How I Stay Sane…

…at home with four kids, ages 6 and under. Because everybody I run into asks me how I do it. (Not sure if that is really a good thing or not…hmm)

• Knit – because when the house is in shambles and I’m stressed, all I have to do to feel in control and capable of creating beauty, is pick up the sticks and string. If I focus hard enough on the yarn, the toys on the floor aren’t as visible.
• Listen - my Ipod coupled with Librivox is my best friend. I spend an average of 1.5 hours a day washing dishes; this doesn’t include time spend baking, cooking, doing laundry or any other household task that involves repetitive, somewhat boring activity. Using that time to listen to all the books I don’t have time to read makes it more fun and less drudgery.
• Read - escapist literature exists for a reason. While I prefer to fill my ears with classics, when I can eke out a few minutes to read, I generally turn to fluff. Nora Roberts, the Twilight books…you get the drift. It’s sort of like sneaking candy, but without the calories. And when you’ve spent the morning doing laundry and changing diapers, a little escapism can be a fabulous mood booster.
• Create – without the ability to create, I would be insane. Creativity is what transforms the simple, sometimes mundane tasks of living into a chance to utilize your mind, intuition and sensibilities. Exercised regularly, it grows stronger and keeps you centered and in touch with who you really are and what you really love.
• Limit - if the chores aren’t done by the time the kids are in bed, they can wait until tomorrow. A little “me” time, followed by some couple time, is a far more worthy use of those precious two or three hours at the end of a day.
• Caffeinate - D’oh.

Donate 38 Contest!

Spring is here, and it’s time to sift through our stuff, letting go of the excess. A lot of it is easy to let go of; stuff that is broken, stuff that is worn out, stuff that we don’t like.

But what about the rest? The stuff that is “perfectly good” and “you might need it someday” — but in the meantime, it’s taking up space in your home and your mind. With the uncertainty and financial hardships that are so prevalent now, it becomes even more tempting to hoard what we have. But the reality is that there is also an increased need for us to give.

So I’ve come up with a little contest — if you participate, I’ll enter your name into a random drawing for a little bit of handmade yumminess by yours truly.

• Between March 26th, 2009 and April 26, 2009 — choose 38 items to donate to the charity (or charities) of your choice. (Why 38? Because it rhymes with donate. And because it’s a large enough number to push us out of our comfort zone, but is small enough to be attainable.)
• Leave a comment here on this blog post listing What you donated, Who you gave it to, and When you dropped it off. Include a way for me to contact you if you win. (email, ravelry name, blog link, etc.)
• Paired items count as one (ie, a pair of shoes is one) but a set of items that can be used individually (say a set of 4 glasses) can be counted individually.
• They need to be “good” stuff. (Jeans that are about to pop at the knees don’t count. The new ones that have been in your closet for a year, unworn, while you wish you could drop a few pounds, do. In other words, donate the items that you’d like to receive yourself.)
• Handmade counts, if you’re using something you already have (say, stash yarn) to make something “good” (like hats, preemie blankets, or kitty cuddles) to donate.
• Your time counts. Even if you’re unable to donate an actual item, consider giving an hour of your time.

Please spread the word! Let’s see how many of us can participate. I look forward to being amazed by you!

…in which I surprise myself.

I made this,
For less than a dollar,
In less than 10 minutes,
To organize my circular needles…
…and I did it myyyyyy waaaaaaaaaaaay.

Spring Cleaning Recipes

OK, so you should actually use these all year, not just for spring cleaning. But we’ve had above-zero temperatures for THREE consecutive days, so I am officially in spring-cleaning mode.

Not only are these recipes quick and easy — and effective! — but they are definitely cheaper. And they leave your house smelling fresh and clean… not like funky blue cleaner.

Basic Ingredients:

• Dr. Bronner’s Liquid Castile Soap
• Baking Soda (look for the big, generic box of it at the grocery store. You’ll use lots.)
• Vinegar
• Washing Soda (look in the laundry aisle)
• Borax
• essential oils (optional; I use mostly Lavendar, Lemon, and Tea Tree Oil)
• some spray bottles, rags, and a sponge (look for spray bottles in the plant section of your department store, or at a dollar-store location. You could recycle them from other spray products, but since most of those contain the toxins we’re trying to avoid, it might not be the best option.)

Soft Scrubber: In a small bowl, combine about 1/2 cup of baking soda with a squirt or two of Dr. Bronner’s and just a little bit of water (add water by the tbsp until it’s the consistency you want.) Scoop some up on a sponge and use it to clean the tub, shower, sink, etc. Rinse well. (If you need more heavy-duty scrubbing action, use 1/4 cup borax and 1/4 cup baking soda.) Obviously, you can mix this in any amount and consistency you want…figure out what works for you.

