Yarn Along

When I heard about this I was excited to join in.
I haven't felt too bloggy lately, so it's nice to have a posting goal each week.
The rules of the Yarn Along are simple; take a picture of what you're knitting or crocheting, along with what you're reading, and post the picture on Wednesdays.This week I have been reading The Secret Garden.
Before the Elder and I embark on a new chapter book, I like to pre-read them to make sure the words aren't too difficult, or the concepts too adult.
I am on the fence about The Secret Garden.
There is no doubt about the beauty of this story.
Frances Hodgson Burnett's words are poetry.
Her descriptions of the Yorkshire landscape are enough to make you want to drop everything and live on the moors, and the Magic throughout the story just melts your heart.

The sticky point for me is that I don't know if I am ready for the Elder to read about a little girl who is forgotten during a cholera outbreak where everyone she knows dies.
The book really is a masterpiece, so we might just go ahead and read it.
It'll be a while before we're through the Little House books anyway, and maybe I'll be ready for her to hear about Mary Lennox and Mistlethwaite Manor.
The knitting is a new project for a customer.
She is very interested in the Etruscans.
Look at the postcard in the upper right, it's a detail of a fresco from Tarquinia, and she found that exact picture on a sweater in the book Knitting in Tuscany by Nicky Epstein.
I have a good start on this one, and I hope to finish by the end of the month.
Will you join the Yarn Along too?

Boo!

Happy Halloween

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Reindeer and Heart mitten #1

I don't know if you have heard, but there is a new Sherlock in town, and it's awesome! Last night on Masterpiece Mystery they showed the first of 3 installments of a modernized Sherlock Holmes miniseries.
The best part of it is that Martin Freeman (swoon) is Dr. Watson, and the other best part about it is that the actor playing Sherlock Holmes has a crazy English name that rivals Sherlock Holmes himself - Benedict Cumberbatch.
He played the rapist in Atonement, and was super creepy, but he plays the roll of Mr. Holmes quite well.
As I was engrossed in watching this last night, I worked on a mitten for my Elder.
You saw the beginning of this one yesterday. I got a little obsessed and nearly finished it last night. It was really late by the time I finished watching Sherlock, and I messed up the thumb 3 times before calling it a night.I was able to finish the whole thing this morning, while the Younger was at school, and I got a good start on the second one.
Hopefully, I'll be able to finish these before the snow flies.
I have a nice pile of knitting to do for orders, 3 Christmas Stockings, a sweater and a vest with an amazing story that I'll share in a few weeks, so I'll have to plan in some kid-knitting time on the schedule.

I found the reindeer pattern in this mitten in the fantastic Knitting Motifs for Babies and Kids book by Lucinda Guy.
Go out and get this book, if you have any interest in intarsia or fair isle knitting.
There is a chapter of traditional folk motifs, and then there is one of vehicles, including a car pulling a caravan, and a digger and then there is a chapter about household things, like a house and pots, and pans, vegetables.
The best chapter is the one about rockets and robots.
The Younger was looking through it yesterday and now he wants a hat with a house and a carrot and a spaceship and a robot, and birds and flowers and clouds and hearts.
I'll do my best to fill that order, though it's a pretty tall one...
It's getting colder out there, what's on your knitting list?

Class Projects

Saganaga asked yesterday what kind of things I am making with my classes, so here is the class project post.
I was teaching a Beginning Knitting class, where we made basic 2-needle mittens.
I didn't get any photos of that class, it ended on Tuesday, but the ladies in my class all did quite well!
Today, I taught a Norwegian Mitten class.
This is the second session, so we did a lot of organizing of our needles and chart reading tips, and the ladies in that class were well on their way when we finished for the day.
I am making a pair of mittens for both of the kids, and I started the pair for the Elder today during class.
She requested a pattern of hearts and reindeer, and chose the yarn herself.
This cuff pattern comes from the Fancy Fair Isle sweater pattern from Nursery Knits by Zoe Mellor.
I bought the book when I was pregnant with the Younger, fully intending to make a sweater or romper for him, and haven't made any of the amazingly cute things in it.
The Younger picked out greens and blue, and asked for a pair of dragon mittens. I haven't found the perfect dragon chart yet, so I may have to draw one myself.

I digress, back to the classes.
The sewing class I taught at Treadle was a beginning class for kids, and we made lots of different projects.
The first day we concentrated on hand sewing, and we made these barrettes inspired by the Angry Chicken.
We also made needle books, which we were able to keep working on for the next few days.
I always like to have something for the girls to work on if one person gets ahead of her classmates.
We also made basic pillowcases and these backpacks.This one was a big hit with the Younger.

The class went pretty well, the ladies got their projects finished, and I hope, left feeling much more confident about sewing.

What kind of things are you sewing or knitting?

B.U.S.Y.

Whew, this week has been busy!

Saturday, one of my oldest friends had a thrilling voice recital.
She was wonderful, and the music was beautiful.
She has really inspired me, I think this will be the year that I actually put together a recital of my own, I have said that in the past, but I have a fire in my belly now.

Sunday, my lovely husband and I went to see Gorillaz at the Target Center, and it was an amazing show. They are touring with an insane number of artists: 7 strings, 8 brass players, a traditional Arab Music ensemble, De La Soul, Bobby Womack...
I can't begin to describe my experience, it was just so good.

I had 2 rehearsals this week for the concert tonight. The dress rehearsal was on Thursday, and I was reminded how much I love Faure, and singing with an orchestra, and singing with this very talented group of singers.
Faure's Requiem has been scored in such an interesting way.
The orchestra is made up of violas, cellos, bassoons, horns, harp, organ and one violin.
All of these instruments are so warm and they play in a range close to the human voice, it all blends so well, and it's really like getting a musical hug. (sorry for the cheese, just there) The violin only plays for a couple of movements, and when it comes in it floats over the top in an ethereal solo line. It just takes your breath away.
I am really excited to sing tonight, it will be a beautiful night.

In addition to this great music in my life, I'm also teaching another kids' sewing class this week.
Here in MN we had Thursday and Friday off from school, so Treadle planned a kids' class during that time.
It's been fun, the girls are eager to work, though sometimes they need a little re-direction back to their projects, and we're having a good time!

On top of all of that fun stuff, I am also teaching two knitting classes, two days of choir school, piano lessons and Brian goes out of town next week, and then we have the final preparations for Halloween.

Excuse me while I just catch my breath.

You all know how I hate photo-less posts, so here is a little Fall color from my magical walk a couple of weeks ago. Most of this is past its prime, but we can still pretend.

Halloween, ahead of schedule

Even though I love to sew, I don't usually make the kids their Halloween costumes.
It's just so much easier to go to Once Upon a Child and get a used one for $10.
This year we had some specific requests for costumes, Wolverine and Laura Ingalls.
Well, I had the beginnings of a Laura Ingalls costume, so I suggested that one, but she agreed whole-heartedly.
Making these costumes actually ended up being cheaper than buying them. The tally is even better if one counts stash fabric as free, and a pattern that can be used again as half of its value.
The Younger's Wolverine costume is made from 2 oversized adult sweatshirts that I got at the Thrift store, around $7.
The Elder's entire outfit came from my stash, so her costume was free!
My two favorite things today -
Laura loves to rake as much as my Elder doesand this -

I really couldn't get a still photo of him, he is really into posing as Wolverine.
I don't have the gloves with the "thorns" yet, but I do have the materials so they should be finished by the big day.

They are off to the Zoo Boo, so they can take the costumes out for a test drive.

Any big holiday sewing in your future?