SouleMama

Friday Finds (on Thursday!) :: Satch & Sol

(But it's Thursday, you say? Yes, yes...I just figured we might all be caught up in the flurry tomorrow of costumes and celebrating and well, all that candy corn buzz. So let's do Friday Finds on Thursday this week, shall we? Let's.)

And so it appears that this week's scheduled Friday Find is more like a Friday Thrice -Found in blog land this week! I couldn't be happier for Satch & Sol, whose beautiful slippers deserve all the attention they receive. A small family business, Satch & Sol partners with fair trade artisan cooperatives around the world, striving for eco-friendly and socially conscious business practices. And most importantly, they have some seriously awesome slippers. Above are the moccasins (in light blue), the flower cut (in orange), and the hitch & tie in blue (my faves, I think...is it okay to favorite one my children's slippers over the other? I think so).

(And this is what you get when you say, "hey! do you think you guys could stand right here next to each other for a second?")

Slippers are an essential part of my fall/winter/spring happiness. They really are. Good, comfy, warm, and well, super cute slippers. We keep our basket of slippers by the door - so they can be slipped right on upon entering the house. And wool - for slippers - has always been what I gravitate towards for both the kids and I - for the warmth, comfort and durability I think they offer over synthetic materials.

There's lots of other goodness over at Satch & Sol besides the slippers, though, so definitely check them out. (Okay, the boots? I seriously wish I could stretch those out to fit me. And please tell me how I am to resist these for the new baby?) And here's one more cool thing - Susan at Satch & Sol is generously offering a 25% discount to SouleMama readers through the end of the year. Just enter the code soule25 at checkout to activate the discount!

Cheers to cozy feet!

back to the knitting

(photos by The Papa)

Knitting and kneading. They're my meditation right now - my reminders to slow down, be still, and breathe deeply. I reach for them as I try to stay present in the moment, and the rhythm of each brings me back to where I need to be, surrounded by those around me. Right here. Right now.

And yet - they have benefit in the future. A freezer full of breads ready for pulling. A few new handknits for babe ready for wearing. The piles of each are growing.

A few of the things that have spent some time on my needles recently:

A sleep sack for baby. Thinking of heading into the cool weather months with this little one, I've had the Disana Wool SleepSack in mind for a bit, but kept thinking I could make my own. I found a pattern free on Ravelry (it's the Kicking Bag for Babies). Knit with some fingering weight sock yarn from Hands & Notions.

And a wool diaper cover soaker - the pattern from Little Turtle Knits, available for purchase at NearSea Naturals. I've made this one a few times over my cloth diapering years - it's a great pattern (highly customizable), and I'm a pretty big fan of wool soakers as covers. Am I really returning to diaper days? Oh my.

I watched How to Cook Your Life a few evenings ago (and then again the next night), on the recommendation of a few of you (thank you!). It centers around baker (author of the fabulous Tassajara Bread Book) and Zen Master Edward Espe Brown. I'm not really sure what exactly to say about it except that I found it quite inspiring, and am finding myself returning to it's wisdom often in my thoughts as I go about my days and the work of my hands. I think some of you might like it too.

at home

dress up corner

making a little room for baby

There's a new Home Tour and interview up today on Cafe Mom's Home & Garden Buzz (where I ramble on again about avoiding cleaning my shower...hmnn...). My mind and heart are especially focused on 'home' these days, so it was wonderful to give all of that a bit of thought.  Thanks to Sheri for some great interview questions, and the invitation! 

And in this home of a blog...I'm working on a bit of housekeeping too. I've just added a search feature over on the left - my "categories" are slightly messy, so I'm hoping the search feature will be helpful in finding what you're looking for. Also... I've decided to close up my Big Cartel shop for a month or so, beginning November 1st. So if you're looking to purchase a signed copy of The Creative Family, now's the time to do it! (May I humbly suggest a holiday gift? or...a New Mama gift to have on hand?) Of course, regular copies are always available at Amazon, Powell's Barnes & Noble, or your local independent bookstore. And, the 2009 calendars will continue to be available through the end of the year through Lulu.com.

