Jonathan & Chelsea

Crazy family photos

2012-02-11T08:18:00.000-08:00

(Jonathan) Yesterday as I was working in my office, Chels and the kids paid me a visit (a regular occurrence) and we had fun taking some crazy family photos. It is such a blessing to work from home! :)

Texture

2012-02-10T15:04:00.000-08:00

(Chelsea) One of the things I love the most about knitting is the texture of the yarn and some of the wool I am working with right now is rich with texture! Knitting is very much a "feel art"-- the feel of the finished product is just as important as the look and that is mostly determined while constructing it. It's amazing to me all the different textures you can achieve while simply making thousands of loops in sheep hair. ;-)

The photos are close up glimpses of two new patterns that I'm working on--both of which are studies for me in how to use texture to my advantage in garment design. Challenging, but fun.

She's a big kid now

2012-02-08T15:23:00.000-08:00

(Chelsea) That's right... Kaylee and I have officially started pre-school. Crazy. For those of you that have littler ones (or will have little ones) and are thinking "yeah, homeschooling... it will be forever until I'm there", um... four years goes by FAST. I have a hard time calling myself a homeschool mom now, but in reality I guess I am...

At any rate, I decided two weeks ago that I needed to buckle down and just do it. Kaylee loves school-- in fact I was trying to get her to eat lunch yesterday and told her that if she didn't eat all her peanut butter sandwich she would not get to do school that day. (I am such a mean mom!) She gobbled that sandwich so fast! ;-) At this stage we don't have a curriculum or that rigid of a schedule really. I got ideas from both my moms and am following a bit of a "plan" that I picked up, but it's pretty flexible. Just letter, numbers, sounds, shapes, colors, etc. We work on counting a lot, read about animals and do lots of art class. :-) But it's enough to give her something to look forward to and give a bit more schedule to the day. So far she's sponged up every bit of info I feed her so I know she will catch onto reading pretty quick. I've been taking a letter and number each week and working on just that one and it seems to work well. (we've gotten through the letter C and the number 8 this week--woohoo!) After we get done with all that, we will move onto something more structured, but right now it's the basics. I'd love to work in some memorization of scripture and bible history, but I haven't gotten my thoughts pulled together about that one yet.

We've also been working on drawing people. Below is Kaylee's first official person (in purple)! :-) Mine was the one in blue--we were doing it step by step. It's so cute!

Although I was a homeschool student from preschool thru high school, this beginning stage is new to me because obviously I don't remember it. It's interesting to be a second generation homeschool teacher--in some ways I wish I could just jump right into where I remember leaving off (you know, like Gileskirk and biology) because I really enjoy learning and teaching at that level, but I know I will get there eventually. Probably sooner than I realize! If any of you other homeschooler moms have ideas or curriculum that you use, I would love to hear them! :-)

Baking

2012-02-03T22:00:00.000-08:00

(Chelsea) It seems that I've been doing a bit more baking these days--or trying to at least! I've felt like I got into a "dinner planning rut" of sorts and this week I've been trying to get out of that rut. To help I discovered a new food site, Food Gawker which is amazing!!! Definitely worth checking out if you've got the time--all the beautiful photographs of amazing food will keep you glued to your screen for at least an hour though... ;-) A great place for finding new recipes when you don't have an ounce of cooking inspiration.

I also found a great cooking blog, Smitten Kitchen, from which I tried two new recipes this week. They both turned out really well and I'm definitely going back to try more!

Light Wheat Bread...

and New York Chesecake

The bread recipe is great. It turns out a very nice honey, half wheat loaf bread--nice and airy, not dense at all! The cheesecake was a total win. I've made four cheesecakes in my life and this is the only one that has ever turned out perfect. The inside was the perfect creamy-ness and the topping was a not-too-sweet sour cherry topping made with canned cherries (not a pie filling!) The outside crust got a bit more brown than intended, but my oven cooks hot and the cheesecake itself was not harmed so I was happy! :-)

January knittings

2012-01-26T16:42:00.000-08:00

(Chelsea) I know, January isn't done quite yet and I will probably have another knitting project done by the end of the month, but I couldn't wait to share the beautiful photos Jonathan took of my finished Wineberry Cardigan!!!

Isn't it gorgeous? I'm pretty happy to be done with such a large and time consuming project. The only thing I don't really like about it is that the sleeves are a bit too big, while the body is more fitted. AND that fact that the buttons aren't *quite* even. ;-) Ah well. Almost perfect is still pretty nice!

With my Christmas yarn that Jonathan gave me I knitted myself a pair of Winter Honey Mitts with THIS pattern... I LOVE them. This is a great pattern--well written and easy to knit. Plus they match my....

...Honey Pasha slouchy hat! Also knitted in the same yarn. I used THIS pattern which I also just loved. Both of these projects were so enjoyable. :-)

(I'm very thankful that my husband enjoys taking photos for me...)

I also knitted up a Vanilla Bean in the smallest size....

...And a pair of Navajo Leggings (also in the smallest size) for a baby gift. Both are so cute and tiny! You begin to forget how small babies start out as when your "baby" is a huge toddler. :-)

All of that, plus two new patterns and two more started. I'd say it's been a busy month!

(Linking up again at Schwin and Schwin... love that blog!)

kids do crazy things

2012-01-24T18:19:00.000-08:00

(Chelsea) My monkeys are getting SO big! Kaylee will be 4 in May and Elijah is 18 months already! They are also VERY busy these days, being especially good at getting into things that aren't theirs and spreading toys far and wide. ;-) All in the name of creativity of course!

Speaking of creativity, Kaylee had on quite the creative headpiece today. It rivaled something you might see on the runway, it was so big and ridiculous, but she insisted it was what princess wore when they didn't want to wear their tiaras. She's the in-house princess expert, so I'm sure she is right. ;-) She LIVES in her "'Punzel" dresses, quite literally. I'm not sure why I even bother getting her dressed in the morning, because we never see her normal clothes!

Elijah on the other hand isn't remotely interested in princesses, although he does like babies. :-) He also likes blocks, cars, crayons, food and his GUN-GUN. (He says it just like that: GUN-GUN--hilarious!) Today he's taken a liking to Jonathan's old tiger. He was feeding it chewed-on yogurt covered pretzels, so they must be friends. He likes to ride on it as you can see below.... I'm sure mom has a photo somewhere of Jonathan riding this same tiger just like that. :-)

New knitting pattern: Vanilla Bean Cloche

2012-01-20T14:47:00.000-08:00

(Chelsea) I feel like I'm on a roll already this year! I'm so excited about this newest pattern...

Introducing...

the Vanilla Bean Cloche Pattern

This pattern is available for $4.99 USD
The Vanilla Bean pattern is a vintage style lace cloche that looks intricate, but it is actually incredibly simple to knit. Shaped only by yarn overs and knit-two-togethers, the cloche is knit top down in a spiral pattern that continues through the body and is finished with a pretty scalloped edging. Knit in Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino, the Vanilla Bean is not only incredibly soft, but has the right amount of stretch to it--lasting through children’s many growing seasons. This cloche is perfect transition hat from winter to spring.

(from Ravelry)

Buy now from Etsy

Sizes: 3-6 months, (12-18 months, 2T-5T)

Finished measurements:

-Width (un-stretched): 14”, (16”, 18”)

-Length (from crown to BO edge): )(5 ½ “, 6 ½ “, 7 ½ “)

Materials:

-90, (130, 150) yards of Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino

-Size 4 DPNs and a tapestry needle

Gauge: 6 stitches and 9 rows = 1 inch in stockinette stitch

I am so thrilled about how this idea turned out. I knew I had wanted to knit/design a hat for the Kaylee Bug in the 1920's style cloche, but I wanted it to be lace. Hmmm... tricky. This was about 6 months ago when I first made the initial sketch. I thought then that there was NO way I could ever design something with lace, but I managed to prove myself wrong! It must be that my ability to understand how knitting works is in my blood, because it just makes sense to me. When I sit down and just start knitting with an idea in mind it usually turns out without too many twists and turns in the road and this one, too my surprise, was no exception.

In reality, lace really is rather simple. All you are doing is adding holes into knitting by way of yarnovers. The problem that most people run into is that if you don't want to increase your number of stitches, you have to decrease while you are increasing, thus knit-two-togethers. It can be tricky keeping those all straight.... however with this particular pattern, the lace pattern is very repetitive and easy to keep track of by counting. It is deceptively simple and that's the beauty of lace!

As you can tell, she adores this cloche (she kept telling me "thank you mommy for knitting me such a pretty hat!") and with it being knit of yarn such as Baby Cashmerino, I don't blame her. That yarn is AMAZING! It was gifted to me, very generously (THANK YOU CeLinda!!!) and I couldn't have picked a better choice for this pattern. It's so incredibly soft, doesn't pill or split and is washable. Pretty cool huh?

I'm in the process now of knitting a few things for myself and then I'm on to more patterns! I've got another hat and a sweater in the works and hopefully they will be released in the next few months. I never knew that one could be so addicted to making loops with spun sheep hair and pointy needles... ;-)

Linking up at Schwin and Schwin...

