waldorf mama

fairy houses...

maya and her 9 year old cousin, audrey, spent all afternoon building fairy houses together. very elaborate fairy houses. with bedrooms. and bathtubs. and kitchens. and swimming pools. they told me that their friends, the fairies, would be arriving after dark, when everyone is asleep, and that they will be so overjoyed to find the new homes that have been built for them!

such is the joy of childhood!

shelley

'imagination is more important than knowledge - for knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world and all there ever will be to know and understand.' ~ albert einstein

wip wednesday :: big and little

two works-in-progress today. first, a wee bit more progress on my big project - my february lady sweater. i've passed the hurdle of separating for the sleeves (thanks to some encouragement from one of my knitting buddies). also the lace work is very intuitive. and although i'm finding little time to work on this project, when i am able to sit and knit on it...it moves relatively fast. and my, oh my, how i'm loving this great adirondack bamboo cotton...

second, a collaborative baby blanket that i'm working on with my knitting pals for a pregnant mama friend of ours (she's expecting a boy). we're using spud & chloe sweater (a wool and cotton blend - perfect for a spring baby) in grassy green, aqua blue and olive brown (photo of the olive brown coming later). we're each knitting 2 strips of the blanket (there are 3 of us) and then we'll be piecing them together. what a fun little project this is going to be...

i've also just made another a big yarn stash update in my ravelry notebook, including a few goodies that my sweet husband bought me for my birthday!

:: artyarns silk rhapsody

:: 5 skeins of noro taiyo, for a noro cavendish wrap!

what are you working on today?

shelley

a rainy march...

april showers? how about march showers? we're having a very rainy march here in central texas. now don't get me wrong, there is a certain beauty in the waterlogged grass and gray skies. they seem to bring a sense of comfort and nourishment to the earth. but oh, i am looking forward to some sunshine and blue skies.

in the meantime, let me assure you, we are glimpsing some delightful promises of spring through the drizzle!

looking toward spring as we approach the equinox...

shelley

art and beauty...

** a big thank you to everyone for all of the wonderful birthday wishes you sent me on friday. i had a truly magical and very special birthday - one that i will always remember. thank you again! **

this weekend, i found myself observing beauty in some of the handmade art that adorns our home...

:: a watercolor heart made by maya, for valentine's day

:: a custom made tapestry by crazy momma productions

:: a wool roving fairy mobile

:: a ceramic angel made by a waldorf student

:: a forest girl tapestry, made by orit dotan

each piece, special in it's own way. each imbued with the spirit and skill of the maker. each celebrating the beauty of handmade.

what beauty are you seeing in your home?

shelley

this moment, in gratitude...

this week, i am grateful for...

being on this earth for 48 years today. for my sweet husband. for my amazing children. for my identical twin sister. for my beloved family and friends. for health and happiness. for the extraordinary journey of my life. for this incredible, awe-inspiring online community. for joy. and peace. and gratitude. and abundance. and love!

shelley

wip wednesday :: ongoing and new

i have one ongoing and one brand new work-in-progress projects to share. first up is a reversible cable scarf i'm knitting for wesley (which was my chosen ravelympics project, but i was not able to get even close to finishing before closing ceremonies - sigh). i began this project exactly as the pattern suggested, but after about 10 cable rows decided it was a bit too narrow. i also felt the side borders might look a bit more symmetrical if i used seed stitch (as opposed to rib stitch), so i ripped the entire thing out and started again. this time with a 4 cable pattern and seed stitch borders...

my second wip project today is a rainbow kauni shawl/wrap, which i've had in the queue for quite some time...but only just now cast on for. i was inspired by this beautiful shawl...and my oh my, i'm excited about this one!

happy creative wednesday!

shelley

fingerweaving...

along with fingerknitting and spool knitting, maya has also recently learned to fingerweave in her kindergarten class. which, as you can imagine, she is now beginning to include in her repertoire of handwork skills here at home. and with a vengeance, i might add. all it took was a stash of rainbow wool yarn and she's been as busy as a bee...

after being created, these fingerweavings are then used for just about everything imaginable - think necklaces, bracelets, belts, leashes, crowns, bookmarks, gifts, etc. ahh, the true joy and beauty of handmade!

shelley

p.s. for anyone interested, here is a simple fingerweaving tutorial video that i just found online.