Keeping Busy While Stuck At Home – Social Distancing and Witchy Crafts

 

Social Distancing. Self-Isolation. Quarantine. Whatever you call it, most of us are stuck at home for the foreseeable future.

At the beginning of the month, my kids both had colds, and as the panic over Covid-19 was ramping up, I made an effort to not add to the problem, and decided to keep them home a couple of days until their coughs and runny noses subsided. They were better by the weekend, and I was happy to be able to send them back to school on Monday. Then, on Sunday night, the province closed all public schools. All this is a long way of saying, that in my house, we are on day 15 of social distancing isolation.

These days, most businesses are closed for the next couple of weeks, and we are in the middle of what would have been spring break, so the schools aren’t putting anything out until April to help with the kids education. And since we are doing our part to help #flattenthecurve or #plankthecurve or whatever the hashtag is now, we are finding creative ways to keep busy that involve less screen time, and thus, less fighting.

Fibre Art Goals for 2014

Andi’s post about her 2014 knitting goals has gotten me thinking about some projects I’d like to tackle in the new year. 2013 was a year of small projects that could be completed in a few hours to a single weekend.  It helped to keep me engaged and made sure that I always had something new on my needles.  This year, I want to take on a couple of bigger projects.  I want to make sweaters for myself and the kids.  I haven’t made a sweater since 2008, and it took over a year to finish.  Hopefully, I will be able to complete them quicker this time around.

For myself and my daughter, I am in love with the matching patterns Ease and Abate by Alicia Plummer.  For the cuddle baby, the cozy cardigan, Mossy Jacket by Fawn Pea.

I also want to take a bash at improving my skills with a few pairs of grown-up socks; maybe work on a couple crochet critters.  And who can resist bunny slippers?

Aside from knitting, I mean to learn needle felting.  I want to make little soft sculptures.  Of what, I’m not sure yet, but I will come up with something.

I’m going to stop there before I get ahead of myself.  If I plan too much, then it gets daunting and nothing gets done.  I was informed that my camera is back and waiting for me to get out and pick it up, so I should have some lovely progress photos for you all throughout the coming year.

Happy 2014, all!

Look! A Real Blog Post!

I have found myself reading a lot more blogs this summer rather than writing.  As some of you may know, I’ve developed a distaste for random outrage and useless arguments over the past few years.  These days, I prefer my life to be simple, peaceful and focussed on those things that bring me joy.

While I do try to keep up with some of my favourite Pagan blogs, these last few weeks I have discovered some local foodie/mom blogs and knitting blogs that I am really enjoying.  Who doesn’t love food, and snuggly warm knitwear?

Life Updates and a New Idea for the Summer

Hi Everyone!  No, I’m not dead; though some days I feel like it.  Our little family is going to be growing by one member in the fall, and while I’m very excited, I also get the worst morning sickness ever.  I’m starting to feel a little better, and I hope to be up and doing more in the coming weeks.

There are a lot of articles that I have on the back burners as  I’m not in a terribly thinky place right now.  I’m finding that what helps me to feel a little more life-like is doing.  I’ve been stalking pinterest like a drug addicted monkey the last week or so, and I am filled to the brim on great ideas that I want to try.

I’ve also been missing my sewing machine something awful lately, so I have a plan to kill two birds with one stone.  I’m going to be participating in a sewing/DIY blog challenge called The Summer of No Pants.

Mixed Media May

 “For  30 days in May, I’ll feature a different mixed media artist. Every artist was asked the same questions, but their answers are wildly different! Each contributor has also shared some of their favorite mixed media artwork to be featured along with their interview. Prepare to be wowed! The artwork is amazing and the styles are vastly divergent. I promise you’ll be inspired each day.”

Read more at  an annual blog celebration of mixed media artists | Mixed Media May.

Bring on Spring Flowers: Beltane

Beltane, hooray!  This is the big one.  This is the holiday that say SPRING IS HERE!

The weather in Calgary has finally warmed up again – hopefully to stay this time.  I have my seeds on the go.  My little Scrapple tree is now 3 Scrapple trees – they will get divided up on Beltane.  I have lavender and sage and green peas started.  I have a few other flowers, herbs and veggies germinating, hopefully they will be sprouted and ready for the garden by the first.

WW: Tools – Athame

Week 3 of our journey through 44 weeks of Witchery turns our attention to the athame.  All the cool religions have a ceremonial dagger 😉

I think we all know what an athame  is, and the general purpose of it, so I’m not going to go over that again.  Instead, I think I’m going to write a bit about making/decorating your own athame.

Handmade tools are believed to have more inherent power than those that are mass-produced.  However, not all of us have the skill to forge our own blades or the available funds to pay someone else to forge a one of a kind athame for you.

How to make a family tree art project | Chatelaine.com

 

How to make a family tree art project .

via  Chatelaine.com.

This is so cute!  We’ll have to get the little one in on making something like this.  Maybe make it into a growing tree that grows new ‘leaves’ every year as her little fingers grow.