July was just as good.

Thistles

2009-06-30T12:42:00.001-04:00

I've been writing this post in my head for a week. My friend didn't make it home. We weren't ever particularly close, but we knew each other for a long time. The last time I saw her was a couple of years ago-- she was hunting the socks off of an ex-racehorse, galloping away in front of me.

I think what has made my heart heaviest about this terrible event (besides of course the facts and the violence) is that this was a girl who lived her life to the fullest, cheerfully true to herself always. Her positive attitude and peace with herself drew others to her.

The last few mornings, I've woken early, before the baby, to the sound of birds. Lots of them. Talking to each other, greeting the new day. And then the baby chirps from the next room and I rise and we start all over again.

Hope

2009-06-12T20:06:00.003-04:00

I'm hoping and praying today for an old friend's safe return to her family. Yesterday on the Writer's Almanac, Garrison Keillor read this poem, written by Jack Gilbert. Hoping is hard.

Horses At Midnight Without A Moon

by Jack Gilbert

Our heart wanders lost in the dark woods.
Our dream wrestles in the castle of doubt.
But there's music in us. Hope is pushed down
but the angel flies up again taking us with her.
The summer mornings begin inch by inch
while we sleep, and walk with us later
as long-legged beauty through
the dirty streets. It is no surprise
that danger and suffering surround us.
What astonishes is the singing.
We know the horses are there in the dark
meadow because we can smell them,
can hear them breathing.
Our spirit persists like a man struggling
through the frozen valley
who suddenly smells flowers
and realizes the snow is melting
out of sight on top of the mountain,
knows that spring has begun.

"Horses At Midnight Without A Moon" by Jack Gilbert, from Refusing Heaven. © Alfred A. Knopf, 2005

Summer uniform

2009-06-09T08:37:00.003-04:00

I love these little playsuits. Such a classic look on a little child. These are from the Oliver + S tea party playsuit pattern. I skipped the contrasting piping because I think it makes them look more classic, but I did manage to get the snap tape into the crotch of the seersucker version! These are the three to six month size-- they'll be outgrown in another month.

H has worn these almost constantly, though, with a long-sleeved onesie and booties on cooler days and solo on days like yesterday, which was hot and humid. They're nice and washable, and don't require ironing since they're so small. The twill pony-print one was a lot easier to make than the seersucker; it was easier to line that curved bodice seam up with the stiffer hand of the twill. These taught me that I need to work a little on my buttonholes. Even with the "automatic" feature on the machine, it's easy to make them too big. I need to learn how to make bound buttonholes-- I think they'd make these that much nicer. (Also, from Mom, useful information on how big to make the buttonholes. Apparently the rule is to add the diameter of the button to its thickness to determine the size for the hole. Good information to know.)

I already have fabric picked out for a couple more of these in the next size up. Maybe gnomes and baby wale corduroy.

Sewing Machine meme

2009-06-04T16:37:00.003-04:00

Do you know how hard it is to take a photo of a sewing machine in a dark basement on a rainy day? Pretty hard-- here's the best I could do. Sew Mama Sew is hosting sewing machine month for June, so today I'm answering their sewing machine meme. All questions are from the Sew Mama Sew site.

What brand and model do you have? My machine is a Bernina Virtuosa 153 Quilter's Edition.

How long have you had it? I (with much help from my mother) purchased the machine in late 2001 or early 2002, secondhand from a Bernina dealer.

How much does that machine cost (approximately)? Bernina doesn't make this machine anymore, but it ran about $2700 new. I paid about $1750, if I remember correctly, for an almost brand new machine. The woman who bought it new had turned it in for an even spiffier model soon after she purchased it. I've seen this model on eBay for $1200 - $1300 recently.

What types of things do you sew? I have sewn almost everything with this machine. I think the strength and sturdiness of a Bernina its greatest asset. I've done quilts from start to finish (piecing, quilting), clothes for me and my family, handbags, slipcover projects, a fair group of fake fur and fleece items for the horse and his equipment, paper for greeting cards and paper piecing, and much more. This machine has even sewed double-thickness split cowhide to heavy-duty Carhartt insulated coveralls (not that it was a walk in the park, but the machine came out unscathed). Basically, if you have the right needle and the right foot, with this machine the sky's the limit.

How much do you sew? I sew whenever I can, up to two hours a day after the baby goes to bed, but I've been known to sew a weekend away with two twelve-hour stretches.

Do you like/love/hate your machine? Are you ambivalent? Passionate? Does she have a name? No name, but I really do love this machine. It's quality.

What features does your machine have that work well for you? I like the automatic buttonhole feature. The blind hem stitch is very handy when time is tight. The adjustable feed dogs and the stop-needle-down feature see a lot of use. The bobbin is incredibly easy to wind and replace. The computer screen is not complicated. It simply displays the choices I've made with the buttons on the machine's face.

Would you recommend this machine to others? Absolutely. Without hesitation. It's such a strong and versatile machine that I don't see myself needing another.

What factors do you think are important to consider when looking for a new machine? I learned to quilt in college on a vintage Singer Featherweight that belongs to my mother. It did everything I needed then; it sewed beautiful rows of straight stitching. I made quilt blocks and stayed up late making dresses for beach week.

When I first got the Bernina, it was probably more than I needed. More functions and buttons for someone who really only knew how to sew in straight lines of straight stitches. But now I use almost all the features, and I can really do whatever I want to do with it. I think it's important to look for a quality machine above all else. Look for something that doesn't intimidate you but that does a little more than you think you'll need. I've grown as a sewist because of my machine.

Do you have a dream machine? Have you seen this new Bernina 830 that supposedly costs $12000? I haven't seen it in person, but I've ogled it on the computer more than once. Although I'm definitely not into the machine embroidery stuff, I'm a loyal Bernina user now, and this machine seems to be the only one with extended neck space. That's the one thing that I wish my machine had: a longer neck so that I could quilt larger, bed-sized pieces with ease on my home machine. There's a fair amount of wrangling to quilt a twin size piece now. Oh, and it'd be way cool to have the automatic scissors to cut the threads at the end of a seam. And a bigger bobbin. But I can't see spending twelve grand on a sewing machine!

I look forward to reading about other peoples' machines this month.

Just in time for summer

2009-06-03T16:41:00.004-04:00

I've finished crocheting an enormous heavy woolen granny square for the sofa. Just when the sun has decided to ratchet those temps up to the high eighties every day. Typical. Just ask my husband how many Christmas and birthday gifts were given to him half-finished. Embarrassing, really.

I love this afghan, though. It's mostly Lamb's Pride Worsted, and is almost all scraps. I did have to buy a couple of skeins more in the dark brown color that anchors and borders the blanket, but I'll use the scraps someday, some more knitted toys, perhaps? I used a G hook, and the finished size is about 58" square. I was going for 60" square, so pretty close, right? I just couldn't make myself crochet one more round.

I got the idea and the pattern from the Purl Bee.

This is just to say

2009-05-31T21:47:00.003-04:00

I have begun
the new quilt-along
that is at
the old red barn co

a project
that you probably know
is
one too many

Forgive me
the quilt looks delicious
so fresh
and so clean

(with apologies to William Carlos Williams. Follow everyone's progress here.)

Peonies

2009-05-27T10:30:00.003-04:00

They have to be my very favorite flowers. My mother cut these for me from her garden yesterday, in the rain. They smell heavenly.

Meet Quiltie

2009-05-26T16:21:00.003-04:00

When we were children, my brothers and I each had a different "lovey". Mine was a polyester department store baby blanket that my mom improved by hand-applying a satin ribbon binding. I loved my blankie. My oldest little brother had a Plaudie bear (more on this in an upcoming post), and my youngest brother had Quiltie. Ted's quiltie is awesome, with needle-turned hearts surrounding a calico checkerboard. That handmade quilt became threadbare as baby Ted and then toddler Ted dragged him everywhere and slept with him every night. I still have my blankie, and I think lovies can be very important to little children.

