Blog a la Cart

2016 Header

A new year, a new header. A few days late, but it’s here and it so accurately captures our array of Cartwheel critters bedecked in snuggly knits.

I worked with Lydia Mba (who did last year’s header) to execute this update. I asked for Green Mountains, fall foliage, a cartwheel, and our barnyard pack in an assortment of knitwear. I’d say she delivered beyond expectation! Hanna I find particularly endearing this year.

And this sure captures Gladdy’s irrepressible personality!

And Penelope Pig and a baby chick. Cute cute cute!

These illustrations are sure inspiring me to make some knitwear for our flurry and fluffy pack.

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“A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2016.”

Sunny: She received a Cat’s Cradle in her stocking this Christmas and it has kept her absolutely transfixed all winter break. She’s already managed to master Jacob’s Ladder, a feat I conquered much later in middle school. Who needs fancy technology when you’ve got a round of string with which to entertain yourself?
Kaki: Looking very much like a big kid, like the big sister she’ll become this year. Last night, she looked at me very earnestly and said, “Mama, I don’t know how the baby is going to get out of your belly.” I explained the mechanics, as James and I have agreed to be as honest about the biology of all of this stuff while trying to keep it age appropriate. Her eyes got wide and she said, “But, Mama, I have to tell you something else. I don’t know where my vagina hole is. Do I have one, too?” Oh biology with preschoolers. 

More details about The 52 Project here. To view all the portraits in the series visit here.

Baby Elf Hats

Sweet ’16 babes are on my mind and needles this month. I made up this little elf hat pattern on New Year’s Day. I whipped up a few with the scrap yarn from my stash and can’t wait to see them on wee babes in the coming months. I may even keep one for our Gummy Bear. I’ll put together the pattern for folks soon, but couldn’t resist sharing the itty bitty adorableness. You can check here touroftoowoomba for latest pattern of hat.

The last hat is the Garter Ear Flap pattern that I’ve made for three little ones over the past few months. A sweet knit indeed.

DNA Scarf

More photos courtesy of Sunny. She captured a glimpse of the cable knit scarf I made for Kimmy for Christmas (I may have wrapped it, partially done, still on the needles, and finished it up over the break – but it’s finally complete! And extremely lengthy for maximum wrapping). You’ll notice that it’s got an especially nerdy cable-knit pattern – a DNA Double Helix, for Watson’s Number One Fan (my sister). On the surface, it looks like a traditional Fisherman’s scarf, but the pattern creates a double helix, complete with base pair bars to represent Adenine & Thymine and Guanine & Cytosine. For my family of scientists (my dad is a geneticist, and Kimmy a marine biologist), it was a big hit.

Doda received a hat with a fair isle knit of DNA and chromosomes for his Christmas gift. While I may not be a scientist myself, I can certainly appreciate and knit and nerd out with the best of ’em.

^^Sunny thought I looked like a Storm Trooper all wrapped up like this.^^

Doda’s hat on Christmas day:

Details on my Ravelry for Doda’s Hat and Kimmy’s scarf.

Baa-ble Hat

Oh this handsome fella of mine flashing some Blue Steel (or perhaps just a look of annoyance as I aim the camera at his mug). Our homestead would be at a loss without him.

I cajoled James into posing with his Christmas gift, The Baa-ble Hat (which granted he’s been wearing quite some time as I finished it in November and let him have at it). When I saw the Baa-ble Hat on Ravlery, I just had to make one. And I adored the pattern so much, I whipped one up for myself as well (Merry Christmas, me!). I learned how to more skillfully fairisle knit, and it is just so endearing and apt for our life on Cartwheel Farm. If we can’t have fiber animals right now (oh that pesky third baby), we may as well wear them on our noggins.

It’s a free pattern – so get after it, folks!

Sunny has taken an interest in learning how to use the camera, so after school yesterday, we played around and she grabbed some photos of me in my Baa-ble Hat. I added the Alpaca Pom for a little flair – James politely declined the addition of a pom pom to his.

I adore these photos, particularly the one of me grinning. This is how I envision myself when I’m at my most comfortable. My most “me.” No pursed smile or attempts at looking “good” for the camera. No self-consciousness or awkwardness. No posing. No make-up or glitz. Just me as me, smiling casually at my daughter as I coach her through how to focus on my eyes and then hit the shutter.

When James saw the photo he said, “It’s clear that you’re completely at ease with her. Even more so than you are when I take your picture.”

The beauty of the parent/child relationship played out so simply with the click of a button. I’ll cherish her first portrait forever.

2015

Ashley’s feed @blogalacart

Another year in the books. Many beautiful moments, some firsts, some stresses, some losses, some triumphs – as years go, it was a good’un. The ebbs and flows of a year with its expected highs and lows. The loss of James’ grandfather being our deepest low and the pregnancy of The Third being our greatest high. The world around us shared in the highs and lows (arguably more lows), and we don’t go a day without feeling exceedingly grateful for our comfortable, safe, beautiful life in Vermont. We know that we are fortunate beyond measure.

2016 is going to be wilder than recent years previous as we expand our family. But we live for chaos, so bring it on, Little One! We are so excited to begin the year when we’ll meet you. All of us are eagerly anticipating your arrival and all that you’ll add to our lives and family.

In the meantime, a glimpse at our “Best Nine” on Instagram. (Devastatingly, our external hard drive that holds all of our images from 2015 malfunctioned and is now in the hands of some tech folk in the hope of extracting the data so the photos aren’t lost. Assuming they’re retrieved, we’ll do a delayed Year in Review.)

Wishing you all a safe and happy New Year’s Eve! We’ll see you in 2016!

James’ feed @cartwheelfarm

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“A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2015.”

Sunny: Ending this series for 2015 where it began, in the pool in South Carolina, next to a black pup.
Kaki: Same bathing suit and everything.

More details about The 52 Project here. To view all the portraits in the series visit here.

Welcoming Maisie

It took us over four months, but James and I finally finished compiling the video of our sweet Fairy Goddaughter’s birth in time to gift to Courtland’s FGPs for Christmas. This labor was so quick and smooth that the video required only one song to capture the labor, delivery and wonderful postpartum bonding. In fact, I think James’ timing of the delivery in the video is actually longer than the IRL version.

Regardless, I was humbled and awed and inspired to be with people I consider family during these precious, vulnerable, life-altering moments. And I’m so happy to share a piece of the magic with all of you.

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“A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2015.”

Sunny: Christmas Eve, awaiting Momar and Doda and Auntie Kimmy’s arrival. Entertaining herself with the keyboard, making up her own Christmas carols.
Kaki: I suggested that the girls dress festively for Christmas Eve Day, and Courtland emerged from her closest wearing every possible item of red she could get her hands on. It was 68 degrees outside (WTF, Climate Disruption?!) but that didn’t stop her from wearing a red velvet dress layered with two different sweaters.

More details about The 52 Project here. To view all the portraits in the series visit here.

Merry Christmas // 2015

Cards courtesy of Minted