Teaching kids to tell stories by combining heroes, rivals, transportation, magic objects, helpers, places and treasures. Joseph Campbell, eat your heart out!
Fairytale Spinner Game by Lizzy Rockwell
Jan
15
Knitting: Pink I heart Cables Hat
I took J to the yarn store a few months ago to pick out a new project. She gravitated immediately to the bubble gum pink Cascade Superwash 220, no surprise there, and after perusing Ravelry, I found a free cabled hat pattern to make out of it. She is in a phase where she doesn’t want to wear anything that’s not pink.
That thong th thong thong thong. Or earflap.
“Actually,” she says if you suggest an alternative hue, “pink is my favorite color.”
I used to be staunchly anti-pink. I’ve learned my avoidance of the color is just as silly as wanting to wear only that color. It’s a color, not an anti-feminist doctrine.
“Your favorite color is pink,” J said to me the other day.
“No, actually I like blue.”
“It is! You have a pink book and a pink cover!”
I opened my mouth. Shut it. Logic. “You’re right, kid. You have me there.” We discussed that one did not always have to wear one’s favorite color. Or release books in one’s favorite color, for that matter. Sometimes it’s good to change it up. For instance, mommy’s first book was blue.
So anyway, since J also likes to strip off her warm clothes and we are deep in the throes of winter, I decided to go pink, pink, pink to try to get her to wear coats, hats, and mittens. It’s working. Mostly. I also hoped that if she picked out the yarn she might deign to wear the hat (unlike the sweaters I knit!). She’s already worn it a few times, so I count that a success!
- Author: Justyna Lorkowska
- Size: Toddler
- Yarn: Cascade Superwash 220 in pink
- Needles: US 7 double pointed
getting ready to riiiiiiiiip
I had some troubles not keeping close track of where I was in the pattern, so I had to rip half of it out. Twice. As my grandmother used to say, “As ye knit, so shall ye rip.” It was painful, but this happens to me a lot. I lose track of what row I’m knitting, and before I know it, I have to unknit hours of work. Knitting is very meditative until that point.
*sob*
The pattern itself was fairly easy, if you are familiar with cables and double pointed needles. The only thing left to do is make pompoms for the top and tassels. Voila! A hat to keep off the bitter frost in splendid fashion.
Success!
0
comments
Dec
18
Christmas Tree Star tutorial
Last week we got our Christmas tree from Boy Scout Troop 100, as my parents have done for years before me. Prince Charming and I will have been married for nine years come New Year’s Eve, but we’ve only been putting up a tree since we moved back to Seattle. It’s one of those traditions that I love, but that twenty-somethings-living-in-apartments rarely do. Fortunately we inherited two boxes of ornaments from Ryan’s childhood, so we were all set once we decided to deck our own halls. One thing missing was a tree topper. When I draw Christmas trees, I’ve always drawn a yellow star on top. The ornaments and lights change, but the star has always been the crowning jewel, despite not having one in real life. With a little felt, stuffing, and yarn, my Christmas tree is now perfect.
One of the coolest things about holidays year is that J is old enough to participate. We’ve had great fun introducing her to Saint Lucia, Frosty the Snowman, creches, Christmas lights, and eggnog. She really enjoyed picking out and decorating the tree with us, and begged for her own tree in her room.
J: Daddy, I want a pink tree!
Daddy: Anything you want, Princess.
Me: And next he’ll buy you a pony!
Ryan’s brother was in town for the week, and he helped J decorate her tree pink, as requested. I made a tree topper for her too, pink, of course. I like to make things up as a go along. Here it is, my first tutorial. Please comment if you have questions.
Christmas Tree Star Tutorial
Materials:
- yellow felt (or pink)
- spare yarn (or thick tapestry thread)
- tapestry needle
- cotton batting
Directions:
- Take two equal sized pieces of felt and fold in half.
- Trace half a star along the fold, so that when it is unfolded you will have two identical symmetrical stars. You can be a perfectionist about this and make each star point the same size, but I think a little asymmetry looks better for this kind of ornament.
- Cut out your 2 felt stars.
- Thread your tapestry needle.
- Sew stars together, making each stitch about 1/4 inch. I looped around the outside edge every other stitch: over, under, out and back through same hole; over, under, out; repeat. Make sure you leave enough space at the bottom for a hole to a) stuff and b) fit on the top tree branch.
- When you’ve gone all the way around the star once, turn around and fill in the remaining stitches (over, under, over, under) back through your same stitch holes. Don’t forget to leave enough room for the tree to fit in the center hole at the bottom of the star! See below: first round of stitches completed on the top half of the star, second round filling in on the bottom half of star.
