spring cleaning the frog shelf

I’m not one to post photos of unfinished knitting. Even more so, I’m not one to have more than one project on the go at a time. I feel a sort of woollen impasse in which any decision-making is drawn out and debated (all in my own head, mind you) and more time is sacrificed than actually harnessed. And so, I play it safe and stick to one thing to work on, always in my knitting bag or basket. However, while searching for that very basket earlier, I realized there were actually four projects on the go…er, shelved and collecting dust, for the time being.

First, a simple milo vest adapted for my ten year old. I am making this vest out of the requested wool from my son’s beloved sheep, Luna, who we gave away last year. Before her departure, I salvaged her black fleece which really wasn’t that special if it were to be judged by its softness or staple length. Quite frankly, it would make a good scrubbie pad in the kitchen sink. But if Forrest requests a mama-made, and sourced from his favourite ewe, I surely pay attention because that happens about as rarely as snow in July…and around here, that means almost never. Almost.

Also from the frog shelf is my own Slanting Gretel…I cast on a year ago and thought I was finished last May. However, the neckline is wide enough to fit three heads (!) and I put it aside thinking I’d tackle the tedious chore of unravelling and then re-calculating how to tighten it up. If anyone has any suggestions, I’d be so grateful. It was a careful knit using very lovely yarn so it wold be nice to wear it one day.

The little blue Pixie hat is from a long time ago, but I brought it out from the depths of my stash bin in the hopes to finish up the neck seam for a dear friend’s new baby. I’m sort of muddled on that one, too…I forget how I joined the edge to the neck.

Finally, I made more felt bunnies to add to our Mama Collaborative shop. This Friday morning, we are stocking it full of Easter goodies to fill spring baskets.

Yesterday, Sunshine and I decided to do a little pantry spring cleaning and came across a few jars of homemade oils…calendula, St. John’s wort, and Balm of Gilead oils. With the March weather being so fickle, our lips and face and hands are so dry and chapped, so we made some lavender moisturizing cream. If you haven’t made this before, it is really very simple…we used 2 oz beeswax, 3/4 cup calendula oil, 3/4 cup balm of gilead oil, 1/2 cup St. John’s wort oil, 2 teaspoons liquid lanolin, several drops of lavender essential oil, and tepid water. Sunshine knows a lot of making salves and balms and creams from homeschool Herb Club that we are lucky enough to have offered here in our little rural village. I mostly took photos while she took charge…

Now we have a dozen jars of gifts for spring birthdays and Mother’s Day. Meanwhile, my hands are loving the rich cream…getting ready for milking season to begin in a few months!