Stay Inspired Every Day~

Feeling stuck? Feeling like you are drowning in your To-Do list?

This article shares some simple steps to keep yourself inspired... 

5 Simple Steps to Stay Inspired 

by Gimundo Staff on Gimundo.com.

(Gimundo is a news feed that featured  GOOD NEWS.) 

LOVE THAT.

What is YOUR special thing? YOUR passion?

Mine is my art and my knitting.

 

Paul loves all things apple. His trees, his ciders...

Ann loves to write and paint and write and paint. (and write)

Eve loves her gardens. 

Don't let life whiz by and never take the time to explore what tugs at your heartstrings.

(cross posted on PeculiarAmbitions.com)

Baby Surprise Jacket #2~ 2012

This sweater was knit for Isaiah~

Pattern is the Baby Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmerman. (Ravelry Link)

Made from Miss Babs Yowza in Black Walnut.

Yowza is my favorite, favorite yarn right now. 

Gauge on a size 8 was 4.5 st/in. and 6.5 rows/in.

I used a provisional cast on in the beginning so I could add length to the sleeves. Cast on 160 stitches.

For the decreases I used a sl2tog knit wise, k1, psso.

For the increases I used a Kfb.

Once the body of the sweater was finished, I put the live cuff (sleeve) stitches on a piece of yarn to hold them and seamed the shoulders.

Seaming done using the sewing technique shown here at Pam's Knitting & Spinning Blog~

I then placed the live sleeve stitches onto don and knit the additional length in the round. 

I extended the sleeve length by 1.5 inches, decreasing evenly at the bottom of the sleeve, (from 34 sleeve stitches to 28, approx. 1 dec. every other row) then knit a k1p1 ribbed cuff for another 2 inches. This cuff can be rolled back when Isiah is smaller. Total sleeve length is 8 inches from armpit to cuff edge.

Chest measures 18 inches, which is a standard 18 month according to this chart: 

http://www.craftyarncouncil.com/babysize.html (this is how I calculated the final sleeve length)

I finished the edges off with an attached icord.

Buttons are from my gram’s button tin.

Baby Surprise Jacket #1~ 2012

I can finally reveal the baby sweaters I have been knitting. 

Babies have arrived and been gifted their sweaters! 

YAY! Welcome to the earth, little ones.

Introducing the Baby Surprise Jacket#1, knit for Baby Jackson, (aka Jack).

Yarn is Handsome Fibers Anne Elliot

hand dyed worsted weight superwash merino

Gauge on a size 8 was 4.5 st/in. and 6.5 rows/in.

I used a provisional cast on in the beginning so I could add length to the sleeves. Cast on 160 stitches.

For the decreases I used a sl2tog knit wise, k1, psso and purled the knit stitch on the return row.

For the increases I used a Kfb and purled the center stitch on the return row.

Once the body of the sweater was finished, I put the live cuff (sleeve) stitches on a piece of yarn to hold them and seamed the shoulders.

 Seaming done using the sewing technique shown here at Pam's Knitting & Spinning Blog~

I then placed the live sleeve stitches onto dpn and knit the additional length in the round. 

I extended the sleeve length by 1.5 inches, decreasing evenly at the bottom of the sleeve, (from 34 sleeve stitches to 28, approx. 1 dec. every other row) then knit a k1p1 ribbed cuff for another 2 inches. This cuff can be rolled back for when Jackson is smaller. 

Total sleeve length is 8 inches from armpit to cuff edge.

Chest measures 18 inches, which is a standard 18 month according to this chart: 

http://www.craftyarncouncil.com/babysize.html (this is how I calculated the final sleeve length)

I finished the neck edge with a single crochet stitch around. (see photo)~

Buttons are from my gram’s button tin.

Mom's Patio Furniture~

Love this...

My mom just repainted her patio furniture, and the colors are phenomenal!

She sent me photos this morning and I just had to share with you. Mom lives in PA, and I am in WA, so I will not be sitting in these chairs this summer.

Most of these items are heirloom pieces!

Mom sits on these rockers each morning. LOVE the new colors, hot pink and turquoise!

