Yarn Along

Joining with Ginny again today to share two of my favorite things - knitting and reading.

Emmy modeling her new hat.  I am using the rest of the yarn to knit mittens for Sarah for Christmas.

I just received this book in the mail yesterday - 100 Days of Blessings - Devotions for Wives and Mothers by Nancy Campbell.  I need to be in the Word each day and I am hoping this will be a way to discipline myself.  Each devotional references several Bible verses and I have started a Bible journal where I am copying the verses each day.

What are you knitting and reading?

Yarn Along - Emmy's Vest is Done

...with DK weight yarn from Peace Fleece and our hand made birch buttons with wood burned hearts.

I am still reading The Charlotte Mason Companion. Reading time has been scarce lately as Emmy is still very fussy in the evening until bed time.  But on the bright side I am getting some extra exercise walking around with her.

Looking forward to seeing your projects and learning about some good reading.

Two Little Ducks - a Project with Sarah

When our autumn edition of Living Crafts arrived the other day, Sarah looked through it and proclaimed, "We are going to make these adorable ducks tomorrow!"

So while all was quiet in our home last Sunday afternoon we began.
We do not have a copier to enlarge the pattern as the instructions stated, and instead traced the pattern as it was in the magazine to make small ducks.

Sarah asked to take a picture of me as we were working.

Sarah's duck in progress.  As I was showing her how to do certain stitches and sharing with her their names - the whip stitch and the running stitch - she commented how her mother is teaching her stitches and then she will teach them to her children, and her children will teach them to their children and so on...

what a wonderful thought.

(I just want to share that Suzy of Hip Mountain Mama is having a wonderful string of giveaways focusing on thankfulness.)

Dyeing Wool Yarn

After seeing the process of "painting" wool yarn on various blogs and in an old issue of Living Crafts magazine, the girls and I decided to give it a try using food coloring.

First I put a few "glugs" of vinegar in a large pan with water and heated to near boiling.  I added each skein of yarn for a minute to soak, one at a time and placed on towels on our table.  In most tutorials I have noticed they used plastic, but we didn't have any, so there was a bit of a mess under the towels when we were done.

I took the hot water/vinegar from the pot and poured a some in six bowls and then added about 8 drops of food coloring total to each bowl to make red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple.  

Next we spooned the color on each of our skeins of yarn.

I then heated up about 1" of water in a large canning pot and then put the bottle (canner) holder over the edge of the pan and when the water came to a boil, I carefully put one of the dyed skeins of yarn around (in) the jar holder, then put the cover on to steam the yarn for about 3 - 4 minutes.  Next, the yarn was removed to cool down and then I rinsed it under lukewarm water and wrung it out then hung to dry.

Abby winding up her yarn.

Her finished yarn

Sarah finger knitting with her yarn.  She wants to double finger knit it to make a jump rope.  Her dad will help her make some branch handles.

My finished yarn.

The colors came out a bit faded, but it was a fun process.  It sure makes me appreciate those that make truly beautiful hand dyed yarns such as The Sitting Tree, Springtree Road, Sweet Basil Fibre Works, and Brambleberry Yarns.

Yarn Along - Question about Knitting Socks

I was encouraged by Ginny's post last week to pick up this classic book at our little library last week. It is a great read so far.  A book about a working poor family in Brooklyn... so interesting to compare and contrast with today's concepts of "poor" and also the idea of hope.

I have read another of Betty Smith's novels which I really enjoyed as well - Joy in the Morning.

At Melanie's recommendation (thanks Melanie!) I am following the free pattern for simple socks knit on four double pointed needles from lionbrand.com.  It is exciting to think about not have to sew up seams.   I am stuck though.... I am at the turning the heel point and have the correct number of stitches for the heel on one needle and understand about going back and forth but there is a stitch I have not been able to understand - is is Wrap and Turn.  Can anyone explain this?

I look forward to visiting the other knitting and reading posts today hosted at Small Things.

(no baby yet....)

Warm wishes,

Tonya

Knitting and Reading again for the Yarn Along

I knit up this small lavender sachet the other day on a car ride and while waiting for our older son to audition for the musical, Jekyll and Hyde .  The pattern is once again from the same knitting book I keep mentioning, Vintage Knits for Modern Babies.

I am just about finished with this book.  It is filled with inspiring essays written by an Old Order Amish and an "Englischer" that became friends.

Looking forward to seeing what others are knitting and reading this week.  Thank you to Ginny for hosting this wonderful weekly Yarn Along.

