It begins...

A friend recently forwarded an email to me titled "The Invisible Mother," a short essay comparing the tireless and often thankless job of a mother to the builders of Europe's great cathedrals. Both give their whole lives for a work they will never see finished, both make sacrifices and expect no credit, and both are fueled in their passion by the faith that the eyes of God see every detail. The writer of the essay was inspired by the thought that our endless efforts in motherhood, invisible as they may seem, are worth it and can make an enriching life.


For many of us, the way we choose to hold our invisibility at bay is by creating something tangible. For me, my days often end with knitting - my love of fiber and the need to do something relaxing end up producing something I can hold and look at. Nobody will know how many times I swept under the high chair that day, or how many toys I picked up, or how many times I tried to coax a "please" or "more" or "sorry" out of my 5 year old. But a darling, handmade infant hat? That you can see.


I start new projects every day, and my 10 year old does the same. In this process of creating (and yes, often not finishing our projects!) we connect with each other and a bigger picture of ourselves in the process. My plan for this blog is to share the projects that excite me and bring some accessible proof of my existence in this invisible world of mothering!


So, this blog is dedicated to the mothers out there whose days are filled with the minutia of tasks that build our children and our families. I often tell people that I haven't decided what I want to be when I grow up. But for now, I am the builder of a great cathedral. With every shoelace tied, lunch packed, and forehead kissed, I build.


And I can hardly wait to create something new...


Friday, February 25, 2011

Yarn Days of Winter

The boots got moved to the back of the closet, the daffodils started to push through, and the air started to smell like spring! But that was last week. Now all is white with snow, and the winter accessories are strewn about my house once again. We still have a month of winter, oh yay.


The yarn projects are abundant though, so life is good! Yesterday I checked off "Hat earflap braids" from Ye Olde Craft Log (YOCL). (And have decided to name my Craft Storage Dresser Thingy "Casey" - thank you, Christy!)
I also cast on for a baby sweater - a pattern I've done once before and loved! Can't say who it's for...it's a secret! (But clearly it will be for a girl.)
I also watched an online video to learn how to bind off from a round loom. Rowan decided the neck cowl she had been knitting on her loom was done, but we didn't know how to get it off! I showed her how, but it was frustrating for her so I ended up doing it. We were working on it this morning right before school in hopes she could wear it today. Wrong! The bind-off method does not allow for much give, so we couldn't begin to get it over her head. :P
She begged me to fix it while she was at school, and I have gotten as far as picking out the binding and getting the last loops on knitting needles. Now I need to re-attach the yarn and remind myself how to do a flexible bind-off - most likely with a yarn needle. Oh dear, it's almost time to pick her up from school! Maybe we'll work on that together...


This afternoon I also chose to tackle "Write Daisy letter" and "Plan Daisy Party" off YOCL. The letter writing turned into researching different charities the girls can choose to donate some of their cookie earnings, as well as deciding to draft an email to their parents to enlist their help with researching fun stuff to spend the rest of their hard-earned money on. We'll see if I get any takers - I am trying to be better about delegating now because I'm going to really need to lean on parents more next year in Brownies. I also finalized the different groups for the party, made their name tags (color coded by group, of course), and emailed the Junior Scout who is helping me plan. Once she decides what game/craft she wants to lead, I can start planning the rest. So...2 more things on YOCL that are "pending."  Look at me go!


Tonight is the long-awaited Girl Scout "Mock Lock-in" which will take Rowan and I out for an adventure, and leave Brynn with a sitter. After 3 hours of little girls, I will need to come home and seriously veg. But I'm sure some yarn will find its way into my hands as well...
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1 comment:

  1. KathyFebruary 25, 2011 at 7:07 PM

    Love the ear-flaps and ties, love the baby sweater start (pretty color!) , and hope you have fun at the 'lock-in'. I need more information about that event. Seems like a mighty funny name. :)

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