Category Archives: crafting

Gale Zucker’s Rhinebeck Style :: now a video, soon a book

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It’s cold and rainy here today, which is perfect knitting weather so I’m not complaining. But I’m hoping that my knitty friends at the Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck are enjoying clear skies (and fried artichokes). I inaugurated the weekend with warm cinnamon sugar doughnuts from the Dexter Cider Mill, so that I could be at Rhinebeck in spirit.

Am I still going on about Rhinebeck and how I wish I were there? Yes, dear reader, I am.

Speaking of Rhinebeck, have you seen photographer Gale Zucker’s most recent blog post? In 2010 and 2012, she was at the Sheep and Wool Festival inviting people to pose in their handknits for what has become a really cool photo project. She’s turned that project into a book! The book isn’t quite ready yet, but in the meantime, she’s assembled this really cool video sneak peek:
(If the video doesn’t show up, try this link: http://youtu.be/R78v6DyiuL8)
My crew and I are shown in the last minute of the video. (If you watch closely, you’ll even get a glimpse of me in the walking cast I was sporting for my broken ankle!)

Watching the video actually brought tears to my eyes – it’s such a joyful feeling to see so many amazing people wearing beautiful handknits that they crafted themselves. As Gale writes, “It … feels like a home movie. For a very large & covered-in-knitwear family.” That it does. I’m very happy to be a part of this family.

I hope wherever you are this weekend – whether at the Duchess County Fairgrounds or at home or elsewhere (or in front of Game 6 of the MLB ALCS tonight, as I will be) – you have a lovely, yarn-filled time.

my assistant

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my assistant, originally uploaded by earthchick.

She sits in my lap while I knit, and beside me while I spin. She waits on the toilet while I shower, so that as soon as the water stops she can hop in and lick the sides of the tub. She lies on my chest as I wake in the morning, poking my chin with her paw until I wake up and pet her. And this is what she does when I write.

She is such a sweet companion, but she sure makes it difficult to get my writing done!

On the other hand, she is also quite the taskmaster:
365.7 - under watchful eyes

Advent Day 1 :: Make applesauce ornaments

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We hadn’t tried these before. I found the recipe in an Advent family devotional book and thought it looked easy and fun – and it was!

1 C cinnamon
3/4 C applesauce
1/4 C glue

Mix into dough. Roll out 1/4″ thick. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Use drinking straw to make hole for hanging. Put in dehydrator, on highest setting (160 degrees), roughly an hour and a half. (Alternatively, put in 200-degree oven for ~2 hours, or let air-dry).

Advent Day ! :: Make applesauce ornaments
I love how rustic they look! (And they smell great, too!)

Advent Day 1 :: Make applesauce ornaments

The boys had the idea to make a couple in the shape of their handprints, too, so we did. Fun little craft!

So this happened today

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Little Buddha, spinning

My guys have decided they want to learn to spin. My wheel is rarely available (I usually have some precious fiber on it), but I’m between projects right now and put some fiber on for them to play with it. Little Buddha has gotten very serious about it and really wants to learn. For now, I’m giving him only a little instruction, and mostly just letting him play around with the wheel and the fiber, fixing problems as they occur. He’s having a good time.

He did, however, cut a little chunk out of his hair, with the idea that he would spin it. That part wasn’t as heart-warming, but I have to admit – what spinner hasn’t looked at every possible source of fiber in the house and wondered how it would spin? (he was also eyeing the cat with spinning intentions)

Little Buddha, weaving
After a good bit of spinning, he then found his old potholder loom (an Advent activity from two years ago), with a partial project still on it. He picked it up and got to weaving. He has plans to to weave a few squares to sew together for a sleeping bag for his favorite stuffed animal.

So basically, my heart went all ‘splodey today.