Mossy Road

Fairy House For a Friend

2017-05-27T13:58:00.000-07:00

I have the most amazing woman as one of my best friends. I have no idea how I would have survived this past year without her. She and her husband have become an important part of our family. This past mothers day I wanted to do something special for her because she has helped me to become a better mother. A while back she had tagged me on Facebook with a link to another page with the most darling fairy teapot that had been crochet. ( what is the past tense for crochet? anyone know?) Here is the link: adorable crochet fairy teapot.

I decided to make one for her. The only problem was that the website was completely in Russian. Now, while I do know a few Russian words, none of them helped me with this pattern. Google translate was no help either. So I decided to wing it.

I learned a lot about what to do and what not to do for next time. And there will be a next time since my daughter really wants one now. My favorite part was making the teeny tiny flowers. They are no bigger than a dime!

Aren't they adorable!!

Unfortunately I was in a time crunch and didn't take the time to write down what I was doing. This week I am going to take a bit of time and make a few more and write down the pattern so I can share it here. I'm trying to think up another use for them besides decorating teapots. But, the good news is that I was able to deliver the gift to my friend in time for Mother's Day, and she loved it!

Sometimes the best part of crafting is the giving of it to others, Have you gifted any special projects recently?

You can follow me on Bloglovin' and I am linking up with Crafting On at Frontier Dreams and Yarning Along at Little Room of Rachel.

Hotel of Bees Crochet Along

2017-05-18T17:16:00.002-07:00

I finally participated in my very first crochet along, or CAL for short. If you have never heard of one of these, they are very fun. Usually a person or group of people decide to host the CAL ( there are also KAL for knitters). The host chooses a pattern, then sets beginning and ending dates and invites others to join them.. Thanks to the wonders of the internet people from all over the world can be crocheting the same pattern at the same exact time. There is usually a space to share pictures, ask questions, and basically interact with each other if you want.

I recently stumbled on to Cherry Hearts blog and her podcast. It was there that I heard about the CAL. She chose to do the Hotel of Bees pattern by Christina Hadderingh. The shawl is based upon a setting from the book All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. She explains more about the shawl on her blog A Spoon Full of Yarn.

The pattern is very enjoyable to to do. It has different stitches and colors involved. The stitches all reference bees in some way. In the above picture you can see I started with "wings" followed by small honeycomb. Then there's "bees" made out of puff stitches followed by more honeycomb in filet crochet.

Here's a much better picture while I was blocking it.

It was fun to interact with others from different parts of the world. It was also fun to see peoples different choices in colors and how they would do the pattern. I definitely want to do another CAL again. I probably will do this pattern again as well. I did really enjoy it. I will try to find a softer yarn for next time. You can find the info on my shawl on my ravelry page.

Linking with Frontier Dreams for Crafting On

The Little Sweater

2017-05-09T18:56:00.000-07:00

I decided that my daughter needed a sweater to go with her dress since it was still pretty cool outside. I made it a short sweater, which I am sure has a special name for it. Sweaterette? Shrug? I'll have to think on that a bit more. I was going to make it quick and simple but then I thought it needed a bit more pretty, so I added scallops.

I placed them along the bottom hem as well as for the button holes. I even added teeny tiny ones along the cuffs of the sleeve.

I really like how it turned out so I think I am going to try to write the pattern out and share it here. I'm pretty sure Elowyn approves.

Puzzle Yarn Shawl

2017-05-03T06:39:00.001-07:00

This was a impromptu type of project. I was in JoAnn Fabrics and I had a coupon. I saw the yarn and I bought it. It is called puzzle yarn by Premiere Yarns. I had no plan, and had no idea what I was going to make, but I liked the yarn. Thankfully, Moogly had just posted about a pattern called, the Amara shawl, which seemed perfect.

I really enjoyed working the pattern and the yarn was easy to work with and moved quite quickly. The whole project was finished in a weekend. I love the pineapple pattern. I want to use this pattern again, maybe in a lighter weight yarn. But even thought the Puzzle yarn was a heavier weight the airiness of the pattern makes the shawl seem lighter. I would definitely use the yarn and the pattern again.