Enjoy your day!!

Quilt-ish

For months, I've been waiting for some baby quilt inspiration/time/energy. But alas....it hasn't really happened. Until this weekend, that is. When for some bizarre reason, upon facing "wash the shower" next on my to-do list, I suddenly found quilt inspiration and motivation that pulled me away from my task. See how that works?

I knew I didn't have a lot of time to dedicate to sewing (there was that shower...and a million other things to return to), and truthfully, my body isn't all that comfortable sitting at the sewing machine for long these days. And so...this simple little quilt was born.

I started with this (crazy-good-soft) corduroy from good-ness; added a panel of some favorite prints (including the blue Ring around the Rosy by Heather Ross I've been hoarding) and a soft, organic cotton fleece on the other side (this from Very Baby). A little bit of cotton batting in the middle, and some ties to finish it all off. Voila! A quilt-like blanket for babe.

Each of my little ones have arrived in a season of their own. I love that. And I love that a bit of this season's colors and textures worked their way into this simple little blanket for my autumn baby.

seeking the still

With the weeks-till-baby dwinding down, I'm finding myself in a familiar place. A place of to-do lists, and cleaning, and preparing. Struggling to wrap up long-ago made commitments, trying to get as much work done and out of the way as I can, and tying up so very many loose ends. And wanting to get so many little things in place.

But while there's a flurry of details being attended to every day...I'm noticing my camera filling up with images like these.

Photographs taken for no 'reason' that I'm aware of at the time. Except in retrospect it's all quite clear to me. Because each time I take one, see one I would take, or find it on my computer and linger there for a moment longer, my breathing slows. And I feel still. The camera - with it's magical ability to freeze a moment as it does - is reminding me of the still I need. The still in which we find peace everyday, the still in which connection is made with those around us, and the still in which the space is made...for the gentle welcoming of someone new into the world.

I'm wishing you a beautiful weekend. With, especially, a few moments of still amidst all the rest of your living.

messing with mama

So...has anyone noticed the general photographic absence of a certain child of mine in, oh, I don't know...the past six months or so?

This would be why.

Around here, a hero of ours, Utah Phillips is often quoted. He said, "You've got to mess with people, day and night, you have to mess with people!"

But who said these kids of ours could go ahead and take the advice we're dishing out?

"Messing with Mama" is at the top of this guys list of favorite things to do, as it very well should be for any child of any age, I suppose. And one really good way to mess with Mama? Well...whenever that camera comes out, you jump up and down, run away, pull the (dreaded by Mama) baseball cap over your face, make funny faces trying to hide your grin, and well, you get the general idea. It's a little game we've got going on. He usually wins. And we both end up laughing.

And I end up on my own...with my camera and a hat in a pile of leaves.

This hat - that he loves by the way (you can't tell that from the photos?) - was knit with a beautiful handspun yarn gifted to me by a reader, Melissa, of Ram in the Thicket, at a spring book reading. It's been in my stash, and I've admired it often waiting for just the right project to come along. Last week, this guy pulled it out from the pile and begged for a hat with it. He got his wish.

He can mess with me all he wants. As long as his still wears his Mama's hats.

ten things

Ten things I'm loving right now...

1. Photos that are entirely not at all what I had planned...but so much better in their surprise. (This one by Steve - we're all in there somewhere...)

2. The 17 Things I Made video, and the followup The Beckoning of Lovely, all by Amy Krause Rosenthal. Really beautiful.

3. Being a part of someone else's creative process for a bit. (More on this later.)

4. A new to me blog to inspire food and feast - Bread & Honey. Quick French Apple Tart? Oh yes.

5. The arrival of A Year of Mornings: 3191 Miles Apart. What a treat to see this project on the printed page, and so beautifully done. I love it - well done, friends!

