Yarn Along: Slow Going

It's gray outside this morning as I write to you. I have half a dozen indoor things on my list, but I'm wrestling with the idea that the garden needs a good weeding and it's finally cool enough to do it. What to do?

My knitting has slowed to a snail's pace. I'm not sure why. I made a pretty major mistake and didn't discover it until 8 rows later. Knowing that with double strands and lots of increases and decreases between me and the error 8 rows back there was a good chance I'd irrevocably mess it all up, I called a knitting friend and we --ahem-- did the math. I've done more math in the last six months than in the last 26 years. The jury is still out on whether our rescue was successful, but I very much enjoyed the leisurely late evening conversation. I need to get past the sleeve divide and try it on Katie and see whether it's too bulky through the yoke. It's hard to tell on these cables.

It's been a lovely summer of slow stitching in both yarn and thread. I haven't minded the heat at all and rather embraced the opportunity it has granted to stay inside and feather my nest a bit. I have oh-so-many thoughts on hearth and home percolating around in my brain! I know that as the days cool the pace will quicken. There will be more knitting and less sewing because the knitting can go with me hither and yon to some of the most beautiful soccer parks in the country. It will be very pleasant company while I wait for games to begin and training sessions to finish. Right now, I'm happily humming at home, very much enjoying the slow.

In the comments section of this post, I mentioned one of my all-time favorite books, The Hurried Child. I read this book in college and, together with Miseducation, by the same author,  it probably had the greatest influence on my thoughts about childhood of any book at the time. And I read a whole lot of child development books! It was a new book then, in its first printing. The 25th Anniversary Edition brings it into a new century and really, when I stop to consider it, it is astonishing how much more the culture works to hurry children than it did just 25 years ago. (Incidentally, neither book is a homeschooling book.) Back then, I thought Dr. Elkind had a very solid argument and I set about to find educational philosophies that preserved the dew of childhood long enough to ensure that faithful souls and creative spirits were well watered. Now, the challenges are considerably more formidable. In a lovely twist of poetry, I re-read my cherished first edition paperback of  Miseducation last week, while I read the 25th Anniversary Edition of the Hurried Child on Kindle. The times are a-changing so very quickly. We simply must keep up--and slow down. Childhood itself is at stake.

Go visit Ginny for more knitting and reading yarns.

Sponsorship Opportunities

If you have an Etsy shop or small business that you think might bless readers of  In the Heart of my Home, please consider becoming a sponsor. I am offering sponsorship opportunities for this blog, Serendipity and Kind Conversation (all bundled together). Since we're just getting started in this venture, early birds will get August for free. Please contact me at intheheartofmyhome AT gmail DOT com for more information.

A Warm Welcome to Our Very First Sponsor: St. Luke's Brush

It is an honor and a joy to introduce to you the very first sponsor of In the Heart of my Home.

St. Luke's Brush specializes in hand-painted Catholic toys, wooden saint peg dolls, religious art and gifts. Beautiful, high quality toys and gifts will inspire your child's love and undering of the Faith.

Browsing the Etsy shop, you will find a large selection of treasures, perfect for Christmas, feast days, Easter, sacrament gifts, and other special occasions.

Custom orders are welcome!

The artist behind St. Luke's brush prayerfully paints each item. The careful craftsmanship is informed by the study of Catholic art, iconography, symbolism, recorded history and tradition.

Visit St. Luke's Brush Facebook fan page to get product information and updates. Be one of the first visitors to visit and  follow the St. Luke's Brush blog  to find out more about Amy and Garry Brix, the kind souls behind this artistic ministry, and their journey together as a homeschooling family that follows the will of God in Faith and Art.

Stitch by Stitch: Pocket Mat with Bias-Bound Edges

I was definitely buoyed by the success of our first project, as I moved on to the second. I hadn't even planned to sew that afternoon--it just sort of happened. And my children absolutely were a cheering section.

The project in the book is a picnic placemat with bias bound edges. After making 12 napkins so that we'd have enough for our regular dinner table crew, I didn't much think I was going to make personal picnic placemats. Just not something we need around here. We did, however need a pocketed storage pouch for our knitting needles, a way to easily sort by size and keep them tidy. So, I set about making one of those, knowing that we actually need two and Mary Beth would be right behind me to make another.

The book calls for handmade bias binding. I picked up some packaged binding at the fabric store. I'm really glad I did. I look forward to making yards and yards of binding tape one day. Just not this day.

The book also calls for two fat quarters of the same print. I opted to use coordinating prints. This fabric just makes me happy:-). 
 
 

And the new pockets make my knitting needles happy. (So perhaps now they don't begrudge the sewing machine its share of my crafing time.) Fabric from the Heather Bailey Nicey Jane collection.

Mary Beth made a pocket mat for the double pointed needles. After mine was finished, we recognized the need for a pocket for the needle sizing gauge, so hers has that included. It also would  have been cute to embroider the needle size for each pouch right onto the fabric.

