Yup. I am. Still.
The knitting continues. I just finished this beaut and even got it up on ravelry here.
I am in the thick of convincing my children to make valentine's cards for their classmates which is proving to be a bit more challenging than a table filled with glitter ought to be. Apparently the cat is a lot more interesting.
I made a mix of songs for the children in my class as an end of the year gift. I wanted to share with you too. I wish I could make copies and send them to all of you who have and love children. But since I can't, here is the playlist.
Leah's Mix 2012
1. Peace Like A River- Elizabeth Mitchell
2. Let's Go Outside- Sarah Pirtle
3. Alphabet of Nations- They Might Be Giants
4. It's A Big World- Renee and Jeremy
5. Train Song- Martin, Medeski & Wood
5. Octopus's Garden- The Beatles
6. Over The Rainbow- Dan Zanes
7. All Around The Kitchen- Dan Zanes (my very favorite these days!)
8. Chicken Soup With Rice- Carole King
9. Singing In The Bathtub- Rani Arbo+Daisy Mayhem
10. Clap Your Hands- They Might Be Giants
11. The Three Billy Goats Gruff- Heather Forest
12. New Soul- Yael Naim
I look forward to making more of these mixes for future classes. Who are some of your favorite children's musicians?
I am exactly where I want to be. I am diving deep into the ever expanding sea that is Montessori education. I am grasping child development. I am looking inward. I am soaking up the past. I am thinking ahead.
I am loving this place.
I am one week into a four week intensive that starts me on this journey to becoming a certified Montessori teacher for children ages 2.5-6. I am living at Gordon College on the North Shore of Massachusetts and spending 8 hours a day with a group of dedicated people who are on the same path.
Maria Montessori was so cool. There, I have said it. She approached children respectfully but with a scientific understanding and openness that allowed for growth and a cultivation of the love for living and learning.
This is for me.
Every year our school holds a big fancy pants fundraiser. And every year each class works on a project to be auctioned off for big bucks. This year our class of 3-6 year olds made a quilted wall hanging.
The head teacher and I started off by having each child make a quilt square. We used the technique of sharpie markers and rubbing alcohol. Have you tried this yet? I saw it on a number of crafty websites and thought it was super cool and definately worthy of a try. My girls gave it a go on t-shirts and had a blast. For school, though, I cut out 6"x6" squares. We rubberbanded the fabric to a plastic cup and the children drew concentric circles ("like Kandinsky") in four colors before dropping on the rubbing alcohol. I love how each one is so different.
I paired it with a few batiks and put it all together with one layer of cotton batting in between. I had fun handquilting the centers of each circle and once around on the burgundy strip. I also added a sleeve on the back for hanging purposes.
I think if I were to do this project again, I would make it bigger so it really said "pow!" I am happy with the results and it made a bit of money for our lovely school.
I am dropping in to share a project that I just added to Ravelry.
I am in love with the girl but not the jacket. It looks great on her, don't get me wrong. However, it is funky in a funky way. Oh well. It will probably find new life next winter as a pair of mittens.
All of the important information is here on Ravelry.
I also want to mention that although I am not in this space quite as often as I would like, you can find me on Instagram (as ouryellowhouse) and Pinterest (as ouryellowhouse1).
The headless knitter strikes again!
I just finished this skirt last night and am super happy with the results.
Nothing fancy. It is a tube without any shaping and an elastic waist. But I put a heart on it!
Beginning a new garden bed here in this city lot requires a fair amount of rummaging through to find glass, broken bricks, metal bits, plastic of all shapes and sizes, and knotweed roots. Today this work was welcomed. I was digging in the dirt and listening to an involved game of Witch Family, we are reading the book now, along with Day-O being sung on repeat. The girls were also soaking in the sun and would sometimes come join me in the picking before flying off on another adventure.
With St. Patrick's Day rapidly approaching we needed to get a few supplies. I look forward to next weekend and getting my hands dirty once again! This time of year is so exciting. It all still looks so dull outside but the possiblities are endless and I know that in a few short months it will be brimming with green and we'll be eating the profits.