My model was my daughter. She did a great job, despite the wind.

My Little Baker

2015-02-04T00:00:00.000-08:00

I received quite the surprise today......

While I was busy focused on taxes (oh the joy).....

My bright little girl decided she would try to make some bread....

All by herself....

And you know what....she did an awesome job!

On The Craft Table - January 31st

2015-01-31T13:55:00.000-08:00

I have been busy, busy, busy crafting. Since my last craft post, I was invited to be a part of a craft show....in 3 weeks. Yikes!! This is my first craft show ever. I am excited and nervous all at the same time. I have been spending every possible moment I can adding to my stock pile of crochet goodies.

Since this will be right before valentines day, I have been making lots of hearts and red flowers. I have been so busy making, that I keep forgetting to take pictures. Honestly my house has just been filled with various piles of yarn and finished projects.

Not even my bed has been safe from the madness. Here I am looking through one of my favorite books, 100 flowers to Knit & Crochet. I love this book for inspiration. I am not too good at following the patterns in the book, but it has given me some great ideas.

I may start out with a particular pattern and somewhere along the way, I change it. Sometimes a little, sometimes a lot. Like this flower below which was supposed to be a "six petaled cornflower", but is now a "three petaled I have no idea what it is, but I really like it" flower. Mainly I love the techniques she teaches, like how to make the loop stitch in the middle of the flower. That was a new one for me this week.

I am sure there are many others out there who have the same issues as me with following patterns. With only one week away, I am certainly not trying anything new. Right now, I am finishing everything that I have been madly making over the past two weeks. Lots of buttons to sew on, ends to clip and leaves to attach.

I will be posting pictures from the craft show along with everything I made next week.

Farmer For a Week

2015-01-31T13:25:00.001-08:00

One bright but frigid morning, I rose myself out of bed and donned my "barn clothes" as I had been calling them. At this point they had a bit of an "earthy" smell to them and a few strands of hay clung to the outsides. I don't mind, I wear it kind of like a badge of honor. I called for the children to grab their coats and as soon as the car windshield was defrosted we were off to carry out my job as farmer of the week.

Upon entering the barn, I was quickly greeted by the mammoth of a dog named Henry. His usual greeting of course is jumping up and laying his front paws on my shoulder and smothering my face and coat in drool. "Good Morning to you too, Henry."

In the background I hear the mewing of a cat. I like to think that he is crying out in excitement over seeing me again here, and maybe even asking for a few warm pats of the hand. But I'm pretty sure it was the cat food in my hands that he was most concerned about. I'm sure I will get my official kitty greeting later, after breakfast.

The ladies of course are waiting patiently for their food, which I oblige. I need to keep a careful lookout to make sure the ladies don't get to interested in the cats food. All it takes is one look from the chicken and the cat runs away.

On to the baby of the barn. This little fellow literally runs through the barn while kicking his heals up in the air. The other alpacas completely ignore him, being way more focused on the food in front of them.

That is of course until the food is all gone, at which point mama gets real curious about this strange creature all dressed in blue, and standing in her barn. Luckily, my son seems to have gotten over his fear of larger animals and lets her get real close. The rabbits look on in approval.

Everyone is fed and watered as well as sufficiently petted. Off to home I go, knowing I'll be back again tonight. How my friend does this every day, I don't know, but it may just be worth it for having such loving creatures in ones life.

My Week....

2015-01-25T14:03:00.001-08:00

Blah Blah Blah Blah.............thats almost what I want to write. Every time I sit down, I've got that same old block....how to write just the perfect sentence. How to properly convey the exact emotion of a moment. And what comes out of my brain....Blah blah blah.... yep thats it. So I have accepted there will be no eloquence this week. No profound moment to expound on. Just me and my week. Now, with that out of the way, I can write about my week.

To be honest it was kind of a blah week. We had a bad case of grumpies this week, which included everyone. I din't snap many pictures since most of my time was spent calming tempers and regulating attitudes. Sigh, I'm ready for spring.

But I did catch a few shots of some of our happier moments this week...

A good friend gifted my children with puzzles, which we put together one afternoon. This led to excitement later when it got dark because the puzzle glowed. Pretty cool.