Mary Beth chose Summer Garden by Lily Ashbury for Moda.

Nick REALLY wanted to sew, but had no need for a needle case or a picnic placemat. We took the encouragement from Stitch by Stitch and varied the size to make a Kindle case. He chose the fabric himself and we sandwiched leftover batting from Katie's quilt between the layers.

He was pleased as Punch!

Skills we learned:

identifying right side and wrong side

applying bias tape

binding edges

inserting ribbon

stitching in the ditch

channel stitching

combining fabrics

Next up: Reversible Bags

See our Fancy Napkins here.

Daybook: August Already?

Outside My Window

The heat index is 115 degrees. No, that was last week. The heat index today is only 100 degrees.

I am Listening to

Pandora. 

I am Wearing

A very lightweight red cotton tunic and white cargo capris. 

I am so Grateful for

friends who pick up right where we left off and love you forever.

I'm Pondering

But what I love most about embroidering is the physical effect that doing it has on my body: blood pressure goes down, worries fade, breathing evens, mind stops racing with thoughts of all that needs doing. Practicing embroidery gives your body and your brain a chance to slow down and stitch itself back together after a long day or a long year. This, I believe, is its true appeal. In the years since my accident, I can't even count how many people have told me that doing has handwork saved them; I know it saved me. Embroidery is just good mdeicine for so much of what ails us in the modern world.

~ Alicia Paulson, creator of Posie Gets Cozy, in Embroidery Companion. 

 .

I am Reading

the aforementioned book. Lovely.

I am Thinking

about comments on this post and this one. You all offer great food for thought. 

I am Creating

sewing:

We made three bound mats: two for knitting needles and one for a Kindle (more on that tomorrow). And we made 5 aprons on the Feast of St. Martha and we have two more cut and fabric for two more than that. We are on an apron roll:-)

 My focus is on knitting this week. I'm working on my tiny tea leaves cardigan so that I can get to the tricky part by Friday because I will be with BOTH Ginny and Elizabeth. I figure they can get me through tricky part pretty easily.

On my iPod

Pinterest.  There's an app for that! I may never read Facebook again. I've got Pinterest on my iPod for filling boring moments during which I otherwise would be mindlessly clicking through Facebook. Instead of random status updates, I go to Pinterest and get a visual fix. Pinterest is highly addictive. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Towards a Real Education

Everyone is in town this week. That means everyone is present for a little math, a little grammar, and a whole lot of summer reading. Mary Beth's summer reading list has been totally gutted. I was shocked, appalled and disappointed to find that the list from which I let her choose (the summer list from a private, Episcopal school) was heavy on titles that proved scandalous. She's pretty disappointed because she had high hopes. We've had several great conversations, though, so there's that.

Towards Rhythm and Beauty

August has a different rhythm than July. Around here, there's this August already sense. I need to make sure that I get those doctor , orthodontic, and dental appointments in now so they are less likely to disrupt the fall routine. It's in the details of doctors and dentist that my family feels enormous to me. The receptionists are always a bit shocked at how many time slots I need and that always makes me feel a bit overwhelmed. 

To Live the Liturgy...

I so enjoyed our St. Martha apron day that I think we have a new tradition. Everyone needs a fresh apron on a regular basis, I believe. So, now we have our official family apron day.

I am Hoping and Praying

for Elizabeth deHority. She is constantly on my heart and in my prayers. She needs you now. Please, please pray with me. 

 for all the people who have written me recently to ask for prayers.

 In the Garden

Patrick has gone out to rescue his roses. He was in Dallas all last week and his roses were here. Baking.

Around the House

I'm getting serious about picking paint colors and looking at drapery and upholstery fabric. My sister, who has a great idea and is obsessively organized, has huge binders of color swatches and such. We need a pow-wow at my house.

From the Kitchen 

Working on the fall rotation menu and grocery list. I'm so looking forward to this. Patrick gets his license at the end of the week. I've been eager to hand off grocery shopping to him since he was about ten. He's a a good cook and a really frugal shopper.

One of My Favorite Things

My Janome sewing machine. Now that I've had some time to work with both my machine and Katie's Bernette, I can say I prefer the Janome. Several people have written to ask how I chose the Janome. I asked a friend of a friend (who forever will remain anonymous) which would be a better buy at the $300 Max price point, a Bernette or a Janome. She authoritatively said the Janome. She's a Bernina dealer. 

She was right.

A Few Plans for the Week

My first "mama" friend is coming tomorrow for a visit. She's never met my little girls, so I'm really looking forward to having her here. She said she recently had a dream that she was dancing with them. So, I see some Wii Just Dance Kids in our near future.

Patrick will take his driver's test and get his license, I hope.

We're going to Charlottesville for a long weekend. I'm going to hang out at the lake with Elizabeth DeHority and Ginny and all our kids and a couple husbands, too. Then, a re-run of the July trip.

Picture thoughts: