Getting Started

Ma had blown out the lamp because she did not need its light.  On the other side of the hearth she was swaying gently in her rocking chair and her knitting needles flashed in and out above the sock she was knitting.

-Little House in the Big Woods

I may be a child of the late eighties and nineties who fully embraces modern plumbing and my iPod, but my heart has often wandered to the prairie and played alongside Mary and Laura (and Rose, Caroline, Charlotte, and Martha) as I read Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books and their later sequel/prequel series about the other women in her family.  I've always loved pioneer stories, historical fashion, and making things from scratch, the old-fashioned way.  As I've gotten older, busier, and had children of my own, I've begun to appreciate my microwave, the internet, and shortcuts more and more, but I still love to revisit the world in these beautifully vivid stories.

Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote with such detail about the way things were made when she was growing up, that it's really disappointing that there isn't a book of Little House crafts akin to The Little House Cookbook.  There is My Little House Craft Book, which has a small sampling of things made in the series, but it's an odd mix and there is no knitting.  There's also My Little House Sewing Book, but there's definitely no omnibus.

I am not setting out to write that book, but as I was collecting ideas for knitting patterns inspired by the books, it occurred to me that there are lots of things in the books that I'd like to make, certainly enough to create a blog around.  I'm not much of a designer, and my research resources (and time) are limited, but gosh, wouldn't it be fun to do?

So here's the plan so far; I'm going to work my way through the books, and every time a craft is presented, I'm going to try to make it myself, or at least a close version of it or something inspired by it, and if it's something that I can feasibly make, I'll gather up links and images and whatnot, for your inspiration.  I'm skipping the food, because someone has already done it.

Fair warning for the journey ahead:  I have a toddler and an infant and a full-time job (and a dozen other things I'm trying to knit already), so posting may be erratic.  I'm not an expert at anything, though I'm pretty competent at knitting, so expect a few crooked seams.  Also, I'm a clumsy photographer, so please bear with me. I'm doing this for fun, I don't want to drive myself crazy with deadlines or trying to sew a prize-winning quilt or take perfect photos.

Have ideas?  Want to join in?  Let me know in the comments!