Tea with Squirrel

I’ve never had a tea cozy of my own. Sure I’ve made them to sell and made them for gifts, but never made one for myself until today. Each year when the temperature drops and I have need of a cozy I grab a kitchen towel, wrap it around my teapot and that’s that. It works so well that the real need is gone so I figure why waste the time making one when there are so many other things pressing. This adorable squirrel pattern was so simple and quick that I couldn’t resist it. I whipped it up today from a piece of berry wool felt. It would have been done even faster but my sewing machine has issues with metallic thread and I wanted  gold stitching for this festive Christmas season. Tonight while the children were finally nestled all snug in their beds it was just me and the squirrel for tea. He did his job while I glanced through some of my inspirational Christmas books for more ideas of things to make and do.

knitting glasses

There's something new in my knitting basket. Is it that great book, 'Vintage Knits'? Or my first ever intarsia project? Besides those things you also see...my knitting glasses. For a few months now I have been needing more distance between my eyes and whatever I am reading, sewing, or knitting. Well, I finally went to get my eyes checked out. After the initial eye chart reading the doctor said , "You have impeccable eyesight', she wrote 20/20 on my licsence renewal card. "O.k.", I said, "If they're so perfect, how come I can't see when I'm knitting?".  "You're a knitter?!", she exclaimed. "Yes", I replied. "Obssesive?", she asked. "Can be", I said. Her reply? "Oh, we've got to get you some knitting glasses!"  When she checked my eyes with that very close up magnifying device she said, "Oh, yes, you're a knitter. I can see a lot of fibers stuck in your eyelashes.". That was strange to hear. Maybe my knitting glasses will work as a shield to protect my eyes from all those fibers!

Fall & Mushroom Hunting

With summer activities over we are getting back to a quieter rythm of learning. Lots of nature walks and collecting things to study. Mushrooms pop out of the green, soon to be brown landscape, surprising us with their unique colors and shapes. Mushrooms add a freshness to the same well known paths. We never know what we will see from one week to the next. From the minuscule to the monsterous. Letting my younger daughter lead me down a path we’d never been, we found these adorable lemon yellow spotted mushrooms. 

We usually take a few mushrooms home to look up in the field guides. But sometimes if there is only one and it looks really perfect where it is, we'll take a picture so it can remain there to delight the next passerby.  I can’t  believe these colors! My first really purple mushrooms. Of course I automatically think, “How can I wear this?”. The softness of this purple needs to be a sweater or shawl to wrap me up in.

O.k., this bunch was not hunted, but bought. You never know where cute inspiration will pop up. These happened to be at an asian grocery store where I regularly go for my nori and condiments. I couldn’t pass by this pure white bunch of cuteness. They are all connected, growing out of one base. I wanted them to keep their shape and texture, so I cut them apart and dipped them in an eggy batter. I shallow fried them so they were crunchy, while keeping their natural chewy texture.

Of course field guides are the best for identifying mushrooms, but the book ‘Katya’s Book of Mushrooms' is a very good way to introduce children to the fun of mushroom hunting. Katya’s love of mushrooms, whimsical drawings, and overall joyous spirit make it one of my favorites, even as an adult.

Ripples

Yesterday was the 10th anniversary of 9/11.  I opened up my e-mail and read a prayer request from a good friend who is scared because her brother is to be deployed to Afghanistan today. Here we are ten years after and I am struck by the fact that this is not and cannot be over. I think about repercussions. I picture a rock being thrown into a river and how the ripples keep going and going and going. We went out for a walk yesterday and it’s funny while I was thinking about these ripples that I happened on this picture. There were many birds in the water, all being kept in captivity because they were broken in some way and couldn’t survive in the wild. They caused constant ripples to occur everywhere in the water, coming from all directions. No deliberate act stands alone without consequences. The ripples of one unselfish brave act or kind word spoken at just the right time can also cause eternal rippling. I’m thinking about the ripples I’m causing and the potential they have to effect generations after me. 

My New Black Tee Shirt

A black tee shirt goes with everything, right? It's cozy and comfortable. The only problem is that I don't like to wear t-shirts anymore. Maybe I'm getting too old for them. I like something a bit more crisp, more like 'real' clothes (Whatever that means!).  I still want to FEEL like I am just wearing a t-shirt though. Here's what I came up with. It's made from jersey that looks like black denim. I cut out a regular ladies t-shirt body and then I began to play around. I made a few different neckbands before I came up to this nifty thing. Kind of jaunty and sailor-ish. For the sleeves I ended up with something quite short and wide, so it's a bit flouncy. I really like it. The bad thing is that there is no pattern and I want more! Unfortunately, I will have to trace it off to make a pattern. This always happens when I "wing it". The best things happen when you are just playing around. With sewing and with food. I know when my kids really like something I've cooked. They ask with trepidation, "Is there a recipe for this?". They groan when I say "no". I know how they feel now because I really wish I had the 'recipe' for this one.

Learning to Sew

She looked up at me and said “How old was Sissy when she learned how to use your sewing machine?”. “Oh, around seven”, was my reply.  “I’M SEVEN!”  That’s how it all started. We ended up taking the whole day to sew. The first thing I did was get her used to the machine, threading it, changing the bobbin. Then she started straight stitching on some scraps. Once she had all that down she worked on curves and corners. I don’t enjoy practice exercises, who does? Once I could sense she was getting the hang of it I asked her what she would like to make. She said, “Abigail needs some underwear, she can never leave the house because she doesn’t have any underwear. She can’t even go in the car”. 

Abigail is her favorite doll. She used to be in my grandmother’s doll collection. Abigail is almost as old as I am. She has been waiting a long time for some underclothes. My daughter knew exactly what she wanted. She picked out the fabric and lace and did all of the sewing herself. The pattern is from a favorite book of ours, The Dolls Dressmaker. It’s the only book you will ever need of this type. 

As soon as the drawers were done of course she needed an undershirt to go with it. Abigail has been wearing only this for a few days now because it’s so cute and since it is summer I think she can get away with it.

My day off

Everyone can use a day off. Working folks get holidays off.  Moms at home usually work overtime during holidays. My husband often suggests that I go off and do something "fun" by myself. My problem is that I can never think of anything worth doing. Or the day finally arrives and I decide it's just too much trouble. Everything I really enjoy doing I do at home, all the time. Fun events or nature excursions I enjoy most with my family. But, when my husband suggested that I go down to the city (NYC) to my favorite store (Kinokuniya Bookstore) and also browse the fabric shops I took him up on his offer. I am not a person who sees shopping as a form of entertainment, if fact it is quite the opposite. Except at my favorite store where I can stay for hours looking through oodles of japanese craft, sewing and food books. All of the sewing books come with full size usable patterns, ahh...love.

Working in the garment district for years, hustling and bustling to meet deadlines, I could never appreciate it. This time I just puttered along browsing from one fabric shop to another. Imagine, if you like fabric, streets of nothing but fabric and trimming stores just waiting for you to come in and haggle over prices. It can be fun once in a while. As for the noise and crowds, I've had my fill for a while.

Speaking of noise and crowds, Grand Central Station. I decided to go home a couple of hours earlier than I had planned. It's funny that I felt like I needed a day out to get some peace and I end up running home early for the same reason!

Ahh, home. They picked me up at the train station and the girls beseeched us to let them pick up driftwood by the water. The train parallels the river. It's good to keep a pair of  rubber shoes in the car, because you never know when you might need them. It's also good to get out once in a while so that you can appreciate what you have to come home to.