the circle continues

Bear has been desperate to learn to knit for a month or so now. So with Boy2 back at preschool, and a bonus day holiday thanks to a pupil free day (bless you, new national curriculum), we hit up the craft shop, found some chunky yarn and bamboo needles, and merrily tucked ourselves up on the daybed, to get down to the serious business of knitting.

I’ve pinned a couple of tutorials on teaching kids to crochet, but for the knitting, I decided to wing it. I first learnt to knit around the same age, so I figured if 6 year old me could grasp it without the interwebs, it was almost certain this cluey young chap could get a handle on it.

He decided to start off making a scarf for himself. Daddy had requested a jumper, but he was told not to hold his breath. I did the cast on, so as not to confuse him too much – once he gets the hang of knit stitch, it’ll be easy enough to teach the cast on. I just kept going until it looked roughly wide enough, and then the lesson began. He sat beside me as we worked the first row. Through. Around, Back, Off. Every stitch we’d chant together. I worked the first two stitches of the new row, and then sat him on my lap, my hands over his, and we started reciting the steps again. Then a few stitches later I dropped one hand, and soon the other.

And now? It might be messy. There are some skipped stitches, and other stitches where the old stitch made it’s way in amongst the new stitches. The tension is kind of ordinary. But I think this might be the most adorable knitted scarf I have ever seen. I can’t wait for him to finish and see the look on his face as he wraps himself in his very own scarf for the first time.

And of course, we all know what Boy2 thinks of his big brother learning to knit, don’t we? Guess what I’m doing today? Yeah….

or not…

St Nicholas’ gift for our Butterfly – a little Seedling kit with a decorate-yourself butterfly. Super cute. Less so when you find red glitter glue streaking the dog’s fur. A good idea after all?

 

 

A quick post today, as it’s holiday mode and I’m holding my babies close. They are happy playing lego at the minute, so I’m hoping to make the most of it and get cracking on an i-spy quilt. Lots to blog, but not enough time! One more quilt camp giftie, what I received, what I made, the great jelly roll race progress. But for now, my babies await. Three little chickens in my nest to keep me company. Have I said how much I love holidays yet??

dig dig dig

Boy2 is dinosaur mad. He also loves diggers, and craft. So when “Can we do craft?” was answered with “sure, what should we make?”, he declared that “baby ‘wos-ah-wapter” (velociraptor) wanted a digger. Quite possibly, baby wos-ah-waptor is a wee big small to dig on his own, and with a long box that I’d had a backdrop delivered in, drooping on the back patio, we decided it was time to go big or go home. Last Christmas both boys got a “Makedo” upcycling kit, and they were the perfect way to join the two boxes together.

{please excuse the beer box, it was all we had that was big enough!}

 

the boy and his wos-ah-waptor had a lovely time digging up the tiles and making lots of noise together.

 

Today, we are half way through the Christmas party marathon. Two tired small people are tucked up in bed napping, and I think it’s time for a tired mama to take some time out too. A DVD is due back at the library next week and that’s a good enough excuse for me to curl up on the lounge with an iced coffee and do some doll making while it plays. The washing and folding will still be there tomorrow. Unfortunately.

chipmonkey

It came with a loaf of bread from the local bakery, back when the boys were first obsessed with Alvin, Simon and Theodore. Little Miss Butterfly found it yesterday, and is smitten with the “chipmonkey wif hooood. Gwasses. He he he, chipmonkey tail!”. It has been going everywhere with her. So in a fit of craftiness this morning, we pulled the sewing table to one side, raided the recycling basket for a couple of boxes, and got busy. Boy2 happily sat beside us chopping up catalogues and sticking them to paper while Butterfly and I built Simon Chipmonkey a new house. It still needs some work in the furniture department, but the miss is happy, so we’ll call it a win!

Today started well, and after our little building adventure, we headed off to the library for storytime, and a grumpy miss meant an early return and nap time. Boy2 went for a “rest” under the fan and was soon asleep as well, so that means some sneaky sewing time for mummy. I’m aiming to finish this second foundation, though the number of false starts I’ve had so far, I’m not all that confident it will happen. Foundations back to front, trimming the wrong fabric, running out of bobbins in awkward spots. Ugh. But I’m determined to beat it into submission. Maybe a coffee first though…

this is the way we make a mess.

