~ moments ~

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I laughed and called out to her... she was so much reminding me of Anne of Green Gables headed off to the train station...



Joining Amanda Soule and my dear friend Jules to share some special moments.


Oh, also, there is something really really really special that I haven't mentioned here yet. It is about a special place, (and all the pictures (outdoors) I have been sharing lately are from there) and it is ours...
(I feel like there is so much to say, many stories that come before this one, but there hasn't been time for the other stories yet, and now this one begins...)


Wishing you all beautiful weekend with many happy moments!


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knitting bonnets and a colorful little quilt

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Yes, little Elsie now has a bonnet that fits, though you see it here still unfinished. Soon too I will cast on for another, I am having some more ideas for the pattern. And because this one fits, but only just barely. The yarn is so pretty, I am loving knitting with it.

This little quilt did not turn out to be quite what I had originally intended, and I think I am happy about that. I guess that's what happens when you start something one year and then finish it a couple (few maybe) years later. It is making a just right play quilt for Elsa though. She likes it very much.  It sure is bright, but that's what I do in the spring, pull out all the most colorful cheerful colors I can find. I decided to just let the quilting lines be not too straight or evenly spaced. Kind of a bad idea, cause I feel like it just looks like I did a messy job. I think next time I am going to have to go for perfectly straight. Yes. On all the lines where I was "stitching in the ditch" it is pretty much perfect though ;)

(Sorry, can't help it. I have tried to let go of some of my perfectionist tendencies, but when it comes to sewing I just cannot...)

Other happy handwork plans include a little teething doll (teething!), and we have birthdays coming up soon! So it's time to be putting more thought into that...

Oh, and the wooden doll. She is new to us and she was recently born in the forest, and she is Swedish (so I am told..) She does not have a name yet, so if you have any suggestions? Also, her head might still get sanded.

And hooray, this week I am finally once again joining Nicole for her Keep Calm Craft On!

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little things, and gratitude

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This evening, mountain bluebird on a tall dry mullein stalk.

This month.. sunny days, rainy days, snowy days. Yes, I will be grateful for the snowy days too. The forests were misty and grey, all so cozy feeling. It snows here in April, it's just how it is.

My yellow-y gold flowery vintage-y sheet. Not thrifted, it is mine from when I was little. It seems to always find it's way out when we are gathering extra sheets, blankets, towels, etc. for homebirth supplies. Other times it is put away for years. It makes me really happy. Even if it is making my blog look kind of funny cause now half my pics are on this yellow background.

And I love those little toes. And every little sigh, whisper, grunt, and giggle that comes from her. Those sighs. The soft happy nursing baby ones. Oh goodness.

Glad that she finally has a wool bonnet that fits to keep her head warm in the cool forest afternoons.

Forest afternoons.

How golden the pine needles were in the sun. How they crunched under her feet as she ran along. How pink and rosy her cheeks were. How brave she is there. In her forest.

And my eldest. And how she cares for us all.

Oh, and my husband. He is my prince. Our hero.


Friends too.

Chatting and smiling and laughing with Jules until way too late at night. (ha ha, "chatting", is that what it's called?, she is the only person I do that with, and I'm sure we are two of the most untechnological people there are...)

Good emails from good good friends that just happened to come on a day when extra cheer was needed.

And Lisa. I am grateful for her for all kinds of reasons. Including surprise phone calls that always make me smile when I answer. She is really good at these gratitude posts too. I always tell her I'm going to start doing them also. And now I am...


I decided that I wanted to take a little more time to stay in touch with my blog friends, post here, and even maybe read a few other inspiring blogs once in a while. (Those of you who know me more know that I really really really don't like to be at the computer. So by saying spend a little more time doing it, it just means a little more than the not much time at all I spend in general. So I think that could be okay...)

Anyhow, that's how I have ended up visiting Taryn and her sweet family and her neat wooly mossy blog. And she does nice gratitude posts too.

I'm all about niceness and gratitude these days. Well, always I am, of course. We just seem to need extra great doses of it lately, I'll take it wherever I can get it.

Hope you all have lots of nice happy beautiful days this week!


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yarn along...

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The bonnet is going to be way too big but it should fit her well next winter. So now I am picking up stitches on the hat that she has outgrown, if it is a little longer it should stay on her head just fine.

Here in our mountains a wool hat can be needed year round if you consider chilly summer nights as well. Do any of you have a favorite pattern for baby hats or bonnets? Or booties? She has outgrown all her little knit socks too..