Secure end of yarn with a knot inside the star and cut.- Stuff cotton batting into star, leaving some room for the tree top.
- Top your tree. Voila!
Happy Holidays!
1
comments
Dec
01
Cat in the Hat: Felt, poster board, and hot glue
Hellllloooooooo! Despite my promises of crafty goodness on this revamped blog, I didn’t get my contracted book done until yesterday. But now it’s IN. DONE. OFF to New York, and I am FREEEEEEEEEEEEEE. At least for a little while. Tootles’ due date is fast approaching, and there are still preschool applications that won’t write themselves (not to mention revisions, copy edits, and page proofs for book 3!). But I promise to get in a few updated craft projects before I go dark with the new baby, and I’ll start with one of my favorite craft holidays: Halloween.
In October we took J to see the Cat in the Hat at the Seattle Children’s Theater, which she loved. It’s a strange story, certainly not one of my favorite of Seuss’s, but I think the magic of theater won J over and she was hooked. She asked repeatedly for the story of how we went to the theater and saw the Cat in the Hat, and when it came time to talk about Halloween, she was certain who she wanted to be: Sally. Now Sally is a) literary and b) unique, so you know I was thrilled to make her a Sally costume. (Search for Sally costumes, and you’ll only come up with the rag doll from the Night Before Christmas. Search for Cat in the Hat costumes, and you’ll only find the Cat or Thing 1 and Thing 2.) I didn’t have much time, because I was desperately trying to finish aforementioned book, but I gave it my best shot.
All you really need for a costume are poster board, felt, and hot glue. Ryan was going to be the Cat in the Hat; J, Sally; and I, the fish, with the bowl around my ever increasing belly.
Cat in the Hat hat, for Daddy:
Step 1: Measure Daddy’s head using one of his real hats and roll poster board to the correct circumference. Glue along seam.
Step 2: Measure and mark one inch or so all around the edge where the stovepipe will meet the brim, and cut many tabs up to this line. Fold little tabs over. These will glue to the brim.
Step 2: Cut a large oval the correct size for the brim. I used a cowboy hat of Ryan’s as a model. Trace circumference of stovepipe in center of brim oval, and cut out middle. Put brim around stovepipe. Once you cut the tabs all around the base of the stovepipe, fold up and glue to bottom of brim.
Step 3: Trace top of stovepipe onto another piece of poster board and cut out, making sure you leave enough extra board all around the edge to make more tabs. Cut even tabs, fold down, and glue to stovepipe. (Alternately, you could cut the tabs from the stovepipe and glue them to the top oval.)
Step 4: Cut out felt in red and white strips. Glue them on in alternating stripes. Cut out brim and top out of white felt, and glue to poster board.
Step 5: Once the glue dries, you are done. Try it on your model. Revel in your awesomeness.
Mr. Stewart’s costume also involved a red bow around his neck. I planned for him to be able to wear jeans and a tee shirt, so that he would feel comfortable in costume. One needs no extra frills to be the Cat in the Hat: the hat says it all. However, if you had a model who wanted to get really into character, you could have him carry a rake, pink cake (more poster board and felt!), and some books.
Tomorrow: Sally.
0
comments
Aug
28
Baby’s first day of preschool
We dropped J off at preschool today. After waking the family up early, dressing in the grey Seattle pre-light, and carefully packing her very first school lunch, we trundled into the car, turned on her Music Together CD to make her comfortable (not that she seemed nervous) and drove to the little converted Craftsman that houses her preschool. She’ll be gone 8-3, a long day for a little person. I can’t believe she’s so grown up! She barely noticed us leave, too enthralled by the play kitchen to notice the tears in mama’s eyes. We dropped her gear in her cubby, along with Pooh and her “Everyone Loves J” board book that has pictures of her family. The art room is huge. Easels and paint were set up and waiting. Markers and colored pencils and paper and chairs just her size. I think she’ll like that so many things there are designed for wee people–tables and potties and sinks. All the kids seemed shy, hiding in their parents legs instead of saying hi, but it’s the first week for everyone. Most of the other kids have done this before. J is the new kid on the block. She’s a little young for formal school. Mostly I wanted to give her the opportunity to make friends with kids her own age. We know so few people with kids, being the first of our friends to marry, settle down, and start a family. But I also thinks she gets bored at home. School two days a week will give her just enough new projects to liven things up.
Prince Charming and I went out for breakfast afterward. We sat with wide eyes wondering if we should go pick her back up. Were we doing the right thing? Would she be able to share? Would she make friends? Would anyone notice that Ryan had tucked her pants into her socks?
Seriously. It was like leaving her with a babysitter the first few times (even though the babysitters were my parents). Should we go back? Was she doing okay? Would she suddenly notice that we’d left and start crying?
