Pattern: Simplicity 2461 This was my first time using a printable pattern and I was far from thrilled with the process.  I rather regret ordering several when they were on sale for a couple of bucks a piece (it seemed like such a deal!).

Fabric: A remnant rack find.  Oh, I do love me a well stocked remnant rack.  This print seriously reminds me of something from my childhood.  A sheet I think.  Something tells me that it may have been a baby sheet specifically. (Mom?)

Modifications: I changed the length.  The pattern hits around knee level, I made it so that it went down to her ankles.

This is the dress that I made her to wear under the little knitted pinafore that I knew wouldn’t fit.  Which doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, but I rarely make a whole lot of sense.

Complete with a little bit of loop-y lace trim, to go with the lace trim on the pinafore.

If I come across some fabric that will coordinate with it in my stash, I might just make her one of the sewn pinafores from the pattern.

Iain tucked that leaf into her hair and proclaimed her the Autumn Princess.

Moving day is Thursday, so I think I’m going to take a few days off.  I’ll see you all on the other side.  Enjoy the rest of your week!

We’ve had a dry, dry summer.  It seems like all the rain that we missed, came last week, when we had several rainy days in a row; dark and chill.

Boy One and Boy Two turned to paper craft for a diversion.  They greatly amuse me.  They go through phases where they will both make something, together or side by side,  over and over and over again…until….I don’t know what, but eventually they’ll move on to something else.  My favorites to date have been the 1/2-3/4 sized paper families and the miniature stringed instruments.  The various styles of paper glasses with clear plastic lenses where interesting too.

The paper people were representations of us.  They would use several sheets of paper to make them 3 or 4 feet high and all of the features and clothing would be cut from different papers and layered on.  Sometimes there were removable elements as well, like mittens that came on and off.

The instruments were three-dimensional, usually around the size of my hand, with every detail down to each individual string, and where applicable, a tiny bow.  For a while there, my entire house was filled with little paper violas, cellos, guitars…  We easily could have outfitted the entire string section of a paper doll orchestra.

The current fad seems to be paper feathers…

And paper quivers, for their home-made arrows.  All to go with their home-made bows, also of their own design.  The attention to detail and several thoughtful design features on the bows garnered much praise at Camp Trueheart.

While the littler folks and I finally found success in a gluten-free play dough recipe.

It’s made in the crock pot of all things!  But it turned out great.  She says that it took two hours for hers to reach the right consistency, but ours was done in just 30 minutes.  We left it plain white.  It’s much whiter then most play doughs tend to be.  Galen made a stack of “marshmallows” and then proceeded to pretend to roast them on sticks!

The little knitted pinafore pattern finally has a name!  Introducing Misselthwaite.  Named for the manor in Frances Hodgson Burnett’s classic novel, “The Secret Garden”, and heading out to test knitters soon!

Pattern: Misselthwaite, the second variation.  The original features seed stitch edging and a more streamlined skirt.  This version has moss stitch boarders and skirt that is twice as full, causing it to naturally fall into soft pleats.

Yarn: Reynolds Soft Linen, color 0404

I really like this yarn.  The colors are all lovely, soft, earth tones.  It has great drape and a nice sheen.  But I don’t think it was the best choice for this project.  I wanted something sleeker then the wool that I used on the the first pinafore.  I wanted to do a more dressy version.  And from the perspective, it’s great.  Going into it I knew it was a lighter weight worsted, and I was fine with the fabric having a more open weave to it, but I didn’t take into account how much it would stretch.  I suspect this is both because of the type of yarn and the loose knit.  Anyhow, the weight of the skirt stretches out the bodice.  I suppose it’s not a big deal, but it’s not what I had in mind.

Size: Preschooler- I’m going to try it on some friends around here, but I’m thinking it would fit the average child from say age 3-5 or so.  It fits 4 year old Galen quite well.

Additional details can be found on the Ravelry link.

I couldn’t resist adding on this little doily (can it be considered a doily if it’s not lace all the way through?).  It was at the top of a stack of linens that I purchased at a rummage sale, and surely one of the sweetest bits of the set.  I love the little yellow dots with the yarn.  I’ve been told it looks like a little apron.  Leave it to me…an apron on what is essentially an apron!

I also love the way that the loop-y edging around the buttons echos the lace.

