:: Yarn Along ::

Joining Ginny, over at small things, again with yarn along. A single photo of a current knitting or crocheting project with a current read. I am really loving these posts, taking a moment to think about what and why I'm knitting or reading. I read...a lot. And I knit...not as much as I'd like but I do have 2-4 projects going either on the needles or in my brain.

I do love seeing what others are knitting and can always use some reading suggestions! Leave a comment so I can see what you're up to. And go over to Ginny's to see what others are up to.

On the needles :: My cowl. I had a couple starts and re-starts but I'm thrilled with the pattern I ended up with and I'm thrilled with how easily and quickly it is knitting and I'm thrilled with how lovely it is looking! Thrilled! I'm using Stonehedge Mill's Shepherd's Wool in lime green. (ravelry link) I also cast on for #5's socks I was wanting to make. I've never used such small needles and because of those small needles they are not going as quickly as I had grown accustom with my baby bootie knitting. I can't remember the yarn, my mom gave it to me years ago and it lost the wrapper. I think they'll be really cute and perfect for him though. (ravelry link)

On the nightstand :: The Friday Night Knitting Club is still hanging on. I've become such a slow reader. Though I totally blame it on only reading until my eyes shut once I'm in bed for the night. I was thinking of trading this book in for one of the others I have sitting on the nightstand but I'm sticking with it...some real interesting issues came up last night.

Project :: Jammies

I have documented a little bit of my Christmas jammie sewing journey, here and here (scroll down to reason #5), are some examples. So this year I tried again.

I bought fabric with a coupon so I got nearly all the fabric I needed for twenty-some dollars and I bought the fabric early, like November or the first week of December. Then it sat in my sewing room waiting for inspiration. That insiration didn't come until it was two days before Christmas and my budget didn't allow for going out and purchasing jammies.

Necessity is the mother of invention...or in this case inspiration.

I got up really early one morning and was able to cut out four sets of pants before anyone else woke up. The flannel wasn't as wide as I was thinking so I couldn't fit the 5th pair of pants onto any of my fabric. That night, after a trip to the fabric store where there was no more red flannel of any kind and cutting out the fifth pair, I was able to sew up all the pairs, except waistbands. I texted my mother, who was staying at my sisters for a couple of days before heading here that next afternoon, asking if she'd be so awesome as to do the waistbands for me - I'm awful at waistbands. She said yes, so the next evening while I finished my own to-do list she sat and finished all the pants for me. Yay! Mom!

Though, she was worried that there wouldn't be enough rise. I even followed the pattern. I cut it out straight for #1 (it's a pattern we've used for her before), used the same pattern for #2 just with shorter legs, and folded the pattern down to the correct markings for #3 and #4. I used a current pair of pants for #5's. I was bummed that even though I had used a pattern there was still an issue. I really wanted this to be the year the pants just *fit*!

She added contrasting fabric for a waistband so that the pants wouldn't lose any of the rise by all the folding over.

The next day, before I wrapped them, I decided I just couldn't let the pants be 5-7 inches too long again this year. I measured everyone then during naptime I went out to the sewing room and measured inseams, cutting off the extra fabric and sewing the cuff back on the new bottom.

I wrapped them up. Placed them under the tree and have the best fitting Christmas jammies I've ever had. I say it every year, but I really plan to start earlier next year...so much easier to take care of things when you're not under the gun!

#5 refused to be in the picture.

Happy New Year!!!

Rowing :: The Rag Coat

Before Christmas break we "rowed" The Rag Coat. I thought it was a wonderful story though the boys got a little bored with it. It was a little longer of a book for my guys.

We're trying out some new "ways" of doing school in the mornings and as such I didn't get as many pictures of this "row". And I had a lot of activities and lapbook components that I didn't get to. We tried to have fun though.

Seatwork ::

We colored our flag for the contry that our story takes place and found the country and area on the map. The Rag Coat takes place in the coal mining area of the United States. So we got to color our flag and homeschool share had a great map of the Appalachian Mountain area to color.

Coal ::


We don't live in an area where coal is used so my kids are completely unfamiliar with the mining or production or use of coal. I meant to get some coal, I was thinking the big box hardware store would have some I could buy but I never got around to it. We had purchased some charcoal to draw with for a different "row" so I pulled some of it out and let the boys experiment with the way it felt and drew and the mess it made.

We also watched this video about how coal is formed from Answers in Genesis (thanks to Michelle).

Cooking ::

From my research with what others did during their "row" of this book I found many people made "coal cookies". Of course I remember them as magic cookie bars from my growing up years. So, sounds like a good reason to make them!

Everyone got a pile of graham crackers to smoosh up into crumbs. After they got their hands dirty we used the rolling pin to really get them squashed up.

The finished product. Yum!!!