All Purpose/Glass Cleaner: In a spray bottle, combine equal amounts water and vinegar. Spray on windows and wipe off with rag. (If windows are really dirty, you can add a few drops of Dr. B’s to the mix. If there is a lot of mineral-buildup, use more vinegar and less water.) I keep a bottle of this in the kitchen and use it to clean counter tops, the table, highchairs, etc. Vinegar is a natural germ-buster.

Dirt Buster Spray: A fantastic recipe over at Care2 – check it out! Works great on stuff like stovetops, fridge door handles, etc.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner: Sprinkle borax over the water in the bowl (I do two shakes and a shimmy, AKA 1/4 cup), use a brush to clean bowl, then let it sit for 1/2 hr or so. Cleans great, deodorizes, and doesn’t turn your water blue.

Stinky Carpets or Couches: For mild stinkiness, sprinkle with baking soda, let it sit for at least 15 minutes, and vacuum. For mustiness or serious stinkiness (hey, if you have kids, you know not to ask) use borax in the same way, but let it sit overnight if you can.

Linoleum Floors: For a sinkful of HOT water, add a couple squirts of Dr. B’s and a glub of vinegar. Use a mop.

Laundry Boosters: Add washing soda to whites and towels — it does wonders on stains and odors. Use vinegar instead of fabric softener to remove detergent residue. For fresh-smelling clothes without chemicals, add a few drops of your favorite essential oil on a small rag and toss it in the dryer.

Linen Spray: Combine 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup vodka in a spray bottle, add 15-20 drops of lavender essential oil. Spritz over beds and let dry before making up.

Migraine-free ‘breeze: Combine 1/4 cup vodka and 1 cup water in a spray bottle. Add EO’s as desired. (I like 10 drops lavender with 10 peppermint for a fresh scent, or mandarin and clove bud for a holiday scent.)

Pot Luck: If you have a glass, ceramic or stainless steel pot or casserole — fill with HOT water, sprinkle with washing soda, and let it sit overnight. All the baked-on crud will come right off in the morning.

That’s all I can think of off the top of my head. Happy cleaning!

No, really. It’s spring. Clean those windows, let the sunshine in, and enjoy the fact that a) you’re not hurting the planet b) you’re not hurting your health c) you’re not hurting your kid’s health and d) you saved money. See? Almost makes it fun, doesn’t it?

This is what happens…

…when you keep a momma in the house with sick kids, in the middle of a frigid and snowy February, for a few days too long…and then finally let her out, without kids, to go to a yarn sale.

…this is what happens when she chickens out of knitting a whole sweater in colorwork, and makes mittens instead.

…and this is what happens when she tries to grow a baby sourdough starter. It looks…scary.

…and this is what happens when she wonders how to make beer prettier.

…and realizes it also works quite well for sippy cups. Go figure.

February was quite the month, I have to say.

Knitting, Crocheting & Sewing — oh, my…

Sometimes things work, sometimes they don’t. I’ve been on a crafty binge the last couple days, and had some of each. The pillow likely would have worked better if a) I hadn’t had wine before attempting to sew it together and b) I had sewn the crochet block onto the cushion BEFORE it was stuffed.

But you know, I’m new to this whole sewing thing. Live and learn. (And, as an extra bonus, the project cost nothing. I used leftover wool, a fabric remnant, and stuffing from an extra pillow.)

Thankfully, this wee wine baggy (cozy? caddy? carrier?) knit up super quick and easily. It’s a variation of my Gully Green giftbag. I rather like it. It only used about 65 yards of DK-weight yarn, so it’s a great way to use up remnants of yarn.

And that’s a quick little round up from the weekend. Currently on the needles are a Top Secret Project, a lace shawl for a pregnant friend, and a chunky lacey cardy for me. But I’ve got to run and make supper, so I’ll update with links to patterns later.

Happy Monday! Hope you survived yours OK.

Gully Green

Well, I’ve done it. Swallowed a million and one excuses, and am listing a pattern…for sale. (Gasp. Shock.) I’ve been procrastinating a long time, but in the past week had no fewer than three people tell me to just DO IT, so I’m going for it.

Ahh…life on the edge.

I’m calling it “Gully Green”. The idea was originally born during my post about upcycling holiday wrapping — I initially planned on knitting a plain-jane bag. But then I got to thinking…why not combine the sturdiness of crochet with the loveliness of knitted lace? Why not make a pretty marketbag, that could be used as gift wrap?

That got the wheels spinning. Then I started thinking of all the different variations — maybe a small one, made in mercerized crochet thread, to hold little trinkets. Perhaps a tall skinny version in wool as a wine cozy…perhaps…well, you get the idea.

