Life With The Crew

Cheering Up With Some Color

Monday morning, wild and windy outside.  I can't believe that it will be March by the end of the week.  Winter is definitely not over yet, but still, March seems like a turning point.  I heard the first Mourning Doves of the Spring yesterday, they were calling in our big Spruce.  I was looking at my bird list from last year and saw that I heard them first on February 16th, so a week later now.  I started my new bird list - I am up to 29 different species so far this year.  We found a good book at the library called, "The Robin Makes a Laughing Sound" by Sallie Wolf.  It is a birding journal that has a good mix of poetry, art, and bird facts in a fun format.  The little babe enjoyed it as much as I did.  It is a good introduction to nature journaling for kids.

Speaking of birds, our Little Red Hen died on Saturday.  She had been slowing down last week and on Saturday, she refused food and went into hunched over slump position - the sure sign of death for a chicken.  I made sure she was safe in the coop and the other chickens were not bothering her.  I found her shortly after she died.  She was a good Little Red Hen, spunky when she was younger.  

I am glad that she died on Saturday when the temps were mild.  Last night it dropped below freezing again and crazing gusting winds started up.  We woke this morning to a yard littered with branches and detritus - it looked like the trees waged a major battle overnight.  So today is a quiet inside day.  There is some workbooks to do, a new knitting project to start, tea to drink, and then a trip to the animal chiropractor/acupuncturist for Ruby, our dog with liver issues.  There are also brightly colored oatmeal beet chocolate chip cookies - they taste much better than they sound.  The little babe loves them!  Their bright color is a pretty contrast to the white outside.

Enjoy!  A new week has begun.

A Late Winter Woods Walk

Despite it being an overcast day in late February, with the snow about 7" deep and slushy, the little babe and I had a great woods walk.  We headed into the game lands, bouncing down the rutted washboard gravel road.  Luckily enough people had been through that the road was mostly clear.  The forest we were walking in was mostly aspen, black birch, and white oak.  This section is known as the Scotia Barrens and it has a really interesting history.

Black birch bark, peeling off and ready to decompose and return to the soil, yet looking so photogenic.  The young branch tips of Black birch are good for chewing to freshen your breath - a favorite of the little babe!

We had our second porcupine sign sighting this Winter.  Under a very tall White Pine, there was a large amount of poop.  One description I read about their scat described it as "cashew shaped" and that is exactly what this looked like.  Full disclosure - before I got this close to fresh scat, I looked around very carefully. I was excited to see signs of a porcupine, but I did not actually want to see a real one on the ground!

We saw a large sign of porcupine feasting high up on an Aspen tree.

It was a quiet day.  There were no immediate sounds in the forest except for the occasional White Breasted Nuthatch "yank, yanking", though in the distance we could hear road noise.  We saw tracks of a skier, but had the place to ourselves.  I love Winter because the woods are a wide expanse to explore, without the underbrush or ticks to worry about, and we can bushwhack anywhere, exploring the whole woods, not just following the path.  There is always something to see and learn more about.

 

 

 

Eyelet Toddler Bonnet for Sale

Hi Folks, here is my latest bonnet for sale.  It is knitted with O-Wool's Classic Worsted in the "hemlock" color.  It is darker than a mint green, but softer than a sage green.  Let's call it a gender neutral soft blue/green.  (The outdoor photos show the color more accurately.)

This bonnet would fit a range of toddlers.  My six year old daughter has a small head and as you can see, this fits her, but it is slightly stretched.  The front diameter around the face is 16".  From the nape of neck to top point is ~8".  From the nape of neck to the tie under the chin on either side is 5 1/2".  From point of hat to front edge is ~8".  Knit with a worsted weight yarn, it is a warm and substantial bonnet, but the eyelets make it not so "solid".  Bonnets make great gifts - every toddler needs to keep those little precious ears warm!

The bonnet is $20 plus shipping from Pennsylvania.  Please email me at [email protected] if interested.  

If you are looking for a bonnet to fit a 5/6 year old child with more wiggle room, I still have this bonnet for sale.

 

Mother Nature's Cure

On Saturday, we hiked through slightly slushy snow on a new trail at the boggy end of a lake.  The trail led us to a spectacular find - an active beaver pond.  The chewed-off tree stumps were the first sign, then we saw the tracks in the snow.  It was a beautiful location - the late Winter sun was shining down, making the water sparkle.  A small flock of Canada geese were resting and after leaving the water at first, deemed us non-threatening and continued to feed.  Across the pond was the snow covered dome shape of a beaver lodge.  

All three of us laid in the snow on the edge of the pond, soaking up the sun's rays, soaking up the silence, getting our daily dose of Vitamin D.  Mother Nature provides the best stress relief.

Cabled Owl Sweater Looking for A New Nest

My daughter has outgrown this cabled owl sweater that I made for her and I would love for it to go to another good home.  It is knitted with O-Wool's Worsted, which is an organic 100% wool yarn.  It is a warm and substantial sweater that shows some pilling from general wear, but would still keep a little girl warm and toasty.

Dimensions:  12" from the center of neck to bottom hem.  14" from shoulder to wrist hem.  10" from arm pit to wrist.  Bottom hem around is about 29".  Chest measurement when is buttoned is about 12" across front and 13" across back.  There are no stains or tears, just some pilling from normal wear.  We are a smoke free home.  My petite daughter wore it from the time she was 3 to 5 years old.  Asking $15. 