Big sister

2012-01-18T19:38:00.000-08:00

(Jonathan) After not seeing them for 2 days, I'm very glad to have my monkeys home tonight. :)

She loves her little brother so much.

Monkeys in the morning

2012-01-18T11:52:00.000-08:00

(Chelsea) Monday night, Jonathan took me skiing for the first time (which by the way was a blast!!!) so the two little monkeys went to spend the night at my parents house. Of course Amboy ended up getting almost a foot of snow since Monday, so the kids stayed longer. I know they are having lots of fun playing in the snow with Nene and Papa, but the house is awfully quiet around here without them... I am glad they are coming home today! :-) Anyways... while looking through the photos from last week I found these photos that Jonathan took...

This is what monkeys look like right after they wake up. It's always wake up, then blankets, warm milk and bananas around here while mommy makes breakfast and coffee. They do LOVE bananas! :-)

New (old) knitting pattern: Bean Sprout

2012-01-18T11:20:00.000-08:00

(Chelsea) Does this hat look familiar? :-)

Remember this photo? Oh my... my chunky monkey was SO little!!! (well comparatively anyway...)

Re-introducing....

the Bean Sprout Beanie pattern

This pattern is available for $4.99 USD

Designed for chilly weather, this stylish beanie is perfect for keeping little ones warm. Knit in a soft wool, it is still tough enough for even the most adventurous little bean. This is a simple, easy and quick knit (great for using up stash yarn) and the I-cord “sprouts” add a bit of spunky fun.

Now available in a number of sizes from Preemie up to 2 years!

(from Ravelry)

Buy now from Etsy

Size: Preemie, (0-3 months, 6-12months, 18-24 months)

Finished Measurements:

• Width (around the widest part of thehead) : 12”, (13 1/2”, 15 1/2”, 17”)

• Length (from CO edge to BO edge): 5”, (5 1/2”, 6”, 6 1/2”)

Materials:

• 2 colors of Cascade 220 Wool or Cascade 220 Super wash Wool, 75-150 yrds

• Size 4 and 5 DPNs and tapestry needle

Gauge: 6 stitches and 7.5 rows = 1 inch in stockinette stitch

Re-designing this hat was fun.... I still remember Elijah wearing it when he was a baby bean and now he has another one in his size! He wasn't very co-operative for the photos however... poor baby had a cold. The three photos above were the ONLY ones that came out decent!

Linking up at Schwin and Schwin! Check it out... My Navajo Leggings pattern got mentioned today! :-)

New knitting pattern: Navajo Leggings

2012-01-09T21:26:00.000-08:00

(Chelsea) I did promise that there was a new pattern coming soon... and here it is. :-)

introducing...

the Navajo Leggings pattern

This pattern is available for $4.99 USD

The Navajo pattern is a quirky legging/leg warmer inspired by the colorful landscape of the southwestern United States and the artwork of the Navajo people. Knit in a lightweight breathable cotton, these leggings are comfortable, soft and washable. They are perfect for keeping little babies’ legs cozy in the colder months or fashionably layering over tights of jeans for older girls.

The stranded color work chart is simple to read and follow and would be good as either a first color work project, or a quick and fun project for a more advanced knitter. This pattern uses 4 colors of Knit Pick’s Simply Cotton Sport, but multiple pairs of leggings can be made with those four skeins because of the minimum yardage that is needed (perfect for making matching pairs in different sizes!)

(from Ravelry)

Buy now from Etsy

Sizes:

0-9 months, (12-18 months, 2T-4T)

Finished Measurements:

9 inches long, (11 ½ inches long, 14 inches long)

Materials:

4 skeins of Knit Pick’s Simply Cotton Sport (164 yards)-- 1 each of: Golden Heather, Blaze Heather, Mandarin Heather and Duchess Heather.

Size 4 DPNs, tapestry needle

Gauge:

7st/8 rows= 1 inch in stockinette stitch

I am so very happy with this pattern. I know... the colors are a bit on the wild side, but everyone who knows Kaylee knows she just LOVES crazy colors and patterns. Plus the vibrant colors reminded me so much of the canyons of Arizona and Utah. I have not been there myself, but I feel like I almost have from seeing all the photos that Jonathan took on his trip last year to various canyons and National Parks. :-) The neat thing is that you could very easily change up the look of these by knitting with a different palette in mind--a mixture of greens and blues, for example, would be very nice... and a bit more subdued. ;-) Just click on the link below and take a look at all the beautiful colors to choose from!

Knit Pick's Simply Cotton Sport

December crafty-ness

2012-01-06T20:23:00.000-08:00

(Chelsea) Well, 2011 has come and gone... I completely meant to blog about this before the end of the year, but it obviously didn't work out that way. ;-) With the wedding, Christmas and the end of the year so close together it was amazing I got any of this done! Although it is past due, I still want to share a few of the creative things I've been working on...

First up, Christmas! I really wanted to decorate a bit differently this year. Both Jonathan and I are moving toward a simplifying of our tastes in home decoration (does having two kids have anything to do with that???) so I wanted to reflect that trend in my Christmas decorating last month. That was the easy part; the problem was I didn't really have much extra money to go buy stuff! So it turned into a DIY Christmas, which I think is way better anyway. :-)

Because Pinterest is my new best friend, I found many ideas and tutorials online which were incredibly helpful! I was inspired by THIS Pottery Barn idea to make these two simple garland signs...

One for us, one for a friend. :-) They are wooded squares, drilled for a hole, painted and hand lettered with twine to hold them all together...

These Christmas tree ornaments were a bunch of fun to make! I used THIS tutorial from Martha Stewart. All you needed was cotton yarn, Mod Podge (made that myself too!), a balloon and paint.

I used THIS recipe to make salt dough ornaments, then painted them gold and wrote on them with pens.

Inspired by these very helpful gals, I made my own burlap Christmas tree skirt using 1/2 yard burlap (on sale for $1.50) and old curtains. :-)

I also made a few gifts this year. I had a BUNCH more ideas for handmade gifts, but I completely ran out of time. :-( Always next year though!

I got the idea for these tile and scrapbook paper coasters off of Pinterest also (unfortunately the original source couldn't be found). Very easy to do, although somewhat time consuming because of the many layers of Mod Podge and sanding in between!

I was inspired by this blog post to make a calligraphy scarf. It took a lot longer than expected, but I like the way it turned out. :-) I was going for a bit more traditional calligraphy look, but it's actually pretty hard to write on stretchy scarf material, so it came out looking more modern. I think it's cool. For the words I used Psalm 23: 1-4. (I got this scarf on sale too--yeah!!)

Because I sewed Kaylee and myself dresses for the wedding, I had to make my little man something also! He wasn't involved in the wedding, but they matched anyway because Kaylee wore her flower girl dress on Christmas Day.

Originally I was planning on buying a pattern, but then I got to looking at a different vest that Elijah wears quite frequently and decided it would be much cheaper to make my own pattern using that vest. It worked great! Vests are very simple as far as pieces go, so it was fairly straightforward. I used the same fabric as Kaylee's and my dresses, made a little pocket in the front with a faux pocket square (sewn in!!) and of course added buttons. :-)

Jonathan snapped this while I was busy sewing on one of the days fast approaching Christmas (can't you tell?)...

And the finished products!!! These two monkeys are so cute and they know it. And yeah, Kaylee is making a ridiculous face, but it was the best photo of the bunch. ;-)

Don't think I've been ignoring my knitting with all this other crafting! Jonathan gave me two skeins of Knit Picks Capra (cashmere blend) in this gorgeous mustard color for Christmas. He's got GREAT taste and yarn picking skills. ;-) I knit one skein into a hat using this pattern by Jane Richmond. I LOVE the way it turned out! I'll get better photos (maybe) but right now I'm blocking it on a balloon. ;-)

Finally, I've got two new patterns almost completed and ready to be released! Here's a sneak peek.... I'm super happy with the way these turned out and I think they will be a great start to my knitwear pattern business in 2012!!! Keep an eye out--they will be released this month.

Here's to a whole new year of crafting, sewing and knitting! ;-)

Our new farmhouse table!

2012-01-06T12:32:00.000-08:00

(Jonathan) I know, I have been mostly absent from our family blog for a while - but I have excuses! One of my better excuses lately is that I've been spending a lot of my spare time on a really awesome project that I've finally completed and am really excited to share with you all. :) When we first moved into our current home (almost 4 years ago, believe it or not) we found a craigslist deal on a solid oak table with six chairs and a glass table-top. It served us quite well but we eventually began to tire of how small it was and wish for something with more seating.

Our old table.

Most of the new tables I looked at cost around $1000, which was way more than I wanted to spend on a piece of furniture, so I decided to build a table from scratch. I found some examples of DIY tables online that we really liked, and settled on a long rectangular farmhouse style with bench seating. I figured out how large of a table we could reasonably fit in our small dining room, and drew up some basic plans. My original plan was to build the table from recovered lumber I already had, but I quickly discovered that the wood just wasn't in good enough condition to build a very nice table from.So I opted instead to purchase all the lumber from Home Depot. I chose to use standard kiln-dried framing lumber (pine), because I love the grain and because it's a lot more affordable than any other wood.