I went crafting crazy. Another good friend filled me in on a local craft show next month. (Thank God for Good Friends!) I have always had a desire to sell my handmade goods. It is taking longer than expected to get myself up and running on etsy and due to circumstances I couldn't vend at my farmers market last summer. But this craft show will be my first opportunity to bring my wares to the public. I am excited and nervous at the same time. We'll see how it goes.

We had a snowman army in our front yard. My children along with our neighbors built several snowmen in our yard. Then they went across the street and built more in their yard. It was fun having this army guarding our house. It even made the UPS guy smile, so thats something.

And finally we got some new music and danced wildly to it. Which of course leads to blurry pictures but happy children. I have learned that music can be a great tool in bringing joy into the home. We will certainly be doing more this week.

Well...once I got the blahs out, it turns out I did have alot to say.

Have a great day!

These Moments

2015-01-19T12:00:00.000-08:00

While on my quest for more joy in my home, it has led me already down long forgotten paths. Routines and activities that for one reason or another have been left out of our lives. One of these is playing games. If your house is anything like ours, then stashed on closet shelves or tucked away in closed corners you have boxes of board games. I will admit for the first time in my life, I may be a board game addict. Not that I am addicted to playing them, mind you. But that I like to collect them. And although having a nice collection of unique and fun games is nice, if all they do is take up space and collect dust whats the point right?

Each and every game was bought with the intention of bringing my family together around the table for a bit of fun and possibly some learning. As I placed each box in my cart I imagined my family drawing just a bit closer to each other and having some time where we were all focused on each other and not on the other things in life. I saw each small sacrifice of money as well spent since I was exchanging it for an opportunity to better my family.

Insert face palm with the faint sound of a mom shaking her head slowly side to side as she realizes that one great tool to help her in her quest of joy for her family has been hiding unused in the closet this entire time! Sigh....

Well, enough with the regret.....lets play some games!

This week we played GEO BEE CHALLENGE. (you need to say it with a deep announcers voice to make it right.)

I know it seems like an odd choice for our first game in a while, but we have been studying world geography in school and I thought the kids might get excited about the knowledge they now have. And, I was right! My daughter seemed surprised at herself at how many she got right. I was quite proud of her.

The night was a success, and everyone seemed more at peace as we made our way towards bed time. It is important for us as a family to stay connected, even if that means playing a silly board game to do it. Now to dust off some more games....

On The Craft Table - January 16th

2015-01-16T17:43:00.000-08:00

I had an amazing Christmas break filled with all sorts of creativity and inspiration. Its amazing how creative I felt while we were away. It was also wonderful to have unbroken hours to just craft at my leisure. This post is about my creations that sprouted from over my Christmas break. It took me a while to write this only because I was trying to get the right pictures, but alas, I couldn't get the pictures right, so I decided to write this post anyway.

First is my winter wreath. I have been following the blog of Attic24 for over a year now and I am in LOVE with all of Lucy's creations and her creativity. She made these beautiful wreaths for summer, spring and fall and I knew I wanted to make one. ( She just posted about this very thing the day after I finished my wreath, check it out here) I put it off for almost a year, but no longer. I really dislike having to take down Christmas decorations and how bare the house looks afterwards so I decided to make some winter decorations, including a wreath.

I decided to wrap the wreath with yarn instead of crocheting a cover. It took surprisingly more patience and time than I thought. I will try the crochet way next time. My daughter also liked the idea of only partially covering the wreath, although my son just doesn't get it. "It doesn't go all the way around mommy!) Here it is a little closer. I love the colors!

I also made a banner to go with it. I have a bank of four windows in the living room. I don't have curtains on them but them seemed a little bare so I thought this might help. Unfortunately the light from the windows made it hard to take pictures. But you get the idea.

It says Let It Snow all in crochet handwork.. It needs a little work. I want to spread the words out a bit more, and my daughter insists it needs an exclamation point. Hoping next week to fix that. Do you like my son's window penguins? It almost looks like they are going for a stroll on my back deck!

I have refined my pattern for making headbands and ear warmers. Been needing these babies here lately. It hasn't been above 10 degrees for a while. I have given several of these away already and I know there are some happy ears out there.