This chair sat on my great-great grandfather's porch and mom used to play on it as a child.

Used to be white... here it is after scraping...

After, with a vibrant coat of turquoise! love.

 In it's new habitat, on her front porch, with awesome pink and chartreuse tables.

This table was a rough bench, made for a workshop by my grandfather. 

Mom painted it bright colors and put it next to the grill.

I remember playing on this bench at my Memaw's when I was little. 

It used to be a boring white. 

Not any more!

A sitting area on her patio. cute.

Inspired to paint everything BRIGHT COLORS... 

Paul will be so thrilled! (note heavy sarcasm)

Quick Kitschy Kitchen Curtain~

We have a window in our kitchen that needs replaced.  It is functional, but u.g.l.y.

Since we are still deciding the design of the kitchen (before remodeling), this window is in ugly limbo land, hanging there and irritating me daily. 

It is west facing, so in the evening, the sun blinds us during our evening meal. 

My solution? A tacky, kitschy curtain.... to hide the window, and block the sun.

The floral fabric is from a thrifted, vintage twin fitted sheet.

The bird fabric was about a foot short of the needed length, so I decided to add a panel at the top. 

It extended my length and added some whimsey (whimsey is a classier word for tacky. grin)

  The bird fabric I scored at Ikea several years ago because I loved it.

  I made the curtain short so it easily cleared the shelf below it.

  The panels are minimally sewed and hemmed so I can repurpose the fabric in the future if I choose.

The ring clips eliminate the need for a rod pocket and make the curtain easier to open and close.

  I am in love. Tacky, thrifted, colorful and whimsical. 

Perfection.

June-uary

brrrr.

It's been a chilly June so far... highest so far was 70 something, and I still had jeans and a sweater on.

But that is typical weather here in the PNW, where they say summer weather does not begin until July 4th.

Spending a ton of time working outdoors and knit, knit, knitting.

Oh, and taking photos.

 Garden is in full swing this year... but I have had nothing to do with it. 

Paul and Eve have been working hard... 

Here is the greenhouse with the chicken coop on the left.

(Click on any photo to see a larger version)

 Paul mowing between rows... shown is our 4 rows of garlic! yum.

LOTs of garlic this year.

  This is a shot of some of the garden with the hoop house. 

Plants are still babies and hard to see in the photo.

 The Rhododendrons are amazing this year. Pinks and purples...

 This shot was taken from the deck. I realized the lupine and Rhodies were the same colors.

 Here are the Rhodies from the other side of the pond. 

I love how the colors reflected in the water.

 The giant walnut tree by the house almost has it's full leaves. 

The Yellow Flag iris are blooming around the pond. 

It looks like a Matisse painting.

 Paul and I spent a lot of time last evening sitting on the dock and absorbing the evening energy.

I am always enthralled with the reflections in the water. So I took a few shots.

The clouds were a smokey, dusky blue, even more so with the pond colors underneath.

Hope everyone had a fantastic weekend.

XO 

Dreaming and Thinking Time~

I have been taking time each morning for myself. 

On the couch, with my knitting... and my magic journals. 

Dreaming and Thinking and Planning.

It's a powerful thing, what comes from taking this time for myself. It's not just about making things happen, it also calms me (I am not known for my calmness, haha), and stills the voices in my head.

We have been working on our Vision and Mission for our farm. Trying to focus on a few of the kajillion ideas we have. Figuring out a plan of action.  It's overwhelming at times, hard to see the end anywhere in site. It's good to keep the big picture in mind, and focus on WHY we are doing this.

This poem from Mary Oliver came back to me today~

The Summer Day

MARY OLIVER

Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean-
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down-
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

It sums up our vision and mission. 

Good stuff.

 © 2011 Eve Hanlin

 After my Dreaming session, an email plunked into my inbox from Ali Edwards... her  52 Creative Lifts that come once a week.
This is Week 21, entitled Declare a Dreaming Day, written by Tracey Clark.
I love confirmations, and this email was just that, 
to keep on with the Dreaming and Thinking and Planning time. 
Even when it's hard to find an hour or a day to do so...