The pattern is tested and ready, and I’m looking forward to seeing what people do with it.

Happy hooking and knitting!

(And now I’m going to go breathe. My heart is pounding and hands are shaky…who’d have thought this would be such a rush?)

Using the Good Stuff

A spirit of frugality is a wonderful thing. Most of the frugal who I am lucky to know are creative, resourceful, thoughtful souls.

There does seem to be a hidden danger to frugality, though; a subtle trap that many of us seem to give in to. Come closer and I’ll whisper it in your ear.

Hoarding.

Perhaps it’s because we truly appreciate the value of our dollar. Maybe we’ve had a few too many years of a few too few of those dollars to ever be loose and careless with them. Or perhaps it’s a simple matter of our being so good at saving and waiting that we simply forget that it’s good to use…in fact, it’s good to enjoy the things we have so carefully earned, saved and treasure.

One example of this is the concept of having “everyday dishes” and “Good China”…I’m guessing you know what I mean. There are the simple, indestructible, sturdy dishes that we use three meals a day, 364 days a year — and there are the lovely, beautiful, delicate dishes that we bring out on holidays.

Isn’t it ironic that it’s the bland, everyday dishes that our families will really remember? What messages do we send when we rarely bring out the “special” dishes? Isn’t the fact that we’re sitting down to eat together special?

Life is short. My kids will be grown and gone before I’ve managed to figure out a meal that they’ll all actually eat.

So I’m going to use the good dishes. In fact, I’ve repurposed a dish-drainer and put out a family-sized place setting of the good china on top of the dining room cabinet. Instead of being hidden away safely (and forgotten), we are going to use the good stuff.

When I’m gone and the kids are sorting through my “treasures”, I want them to say, “Remember these? They were the dishes we used at supper time. Remember when we…” and not, “Hey, aren’t those the dishes mom wouldn’t let us touch?”

That’s mine. What’s yours? Are you knitting though the bland yarn in your stash, refusing to touch the “good” stuff? Are your most luxurious sheets hiding in the linen closet? The best wine never opened?

Go for it. Use the good stuff.

It’s just stuff.

Room Tour: The Twinbits

It’s finished! And it’s a hit. My “babies” love their big-kid bedroom, and I’m pretty pleased with it myself. Other than the paint (“Daydream” by Debbie Travis) and a bit of fabric for the chair, the rest of the items were found or made. It’s decor on a dime — enjoy your tour!

E’s Bed — the quilt on the headboard was made by Great-Aunt Karen. The large crocheted blanket by friend Christina, the small one by myself. The chenille bedspread was a thrift-store-score.

Both bed frames were rescued and painted by Nana.

C’s Bed –  the spread was a gift from Nana, and the picture frames  handpainted by  C&E’s brothers and uncles.  Gingerbread men climber from my childhood. Crochet blanket by me, quilt by Great-Aunt Karen.

Bookcase (and matching miniature furniture in room) were built by the twinbit’s Great-Granddad Martin. They were originally in Aunt Emily & Aunt Elyse’s room, and have passed along to us.

Rocking chair was recovered by me. (First attempt, be kind. ) Crochet blanket by a family friend.

I really love the window treatment. I sewed a simple valance, and then we made paper pinwheels using the instructions here — the paper is pages from an old book I found in a thrift store (“An Edwardian Lady’s Country Diary”) and instead of pins, I used some lonely stud earrings that had lost their mates or weren’t being worn any more.

And on the window sill, to tie it together, we put one more pinwheel.

Carriage and toyhouse built by Great-Granddad, latch-hook rug by a family friend.

A Secret Crush…and I need help!

…I can’t deny it any longer. I adore vintage textiles.

I love the worn softness,

uniqueness,

the sense of history.

I especially love finding hand-embellished ones. It reminds me that our generation — especially us young moms, largely on our own and away from our families — are another link in the chain of women and mothers who have lived, created, and driven the world.

And will continue to do so.

We’re part of a long history of women who have faced up to hard times and determined not only to survive, but to thrive. To take the simple and ordinary and make it beautiful, using only our creativity and the resources at hand.

Amazing what thoughts a simple thrift-store treasure hunt can bring to mind, isn’t it? 

I’m planning on using the chenille bedspread for my daughter’s “big girl bed” that we’ll be setting up this weekend.

The tablecloth, I’m not sure about yet…it’s in lovely condition so I might use it as is…or perhaps it will become a sundress for my daughter this summer. Time will tell.

Oh, and I have a question for you — what should I do with this jug? It’s been sitting in my kitchen since our hot apple cider at Christmas, and I need to repurpose it…but as what?