New lumber next to old lumber.

The wood grain on the 2x8s I used for the breadboards.

I purchased 2x6s for the tabletop, 2x8s for the breadboards at the ends, 2x4s for the table frame, 2x3s for the under-table supports, and 4x4s for the legs. The benches were constructed entirely of 2x4s.

My dad's miter saw. Thanks for letting me borrow it again, Dad! :)

The construction process for the table was pretty simple, all things considered, which was good because I really have not done much woodworking on my own before. I'm so thankful to my dad for teaching me the basics of woodworking and letting me work on building projects with him when I was younger. Without those experiences I never would have been confident enough to try to tackle a project like this without guidance.

The footwear of champions.

The design and construction of the benches was MUCH more intensive than the table itself. I really liked the notched-out look that I saw in some examples online, so I settled on a design that involved notching out 32 individual 2x4 pieces with a circular saw, cleaning out the waste with a chisel, and rasping the notches smooth. Phew. It was a chore.

I cut and chiseled out hundreds and hundreds of these pieces for the bench legs.

One half of one leg.

The two halves screwed together.

The legs for one bench.

The frame for a long bench.

Installing the breadboards on the bench. Note the countersunk screw holes. I used 75-100 2.5" wood screws for each bench, and filled each hole with a hardwood plug.

One of the shorter end benches.

Once I had completed the benches, I designed a small booster seat for Kaylee, and a stool for Elijah's portable highchair.

Elijah's highchair stool. I don't have a photo of it finished.

Kaylee's sliding, removable booster seat. She absolutely loves it!

Furniture pads on the bottom of the booster seat to protect the finish on the benches from wear.

Finishing the table was by far the most tedious part of the process, but also the most rewarding. Because I chose to use fairly rough lumber to save money, I had to spend extra time finish-sanding all the rough edges and irregularities down. Providentially, my brother Matthew decided to buy me a really nice finish sander for Christmas, the day before I started the process! Thanks Matthew! On each piece of the set, I made three passes: one with 60 grit coarse, the next with 100 grit medium, and the final with 220 grit fine. The end result was a beautifully smooth texture with the character of rough-sawn lumber.To finish the pieces, I started with a coat of wood conditioner to help the soft pine accept stain evenly, then followed with a coat of wood stain. It was so cool to see the wood grain come alive when I applied the stain. The final step was to apply three coats of polyurethane, sanding lightly between each coat. Finishing is a pretty straight-forward process but it takes forever and requires a lot of patience.

Applying wood conditioner to one of the long benches.

Conditioning the tabletop right before applying the stain. This was a
late night!

Right after applying stain.

Stained and unstained.

I just put the last coat of finish on the table on Wednesday night and it looks great. I'm really pleased with the end result! My hope is that the table lasts for generations to come. More than once, I was tempted to cut corners here and there to make the process go more quickly (especially with the finishing), but I reminded myself that someday my great-great-great-great grandchildren might sit around this table, or look underneath it ;), and I want to set a good example for them of doing the whole job right. I've been reading a biography of Steve Jobs and one of the things that impresses me about him is that he put so much effort into ensuring that both the inside and the outside of his products were well-designed and beautiful. I think that commitment to quality construction is worth emulating on projects like this. Here are a few photos of the finished product! :)

I love the character of the wood!

12 place settings.

Chels loves to use the table for sewing, but there's only one outlet that's accessible near the table and it's too far away for her sewing machine's power cord. So I secured a small surge protector with a removable extension cord to the table with industrial strength velcro so it can be removed when we have guests over.

I can even use it to plug in my laptop or phone when I work at the table.

It fits perfectly in our kitchen!

I'm very thankful for how the Lord blessed this project!

Finally, here are some stats on the table:

Dimensions: 44" wide, 84" long, 31" high

Seats: 12 adults (2 on each end, 4 on each long bench)

Material cost: ~$300

Hours of labor: ~60

Christmas Eve

2011-12-26T11:19:00.000-08:00

(Jonathan) Christmas Eve was a beautiful, unseasonably warm day here in the Pacific Northwest, and during the afternoon spent with Chelsea's family, some of us decided to take a relaxing walk in the sunshine. Here are some photos from our day! :)

Mama's boy

My beautiful bride

This is a lot of fun, although Chels will tell you it's kinda scary! ;)

A beaver sure did a number to this poor tree.

Fascinated by the stream

Mt. St. Helens viewed from Chelatchie Prairie

Fall apples still hanging on long after the leaves have all fallen...

Too young to ride it, but she sure enjoyed pushing it around.

Elijah is a huge fan of cats!

So is this monkey...

Weird cat likes to be held upside-down.

My opinion? Cats are generally evil.

Princess braid

We hope you all enjoyed a blessed and very merry Christmas this year! :)

Beach Trip

2011-12-12T20:39:00.000-08:00

(Chelsea) As everyone knows, there is a wedding this friday (yeah!!) and Jonathan, Kaylee and I are all part of the bridal party. Two (or so) weeks ago, I was invited by the bride and her family to come hang out in Pacific City, OR for a day and a half along with all the other bridesmaids as a fun "get-away". They couldn't have picked a better weekend! The weather was amazing. It was actually warmer at the beach than in town (still cold though of course) and sunny. Gorgeous weather for December. We had lots of fun walking on the beach, window shopping in town, watching a movie, messing around with hair ideas for the wedding and eating amazing food. Thanks again Galena for the wonderful time! I am looking forward to officially calling you my sister! :-)

I actually got to take the camera on my little adventure, which was fun and different. Here are a few of the best photos I took edited by my husband who is much better at that than me. :-)

Lydia, Maid of Honor, armed with a camera...

The beach house--a cute cozy little cabin....

Heidi, also armed with a camera. Notice the bare feet in DECEMBER... ;-)

a copycat Haystack Rock...

Aimee taking photos of the beautiful waves...

A friendly starfish...

The infamous Dune. This thing is HUGE and quite a workout to climb...

As you can see....

We "let" the bride reach the top first... ;-)

The view from the top of The Dune... That is Pacific City down along the coastline...

What was left of a poor tree on the top of The Dune...

The view on the other side toward Cape Lookout...

Beautiful....

Rebekah.... showing us all how to bundle properly... :-)

The frozen beach in the early morning...

Beach grass....

Lydia and Greta...

The waves were beautiful....

Playing with hair later on in the day.... Fun stuff!

Heidi drew this the next morning in honor of Daniel and Galena....

Finally, one last view of the rock...

Finis!

2011-11-17T15:04:00.001-08:00

(Chelsea) I've finally got around to posting photos of my beautiful Breathless Shrug. :-) Named for the yarn I used (Shalimar Breathless), this is a modified version of the Shetland Shorty Wrap pattern. Wouldn't want to bore you with ALL the details, but basically with this shrug I took a pattern based on garter stitch and replaced all the garter stitch with ribbing, got rid of the tie in front and added pretty silver clasps. If you check out the pattern link above, you'll see what I mean. ;-) Anyway, it's kind of fun because on Ravelry I seem to be the only person that's modified this pattern that extensively. Most people actually follow patterns I guess. ;-) I knit this to go with one of my formal dresses and it matches perfectly. I'm very happy with it and excited that it turned out so nice for changing the pattern so much.

Jonathan took these photos of course and he did an amazing job! I love that vine maple in the background. It is so pretty this time of year.

Love the clasps. :-)

Now the goal is to finish my wineberry cardigan I started last spring. I put it aside over the summer and just last week picked it up again. Finished one sleeve last week and working on the next. After that I just have to seam all the pieces together and pick up about 500 stitches around for the collar ribbing (yikes!). Considering it's been worked on and off for about a year I will be happy to finally wear it!

Also, I haven't gotten photos yet (need to buy some more toggles first), but I finished a pair of Tundra Slipper Boots for 'Lijah man. They are so cute on him! Will get photos soon.

And finally, just a hint, but there's a new pattern in the works. I've got the yarn and design all ready so stay tuned for that over the next month or so!

A little walk

2011-11-11T15:57:00.001-08:00

A couple weeks ago we took a short walk around the neighborhood... 'Lijah is big enough to walk all by himself!

He really likes storm drains too...

Kaylee is learning to slow down because of his short legs :-)

He can only toddle along so fast you know...

Don't you love his hood? He's quite the dude.

One down....

2011-11-11T15:43:00.001-08:00

(Chelsea) It's been awhile since I've posted anything about sewing.... I did take a break there for a bit, but I'm very much back at it right now! For those few who don't know, we (Jonathan, myself and Kaylee) are going to be in an upcoming wedding. :-D Kaylee is a flower-girl, I'm a bridesmaid, and I'm sewing both of our dresses. Despite a recovering from a sinus infection last week I finished Kaylee's dress and I'm pretty happy with it. It's the first dress I've ever sewn from a commercial pattern, so that was a bit of a learning curve, but I managed. First zipper I've ever put in too and THAT wasn't as bad as I thought it would be! Kaylee loves her "wedding dress", although she tells me constantly that it should have been pink. ;-) It's nice to get that one checked off my list (although I still need to iron it completely--as you can see from the photos--whoops) because I still have to get my own dress done. I got the bodice completed this afternoon and I really like it, so there's progress! I should definitely have it finished before December 16th. :-)

Showing off her wedding shoes....