6. My new bird tea cup (above) from Little Flower Designs. Making my tea so much sweeter. (I'm a little swoony over the bowl too.)

7. The way Ezra has taken to carrying around a pencil always in his chest pocket - because you never know when you'll be inspired to draw.

8. The pile of work and play that accumulates in front of me, as I sit, and as the day progresses.

9. Your cozy contributions to Sit a Spell.

10. Chasing around the golden October light for play.

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And, you? What are you loving today?

winter woolens

We did our autumn washing-of-the-winter-woolens yesterday. Bringing all the hats and mittens up from storage and giving them all a gentle wash (I love Eucalan - lavender especially. Yum.), and a proper drying in the sun. I had lots of help, as always, hanging all those knits.

And then...with all the hats and mittens drying and ready for wearing this winter, I did something I've been intending to do for years. With some linen tape and fabric, I quickly sewed up these 'tags' for everyone's basket, in the hopes that it might just prevent the massive pileup of hats and mittens in our entryway come wintertime. One little thing that just might make getting out the door a tiny bit easier with four little ones all in search of their hat and a pair of matching mittens at the very same moment. Just a little bit easier - we'll see.

autumnal feet

This is surely the fastest pair of adult-sized socks I've ever knit. It must be all that rocking, yes? I think so. That, combined with the third trimester baby-knitting-crazy-energy that I swear happens each time for me. I can't explain it. Anyway. My Autumn Socks are done and I love, love, love them. Knit with Hands & Notions sock yarn, and using Yarn Harlot's Basic Sock Recipe, found for free here. I kind of love that the socks on my feet are matching pretty much everything I see in the world right now. Little pleasures.

Friday Find :: Stubby Pencil Studio

For the upcoming months, I want to introduce a new sometimes-Friday feature here, Friday Finds, highlighting some of my favorite gift ideas for creative families. I've arranged some giveaways and some discounts, too...so I hope it will not only give you some new gift ideas, but also pass on some savings, and a chance to maybe win something too!

A few months back, the Chicken had a post about Stubby Pencil Studio which sent me straight to draining my Paypal account in a batch of new art supplies. Because I fully agree with Amy in that there is 'nothing better than new art supplies". Seriously. Nothing better. And new art supplies that are eco-friendly, affordable and adorable to boot? Rock on, I say.

Our first order contained some of the soy wax crayon rocks, which became an instant hit with Adelaide, who carried them around like a treasure (and are such a great option for little ones who still think eating crayons is the way to go). And Smencils, which became a love something close to an obsession with Calvin and Ezra (and, um, a bit of a challenge for their first-trimester smell-sensitive Mama at the time). I, on the other hand, became nearly as obsessed with the triangular graphite pencils, (and admittedly get a little grumpy when they go missing from my pencil holder). Good stuff - all of it.

Quickly, I became a repeat customer, trying out a few new little things here and there. And I think I can difinitively say that something from Stubby Pencil Studio has worked its way into every child's birthday gift we've given in the past six months - a handmade bag of art supplies being my favorite stand-by birthday gift to give. (Because, of course, it's what I would want if I were turning 3, 6, or...32).

When I thought about this new feature, Stubby Pencil Studio was the first to come to mind. A small family company who carries affordable, eco-friendly products for creative families, and whose many offerings we love and use everyday. I think you'll like them too.

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Kate at Stubby Pencil Studio is putting together a fun little collection for a giveaway here. So if you'd like a chance to win a package of treats from Stubby Pencil Studio, leave a comment on this post. I'll close the comments and announce the winner on Sunday, 9am EST.

