fifty nine

I finished knitting my new sweater in a parking lot. We were early to meet friends for dinner, and I was making good use of the time. I was so desperate to see how it looked that I stepped out into the next parking space and asked Catherine to take my picture.

I was ordered to strike a pose.

I didn’t have enough yarn to finish the sleeves that the pattern calls for, but as I really like the looks of the Icelandic Lopi Vest (like this one) I wasn’t very disappointed.

Will I be knitting more sweaters for myself? Time will tell. This was a really nice first go at it and I really like the results. There are a few other patterns that I have my eye on, but I feel like I am always walking a fine line between needing more things, what I’m willing to spend on yarn and the time needed for the job. At that moment when the stars align, I’m sure I would tackle another Mama sized garment.

fifty eight

I love Pinterest. I really do. I think the Internet is an amazing source of information and inspiration and Pinterest is a fascinating way to compile so much of it. I don’t know how others use the service, but for me it is about 70% to-do list, 20% inspirational photos and 10% magazine. I love scrolling though the endless photos of gorgeous homes and beautiful art projects. I revel in finding tutorials for little girl dresses or ‘how to’s for fixing up your house.

I try not to pin wildly outlandish pins that will never have relevance in my life. I try to pin things that we might actually a)get around to doing and b)have a ton of fun with.

Today’s project (found on Pinterest, of course, but originally posted here), paired with a google search for Pointillism, provided us with a morning’s full of art making, art history, color study, science, a little ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’, sisterly cooperation and lots of fun.

All three of us got a kick out of sticking our crayons in the candle flame. It took practice to get the little drips of wax just right. It took patience to fill a space with the individual drips of color. It took 35 minutes before the girls had moved on to playing with the candle wax that we were pouring on the plates. I continued on while they experimented with the solid and liquid states of matter.

I consider myself a pretty creative person, but I continue to be amazed by and so thankful for the people behind all the many interesting ideas and projects I’ve stumbled across on the web.

How does the internet inspire you? How do you use Pinterest? Do you feel like it enriches your life?

fifty seven

[whispered, in the style of David Attenborough]

Oh look! Over there, under the bunk bed. If you’re eyes are trained to see her, you’ll notice the wild Catherine in her native habitat. As you can see, she has burrowed down for the night and is devouring yet another book. It seems, with a shelf full of fresh pages only an arm’s reach away, she’ll not be leaving her nest any time soon. What a truly incredible sight this is!

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Hey Auntie Kirsten and Uncle Mark! We’re ready for a game or two when you’re back in the neighborhood!

Love, C&E

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I know it’s blurry, but aren’t most things at 6:35am?

fifty four

I had a bit of time to myself this afternoon. How better to spend it, I thought, than by knitting and watching some great, albeit years old, tv shows?

I’ve recently discovered, and come to love the 2004 British tv show, The Long Way ‘Round, in which Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman travel from London to New York on motorcycles. They go the long way, through Europe, Asia, and then Alaska, Canada and then the lower US. I’ve never really given a second glance to motorcycles, but the adventure that these men go on is amazing to watch. Their experiences are not sugar coated or edited to look glamorous. All the bumps along the way (both figurative and literal) are out there for us to see. I could absolutely do without their rampant profanity, however, and it is the only thing stopping me from watching the show with the girls.

I have found this show to be an aptly choice to entertain me while I knit as I have found that knitting adult garments in the round to be extremely tedious. From my start marker at one sleeve all the way back is definitely a long way round!

The photo above is from McGregor and Boorman’s 2007 sequel, The Long Way Down. The guys follow up their trip around the world with a trip from the Northern tip of Scotland to Cape Town, South Africa. Or at least I assume they’ll make it to Cape Town. My viewing of the show has only gotten them to the Egypt/Sudan border!

If you like motorcycles, Ewan McGregor, or adventure shows you’d probably get as hooked on these as I have. Even if you only like two of the above three you’re good to go! Beware, though, these shows may induce major wanderlust. While I have no desire to hop on a motorcycle I am definitely feeling the lure of the road.

fifty three

Post sledding creek play!

fifty two

There has been a burst of interest in geography around here lately. The girls are reading The Scrambled States of America [above] and they absolutely love the card game that is based on the book.

We’ve been identifying different license plates and have had great discussions about the different states and where they’re located and what’s so special about each one.

As a geography buff and a lover of maps myself, I am thrilled that they are taking such an interest in the topic.

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The washable marker tattoo was totally expected, considering the artistic nature of my first born. The pirate theme, however, did catch me a bit off guard!

(she may have been influenced by this awesome book that we own: The Pirate Girl’s Treasure: An Origami Adventure)

On a related note: on our way to church this evening we passed a tattoo parlor and Catherine remarked, “I think that is a place where you can get tattoos painted on your skin. I think I want one- a unicorn on my arm, but right now I am using the best eczema treatment so I have to wait a bit.” I thought it a fitting time to explain some of the more technical bits of getting a tattoo and she changed her tune thusly, “um, I think I’ll stick to marker tattoos for now. And maybe even when I’m an adult!”

fifty

We recently watched this clip of Shock, from the Electric Company, explaining how they used a green screen when filming and editing the show. The girls were fascinated and we’ve been talking about it occasionally since.

Imagine their excitement today when we stumbled across a green screen exhibit at the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire! They tried out all the different backgrounds and made good use of the many, and varied, costumes and props available.

It was an amazing, hands-on way to reinforce the concepts they had already been talking and asking about. And it couldn’t have come at a more convenient or appropriate time!