When Henry was born, we got several "minkee" blankets as gifts from friends. They are very very soft, but they lack personality. I know that's probably because they often need to be replaced and the simpler something is, the easier it is to replace. But. I made this little guy when I made this quilt for my friend Katie's son. I had a few extra blocks and I cut them down from half-square triangles into these hourglass blocks. The quilt measures about 11 inches by 13 and is batted with bamboo, which makes it very drapey and not at all stiff.

Henry is currently a fan of grabbing things, and this quilt has been in his crib ready for grabbing since about three weeks after he was born. It goes with us on most car trips and in the stroller, protecting his chubby little legs from the sun. I know I can't force this little quilt as his lovey, but he does seem to like it now, rubbing it on his face to soothe himself in the crib, sucking his thumb all the while. And I love to see him snuggling with this little quilt that I made him.

Bowties or butterflies?

2009-05-22T16:16:00.005-04:00

I did it again-- I took my quilt photos in the fat middle of the day. It makes the colors so over-bright. But here we go anyway. This is a crumb-type scrap quilt that I made in the months just before our baby was born. It's made up of alternating nine-patch blocks (an "x" block next to a "cross" block, if that makes sense). It was inspired by the ones that the little red hen makes, like this one, except that I only put colors in the corners of alternate patches instead of in each patch.

It measures about 36 inches by 43 inches, and sports my normal stippled quilting. Each patch of the nine-patch blocks is 2.5 inches finished. There are a few different white fabrics in the quilt, some Kona bleach white and some white on white prints, because this is a true scrap quilt. Everything came out of the bins.

Everything, that is, except the back, which I love. It's a green and white print of tiny train tracks complemented with the yellower-green leaf print. Initially I had planned on doing a green binding as well, but I'm so glad I opted for the dark brown Civil War repro print. There are tiny light brown leaves on it, and I think the dark color does such a great job of setting off all that white.

The baby boy has been using this as an activity quilt. When we went to our mothers' group, he rolled around all over it, and he spit up on it at least once during Mama/baby yoga. Thus all the stippling. I love dense quilting like this on a baby quilt because it can be thrown in the washer and dryer without a thought. It's getting softer and softer. I hope the boy will grow to love this one as much as I do, in all its crinkly goodness.

Shady days

2009-05-21T20:12:00.002-04:00

Just what we all needed yesterday. An afternoon on the front lawn with a bowl of cherries (for me) and a big white sunhat (for him). Ahh. I love the shady, breezy spring.

Still here!

2009-05-18T10:13:00.006-04:00

Hello. There's not much going on here, other than loving on my little one and begging him to sleep. His once-daily nap is usually filled with laundry and picking up after the day before, but there has been some crafting as well.

I made this itty bitty baby dress from the made by rae pattern for our friends who welcomed a little girl thirteen days ago. We went to visit them this weekend and I simply could not believe how little baby Claire is. I can't remember when Henry was that small, even though it hasn't been that long at all. Whew! I'd better keep my eyes open.

Bald eagle day

2009-04-22T12:39:00.008-04:00

I was going to call this post "Bluebird Day", but I think it's early yet for those brilliant little ones. Birds we did see yesterday at the farm:

A juvenile bald eagle on the "eagle tree" in the hill field
Full-grown bald eagle on the same tree earlier in the morning
A pair of loons. The male stood on the dock with his wings held up as if to give his mate some privacy while she took her morning dip in the pond
Many many jenny wrens with their cheerful upward tails (many many jennies!)
The ubiquitous Canada geese
A hawk (probably a broad-winged hawk?) carrying bits of lunch
A skittish robin
A pair of rock pigeons nesting in the machine shed

Unfortunately, I didn't get photos of any of the birds, but it was a storybook day with a wide blue sky and green green fields of pretty babies washed clean by yesterday's rain bath. Cattle are much easier to photograph than birds.
And although no photograph can capture the all 'round huge spinning beauty of the great wide open on such a beautiful spring day, the photo above does a poor job of trying. My baby was awake and alert for our entire walk yesterday, his eyes wide and searching from his stroller. I think maybe he'll be a country mouse like his mama. I hope so.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T19:41:00.003-04:00

Kicking bag

2009-04-08T07:52:00.005-04:00

Henry: Happy, healthy, hale and hearty. Mama: Tired. My husband has been sick, so I've been flying solo on all baby duties. My mom was here to help for several days (which was so nice!), but the middle of the night is still and always my responsibility.

Luckily some of the sweetest moments also occur in the middle of the night. I don't speak to him, since we're trying to get Henry to sleep better and longer, but the baby snuggles up on my chest and buries his dandelion-fluffy head under my chin. After some warm weather last weekend, the past few nights have been very chilly. Perfect for the Kicking Bag for Babies, a free pattern on Ravelry. I used just over two skeins of KPPPM that my brother thoughtfully gave me last Christmas. The warm wool makes this baby even more cuddly there in that dark room as we rock and rock and rock. This bag used to swallow this baby whole, but now he's filling it out more-- he grows and grows when I'm not looking.

I'm hoping that the weather will turn warm again soon and Spring will be here to stay. I'm ready to get this kicking baby out into the fresh air. (And to take some photos with natural light again.)

Back to the farm

2009-03-14T09:47:00.003-04:00

Yesterday. It was a little cold and windy.

Guess who napped today?

2009-03-11T21:12:00.001-04:00

For almost an hour! These little Gocco guys will be winging their way out to friends and family soon, assuming that someone can see his way clear to napping again tomorrow. Whew.

Projects

2009-03-10T08:48:00.003-04:00

We're still alive! Baby and I are surviving our first weeks home alone and trying to establish a routine (for example, the "routine" morning nap for both Mama and baby, with baby's head nestled softly under my chin as he sleeps on my chest).

Standards have been lowered slightly (This morning, I was eating a blueberry waffle that I made and froze in the first weeks of H's life when he was sleeping a lot. Since the child wants to be held constantly, he was in the Baby Bjorn, riding high on my chest. A droplet of syrup fell on his tiny, downy head and I licked it off without a second thought.), but we're enjoying each other.

I have been missing my crafting time, however. I've been dreaming up elaborate quilts in my head, quilts that I probably won't have time for in the next eighteen years. And although the dreaming is fun, I'd love to get my hands on some actual fabric someday soon. I'm trying to institute the solo afternoon nap, for baby only. In the meantime, there are two crafty products in the photo above. The heart onesie is probably the only thing I've finished since H was born. I whipped it up in about seven minutes on Valentine's Day as H's (and my) gift to his papa. Yay for scraps of quilting fabric and interfacing!

The crumb quilt that the baby's lying on is another story. I finished the piecing and quilting several weeks before he was to be born, but since he surprised us and came almost three weeks early, there's no binding. Luckily, in this view you can't tell. More about that little quilt when it finally has some edges-- maybe in three years?

He's here!

2009-02-05T20:38:00.004-05:00

Henry was born on January 19 in Washington, DC. The next day, in our hospital room, the three of us (well, my husband and I anyway) watched the inauguration going on across town as we got to know our new son. The three of us. Such a happy day. Welcome home, Henry.

Roly Poly, eatin' corn and taters

2009-01-08T17:09:00.005-05:00

My granddaddy grew up in Texas in a houseful of women. His Aunt Allie and his mother, Bennie May, my mother's Mimi, doted on him by all accounts, and made him lots of little (or not so little) baby clothes. When we found out that we would be having a baby boy, my mom brought these precious clothes up to me to examine.
Two things stand out about these clothes. First, there's an awful lot of pink for a boy baby. I grew up with my mother and grandmother telling me that pink used to be for baby boys while blue was for girls. The colors got switched sometime in the intervening years, I guess.

The second thing about these clothes is that they're incredibly wide. W-I-D-E, almost as wide as they are tall. I can think of a couple of reasons for this, I guess. This was before the advent of stretch fabrics, so you would want things roomy for a wriggly baby. And also, people probably wanted really fat babies. Not that we don't *love* fat babies now, but I guess a fat baby would be a real advantage in the days before truly modern medical care. Maybe by making the clothes extra wide, these women were willing this roly-poly baby to be hale, hearty and healthy!