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Entries are closed! With all those lovely entries, Stubby Pencil Studio graciously offered to do TWO giveaways. Thanks to everyone for playing along. The winners are Angel Funk & Nicole:

I love the rock crayons! They are so cool and come in the loveliest colors. And I really appreciate the goal of the company, too.
Posted by: Angel Funk | October 17, 2008 at 10:28 AM

wow! 1565th comment!
thanks for sharing...i know where to go for art supplies come holiday gift giving time.
Posted by: nicole | October 18, 2008 at 01:25 PM

the Rocking Chair chronicles v.2

This is what happens when I get up from the rocking chair. It gets snatched up by sleeping cats and sleeping babies in search of the perfect spot.

Mostly though, there's me - sitting and knitting. And sometimes - often - the combination of the two, leads to the above. A sleeping Mama.

Do you have a favorite sitting spot of your own? Wanna join in on capturing it with your camera? Join me and my rockin' sister Stefani over on Flickr in the Sit a Spell group! Everyone needs to put her feet up once in a while and sit a spell - how lovely that we can remind each other...

right now

I've never met anyone so sure of where she's going. Her three-year-old strength and confidence inspires me to find the same in my 30-something year old self in moments of wavering.

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Right Now, I am:

feeling... moved by Shari's Week of Paths

enjoying... the new beginnings of Simple Green Frugal Coop

wondering... whether I should get one of these hammocks for the baby (I want one for me)

listening... to the new ani difranco (always a fan...and this is a beautiful one)

drinking... red raspberry leaf tea but kind of wishing it was coffee

wanting... to say 'thank you' for all your Lulu.com calendar orders and support of what I do

loving... the thought of my loves all headed out on a fall hike today

looking... forward to a day full of writing, and tea with a friend.

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I'm hoping your right now includes something wonderful - be it big or small.

the last harvest

And now it's winter squash. Blue hubbards, pumpkins, butternuts, acorns, long island cheese, jarrahdale and more. They're 'slow' food of the ultimate kind to me - soups, pies, and the like - oozing of fall and the holidays and slowing down of the harvest season. No need to rush about trying to put them by in a hurry - they'll keep. These photos are from our CSA, where we soon celebrate, bittersweetly, our last week of the harvest season. But long after our pickups stop, we'll still be enjoying these treats of this harvest season.

Some of the favorite ways all this squash has worked it's way into our bodies this week:

Simply - slice thin. scoop out seeds and veins. sprinkle with olive oil, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and cumin (sometimes some cayenne!). Bake until soft.

Orangette's Warm Butternut and Chickpea Salad with Tahini

Gourmet's Pumpkin Soup with Apple Schnitz "Croutons"

Tribeca Yummy Mummy's Fall Lasagna

and of course, a little pie.

And while we're talking food, I found the piece by Michael Pollan in last weekend's New York Times Magazine so interesting and important. You might too, when you have a few minutes and the energy to read it:
Farmer in Chief

For 2009

Can we talk about the holidays for a minute? I know, I'm sorry. But really and truly, they are coming up, and so, too, will be a new year. We've been enjoying our Bird Calendar all year, and I've been so happy with the size and quality of the calendar itself, that I knew there'd be another for 2009. But like all ideas that fester with some time, that simple calendar in my mind grew. So this year - there are two calendars for 2009 - and not just for me, but for you as well, should it be of interest to you. Two calendars - each featuring some of my favorite photographs from the past year (as well as some surprises you've never seen!) - available now from Lulu.com.

2009 Through The Seasons: a year of children & nature is a collection of some of my absolute favorite photos of little ones truly exploring, playing, living and being in the natural world around them. I hope it inspires a little bit of such play to anyone who might use it in the coming year.

2009 In the Studio: a year of craft includes some of my favorite crafty images from the year. From notions to works in progress to finished works the photos encompass sewing, knitting, embroidery and of course a little vintage love, too. I think - if I may say so - this would make a great gift for a crafty friend.

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The calendars are generously sized (see those little hands for reference!) - measuring 13.5 x 19", and are printed on a beautiful linen paper with a bit of texture. All the ordering and shipping is set up directly through Lulu.com. You can buy your own calendar - and see a thorough preview of each - by following the link or the calendar images that are now in the left sidebar.