**On another note, I am going to begin Monday postings called A Handmade/Homemade Holiday where I will share a project I am working on and would love it if others might leave a comments with a link to their handmade/homemade holiday ideas.**

Warm wishes,
Tonya

Goats, Apples and Pumpkins

The goats are growing.  It is much fun to let them out of their fenced in area to graze.  They don't go far as they like to stay near people.

Our apples trees are giving us beautiful apples this season. 

This morning I am making our first apple anything since last apple season - apple crisp.

Everyone can't wait until it comes out of the oven.

Abraham picked up an apple and said, "One apple up on top."

Abraham is helping me stuff little calico pumpkins.

Just enjoying these moments while trying to keep my grumpiness under control from being tired due to lack of sleep.   I am sure this must be God's way of getting new mothers ready for interrupted sleep in order to nurse in the nights to come.

Warm wishes,

Tonya

Wool Felt Grasping Balls

Sharing how to make some of these toddler grasping balls I have been sewing up lately.



Using wool felt, embroidery floss and wool roving to stuff  -

The pattern measures 5 1/2" long and 3" wide.

You could embroider all kinds of things on each piece.  (Do any of you know what to use to transfer patterns to wool felt?)

I attached the four pieces with the blanket stitch.

Enjoy and warm wishes,

Tonya

Homeschool Planning and Knitting

Joining in this Wednesday with Ginny of Small Things.  My time has been spent planning and reading through each of the children's homeschool planning for this year.  I have a planner for each child.

I have finished knitting up another bonnet, small more little gnomes, and continue to work on my shawl.

Looking forward to checking out what others are knitting and reading.

Warm wishes,
Tonya

Organized Play Areas

On my to-do list this week was to organize some areas for the younger children.

This is the kitchen and doll area.

This is the dress-up area.

To complete the rainbow silk set, I was lacking a blue and green silk (through the organization process, I weeded out all of the silks with holes in them).  With just one blank silk, I decided to dye it green, and how could I make a dye bath and just dye one silk?  So, I added a skein of Peace Fleece as well.  The picture doesn't show the greens in yarn too well.  But it they both came out with a nice mixture of shades.

A Simple Knit Shawl Pattern

(Joining in with Ginny this week for the Yarn Along because knitting and reading are two of my favorite things to do.)

On our way home from Maine, I started this very simple shawl.  I have always wanted to knit a shawl for myself.  After trying several too complicated for me patterns, (because I can't keep count when a child needs me or I have to get up and get the bread out of the oven...) I decided on this very simple pattern.

For this shawl I am using DK weight wool/mohair from Peace Fleece in Sea Moss on size 6 needles.

The pattern is as follows:

Row 1: CO 1 stitch

Row 2:  kfbf (3 sts)

Row 3:  Knit

Row 4:  K1, Kfbf, K1 (5 sts)

Row 5:  Knit

Row 6:  K1, Kfb, K to last 2 sts, Kfb, K1

Repeat rows 5 and 6 until you have 11 stitches on your needle

Now for the rest of the shawl

K5 YO, Knit to the end.

See, simple?

I am still reading Lzarge Family Logistics and the second book in the Anne of Green Gables series.

Looking forward to seeing what you are working on and reading.

Warm wishes,

Tonya

Knitting Rainbow Gnomes

Joining in with Ginny of Small Things this week for her Wednesday Yarn Along.

It has been quite some time since a knit up a set of rainbow gnomes.   For these I am using Peace Fleece worsted weight wool/mohair yarn.   I hand dyed the orange and yellow using Peace Fleece's natural shade of yarn.

My pattern is here and is so simple.

I am on to the second in the Anne of Green Gables books - Anne of Avonlea, and am enjoying this even more than the first.

Entrepreneurially Minded Children

With our family earning our living now through creating and selling on Etsy, some of our children have joined in.

Nolan carved these rainbow gnomes.  We will be adding them to our shop after we find a paint that dries without smearing when wet and is child safe.  Does anyone have any ideas for him? 

Nolan is also making buttons - of hemlock, ash, birch and maple that have been selling well.  I crocheted a pencil case for myself from some beautiful yarn from Suzanne, and added one of his hemlock buttons.

Sarah, age 7, loves to draw chickens and she asked if she could sell notecards, each one individually made.


Our family is featured in an article on Etsy today in a series called, Quit Your Day Job.

Making Simple Boats for Our Seasonal Shelf

Using branch slices, I drilled a small hole into one end of each piece and then cut a branch to fit in the hole.

The girls and myself each sewed a sail of wool felt and now they sit on our summer seasonal shelf to sail on the shimmering blue sea of silk.