While the cookies were cooking we watched another video I found via Michelle about the layers of the earth. Careful, the song sticks in your head...I was humming it for the rest of the afternoon!

Links ::

Delightful Learning - inspiration, links, videos

All Kind of a Family - inspiration

Homeschool Share - some lapbook ideas

Aussie Pumpkin Patch - TONS of lapbook stuff :: couldn't even get to everything!

And Linking up to :: 

Handmade

Now that Christmas is over I can show off some of the handmade that made it under our tree this year. I didn't take on too much as far as handmade goes and I'm happy to report it seems like just the right amount. People who really appreciate handmade or could use something I can make got something but I didn't go too crazy and drive myself into a dizzy trying to do too much.

First up was a project by the kids for their grandmas. And our first-ever freezer paper stencil project - fun! I found the idea in a Family Fun Magazine (they didn't do freezer paper but I think it worked brilliantly). I talked to each kid about what design they would like on their dishtowel. Then I cut out all the freezer paper. During nap-time the kids took turns painting the towels. Baby got some help putting his handprint on after he woke up. The kids thought they turned out real nice and the grandmas liked them too!

#1 found a project in a book we had from the library, Kids' Embroidery, that she thought her Grandma D would like. Grandma D is a big journal keeper so #1 embroidered a cover for a new journal for her. I forgot to take a finished product photo but it turned out awesome and Grandma D loved it.

My dad is a hankie user. A couple of years ago I embroidered some for him and now they are ready to be replaced. So he got some new hankies wrapped up under the tree.

Lastly, I drew #1 in our family exchange and thought she'd appreciate a cowl (or neck warmer as we like to call them). I had some yarn my mom gave me sitting in my stash waiting for a project and found a quick easy pattern (ravelry link). I paired it with a new journal and she was very pleased.

:: Yarn Along ::

Joining Ginny, over at small things, again with yarn along. A single photo of a current knitting or crocheting project with a current read. I am really loving these posts, taking a moment to think about what and why I'm knitting or reading. I read...a lot. And I knit...not as much as I'd like but I do have 2-4 projects going either on the needles or in my brain.

I do love seeing what others are knitting and can always use some reading suggestions! Leave a comment so I can see what you're up to. And go over to Ginny's to see what others are up to.

On the needles :: I got some beautiful yarn for Christmas! Just what I asked for! Mr. Wiedz did fantastic with Shepherd's Wool in lime green. He said it was for me to make me something...first up a hat. I cast on just after Christmas and I should be able to finish the decreases after I'm done posting here. I'm using Soulemama's favorite hat pattern (it's under her tutorials tab - no direct link) with a minor modification due to user error. The picture doesn't show how beautiful the yarn is...dark, rainy day here. I'm thinking a cowl and even dreaming of a cardigan out of this yarn, although with lofty plans like that I'd be headed back to the yarn shop.

On the nightstand :: I got to go to the library all by myself yesterday! Such a treat! I had put a request on Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons and yesterday was the last day to pick it up. Since I was there I got to go to the floors where the adult fiction and non-fiction are kept (our main library is 3 levels with children's materials on the ground floor, huffing the library basket and 5 children up - even by elevator - to the other floors where there are NO children and many quiet adults is not something I do very often). So I got a whole stack of books. First up is The Friday Night Knitting Club, I'd heard of these books but had never looked and I am in the mood for something fun to read and add a twist of knitting...sounds good. I started it last night and already I'm enjoying the characters. I also browsed the knitting section and found, Knitting Without Tears and Knitting for Baby (some inspiration for the next two months) and The Big Book of Knitted Monsters (I'm thinking a birthday present for a soon-to-be 2 year old).

A few Catan rounds...

My littlest elf...such a sweet boy. He had a basketful of his creations that he handed out to everyone Christmas morning.

Preparing the meat. Mr. Wiedz wanted to teach his boys about cooking the Christmas meat.

Christmas Eve Jammies :: I've tried each year. And each year I've gotten a little bit better. Some more kinks to work out but I've almost got it.

Sticky buns :: Grammie N and #1 took over the preparations for our traditional Christmas Morning breaky and did such a fantastic job that I think we've started a new tradition.

Seafoam for Santa

Santa came!

All those stockings filled up great!

Mary and Joseph made it to Bethlehem and baby Jesus was place in the manger.

How #5 spent most of Christmas  morning. He ate so many chocolates that
he got sick of them and started just unwrapping them and throwing them on the floor.

The rest of the afternoon was spent in different rounds of our new boxing championships.

Oh, we had a wonderful few Christmas days! Staying home for the first time EVER and enjoyed every peaceful and chotic moment. Preparations were fun and for the most part unstressful. The company was delightful and the children were a joy.

Now for putting it all away.