After weeks of staring at these images on a computer screen while putting it all together, I was so thrilled to receive the 'test' calendars. Sometimes I forget what a huge difference it makes seeing colors in print and large enough to really see. I'll be so happy to have some of these images around to linger on throughout the year, and I hope they might bring some of you a little bit of joy too!

Sunday Morning

There's something about the ease of a Sunday that makes everyday chores all the better to me. With today's leisurely work comes the promise of a cleaner house with which to start the week, and a dessert (or two!) for dinner.

I'm hoping your Sunday is a nice one, too...

autumn walking

I took my 'sitting' outside yesterday. The sun, the trees - they were glorious.

"O hushed October morning mild,
Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;
Tomorrow's wind, if it be wild,
Should waste them all.
The crows above the forest call;
Tomorrow they may form and go.
O hushed October morning mild,
Begin the hours of this day slow.
Make the day seem to us less brief.
Hearts not averse to being beguiled,
Beguile us in the way you know.
Release one leaf at break of day;
At noon release another leaf;
One from our trees, one far away."

 -   Robert Frost, October

I hope your weekend is a lovely one!

the Rocking Chair chronicles *

(* with a wink and a nod to Eren for a new series suggestion!)

Alright, well maybe sitting here all day is a bit unrealistic. But seriously, hours were spent yesterday right there - knitting, eating, reading, talking, delegating, watching the baby move, and negotiating the sibling squabbles. With camera at my side (um, I sent someone to get it), some things I saw:

Ezra joined me for some Presidential chatter. He's quite enamored with the new book Our White House (an amazing resource, by the way), and worked on his sketch of all of the presidents, stopping at Jimmy Carter when he ran out of room on the page. Hmn...

Calvin stopped by to tell me his dream lineup for Friday night's Red Sox Playoff game. He also drew his "Top Three Dream Plays" that he's hoping will happen. Grand slams, bases loaded with Ortiz up at bat, crazy ninth inning catches by Veritek to save the game - you know, all that stuff. Baseball, I'm only so excited about, but manifesting your dreams? - I like it.

I watched Adelaide read the entirety of Seven Silly Eaters to Banjo, with a 'swaddling blanket' so as to assure his "sitting" for the length of the book. He obliged. Only for her.

And I did some knitting. A lot of knitting.

There was also a marathon crazy eights session, a cartwheel-off-the-couch contest, a glue stick love fest, and a tea party.

Good times, I tell you. Good, boring, ordinary times. Right from where I sat.

I'll be right here

This weekend, after the all the apple-making, and the wood-stacking, I had a quick dash to the flea markets. And I finally found the 'antique, sturdy, comfy, pretty and affordable rocking chair' I've been keeping my eye out for all summer - and longer, even. I got it in the door and barely brushed off the dust before sitting down in it in front of the fire and picking up my needles. Oh goodness - words cannot express that feeling. And it's essentially where I've been ever since that moment - sitting and rocking. And dreaming and scheming up all the ways in which I could ignore everything I have to do outside of my home, and adjust all my responsibilities so that I never have to leave this spot again....

Feed my family? Why surely Calvin can dash to the pantry for a jar of applesauce, and Ezra can count five spoons from the kitchen - that counts as dinner, right?...

Write? Blog? I can't see why the laptop can't be delivered right here...to my lap...

Stoke the fire? Thankfully, that's one the three of them are happy to fight over...

Homeschool my children? Well, at least I'll be easy to find. Bring me a book and let's read, come snuggle on my lap and talk, come sit at my feet and draw...

Cast my ballot? Absentee!...

Holiday Shopping? Etsy, baby. Handmade, delivered right to my door...

See my friends? Gladly they've already proven that they'll come to me and sit right next to me. They even bring food. Ah...

Birth a baby? Okay, well I suppose I'll have to get out of the chair for that one. But not far - we'll just put the birthing tub right next to it anyway. And when it's over I'll sit right back in this chair with babe in arms and nurse and sit and sleep and rock all the way 'til spring...

