I did it!

I knitted a garment! Well, okay, socks and scarves are garments too. . .but this time I did a whole vest. Here is Boy Genius, in the vest I made for his birthday picture (when he’ll wear it with a white dress shirt and khaki or black slacks).

I used the vest from Knitter’s Handy Book of Patterns but eliminated the side seams by knitting the bottom half in the round. I kept it simple, using stockinette stitch with bands of garter stitch at the waist, armholes, and neck. The yarn is City Tweed DK from KnitPicks, and I twisted his arm to get this flattering blue-green “Enchanted” color (he loves orange, but it doesn’t love him back).

I’m very happy with the end results, and so is Boy Genius (that’s a big smile for him!). I especially liked using the Knitter’s Handy Book of Patterns, which is by Ann Budd, and look forward to using it again and again. The charts and directions are set up so that you can select your garment size and knitting gauge and get to work, rather than trying to find yarn/needles to match a specific gauge. The garment designs are basic, perfect for beginners. . .or for using your own imagination to create something unique.

Why Gender Matters

As promised I am reporting back after reading Why Gender Matters by Leonard Sax, a family physician and psychologist. I especially recommend this book for all parents and teachers who spend time with children of the opposite sex. . .although it is also helpful in understanding the other adults in your life as well as children of your own sex. The book first shows from scientific studies the differences between males and females (including vision, hearing, and response to stress), and then explores ways to help both boys and girls reach their fullest potential based on their strengths. He covers topics ranging from education to discipline to exceptions to the rule. Dr. Sax is an advocate for single sex education, but much of what he says can also be utilized at home or in mixed classrooms.

Because I couldn’t say it any better, here is a quote from Time:

Until recently, there have been two groups of people: those who argue sex differences are innate and should be embraced and those who insist that they are learned and should be eliminated by changing the environment. Sax is one of the few in the middle–convinced that boys and girls are innately different and that we must change the environment so differences don’t become limitations.

The Hidden Art of Homemaking

I wish I could “require” Edith Schaeffer’s excellent book to be read by every young woman. I recently finished rereading this book after rediscovering it on my shelves. Although I absorbed the general ideas of this book by observing Mimi and Mom in their roles as homemaker, Mrs. Schaeffer makes a clear case for how and why the hidden arts should be developed. While it is written in a way so as to benefit men or women in all stages and walks of life, its message is much needed by the young women who have been trained to think that a salary gives value to work and that being a homemaker is a lazy (or boring) choice. In the author’s own words:

I would define ‘hidden art’ as the art found in the ordinary areas of everyday life. Each person has, I believe, some talent which is unfulfilled in some hidden area of his being–a talent which could be expressed and developed.

The meat of the book is divided into chapters based on different areas such as music, flowers, writing, food, and so forth. It has inspired me to re-examine the way I go about my daily homemaking duties, both in considering the worth of seemingly menial tasks done well as well as in looking for little ways to enrich our lives.

We like Harry

Harry Potter started flying off bookshelves and into children’s lives during the years that I wasn’t paying much attention to juvenile fiction. I had already received my B.A. in English with a focus on children’s literature and was no longer spending my summers working in the children’s department of the local library. I was a mother, but at the time I was busy introducing my children to characters such as Madeline, Peter Rabbit, and Christopher Robin.

So it was that I didn’t take much notice of J. K. Rowling’s series of books until Drama Boy started reading them about three years ago. I still didn’t really pay attention, even when Boy Genius began the series as well. I knew there were some Christians who objected to the magic in the books, but I didn’t have much reading time and fantasy is not a genre I particularly enjoy. Larry was listening to the audio version with the boys while they ran their paper route so I left it to him to discuss any elements that needed discussing.

Fast forward to this spring, when I was waiting for someone in the van and saw that Drama Boy had left Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone (the first book in the series of seven) in the front seat. Never one to resist a book, I reluctantly picked it up and started reading. And was hooked. I still don’t care for fantasy as a genre, but I was impressed by Rowling’s writing in general and the development of characters (and their imaginary world) in particular. One book led to another, and pretty soon I had devoured the entire series.

In the meanwhile, Boy Genius resumed reading (he had never gotten past the Prisoner of Azkaban) and Twirly Girl started reading. As I read, I did decide to set some age guidelines because I felt some of the scenes in the later books are rather intense for my younger kids. Even with those restrictions, suddenly all three older children had something in common with each other–and with me (and Larry). I finally understood some of the things that Drama Boy had been saying and doing for years, and meanwhile the kids set up a Quidditch field in the back yard and made their own wands so they could work on their Patronus charms.

As for the ever-popular movies, the most recent of which was released last week, we’ve held to our standard movie rule:

You must read the book before you can watch the movie.

The boys had already purchased and watched the first three movies; Larry and I ended up buying the next two (which are rated PG-13) when I became possessed with the urge to watch all five before attending Half Blood Prince. We had hoped to attend the midnight showing last Wednesday, just for fun, but were unable to find a babysitter at that hour. We settled for going Wednesday evening, which is just as well because enough caffeine to keep me awake until 3am is not a good thing. We both enjoyed the movie very much, more so as we couldn’t remember the last time we went to a movie just the two of us, but even so my standard movie review applies:

The book is always better than the movie.

