Halu-Halo

Peeking out from behind this computer screen

My habit is to hide out a bit right after Christmas: To rest my body, to reflect on the past year, and to recapture what brings me joy.  I revisit my 3 R's before the New Year so that when the clock strikes 00:00:01, I am ready for it. For despite the fact that our lives can change at any second, 1 January brings about so much potential, doesn't it?  So why not take it and go with the momentum?

I have to admit though, that of the 3 R's, I'm still working on the first.  This Christmas was both our quietest and busiest.  We purposely kept it intimate and just us for the entire weekend, but it still was as messy and as loud and as chaotic as it would have been had we done our usual hosting.  I still cooked heaping amounts of food, our dishwasher still ran at least twice a day, and Hubby and I still went to bed those nights happy but undeniably exhausted.  

We both keep learning that our Big family is self-sustaining, and that there will never be a lack of company.  And while we laughed at how our days were filled without, really, much planned, we both grew that much more appreciative of the enormity of the space these children filled.  It's astounding, and humbling, really, how they are in all parts of this home.  And how, despite all of our antics and quirks as parents, they still come to us, in their happiness, frustration and sadness.  

And so, I am still tired, still barely getting out of house clothes, not flat-ironing my hair, but spending these quiet hours with each of my four.  All without thinking of when the next extra-curric activity will be, or when the next project is due.  The pace - it's good right now; my body needed it, my mind sought it, and thank goodness the kids are going with it.

I hope that you had a wonderful holiday, and that somehow in your plans you are recovering in your own way.  After all, the New Year is around the corner, and it will be time to party when it comes around to it!

Have a great night!

This elf has been busy

(and I'm not talking about the one on the shelf - I'm talking about the bonafide creator of the Christmas spirit here in our house - ahem...)

There are only 3 days till Christmas, after all.  In three days, my Bigs and Littles will be up at 5 in the morning, tearing open whatever Hubby and I had haphazardly lovingly wrapped the night before, and we get to celebrate another year of blessings.

I This elf has been good this year.  If you remember, I sent out my last 2010 Christmas gift *in* February of 2011. The year before, even much later, in March.  This year, I'm proud to report that the last package will be mailed in the next few days - a record.

(See me bow)

Yes, commence the applause.  Enjoy the  moment.  It may not happen again.  

I would like to thank the Academy, and Groupon and Living Social for providing great gift-giving options this year.  

Also, the last of the handmade has been completed today.  Impressed?

 (I'll imagine you squealing in delight.)  

Pattern: Shilling, knit on sz 4 16-inch circs, sz 7 16-inch circs and dpns

Yarn: Cascade 220

It was so much a perfect fit for me, that I seriously contemplated not wrapping it up, and instead just stashing it in my own dresser drawer.  But I didn't, and it's now hidden with the rest of the kids' gifts; it's going to my Biggest, who lost his knit hat earlier this year.  

G used his sweet beanie, which I knit for him when he was 5 (the blue and brown), every winter for almost 5 years.  While I'm grateful that he was able to hang on to it for so long, I finally had to accept that it had disappeared, and decided he needed another one, a completely different one.

Shilling is a very handsome pattern! It's hard to see the texture and cables in my pictures, but it's definitely fitting for an older boy.  I think he's going to love it.  

And the final handmade completed is for my sweet R, for her special American Girl Doll, whom she lovingly named Claire...

A ticker tape quilt!

I decided to do larger scraps, even on this tiny quilt.  R is quite my helper and right hand woman when I sew, and I knew she loved these fabrics.  In fact, she had separated many of these scraps as her favorites.

I did a second round of quilting, adding flowers to it.  I can't tell you how excited I am to give this to her.  I am expecting a doll bed in the mail at any moment, and this quilt will be gracing it.  She is going to jump and giggle absolutely.freak.out when she sees the entire ensemble on Christmas morning.  

The back - pieced fabrics shared by Natalie (thanks, woman!) the last time we were at her place for our Nova Modern Quilt Guild meeting.  R tagged along to the last couple of meetings, and on that day, she actually picked these out the stash.  

This elf will now celebrate with a little bit of chocolate, and maybe even a glass of wine.   While she won't be hanging on the chandeliers or  doing such shenanigans (she is 36 after all), tonight, she will be watching this movie and eating kettle corn like it's going out of style.

Have a great night, everyone!

Fear not the post office

By the time I got to the post office this morning, just a few minutes before 9 am, there were 15 people in front of me.  

I almost turned around and got back into my car.  Not only did I have to be somewhere at 9:30, but I also had Baby J with me.  Did I really want to face a potential meltdown that my toddler is so good at these days?  Was I prepared for the her inevitable no-i-will-not-move-unless-you-drag-me-out-kicking-and-screaming shenanigan?  I put my coat back on, and fiddled with my key ring.

And then, I remembered the date, so I stayed.  

I'm glad I did, because I had quite a few packages go out the door.

One was a quilt block for a charity quilt being put together by Natalie as part of our work with the Northern Virginia Modern Quilt Guild.

This block was put together with directions provided by Camille, from her quilt pattern "Swoon".  Thank you Camille, for sharing these directions with us!  Each contributor provided a block, and the combination thereof with be quilted by Natalie, and will be given to this brave little boy.

Another was a tablerunner and coasters I made for my Aunt-In-Law.

She's the kind of lady that never forgets a birthday or celebration.  She's even early most of the time...I've really got to learn that habit of sending out a card or present a week before the day.  I'm always late.

Ahem, except for this year, I think.   I may actually be on time.