The details are sweet with the ribbons and lace on the sleeves :-)

Autumn afternoon

2011-11-03T16:52:00.000-07:00

(Chelsea) We had a beautiful afternoon the other day. It was cool, crisp, breezy, warm and full of sunshine!

Elijah helping "rake" the leaves...

The shed now has a roof with shingles! My husband is quite the man. :-)

Half the garden beds are ready to hibernate for winter....

Kaylee loves all the pretty leaves!

Our "stick bush" (family name) is as gorgeous as it's ever been in fall...

I think the colder temperatures are really making the leaves turn vivid colors this year.

And of course.... couldn't help but take one of her beautiful curls :-)

New Knitting Pattern: Tundra Slipper Boots

2011-11-03T15:13:00.000-07:00

(Chelsea) I'm super excited about releasing my newest pattern! Believe it or not, I came up with this idea about a month ago and I just got so into figuring out the technical side to the construction that it flew along and now it's finished. :-)

So introducing...

the Tundra Slipper Boot Pattern

This pattern is available for $4.99 USD

The Tundra pattern is the perfect mix between a slipper and a baby bootie. The cuff is taller than in most baby booties--designed to keep a little one’s ankles and lower legs warm in the colder months. Knit in rustic worsted weight wool for warmth and coziness, this boot both stays on securely and can be removed easily with the help of creative design and toggles.

This is an adventurous beginner pattern due to its construction, but has a very simple, easy-to-pick-up cable pattern around the cuff. It is constructed from the sole up--working the sole flat, the shoe body in the round, the cable cuff flat and finally knitting both the shoe and the cuff together using the three needle bind off technique. This adds a beautiful twist between the shoe and the cuff. The Tundra is perfect for using up stash yarn and makes a unique gift for babies of all ages.

(from Ravelry)

Buy now from Etsy

Sizes:

0-3 months, (6-12 months, 18-24 months)

Finished Measurements:

From heel to toe: 3 ½ “, (4 ½ “, 5 “)

From heel to cuff: 3 ½ “, (4 ½ “, 5 “)

Materials:

60-100 yards of Cascade 220 Heathers—worsted weight Peruvian wool

2, (3, 3) toggles

Size 5, (5,7) DPNs and size 6, (6, 8) DPNs

tapestry needle and cable needle

Gauge:

6st/7rows= 1 inch with size 5 and 6 DNPs in stockinette stitch.

5 ½ st/6rows= 1 inch with size 7 and 8 DPNs in stockinette stitch.

I love the rustic feel of these slipper boots! The cuff has cables on each end and textured stitch/ribbing in the middle. I used Cascade 220 for these, but any worsted weight wool would work well.

I have a pair in the works for Elijah (since his cold footies were the reason for this pattern in the first place!) so I'll make sure to get some photos as soon as they are finished. :-)

(Linked up at TeaRose Home)

What we've been busy with....

2011-10-18T20:10:00.000-07:00

(Chelsea) Life has been a bit hectic around here as of late.... We seem to always be going and going! So if you're wondering why we haven't been blogging much--that's why!

Here's a few snapshots of what we've been up to though. :-)

The garden is pretty much done, although we do have carrots and tomatoes left. I've got my potatoes squirreled away in the bottom of the pantry (my "root cellar") and I processed and froze a cooler full of fresh corn from my family today. Always feels nice to do that for winter. :-) We picked a HUGE record sized carrot from the garden the other day and I got a photo of it, but can't find the photo anywhere... bummer. This one will have to do instead. Kaylee likes to go pick them, especially when she's wearing her "'punzel princess dress". ;-)

Jonathan and I got to get away and have some fun last weekend without the monkeys, which was great and very needed! (Don't worry, they had lots of fun with Zamma and Zampa). We went to an awesome concert on Friday night and then went on a 12 mile hike up by the base of Mt. St. Helens called Lava Canyon and the Plains of Abraham (my idea!!!). It was beautiful, simply breathtakingly beautiful! To see ALL the gorgeous photos check out Jonathan's post here.

And yes, the colors were this intense. This photo is barely edited, seriously....

My rather handsome adventurous husband!

We get a bit crazy sometimes... ;-)

(BIG thanks to my brother in law for his help with my banner!)

Also, some exciting news! I have, as of today, officially launched my new Etsy shop! I am so excited, can't you tell?? :-D If you have a spare moment, check out my shop--- Chelsea Anne Design-- and tell me what you think! And check back every now and then for new content. I have some new patterns in the works that I am very excited about!

Oh and for the random tidbit of information for the day...

Elijah weighs now 25 pounds. What a chunk! Seriously that kid is packing it on. :-)

New knitting pattern: Jelly Bean

2011-10-04T10:19:00.000-07:00

Introducing...

Jelly Bean

This pattern is available for $4.99 USD

Jelly Bean is a simply striped, slightly slouchy beanie with a interesting broken rib edging, designed especially for colder months. With it’s warm, washable (and dry-able!) wool and bright colors, it adds cheer and coziness to a baby’s sweet little head. This is a simple pattern and a quick knit, perfect for using up leftover bits of stash wool. This hat is meant to fit with some ease and end up a bit on the slouchy side in the back.

Sizes:

Newborn, (3-9 months, 12-24 months)

Finished Measurements:

Width (around the widest part of the head): 14 inches, (15 inches, 16 inches)

Length (from CO edge to BO edge): 5 1/2 inches, (6 inches, 6 1/2 inches)

Gauge:

5 st/8(7, 7) rows= 1 inch in stockinette stitch

Materials:

3 or 4 co-ordinating skeins of Knit Picks Swish DK or similar super wash wool yarn

Size 5 and 6, (6 and 7) DPNs or circulars

This hat also looks nice in more muted shades... Notice the "jelly bean" on the very top? Thus the name... :-)

Again, I love my little models. :-) They are adorable!

Zoo trip

2011-10-01T12:01:00.000-07:00

(Chelsea) While Jonathan was gone last week, the kids and I went to the zoo with Zamma and Gigi (Grandma and Great-grandma). it was Elijah's first real time going to the zoo and it was a BLAST watching him take it all in. It was perfect day, weather-wise and there were hardly any people there, which was super nice. I borrowed my father-in-law's camera (same body as ours, but different lens) because Jonathan takes our camera when he is travelling. It was interesting to shoot with a unfamiliar lens while trying to capture the split second reactions of the kids. I don't think I did too badly, despite having a few focusing issues. :-) Anyways, enjoy the photos. The ones of Elijah especially are just too cute!

Watching the penguins swim by....

That was a polar bear lying right up against the window. Kaylee insisted it just need a good "sniggle" and it looked "SO cozy!!!".

I don't even remember what he saw, but it caused a reaction!

He LOVED the monkeys of course... He could have stood there and watched them for a long time!

Gigi and Joshua (who refused to smile even once for me...little stinker)

I LOVE this photo!

Love birds... ;-)

We even got to go on the train!

Elijah was kind of like a dog hanging his head out the window--he loved it!

All dressed up

2011-10-01T10:54:00.000-07:00

(Chelsea) A couple Sunday mornings ago, Jonathan had a nice lens on the camera (he had rented it for a shoot) and since the monkeys were all dressed up for church, we had a mini photo shoot with the kids.

Of course, being Sunday morning, they weren't exactly what you would call "co-operative"...

But we did coax a few smiles out of Mr. Handsome. He had just gotten his first big boy haircut the night before and he just looked dashing. ;-)

And those blue eyes.... oh man.

Dressing up little boys is just as much fun as dressing up little girls in my opinion. The difference being little boys just don't like to get dressed....

Or smile for the camera... ;-)

Maverick

2011-09-29T22:14:00.000-07:00

(Chelsea) Yes, he is still alive and well, although rather smelly. He needs a bath desperately, which is why none of you ever see him. Too smelly for guests! He's always rolling in his dirt holes in the backyard and that hurts his chances of weaseling his way inside. ;-) Despite that, he is a very good looking dog.

The beginning of autumn

2011-09-29T22:11:00.000-07:00

(Chelsea) As much as I love the busyness, sunshine, heat and energy of summer, there is something completely refreshing about the indian summer/ beginning of autumn season... I love the colors, textures and smells of fall. I love the cool crisp mornings (perfect for a run!), warm, sunny, breezy afternoons and sitting on the front lawn, knitting in the sunshine with the crunchy leaves blowing around you. And yes, that is what I did this afternoon. :-) It was delightful. I took these photos last week, trying to capture all of what I said above. While summer may give me physical energy with all our running about; fall gives me creative energy. I am eager to dive into my designing, knitting, sewing and creating when I can be inspired by such beauty.

Now if I could finish all my other projects, I could get back to knitting (and finishing) that cabled cardigan I started last spring. The last photo reminds me of it. :-)

Outside

2011-09-20T16:25:00.000-07:00

(Chelsea) My monkeys really like it when I let them run out the door and into the yard--especially when it is as gorgeous outside as it has been the last couple of days! I couldn't help but grab the camera this morning it was so nice out...

