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Pink Shrug
I knitted this pink shrug from the pattern “Molly” in the book, “Junior Knits” by Debbie Bliss. I used Debbie Bliss cashmerino aran. It’s still a wee bit big on my daughter, but she’ll grow into it soon.
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Amigurumi Bunnies
It’s been over 20 years since I crocheted anything. I learned how to make doilies and toilet paper cozies back in high school, but I hadn’t picked up a crochet needle since. Then I saw these adorable Amigurumi creatures. I wanted to make some too. Here are my first two tries. They look a bit…
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Dressmaking
My grandmother was a passionate dressmaker. She was constantly on her old treadle sewing machine, churning out clothing for herself and her family. Sometimes she’d admire a dress on TV, stay up all night making it and have the garment finished by morning. As a young girl, I spent a lot of time with her,…
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Winter Knitting Projects
As soon as we moved in to Camden, Maine for the winter, I found a little knitting and needlepoint shop in the village called Stitchery Square. I bought several skeins of Debbie Bliss alpaca silk double knit yarn (80% baby alpaca and 20% silk) in bright pink and made matching Mama and Baby scarves. The…
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Learning to Knit
I mentioned to my husband once while passing the yarn aisle at a craft store that I had never knitted before. It was more of a wistful sigh than a real wish. At that time I was balancing working at home and taking care of a two-year-old. I had no time to pick up a…
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A Trip to the Sheep Farm
On Open Farm Day, we went to Ellsfarm, a family owned sheep farm in Union, Maine. Their sheep are raised free range, providing healthy dairy products, meat and wool. Farmer Perry Ells names her sheep after movie stars. We saw Madeline Khan and Maggie Gyllenhaal; matrilineal succession marked by the same letter of each animal’s…
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Avocado Applications
The avocado is one of my favorite fruits. Avocado is packed with nutrients such as folate, potassium, vitamin E and lutein. When in season during the summer months, avocados are always on my weekly grocery list. Guacamole People seem to think of guacamole everytime an avocado is mentioned. It’s an easy recipe: mash a whole…
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Children’s Fairyland
This weekend we went to Children’s Fairyland in Lake Merritt, Oakland, an outdoor amusement park with a fairy tale theme. Created in 1950, this historic park still has the creepy allure of old-fashioned fairs. Attractions look like they are in need of a new coat of paint. The pen marked “Three Blind Mice” had a…
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Zinc Oxide for Diaper Rash
Along the lines of caring for our baby the best way we know how is the treatment of diaper rash. No matter how careful or diligent a parent one is, there is no avoiding an incident or two of baby developing diaper rash. Perhaps it’s an allergic reaction to something baby ate, or a soiled…
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My Home Birth Story
October 31 at 9 a.m. my water broke. My midwife, Kristen, came about an hour later to check on me. She suggested going on our daily walk, to help the baby descend lower and bring on the contractions. So hubby and I went to take a walk, which was the longest walk we’ve ever taken,…