Next up to knit will be another pair of pants like the ones she is often wearing in the photos here. They were a gift, the Elizabeth Zimmerman baby leggings, hopefully I will be able to work out the pattern and knit up a cute pair too. They are very versatile and super cute, I think I will be making them the same size, just lots lots longer. I am going to use this neat seamoss peace fleece yarn we just got from the waldorf co-op.

The other lovely yarns in the picture were gifts as well. Some so so soft grey alpaca from my dear friend Melanie. And some pretty green yarn, a color called Lark, which is appropriate since it came from sweet Ginny. Ginny sent the yarn last year when I was pregnant so I could knit something for baby. But without baby being born, not knowing if it was a boy or girl, I just couldn't commit to any specific project for it. I am still undecided but sure do look forward to knitting something special with it.


I have a few different books around for reading right now. I read Children at Play about 10 years ago and have wanted to re-read it because it is very sweet. We are lucky that one of the kind-of-local libraries has some good Waldorf books...


Elsa likes when we try her bonnet on her, needles and all still attached. But she likes sucking on her hands best...


Happy to join the join the Yarn Along this week!


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a day in early april

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It's her sister's bonnet. I may start sewing a little one for her this weekend. Sunbonnet. Even though we just had two days of snow. Lots of good blue sky days before that, outside days, cold fresh air, warm sun...


I will be here to visit again next week. Really I will.


Wishing a happy beautiful weekend to all..



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belated moments from march

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~ Pondering treetops and the sky

 ~ Pondering puzzle pieces

~ A (beeswax) royal procession

~ Sister love

 ~ Hard at work, play, rest...

~ And then there was the day they put her in the rocking chair

~ She was happy with this for quite a while

~ And then she became a little unsure of it

~ Love from big sister always helps...

~ Easter morning. Easter sewing.

To be followed by moments from the first week of april, cause I was just looking at our photos and kinda panicking at how behind I am getting with them...


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early morning handwork

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If I sense from the early morning sky that it is anywhere near 5 or 6 AM, I will quietly slip out of bed (or first finish nursing little Elsa, who then remains sleeping peacefully beside her daddy...)

I go about my morning kitchen chores, wiping down counters, setting dishes aways as silently as possible, sweeping usually waits as the familiar tap tap of the broom may wake a still sleeping family member. Breakfast for when the girls wake...

A few minutes of extra tidying, books returned to stacks or shelves, the library books live on the stairs now.

Some thought towards the mornings homeschool work...

All children still sleeping...

I sew. I knit.

Sometimes the sewing does not amount to much more than smoothing the fabrics that remain laid out on the ironing board, cutting a pattern, pinning some pieces. The sewing machine would be too loud for morning.

But many many rows of knitting can be accomplished in just one quiet morning hour.

When the girls wake they come sit sleepily on the couch,  when Elsa stirs I will set my thing aside and get ready for the next part of my morning, when chores can be done more loudly, food gets cooking in the kitchen, animals fed, laundry started...

There will be moments throughout the day to return to the handwork projects.


I am knitting another wool soaker for Elsa. Not enjoying the pattern (seems like lots of errors) so at first it was going slow, and now for the same reason I am feeling extra motivated to be done with it, that is what I will work on if I get a few more minutes when I am done writing here.

Lots of sewing happening in my head, a little getting done for real. We will pretend that I am not at all embarrassed to admit that I am only just now finishing this little quilt that I started two years ago.

(Okay, I may as well also admit now that there is a baby sock that has been sitting on the needles for a few weeks. I didn't start the toe shaping cause I'm sure it now needs much more length added, maybe it will never fit. or maybe I will finish it this week, but then there is still the second one to knit. goodness, it's not like knitting baby socks takes very long...)

Also, I kinda have a plan for sewing the girls matching Easter/Spring dresses. I realize that may seem crazy. But also I have a plan to cheat. One dress kinda done, a skirt instead for eldest sister, and a new little baby dress. Baby dress! Way too long since I have sewed a little tiny baby dress!

It was an early morning photograph too, so not much to see, I will try to make my post prettier next time.


Oh, also I wanted to tell you what book we enjoyed as a winter read aloud, Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates, I believe that is the full title. Somehow I had never read it when I was a child. It is a great book, full of adventure and the wonder of another country and time. We have all loved it, still finishing the last few chapters.

(So I will link to my dear friend Ginny and her Yarn Along...)


Now I hear Elsie stirring, she is such a happy one in the morning, I am looking forward to that smile which will greet me when I go say good morning...

And good day to you all!


p.s. I have had some questions about Elsa's baby knits, I will try to share more pics, patterns, and ravelry links soon...


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