red

I am self-professed colour junkie.  I crave it.  I need it.  

I am not alone. 

poppytalk is having a winter colour week. Come join the fun, the flickr group is here. 

Yesterday was red. 

socks for stockings

I was trying to figure out what last minute gift I could knit up for my girls for the christmas stockings when I stumbled on a pair of socks that I had already knit.  I was planning on giving them to the girls for Easter way back when, until I realized that they were still a bit too big.  No problem right? Just put them away for a year (or two), forget them and then bring them out in a pinch.  Just don't forget that you still have to knit up another pair, they can't wear only one sock each silly.  



That is exactly how the story goes, I did forget about the socks and when I was rumbling through my yarn bin looking for something to knit during sick-December, voila, there they were.  I still had to knit up a second pair but that was pretty quick and painless.



They joined the boys knucks on Christmas eve, placed in stockings awaiting the Christmas morning excitement.  The sock yarn details can all be found here.  I think I like knitting up things and forgetting about them, it's a nice surprise. 

the big picture

2:365


3:365


That's a lot of days and a lot of photos. I'm still going strong 12 days in, though I admit if I look to far in advance the task seems sort of daunting. How the heck am I going to feel that inspired? What am I going to photograph? All these questions are swirling in my head and then I stop and realize that this is really only going to work if I just take it one day at a time. Live in the moment. Enjoy the moment. Slow down and notice the mundane moments of my day and try to make sense of them through the lens.

4:365


5:365


Easier said then done, but I need the practice. I need to learn to live in the moment again. It's something I've forgotten how to do. Renovating requires a constant planning mode, a futuristic thinking and well, that's where I've been for the past two years. Thinking and planning, thinking about the next step, planning the next project, always ahead. Quite honestly, it's exhausting. It's a full time job and at the end of day I feel creatively empty.

6:365


Before we began this renovating adventure, I was good at the now. I was in the moment and in it with the kids too. If they needed me I was there, if they wanted to journey out we did it. Now they know a mumma who says more often then she likes: "not right now" or "maybe another day". My kids don't say it, but I will: "I'm not sure I even like that mumma". *sigh*

7:365


I know looking at the past is a huge big trap. It doesn't lend itself to making peace with todays struggles, it's a let down in general. I guess mostly I need to make peace with today, with the remainder of the work that lies ahead and the planning that will be required. Things are beginning to come together and for that I am so grateful. I won't always be stuck in this place and ultimately the changes we've made are for our family - the big picture. Yes, the big picture.

8:365


I'm not really that great at putting myself out there and right now I'm tempted to hit delete as I so often have during the summer months. I'm an inward processor and most of my thinking happens quietly, I like to suffer quietly too. But today I feel a bit melancholic and brave; I'm sharing it with you. Be gentle on me, this heart is tired.

9:365


:: all photos are from my 365 series, you can head over there to catch a brief write up on each photo ::

lets here it for the boys

During the month of December from my sick bed couch, I found myself drawn to the sticks once again for comfort in these very craft-less months.  It’s no easy task being without a studio or creative corner to hide in and with most of my fabric & stuff unavailable, my creative projects are small and portable.



Last winter I had a request from the J-man, for some cool fingerless mitts.  As an avid reader and artist, he likes his fingers readily available for whatever he is working on and fingerless mitts allow him warmth for his hands and flexibility to create.  Call me predictable but what is the point of ever just making one pair, especially when the B-meister is just as busy doing his thing: kicking a ball around the house, playing with lego and all sorts of other (loud) mischief.

I turned to Ravelry, an overflowing wealth of knitting information and patterns, and chose the Knucks pattern, available in multi-sizes.  Don't fret, if you aren't a member of ravelry, the pattern is available free on knitty.  If you are checking out the pattern, I didn’t do the finger embroidery that looks so cool, only because I needed a break after weaving in all those endless threads that came with making fingers.  I may just tackle the mitts away from my boys to add a few “boys rule” silliness...or maybe not.  



I knit them up with one ball of Rowan felted tweed from my LYS.  They are a lovely shade called avacado, (which reminds me I should be eating more of) and do indeed match the B-meister’s winter jacket, although with the cold and snow we get, one could hardly survive outside with fingerless mitts.  None the less, the natural light does make for a lovely picture.



These mitts ended up in the boys stocking for Christmas, just a little something extra from the mumma for two terrific fellas.

happy new year!

2011 is here and I wanted to start the year on the right foot with a blog post.  I am optimistic that it is going to be a great year and from my 2010 perspective, things can only look up.  Not that last year was all that bad but from a blogging standpoint the latter part of 2010 was very unproductive.  I made the quiet decision to put my blogging/creative life on hold back in May to tend to a few issues that were causing me a fair amount of stress.  I am hoping that my very long break will bring with it a fresh perspective, some new creativity and a renewed sense of purpose.

On the home front things are starting to fall into place with the renovation (BIG stressor #1).  We were scheduled to have things completed before Christmas, allowing me to start the year in a new studio space but it looks like it's going to take a wee bit longer; end of February at the latest, cross-fingers.  Mr. duckyhouse and I are both very tired of it all and spending a years worth of date nights in Home Depot is no fun!

Our current project has been refinishing the stairway/hallway & mudroom but we put it on hold during December as I was sick, so very sick.  I finally gave in after 24 days of it (being sick) and went to a walk in clinic on Dec 23rd, diagnosis: a sinus infection with a touch of bronchitis.  After that short visit to the doctor I walked away with a prescription for a $70 antibiotic, umm yeah, hefty price but ya gotta do what ya gotta do.  I’m feeling loads better as I write this and between you and me I blame the whole sick thing on the 13 hours of power sanding the staircase.  Yeesh.  No matter how well your sanding mask fits, you gotta know that dust is making it’s way into those sinus cavities.

With things more or less on hold creatively you won’t find any new quilts or nifty sewing going on these days.  I did manage to knit up a few items during my sick December for gifting and I started this quaint little felt kit with the sweetest woodland critters.  I’ll post the photos as soon as they are taken.
Speaking of photos, my camera has been pretty lonely for the past half a year.  I want to  alleviate that by taking part in a 365 (photo) project.  The goal is to take one photo a day to capture your life.  I miss taking photos, I miss the inspiration, I need to participate in this idea.

As for resolutions, I have none...well maybe just one.  I want to laugh more.  seriously.

How about you? How is your New Years shaping up? Any reflections or resolutions?