Pardon the Garden

Confessions of a lazy wannabe homesteader

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The Lotus Hat & A Charity Knitting Project

November 10, 2012 Marie 2 Comments

A lotus hat for a friend, which may have ended up a bit too big since I used size 8 needles rather than the size 6 called for. Oops. Well, if nothing else it’ll be a really cute slouchy hat. Or I can thread some elastic into the ribbed band, I guess? Or just knit her a different one with proper needles and keep this for myself (because I’d wear the heck out of it regardless of the size).

I’m going on a hat knitting binge these next few weeks. An email came through the other day for a local charity. At the office every year we collect food for the organization to go to needy people in the community. This year, aside from the usual notice about the collection, there was a little additional line about hats and gloves being needed as well. Which reminded me so very much of Robyn over at She Makes Hats, who does a LOT of hat knitting (her goal is 10,000 hats for 10,000 people – isn’t that awesome?). She started off just wanting to knit 100 hats in a year, and the whole thing has bloomed into this amazing project.

Anyway. The light bulb clicked and I thought to myself, “Why not knit some hats?!” And so, a challenge has been set: 10 hats in 5 weeks. Two a week until the deadline of December 14th. Totally not up to Robyn’s hat-a-day-in-September project, but do-able for me with all the holiday rushing that goes on this time of year. And if I blow through those 10, that’ll be pretty damn fantastic :)

Posts knitting, less, winter

Scaling Back and Simplifying

October 7, 2012 Marie 2 Comments

I hate having multiple projects going at once. Yep, I said it. It’s overwhelming, clutter-creating, and it inevitably leaves me feeling like I’m never finishing anything. And it really doesn’t fit in with the vision I have of what I want my life to be like (which I’m still working on figuring out and nailing specifics down, but I know it is much more simple than it is now in a much smaller house with less… stuff). I love to create and make things, but it’s just gotten way out of hand.

So I made a list. And I’m checking projects off one by one until they’re all finished. And then I’m going through what’s left of the craft closet and seeing if there’s anything else I can finish up, toss, gift to friends, or donate to the Goodwill. And I’m avoiding any more craft project purchases from this point forward (the exception being things like buttons for sweaters that need them). I want a single, well-made basket to tuck under the end table in the living room and that be the sole supply of yarn and tools and only enough yarn on hand at any moment for just one and only one project.

Maybe I’m a little crazy. But that smaller house and less stuff vision? There’s not a closet full of yarn in that vision. Just a basket tucked away next to a cozy chair.

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A bit from the weekend

September 4, 2012 Marie Leave a Comment

I spent the majority of my Labor Day weekend rushing around trying to clean the house in preparation for Sunday’s birthday party for the teenager new adult in the family. I really need someone with me at all times to constantly remind me of how bad of an idea big parties are. It’s not that I don’t like people… it’s just that I really am kind of a crappy hostess. And I stress out way too much over trying to have everything taken care of.

Anyway. The party went along fine. The house was packed, we had good food, lots of cake, and I think the kid made out pretty well. I was so busy with everything that I completely forgot to take time out for pictures.

After the constant rushing around from the festivities I needed a break, so Monday I kicked back with some knitting. A little Baby Sophisticate for another friend expecting twins. It’s a really fast knit and really adorable in this yarn (Plymouth Encore Tweed Worsted in Grape Jam). I’ll have this one done tonight, then it’s onto the second one (in a pretty matching gray).

Posts family, food, knitting, less, summer

More meaning: greeting card edition

August 2, 2012 Marie Leave a Comment

image

I’m trying this new thing where instead of bitching about the things I wish people did more I just do them myself because it makes me happy. (I’m also trying to cut back on my screen time more permanently, so this has become a nice way to fill that gap)

I like to complain that no one sends cards anymore. This usually happens around my birthday, where the only cards I get these days is from my mom and my insurance agency. And, simultaneously, I’m not thinking of it the other way around – I never send cards, either.

Maybe it’s an outdated concept. I mean, I feel like the internet has killed the idea of letters since you can these days keep up with your friends instantly. So far, every time I try to write one, I feel a bit silly. I mean, I know how to write a letter structurally, but how do you write to someone when you already know what is going on daily in their life?

Which gets me wondering… Is it meaningful, still, to pick out a nice card with a nice pre-printed message and just sign your name? I always feel like I should write a little personal note – it just feels like the right thing to do. Maybe because it’s what I would like if I were on the other end.

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LF/MM: camping retreat

July 30, 2012 Marie Leave a Comment

I really do need to plan a week-long camping trip one of these days. It always feels like we set up camp and then, in the blink of an eye, we’re tearing everything back down.

I opted, after much deliberation with myself, to take my phone with me. BUT! I shut it off immediately after I heard that my little furball was safetly at home with my niece and nephew for the weekend and didn’t turn it back on until we came home.

Instead of staring at my phone, checking my social media updates, etc I knit, read, and relaxed. I played card games with the boys and we watched the birds flutter around and we ate ridiculous amounts of delicious camp food. We even watched a movie Saturday night at the campground’s amphitheater (Journey 2: The Mysterious Island – not something I would have picked but hey, it was free and close by!). It was absolute bliss not being connected all the time.

Here’s what highlighted my weekend:

Friday:

A quiet haven in the woods // The teenager practicing his campfire skills // Card games instead of computers and phones // Delicious pizza sandwiches for dinner //  A little bird watching at camp

Saturday:

Waking up to this never gets old // Being that person making bacon and coffee on the campfire for a change // Knitting and reading (why, yes, that is a Star Wars novel) // Taking a stroll through the woods // Foil packs for dinner

Posts camping, less, nature, out & about, summer

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Pardon the garden. A phrase I’m most likely to utter anytime anyone visits the house during the growing seasons of spring through fall. Sure, there are pretty flowers and delicious veggies in there somewhere, but they might be a little hard to find amidst the mess of overgrown grass, dandelions, and weeds that have found their way in there and haven’t been pulled. Read On

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