I packed her a note in her lunch box. “We love you J.” Even if she can’t read it, she’ll recognize her name and the hearts. And I know she’ll be fine. She’s smart and resilient, but she’ll never figure out how to survive in the real world if I follow her around putting the caps back on her markers her whole life. Sometimes the hardest part of parenting is letting her fly out the nursery window and soar on her own.
2
comments
Aug
21
Taste of Summer
We’ve had a crazy busy summer at Casa Stewart. After a month long trip through Europe, a 30th birthday, week long Disneyland extravaganza, book launch, we are more than ready to sit back and enjoy the lingering days of summer. Unfortunately, there’s not much time and still many things to do. J starts preschool next week. (!?!?!?!?) My little baby is not so little anymore. We’re trying to cram sunny memories in these last precious days: swimming in the lake and the wading pool, sandcastles at the beach, hikes with daddy, popcicles, fresh corn, and lots of yummy ripe fruit. I love the food of summer. The berries, the melons, the tomatoes. Fall will come with its crisp apples and winter squash, but for now I’m eating as much sweet summer tastes as I can.
Today I made Caprese salad with cherry tomatoes from New Roots Organics, basil picked from the garden, and fresh mozzarella. This is a dish that is only good in summer. The tomatoes are everything, and these tomatoes were stellar.
We signed up for New Roots Organics again. It’s like a CSA basket, but they source organic produce from a much wider venue. We had to stop it in the spring because I couldn’t eat that many veggies myself–toddlers don’t particularly like veggies, and Ryan was traveling a LOT. I hated all the produce that was going to waste, and watching J by myself didn’t give me a lot of cooking time to have people over for dinner. Ryan has a new job where he will hopefully be traveling less, so we’re giving it another go. This has been our first week: potato/kale/spring onion stir fry and caprese salad. We still have an eggplant, broccoli, and some lettuce to use up before our next bin on Wednesday.
I need a recipe for one eggplant for people who don’t like eggplant. Any ideas?
0
comments
Jul
20
Cast on: Oslo Walk Shawl
On my birthday I cast on my first knitting project in almost a year. I developed mommy thumb last year and had to give up knitting (and picking up the baby and typing and other Important Duties). The surgery in January to loosen the tendon sheath was successful, and though I fully recovered after a few months, I haven’t had time to myself for a long, long time. The writing deadline thing is a real craft killer. 
But this year for my birthday I decided I couldn’t ignore that knitting itch any longer. It was time to cast on, and it was long past time to cast on something for me. I have a love of lace shawls, but hadn’t knit one before. In true Ciara fashion, I chose to jump in over my head. Not only will I knit a very holey, airy, lace shawl for the first time, but I’m going to do it with beading! This is also the first time I’m making something from the Interweave Knits magazine, which I’ve subscribed to for quite a few years. In another first, I’m actually following the pattern and picking the exact yarn and yarn color the pattern calls for.
So far I’ve cast on and started the first row of the lace pattern. Then, of course, I had to get back to writing. Once the edits on book 2 are turned in, I hope to make more progress and share pictures.
Oslo Walk Shawl from Interweave Knits Winter 2010
Oslo Walk Shawl from Interweave Knits Winter 2010
0
comments
Jul
15
An Awfully Big Adventure
To live is an awfully big adventure. To live gracefully. To live vibrantly. To fill every crack and corner of life with laughter and tears. To never stop learning or growing or metamorphosing, like a caterpillar into a butterfly, for there is no story without transformation. And there is no Happily Ever After without conflict and sacrifice.
And there is so much more to the story after the Happily Ever After.
Yesterday I turned thirty. I thought I might freak out about it a little more than I did. But the truth is that I know too many people who have not made it to thirty. Three decades is an accomplishment, and I’ve only grown happier with age. I have settled into my skin in a way I never did as a teenager. As a writer, I feel the pull to explain and chronicle and narrate parts of this journey. I now have two places on the interwebs: the blog for the stories in my head, and this, the blog for the real life Happily Ever After. A journey in artistic motherhood and domestic goddessness. There will be crafts. There will be cooking. There will be hiking. There will be Peter Pan references. There will be Broadway lyrics. There might, in the future, be children’s books.
In the words of Tim McGraw:
I think I’ll take a moment, celebrate my age
The ending of an era and the turning of a page
Now it’s time to focus in on where I go from here
Lord have mercy on my next thirty years
My next thirty years will be the best years of my life
Raise a little family and hang out with my wife [husband]
Spend precious moments with the ones that I hold dear
Make up for lost time here, in my next thirty years
Welcome to the next big adventure.
0
comments
An awfully big adventure
On my Needles
Just finished
