Knitting and Reading

Emmy's Plain Vest is done.  I knit this on size 8 needles with a light worsted weight soft wool.  I cast on 90 stitches.  When it came time to make the armholes, I knit 17, bound off 10, knit 36, bound off 10, and knit 17.

The next row when I knit to the armhole, I cast on 22 at each armhole.

She is pulling herself up now!

  and reading Blueberries for Sal!

Working on finishing up the other Plain Vest - this one should be a bit bigger.

Reading...

Making it a priority to read the Bible every day

Getting so much out of Radical - it is challenging me in so many ways.  One area specifically is how Jesus calls us to care for the poor (or the needy - those that have any needs really).  Our family lives in luxury compared to the rest of the world.  As our income has gone up we have been guilty of adjusting our standards of living - not in the right direction.  Jesus commands us to care for those that need food, for example.  Knowing that children are hungry, malnourished, and lacking makes it necessary that I do something.

The author, David Platt, talks about how 150 years ago Christians didn't think there was anything wrong with slavery.  He wonders if in 150 years Christians will look back at this time period and wonder how people that called themselves Christians could have lived in relative luxury when so many were in dire need.   

I wonder if our family should even be concerned saving? Do we need this or that?  How can I even think about buying a new outfit when many women have not enough food to nourish their pregnant body, for example?  

 I am praying for God to lead our family down a more radical path in serving and can't wait to see where we are going!

Finally, I am reading a super fun book - Greenhorns - the next generation of American farmers.

Farming is in my blood and while we are just providing for for our family right now, maybe someday we will have more land....

The book contains 50 essays from 50 different farmers that "are passionate about improving the food we eat through sustainable and humane farming practices.  Their inspirational stories speak to the challenge and rewards of earning a living off the land, embracing risks, and feeding local communities - all while maintaining a profound respect for the earth."

Perhaps there is some connection between feeding the poor and small sustainable farming practices....

Looking forward to all of the sharing today at Ginny's Yarn Along!

Warm wishes,

Tonya


(The winner of the last week's vest is Mama Isle. - Just let me know your mailing address when you get a moment.)

Repairing My Ergo

This Ergo is nearly eight years old - I used it with Sarah (now eight).  Then nearly 3 years with Abraham and the wear is showing.  But, I just love this style carrier. Carrying babes from about 6 months to 3 years feels nearly effortless - without one I would not get nearly as much done.  I think little ones enjoy being in them too.  They have a wonderful view being up higher than their usual ground level and have some time with less stimulation just hanging close to mom or dad.

Not wanting to spend the $100 for a new one and realizing that there is still a lot of use left in the new one if I could just patch the worn areas, I came up with an idea.

Not being much of a seamstress, I instead turned to my crochet hook and wool and crocheted up a rectangle to fit over the worn area, wrapped it around and crocheted the ends together over the worn spots.  The crocheted piece also adds a bit of extra padding which is nice.

Wishing you a wonderful Monday,
Tonya

Around Here

We have been observing and learning about snails.

Abby dressed Emmy up in silks.  

Pots and pans make the best toys, don't they?

***An update on Coral, our neighbor, last I heard, she is in stable condition.  From speaking with her partner, it sounds as if she broke her back, legs and ankles and has a long recovery in front of her.  Thank you so much for the prayers.  I look forward to letting her know that many were praying and thinking about her. ***

Knitting and Reading and Giving Away a Vest

The Plain Vest came out so sweet and I just love this pattern!  But, it is a bit small for Emmy, so I would like to offer it in a give away here.  Please just leave a note if you would like to be entered.  It is made of an unknown yarn I had in my stash - I don't think it is wool - and it will fit sizes 0 - 6 months.

I have cast on for two more of the Plain Vests - one with size 8 needles using a lighter worsted weight yarn (Patons Merino) and cast on 90 stitches and the other is the Lena's Meadow from Peace Fleece on size 10 needles, with 90 stitches cast on as well.

I soon stopped reading the fiction book I shared last week as I was not enjoying it and began, Mrs. Mike, the story of a Boston girl who married a rugged Canadian Mountie.  It is a light entertaining read that I will be sure to finish.

I have also started reading Rudyard Kipling's Just So Stories.  These are so fun to read out loud.  I am not sure why it took me so long to get to these.  The use of vocabulary is excellent and the writing entertaining.

Looking forward to joining in today with Ginny and all the other knitters and readers.

Warm wishes,

Tonya

Enjoying...

Our little daily visitor, we have named her Carlotta.  We think she is the same duck from the previous two years as she is quite tame and makes her rounds by the barn and chicken coops looking for stray feed.

The growing gardens and being able to walk out and pick what I need as I am preparing dinner.

Emmy is playing with the sunflower seed packets as I plant them.  We are planting about 140 or so seeds with the hopes of saving the flower heads to give 2 - 3 to the chickens each week through the winter.  

With Emmy and our busy family, I just make it a goal to get about 40 - 60 minutes or so each day in the gardens.  Sometimes I can dig a bit (I am trying to remove all the weed roots this year as I plant as last year I felt very sick because of the pregnancy - so it is a slow process but will be worthwhile in the long run.)  Another time during the day I am happy to be able to get out for just 20 minutes to do some planting and then maybe another time I can hold Emmy while weeding for another 10 minutes.  It really is amazing what can be done just by getting out there everyday to make even a little progress.

Having to stay close by this little one, I have been getting in more sitting time than I am used to - so I have been at least keeping my hands busy with knitting.

Madeline and Sparky.

********

If you would be so kind to please keep our next door neighbors (the only house we can see through the trees and brush) - Coral and Mike and their families - in your prayers.  Coral was in a terrible car accident Sunday night and is in critical condition at Dartmouth Hitchcock hospital.  Coral is just 29 years old with a three month old baby girl.  

Warm wishes,

Tonya

A Crown of Reeds

Just sharing one sweet photo today.  Abby made this crown for Emmy.

Screens

I am afraid this picture may seem very old fashioned in the future - how soon I don't know.  Perhaps it has already become rare in many homes - reading books, books with paper pages.

I know there are many benefits to the kindles and yes, if one is reading a book on a kindle or other screen, isn't that really the same?
It isn't so much reading a book on a screen that bothers me, it is how screens seem to be so pervasive in the lives of children and especially young children in our country.

Yesterday I was listening to NPR's program, On Point.  The discussion was about children playing games on their parents phones, ipads, blackberries.   I love the term the guest on the program used for these - "shut-up boxes".  Now we are not allowed to say shut-up in our home, but what a most perfect name.  Shouldn't children learn to sit quietly at times?  Be bored?  Play outside more?   Dare I say, read a book??

We have no idea what the long term effects are going to be on today's children.  There is very little research being done, but one study did suggest that short term memory loss in children is one problem.   But using common sense, it would seem likely that children's creativity, attention spans, and social skills will all suffer.

It just seems so odd to me how children are allowed to keep their own screens in their own rooms or in their own pockets at such young ages when they really don't have the maturity yet to know what is best for them - to make the best choices about how to spend their time.   Have some parents become so self-centered that they prefer to give their children shut-up boxes instead of the gift of  their time?