We have all been busy crafting this week, knitting, wood carving and sewing... here are some of our projects...
My Shalom Cardigan is coming along nicely and it fits! The last one I made just fitted and this time I wanted to make sure it was bigger and it is, so yay!
Caiden, Jenna and Erin have been carving spoons this week, they are really enjoying this process...
Erin's finished spoon, she carved her initial on the handle...
Now that Jen is in her teen years we have been having many mama and daughter conversations about her changing body, we have discussed the different options available of what to use during her monthly cycle when it eventually happens. She has decided on cloth pads and has been wanting to prepare for this special time, when it comes (can't believe my baby is so grown up.....) I will have a special package ready just for her to help with this wonderful transition into womanhood. She has also felt a need to prepare for this time herself, she wanted to make some of her own cloth pads, we put together a pattern, shopped together for flannel fabric and she has been sewing and making her own cloth pads this week. (I think they have turned out beautiful my love......)
Besides my cardi, I have been working on custom orders....
We have been enjoying these two wonderful books....
Love to all
Linda
OOOO I love Indian In the Cupboard! Such a good book. Im going to have to go get and read again.. Reading is so much better than TV! Thanks for sharing all your work!
ReplyDeleteI love everything about this post - your Shalom (I am gearing up to start mine soon...), the wood carving, the home-made cloth pads. I've made up some of my own but it wouldn't have occurred to me to have J decide - when the time comes a million years from now! - what to use and have a hand in making them up. I am going to file that idea away for the future - hopefully, you know, a million years from now. But I know it will be sooner than I think, with time flying as it tends to do... xo
ReplyDeleteI am especially impressed with the cloth pads your daughter made and the thought and support behind that. My daughter is only 9-months old right now, but I too am filing away ideas for later. I use cloth pads and a diva cup and am so impressed that your daughter came to the cloth pad decision! Kudos to you, Mama for your part in raising such a smart daughter! Great flannels and pattern too!
ReplyDeleteI read an article in Mothering Magazine (before it went away) about having a red party when your daughter begins to menstruate. The idea of close female family and friends of all ages coming together to celebrate, honor and support during this big transition, with food, conversation, wisdom...it might be worth looking into if you haven't already considered it.
Best regards
Oh my. I love this post too. I love the womens' cloths you made for your daughter and I love the knitting and woodworking-sounds like an awesome week!
ReplyDeleteHow busy ya'll have been. I love the shalom cardi and have plans to cast one on soon. The wooden spoons look lovely. One of my son's has been carving too and really enjoys the whole process.
ReplyDeleteOh, the spoons! They're fabulous! And it's kinda funny, cuz we have friends coming for the weekend and spoon-carving was on our list of things to do. I love that sychronicity!
ReplyDeleteAnd well done on the cloth pads! Do you know how difficult it is to find a book on puberty that even *mentions* cloth pads as an option?!
Your knitting is ALWAYS an inspiration.
wow! your shalom cardigan looks really great. i "already" did 35 rows ;) but somewhen i'll be able to wear it. i hope :)
ReplyDeleteOh love this post too!everything is just lovely!..it never came into my mind making cloth pads yourself!and love the woodwork... In my school years I attended a Waldorf school and making a spoon was program;)
ReplyDeleteThanks for these beautiful "pearls" of your week.
JenMuna
Impressed with the choice of cloth pads, that ius the second time I have seen them in a blog this week so am going to have a think about trying them (love the ideas and thoughts that come from reading blogs).
ReplyDeleteThe indian in the cupboard was one of my favourite books when I was younger, in fact I might have to get hold of a copy for the pleasure of rereading it
WOW! It lookks like so much fun around your house. Shalom is one of my favorite patterns. Your's looks great. Spoon carving - fabulous! What type of wood did you use? I think my older ones would really like this. We are fans of cloth pads and have made some of ours. Yours look great! Would you share your pattern? I have another daughter heading into this wonderful phase of life and should get busy on a set for her. As always you and your family inspire! Thanks for taking the time to share.
ReplyDeleteBlessings, Elizabeth
I Looooooooooooooooove the Indian in the Cupboard!
ReplyDeleteI have such good memories of reading it as a child. I must get it for my daughter.
Those spoons are gorgeous.
How lovely that your Jen is growing into a woman and you are so supportive. If she is embarrassed about you mentioning it on your blog then take comfort in the knowledge that she will look back on this transition with confidence. Kudo's to her sewing efforts...lovely job!
ReplyDeleteThat spoon making looks a bit dangerous, I had to look away at the photo of the cutting tool facing towards the hand, if that had been my fellow there would have been blood everywhere!
