Moey's Heart & Hearth: crochet

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It's Tasha Tudor Day, Today!

Today is Tasha Tudor's Birthday. She would have been 97 years old today. This woman exemplified the idea of "filling in the corners." Observers say she was "never rushed" but rarely does one find a person as productive as Tasha Tudor was, as an author/illustrator, lover of the Old Ways, and mother of four.

Clarice at Storybook Woods began a lovely tradition of celebrating Tasha's life and art on her birthday as "Tasha Tudor Day." Today is the day to cook something special from one of Tasha's receipts (I have many written on index cards, from the Tasha Tudor Cookbook --ooooh -- and it's on Kindle now! ) -- or, to do a bit of knitting, or plant something in the garden, have afternoon tea as Tasha did with her children most days; perhaps sew a little something to wear, read a Tasha Tudor book or take a trip to the library and search some of her sweet books out; or watch one or two of her gorgeous, intimate, intriguing DVD's to see how Tasha spent her days on her picturesque New England farm.

In our home, there will certainly be knitting, sewing, painting, watching Take Joy, reading of sweetly illustrated books, and the cooking of something comforting and sweet with a steaming pot for afternoon tea, in celebration of our beloved Tasha Tudor's birthday.

If you are not too familiar with Tasha Tudor, please do go and see this blog.
As a matter of fact, no matter what you have to do today, please go and see it -- Corgyncombe Courant. It's delightful.

Will you celebrate? Tasha loved doing the simple, creative things -- do you? Please let me know, and drop a line to Clarice at Storybook Woods as well. Happy Tasha Tudor Day!

Easter, 2011

It was a wet spring -- a very, very wet spring, and I think even a record-breaking wet spring. It did not seem to stop raining for at least a month.

But spring did bring two rays of sunshine, my sister Deb and her newest baby, E.

They arrived just as I was finishing up matching dresses for all three of the little girls, for them to wear at Easter. Miss Rose also got a new Mamma-made dress, but not matching.

Easter morning was as crazy as ever, with everyone running around trying to get ready for church.

Roks was looking spiffy in mint green, Bert in lavender, and Joman in robin's-egg blue.
Just right for springtime.

Miss Wannie was enjoying spending time with her little cousin so much!

Miss Rose made hats for the baby girls. Wannie really liked hers.
And it suited her, I think.

After a particularly strange and off-putting morning at church, of which I cannot share details, we went to Grandma's for Easter dinner.

Here is Miss Rose in her new dress. The fabric for this dress was such a nightmare! Never ever again. The pattern was lovely though, I plan to make her another one in a better, more manageable fabric.

Here are the girl cousins.

And here are the boy cousins.

And here was a challenge. How to get all nine children to smile/look pretty for the camera, all at the same time? Between Grandma, Aunties and Mamma, there are probably 150 variations of this particular photo, and I bet not one of them has all the kids looking the same way and smiling at the same time.
You can't take away the cute though, the cute is overwhelming.

Here is Wannie, turning her hat into what we call a "Wee-Woo." A Wee-Woo is any hand-knitted or crocheted item that Wannie hugs to her face while she sucks her thumb. I guess it is because we gave her those handmade afghans when she was a tiny baby, and the texture of the knit or crochet is comforting to her. Of course, we think it is so adorable when we give her a new sweater or hat, and she does this very thing with it.

It's so rewarding.

Christmas Day 2010

And then, it was CHRISTMAS MORNING!

All the children got up suitably early, and Mamma and Daddy opened their bleary eyes, and we all soon wandered into the living room for -- PRESENT TIME!

Grandma and Grandpa usually come over for the opening of the presents. It is kind of a madhouse but they enjoy it. Maybe they like my homemade cinnamon rolls. Even though the ones last Christmas had too much brown sugar in the middle, and they got kind of extra-chewy. They were more like toffee-stuffed rolls, but hey -- the extra chewing had to be good for alertness, and nobody lost a filling, so all's good.

THE STOCKING! thestockingthestockingthestockingthestockingthestocking!!!
Yep, I got it done, just in time. Roks was too thrilled.

Wannie got to be my sixth baby to use this "Baby's First Christmas" stocking. Remember way back when, in the 80's and 90's, everyone was edging appliques with puffy paint?

Gater had a *thing* for "siwwy banz" and she received about 400 of them for Christmas, and I have been picking them up off the floor ever since.

Miss Rose, who suddenly became a young lady over the past year, got her first makeup. All in pretty, subtle shades of peachy pink. She doesn't need it, but I figured she might as well learn how to use it while she is still non-adventurous in that area, am I right?

New jams. SO CUTE! It was just funny to think of 2yo Gater as a "big" sister.

All three of the older children love to needle-felt and have made some gorgeous creations. Miss Rose was really thrilled to receive some new wool in natural colors --

--and a pattern book to go with. My sisters and mom and I traded present-buying since they live overseas, and shipping is prohibitively expensive. For example, I was going to send one sister a photography book and two knitting magazines, and the Post Office wanted $60 to send them. Ridiculous! So anyway, many of the gifts my children opened on Christmas morning were really from Aunts & Uncles & Grandparents who sadly, couldn't be there to see the joy.

Yep, still Spongebob addicts. Although, to be up to date, I have not seen Spongebob on the telly for a very very long time, so I think they finally bored of him.

Here Wanny is opening a handmade blanket and teddy bear, which were a collaborative effort between Joman and Miss Rose. I love it when my children make things!

So cute! Such hard work!

The Fashionista was in fine form on Christmas morning.

It was a bit big, but she still wears it almost every day. She just hikes up the skirt and parades around the house. And annoys people with her incessant begging to "hep put on my gwubs! Pwease! Pwease, Mamma!"

The Princess, gwubs and all.

This present came from both aunts, to both little boys. Oh my, the excitement.

The total excitement.

Joman got big into Lego this past year, and we really didn't have any, due to the large influx of small people, but it was time.

Bert sat in this position, almost without moving, for about 30 minutes.

Meet Baby Kim.
Gater hates her. I thought she was so adorable! But Gater throws her out of the crib, leaves her n*ked and lying on the floor. She does not want Baby Kim. She only loves Baby Shooshie.

Awwwwww!

And here is the blankie, all finished. The pattern is from a gorgeous baby-afghan crochet book, and I have made almost all the afghans in it. They are so delicate and pretty, and the patterns are well-written and easy.

So, after a crazy day of opening presents and then cleaning up presents, and madly cooking and stuff, we hosted Christmas Dinner at our house, for sixteen.