No matter when I try to take photos of these, the pictures always come out a little dark and grainy, so these will have to do. The embroidery is incredible for things that were meant for a spit-uppy baby.

Missing from my photos are a pair of green velvet overalls with the most amazing interlined pockets and a store-bought navy blue velvet cap with a wooden button and a jaunty grosgrain ribbon. That velvet just swallowed the light, making them very hard to photograph, but they're both incredibly cute. Click through on the photos for a little more information on each item and a couple more photos at flickr.

Classy

2009-01-02T15:58:00.003-05:00

I haven't blogged about knitting in quite a while! In late October, I ordered several different colorways of Dream In Color Classy yarn with the intention of making some Christmas gifts. But knitting always takes longer than you think it will, doesn't it? Or am I the only one? Anyway, now most of this beautiful yarn will be made into other things. Mostly for me. Above, in the Dusky Aurora colorway, is the beginnings of the paneled Ribby Cardi. This is going to be a great sweater.This one actually was a Christmas gift for my husband. I just have about a million ends left to weave in. This is a really cool pattern. It's a Red Cross pattern published in December of 1941 for a "Man's 'V' Neck Sweater Sleeveless" that was distributed to the Red Cross' "Production Corps," a volunteer group that knitted for soldiers in the U.S. Army, Air Corps and Marine Corps. Their motto was "knit your bit". More information here. At the end of the pattern, bold letters state: "Do not start another garment with left-over yarn. Please return all unused yarn to Chapter." Every little bit counted.

The vest is knitted in one piece from the bottom of the back to the bottom of the front and then joined up the sides. I used Cascade 220 in color 8013 for the brown tweedy stripes and more Dream in Color Classy in color Good Luck Jade for the green stripes. This project took less than a skein of the Dream in Color and a little more than two skeins of the Cascade. Plenty left over and no finishing except for the side seams. Of course the original pattern didn't call for stripes, only for "sweater yarn, olive drab".

And the third recent project in Dream in Color Classy, this time in the Black Parade colorway. This is the February Lady sweater. After I made one for the little guy, I thought it would be nice to have one for myself. Plus it's a very pregnancy-friendly pattern. I wish I had a photo of it on my body, but on the tree will have to do for now.

More beautiful yarn-- this photo shows the color more clearly. It will be hard to resist buying more in the future!

Happy New Year! And the pregnancy ring

2009-01-01T15:32:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year one and all! We ate the traditional New Year's day meal of black-eyed peas and greens last night when Brian was home from work. So yummy with some over-sweet cornbread and butter.

I'm really looking forward to the new year. I'm so incredibly excited to meet the newest member of our little family next month (or late this month!). I do have a couple of back-logged baby-related posts to put up later this week.

But today I bring you the pregnancy ring. Up until the holidays, I was doing pretty well with the symptoms of gestation. Good mobility, not a lot of weight gain, not a lot of tiredness and almost no swelling. Then came holiday travel and multiple Christmas dinners. My mom noticed that I had taken off my wedding and engagement rings at the table and invited me to wear this ring until the end of my pregnancy.

I love it. It was my great-great-grandmother's wedding ring. Inside, it's inscribed: "E.D. to L.W. Nov. 16, 1892". It's so comfortable and large, worn thin on the edges and beautifully patina-ed. Plus, it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy to think of this 116-year-old ring worn by that long-ago mother and grandmother now being worn by me, a soon-to-be mother.

It was windy today

2008-12-31T15:50:00.002-05:00

And a cold blue-grey. Gusts up to fifty miles per hour knocked over fences and flower pots. Branches littered the dirt roads. Almost like God was sweeping the earth clean of dead wood in preparation for the new year. Ready for a new start.

Thanks a lot

2008-11-26T14:02:00.008-05:00

Today I'm thankful for:

Our warm little home and cozy basement;

These beautiful birds: the bald eagle who came back to the farm to roost on the dead tree in the hill field on his way South for the season and the red-tailed hawk who followed us with his eyes until we saw him and then swooped low in front of us, showing off, as we walked this morning;

My husband's good job;

Bittersweet and falling leaves;

My family, and getting to see them for the Thanksgiving holiday tomorrow;

A big white dog who will sit! from fifty feet in the face of a bounding deer or a nervous mama cow, but who will go absolutely bananas ("le chien est bananes, b-a-n-a-n-e-s") with a stick in his mouth running down the driveway;

The sweet boy in my belly who kicks when I sing along to Hank Williams on the car radio.

I hope you have a great Thanksgiving tomorrow!

(Now I have to go listen to the Raffi song that inspired the title of this post or else it will be in my head all day-- we sure did listen to a lot of Raffi in the minivan when I was a kid...)

Christmas Knitting

2008-11-25T13:32:00.000-05:00

So, long time no blog. Life has gotten in the way. My days have been filled with long walks in the country and baby shopping. A little baby worrying, too, but only because I'm a worrier by nature. Everything is fine. I've been practicing my yoga breathing (right nostril in, left nostril out, ahhh) and singing my ubi caritas in line at the doctor's office and the grocery store. And the boy is growing and kicking inside.

I've also been doing a little Christmas knitting. If you're expecting a gift from me, don't look too closely! Yarns from left to right, for my reference: Socks That Rock lightweight from 2007 Rockin' Sock Club (it looks a lot like Monsoon), Koigu KPPPM, STR medium XMas Rock, some more Koigu KPPPM, STR mediumweight in what could be Lapis (I'm terrible at keeping up with ball bands), and some Silkie STR, also from the 2007 sock club. I think most of the knitting for people with big feet is out of the way. It's amazing how much sock knitting you can get done in the first trimester if you can't get off the couch!

For My February Baby

2008-09-18T17:25:00.004-04:00

This little sweater goes part of the way toward explaining where I've been all summer, and why there haven't been any foxhunting reports lately. Our first child, a son, is due at the very beginning of February. I couldn't be more excited!

Knitting on this sweater was a way to keep my hands busy and my mind quiet during the tense and sick first trimester, which seemed to last all summer. I seem to finally have gotten the fabled second trimester energy surge, so hopefully there will be more crafting (and email responding-- I've been absolutely terrible about that all summer; sorry friends) on the horizon. I'm disappointed to be missing the hunting season (as I was telling a hunting friend on the phone this morning, there's really nothing like that feeling), but I'm happy to do it to protect my little one.

Anyway, this is Elizabeth Zimmermann's Baby Sweater on Two Needles (Ravelry link), also known as the February Baby Sweater, from her Knitting Almanac, done up in Rowan Wool Cotton that I had on hand. It was a dream to knit, neither the pattern nor the yarn could have been nicer. I still need to sew on the rest of the buttons, but I can't wait until it helps to keep a little winter-born baby warm in a few months!

New Dear Jane

2008-09-13T16:56:00.003-04:00

Two new Dear Jane blocks this week. Both blocks came about when I needed to zone out on piecework. Those foundation papers make this so easy to do, and so relaxing. First is L-5 Chattanooga Charlie, another batik block. This block was meant to be brown, but I like the additional color and movement that the wilder batik adds. I'm getting a little sick of all the brown blocks, and my stash is running a little thin.
And this is M-11, Rickshaw. There was a little more lining up to do in this block, which as you can see wasn't as successful as it could have been. But I still like the finished product. This is one of the first fabrics I bought on my own as a quilter, in 2001. I find it kind of somber now.

The winding road

2008-09-11T19:32:00.004-04:00

Seems I like to post photos of this peaceful road on this day each year. A sun-dappled space for a deep breath. When I took this picture this morning around 10 am, it was so cool and fresh in this leafy corridor. I wonder what's around the bend.