The Apron Book

I’ve been eyeing EllynAnne Geisel’s Apron Book at amazon for some time, and last week I found it at our library. It’s an unusual sort of book, combining a general history of aprons with personal apron stories, apron patterns, and a handful of recipes. Illustrations include old art, family photographs, and pattern covers as well as new photographs of old aprons and of projects included in the book.

I enjoyed reading this book, but am glad I found it at the library (although I reserve the right to change my mind and buy my own copy later). My favorite parts were the photographs of people wearing their aprons while going about their daily work, and the personal anecdotes which were aptly labeled “every apron tells a story.” The history of aprons included nothing that was new to me, and I didn’t look closely at the recipes as I prefer to try new recipes that come from a friend or family member. The included apron patterns are simple, although that provides plenty of room for adding personal style.

I think this book would make a nice gift for someone who enjoys aprons or who remembers the days when every woman wore an apron.

Let Me Be a Woman

The fact that I am a woman does not make me a different kind of Christian, but the fact that I am a Christian does make me a different kind of woman.

I first read Elizabeth Elliot’s book on womanhood as a college student, probably before meeting Larry; I recently found it on our bookshelves and decided it was time to reread it. The book was written as a collection of notes to her daughter soon before she married, and as such is divided into a large number of short chapters which relate to each other as a whole although many could stand alone if read  individually. The first half of the book covers a variety of matters pertaining to womanhood (single, married, or widowed); then there are a few chapters discussing manhood as it fits into the role of husband; and the second half of the book primarily focuses on marriage. Mrs. Elliot assumes that her audience already undertands that men and women are created to complement each other; this book seeks not to persuade but to give practical ideas of what marriage looks like when a man loves his wife as Christ loves the Church, and when she in turn submits to him as the Church submits to Christ.

Made from Scratch

I know. . .some of you are now rolling on the floor laughing that I brought home a library book called Made from Scratch (by Jenna Woginrich). What can I say–my curiosity got the better of me! At any rate, the book was an entertaining read, even though I already do many things from scratch.

The first couple chapters held the most interest for me, dealing with backyard chickens and gardening. There is currently a request to allow chickens in our town again, and after reading this book I plan to do more research on chickens if the ordinance is changed. We eat a whole lot of eggs, but since leaving Iowa and losing our source of fresh eggs, it’s a meal that is hard for me to choke down. (A lot like going back to store milk after buying from a local dairy, but our yard isn’t big enough to support a cow! ) The vegetable gardening isn’t a new idea for me, but I’ve never tried it before and found some ideas and encouragement that might make a small plot finally happen. I figure I’ll start with tomatoes and see how much marinara I can get.

Most of the chapters dealt with things I already do (cook from scratch) or things I don’t care to try (raise angora rabbits for their fur); the only other topic that interested me was beekeeping. As much as I love to cook with honey, I’m going to stick with supporting local beekeepers. You know why, if you’ve ever seen me freak out in late summer when bees (or are they yellow jackets?) are the uninvited guests at every picnic!

On a lark. . .

If you sew, you may be familiar with Lark Books: they’re definitely worth hunting down for the eye candy and inspiration. However, when it comes to actually trying some of the projects, I’ve run into a certain amount of frustration.

My favorite, hands down, of the books I’ve read is Hip Handbags by Valerie Van Arsdale Shrader, which I’ve already reviewed. After checking it out from the library multiple times, I finally bought my own copy. I’ve made over half a dozen purses and bags using patterns from the book. Its patterns are fairly easy to use. They are printed on grids, so I just lay my swedish tracing paper on my cutting mat and use its 1″ squares to draw the pattern in the proper size. Easy work, compared to tracing Ottobre patterns!

I liked that book so much that last spring I ordered A Is for Apron by Nathalie Mornu. . .sight unseen. Again, the projects and ideas make me want to run to the sewing room and start creating. But wait! These patterns (even the rectangular pieces) must be enlarged to size on a copier, preferably by a professional (read: Larry and I tried to enlarge one on the church copier and failed miserably). So the book still sits on my sewing table, sticky notes marking projects I’m itching to make if I only had the patterns. . .

This week at the library I picked up another Lark Book, Pretty Little Potholders, thinking the projects would make nice hostess gifts. I may or may not actually make any (in part because I’ve got an awful lot of knit dishcloths to give away!), but at least the patterns look useable. Some give dimensions for rotary cutting; the more elaborate ones need to be enlarged, but because they are small enough to fit on a single sheet I could probably do the job with our scanner.

Wordless Wednesday

Goals

I realized that while I shared my sewing progress for March, I haven’t posted anything about my other goals lately. There is a reason for that; it’s the same reason this will be a short blog post.

• Exercise. While I have, as of tonight, logged 20 hours and 35 minutes with the Wii Fit since Christmas, that certainly falls short of my goal of 3 hours/week. The only regular time I have found is after the kids are in bed, and some nights I’m just too tired.
• Reading. After finishing Little Women, I picked up Little Men. It certainly reads differently now that I have my own crew of little men! I also read a library book on raising gentlemen. Unfortunately, the author didn’t touch on my biggest challenge: the uphill fight against the “pack” mentality that comes in a testosterone-dominated home. Anyhow, at the risk of sounding condescending, this book really didn’t say anything I hadn’t figured out on my own. . .hence the reason I can’t remember the title or author for you.