Some More Knitting (and a cute model)

You'd think with all this knitting (and crocheting) I'm doing I might have all this extra time or something. I SO don't. I do not have time to be doing these things. It's down right miraculous that I have actually completed any of it. Believe me, there is a lot NOT done at my house. I wonder when I will start to feel like I have things back under control? Hmmmm.
Well, anyway, I have been having fun knitting up quick little, cute things for this little girl to wear.

I did a repeat of the little ladybug vest, because that one just wasn't the right colors and she didn't really have anything to wear it with. Plus she outgrew it in about a week. This one is a little girlier and it is a good one or two sizes bigger. AND she has a cute matching hat to wear with it. Best thing about these two projects: Easy, Fast, Cute and Cheap.
Why don't I knit more often?
You can find these patterns on my ravelry site if you have an account there.

Little Knit Shoes

Ha! I'm on a roll. Another completed project!

Now I'm going to go try and make another little vest in a bigger size. The Ladybug one doesn't fit anymore. Of course!

Some Art

The boys are still in a constant state of creating. Usually just sitting at the table drawing or making books. Right now they are all about PowerRangers. That, and figuring out Japanese symbols which has everything to do with PowerRangers. Also, the big boys are taking some classes through the Olympia School District through a program called Homeschool Connect at Olympia Regional Learning Academy (O.R.L.A.) They are in a clay class together and Bren is taking a wood shop class as well as a computer class and Wyatt is taking a "construction" class and a class all about bears. They really, really love it. It is much more work for me, but have thankfully had a lot of help, at least with taking them there. A parent (or responsible adult) has to be on the campus while they are in their classes. So that's a bit of a commitment for someone with other little kids to entertain!
Anyway, they recently brought home some of what they have been working on since they started at O.R.L.A. And then, we did our own freestyle art this morning and it got crazy messy with Easton, but it was fun, although not save-able except for the pictures I took!

Brendan's bird feeder

Wyatt's

Brendan's (I have no idea)

my creation

I love messy kid art!

Ghostly Feet and a Scarf

I have taken one major hiatus from my crafty side. I'm blaming it on a very active 18 month old (I need to blog that!) and a very tiring pregnancy. But it's fall....at least it is supposed to be....and my instinct to hunker down indoors and do fall cleaning, cooking, and crafting is kicking in (despite our summer temperatures). I actually got my sewing machine out! It's been a while. I made a scarf, inspired by this girl who found the easy breezy pattern here. I had a white jersey knit sheet that I had saved (to Rand's dismay) just sure I would find some way to re purpose it. And so part of it has turned into a scarf. And it was easy. No finished edges, just whipped together.

Then this other girl said she was doing this project and I ran right out and did my own version of it that very day. And I love it! Doing projects on canvas just makes them 10 times better. I've got lots of other ideas up my sleeve along the same lines.

Up next, Halloween pillow cases (I even left my sewing machine out!)

Halloween Decorations

Who in the world knows where my box of fallish decor has gone. It is only just now October 1st, so I haven't been all that concerned that I can't find it. Brendan has been. He is really into doing all sorts of traditional types of things this year and he is pretty much going to do it with or with out me. We dropped Wyatt off at Karate last week and then went to Sprouts for some groceries. In the check out line he begged me to buy him the Martha Stewart Halloween magazine that he spotted. How could I say no???
So he flipped through it for a couple days and then yesterday he and Wyatt weren't going to wait for me to initiate any craftiness (I've been slacking off in that department for quite some time) and they just went to town themselves. They made and put up Halloween decorations for most of the day yesterday. What can I say, something I taught them long ago obviously stuck.

At the School Table

The most used piece of furniture in our house by far...the kids' table. When we got it, I think Brendan was 4 and Wyatt was 2. Now that they are bigger and there is another in the mix I wish the table was twice as long, but really it is an invaluable piece of furniture. They eat at it, color at it, play games at it, glue, cut, shred, draw, draw and draw at it! It is such a great table! This week, besides school, there has been a lot of Valentine crafting at it.

 and a drawing of Luigi

 

 

And we played a little alphabet BINGO.

Crochet

Look what Brendan wanted to learn:

It was a great first try! :)

Tissue Paper Window

We finished our big project. I should rephrase that. I finished the big project. The boys helped at first but weren't real thrilled with gluing pieces of tissue paper all over the window. That's okay.
This window is in our dining room turned school/craft room. I really like it, but have no idea how difficult it will be to remove. I'll have to blog about that eventually. For now, it's staying right there!

Color

News Flash: It's hot here. We are smack dab in the middle of summer. It's hot. 112 today. The humidity is up. I know 40% doesn't sound like much humidity to my Kansas and Pennsylvania friends, but when you're used to 4 or 6% humidity you can really tell a difference. I do NOT want to go outside. I don't even want to go out to the garage. It's just no fun when it's this hot. I try to think of it like winter in the NW. It's no fun going out and about in the rain....it's just the opposite time of year (I personally think I can tolerate rain better than heat). So we stay in more and get out the art supplies. Gotta get creative because we can only draw so many Star Wars pictures. So I found some ideas on The Crafty Crow and we got to work.

First we made some "color cakes". I've got to think of another name for them because the name implies that they are food, and they are not. Color discs or something. We have lots of broken, used up crayons and this was a fun thing to do with them. I got an old muffin tin at GoodWill to use for this purpose.

Wyatt thinks they're really cool

Good for little hands and good for rubbings!

Then, we did some marble paintings...except as it turns out I don't have a single marble. So we improvised and painted with little plastic balls instead. I want to try this project on a much bigger scale...outside...when the weather is better.

Next up: A tissue paper window collage!