Foot painting has long been a favourite inside activity of ours. The squishiness of paint oozing between your toes, the twist and slide as you hit a bit where the paint is thicker than you thought, the giggles of small boys watching their feet change colour and the paper become covered in foot prints. So when the glorious spring days gave way to the cool of not-far-past-winter evenings, and play moved inside, I found myself in desperate need of a holiday activity, that didn’t require a great deal of fiddly preparation, or mummy building stuff while children watched. I pulled out our awesome roll of newsprint (also known as the worlds best bargain), rolled it out down our brilliantly long hallway, added paint and four pairs of feet, and we were set. Well, until Butterfly got bored and decided to do a runner. Into her carpeted bedroom. Oops. On the upside, paint covered feet and hands are best dealt with in a shower, so the small people were clean and just required the application of pyjamas to be ready for bed after dinner, giving us time to squeeze in a round of our new favourite game – Jenga.

That very same Butterfly babe is unwell today, in the way of not moving off mama’s lap and dozing all day. Whatever horrid bug has her, it’s knocked her flat, poor wee lass. So we are snuggling and watching more ABC Kids than I ever thought my brain could handle. Boy2 is running around outside. Bear isn’t 100% either, so he’s happily playing lego on the loungeroom floor. I’m just rolling with the punches. Some ripple when I can move my arm enough. More Facebook and Twitter than is healthy (sorry friends, for spamming your news feed and notifications). Planning some little retreat gifts. Daydreaming of new crafty endeavours, and a studio makeover. Sickness sucks, snuggles don’t. Always a silver lining. It’s Thursday, it’s holidays, the sun is shining and I have a legitimate reason to ignore the housework. Get well soon baby girl, and until then, housework, sorry, but I’m just not that into you.

let’s go for a walk.

Since he was tiny, Bear’s constant companion has been his Pooh Bear. Sadly, Pooh Bear mk I disappeared, but Pooh Bear mk II is just as dearly loved. Throughout the last few years, many of our craft projects have revolved around making things for Pooh Bear. The one thing we haven’t yet mastered, is a pram for Pooh Bear. Last week, Bear had a day at home with us, and in the afternoon, he felt like doing some craft. Out came the multiple boxes and glues and cutters, and with the add of some Rolobox wheels and Makedo joiners, we created something that came the closest yet to a proper working pram.

Admittedly, it did need multiple running repairs, but Pooh Bear fit comfortably in it, the seat tipped back so he could lay down for a nap if he got sleepy, and the basket was big enough to be filled with random crap special collected items. And please tell me I’m not the only mama who judges a projects success based on how much the small people bicker over it? Based on that metric, I’m claim HUGE success, with Bear and Butterfly arguing over who’s turn it was, and Boy2 having a tantrum because Cookie Monster wants his own pram. Winning. I think?

 

{since this is the heights of creating around here, I’m linking up today for my creative spaces}

RAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRR {or, I Blog on Tuesdays}

With Bear at school, has come the usual flurry of events, including multiple dress-up days. The first one was nursery rhyme day, and the boy wanted to be Humpty Dumpty. Ah-ha, said I, thinking a white bowl on his head, some yellow face paint, and he can be a post-Wall Humpty. Nope. “I want to be a Humpty Dumpty with NO cracks, mummy, not a broken Humpty Dumpty”, so after hot glueing foam and fabric for a week, off he trundled to school wearing a Humpty Dumpty egg, and a box wall.

And then it started. Dinosaur obsessed Boy2 “mummy, can you make me a DINOSAUR costume, PWWWWEEEEEAAAASSSSE??? So I can be a Twanisauwas Wex, and go RRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRR and be scary?” And so I promised him we would make it one. But of course, the days slipped by, and a few weeks later, there was a tug on my leg, 2.30pm, and they was Boy2, batting those baby blues at me. “You pwomised to make a DINOSAUR costume, mummy. PWEASE!”. I had the basic idea in mind, so with a green fat quarter, a piece of leftover foam camping mat, and a needle and thread, we set to work, and not 10 minutes later, he was chuffed, and proudly wore it all the way on our walk to school. I did later come in and machine stitch over my quicky hand sewing, but even allowing for machine time, this was seriously in the “under 15 minutes mega bang for buck” category! It’s more Stegosaurus than Tyrannosaurus, but the boy is happy, so we’ll leave the technical terms for the paleontologists!

