It's Time...

I wish I could say that I've had this wonderful project I've been working on and that's why it's been over two weeks since I last posted. But the truth is that I just don't have time to blog. Not now. And so I've decided to take a hiatus until after the school year is over in May. Maybe I'll pop in from time to time, time permitting. But until then... :0) Robyn

I kind of like that...

I just ran into one of my former students today. So happy. He was one that had a lot of potential, but not a lot of family support and was hanging around the wrong crowd. Though he ended up dropping out in the 11th grade (I had him 9th grade year), he now has a pretty good paying, steady job and that made me happy. Good kid. And on another teaching-related note, I've got The Crucible, To Kill A Mockingbird and Flannery O'Connor short stories going on right now. Love it. :0) And we actually finished a movie in one weekend - A Love Song for Bobby Long with John Travolta and Scarlett Johansson. It was set in New Orleans and the cinematography was incredible; it really captured the essence of New Orleans. And the storyline revolved around a former English professor, his understudy of sorts, a teenage dropout and how a house falls into their possession and how they become a family. My kind of story, though the language was a bit on the crude side and the end rushed at me too quickly. The soundtrack is good, though. In other news, I finished, finished S's Thorpe, though after seeing this one over the weekend and looking back at the pattern, I realized that I knit the ear flaps too long. But that's okay. S looks adorable in it. Pom pom idea courtesy of Erin. Thanks! I also have a "simple" flannel blanket going pictured above, but the binding is not as simple as I thought. This would be my first real attempt at binding anything and it's not so hot. I tried machine stitching it, but was having difficulty catching the binding underneath. Then I tried blind stitching, but realized I didn't want to spend that much time on it. So now, I'm back to machine stitching, hoping it will work out this time. The baby was born a month ago, so I need to chop chop. Duplos - why we waited so long is beyond me, but they have been a huge hit. With the kids. :0)

Whistle while you work...

Oh, the plight of the working mother. And I only work half day! But as the kids have been quite sick twice over the last three weeks, I have come to realize that sick days are not for me, they're for my kids. :0) I'm typing this as I spend yet another day home with the silly ones. Mr. M's fever finally broke and he seems on the mend. S's congestion and cough are getting better. I'm just hoping there's no more throw up from either. I think I'm turning into one of those people who gag at the smell of throw-up; I've been a bit too exposed the past few weeks. The thing I am most grateful for is that R and I haven't really been sick, so we have been able to take care of the kids. Now, to just get back on track at school. Here's hoping the sub followed my lesson plans! :0) And pictured above is the Thorpe (check her sidebar for pattern) I started this past Sunday for S. The hat I made her last year is just too big and I wanted to make something that would match her winter coat. So, here it is in it's notquitefinishedIwanttomakesureitlookslikeagirlshat state of existence. I think I'm going to embroider a flower on it. Show you when I finish. Next, a simple receiving blanket.

Oh, February thanks for saving us from January...

Hey, girl! What's up? Assalaamu Aliakum, Oh, my goodness I haven't seen you in so long! - all things I might have said to you had I seen you in person (choose which one applies :0) ). I have wanted to blog for a while now, but today is the first day I made myself sit down and write. It's funny how coming back to this space brings such a good feeling. Not that teaching and parenting don't allow me to be creative, but this blog and blog friends I have and blogs I enjoy reading help remind me of the possibility of creativity and inspire me. :0) Having said that, my creativity has consisted of making scarves the last few weeks. As you saw with the last post, I made an orange scarf from two felted sweater arms. I also had a scarf on the needles that I finally finished (the ivory looking one pictured). And after coming across this tutorial, I now have four of these scarves that I seriously love. Of note - I simply bought a quarter of a yard of each kind of jersey fabric, folded them in half length-wise and then wore them. That's it. Oh, and I made a scarf from some fabric I bought at Hancock's last year. I had other plans for it, but then saw it's potential as a scarf (the green one pictured). So, that is it. My picture taking time has been limited, so I have a pretty lackluster picture of some of the scarves, but maybe I'll do a photoshoot of some of the scarves I love. In other news, the sickness has made the rounds through our house this past weekend. Poor S is just now getting over it. Oh, and it went from 81 degrees and sunny to 40 degrees and dreary in one day. And the Giants won! Yeah! Robyn's song "Play", probably one of my favorite songs ever, is over there in the sidebar, if interested. And, just for kicks and giggles, one thing I never told you... like the time I went out into the garage to put a load of laundry in quickly, when I came back to the door and realized my then 2 1/2 and 1 year old children had locked me out. And then, here's the kicker, Mr. M forgot how to unlock the door, though he knew how, and proceeded to just completely break down and cry. S was already crying, poor thing. I finally had to run to the neighbors house and call R to come and unlock the door. Thankfully, he was close by. Oh, and that wasn't the only time in the last year or so that I've locked us out of our house. (shakes her head) :0)

Easy-Peasy

So, here's a quick project. A scarf made from the sleeves of a felted sweater. I had these sleeves leftover from a bag I made a few months ago and htought to make them into a sweater. So, what I did: - cut them off at the shoulder along the seam - cut them open along the seam of the arm - cut off the uneven raglan part of the shoulder - sewed the two shoulder ends together - made it into a tube and sewed it shut - the ends were already finished because they were the ends of the sleeves - I decided not to sew the ends closed There you go. Easy peasy. A good use for a felted sweater, etc. I used a junior sweater and so the scarf is a bit short, only long enough to wrap around once. It would be a great size for kids. Next time, though, I will make sure to use an adult sweater for a longer drape. That's all I've got for today. Have fun.

It's got what it takes...

Hey, now! I wish I could say more, do more, type more, but my time is so limited now. At first, I thought to maybe take a long break from blogging, but so many things make me think I should stay. So, I am. But as you all have done in the past, please be patient with me as I try to manage my time with the kids, with teaching, with being mom, with being a crafter. I think balance will come. It just hasn't happened yet. That being said, I really have to say that I'm enjoying teaching. A big part of me really didn't want to go back to it; when I left, I was towards the end of my pregnancy with Mr. M and felt exhausted. And everything that is tough to deal with in teaching was just accentuated. But now that I'm back in it, and now that I have such a small number of students to teach and such great support all around, I'm excited again. And some of the girls want me to teach them to knit. So, as you can tell, things are going well there. As for any crafty doings, it's been pretty slim lately. I have a scarf I'm close to finishing, which I photographed, but that's the extent of what my time has allowed since the semester began. I'm hoping that will change. I need that creative outlet. So, I think I'm just going to carve out some time on Saturday that is just for crafting. Even if it's just an hour, that's better than nothing. In the meantime, here's what I've got for today. Above - how I do coffee and some vanilla yogurt with walnuts and coconut (delicious!) Below - the scarf I'm working on and my copy of Last Minute Patchwork and Quilted Gifts

My 2007...

Take a journey with me through highlights of my creative life in 2007. I'm amazed at how much more I made and tried in 2007 than the year before. Of course, my kids are older and it makes it a bit easier (you all said that would happen). :0) Here's hoping that 2008 can be just as creative and fulfilling. I know I'm late and all, but I hope those of you who stop by this neck of the woods from time to time have a wonderful 2008! January February March April May June July August September October November December