seasons round exchange - light!

presenting: our nature table (aka mantle) with sweet gifts from my partner, andrea. the theme for this winter's seasons round exchange was 'light', and andrea really nailed it. even with my waldorf-y background, i never thought of santa lucia! isn't she adorable? she's standing amongst little nature bits and a crystal in front of a small paper mache bowl (with golden flecks) - all made and sent by andrea from maine. i especially love the birch bark.

plus, an adorable tree that has been a fun plaything for the little guy, and earned compliments from guests. it's weighted on the bottom with beans, i think, to keep it upright. one of the stipulations of the seasons round exchange is using all natural materials for all of your items. bravo!

andrea also sent a gorgeous card, a beeswax star candle, and a copy of the latest issue of her zine, GEMINI (not pictured). you can see her post on the exchange for more pictures or to get more details on it all!

so, here's what i sent, getting ready to go. i nestled everything in fresh greens from mt. hood ntl. forest, where we cut our tree this year ($5 permit from the ranger station - so fun, but so so cold!). i sent a crystal window hanging (blogged). the six-sided version was a lot harder than anticipated, so i had marc's help with engineering and nailing! i just strung a simple star of david with blue mohair, but i think many different lacings and weavings could be made! this project will continue to evolve in our household! i also sent a little mistletoe (a symbol of life & light in the dark winter months), and a handmade beeswax candle. had help on that too - made by my booth partners at the sunnyside environmental craft fair, song garden school.

my favorite offering was this little lantern-bearing gnome, knitted up in light bright icy colors and felted. i shared this pattern in my insanely long sock summit post; it's another design by marie mayhew. i needle-felted his eyes and nose, and used a little thread to tack down his beard (which covers his cute pointy shoes!).

i also sent a big bunch of wool roving - it's all over our seasonal display (and tree too), masquerading as snow. we had the tiniest sprinkling on christmas eve morning, but no white christmas here in portland. lucky for us, we always have an abundance of wool! more seasons round photos and nature table inspiration here and here!

stockings

my own stocking growing up was handmade. not the sock itself, but the red felt that spelled out 'KENDRA', and i think the santa face (mom?). maybe it's the associated wonderful christmas memories, but i LOVE LOVE LOVE that stocking. and when my mom bought me a new one, i protested.

so, of course, i had to make stockings for our family. (the first two before the third had joined us.)

and, yes, they are wool sweaters! blanket stitched up with yarn and appliqued/embroidered with yarn and wool pieces. papa's is green with a burning fire on it, mine white with snowflakes, and then there is our little one with the night sky and stars.

this year i was asked to make stockings for our dear dear friends' children. of course i wanted them to be as special as could be, and i am still so honored to be their stocking-maker, i can't even say. i know what kinds of memories they are creating together, and to be a small part of that? well, it is truly a gift. so thank you, thank you, thank you. i loved making these, and they are full of warm and wonderful imaginings of loving family times. you know i will be thinking of you happily every christmas too.

they are similar to my childhood sock, red with white trim and the name on top. only these are sweater pieces, of course. the white part is from an alpaca sweater, making it extra furry on top, and then i embroidered owen and josephine in red cotton floss. i double-stitched them too - you never know how heavy your stocking may get.

see, i've been busy! more handmade goodness to share too, post-giving. lots of mistletoe and mice were presents for our family members, but some other little somethings too. i may be begging for pictures though, because down to the wire knitting jumped in the mail without a photo! have you used the u.s. postal online services? i have to give them a big thank you. these stockings were sent from portland on a thursday at 4 pm and arrived in seattle the next morning. wow!

hope you're reveling in handmade love! blessings!

whoo who!

here he is! i was able to consult with marc this morning over buttons v. felt, and we ended up liking the buttons that looked like felt anyway. felt it is! i also needed the help to have some time with the owl to get his face on, because colden is already very attached. i've been reading some other crafty mamas' blogs, and it seems universally true - if you've made it, the little ones love it even more from seeing its making. so, i still have to stuff him, and i would like to get my ravelry account more active and share him there as well. but essentially, he has been an owl since his first felting. don't tell cole i took him outside (the owl stays inside) for this photo. i just don't want him in the sandbox!

another project still 'on the needle', so to speak, before we leave for the midwest tomorrow. i might try to set up a post for that one to reveal itself at the right time. or i will just concentrate on finishing it and not get any blogging in for the next week! either way, i won't have as much computer access over the next few. til then!

(p.s. i forgot to include the pattern link, just in case you didn't read my other massive sock summit post: woolly something - owls)

the tip of the iceberg

i can already write this post with relief because i finished the project. well... nearly (hey, isn't that how you got a tower of 'to-do's in the first place?). true, but i could actually call it done as-is if i want. and i reserve the right to do so, should i be called to it. here it is, in all its undone glory:

i know you can tell from my clever styling exactly what this is meant to be. you've seen this type of toy everywhere, and nowadays more often than not they are knitted or crocheted. felted or straight up made from felt! play food! mine is crocheted, and i intend to felt it. i may or may not alter the design and make more of the same type.

i've already used this yarn (lamb's pride) for another felted toy (show-and-tell teaser: this one could also be considered play food, but it's not eaten by most people) and it still shows crocheted stitches pretty clearly. i did try knitting a little green pear with a pretty leftover bit of heathery green, but for some reason the shaping was eluding me and i frogged it (another unfinished project done!).

here's another pic of it all sewn up. i stuffed it with leftover wool bits. i've got a bag going of yarns ends and cut up sweater scraps that i've been using for stuffing. it especially rocks for these felted things since it felts too! and you know it took me all of one minute to finish it, right? after i tracked down scissors, needle, and stuffing. (did i mention we just moved? i swear things will soon be more organized).

i would really love to make this type of toy out of recycled materials as well. i think it could be done with sweaters. not that i'm about to embark upon that at this moment. that is another contributing factor to the mountain. so many ideas!

i'm off to install a basket near the washer in which i can place items that need felting. i was wanting to have such a spot in our last place, to encourage my felting prowess, and it is just the thing to inspire me now. the final step in completing this sweetheart. and if you check back, i promise to upload a picture of the felted version down here.

oh yeah, and while i'm at it, i'll wash a diaper load too. then i'll really be on my way to hot water washing felting goodness.

*update* here it is all felted up!:

and thanks to this post, i figured out that i went one whole week between diaper loads! huzzah!!!