The summer between eighth grade and the beginning of high school (how old were we then, 13?), my friend Addie came to the farm with me to visit my grandparents, and we took this road to riding camp each morning. One morning she sighed and said, "Oh, this road is so romantic!" She always did remind me of Anne Shirley, red hair and all (although hers would probably be called a distinguished auburn).

I think the romance is part of what is so calming about this place. It is quiet, but so full of possibility. It always reminds me of that Celtic blessing that begins, "May the road rise to meet you." This road always reminds me to breathe.

PS: Corny today? Yes. But if not today, then which day?

Brunswick

2008-09-04T16:36:00.003-04:00

Subtitled: Do you stew?

Today I'm making a big pot of Brunswick stew, willing it to be Fall even though I know we're still in for at least another week of hot sticky summer. With its mix of summer and storage vegetables (corn and tomatoes; potatoes and onions), Brunswick stew has always seemed a good bridge meal. The stew used to be made with whatever meat a person had around, squirrel or rabbit being the easiest to rustle up, but now it's mostly made with chicken (except, apparently in Georgia where it's apparently made with *brace yourself* beef).

In our house when I was growing up, we always called this just plain "Brunswick". It was one of the things that we could heat up all by ourselves for Saturday lunch. My grandmother who lived in Houston but was born in Richmond was delighted when my mother brought her a stock of Mrs. Fearnow's in the bright yellow cans with red writing and those old-fashioned looking pen and ink trees.

This is the stew that is often a side dish on North Carolina barbeque restaurant and church buffets, along with the cooked-to-death collard greens and the boiled potatoes. In Raleigh, I used to make it to go along with oysters done under steaming burlap on the grill. And I still remember the first time I made this in the Little House at the farm. I made the biggest mess of that no-dishwasher kitchen, and ended up giving much of the huge potful away to co-workers and my friend Karen who doesn't like lima beans but can pick around them in this stew.

Late last month, my parents (and my parents-in-law) went to a wedding on the North Carolina coast. My mother told me this story. Our childhood friend, who was getting married, is a native North Carolinian, as are her parents and grandparents. Her husband is from the North. At the rehearsal dinner, Brunswick was served as a side dish, and the Northern contingent couldn't quite figure out what it was. Too thick to be vegetable soup, too tomato-y to be meat stew. "What is this?" asked one of the Northern guests.

"Why, it's Brunswick stew," the Southerners explained.

"What's that?" the Northern guest persevered.

"Well," said a long-time Carolinian, "think of it as vegetable stew that a squirrel tripped and fell into." A clattering of spoons on soup bowls. "Although," she added slowly smiling, "now it's mostly made with chicken." Whoops and cackles from the gathered Southerners.

My stew still needs its corn and hot sauce, but then we'll have a favorite dinner. Hurry Fall!

Hazy lazy days

2008-08-30T18:17:00.003-04:00

So summer's almost over, and I can tell partly because the pastures have been burned to a crisp by the August sun. We did get some rain this week, the remnants of a tropical storm, so hopefully everything will green up again for a bit.

Also signalling the end of summer: A couple of months ago all the weed-flowers in the fields were yellow and white and then last month, some were orange. Now almost all of them are blue and purple. Fall is coming. Hopefully I'll have some more crafty content soon, when I'm spending more time indoors. Happy Labor Day!

Savage River?

2008-08-29T18:26:00.001-04:00

Last weekend, we made a quick three day getaway to Savage River State Forest in Western Maryland. We took the dog, and he had a great time frolicking in the not-so-savage headwaters of the river. We hiked and read and talked and generally enjoyed our time without tv and computers.

This photo was actually taken when we were on our way out, pup leashed up and ready to load into the car. I left my camera behind in our cabin when we went hiking, but it's probably for the best. The camera can never capture the dappled sunlight through the trees quite the way I remember it.

Just checking in

2008-08-07T15:24:00.004-04:00

Well, summer hasn't gotten any less busy, so it's no surprise to me that it's been almost two weeks since I've written here. I present a few (fuzzy) photos to catch up. The progress on my hill-y ripple blanket, started many moons ago. I'm using all Debbie Bliss yarns (Baby Cashmerino, Cashmerino DK mostly) because if you're going to do something that takes this long, you might as well do it right. This will be a really luxurious blanket for our queen-sized bed. As a bonus, it's quite heavy, so it will be nice and cozy in the winter. Here's hoping I can get it finished by then! I've done about 35 rows (each row is two rows of the same color and comes in at about an inch in width, depending on the yarn), and I'm a little over a third of the way done. I'm digging the way the colors are coming together.
Buttermilk batter-fried squash blossoms from a couple of weeks ago. These were phenomenal. We bought a pint of these little gals at the farmers' market for about $3, which seemed expensive at the time, but they were so delicious once I fried them up that I wish I could get them every week. I used a 1:1 buttermilk to regular flour batter and pan fried them in canola oil. A little sprinkle of kosher salt, and yum yum. Not all of them are shown here, because you have to eat them piping hot, don't you know.

And anniversary flowers from my sweet husband. This is our fourth anniversary, so fruit and flowers are the traditional gifts (or, as Wikipedia wants to call them, the "British" gifts). These are huge and beautiful and they smell wonderful. I'll share the (somewhat silly) gift I made for him here tomorrow. Happy Anniversary, Brian! I love you.

Rainy summer afternoon

2008-07-25T08:54:00.003-04:00

Beautiful, really. Look how saturated those colors are. The rain was still coming down when I took this.

Birthday bean bags

2008-07-20T19:49:00.004-04:00

Yesterday there was a pool party birthday for my cousin Sara's little girl. She'll be two later this week. I wanted to make her something active and colorful, and so the idea for these bean bags was born.
My husband had to go to the store for me to get enough dried navy beans to fill all the bags, but I think they turned out really cute. The birthday girl seemed to enjoy pulling them out of the bag one by one.
And here's the bag to put them away when playtime is finished.

Another girly baby quilt

2008-07-17T15:35:00.003-04:00

So. This quilt is for a friend who's a little more girly than the one for whom I made the first "girl" baby quilt. Pinwheels instead of hourglasses, and all pinks and grays. This one was kind of hard to give away, it turned out so well. But I could make another if I really wanted to; all the fabrics are still in the stash. The quilt is still smaller than the "standard" baby quilt size, but I like them that way-- they can be used as a play mat or drag-along as well as for the wrapping-up in the first few weeks and months. BQ (before quilting) it was 36" by 41", and I forgot to measure after. I was rushing to get it completed for my friend's baby shower today, where it was received very warmly.

A few cobwebs have been forming around the blog here lately. I think summer is getting in the way. Back soon, hopefully!

Jane-a-palooza

2008-07-08T10:30:00.004-04:00

So yesterday I had some time to get caught up on some Jane-ing. These were all foundation pieced patterns that I already had printed up and tucked into my book. I thought they were all from the Jane-along, but it looks like only two of them were. I'll have to pay more attention in the future!I always seem to start these multi-block entries with my favorite of the bunch, and this time is no exception. This is F-2: Kaleidoscope, one of the ones that I needed to catch up on. This came together really easily, and I love the way it looks with the red and cream and green and the sprouting sprigs in the center.
E-3: Paddlewheels somehow took waaaay longer than it should have during a recent crafting night with a friend. Also, some of the toner from the paper-printed pattern ended up on one of the light colored triangles in the middle. I know that someone in the Dear Jane group posted (recently?) about a good way to clean blocks-- was it Murphy's oil soap, or is that just crazy? Any ideas out there?
This is E-4: Buffalo Tree Hopper, also not a current block with the group. The inset seams didn't turn out so perfectly here, but I also forgot to do any clipping before I sewed them. I'll remember that next time. I love this fabric, and the opportunity to use some gray in this quilt. I don't know what it is, but I'm still really into gray at the moment.
And BR-1: Rosemary's Rainbow (finally!) one for really catching up. Fissiett commented over on flickr that this looked like Jane was making mushroom soup, and I guess it does! If I had paid attention and remembered that this triangle would be on the bottom of the quilt, it's possible that I would have turned the mushrooms up the other way. Maybe.

