Knot Sew Crafty

Sick Day Crafternoon

All three girls are home at Camp Mama today due to a combination of stomach-aches and torrential downpours. We decided that it would be a good day for crafts with Oma. I had ordered some tank tops, bandannas, and baseball caps from Dharma Trading Company and we all had a great time decorating them with fabric markers. My favorite is the one that Oma made for Willa, which was supposed to say "Sweetie":

Oma has been in this country for 49 years and her English is excellent, but she has been known to space out on occasion...

I spent some time in the kitchen, turning the CSA apricots and blueberries into this:

A lovely afternoon all around. The clouds have dispersed and the girls' stomach-aches seem to have miraculously disappeared. A good apricot and blueberry crumble mit schlag will do that every time.

Rainy Crafternoon?

Camp Mama took a sweaty, sandy field trip to the local playground this morning. Young camper India wanted to swing up to the clouds, and she slid down the twisty slide about 37 times.

This afternoon calls for rain, so Counselor Mama hopes to get some grown-up craft projects underway. The plans include:
--finishing the baby blanket for Baby Eli (a new one because I don't like the old one I made),
--starting Soulemama's bunting, in preparation for India and Bea's August birthdays,
--taking out the sewing machine and practicing a bit,
--starting to design holiday cards to make on the Gocco.

Or, if it's sunny, I'll probably end up taking the kids to the pool.

Even Joan Crawford Would Approve

Via Poppytalk.

Portable Chalk Board from MoMa

and

Wooden pant hanger "frames" from stylist Michael Walter in O at Home magazine (Summer 2008). This would be great for hanging the never-ending stream of kid artwork.

Brilliant

Click here for Little People.

You won't be sorry!

Auntie J is Sew Crafty

Here is the fantastic bag that Auntie J made for me--or really gave to me after I begged a little--from Lotta Jansdotter.

Don't you love the little bee? I have developed quite a fondness for designs with bees, although not bees themselves, since Bea was born.

Someday I will make a Lotta bag, too.

*#%/#*%&* Granny Squares!!!

Ah, the Square of the Grannies!

(This platonic ideal of Granny-Squaredom was not crocheted by me.)

Blind, arthritic, ancient grannies can make them, but I cannot seem to crack the "simple" granny square. Whatever I end up with does not look like any granny square I've ever seen.

This is the point I usually get to before giving up. It doesn't look like anything and I have no idea where to put the hook next.

Sad, sad, sad.

Perhaps crochet is not for me.

I'm going to spend some time with the Crochet page at About.com, Stitch and Bitch Crochet and a YouTube Crochet Tutorial and if those don't help, I'm going to throw out my entire stash of yarn. OK, I'm not really going to do that because I love yarn too much. I'll put it in a basket and set it in my living room so I can admire it.

Help me, Debbie Stoller!

SouleMama!

I am almost giddy with excitement at the arrival of The Creative Family by Amanda Blake Soule!

I hope I find a quiet moment or two to read it today. And I don't have to count it as shopping today, because, technically, I ordered it months ago!

Visit the SouleMama at SouleMama.

No-Spend April

With all my declarations of wanting to make things, what I've actually been doing is buying things. Books like Crocheting in Plain English by Maggie Righetti, The Crafter's Companion, Amy Butler's In Stitches, The New Gocco Guide, and far too many others to mention. I've also subscribed to magazines like Craft, ReadyMade, and my beloved, most beautiful Country Living UK.

I also bought yarn, needles, yards of fabric, fat quarters, japanese craft books, rubber stamps, ink, brayers, a gocco kit, blank card stock, embroidery floss, plain dishtowels to embroider, and I'm afraid the list goes on a bit more...

I hereby vow that April shall be "No-Spend Month" in the Knot Sew Crafty household. I'll lay out the rules tomorrow, but basically I'm not going to buy anything that is not vital for daily living.

If I should find this challenge to be too depressing, I will console myself with the beginning of baseball season...

Lotta Lotta

My new favorite book arrived at my house this morning! It is called Lotta Prints by Lotta Jansdotter and I cannot wait to start printing!!!!

Found & Kids Crafts

I found the partial blanket under a pile that I SWEAR I had looked under at least three times. I guess the fourth time was the charm. I will post a photo when I get a little bit further along, as it is not much to look at right now.

This was my latest craft idea--watercolor alphabet samplers. This was Beatrix's version. And here is Willa's.

India painted her toes and fingers.