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...


Saturday, April 30, 2011

Projects, Projects Everywhere

Literally. Everywhere. This is the week before we leave for Iowa, in which a long, long list of projects need to be completed and planned so that I can hit the ground running when we get back on the 15th. First and foremost - Teacher Appreciation Gifts! Rowan has finished her darling pictures/cards for all her teachers, and I have just finished the knitting of her teacher's bag. Here's the unfelted bag and icord handle:
 The bitty flower scraps start like this...
and transform to this (which is the true color)...
and will be felted along with the bag. I plan to have a cluster of three flowers on the front of the bag, and still need to stitch the last two flowers together, weave in a few ends, and then I can get that hot water wash going and felt everything this afternoon.  It will take several days to dry, but should be done in plenty of time to give away next week.

I have also been trying (for months) to decide on a gift to make and give my Girl Scouts at our final meeting on May 16. I've settled on crocheted "book worm" bookmarks. Pretty sure I had one as a kid, and loved it! I bought the yarn and googly eyes, and plan to tackle that project in Iowa while I'm there, under the expert tutelage of my mom.
I also bought yarn last week to make a hooded sweater for Rowan's American Girl doll - once I've finished the bag, the worms, and the 2 bags I'm making for myself I can start that! I told you, projects everywhere!
I can't wait to see how the bag and flowers felt up. I might have to post again today with the results!
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