I hope everyone's having a great Tuesday! I'm pretty happy today because I'm getting a new stoop out front, and the days of our house being the mailman's least favorite may soon be over.

The fifth of July

2008-07-05T17:14:00.004-04:00

Today was a quiet day at the farm, no explosions in the sky (even though the stands in town yelled, "HALF OFF TODAY!"). Today the beauty was in the details. On land:
And "at sea":

I would show you a photo of the 82 mosquito bites on my left calf, which bites were also a detail of my day, but I don't think they're a particularly beautiful detail! I hope everyone enjoyed a great fourth.

K-11, H-1

2008-06-17T19:26:00.003-04:00

K-11, Columbine, and
H-1, Peek-a-boo.

Two new Dear Jane blocks completed over the weekend. Both of these were foundation-piece-and-go! I'm not quite sure about the Joel Dewberry print in the second block, but I think it'll all blend in.

Up in the tree

2008-06-13T18:00:00.006-04:00

Friday the thirteenth is probably not the best day to be climbing a ladder, but it's time to pick the sour cherries so up the ladder I went. The cherries are another beautiful thing about summer on the farm. The sour cherry tree seems tiny when you look at it from the ground, and indeed much of it was cut away last fall because it was rotting. But once you climb up between the limbs, there are cherries upon cherries. Too many to pick, and most of the reddest and juiciest ones too high for anyone but the birds to reach.

In fact, the birds squawked and fought while I picked, eager for me to go inside to the pitting machine so they could continue their feast. This pitcher represents about 25 minutes of picking, enough for two sour cherry pies. My grandmother thinks that this might be one of the last years for this tree, as cherry trees only live so long before they give out. I told her she'd better plant another tree right quick! The pies she makes from these cherries have been a part of my summer equation for almost as long as I can remember. Her recipe is simple (and probably originally came from the back of some long-ago box of tapioca), but oh-so-delicious with fruit you've picked yourself.

Granna's Sour Cherry Pie

4 cups sour cherries
2 2/3 Tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 Tablespoons kirsch
Double pie crust
1 egg white, beaten
1 - 2 Tablespoons cold butter

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Mix cherries, tapioca, sugar and kirsch together in a large bowl. Let stand 15 minutes.
Pierce bottom pie crust and brush with beaten egg white. Bake for five minutes to set.
Pour cherry mixture into pie crust and dot with butter.
Affix top crust; vent.

Bake 10 minutes at 450 degrees and then turn heat back to 350; bake 40 minutes more. This is a very juicy pie. It bakes best on a jelly roll pan covered in foil. For best results, let stand until almost room temperature before serving with vanilla ice cream. Yum!

K-8 Springbrook Park

2008-06-13T17:56:00.004-04:00

Trying to catch up on the Dear Jane quilt-along. Here's my latest block, K-8 Springbrook Park. Just a nice foundation-pieced jaunt. I wish that I could find a better way to photograph these so that there wouldn't always be little cut-off corners and such. Oh, well.

The berries are coming, the berries are coming! And finally, hay.

2008-06-11T18:03:00.004-04:00

Blueberries. This is the third year that these bushes have been at the farm, and each year they make me so excited, even though the three bushes will probably only yield a couple of pints of berries that will all end up on my grandfather's morning cereal. They're just so stunning, and the few berries that will make it into my mouth will be warm from the sun and so sweet.
And raspberries. These bushes produce even fewer berries over the season, and most of these are eaten without a thought by the barn manager. In fact, I had to call my grandmother this afternoon to remind her to go and pick the ripe ones early in the morning tomorrow before the barn manager arrives. I ate one of these today (shh!), and its flavor was tart and bright.

There are also strawberry plants at the farm, left over from a long-gone strawberry pot (imagine!) that I planted five years ago. They spilled out of the pot and took up permanent residence on the south side of the little house. These have been producing ripe fruit for about a month, but they have to be harvested a little before they're ripe or the bunnies and other rodents take little nibbles out of the sides of each berry and the ants polish the wounded berries off. I did get a good-sized handful of very sweet berries earlier this week. The taste of summer.
And finally, we have hay! So exciting to see those big golden rolls dotting the landscape (and to ride on the green lawn-like fields they leave behind).

Summer strawberry apron

2008-06-10T11:46:00.003-04:00

It's strawberry season! This photo doesn't really do it justice, but this is an apron that I made for my cousin Ellenor's bridal shower last weekend. It was an around the house shower, and I had bar and kitchen. This apron came out really fun and flirty with a lot of swing. I started out with the Sew Easy Reversible Apron pattern from Indygo Junction, but I didn't have quite enough fabric, and the instructions got a little fuzzy, so I mostly winged it. That wool felt strawberry pocket was a last-minute addition that I think really made the whole thing. I used the star embroidery on my sewing machine to make the little black seeds on the fruit. This is one time that I'm glad I traced my pattern (and pattern changes!) out on Pattern Ease, so I can make cute little cocktail aprons like this over and over.

Bitty baby booties

2008-06-04T23:43:00.003-04:00

Today it rained and rained. Thunder and lighting. We lost power for about three and a half hours this afternoon. We used to have a dog who was very very afraid of thunderstorms. She would hide and shake and wear herself out for the duration of the storm. Grady just looks at me in that stupid (but lovable) Labrador way, saying "what happened to the lights?" Then he goes back to sleep.

I took this dark photo of baby booties in the natural light between waves of the storm. I love to have these on hand at all times. Because they're so tiny, they can be tucked into a regular stationery envelope and sent off to friends around the country at a moment's notice when we hear that a baby has been born. It's also fun to use the ends of sock yarn. With the crazy hand-dyes, they come out so cheerful! More information on flickr.

The muumuu that ate Manhattan

2008-06-03T18:15:00.005-04:00

So it's been several years since I've tried to sew any serious clothing for myself. I think I define "serious" in my head as "involving zippers and/or facings/linings". There have been improvised lounge pants and night chemises here and there, along with a couple Simplicity 3835 tops, but there has not been any serious sewing since that terrible Hawaiian print dress that I made in one night before beach week at Myrtle Beach senior year of college.

But with the hot weather coming up, and given the fact that I would gladly wear a simple little dress each and every humid day of the summer given the choice, I decided to break out the fusible interfacing and give it another go. This is my muslin of McCall's 5620, made from some just barely acceptable medium-weight apparel cotton from the sale bin at Hancock's. (I'm not a huge fan of flutter-bys...) But there's a reason I'm not letting you see all of it. I made my regular (read: shockingly large-- really, the pattern industry and the wedding gown people...) pattern size. However... this won't really be a "wearable muslin", as it turned out ginormous. As in, "Honey, does the Volvo need a cover against the elements?"-huge. Sure, I noticed that there was a ton of ease listed on the pattern envelope, but I guess I thought that the pleats would make up for that and make it hang okay. Wrong-o.

Maybe with some heavier fabric it would hang a little closer to the body or something, but as it is, I've made myself a fancy swimsuit cover-up with pretty purple facings. Sigh. If I ever get a bee in my bonnet to make this again, it'll be at least one, maybe two sizes smaller. I mean, even the arm hole openings are huge on this thing. And my seam allowances are near-perfect, I promise...

Baby Quilt 2 of 4: For a girl

2008-06-02T13:32:00.003-04:00

So I guess I'm rolling right through the "popular" internet quilts right now, huh? This one is an hourglass quilt for the baby of a friend who's due in September. This quilt was made entirely from stashed materials, which feels pretty good. I used the measurements that AmandaJean gave over at crazymomquilts-- seven blocks by seven blocks, and it's finished at about 35 inches square. These quilts are pretty small, but I think they'll be good for wrapping up a little baby, don't you?
The quilting came much easier on this one (practice makes perfect, I guess), but I think the white Kona cotton must be a little stiffer than some of the other colors. The brown and orange and blue quilt came out of the dryer feeling much softer than this one did. Has anyone else had this experience with the white Kona cotton?
This is probably the best photo of the quilt. I just threw it out on top of the tall grass (yet to be made into hay) at the farm and snapped away. Summer certainly can grow up some good photo assistants!

