As hoped we made it to the local dairy for a visit with the animals.

The main draw of our visits is always a chance for the kids to test their hands at milking. We time our visit accordingly and arrived just in the time for the late afternoon milking.

Amalia had last minute cold feet (“I don’t like milk so why would I touch it from a cow?”) but Elizabeth is always eager to get in there. I tried milking during our last visit and it was a lot of fun. I’d always been curious what it would be like and it was just as I’d imagined.

I’ve mentioned before how we dream of homesteading, growing our own food and living a more sustainable life. We enjoy these visits as an opportunity to take closer look at what that reality means and explore what we imagine it to mean for us. We usually walk away repeating our desire to stick to growing food not raising livestock (apart from some laying hens) but then we wonder…maybe a couple of sheep…or a sweet jersey cow? But that is then and this is now…for now we enjoy practicing our green thumbs in our veggie garden and visiting the animals at the dairy farm.

Just look at that sweet tail.

This sweet little calf was so precious.

We watched the cows wander back to their field from the milking barn.

But in this cage was where the small people had the most fun…

…visiting the very understanding rabbits.

They were thrilled when they took the offered grass.

And squealed with delight when they nibbled at little fingers.

Maybe that someday farm of ours will have to include some rabbits.

I love the ocean. I long for it. I dream about it. I imagine the smell, the sounds, the taste and the feel of it when I am far away.

I grew up near the ocean. Summer vacations were spent there. Long weekends often included a drive along the shore. Many trips were made across the small strip of it between Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island when we visited my grandmother.

Now I live in Alberta. It feels very far away from the ocean. My ocean.

And as much as my home is most certainly wherever this family is together, returning to the ocean always feels like coming home.

It has been six long years since I visited my east coast home. I am thankful, though, that my in-laws have relocated to the west coast (a little more within reach than the east coast) giving us an ocean destination to visit.

It’s wonderful to breathe it in. Feel it beneath my feet. Explore its endless wonders and mysteries.

We’ve loved the opportunities to dig in, get dirty and soak it all up.

And someday I hope to have a permanent home near the ocean.

One where we can kick off our shoes and enjoy many long days adventuring.

Do you have a home away from home? Somewhere that always calls you back? Or are you settled in your heart’s home?

Things have felt rather heavy for me this week. There have been some sadnesses, some questions, some discussions, some concerns. Nothing serious but a combination of things that have weighed me down.

While I’ve been needing extra rest these last few days, it has been hard to let go of some things. Harder to be still and leave certain tasks for another time. Harder to trust. Harder to wait.

This afternoon found me at a loss. Feeling rather tender and emotional and needing to get out of my sulk. Something took me to the basement past my poor neglected sewing machine and I found myself cutting out fabric for an idea I had in mind.

Despite my touchy sewing machine, my beginner sewing skills and the extra time spent with the seam ripper, it was a wonderful refreshment. A change in attitude and thought that was just what I needed to get over myself and my frustrations. – Rather surprising as I certainly had a lot of frustration while trying to figure out how to construct my project.

After a dinner break, and a consult with my wise husband, I had a solution and soon after that a finished knitting bag out of the cut-off of a hemmed curtain and some quilting cotton I had on hand.

In the end it was one of those sewing conundrums where I thought too hard and suddenly none of it made sense.

Thank goodness for wise hubbies, the freedom of creativity and crafting successes at the end of a long day (or week).

I added a little tool case from the quilting cotton lined with a thrifted pillowcase…a little later in the evening as you can see from the change in lighting.

Just as my knitting feels a little more organized, my mind feels a little less cluttered. Some of that weight has been passed to much more capable shoulders, and some of the peace I felt I was missing has found me again.

Phew.

Wishing you all creative freedom, crafting successes and peace in abundance.

Much love, R

After making the rocket man hat I decided to take a look around and see what other projects I could find for some of my felted sweaters and felt scraps.

Sharing a few of my favourite tutorials here:

From Alli at One Pearl Button the Sweater to Long Mittens and Cloche Hat tutorial.

From Not Dabbling in Normal the Wool Sweater Bag tutorial.

From Made the Child’s Sweater Vest.

From the Prairie Girl the Recycled Sweater Vase tutorial.

From Thrillingly Thrifty a tutorial for Wool Sweater Slippers.

From Night Owl’s Menagerie, Wool Dryer Balls.

And although it isn’t a tutorial, a sweet blogging friend of mine posted her version of the rocket man hat and some perfect-for-little-hands felt mittens here – I think the toggles are genius!

If you are not into making, these shops have some sweet items made with upcycled sweaters.

tactileQuality

Sweet Poppy Cat

SighFoo

Bula Jean’s Boutique

Hope you find some inspiration! Looking through these did the trick for me – I have some newly thrifted sweaters to show off in an upcoming post!

Have you tried crafting with felted sweaters? Any tip, tricks or projects to share?