A very happy three year old. :-) One of my favorite things to see! She looks older than three in this picture though. She is growing up fast. We made a chore chart for her this morning and she is taking her "new" responsibilities VERY seriously, especially brushing her teeth! ;-) I also started what she calls "Kaylee Time" in the mornings--reading stories and her bible, memorizing catechism, drawing and craft time and working on numbers and letters. I have to ease into this "homeschool mom" thing somehow, you know...

This guy is still rather dangerous when you let him outside--he is very fast right now and runs everywhere!

He really likes dirt too...

Ahhh! Those eyes just make me melt!

"Oh Mom! You caught me!" :-)

Don't you just LOVE his haircut? He looks way too old with a big boy haircut. What happened to my baby boy?

He's also really into shoes. As in obsessed with his shoes. It's a little bit weird, but awfully cute. ;-)

While we were outside exploring we also found numerous potatoes (french fingerlings and yukon golds), cucumbers, tomatoes (we ate them) and carrots! The garden is winding down now though--time for a fall clean up I think.

Some gorgeous chrysanthemums I picked up at the store...

And a sunlit spider web still wet with dew. Don't worry, no spiders in sight. I checked. ;-)

New knitting pattern: Professor Bean Socks

2011-09-19T19:26:00.000-07:00

(Chelsea) And here is the other half of my teaser post last week!

Introducing....

Professor Bean Socks

This pattern is available for $3.99 USD

Designed to accompany the Professor Bean pattern, these cozy socks are a quick and easy knit. They are charmingly simple, with a delightful twist of decorative buttons along each side of the gusset, plus a few garter stitch ribs for interest.

This is a very beginner friendly pattern and when paired with a Professor Bean, would make a perfect handmade, last minute baby shower gift.

Buy the Professor Bean Socks pattern along with the Professor Bean pattern and get $2 off the combined price!
http://www.ravelry.com/redeem/chelsea-anne-design?sale=2394

Sizes:

Newborn, (3-9 months, 12-18 months)

Finished Measurements:

From heel to toe: 3”, (3 ½ “, 4 ½ “)

From heel to edge of cuff: 2 ½ “, (3”, 3 ½ “)

Materials:

80 yards or less of a DK weight cotton blend yarn.

Size 5 and 6, (6 and 7) DPNs or circulars

Tapestry needle and two buttons

Gauge:

8 rows/6 sts per inch with size 6 or 7 DPNs.

New (old) knitting pattern: Professor Bean

2011-09-19T16:49:00.000-07:00

(Chelsea) It all started when I was pregnant with Elijah.... We didn't have a name for him yet (we didn't know even for SURE that he was in fact a he) so we called him the "little bean". :-) When I started designing a hat to keep his little noggin warm I decided to call it the Professor Bean (it was supposed to go with a rather professor-looking vest). It was about a year ago when I first started designing and selling knitting pattern--this being my first--and now I've re-designed the pattern and added bigger sizes. :-)

(Re)-Introducing...

Professor Bean

This pattern is available for 4.99 USD.

The Professor Bean pattern is a charmingly simple, but dashing little hat for the academically-minded baby bean. Knit in a breathable cotton blend, it is soft and comfortable against delicate baby skin. Professor Bean is an easy-to-knit pattern with a few garter stitch rib rows for interest, simple decreases and an adorable button to top it off! It is very beginner friendly and would make a great option for a last minute handmade baby shower gift, especially when paired with the Professor Bean Socks.

Buy the Professor Bean pattern and the Professor Bean Sock pattern together and get $2 off the combined price!
http://www.ravelry.com/redeem/chelsea-anne-design?sale=2394

Size:

Newborn, (3-9 months, 12-24 months)

Gauge:

5 st/7 rows=1 inch in stockinette stitch

Finished Measurements:

Width (around the widest part of the head): 14 inches, (15 inches, 16 inches)

Length (from CO edge to BO edge): 5 inches, (5 1/2 inches, 6 inches)

Materials:

1 skein DK weight, cotton blend yarn

Size 6 DPNs and size 7 DPNs (or you could use circulars if you prefer)

1 button—whatever size you fancy

As for my ADORABLE model... his name is also Elijah and he has the biggest, squishiest cheeks ever!!! Isn't he just the cutest? He took to hat modeling like a pro. ;-)

And of course, MY Elijah modeled for me as well. I love little boys!

Thoughts on Discernment and Harry Potter

2011-09-17T15:35:00.000-07:00

(Jonathan) It's been so long since I wrote a post for this blog, I almost feel like a guest author! ;) I wanted to share some thoughts on the subject of Harry Potter, as if that horse isn't dead yet. Still, it's a relevant issue if only because it is the perennial Christian literature debate that inevitably rears its head eventually. It's raining this afternoon and I had some time, so...

Years ago during the earlier years of the Harry Potter series, I read the first five books in a period of less than 5 days. I’m not sure if my parents knew this at the time (Mom, did I ever tell you I’ve read Harry Potter...?), because I was fairly sneaky about it and got the e-books from various pirated sources online. In any case, I read them, and obviously found them quite engaging at least for a period of time. As far as literature goes, I found them fun, entertaining, clever, moderately well-written, and unique from other series I had read. I found Rowling’s fictional ‘universe’ lacking the depth and creativity of those constructed by Tolkien or Lewis, for example, but still adequate to support a fun series full of twists and turns.

Chels also has read the books and watched many of the subsequent movies and shares my opinion of them considered strictly as literature or entertainment. However, we’ve made the decision together to avoid the influence of this series in our home for a variety of reasons. Our perspectives on the series were similar before we got married, and became more so afterwards, but the arrival of the responsibilities of parenthood in our lives has further reinforced our concerns about the potential influence of this specific book/movie series in our home. I wanted to outline those concerns in a series of broad points. These aren’t meant to address all the specific debates that many like to have about the series, but are simply thoughts from the perspective of a father who has to choose between encouraging and discouraging this literature and similar material that will likely be produced over the next decade.

1. As a father, the primary question for me is not “Is it right or wrong?” but “Is it wise?” We like black and white, and lines drawn in the sand, and discernment certainly involves making those types of judgements. But the question of wisdom is the hardest and so we often avoid it, preferring to spend our mental efforts on tit-for-tat exchanges about minutiae instead of examining the larger picture. Not only am I called to make wisdom choices on behalf of my family, I must teach my children wisdom, which is much more than a set of rules.

2. Entertainment inspires emulation. Especially compelling and engaging entertainment that captures the imagination. As part of the process of evaluating entertainment, an important question to ask is “What does this inspire me to be, to do?” We can all remember the characters we used to imitate as children and the universes in which we immersed ourselves. I spent many hours playing as various characters from “Lord of the Rings” and “Star Wars” among others. While I have reservations about the influence of the underlying Buddhism of Lukas’ “Star Wars”, I have even more about Rowling’s “Harry Potter” world. How can I allow my children to emulate the trappings of wiccanism and yet reinforce the clear teaching of Scripture on the subject? Realizing that the entertainment I allow into my home will inspire some level of emulation by my children, I must be very cautious in my choices. I want my children to understand that the practice of witchcraft is real. Communion with demons is possible, real, and present in our world today. Why else would Scripture deal with the subject? Witchcraft in real life is not a front-and-center issue for most Christians simply because we don’t come into contact with wiccans very often, but it is nonetheless one of the real evils of our world that our children ought to understand as we teach them to discern the times. I don’t want to confuse them by on the one hand representing the fictional form of occult-like magic to be acceptable but the real-world practice to be an abomination.

3. The entire framework and premise for the Harry Potter series is constructed using terminology and practices inextricably associated with real-world witchcraft. Whatever might be said about the distinctions between the actual practice of magic in the series by various characters and real-world witchcraft, the prima facie similarities are undeniable. Rowling admits that much of the material for her stories was sourced from extensive research into mysticism and the occult. This is important. She borrows a framework of terminology and forms that she uses in a way that on its face is indistinguishable from the real-world practice of witches and warlocks (‘good’ or ‘evil’) with no clear re-definition. What we are left with is a pervasive story element that bears an almost indistinguishable resemblance to practices that we must condemn in real life. This presents a huge discernment challenge to the young mind whose imagination is far more likely to be captured by the engaging story than critically examine the premise of the story. But to separate the raw story arc from the fictional universe that supports it (as if one could communicate a message to the reader apart from the other) is at best disingenuous.

4. The themes of sacrifice and love that run through the Harry Potter storyline are promoted as a redeeming quality of the series. I recognize them as such. Whenever the Christian finds themes that resonate with a Biblical world and life view in the various arts, we ought to recognize them and learn what we can from them. At the same time, we must recognize that these themes are woven into the very universe and so it should not be a surprise or even a cause for special rejoicing when the pagans represent some sort of Christian morality. The unbeliever sees love as through a fogged glass, grasping only a vague outline of the real thing. The unintentional allegory of the unbeliever carries much less instruction for the Christian than the intentional or even sub-conscious allegory of the believing author who has given his mind over to Christ. When a fictional character exhibits some praiseworthy qualities or behavior, this is a good thing, but ought not to be used as a blank check to excuse all other considerations about the character’s person or behavior. A practicing warlock that exhibits the Christ-like qualities of love and sacrifice remains a warlock. The ‘good person’ that has not Christ is still damned to hell.

