and more eggs...

all the eggs sold quickly yesterday so i'm listing this batch tonight!

enjoy!

yours in felting goodness,

shelley

more eggs...

just a quick update here. i was finally able to list a few more felted easter eggs in my waldorfmama shop tonight...

enjoy!

yours in looking toward spring,

shelley

p.s. bex, i'll do my 7 random things post next!

*update*:  all the eggs sold quickly so i'm listing more on friday (2/29)!

grape raspa...

okay, so here is the lastest and last addition to my made-to-order merino wool hats...

my husband picked the name for this color - grape raspa. he grew up in the valley in south texas (only 20 miles from the mexico border) and down there...a snocone is called a raspa. he said this color made his mouth water.

i'm busily trying to restock my waldorfmama shop with more felted eggs, more knitted doll clothes, window stars and more. plus get some custom hats for a dear etsy friend out the door that i've taken WAY too long to finish. i was also tagged by bex (over at poppy and mei days) for a 'seven random things about myself' meme...and i promise i'll do that in my next post, bex!

yours in catching up,

shelley

doll dress...

here is a little doll dress that i just added to my waldorfmama shop, in soft rainbow merino wool (matching the sweaters i made previously) that i bought from my friend, aimee, over at pancake and lulu...

and our little hazel modeling it...

just a simple pullover style dress that is easy for small toddler hands to take on and off. looking toward spring! more coming soon (i'm still trying to get good photos of my window stars!).

yours in knitting,

shelley

*update*:  this dress sold quickly, so i will be making more!

february ten...

inspired by amanda's post on saturday, here are ten little joys that are making me smile this february week...

1.  witnessing the amazing love and joy between my sweet daughter and her devoted papa (papi).

2.  listening to my daughter's voice go high and then low as she 'reads' to her babies or to her papi and me.

3.  beholding the beauty of the handmade toys we choose to surround our daughter with.

4.  the sweet smell of my little one's breath as she wakes up each morning in our family bed.

5.  running across an old picture of our sweet baby girl napping when she was 19 months old.

6.  knitting every day.

7.  the calm, warmth and serenity i feel in our home.

8.  holding, snuggling and nursing my 3 year old toddler many times throughout our day.

9.  the way my sweet husband plays endlessly and tirelessly with our girl.

10.  the happiness and thankfulness i feel each and every day for this beautiful life that i am living!

yours in february joy,

shelley

peachy pink...

here is the latest color in my 'made to order' line of wool pilot caps in my etsy shop, a beautiful peachy pink...

this color reminds me of a waldorf kindergarten, a color that speaks to my soul. you will find this color on the walls in every waldorf kindergarten across the world. the first time i ever walked into a waldorf kindergarten 20 years ago, the beauty touched me so deeply that it brought tears to my eyes. i felt an overwhelming connection to it that has never left me. and i have always painted the walls in my children's rooms this color while they were young. maya's room is this color...

we spend a lot of time playing, reading and just being together in her room (she still co-sleeps with us in our bedroom). it is a peaceful and comforting space to be.  and it always evokes a feeling of tranquility. i love to think that when maya goes into her waldorf kindergarten, she will continue to be surrounded with this beautiful and peaceful color that i am so drawn to and that she has grown up in!

yours in peaceful tranquility,

shelley

shop open...

my new waldorfmama etsy shop is now officially open! i'm planning on selling my other waldorf crafts here (i will, of course, continue to sell my handknit natural fiber hats in my original shelleycaskey etsy shop). these easter egg ornaments and handknit wool doll sweaters are just a small start...

i'll be adding more things daily - including more handknitted doll clothing, waldorf window stars and some nature table dolls. drop by for a visit when you can!

yours in felting and knitting,

shelley

*update*:  both doll sweaters have sold but i am knitting more!

new shop...

i've been working on getting some things ready for my new waldorfmama etsy shop. here is a little preview of some of my works in progress...

the plan right now is to open the new shop this week.  i'll keep you updated with posts here in my blog!

yours in creativity,

shelley

woolies...

we love wool long johns at our house...

these are actually a blend of wool and silk. nothing is more comforting or feels better, does it? maya sleeps in her woolies every night...

and lives in them all day long, too, if we're not going out (as evidenced by most of the pictures of her here in my blog). and she wears them as a first layer under her clothes if we do go out. ahh, wool. how we love it at our house!

yours in wooly warmth,

shelley

spring green...

i have just listed a new color of my made-to-order merino wool pilot caps in my etsy shop. introducing spring green...

in shades of spring green, olive and mint. a beautiful variegated yarn in merino wool that is super soft. and made-to-order so you can choose the size you want. i'll be adding 2 more colors from this beautiful yarn collection (for a total of 5 colors), and then i'll be listing more of my one-of-a-kind hats.  i've also got a new design variation on my pilot cap in the works, so stay tuned!

yours in warmth,

shelley

candlemas...

february 2 is one of the important cross-quarter days which make up the wheel of the year. it falls midway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox and in many traditions is considered the beginning of spring. a time of new beginnings. a time when the ground is 'awakened' and a seed is placed in the belly of the earth. promises of the return of the light and the renewal of life. it's time to creep out of the hibernation of winter, cautiously, like the ground hog who emerges on this day to check his shadow. the irish name for this celebration is 'imbolc', derived from the gaelic word for 'ewe's milk'...after the lactating sheep that are nursing their first born lambs of the new season this time of year. a festival that was originally dedicated to the goddess, brigid, keeper of the perpetual sacred flames.

a favorite piece of artwork that graces the far wall of our hallway

traditional symbols and activities for candlemas include:

- candles and candle wheels

- sun wheels

- seeds and grains

- lambs

- goddess figures

- fire and water

- cooking pancakes (symbol for the sun)

- planting a seed or bulb in a pot

- spring cleaning

our candlemas candle decoration

one tradition is for every candle or lamp in the house to be lit for a certain time. or to gather all of the candles from the house into one place and bless them for the coming year. if you have a fireplace, clean out your hearth and then light a new fire. sit around the fire and reflect on your hopes for the coming year. what do you hope to accomplish? what are you passionate about? what seeds do you wish to plant?

a cherished watercolor painting made by my daughter, naomi (now 21), when she was in her waldorf kindergarten

this is also a great time for a good spring cleaning. sweeping the floors with salt water, oiling all of the wooden toys, organizing a creative nook. lifting the darkness of winter and creating a sparkling, shiny new setting for spring!

yours in renewal,

shelley

maya's cupboard...

we recently moved a little wooden cupboard into our kitchen/dining area for maya because we felt it was important for her to have a space of her own in this area of our house...where she can keep the things that she uses every day and the things that are important to her.  she relished filling it up with her things - her bowls and spoons, cutting boards, lyra drawing pencils, stockmar block crayons, paper, modeling beeswax...

and each time we prepare for a meal, she runs to her little cupboard and pulls out her bowl and spoon and gets it ready on her special chair...

she thrives on order and rhythm, like all children do.  and it is such a joy to provide this for her. i struggle sometimes keeping a rhythm to our days, but i see how important it is when i look at her enthusiasm and happiness in something so simple.  and so i work harder at it.  it is this kind of rhythm and routine that helps children, indeed all of us, feel connected to each other and the living world around us.

yours in rhythm,

shelley