{posted for IBOT}

{NOTE ON COMMENTING :: wordpress, in their infinite wisdom, have changed their systems, and if your email has ever been associated with a wordpress/gravatar account, it won’t let you comment without logging in. If you are so inclined to comment, but have difficulty, please just add LWD to the start of your email {ie, LWDyouremail@wherever.com}, and I’ll know to remove it should I want to reply by email. Thanks so much for your patience and understanding. It bugs me too.}

the last day

I adore school holidays. All three of my babies home, and all mine for two whole weeks. And lately, their daddy as well. But Monday saw a return to our normal daily lives. Almost. Boy2 was at preschool, but Bear had a pupil free day. We pottered about and played, Bear and Butterfly found a storage tub that had been left out in the rain with no lid and decided that despite the fact it is July, and both the day and the water was freezing, they needed to hop in, clothes and all, and they had a lovely time splashing and playing while mummy sat in the sun and laughed at them. After providing a few jugs of hot water to warm it up. Maybe I’m not as free-range as I thought!!

 

Once Butterfly went to bed, Bear joined me in the studio, and finished quilting his latest dolls quilt while I did some work on the computer, and then a tug at my album broke my train of thought. “Mummy? Could we do some craft, please? Maybe you could help me with this butterfly?”, he asked as he held up two pipecleaners shaped into very respectable wing shapes. I delved into the craft box, and a small box, some blu-tac and some tape, plus the wings, soon made the little cap above.

 

Somehow it’s Wednesday already. My to-do list is slowly shrinking, but not without a lot of effort and introspection. And part of that is how this little blog fits into my world. I’m not entirely sure I have an answer. On the crafty to-do list is a couple of custom bags, some lunch wraps, and a pencil roll. I have a painting in progress I want to finish. I have plans drawn for a new storage unit to hopefully make my studio a more workable space, now I just have to sweet-talk my dad into building it for me. It’s a rainy old day and we are trapped inside. Time to pull out the waterpaints and hang with my small people. Have a great day!

hello mr postman.

The loungeroom was a swirl of paper, as they drew, then cut, then folded and slipped small scraps into my hand. “Mail for you mummy!”. The old brain defrosted enough to start ticking over and I rummaged through the craft box, pulling out a small shoe box. A few quick slices with a craft scalpel, a bit of packing tape, and we had a mailbox! Boy2 slipped something in, and squealed “mummy, a letter for you!”. I peered in, and sure enough, a small scrap of cardboard was inside. “See!” he excitedly pointed to the single letter on the scrap, “An E!”.

robot

 

Last Christmas, both boys were given a Makedo set – little joiners and hinges to create “stuff” out of boxes. Boy2′s box showed a robot, and it has henceforth been known as “robot craft”. So late last week, the boy comes running up, “mummy, mummy, we does wobot cwaft?”, and so we hit up the recycling pile, one of our favourite craft supply sources. But it was sadly lacking in boxs, so instead we used a cling wrap tube, part of an egg carton, a tissue box, a yoghurt pot and lots and lots of packing tape, and the boy was chuffed.

 

Until it wouldn’t stand up. *THAT* wasn’t in the design brief!!! But he soon got over that, and Mr Robot is still living in his wardrobe and comes out to play occassionally.

 

Today has been cold and miserable, and with Bear home all day thanks to a teachers strike, I’d had high hopes of a delightful day enjoying my small people. Until I saw the state of the toy room, so after a lovely morning or crafting and playing postie and reading, we teamed up and tackled the lego. Ugh. I managed to whip up a little softie last night/this morning, but I can’t blog him until he reaches his new home. Tonight is craft group and I’m still undecided what to do. First port of call would likely be clearing my crap off the dining table where we’ll be. But that’d mean I need to clear the crap off my desk which is why I’m on the dining table in the first place. I’m thinking possibly some painting tonight? For something different. Hmmm. 5 hours to decide. Two days until school holidays and I can’t wait, I’m already making a list of stuff to do – all fun! But first, a busy two days so I can make the two weeks count. Bring on the nice weather and productive days.