Please email me at [email protected]

 

Naturally Warm and Cozy

I will begin this post by saying that I am not a model, I am a knitter.  I will also disclose that my photographer is six years old, so please excuse any blurriness or odd angled shots.  With that said, let me introduce my latest shawl for sale.

This shawl is knit with Quince & Co's Owl yarn, a 50/50 blend of wool and alpaca.  It is an undyed naturally colored yarn - the "Tyto" colorway.  The yarn has more texture than 100% wool - it is soft with a slight halo that I love.  Knit up in the "branching lace" pattern with a garter stitch edge, it makes a perfect shawl to squish up around your neck with a coat or to drape around your shoulders with a pretty shawl pin.  The shawl is 5 feet wide and from the center of the top to bottom is about 23".  The top is flat and the bottom is slightly rounded.

This shawl is for sale for $75.  It is brand new, straight off the needles and washed with Twig & Horn's Wool Soap.  We are a smoke free home.  Please contact me at [email protected] if interested.  

Just What We Needed

We braved the roads and headed out to the barn yesterday.  I had not been able to see Frank since Saturday and I was starting to get twitchy.  I was greeted with a loud nicker and I would prefer to think that is because he was excited to see ME, not just excited to see someone who would let him outside.  Either way, it made me smile.  When we left the barn, the wind was gusting, the snow was blowing, and the sun was barely visible behind the fast moving clouds.  The little babe and I decided to head out on a quick outing, so up and over the mountain we went.  As we approached the lake, we could see great billows of snow being flung up into the air and across the lake.  We decided to watch it from the comfort of the car.  We then drove around to the other side and parked in a more protected lot.  I broke ground as we headed into the woods, post holed down to the creek, stopped in the field to make snow angels (the smaller one of us did), and then after looking at the lake (still looking like Antarctica), we headed up the hill to the car.  Like the unexpected warmth on our faces when the sun broke through the clouds, this brief outing was just what we needed.

Ice and Silence

We headed North as the forecast called for snow.  I was hoping to make it back before the snow started, not wanting to drive down the mountain along the "edge of the world" part on slippery roads.  We had received about an inch of snow the night before and there was a pretty dusting on the ground and evergreen trees.  The temp was just below freezing and it was slightly foggy.  As we made our way up the mountain, the amount of ice on the trees increased until we were in a world of white with amazing thorn-like ice crystals covering everything, turning even the deer carcass into something beautiful.

As we continued down the road, dropping slightly in elevation, the magical land of ice disappeared.  We checked out the beaver lodge and walked on the boardwalk.

The Tundra Swans will show up in the next month, but for now, it was just ice and silence.  

When I looked up more about the ice at home, I discovered that what we saw was rime ice.  This article about rime ice and hoar frost is really interesting.

Lace Cotton Shawl - Looking for New Home

Hi Everybody, the problem with knitting every day is that you tend to accumulate a lot of knitted items!  Since I don't plan on stopping any time soon, I would like to do a little Spring cleaning in order to make room for future projects.  I have this shawl/scarf worked in a combination of "diamonds in moss" lace pattern and garter stitch.  It is Quince & Co's 100% California Cleaner Cotton in a pretty cornflower blue color.  It is a long rectangle, about 17" wide and 49" long.  The lace is very stretchy.  It can be wrapped around the neck like a scarf or looks beautiful with a shawl pin.  I am a wool girl and the cotton just doesn't make me sing, but I know a lot of people don't like the "itchiness" of wool and this cotton is very soft and drapey.

I would like to sell it for $40 plus shipping - that covers the yarn cost.  I only wore it several times.  Smoke free home.  If you are interested, please email me at [email protected]

 

Owling in the Rain

It was damp, cold, and drizzling.  Then the drizzle turned into real rain.  I have to admit, I was not looking forward to it.  The sofa and my knitting bag were calling my name.  However, we had to go to the store anyway and the woods was on the way back.  So we donned our raincoats and headed out.  

Through the pine tree forest, the path covered with brown needles and patches of lime green moss.  It was just us and millions of raindrops.  We wandered around for a while, up to Nut Hill, along the tall grasses at the edge of the field, then over the old stone wall and back into the forest.  We were exploring a new path and the little babe was ahead of me.  Just as I was saying that it was a dead end at the houses and we have to turn back, she said she saw a hawk. When she pointed it out to me and I saw the smooth head turn, I realized it was an owl!  It dipped its head slightly and looked at us, perhaps wondering who dares to disturb it on such a miserable day.  It then lifted off in classic silent owl fashion and flew to a cluster of pines.  We left the path and quietly bushwhacked toward the trees.  We were able to get right beneath him, standing there with hoods pushed back so we could see through the drip drops.  The owl allowed us several minutes of gawking, then he again lifted off and flew through the forest.  

And then, it was just like in Owl Moon.  After the sighting, the need to be silent was over.  We exhaled, laughing and exclaiming in amazement at our luck.  If we hadn't tried that path, if we had gone down to the park instead, if I had not listened to my little babe saying, "I don't care if it is raining, I just want to get out.  We have rain coats Mom.", then we would not have seen this owl.  And so I apologized to the little babe, telling her that it was a great idea to come into the woods in the rain.  It is almost always a good idea to head into the woods for a while.  We always see something interesting, just some days are better than others.  This was a great rainy day.

(Look closely right in the middle of the picture, looking for the streaked white chest.  It is a Barred Owl.)