My mother also got me hooked on arm knitting. I had heard about it but hadn't tried it. I love it for making these scarfs. Its so fast and easy and has a great effect.

Its funny but I hadn't noticed until I had all the pictures together that I seem to be in a blue and grey faze. Must just be the winter. Stay warm everyone!

Climate Change

2015-01-13T10:50:00.000-08:00

In the spirit of the new year, and new years resolutions and all that, I have been thinking about what other changes I want to make. I think for the remainder of the month I want to focus on changing the climate. No, not the outside weather kind of climate, but the underlying "vibe" which seems to flow through my home.

Upon our return home from Christmas away, it became very clear to me that there was very little joy in our house. In fact there seemed to be a downright gloomy atmosphere all through the house. It is noticed in the way we speak to each other, the comments we make about our day and even the looks upon all our faces. I know its winter and the winter blues can be a part of this, but it really is more to do with our mind set. And I want to change it.

So...where to begin. How does one go about changing the entire mindset of a family?

Honestly I am daunted by the enormity of the task. So far, what I have been doing is trying to be super aware of everyone's tone when speaking and trying to gently (ok maybe sometimes not so gently) reminding everyone that we love each other and our voices should reflect that. I also realize that as the stay at home, homeschooling mom, I set up the tone for the day during the week when my husband is at work. I know if I am grouchy, then certainly my children will start to reflect that as well.

I think I will have to ponder this for a bit. I think I will call this Operation Joy, because ultimately, that is what I want my home to be filled with.

More to come...

Quiet Moment

2015-01-10T19:52:00.001-08:00

So I didn't quite reach my goal of getting up before the kids in the morning, but I did at least sit down with my pot of tea twice this week. Of course it was at three in the afternoon but hey, who's keeping track right? When I did actually sit down it felt good to take a moment and regroup myself. We have been away from home for almost three weeks and there was much to get caught up on. First order of business was to figure out a meal plan and a grocery list. Being gone so long meant an empty fridge. It was the perfect chance for me to try out my new tea pot.

Isn't it adorable! Home Goods can be a dangerous place for anyone who likes to decorate their home.

Even though I didn't accomplish exactly what I set out to do I will say it was a good productive week and there is always next week to reach my goal.

New Years Resolution

2015-01-05T15:19:00.003-08:00

I am not one who usually makes New Years Resolutions. Honestly it seems to be a never ending set of resolutions all year long to eat better, exercise more and spend more quality time with my family. But this year, I think I will make a resolution. a very specific one in fact. That probably has been my problem in the past is that I was not specific enough in my goal setting for my self. I have always had a sense of what I wanted to change lingering in the recesses of my brain, but have never put pen to paper and made specific plans with exact details on how to pull it off. That is....until now.

I guess you can say my first official resolution is to make specific plans for things I want to change. That sounds like a resolution doesn't it.

So my second resolution is to wake up in the morning before the kids (I can hear my husband laughing right now), to make a pot of tea and take the quiet moment to ready myself for the day. Now, if you know me at all, you would know that what I have just written will be a pretty tall order to pull off. Lately, I am am entirely embarrassed to say that I haven't been getting out of bed until after 9 am.

I can just hear the gasps of astonishment escaping the mouths of anyone who is daring to read this blog right now. Dare I push it further and say that sometimes I don't change out of my pajamas until after lunch. Crazy, right? I can say it is one of the upsides to homeschooling, I can pretty much set my own schedule.

The downside to this lovely habit I seem to have developed is that I lose a good part of my day and I never really feel focusssed or some times even prepared for the happenings of the day. This leads to disorder, lots of unfinished goals, and occasionally a very disgruntled mom who may or may not become short with the children, or the husband, or really anyone who dares to come into my vicinity.

So, as you can see, I really do need to change. And change I will. Some how, some way I will make this change. I am not sure yet exactly what I will do during this early morning, tea drinking time of focus. I guess I will have to ponder that in morning....if I actually get up that is.

Pray for a miracle won't you?

I Choose to be a Writer

2015-01-03T16:25:00.000-08:00

Up until just today I would not have considered my self to be a writer. I have been told that I write well. I (obviously) have a desire to write a blog. But when it comes time to actually sit down and write the words, I freeze. I freak out. I stumble. Which all of course leads to silence. It easier to say nothing than to say the wrong thing....right? The reality is no, its not easier because that nagging desire to share is always tugging at the back of my brain and I just go on feeling unfulfilled because I'm not doing this thing which part of me desires to do. Like that's never happened to anyone else...right?

And then came the book. Actually the book was a gift for my mother which I just happened to read the back cover of...then the introduction....then the first chapter....yeah, the book is coming home with me.

So this all powerful book which seems to have maybe gotten me past my writing dilemma is called "The Right to Write" by Julia Cameron. I could write more about the specifics of the book right now, but honestly, I don't want to. I can do that later. Right now I want to revel in the fact that I am actually enjoying the process of writing. See, before "the book" I would have felt compelled to give a detailed description of the book complete with a picture linked up to a web page with more information. But you know what, I don't have to. If anyone wants to learn more about the book, they can look it up. I know I am sounding a bit on the borderline of being almost rude, and believe me I know it, but right now, this blog is for me. If someone else wants to come along and read my ramblings, then I say Welcome! I may not be user friendly right now, but I'm a work in progress and I am sure I will get there someday. But right now, I just want to write. I want to dig down into my creative self and release the thoughts and desires and dreams and who know what else has been locked up in this blocked brain. I want to experience the joy of sharing and writing with nothing else getting in the way.

I do have to say, it feels good. Real good.

So, with a little help from my friend Julia and her book, I have become a writer. And I can say that with a smile on my face and a lightness in my heart. I simply am a writer because I write. It may not be perfect or eloquent or even right, but it is me, on paper (or screen as it may be) and that's all I need.

Fall Inspiration...

2014-10-30T07:26:00.000-07:00

I Love Fall. I don't know if I could survive in a place that did not have fall. The changing of the leaves and the crispness in the air. I marvel at the variety of colors that the trees take on.

I especially like the sound the leaves make as I walk through them. And of course all the leaf piles with children jumping in them. It brings a smile to my face just thinking about it.

This past week we have been having what they call Indian Summer. Prior to this week it was below freezing at night and the day temperature barely cracked 50. Ice was actually starting to form on my deck. In fact, in the video below, you can hear all teh ice melting off teh tree in my front yard. At first I thought it was raining then realized that it was water dripping from the trees along with leaved being released. I thought it was pretty cool.

Today I have my windows open and have thrown off the sweater for a short sleeved shirt. I decided to move my crafting outdoors to enjoy the warmth and the inspiration. With winter coming and the threat of the "polar vortex" again, I want to soak up as much sun and warmth as I can.

I think you can tell I already have spring on the brain! Honestly I tried my hand at crocheting a few leaves and was quite unsuccessful so I gave up and did flowers instead. Happy and warm thoughts!

Russian Spring Bonnet Take Two....

2014-10-29T11:09:00.001-07:00

Having been asked by a friend to make a certain hat, I have been catapulted down quite an exciting path. Since my first attempt at making the hat didn't go quite as I wanted (you can see that post here), I went for a second attempt at the hat. And...here it is....

I am quite happy with this version. It came out much closer to what I was wanting. I adjusted my pattern a bit and used a lighter weight yarn. I definitely helps the spiral pattern to stand out more. I am happy and so is my friend. The best part though...

The decorations are changeable! This was my friends great idea and I put it into action. The bottom one is holly for Christmas. I will have to get a picture with her adorable daughter wearing it.

The new path I was talking about is actually and old one that I had stepped off a bit ago. I have always wanted to turn my craft from just a hobby to a business. Its been a dream for a few years. Not a full time business mind you, but a little on the side. I was in the process of doing this, then some bumps in life happened and I had to sideline it. But now I have my inspiration back again. I'm blogging again, my crafting feels more inspired and I am finding tons of joy from it. So, we'll see where this path takes me.

For right now though this path takes me over to Frontier Dreams where I finally get to participate in Keep Calm Craft On which I have been watching for quite a while now. I get so much inspiration from everyone who links up and I am proud that I can join the group.