One Local Summer: Week 1

2008-06-01T16:41:00.006-04:00

Eating local all summer? We're going to try. I've joined One Local Summer this year, after following along with others (mainly Jasmine at Knitting 40 Shades of Green, who lives near me, and Pocket Farmer Liz, who lives in a place where I'd love to live) for a couple of summers. In this challenge, we'll prepare one totally local meal each week.

This first week caught me a little off guard, as our CSA hasn't started up yet this year (next week!), so we headed over to the Arlington Farmer's Market yesterday to rustle up some local grub. The results were delicious, but a little mixed on the strictly local front. Let's just say I've found some holes in my pantry that are going to take a little more digging to fill. All distances below are from my door. Without further ado, we ate:

Sauteed chard from Wheatland Vegetable Farms (just up the road from my natal home!) in Wheatland, VA (37.95 miles)

A pesto-ish sauce made of garlic scapes from Wheatland Vegetable Farms (37.95 miles) and basil and parsley from the backyard (0 miles)

Baby lamb loin chops from EcoFriendly Foods, Inc. (Emerald Family Farms) in Moneta, VA (206 miles)

And for dessert:

Cherries, strawberries and sugar snap peas from Westmoreland Berry Farm & Orchard in Oak Grove, VA (66.07 miles)

Everything was really really yummy, so yummy that I can't pick a favorite element of the meal. But I think I may need to find another source for meat. The 206 miles to Moneta and EcoFriendly Foods is too far for the challenge-- I'm going to try to keep to the 100 mile radius rule if I can. I'll have to see if my cousin Sara has any beef left for by-the-cut orders, and I'll have to go to the Loudoun farmers' markets when I'm out that way to see what they have. That, or eat vegetarian for these meals, as we normally do anyway. This sure was a nice celebration meal to kick off the summer, though.

Local items that I need to pick up:

Cheese. I should have bought some at the farmers' market; there was much available. It would have made that pesto tastier.
Flour. Duh. (This is my family's business. Those of you who know me in real life are probably laughing pretty hard at me over this one...)

Items that I need to find a local source for:

Milk, cream and butter. Anyone have any leads on these? There may have been some at the Arlington market, but if so, I missed it. Earlier this year we found a local buying club for raw milk. I'm sure it's fine and delicious, but I'm not sure I'm ready to go that far yet. I'll stick with pasteurization for the time being.
Sugar. I don't know enough about this one, either.

I think that with those ingredients I'll be able to make some pretty spectacular things this summer. I'm looking forward to it!

Fresh bread in 5 minutes... or so

2008-05-31T16:29:00.003-04:00

So the photo is a bit blurry as we made these during a thunder storm, but I'm a complete convert to Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois' Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. I made a couple of basic boule loaves last week, with beautiful results. Crusty, cracking outsides and lovely steamy soft insides. But these caramel rolls were the real test of the versatility of the method. I mixed up a second batch of the basic boule recipe and then rolled it out into these beauties the next day. I know they'd be even better with the brioche dough, and that will definitely be the next recipe I try. You can tell how good these were by the blurry picture; they didn't last long enough for me to remember to get a better image!

Happy Anniversary to George and Karen, five years!

Rainy day: Flowers inside

2008-05-27T10:10:00.007-04:00

It's a bit rainy today, so I've taken photos of the lovely flowers that I've been able to bring inside this spring. Does anyone know what this is? It's rather woody, a little gangly, and was covered in those tiny hot pink buds for almost a month before the star-shaped lighter pink ones opened. The flowers are clustered almost like on a hydrangea. Here's a photo of what the whole plant looked like earlier in the spring. *ETA: Mountain laurel! (Maybe kalmia latifolia) Just stumbled across my own answer by accident today.
These are peonies from my grandmother's garden. The beautiful just-pink and yellow one on the left is called raspberry sundae. Isn't that beautiful? Our house is kind of small and not so well-lit, so the counter top beside the sink is the best place to display fleurs. There, I see them often.

Also, Happy Anniversary to my cousin Krista and her husband Brad!

Baby Quilt 1: For a boy

2008-05-21T18:30:00.004-04:00

Several of my friends will be first-time mothers this August and September, so I'm trying to get a jump on baby crafting. This quilt will be for the baby boy of a friend who doesn't read this blog too often, so I think it will still be a surprise.

This quilt was inspired heavily by one that Rebekah at don't call me becky dot com made last month. She used charm squares from Moda's Summer in the City line. I really liked the idea of a quilt for a boy with oranges and blues and this brown. Hers is probably a little more baby-friendly, with its more muted colors, but I really love how this one came out. All the oranges and blues came from my stash.

This quilt is my first meandering machine-quilted finished product. It measures about 36 inches square. I can't wait to start on the two quilts for baby girls! For some reason I think those will be harder than this one. I'm not a very girly girl, but I do want to put some pinks and purples in those quilts-- maybe with spring greens and gray?

Coyote and the Tall Grass Buffet*

2008-05-16T13:03:00.007-04:00

We've been watching for coyotes for several weeks now, ever since a rainy ride with my mom was cut short by a mama coyote barking and howling and following us down the mountain. Then last week as I was leaving, a huge specimen cut across the driveway right in front of me all catch-me-if-you-can. This isn't my photo (in fact it's a photo of a coyote in California), but this is how they look when they're slinking around, bouncy with little shocks in their feet. Taller than the dog, and faster. I'm not sure what they would do to me and the horse, but I know what they'd try to do to the dog, so I'm trying to stay clear.

The grass at the farm is very high now, so high that the pup is lost in a field, only visible as that rustling up ahead. Coyotes can get lost in this grass, too, invisible until you spot them and can't look away. Yesterday I rode alone in the only field where cows aren't allowed. We call it the hay field for obvious reasons. Josh and I made a little river in the grass-scape, parting the stalks, and Grady wove a smaller creek beside and around us. Josh loves this season, of the grass buffet, when he can bend over every few strides and strip the grasses of their crunchy heads in the middle of his workout. My friend Gillian always says it would be like walking into a field of french fries, growing wild. Taking all that pollen head on, the dog kept sneezing and scaring the horse, but we were making our way.

In the far corner of the field I saw something soft and brown rustle and stand up stock-still, looking our way. The whole ride I was thinking "coyote, coyote, coyote?" in time with my posting trot, but no, this was a fresh baby deer (what we call a "Bambi"), looking at us with huge ears and wet eyes. No bigger than a coyote. In a moment the deer turned and leap, leap, leapt over the coop at the end of the field and into the next one (the "hill field"), trailing her white tail behind her.

I think all three of us smiled. Grady ran and Joshua picked up on the dog's energy and I let him go, a steady gallop around the end and down the other long side of the field. Happy. Not a coyote but a baby deer.

On the walk back to the barn I saw my first red-winged blackbird of the year. And those are the two crystalline moments from yesterday. Today it's raining, but I hope to get outside this afternoon. I also promise there'll be some crafty content soon!

*Is it just me or does that title sound like it should be a Tony Hillerman novel? Hi, Mom.

What do May showers bring?

2008-05-12T17:00:00.004-04:00

This was the scene at the farm yesterday, all bluster and wet.
Down by the water, all of the docks were submerged, along with these plants that are usually at least four feet up the bank. Of course the dog went swimming anyway.
The bottomland behind the house flooded, too. The cows moved upland. And finally, some Mother's Day pillowcases that I sent to my mom via my dad, who was up visiting for the weekend. There's lots of time to sew with so much rain outside. These are made from the softest off-white cotton with tiny red randomly-scattered dots. I got the fabric from superbuzzy sometime late last year. The edging was machine-executed but hand-guided (ie: my machine doesn't do scallops so there was a lot of needle-down fabric turning).