Knitting and Reading

Joining in with Ginny of Small Things again this Wednesday to share what I have been knitting and reading.

I am enjoying knitting these little caps/bonnets from - again Vintage Knits for Modern Babies.  

The pale green one is knit of yarn from Green Mountain Spinnery of 20% organic cotton and 80% fine wool which will be good for the in between days when the baby first arrives.

The other cap is knit of alpaca which is so soft.   I am knitting up several for market.

I am just beginning this book, Good Wives - Images and Reality in the Lives of Women in Northern New England , 1650 - 1750.

I enjoy reading about what life was like for women during this time period.

What are you knitting or crocheting and reading?

Warm wishes, Tonya

Knitting and Reading

Joining in with Ginny at Small Things as it is Wednesday already.  Knitting and reading are also two of my favorite pastimes.

Mike and I are reading The Revolution by Ron Paul as we are both very interested in his ideas.

I am also reading DIY U.  This  book is about rethinking the higher education system in our country and looking at new options for young people.

On the needles are some pants for baby.  From the one of the two books I seem to be knitting lots from, Vintage Knits for Modern Babies.  The yarn is plymouth worsted weight, 25% wool, 75% acrylic that I purchased from our little local yarn shop.

And, again from the same book - I finished these little booties.  The yarn is peace fleece and the buttons are handmade of hemlock by our son, Nolan.

Looking forward to reading about what books you are enjoying (or not) and your knitting or crocheting projects.

Warm wishes, Tonya



Baby Socks

Joining in with Ginny at Small Things today for her Yarn Along.

Baby Socks on Two Needles

Using size 3 needles and DK weight yarn

Cast on 28 stitches

Knit about 8 rows in a rib - knit one, purl one across the row

Continue in stockinette stitch knit one row, purl the next for the desired length of the sock.

Now decrease 7 stitches at the beginning and end of the next row.

Continue knitting in stockinette stitch for approximately 3 inches or until desired length.

Now shape for toe.

Decrease at the beginning and end of the next rows until 7 stitches remain.

Now increase at the beginning and end of the next rows until back up to 14 stitches.

Continue knitting in stockinette until bottom of sock measures the same as the top.

Now shape for heal in the same way you did for the toe.

Cast off.

Seam up the back center of the ribbing. Sew up the "angles" on both the heel and the toe. Sew the heel to the bottom of the ribbing/top part of sock; and then seam up both sides of the sock.


Sorry I don't have any cute baby feet to show wearing them, yet.

Warm wishes, Tonya

Yarn Along - Knitting Updates and Homesteading Book

I am joining along with Ginny at Small Things again this Wednesday to update my three baby projects and share about a book I have been reading.

The simple garter stitch cardigan from Simple Knits for Cherished Babies is coming along well - one more front side to knit and than the finishing bands.

The basketweave baby blanket is coming along too.

The baby bonnet just needs the bottom band and button.
I found this book at the library and am enjoying  being reminded about why we chose to live this lifestyle in the first place and has given us some things to think about as it is so easy to get caught up in the world and the ways of the consumer society.

I look forward to catching up with your handwork projects and what you are reading.

Warm wishes, Tonya

Knitting and More Knitting

a garter stitch cardigan, infant size, of Plymouth Yarn, Encore D.K., which is a 75% acrylic and 25% wool, purchased at my local yarn store for $3.90 a skein, so this will be an affordable sweater... the pattern is from one of my three or so knitting books I own, Simple Knits for Cherished Babies

this is a basket weave baby blanket in the same kind of yarn, but worsted weight, using a pattern I jotted down on some scrap paper - very simple

last on my needles is this modern baby bonnet from one of my favorite knitting books, Vintage Knits for Modern Babies, I am using up some cotton yarn I found in my stash

Hmm... it seems that all three projects are for baby....

Joining in with Ginny this week.

Reading and Knitting for the Yarn Along

Joining in again with Ginny from Small Things.

Just about finished with the other sock for Sarah.  And I cast on a sock for Abby in a wool/nylon sock yarn blend that is self striping and I am using the same two needle sock pattern that I mentioned last week.  For Abby, who is a size 3/4 in youth shoes, I cast on size 2 needles, 60 stitches.

Yesterday two goat related publications came in the mail.  One is a catalog of goat supplies from Hoegger Supply and the other is Storey's Guide to Raising Dairy Goats.
It seems that I just can't read enough about them lately.

What are you reading and what handwork project is in your basket or on your counter or table?
Warm wishes,
Tonya