Yes, I'll be right here. (Oh, friends. If this is to be my lucky fate, I fear the blogging content around these parts is about to take a steep turn towards very, very boring.)

favorite knit hat :: for kids!

The fall hat knitting has commenced here, with Ezra at the top of the 'in need' list. (Though, really, calling any of my kids 'in need' of a handknit hat is, well, a bit of a joke.) We wanted something that he could be wearing right now - in the in-between weather. Something sorta-warm, sorta-light, and definitely in a style that would suit my wearer-of-funkiness, Ezra.

I turned to my Favorite Knit Hat, and altered it just a bit to fit a child's head. A few tweaks in the pattern, a trial hat or two later, and this is what we came up with. We're both pleased with how it came out - he's hardly taken it off. (Oh, and I knit this one in a leftover - from the blanket - skein of Blue Sky Alpaca Organic Cotton. Softness on your head. Perfect.)

I've updated the PDF in the sidebar on the left to include the new sizing, which from what I'm getting - fits around 3-10 years. You can also get it right here.

Enjoy!

apples & wood

A lot of images, and not a lot of words today - I'm feeling quietly both full and grateful. Grateful for good friends who made our woodpile grow larger than I ever thought it could this weekend; and Full of apples - picked, baked, canned, eaten and shared. Friends, wood & apples - it was a good weekend. I hope yours was too!

Today, we rest and rejoice.

Tomorrow? A little something for you! See you then...

out walking

It's been rainy this week. And after many of the rain storms, we've been out checking out just what the rain has changed - walking, exploring, building forts and gathering bits...

...and bringing just a bit of it back in.

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Hello, October! And hello and welcome to October's new sponsor - Sprout Studio!

Have a lovely weekend, everyone! Our is shaping up to include lots of woodwork, and lots of apples. Ah, October Weekends...

blanket for baby

The baby blanket I carried with me all summer is done! From dock to beach to hammock - it was with me much of the last few months, growing and growing so that it eventually covered my lap. It's rather, um, large...partially because I just couldn't stop touching the incredibly soft goodness of that yarn, and kept finding myself casting on just one more skein of the extras I had ordered. There will be plenty of blanket for snuggling babe up in. I can't wait.

The details: It's the Project Linus Security Blanket from Knitting for Peace. I think the pattern is a modified feather and fan stitch pattern. Knit in Blue Sky Alpacas Organic Cotton, sand colorway. I love this yarn.

So, speaking of knitting, I've dipped my toe in the vast expanse that is Ravelry. Um, wow! I'm a little overwhelmed at the possibilities there - and frankly looking with half-closed eyes for fear of wanting to dive in too fully (so much goodness!).

Cheers to fall knitting! And the overambitious casting on of too many projects at once!

ten things

Ten things I'm loving right now...

1. New socks! After a good stocking up at Sierra Trading Post, we are all now armed (footed?) with all the SmartWools we could need to get through a winter in Maine. Ah...

2. This song and video by Rachael Yamagata, from her album due out next week. Beautiful.

3. The amazing tomatoes. Still producing - well into wool sock season. Really?

4. My new t-shirt. And the hope I have about this election.

5. Breakfast quilts, brought from bed to stay cozy in the morning.

6. The sound of more time spent inside.

7. Being inspired by the Ali's 'a week in the life'. So much great documenting of everyday beauty.

8. New yarn. Fall Sock yarn! (That I think can be blamed for the random purchase and secret stash of candy corn in my house right now.)

9. Watching Birth into Being with the kids, who love the peaceful birth scenes as birthing-preparation as much as I always have. (If you have never seen footage of a woman birthing peacefully, do yourself a favor and get your hands on this video somehow. Powerful stuff for anyone.)

10. The color explosion happening outside, everywhere. How could I not love fall?

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And you? What's bringing you joy right now?