I originally made these blocks as part of a larger pattern for a wallhanging for my kitchen over a year ago.  I then put it all away because I just wasn't feeling it.  I looked at it over the months and just did not find the motivation, the love, to do it.  Until I figured out that this quilt wasn't meant for us.

When I realized that these blocks were perfect for Aunt M, it came together quickly.  Funny how that happens.

I'm thrilled, because I know it's going to a good home.  It's a crafter's dream to know that what they have made will not go into the limbo space of gifts not really appreciated.  And that makes it even better than having it hang on my own wall.

I was in and out of the post office in less than 30 minutes, and not one bit of impatience from anyone was felt.  And thanks to the very sweet grandfather who cajoled Baby J for all of those minutes, I left unscathed, and pounds lighter.   

I hope that you all are marking your Holidays with cheer and peace.  That with all of the hoopla and last minute preparations, that you take care of yourselves too!  

Good luck out there!   

Easy does it

I looked through my knitting archives here on my blog, and my jaw almost hit the floor: My last FO (finished object) was back in March! 

Bad, bad knitter!  

Well,  it's time to break that desolate-and-shameful-knitting-hiatus.

Pattern: Easy Fingerless Mitts

Needles/Yarn: Sz 7 doublepointed,  Cascade Lana D'Oro

These mitts are for C for Christmas.  He currently loves his pair of super tiny fingerless fleece mitts that his grandma gave to him a couple of years ago.  Can you imagine a 9 year old trying to shove his fingers through gloves made for a 5-6 year old?  It's hard being a witness to it, I promise you.  But, without fail, every morning he tries to fit his fingers through, only for me to tell him that he.just.can't.  

But he loves having his fingers free...just as I do...I wear the mitts I made for me all the time.  A lightbulb went off in my head: "Why not make him a pair!"  I felt like a genius!  Now, having finished, I feel like a fool - why did I wait so long?

(that last link takes you to an older blog by-the-way. Goodness, I have been writing for a while, haven't I?)

Anyway, this took me a very short time to make, probably 2 1/2 hours total.  What a satisfying knit!  Just enough to get my juices flowing, that I headed over to Ravelry and started to browse at the beautiful new patterns out.   

I can't wait to see C's face when sees what I've made for him.  I think it's a homerun :)

I hope that your holiday shopping and prep has been going well! My advent calendar is telling me that time is moving MUCH faster than I think it does!

The Principle of Patience

This last week has been a doozy.  Never mind that I had a husband out of town and the single momming went into over time.  Or that I was trying to get Christmas gifts lined up (I'm still knitting!) to be sent this week.  Nor will I mention the mounds of paper I was trying to read, of which at some point into last week I gave up on.  

The thing that had me toe the line next to madness; that which brought me into the realms of a helicopter parenting nightmare:

C's (my 9 year old) science project and presentation.  Of which I wasn't allowed to help him with.

It was almost the death of me.  

I'm *so* not even kidding.

Sure, it was just an experiment about creating layers, to present The Principle of Density.  Yeah, he's only in the third grade; it's not his SATs, or his graduate thesis.  I can talk logically about it until I am aqua in the face, but it doesn't take away the fact that I had a couple of internal meltdowns.

I had to walk away while he managed his own materials.  I had to bite my lip as he did the experiment.  I had to slap my own hand away as I watched him do his presentation board.

And you won't believe it...I didn't even say a word as he practiced his presentation.

This morning, he schlepped his presentation board and a cooler full of materials to present it to his class.  I cried when he walked away from the van, his brother helping him with all of his stuff.  Not just because he is really growing up into his own personality, even taking me on this last week and all of my hovering.  

But that, hey, I'm growing up with them too, and I'm sortof learning to let go.  Not that I'm ready for them to drive or anything- hell, I'm still paranoid that they aren't in their 5-point restraint carseats.  I'm just sayin', I didn't do so bad.

And I'll be on pins and needles until he gets home.  

Have a great day everyone!

 

 

If I can do NaNoWriMo...

Surely I can get Christmas gifts together in time?  Right? 

(nod with me, please)

I just wound up a couple of skeins for two small knits I'm making for my boys.  I plan to knit them sometime in between quilting, writing, and just plain ol' mommying.  

I've got 22 days.  

What was I thinking starting this late?

Ah, that's right!  NaNoWriMo!  November was completely shot in terms of crafting, and although I have a substantial stack of papers in my posession, Christmas still has to happen, and gifts still need to go out.  And oh, it's also because I have this neverending notion that I have more hours and hands than everyone else in the world.  That the dailies will happen on their own somehow while I try to check things off my gift to-do list.  Either way, I'm delusional, but I'm going to try anyway.

I admit, I can't say no.  To my kiddos, or to myself, because I do love this stuff.  I love making stuff.  I love seeing other people use my stuff.  Maybe THAT should be my mantra, because every almost impossible mission should have a mantra.

And some backup!  For me, it's called Etsy!   And have you seen these talented folks: Kim,  Julia, and Tia? I'm proud to say that they are my friends, and when I'm freaking a week from now, guess who I'll be going to.  Yep...thank goodness for extremely awesome girlfriends.

So, let's cheer shall we?  Gooo Handmade Holidays!  Or patronize handmade, local, and mom n pop!  I know it is not always possible, but if you can gift one thing handmade this season (either bought or made), you would have been able to pass on a lot of love, and maybe in the process remind folks what this season is all about:  

The caring for others through the sharing of oneself. 

Have a great weekend!