Even though this is a size up for Màiri Rose, I thought I could get away with her wearing it for photos and having it look a little bit big.  But, because of the stretch factor, it really looked ridiculous on her.  I had tried it on Galen to see if the sizing was what I thought it would be and he offered to model for me!

Right before he informed me that I don’t make him enough dresses…

There are many charming things about 220 year old houses, the prevalence of mice is not among them (also low on the charm scale: bedrooms full of wasps…flying ants….lack of closets….architecture that I can only assume was intended to induce concussions…musty basements…risk of lead paint…but I digress).  Seriously, the mice are entrenched at this point.  This is their homeland, where generation after generation has been raised for time out of mind.  They’re not backing down.  They know every hiding place and every nook and cranny.  And believe me, in a house of this age, there are many nooks and crannies (quaint words for holes and dents).

All the same, my people and the mouse community have lived in relative peace and harmony.  I am so not the jumping up on a chair and shrieking type.  I live in the country, you know?  Mice happen.  Same with skunks, deer, the occasional bear… live and let live.  Stay out of my way and I’ll stay out of yours.  Granted, it you decide to camp out in my underwear drawer, I might set a catch and release trap or two.  But seeing as I’m usually too lazy to take the trap the recommended 2.5 miles away, generally settling instead for a feeble walk to the edge of the back yard, you can pretty much come back at your leisure, after a refreshing vacation out in the dewy grass and crisp country air.  All expenses paid, and you get a snack of peanut butter to boot.

Being somewhat nocturnal myself, the mice and I get a lot of quality time together after everyone else is in bed.  I greet them cordially when they are out and about and occasionally wonder at the domestic disturbances of the backroom cupboard when the squeaking gets out of hand.  Tasha Tudor used to keep a pair of dormice to sketch.  I haven’t yet taken to rodent portraiture myself, but it’s nice to know they are there, should I ever feel the inclination.

The mice are none to happy with us at the moment.  All of this shuffling things about is disrupting their regular rhythm, selfish people that we are.  And after yesterday’s excursion into the eaves, I can’t say I’m too pleased with them either.

I present to you both exhibits A and B…

Also known as my two favorite scarves.  Or rather, what remains of my two favorite scarves.  The one on the left was one of my first ever knitting projects.  It was a Valentine’s Day gift for Steve, which I believe he wore all of once (was it even that many times?  I’m pretty sure he at least tried it on).  After several years of laying untouched in a closet, I claimed it for myself.  He’s tall, so I had made it long, long, long, like wrap it around myself 4 or 5 times long.  When I’m wearing one of the little ones on my back, I’ll wrap it around them, crisscross it in-between us, wrap it around me and then back again.  The ultimate in squishy warmth.

The one on the right was made by Mardi, namesake of the Mardi dress pattern.  I wore it all the time, whenever it wasn’t 4-5 layers of super thick scarf, cold.  It was my chilly-but-not-sub-zero-weather-look-at-me-I’m-wearing-my-pretty-lacy-scarf-that-makes-me-think-of-my-dear-friend-from-far-away scarf.  Harrumph.

We are talking about my wool here people.  So.  not.  cool.  I consider this a total breech of trust between myself and the mouse community.

A hearty, toothsome, gluten-free cake, inspired by our blueberry picking adventures and all of my beloved lavender along our front walk…

Rustic Blueberry-Lavender Cake

In a large bowl, mix together:

1 heaping T of finely chopped fresh lavender

2 1/2 C brown rice flour (or white, if you prefer)

1 C almond flour

1 T potato flour

Mix well and leave it to sit so that the flour gets all infused by the lavender.

……………………………………

In a medium bowl mix:

2 C almond milk

1/4 C lemon juice

allow the two to sit.

……………………………….

back to the first bowl, add:

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

……………………………..

to the liquids add:

1/2 C olive oil

1 C maple syrup

………………………….

Slowly add wet ingredients to dry and mix well.

…………………………….

Pour into greased muffin tins (makes 24) or two medium cake pans.

Drop approximately 15 blueberries into each muffin cup or a cup of berries per cake pan.

Bake at 350 (around 20 minutes for muffins, 40 for cake) until golden brown and a fork comes out clean.

Allow to cool completely.  If you try to handle it before it is cool, it will fall apart, but once cool, it stays together quite nicely.

…………………………………..

Enjoy!

The children and I have been involved in a very special project this summer.  We call it Camp Trueheart.

In preparation for next year’s third grade Native American studies, I’ve asked some of our native friends to act as a sort of tutor to us all.  We’ve been meeting several times a week for the last month.

