From My Old Blog: http://dragonthimble.blogspot.com/ Both my boys are now into embroidering - Ahmad (2 1/2) has a hard time but is starting to get the concept, and Zaahir (7) is now freestylin'!
Here is his latest creation: 
The fabric is from the Cake Rock Beach collection - perfect for embroidering straight lines and geometric shapes and patterns.
It's been a whole month - how the time flies when you're workin' hard! Last Friday was Reading Day at the school where I work, and I was in charge of the events of the day. We started with a spectacular performance by Maiko, a poetry, storytelling, drum ensemble that had all 300 kids - from babies to 5th graders - totally riveted. Meanwhile, with the 6-8th graders, we were exploring the Muslim roots of poetry and writing found poetry using different inspirational speeches as base texts. The students came up with some pretty deep lines. Also, 7th graders performed shakespeare, the whole school participated in Buddy reading, and we ended with an "open mic" poetry reading. What a great day!!! (But I'm glad it's over!)
Back to the crafts: Zaahir (my 7-year-old) and I have been doing a collaborative embroidery, and it is finally done:
He did the drawing and we both worked the embroidery. Next step - turn it into a pillow. Great idea from Amanda Soule, from her book, The Creative Family. Now I understand what she was talking about when she said that embroidering her kids' drawings helped her her connect to their artistic minds. It was a very sweet, meaningful experience, and Zaahir wants to do another one!
In knitting club we are making the butterfly from Zoe Mellor's Knitted Toys. - So cute! The girls are really having a fun time.
Feels like spring!
I finally finished the bunny!
He is already getting his share of squeezes from my kids and from my knitting club girls who all want to make bunnies now!
This bunny took a long time because of all the other projects I had going this year, but the tiger is on the needles now and going faster - now that I have experience with the pattern I feel more confident about playing around with it. So I am using the bunny body pattern and making stripes in white, black, orange, and yellow. Also, I will be adding a tail and making the ears shorter of course:
As much as I love fashion and dream about knitting long cabled coats with fancy cuffs and hems, I really enjoy knitting small things. My current sources of satisfaction are the "lovable toys" from Last Minute Knitted Gifts, and all things MochiMochi! I am working on the bunny and the chicken and egg toy respectively. I can't wait to present these gifts to my boys! One day I might have the time, focus and bales of yarn to knit Elsebeth Lavold sweater coats, but until then, I am content to knit small animal parts.
Bunny parts from "Lovable Toys" pattern
in Last Minute Knitted Gifts
After many blogless months, I am excited to once again have a space for publishing my thoughts and work in fiber, poetry, and dough.
Dragonthimble