Love your cardi too and did you make your hat??
You've been so wonderfully busy over here. Love that spoon and the cardi looks fantastic. I'm frogging mine at the moment. Somehow I ended up joining it together. Thank you for sharing how you and your daughter are sharing the next step in her life. It is such an important moment!!
ReplyDeleteMy second daughter's favorite book is Indian in the Cupboard. If you only knew how many times we've read that book. I might even be able to recite a few passages.
Oh, so busy and everything looks so nice. I love the spoon, it is something very special to eat with a spoon you´ve carved yourself.
ReplyDeleteDear Neicee,
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting my blog, we finished reading The Indian in the Cupboard yesterday, it was lovely!
Dear Meghann,
Thanks you for your lovely comment, it was nice to have these conversations with Jen.
Hi Marie,
Thank you so much for the idea about a red party, Jen and I spoke about it yesterday and she thinks it is a wonderful idea!
Hi Tracey,
My son Caiden has been thoroughly enjoying his wood carving:)
W-S Wanderings,
You are so sweet! You are an inspiration to me too xo
Hi Kreativberg,
How lovely you are knitting a Shalom, they are my favourite project to knit at the moment:)
Dear JenMuna,
Thank you for your lovely words and how wonderful you attended a Waldorf school. xo
Hi Alittlebitsheepish,
I changed over to cloth pads a while ago and I love them:)
Dear Elizabeth,
It is lovely to hear from you:) The wood that we used for the spoons was from a Cypress tree that had started to fall over in our garden. We sadly had to take it down as it was going to fall on our home. We have re-used all the wood from that tree as firewood and kept some for wood carving. Now we have some lovely spoons from that beautiful tree:) If you would like, we can put together a tutorial on how we make our cloth pads and we will blog it soon. Thanks for visiting dear Elizabeth:)
Dear TulsiLeaf,
Thanks about the spoons, I will let the children know:)
Hi Jenni,
This is a hat that Jen crocheted for me, it is from my Father's Day Hat pattern. I will add the link in the sidebar:)
Hello dear Valarie,
Thanks so much for visiting:) Sorry about your Shalom, I am sure it will be ok. I will be emailing you soon xo
Looks like you have been busy.
ReplyDeleteI have often felt that young ladies stepping into woman hood should be a time of celebration. I think is is a wonderful way of doing it. How lucky she is to have such a mother.
Thank you Carrie, you are so kind:)
ReplyDeleteEven though I bet it's busy busy busy in your household, you can just tell that there is a whole lot of mindfulness thrown in to every day.
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful that you make your own pads. I have been using mine for 8 years now. I also used the moon cup but didn't work so well with the horse riding.
ReplyDeleteYour curry looks scrumptious,, we didn't have the coconut milk but would have made it yesterday. Off to buy some. I will make a note of those books they sound interesting. Those are great spoons to mix pap!! my dad always loved those big thick spoons that don't break.
Linda, How wonderful that you could use all the wood from your beloved tree. I;m sure the spoons will be special keepsakes. As for the pad tutorial that would be great!
ReplyDeleteBlessings, Elizabeth
Dear Jeanene,
ReplyDeleteHow are your travels going my friend? You have visited some amazing and beautiful places. I love my cloth pads, they are so comfortable and low impact on the enviroment which is wonderful. I hope you enjoy the curry:)
xo
Dear Elizabeth,
Jen and I are busy putting a cloth pad tutorial together now, we are almost finished and will probably put the post up on Saturday or Sunday:)
Take care xo xo
Hi Linda - I'm so glad to have found your creative inspiring blog! Lovely to see South African inspiration like this! Would you like to join the South African Carnival of Home School bloggers and share your wonderful blog with other homeschoolers?
ReplyDeleteOur second one is going up on Friday with submissions due on Wednesday. The focus is on outings - any post (old or new) can be contributed to the carnival. I'm the host this week so if you join you can email me :-). You can read more about the carnival here: http://www.hayesfamily.co.za/blog/?page_id=10003
Again, so good to find you!
Well. I Am blinking. It never occurred to me to make pads like these. I'm thinking this through. A new and interesting idea - but that it's a new idea to me seems ridiculous. What did I think women had been doing for the past seven thousand years?
ReplyDeleteI love wood carving. Not that I've done it the way you are. Really done it, I mean. I've used a band saw and a sander and done some nice little things. And a lathe. But every time I've tried to carve by hand, I've failed. It think it's because my tools aren't sharp. Or I'm not.
Everything you knit is a masterpiece. The cardi. And the giraffe, who already has a personality. WOnderful. The African animals book is on the market now isn't it? I feel like I've been holding my breath under water for months.