5. A “god” in Harry Potter is vaguely implied but not acknowledged even as an accessory to the storyline, much less an integral part. Without the reality of a sovereign, omnipotent, loving, personal God underlying the story, the reader is encouraged to imagine and participate in a world where human actors with god-like abilities (innate or acquired) play on a stage of their own making - an intensely humanistic perception of reality. The reality of good and evil is represented apart from its basis, consistent with the humanistic atheist’s desire to maintain a standard without acknowledging its source. These ideas are dangerous in any context but become even more so when communicated to the young mind through the vehicle of accessible, entertaining literature. While not every piece of literature that I will someday use in instructing my children or encourage them to explore on their own must preach God explicitly, I want their minds to be primarily immersed in literary versions of reality that reinforce God as author, creator, lord, judge and savior. I don't want their imaginations captured by the secularist's fairy-tales, because fairy-tales are powerful things. (See G.K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy, "The Ethics of Elfland")

6. It seems to be common for Harry Potter to quickly become a ‘sacred cow’ for the Christian reader who, as a fan of the books, feels the need to defend the series against often very cogent and well-thought-out Scriptural arguments. This manifests itself in a tendency to jump immediately to comparisons between Harry Potter and the writings of authors such as Tolkien or Lewis, comparisons generally intended as a justification of the series based on the others’ near-universal acceptance in Christian circles. Tolkien and Lewis ought not to be sacred cows, immune from critique merely because, well, ‘we accept them and our parents do too.’ We ought to aim for the type of consistency that is willing to examine everything fairly by the same standard (like the Bereans), not the filter-less consistency that eschews standards for personal preference. It is natural for us to want to defend what we like. More often than not, however, we find that we enjoy the sensory/emotional/intellectual experience of something and then work backwards towards a justification of our tastes. In other words, we are only critical after the fact and usually side with ourselves. We allow our tastes to define our positions, instead of vice versa. If we are not careful, we can find ourselves defending our tastes over and against the clear teaching of Scripture, explaining away its clear implications through unhelpful hair-splitting that is not motivated by the pursuit of wisdom. When we come to Scripture, we must be prepared to lay all of ourselves down to the authority of Christ. Sometimes this will mean giving up stuff that we like. As a father, I would prefer to put extra effort into shaping the tastes of my children as I raise them so that, Lord willing, I am not faced with the need to deal with the consequences of their undirected tastes distracting them from the truth, or even leading them astray.

As with all applications of wisdom, there will be differences in practice between well-intending and informed Christians, and I respect that. I believe that the above points are, however, objective dangers (especially for children) that either have to be mitigated somehow...or ignored at risk. Having not watched any of the movies, I can’t speak directly about the unique questions associated with communicating this type of story through film. But my suspicion is that adding a visual element to the story only amplifies the problematic nature of some of the subject matter in the series. Perhaps I’ll carve out some time to watch through a few of the movies for the sake of discussion. I’ll bet they’re fun, huh...?

Just a teaser...

2011-09-13T18:25:00.000-07:00

(Chelsea) Yes, we've both been rather absent from the blog recently. It's hard to keep up with the end of summer! Not to mention the past week we've been plagued with the stomach flu... At any rate, more posts coming soon.

As for the teaser, keep watch for a release of a new knitting pattern and a re-release of an older one, coming next week! :-)

(Isn't he just WAY too cute??)

Summer knitting

2011-09-01T10:05:00.000-07:00

(Chelsea) Summer knitting is starting to come to an end around here. I'm looking forward to evenings by the pellet stove knitting sweaters with wool. ;-) Despite being ridiculously busy this month I still got quite a few projects finished. One of which was a Shasta for this sweet, adorable little baby girl!! She agreed to model it for me and I think the photos turned out just precious! (I will get all of these to you Vanessa! :-))

Of course I knitted one for Kaylee bug as well... :-)

... And the size in between, but this one doesn't have an owner just yet. I liked the orange cable braid on this one. I tried it just for fun--I think it works well either way!

I also finished the birthday socks for my mom! These were fun and easy and I love this pattern.

Now I'm finishing up a few gifts for baby boys (always fun), expanding my Professor Bean pattern while I'm at it. It will have newborn, 3-9 months and 12-18 month sizes when I'm done and I tweaked the pattern a bit and added some improvements. I'm also designing a Professor Bean baby sock pattern to match. They are both such easy designs--perfect for baby shower gifts. :-)

An August garden

2011-08-30T15:22:00.000-07:00

(Chelsea) I just got done cold pickling my 36th jar of pickled beans--whew!! Jonathan really really likes pickled beans, especially with extra garlic and jalepenos added. It's a bit time consuming, but very worth it! They're also helpful during the cold season. Jonathan is convinced they burn the sickness right out of you. ;-) Now I just need to find another fridge somewhere--mine is filled with pickled beans!

In other garden news we're now getting carrots and basil, lots of zucchini and cucumbers....

We'll be getting cherry tomatoes hopefully soon. :-)

There's an orange bell pepper almost ripe enough to pick!

And Kaylee and I dug three plants worth of French fingerling potatoes. That's a lot of potatoes, but there are very tasty, so I'm sure they will all get eaten. They are best when boiled, then added to a mix of fresh garlic, lemon juice, butter, salt, pepper, parmesan and sage. Just an idea, if anyone else has added them to their garden!

walking!!

2011-08-27T09:11:00.000-07:00

(Chelsea) I know these are not the best photos, however they are so cute I had to share. 'Lijah is now officially walking. He's been practicing like crazy all week and can now walk across the room by himself! He is so big... What happened to my baby boy? I think he went from a baby (although a big one) to a toddler in the span of a week. :-( He's awfully cute though! He's going to give Kaylee a run for her money that's for sure.

So down in the non-existent baby books...

Elijah Mark-- walking at 13 months

(Kaylee Anne-- walking at 17 months)

Charmer

2011-08-27T08:47:00.000-07:00

The beach

2011-08-24T07:38:00.000-07:00

(Chelsea) Well, we're home (as of a week ago) from an incredible camping trip... Endless water. Endless volleyball. Friendly competition. Walking on the beach. Watching my kids play. Feeling like a kid again myself. Sandcastles and sand throwing. The Word ministered around the campfire. Singing praise to our Creator. Camp food. Sour gummy worms for breakfast (not the only thing for breakfast!). Hot cocoa and hot coffee. Woodsmoke and cool sand. Buckets baths for sandy monkeys. Glorious sunsets. The sound of crashing waves. Amazing weather and days of sunshine! Beach yoga, sort of... ;-) Suntanning and sunburning. Amazing people. Friends becoming family. It's hard to sum up WPC Camp 2011 except to say that we had just an awesome time. I love our community and I can't wait until next year! :)

Here's a few photos from the trip--for the rest visit HERE....

A rare sand grub. Yes, he loved sand and kept his sunglasses on the entire trip!

Beach volleyball is the BEST!

Kaylee loved playing with all her friends.

Ah, the beach!!

Pure cuteness. Oh my goodness, my son is just a charmer!

He had a buddy too!

You can't beat camping dinners!

Or sunsets!

Or sunrises for that matter....

He was perfectly at home in the campsite. What a dude!

MORE volleyball!!!

Practicing for the evening time of singing songs to the Creator of all of this beauty!!

Bucket baths are awesome and 'Lijah's favorite time of the day!

And more sunsets....

Kaylee loved to run on the beach!

I loved the sun. :-)

We got to celebrate Mike's 18th birthday at the beach!

A bit of sand art...

And our 2011 family beach photo!

The monkeys exploring...

Our trusty Jeep got us there and back again!

And just for laughs. This girl is a goof!

To the beach!

2011-08-14T17:09:00.000-07:00

(Chelsea) Tomorrow we are off!! This will be the third consecutive year we've planned and participated in our Church's annual Beach Camping trip. :-) We are so excited to be going again! Kaylee is now old enough to remember last year and since 'Lijah is just barely walking, he's going to have a blast grubbing away in the sand as well. Here's to good weather and fun times!

And a few pictures from 2009....

Kaylee was a few months older than Elijah is now. Crazy!

And 2010--last year! Kaylee was two and Elijah was 3 weeks old. Yes, we are crazy... I know. :-)

Looking forward to sunsets like this one!

And volleyball games of course...

And long walks/jogs on the beach...

Check back for pictures from this upcoming week!

New knitting pattern: Shasta

2011-08-12T06:53:00.000-07:00

Introducing....

Shasta

Shasta is a sleeveless, racer-back tunic/sundress. Knit in a breathable and stretchy cotton blend, it is both cool and comfortable, designed for an active and playful little girl. Because of the style and ease it will last through many growing seasons. For a younger girl it can be worn at the length of a sundress; however, as she grows, it will still fit just as nicely as a shorter tunic.

Shasta’s braided cable collar is first knit flat and then stitches are picked up along for the front and back bodices. The front and back bodices are knitted flat separately and then joined in the round for the rest of the length including the color work. This is an adventurous beginner pattern. Both the cable and the color work are simple and easy to pick up. The cable instructions are written out; the color work is charted.