Trees...

2014-10-23T18:11:00.000-07:00

I love trees. I mean it, I really love trees. I even went to college and studied them. I have been known to run up to various trees and hug them. Or to just stand in awe of them. I find trees vastly inspiring. From their beauty to their resilience. Not to mention the crucial role they play in the life of this planet. Take me to a forest and I will be happy.

Recently, we took a trip to the coast of Lake Michigan. Off in the distance I saw a tree. Normal enough, right? Not if you looked closer, which I did.

As I approached the tree, this is what I saw....a mountain of roots! Its hard to see in this picture but the base of the trunk of the tree was higher than me. This caused me to wonder how this could have occurred. Is it possible that there was a sand dune here at one time which has slowly eroded away? How is this tree still alive, healthy, and standing? Amazing right? The strength and fortitude these trees must have just amazes me. Just had to share the beauty.

On The Craft Table....

2014-10-19T19:52:00.002-07:00

I have hats! First of all I love to craft. Currently my craft habit revolves around crochet, knitting, spinning, felting and quilting. At this moment I am "hooked" on crochet. A great friend found a hat she liked and asked if I could make one for her. The hat was beautiful and you can find the original here at liveinternet. I said of course I could make that hat. It didn't look that difficult, until I read the directions, or should I say tried to read the directions. The original directions are in Russian and though I do speak a bit, my vocabulary does not include crochet terms. There is a "translation" which is supposed to be in English, but its not any English I understand.

So, whats a girl to do...

Make it up as I go, I guess. So I present my first attempt at what I think I will call the Russian Spring Bonnet.

Not to bad if I say so myself, which I do. I enjoyed this challenge and I learned a lot from it. In fact my second, more refined hat is in progress right now. This lovely hat though is bound for international travel as I have decided to give it to a good missionary friend. All this spring flowery crafting has certainly helped brighten the gloomy days we've been having.

Since I have decided to set aside a bit of time everyday to craft, I have found myself calmer and more able to tackle the day. I definitely have a need for artistic expression, which must have come from my mother, an artist. (thanks mom!) I have struggled in the past as seeing my crafting as something relegated only to the weekend or when everything is done in the house. But now I recognize the role it plays in me just being me and how necessary it is for me to feel in balance. So for now, I will continue on happily creating.

Moments....

2014-10-13T20:09:00.003-07:00

I am big on "to do" lists. Now granted they may not always be written down in a nice neat manner but believe me, there is always a running list in my head. I seem to have it decided in my head that if I do not accomplish my list (or even half my list on some days) then I must have made a misstep some where along the way in my day. And to be honest I feel a bit let down, or dare I even say it, a failure as a mom.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not having a pity party over not getting ALL the laundry done in a day. And I know I am a good mom, but the feelings are real. And what I have realized is that the knowledge of these impending feelings will often dictate the choices I make in a day.

And when given the choice when driving down the road to either continue on and make it home in time to maybe knock a few more things off "the list", or to turn off the road at a sign marked state park and see what might be in store, what do I do?

Well, today I threw the list out the window. And for one beautiful afternoon I shared some glorious moments with my kids. Moments of laughter, of exploration and of peace.

I don't regret it at all, and I hope in the future I can loosen my grip on my lists, and change my ideal of what a mother looks like. Because a mother who takes the time to walk hand in hand in the woods, is the kind of mother I want to be.

Time...

2014-09-30T19:18:00.000-07:00

Time is a funny thing. Sometimes it goes too fast and sometimes too slow. I often feel like I don't have enough of it. There are definitely moments I wish I could go back in time too. But I am grateful for all the time I have.

Time is actually one of the reasons I decided to start blogging again. I like having a record of my life and my thoughts. It makes me slow down and think about what I am doing from day to day. I also seem to have a need to to share with the rest of the world. I'm not even picky about what I want to share, I guess its just having a connection to the rest of the world. Sigh...is that what it really is? I guess I will find out as I start this journey again.

we shall see what time brings....

Time For Something New

2014-09-28T08:57:00.001-07:00

Blog in transition.....life in transition.