Merry & Mod at home

the bravest knight

 
  
 

 

Parenting a very young child is exhilarating and challenging.  (I know that's not a particularly new piece of wisdom that I'm spinning out into the ether.)  Perhaps the most rewarding aspect of parenting is discovering one of your children's interests and fostering the exponential learning curve that follows. 

M began learning about knights when we acquired a Playmobil castle, knights, and dragons from our neighbor's garage sale.  His dad built him a gladius out of a wooden stake and some duct tape; apparently a modest knighting ceremony followed in the garage.  

Using wool felt, some glittery nylon fabric, and a simple iron-on transfer, I sewed some simple, suitable armor for chasing after bad guys and searching for wild lions.  The patterns for the chain mail, armor, and helmet all came from Bend the Rules Sewing, with a few minor alterations.*  The beauty of felt, which facilitated an easy evening of sewing and crafting (a Christmas miracle!), is that it doesn't require hemming.  Just a few simple seams and, lo!  A knight of the castle, prepared for battle or whatever chivalrous deeds may follow. 

It must be obvious, but allow me to say it anyway:  oh, I love that boy. 
 

*As I've said before, I do not really sew.  I certainly do not do so competently.  But I've come to think of this book as the sewing book for sewers who do not sew, but happen to own a sewing machine.  So there.  (Another pattern I've made from the book can be seen here.)  
  

monster jammies day

Our Christmas company left today for the last leg of their Pacific Northwest adventure.  The chaos of the holidays is hard for a very small child.  Today was  an opportunity to relax at home and enjoy a bit of quiet. 

We spent the morning sorting laundry and cleaning house, getting ready for the week and enjoying the calm.  The boys stayed in their new monster jammies all day.

Later in the afternoon, when M and his dad had put away all the new toys, he asked me for a box.  And some tape and a pair of scissors.  I allowed unrestricted access to my cone of kitchen string.  The next few hours were spent quietly building a castle. 

 

It's a beautiful thing: a boy and his imagination. 
  
  
  

Christmas Snaps

For the first time ever, we are celebrating Christmas in our own home.  There is something magical about preparing for the holiday this year.  I have found immense satisfaction in the making, baking, mailing, shopping, wrapping, shipping that surrounds this holiday and that is a rare acheivement.   

 

We found a skinny little tree in the woods and decorated it with tiny white lights, my favorite glass ornaments, and glittered trains, planes and racecars. 

 
Presents are wrapped, festive foods are prepared, friends have arrived.  I won't bore you with a list of everything I've crafted, baked and cooked.  Instead I'll just share an idea for a festive and refreshing winter cocktail:

In a crock pot, combine the zest of one orange (I used a vegetable peeler to make long, thin strips), three bags of mulling spices, and one bottle of inexpensive, full-bodied red wine.  Cook on high for two hours.  Strain wine and return to empty bottle with the help of a funnel.  Serve chilled over ice with a splash of sparkling mineral water and a thin slice of orange.  

Enjoy, dear friends.  This year, I'm remembering that Christmas is not about how much you can accomplish, but about the amount of love you can cultivate to warm you and yours through the long, cold winter nights.  
  
 
 

winter hats, part IV

 

Here we have no less than four self portraits of my newest - and most favorite hat.  After creating something so pretty, I felt the next addition to my head wear wardrobe should be funky.  I've been considering this pattern* for a while, then remembered a skien of Noro Cash Iroha hidden in my meager stash.  (Now I remember I was saving it for a knitting project.  But I don't know how to knit.  Oh well.)  This single ply yarn is a lovely blend of silk, lamb's wool and cashmere.  It's warm and soft and not at all itchy, plus the yarn has an interesting variegated thickness I adore.  They call the color jade, but I think of it as an emerald blue.    

The project progressed quickly, until my one little skein petered out.  So the baby and I ventured back to Gossamer and picked up two more skeins.  Enough to finish the hat and hopefully work up a matching cowl or scarf or.... 

Alas, now my crochet projects must continue in secret until December 26.  There is much furious activity on this side of my computer, but none of it's for me.  That's alright - my birthday is in January and I have a long list of ideas to create for moi.  Assuming I haven't petered out by then, too!

* The pattern is the Bella Swan La Push Hat from the Twilight Movie.  (I haven't seen the movie; I did not care for the book - I just like the hat.)  If you're going to make this one, be sure to search through the completed projects on Ravelry and read Kiramke's notes and modifications. 

winter hats, part III

 
We had a light snowfall on Sunday.  Perfect for a family stroller walk.  I asked my husband to 'take a photo of my new hat - my hat, but not my face so much.'  So here you see my new beret.  I love it and have worn it everywhere.  It's made from an inexpensive yarn that is a blend of bamboo and acrylic; it is so soft and gives a lovely loft to the pattern.   

monster hat, or winter hat, part II

Keeping up with a new tradition:  a baby hat to match the big boy hat I recently finished. 

 
While working on this hat, I would often check my progress by trying it on the baby.  Having recently discovered the terrifying effects of Halloween masks, he would immediately search out his father, with a tiny hat balanced on his head and yarn trailing behind, and begin to growl. 

He still does it sometimes when we're getting ready to venture outside.  Naturally I now call them monster hats.  Because when you give something a scarry name, you increase the likelihood of it actually being worn.