Rowan Calmer was chosen for this pattern because of the cotton blend—it is very stretchy, soft and breathable. If another yarn is used instead of Rowan Calmer, it must have quite a bit of stretch to it or the dress won’t fit as nicely.

(You do not need to be a Ravelry member to buy this pattern--simply click on the "buy it now" button.)

Buy Now

Sizes: 3-9 months, (12-24 months, 2T-4T)

Finished Measurements:

Length (from cable to ribbing edge): 11 ½ “ (14, 15 ½ )

Width: (widest part of dress skirt): 8 ½ “ (11 ½ , 12 ½ )

Armhole: (length from top to bottom): 2 ½ “ (3, 4)

Cable braid: (length folded in half): 6 ½ “ (7 ½ , 8 ½ )

Materials:

Worsted weight cotton blend, such as Rowan Calmer in blue, orange and yellow shades

2, (2, 3) skeins blue; 1, (1, 1) skeins orange; 2, (2, 2) skeins yellow

Size 6 circular needle, size 5 circular needle

(Chelsea) It is with great excitement and satisfaction that I am releasing this pattern!! I've been working on this one from initial concept sketch (which changed many times) to three finished dresses and a finished pattern, for many long months. This has been my most challenging pattern to design and write out and it's exciting that it's finally here! Funny thing though, is that actually it's a pretty easy pattern to knit, but it required a good bit of work to make it an easy pattern to knit!

The yarn for this pattern, Rowan Calmer, is a dream to knit with. It is like knitting with butter. ;-) So soft and the drape and wear is incredible. If you ever get the chance to knit with it--do it! A little spendy, but oh so worth it!!! Thanks to a very generous and sweet friend, most of it was gifted to me, which made working with it all the more special.

And of course, my little model loves the finished product. She was so excited to do up her hair for this shoot--it was hilarious. ;-) She loves this sundress. In her words "It is so soft and comfy!! With pretty flowers too!" I love knitting for children... They are so easy to please. :-)

Strange kids

2011-08-08T20:04:00.000-07:00

(Jonathan) I have strange kids. Where do they get it from? I do not know.

This little dude discovered hydration pouches a while back and immediately figured out how to drink from them.

This little princess has hair like 'Punzel and dresses like a hippie.

Encouragment

2011-08-08T15:23:00.000-07:00

(Chelsea) Because sometimes Mondays need a dose of encouraging truth... Giving thanks to our God from whom ALL blessings flow!

I also really like my little kitchen blackboard. :-)

Crazy boy

2011-08-05T14:27:00.000-07:00

(Chelsea) I know, I know... I haven't gotten to Elijah's first birthday pictures yet (it's complicated), but what can I say? He's child number two. ;-) But here's a snap shot of the little dude in action. Man this guy is fearless and adorably cute!!

THIS is the way we drive our cars around here! Backwards and standing up!

Sock Summit 2011

2011-08-05T14:20:00.000-07:00

(Chelsea) I can now safely say I have checked off a big box in my knitting experience list. :-) I have been to Sock Summit 2011! It was definitely a fun experience. For those who don't know, Sock Summit is the world's biggest sock knitting convention. There are classes to attend, as well as a huge and very overwhelming marketplace simply brimming with yarn. I didn't attend classes just because I actually don't knit very many socks and the classes tend to be expensive, but myself and two dear friends (and knitters!) went to experience the marketplace accompanied by my very brave husband (What a guy!). He likes to drive in Portland--I do not!

Oh, the yarn.... there was so much of it, it was unreal. And almost all of it was good quality yarn in gorgeous color ways and of the softest fibers!

Not all all the yarn was yarn.. some was roving (like above) waiting to be spun into yarn.

I've never seen so many brilliant colors in one place before.

There was so much yarn I could have happily come home with.... However, the average price there for a skien of that caliber of yarn was about 25 dollars. This is not your run of the mill Jo-Ann yarn we are talking about here! We saw many knitters though with arms and bags FULL of yarn. I would of loved to know just how much they spent that day!

I did finally choose this gorgeous blue, fingering-weight super-wash merino, silk and cashmere blend to come home with. It is destined for a lacy shrug. It is unbelievably soft!!

The proof that we went to Sock Summit 2011!! The whole experience was so much fun. I really hope they do it again next year so we can go again. Even if you don't buy any yarn, just looking at all the yarn is worth it. :-)

And of course, in honor of Sock Summit, our one-of-a-kind mayor of Portland declared July 25-31 to be the official Sock Knitting Week, "Encouraging all interested residents to participate and learn to knit or crochet socks." NO kidding. You can read about it here. ;-) So of course I am knitting a pair of Spirali socks in this fun limey green color. I am so hip and into the whole Portland knitting thing!

Four years...

2011-08-04T07:12:00.000-07:00

To Chels...

Four years. 1460 blessed days. It is hard for me to believe it has already been that long since I married my best friend and the love of my life, but it has! And today I find myself more blessed than I ever imagined I would be when we set out on this incredible journey together. When I consider how undeserving I am of anything good in this world, I am so humbled and grateful that God saw fit to bless me with a woman of your beauty, your character, and your love. When we were courting, I knew that I loved an incredibly special woman, but every day that goes by I am increasingly stunned by who you are and how you never cease to bless me and our home. Your tough, adventurous spirit bonded with complete femininity (you are such a girl, you know...) make me shake my head in wonder sometimes. Your spirit of giving extends beyond our home but is most evident here, where not only me, but our beautiful children constantly enjoy the fruit of your hard work and sacrifice. Your energy and diligence around the home are inspiring to me, yet even when the to-do list is long and your patience runs short, you always have time and attention for me - for us. Your patience with my flaws, your cheerful smiles, and your playful willingness to put up with my teasing spirit make my life a joy to live. And when the world spins just a bit too fast, when the skies turn stormy grey, I know you are right there by my side to make them beautiful again. Traveling through life with you has been all I’ve wanted to do since I was 15 and now that dream is a blessed reality. I know the years ahead hold countless adventures, joys, and blessings because God gave us to each-other and His plan for us is good. Our faith in Him and our love for each-other will help us to stand firm through the fire and storms of this world and knowing that gives me a sense of comfort and peace I can’t describe. You are my everything, and I love you!

- Jonathan

Home grown is the best...

2011-07-21T15:52:00.000-07:00

(Chelsea) Unfortunately, the first pea growing season is over for us, but we're hoping to get a second crop in the fall. The contents of that bowl alone are a good enough reason to have your own garden! Man, those little green things are good!!! ;-)

Happenings around here

2011-07-21T10:45:00.000-07:00

(Chelsea) I know, I know... the blog has been rather quiet around here these days. Not for lack of interesting posts though! We've been busy going here and there, doing fun things and having adventures and we've just been too busy to post about them. :-)

But first things first. Updated photos of my two crazy little monkeys....

Kaylee monkey is very much three. She is sweet, creative, imaginative and loves words. One of her favorite things to do right now is make pictures for people that need them. In fact I cut my finger the other day and she thought I might need a picture for that. So sweet. She has a heart for those in need of her sunshine. :-) She's also been trying to use new words in new ways. For example, she like to fold daddy's "hankerchips" when we are doing laundry and she recently called a hamburger a "garbeque sandwich". She has us constantly in stitches! Her other new word is "amazing"--everything is amazing!

These two actually play very well together these days (most times anyway). Yesterday they had a little fort tunnel going on in the living room and Kaylee was just bossing Elijah from one end of it to the other. They were laughing though so he must have been having fun! They've started having their own inside jokes too... it is hilarious!

And as for monkey number two, he is almost ONE!!! His birthday is Sunday and I can not believe it. He is just a crack up. He charms everyone and has got "The Look" down perfectly with the girls. He's about ready to walk, although I am perfectly happy with him crawling!! He gets into everything. Literally. He's also a thinker--he's always trying to figure out how things work. Amazing what their little minds are capable of at one. ;-)

Love baby jeans with that diaper peeking out!!!

We've been enjoying the sun (when it comes out) with the pool, long jogs with our new double stroller, picking strawberries and raspberries and park days with our church family and friends.

Jonathan and I have been having fun enjoying various aspects of God's creation and the outdoors in the last month or two. We went on a blast of a backpacking trip with his brothers that you can read about (and see more photos!!) HERE, HERE and HERE.

We also got to go on a quick day trip to Seattle which was fun! You can see more city photos of Seattle HERE. It is such a blessing to have family close by to watch the kids. The best part is knowing that they have just as much fun as you are having when they get to spend the night at a grandparent's house. :-) And they usually come back with even more stories than you have!

So, that's our summer so far! Busy but we have more sun (hopefully!!!) to look forward to, camping trips and other fun times ahead. Summer is awesome.

Blooms

2011-07-21T10:19:00.000-07:00

(Chelsea) I may not like the rain, but my flowers seem to like it... I love flowers in the yard!

Re-fashion: 4th of July sundress

2011-06-29T10:37:00.000-07:00

(Chelsea) Kaylee loves a new dress for every occasion. ;-) She's been mentioning it was time for a new dress for a while (didn't I just make her one?) but I wasn't planning on making her one for the 4th. Until monday afternoon that is...