I really didn’t feel like I did this block justice when Iain was in third grade.  This is one of the things that I truly love about homeschooling multiple children.  When you feel like you haven’t covered something thoroughly enough, you have another shot at it when the next child reaches that stage!

And this has been so much better then anything that I could have done.  They’ve gotten to handle sacred objects, witness the Planting of the Corn ceremony and a Naming Ceremony; we’ve made medicine bags and dream-catchers.  They’ve had target practice with both bow and arrow and atlatl.  They’ve run obstacle courses to test their agility.  They have sat and listened while the Chief plays beautiful music on his hand carved flute.

These are all memories and lessons that will stay with them for a very long time, I am sure.

Yesterday was the day that the sky was full of dragonflies.

There were literally hundreds of them all flying around at once.  Great big ones.  They were everywhere.   For the last week, there have been more and more every day, but yesterday there were just so very many.  I’ve never seen anything like it.  They flew about non-stop, nearly impossible to capture in pictures, not a one of them ever stopping to rest.  I laid in the grass for a bit and watched them above.  I wish I could drink up their energy.  I’ll content myself with being inspired by them.

Why is  it that being around dragonflies makes me want to knit a delicate shawl?  It’s true that in the end, nearly all things come back to knitting with me.  It’s the lacy wings, I’m sure.  Now that the thought has entered my head, it seems to have bewitched me.  My brain is awash with daydreams, visions of shawls in all different hues.  I’m suddenly ready to try every pattern that’s ever caught my eye.

Warning: Uninspired photos ahead.  Hey, I’ve been tired lately and in this house you have to be really quick on your feet in this house in order to capture edibles before they disappear.

Soon it will be time for apple sauce and apple pie, Indian pudding, roasted chestnuts, cranberry sauce and pumpkin bread.  But right now there’s still some more time for the fun and frozen treats of summer.  We’ve been experimenting and making a lot of sweet treats this season.

Below is watermelon sorbet.  Ingredients: one beautiful melon, recently harvested from our farm.

We just froze it and then blended it up until it was all nice and smooth.  A Vitamix is fabulous for this, but a good food processor works as well.  A bit of fresh rosemary added in is really good too!

Do you know about banana “ice cream”??  If you take frozen bananas and run them through a vitmix or food processor for a bit, it turns out that most perfect concoction with the consistency of frozen yogurt.  It really couldn’t be easier!  The picture below is from a day when we added a bit of raw cocoa powder and a splash of almond extract.  That was yummy too, but I think my personal favorite is just the straight bananas with a dash of vanilla.

For frozen treats of the pre-made variety, we’ve really been enjoying the new coconut water sorbets by So Delicious.

We like to get 3 different flavors and share them; lemon-aid, raspberry and mango being the combo of choice with the younger set (though the hibiscus flavor is really good too, and a bit more sophisticated).  It’s like fruit salad only cooler.  In a past life I was a big fan of rainbow sherbet.  And this way I get to pretend that I’m five years old again, which in-so-far-as I remember it, was a halfway decent year.

Here’s to a few more weeks of summer treats!

For: My sister Rachel on her 18th birthday

Pattern: inspired by both the Twirly Skirt and the Lazy Days Skirt but changed around to be for a grown girl

Fabric and Notions: hand-me-down fabric from my mother-in-law, an assortment of notions and ribbons, some vintage, some new

My mother-in-law sent over a box of fabric a little while ago and this fabric with all the purple and the batik made me think of my girl.  Isn’t she lovely?  And don’t you want to borrow those shoes?  (I know I do.  cute, cute!)  Galen made her the necklace that she’s wearing.

She was my first baby, you know.  The first baby that I tucked up in a snugli or cuddled into my bed (and yes, it’s quite true that I’ve been baby wearer and bed sharer since middle school).

And now she’s gone and grown up on me.  sigh.

She’s off to school, far, far away and that is so not ok.  But all the same it’s the way it has to be, so we’ll all adapt and move forward.

I’m so glad that she was here for one last visit though.  And that that one last visit happened to coincide with her birthday.  AND, I’m also glad that the warmer then usual summer meant that the peaches ripened earlier then usual, so that I could bake her a peach upside down cake.

I have so much love and many hopes and dreams for my baby girl as she goes out into the world.  Here’s to bright futures, safe travels, thrilling adventures, and remembering to write home!