We're spending today drying out and warming up. It'll be 70 degrees here this afternoon. That feels more like May!

Rainy day birds

2008-05-09T12:58:00.004-04:00

First things first: Happy Birthday to my brother Alex! I can't believe you're 25--hope you have a great day.

It's rainy rainy here today, which can make for some beautiful photos of flowers with the macro lens. This is an iris that my cousin Sara gave me for transplant early this spring. It seems content in my front yard, and we should have seven or eight blooms by early next week.

This morning's ride was wet and not without a certain amount of "wind up my tail" bluster on the horse's part. A group of birds has decided to call the riding ring home, and they kept flying up in Joshua's face just as we'd canter around a circle, causing much distress. Between calls of "go git 'im" to the dog, who dutifully zigged and zagged across the bluestone, rushing the birds away, we managed to get some pretty good ring work in.

At first I thought the birds were much-displaced sandpipers, since their bodies were shaped that way, but after some research on the excellent whatbird.com, I've determined that they were killdeers. A "season" of killdeers (be sure to listen to the recorded call). I love naturalist terminology, especially the names for groups of animals or babies. The "interesting facts" on the killdeer were what really made me sure that's what these birds were. To wit:

Interesting Facts
(Subtitled: I'm such a geek)
--Killdeer exhibit a clever “broken wing display” in which they appear to be struggling with a broken wing while all the while leading the predator away from their babies. Once their young are out of danger they “recover’ and fly off. (This season of killdeers was doing this like crazy. They'd bend down and extend a wing and their tails, all fluffed out, showing their rust-colored underfeathers, and then they'd explode upwards and away when challenged.)

--Although technically shorebirds, they are unusual in this group because they often nest and live far from water.

--They are ground-nesting birds that are famous for hiding their nests right out in the open. They really use no nesting materials and rely on distraction displays to protect their offspring. (When I first got up to the ring I stepped carefully, looking for any obvious nesting going on, but after I finished riding I found the nest in the crook of the big black coop jump that Brian made me for my 25th birthday). And so we come full circle. Here's hoping that the weekend will be a little less rainy.

Hump day

2008-05-07T16:55:00.003-04:00

Today we were talking about my rhododendrons, which are going crazy this year, and my grandmother said that our soil must be acidic at the house since the rhodos and azaleas do so well here. She said she thought that might be the reason that my peonies haven't done so well, because "they like the sweeter soil".

And a couple of works-in-progress:
On the sewing machine.
And on the design wall.

Build me up, Buttercup

2008-05-06T06:15:00.000-04:00

It's buttercup season! I love this part of the spring, generally between the first and second mowings (or the second and third), when the buttercups spring up everywhere. They grow much taller in the country than they do in the city, and there are thousands and thousands in each field.

In the fields where the cows overwintered but where there isn't any livestock now, there are also hundreds of small clumps of darker green grass in amongst the regular field grass. These clumps are taller and lusher than the rest of the grass, and tend to occur in spots where cows left their piles of "fertilizer" during the winter. Joshua the horse doesn't like to step on these clumps of grass. When he was a younger horse, I could get him to jump them as sure as if they were little mini jumps left there in the field. Now that he's an old man, he usually just sidesteps them at the last moment, making for a very bumpy and exciting ride through fields in the spring.

Beautiful day today, and a beautiful ride through the field on the left at the end of the driveway. The one with the huge rock that serves as quite a nice mounting block should you fall off galloping around the turn.

Denim yarn experiment

2008-05-05T06:23:00.004-04:00

Happy Monday! I've been wanting to try Rowan's Denim yarn for awhile now, reeled in as I was by the promise of finished garments that wash and wear like denim, shrink like denim, fade like denim. These are the Baby's Denim Drawstring Pants from Joelle Hoverson's Last Minute Knitted Gifts. These pants were in the four to six hour chapter in the book, but took me a little longer to make.

In the past, I've mostly stuck to wool yarn, so the cotton was a departure for me. Before washing, even my husband noticed that the fabric was a little uneven and bumpy. But after a trip through a hot water wash and a high temperature dry cycle, the fabric shrunk up nicely length-wise and self-regulated a little. The stitches now look uniform and the fabric is cohesive. Overall the denim yarn is pretty cool. I could see making a jacket-like zip-up cardigan for myself. If I made these pants again, I'd probably add a piece of elastic to the waistband as I was grafting it together to make them a little more wearable, as some Ravelry members have done.

I'm going to try to post every day this week to get back into the swing of it. We've been having some computer problems that made posting tough last week, but I hope we've seen the end of them. So I say tentatively: until tomorrow!

100!

2008-04-25T18:43:00.004-04:00

Wow, this is my 100th post. I meant to post something more interesting in honor of the occasion, but I'm afraid it will only be more Dear Jane blocks. So here we go. At least this batch means I'm only two blocks behind on my quilt-along.
This is A-13, Starlight Starbright. I really like the way it turned out, even if the inset seams did get a little wonky. It's fun to work with some blue fabric for a change, too-- there'll be so little of it in my interpretation of this quilt.This is B-1, Bachelor's Buttons, reverse applique. I like to think I'm getting a little better at this applique business. It certainly is easier to applique a circle than a teardrop.

Oh, and a little anecdote that has nothing to do with crafting: Wednesday night I was standing at my ironing board in our basement when I heard a buzzing noise, growing louder, in the bathroom. I found several yellow jackets buzzing around the windows and lights in the room, and then I opened the door to the bathroom and it was like a horror movie. At least two hundred yellow jackets were swarming behind the curtains of the window facing the back of the house, back lit by the setting sun. I was just waiting for them to come after me. There was nothing to do but close the bathroom door, call the exterminator and spend the rest of the evening upstairs. Yikes. But maybe I can blame my lack of posting on the wasps?

Weekend photo update

2008-04-20T07:51:00.003-04:00

Birthday cake: coconut with lemon curd filling, coconut cream cheese frosting. Happy Birthday Brian! The easement: A long hike up. I love the contrast between the black tree trunks and telephone poles and the new spring green leaves and grass. We end up galloping up and down this cleared-out space, back and forth sometimes, when we foxhunt in this territory.

Three more

2008-04-16T16:28:00.003-04:00

Three more Dear Jane blocks today. I think this is my favorite of the bunch. This is D-7, Meeting Place. I'm just such a sucker for the crazy batiks tamed by straight lines and natural fabric backgrounds!
D-3, Jason's Jacks. I'm enjoying these appliqued blocks now that the quilt-along has forced me to tackle them. I love this fabric for this block, too.
And the third is K-7, Rose of Sharing. This one was appliqued in four parts and then machine stitched together. I'm branching out a little more as far as fabric choice goes, too. These three blocks don't look too hot all together, but on my design sheet and on the wall they look just fine in context. Just one more block and I'll be caught up on the Dear Jane-along.

Keeping up with Jane

2008-04-14T20:14:00.004-04:00

Four new Dear Jane blocks today. Some were easier than others. This is E8, Mama's Maze. All paper pieced, and lots of fun. They just come out so great this way. Also, I love this orange fabric.
B-2, Sweet Tater Pie. This is another one (see also: A-1) that is running in the opposite direction from the original. I still think it looks cool. This one started out as two pinwheel blocks, one appliqued on top of the other. This is the method that I wanted to use on the block below, but I thought I should try the curved piecing...
Which was kind of a mistake. This is B-3, Mirror Image, and it's my second try at the block. At this point, I say good enough. Fortunately, the brown fabric does a pretty good job of camouflaging the worst flaws.
And just to document them all, this is M-10, Simple Simon.

Bleeding heart

2008-04-09T07:12:00.004-04:00

The bleeding heart is really going crazy this year. They must really enjoy their home under the holly trees in the back yard. This is one of five fronds of hearts, and the last frond whose blooms haven't fully opened or "broken" at the bottom. This little plant always amazes me.