I was looking through my pile of old clothes I keep for re-fashioning/fabric purposes for something not even related to sewing, when I saw a red tank/camisole shirt that I had a few years back and suddenly I had a light bulb moment! I found two more, an old navy t-shirt and a white t-shirt of Jonathan's and something clicked. ;-)

As a result of an afternoon of fun work, the 4th of July dress was born! I was going for the casual, almost urban vibe with this one with the comfy t-shirt fabric and wrong side seams. The white t-shirt was transformed from "OK" to COOL with the help of a fabric pen (I've been having TOO much fun with those--more projects coming up!!!). And of course ruffles were added for a festive and girly touch.

I took in the original red tank on the sides and down the front (it was a deeper v neck originally) based on another sundress she had, cut the straps short, added ruffles and cut up all the shirt into strips that got bigger toward the hem once sewn together.

I've come to the conclusion that when I have a sudden inspiration, my best ideas are born and best work is done.... I definitely had other things to do that Monday afternoon, but I let them go to do something a bit more fun and now I have a very happy three year old who has a new party dress. :-) A win-win situation I think!

I was also inspired by the Fun In the Sun-dress series over at iCandy Handmade, and the Upcycled T-shirt dresses I see popping up over at I Am Momma Hear Me Roar. You should check out both--so much fun!!

I love making things for my kids!

I Heart Naptime link up too...

Little Rapunzel

2011-06-28T12:43:00.000-07:00

(Jonathan) Kaylee's hair was so curly and beautiful this morning after Chels got done putting it into a waterfall braid that I just had to snap a few photos of my little Rapunzel as she played in the backyard garden.

"...if a woman has long hair, it is her glory..."

Caught 'em!

2011-06-18T11:13:00.000-07:00

(Chelsea) Elijah has talent for getting into things he shouldn't with amazing speed. One day last week I couldn't stand his "exploration" anymore, so while trying to get the laundry changed, I put him in a laundry basket for safe keeping. ;-)

Of course he enjoyed himself....

He tried but wasn't able to chew his way out...

For such a busy little guy, he always has time for a charming, "aren't I the most adorable thing ever??" smile. :-)

Noble Beastie

2011-06-16T17:35:00.000-07:00

(Chelsea) Just a shot of Maverick that I got the other day. It took a few tries, but I finally got his doggie eyes in focus exactly. His nose is so long--it's a rather tricky thing to do!

June gardening...

2011-06-16T16:29:00.000-07:00

(Chelsea) My garden holds promises of many things if the sun comes out and it warms up.
Promises of strawberries...

Of peas...

Of radishes...

Of cilantro...

Of potatoes...

Potato flowers are beautiful. Who knew?

One thing that is ready is my romaine lettuce!!! Isn't it beautiful? It's the best lettuce I've ever grown!
And it's seriously this bright of green. Crazy, huh?

Rosemary, parsley, thyme and oregano....

I have a serious excess of thyme and oregano. Any ideas for what to do with it???

Zucchini grows in any weather.

Promises of beans as well...

And lest you all think I have a perfectly manicured garden, here's the whole view. ;-) Weeds grow well too.

Some weeds are pretty though. :-)

A ray of California sunshine...

My transplanted foxglove is doing well, although something thinks the leaves are tasty...

Finally, a few happy petunias to brighten up my front patio. :-)

Messy lil' man

2011-06-16T16:12:00.000-07:00

(Chelsea) It isn't a surprise to any that Elijah REALLY likes his food. He lives for meals and snacks and goat milk! However, I don't think many know exactly how Elijah likes to enjoy his food.... I think he must be composed of taste buds, because he seems to need to spread food from head to toe to truly enjoy it. ;-) The above picture is how he looks after just about every meal. As Kaylee says when she sees him, "THAT is a very gross, gross man!".

Pink and Blue

2011-06-03T19:15:00.000-07:00

(Jonathan) Life has been good lately. Challenging at times? Of course! But never less than completely blessed. I thought I'd post a few recent photos of the kiddos who never fail to bring a smile to my face.

Elijah is such a boy. He just wants to get into everything, especially things he's not supposed to get into, which includes almost all of the contents of the music room and my office. When he can get his hands on them, he loves to mess with the buckles on my ski boots. At the rate he's growing they'll probably fit him by the time he's three! ;)

A nervous smile, as if to say "I know I'm not supposed to mess with these but just look at how cute I am!"

What a handsome dude.

This little "fretty fretty frincess" is three years old. Wow.

Even Converse haters have to admit they look better on me. ;)

She was helping Chels cook brownies yesterday afternoon...

That's all for now!

May knittings

2011-06-01T14:11:00.000-07:00

(Chelsea) May was a busy mix of gift knitting and pattern design. I finished a few things though, one of which was an Appaloosa Trail Ride Beanie (real pattern name: Running Horse Hat) for a friend of mine. I changed so many things about this pattern I had to re-name the finished product! I used stash yarn in various shades of purple and gray--interesting choices, but I think they ended up looking great together. Kaylee modeled it well too. :-)

I knit a pair of Tardis Mitts for my Dr. Who wannabe little brother's birthday. He was thrilled!

I also knit up an elephant for my littlest brother-in-law, Joshua's birthday. He was VERY happy to receive another elephant for his collection. He is obsessed with elephants which is pretty cute. This pattern was called "Hugglephant" and was supposed to have an even longer trunk, but I decided to keep his trunk reasonable. ;-)

Don't you just LOVE his trunk???

And his tail too...

He likes sitting in trees. Joshua informed me last night that his name is now "Lukey"--sounds like a good choice to me. :-)

And of course I can't forget to mention Shaun!!! Despite an incident involving Elijah pulling off Shaun's eyes, he is still kicking about happily with Kaylee. :-) And the pattern is selling quite well too, I am happy to report!

Finally.... still working on my newest design. Almost done with Kaylee's. Here's a sneak peek on the progress. I'm shooting for a July pattern release date. :-)

What about you? Knitted/crocheted anything recently?

We have a 3 year old in the house!

2011-05-31T07:57:00.000-07:00

(Chelsea) Kaylee's 3rd birthday was this past Sunday, May 29th. My baby girl is THREE. I just can't believe it. You don't really realize just how quickly they grow until it's their birthday and you look back at the past few years of photos. Wow!

Kaylee went from adorably chubby ONE year old baby... (photos courtesy of Jessica Purvis Photography)

To a just as adorable, spunky, bouncy TWO year old sharing a birthday party with her uncle Joshua...

To a beautiful, funny, crazy golden haired THREE year old princess!! She just keeps getting prettier--by the time she's 16 we're going to have to lock her in a tower!!! She's think that was cool anyway--Rapunzel lived in a tower. (She really likes Tangled ;-))

Because her birthday was so close to the church graduation and dance, we got her a "dancing dress" as one of her birthday presents. (The other was a wheelbarrow--pictures to come!)

She loves opening presents!

She declared herself "so fritty like a frincess!!!". And wanted to go to the dance RIGHT away.

Kaylee Anne, we love you! You bring laughter and joy to our lives and the lives of so many around you. You love people and are enthusiastic about so much that life brings even at three years old. It is our prayer that you grow up to become a beautiful godly young woman committed to serving the LORD with your whole heart. You are our little princess. We love you! Happy third birthday!

Good morning monkeys

2011-05-27T15:19:00.000-07:00

(Chelsea) We have monkeys that like to get up very early in the mornings and drink their milk...

Elijah has graduated mostly to a CUP of goat's milk (he's sensitive to cow's milk). My baby is growing up... :-( I can't believe he is 10 months old already. Don't you just adore his "old man jammies"??? Oh my gosh, they are even cuter in person! And that smile... wow.

As for Kaylee, she is totally zoned until she gets her WARM milk!

After the monkeys get their milk and mommy starts on her coffee, it's time to play! They do play well in the mornings, which gives me time to get my bible reading in for the day. Early rising monkeys are actually a blessing--it's hard to fit bible reading in otherwise.

Even then, I'm not alone... I get checked up on quite frequently. I have decided that there is no such thing as "quiet time" when there are monkeys on the house. But when you can have a cute face like that look at you first thing in the morning, would you rather choose "quiet time"? I definitely choose monkey smiles. :-)

Kaylee the mountaineer

2011-05-26T19:59:00.000-07:00

(Jonathan) Kaylee plays dress-up all the time, but over the past few months as I've been spending more time outdoors (climbing mountains, mostly) she has taken to putting together various adventure get-ups. Earlier this week, she decided she wanted to "climb up a big mountain with Daddy and ski all the way down", but she "didn't have no ski boots". So she found her cowboy boots (which apparently can be substituted for ski boots in a pinch) and proceeded to fill her "packback" and gear up with her own version of the 10 Essentials:

1. Shaun the Sheep

2. Personalized "Kaylee" water bottle

3. Two knitted blankets

4. Cell phones (3-5, on average - she's hoping for an iPhone for her birthday)

5. Necklaces

6. Sweet shades!

7. Bike helmet

8. 10m rope

9. Daddy's ice axe

10. Ritz crackers

She is a little mountaineer in training! :)