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Sunday, May 23, 2010

New Projects

First and most exciting (maybe) - I finally taught myself how to do split rings. I think this one piece is probably enough rings for me to remember how to do it for a while. This is the first part of a project, but we'll just have to see if it turns out well enough to be picture worthy!


Next, younger child went to three days worth of outdoor education and learned how to make a blueberry bed. Well, actually it's supposed to be a food bed with more than just blueberry plants in it, but we're just planting those. The concept requires a 4' x 4' wooden frame so we repurposed the old sandbox (which hasn't had sand in it for at least 5 or 6 years). She (and her dad and I) cleaned all the plants (weeds) and pine straw off the plot of land. Then we dug out some dirt below the level of the frame. Then she laid newspapers down on the bottom and we put a small amount of dirt down. Then she added a layer of pine straw and the rest of the dirt. She topped it off with a thick layer of pine straw and lots of water. The blueberry plants will be here in a week or so.


Oldest child taught needle felting to some of the kids in art class as part of her senior project. One young lady really took to it in an amazing way. She produced this beautiful fairy - named Estonia - and gifted it to her friend and teacher. I think she has a real talent and so we are going to gift her with enough supplies to get her started on her own.


So, when I went to the hairdresser the other day, we started talking about knitting. She took a knitting class from me last year and brushed up on her skills (she already knew how to knit). She's getting quite good and is making some really pretty lacey shawls now. Anyway, she asked what I ever did with the wool she brought me back from Ireland 5 years ago. I had to admit that I hadn't done a thing with it. She didn't say it, but it really is pretty rude to just let a gift sit for that long without doing a thing with it. So out came the yarn and I measured it to see how much I have - I think it's about 640 yards all told both in the creamy off white and a lovely marled brown. So I decided that it was probably enough for a Shalom Cardigan which has been on my list for a while because it's such a simple thing. If there isn't enough yarn then I'll rip it out and turn it into Elizabeth Zimmermann's Butterfly Vest cuz that's another thing I've always wanted to make.

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