... And Spring and the electric company

2008-04-08T07:44:00.003-04:00

Last week Shari wrote about her scattered thoughts being like a grassy field scattered with cows. This week I feel the same way. Only my field of cow-thoughts feels stalked by the turkey vultures that always hang around during the spring calving season. Too much on my mind. Including this beautiful dark and wet spring and yes, the electric company. Sigh. I hope to be back later today with a big crafting update, as I have been busy, just not blogging.

Until then, I love how the forsythia above actually do coordinate with the electric company's yellow ID numbers on the springy-wet grey pole. Don't forsythia always seem to just explode in the spring from nothing? They get cut down so low and twiggy and then surprise! One day they're back full-force. So suddenly that this pair of plants always surprises the horses terribly, even though they go by this spot at least once a day. Just walking along, and then spook! What is that new thing?

And below, the view from atop.
Oh, and remember the new speed limit sign from last week? Looks like that may have been stolen from another location and put on the dirt road by a neighbor. What did that last, a week and a half? I guess people will go back to going at least 35. Again, le sigh.

25 mph

2008-03-31T07:49:00.007-04:00

There's a new speed limit sign on the dirt road. I just noticed it last Friday. I think it's the first speed limit sign on this road at all. It will definitely make things easier if people actually obey it. One of the worst offenders is the man who delivers the mail. He zips along this road trailed by a huge cloud of dust each afternoon. Repeated calls to the county are ineffective.

This little sign might make our trot sets easier, too. A speeding pickup truck can be a powerful distraction to a fresh horse. Years ago, our friend George would yell and make wild hand motions trying to get motorists to slow down on this stretch of road. Usually the drivers would just wave back and smile, misunderstanding, thinking that we were wishing them a pleasant day. But one day a man got the gist of George's not-so-subtle message and gave him the finger, started to speed up. George was so angry he raced that man's car on horseback, whipping his little thoroughbred down the verge as the man sped down the road. Kept up with him, too. But it didn't make any difference, and boy was his wife (the little thoroughbred's other trainer) angry when he trotted back to our little group.

Maybe this sign will make a difference, but probably not. Too bad most of the worst offenders are driving in the opposite direction and won't see the sign. My guess is that the county is just getting tired of re-grading this stretch of road, and they're hoping that slower driving will mean less braking and therefore less washboarding. We'll see.

Hills and Valleys

2008-03-25T17:13:00.003-04:00

I definitely do not need another crafty hobby. But this week these ripple stitch crochet blankets have been calling my name, so I've taken up a crochet hook. I'm adding another blanket to the blogosphere, about a year behind the others. This pattern, number 8 'Soft Waves', from Jan Eaton's 200 Ripple Stitch Patterns book, is pretty soothing. And addictive. I sit and crochet and I'm always excited about getting to the next color.

The hills and valleys in the crochet remind me a little of the hills and valleys of Virginia. The last day for the season of foxhunting was Saturday, and despite a little mix-up about the time of the meet, Joshua and I made it there in time. Maybe only you other riders will know what I'm talking about, but it was one of those 'zen' days on horseback. Without thinking about anything, I melted into a kind of meditation of movement and it was just my huntin' horse and me, up and down hills in harmony with the world, for an indeterminate amount of time.

That's not to say it wasn't an eventful day. One woman's horse fell on the blacktopped road and she broke her arm (better at the end of the season than the beginning), and though we asked the ambulance to come without the siren, it wailed and echoed toward us, scaring each of the assembled horses. After the ambulance it began to sleet a little as we moved back into the woods, and I had that winter fort feeling as the sleet fell (c-c-clickclickclick) on millions of leaves and branches overhead. I don't really know where I'm going here. Here's a photo of springtime hills and mountains taken last April. Doesn't it look a little like the crocheted ripples?

Sometimes when I'm riding out, I remember a little passage that I wrote in my journal the first time I went hunting, about 'things I learned'. I was probably about 14. I wrote, "sometimes it's okay to go galloping full-speed down a hill when there's another hill going up to catch you on the other side". It seems like there always is another hill in this part of the world.

PS: I don't know why my posts have seemed a little morose (and perhaps overly philosophical) lately. I'm hoping spring will bring the happy.

Windy

2008-03-21T13:19:00.004-04:00

There are few things prettier than the stark beauty of spring. The new colors and clean lines. The white-trunked sycamores really shine now, before they've got their new leaves. This photo was taken in February, but things look pretty much the same in that field, maybe slightly greener.

As we rode today the wind was like another character in our story. It sounded just like a car coming down the road, and it wouldn't let me be alone.
These tiny tiny crocus-type flowers are popping up on the protected side of one of the barnyard trees. It's hard to overstate how small these are. The flowers are less than half an inch in diameter. The even tinier blue flowers in the grass that were open to the sun last week are now closed tightly to the wind. And we wait for the warm still summer. Happy Easter (and Equinox) everyone!

Quilty Saturday

2008-03-15T18:29:00.002-04:00

This morning, the puppy jumped in a mud puddle and temporarily rendered himself grey, head-to-toe. I wish I had had a camera. Then he jumped into the lake to 'wash himself off'. It must finally be spring, because the lake water's warming up and beginning to produce algae, which makes certain puppies smell like swamp. If he'd stayed muddy at least he'd have just smelled like dirt. There's been a lot of quilting going on this weekend. Last night I had my first go with the Bernina free-motion quilting foot (#29) for my older-model machine. I quilted this blue and almost-white block that I made back in the winter of 2003 when I was so bored at night after work that I decided to make every star block in my 1000 Great Quilt Blocks book. (Lots of those blocks had to be modified to take out extraneous seams, by the way.)

It occurred to me just as I wrote that sentence that the whole Dear Jane quilt is a little like my quest to make all the stars. One of each, hundreds of tiny little blocks. That said, here are a couple more. These are the ones that were up this week for Anina's Dear Baby Jane quilt-along.
D-13 Field of Dreams: Pretty straightforward.
A-7 Dad's Plaids: I still suck at the applique, but I guess I'm getting better. Also love how this one doesn't even line up. I guess it will be *another* humility block for this quilt.

Seventy-five quilt

2008-03-11T06:13:00.002-04:00

Today is my Virginia grandmother's seventy-fifth birthday. I sent her this little spring quilt in celebration. The blocks were all foundation pieced (templates at Piece By Number), and the whole thing is about twelve inches square. The results with paper piecing are so fantastic that I almost don't mind that this thing took me all day Sunday to make. But seventy-five? It had to be something special. More photos on flickr.

Back on the Dear Jane bandwagon

2008-03-10T15:07:00.005-04:00

A lovely new addition to my Dear Jane quest, this is block C-9, Jane's tears. I did this one in reverse applique, and it looks at least a little better than my last attempt at teeny-tiny applique. It was actually really enjoyable to do the whole thing by hand.

I've gotten back on the right track with this quilt thanks to Anina's Dear Baby Jane quilt-along. This block and B-13, Four Corner Press, were the blocks for this first week.

Green week: 4

2008-03-07T17:09:00.003-05:00

Today has been rainy and dark, but things will be noticeably greener tomorrow, after this day-long drink. We don't have any daffodils in our yard, but my husband sent me these cut ones today, and I can't wait until they open up on my kitchen windowsill.
I've really enjoyed Shining Egg's Green Week; it has helped me to convince myself that Spring will actually be here in full force one day very soon.

The second photo represents another way of being green--recycling. We're big on that around here. This is a detail of one of two bathroom rugs that I crocheted this week from old t-shirts, using Amanda Jean's tutorial. The acid green stripe in the photo was made from a Big Rock Blue Marlin Fishing Tournament shirt that I bought during spring break in high school. In the days before the Internet, we used to make a point of buying "good" t-shirts when we were at the beach in North Carolina. Most of these shirts had paintings of sport fish on them. I've had a pile of these worn-out shirts in my basement for the better part of a year, so it feels good to finally do something with them, since I couldn't make myself throw them away. I could probably still tell you which shirt each stripe was made of-- I wish I weren't so sentimental about things that really don't matter.