Little Acorn

8 More Sleeps

Yikes! Only 8 more sleeps until we're on our way. I'm not freaking out yet, but I reserve the right to freak out at any time. There's no way you're getting a coherent post from me today, so what  you're in for is a fairly random list of things I'm doing, things I'm obsessing thinking about and a few photos.

1) The Vietnamese Embassy is awesome! We got our passports back with visa's attached in an amazingly short period of time. That's one less thing to worry about. We also have airline tickets and a hotel booked. On the way over we have a 7 hour layover in the Hong Kong airport and I don't even want to count up the total travel time, but I know we leave on the 17th and we don't arrive in Hanoi until the 19th.

2) I've been filling the big freezer downstairs with food so that hopefully I won't have to really cook for a month when we get home. Lasagna and spaghetti sauce. Won tons and pot stickers. Meat pies. Knaedles (a German gnocchi-ish dumpling). Cookie dough (new dads need cookies). Soup. Homemade waffles. Tasty, comforting, easy dinners.

3) So the other morning I woke up obsessing thinking about Christmas. We always dreamed of having our girl home for her first Christmas, but didn't really expect it to happen. We really expected a sad and lonely Christmas this year while we missed our girl who was a world away. But we'll be home - and it will be her FIRST Christmas. And of course, I want it to be PERFECT. But David reminded me that it doesn't have to BE perfect, it just has to LOOK perfect in the pictures, because she won't remember it anyway. So as long as we have a tree to pose in front of, new pajamas and a Christmas dress, a picture with Santa, a stocking and a few presents we're just fine. The whole house doesn't have to be decorated, I don't need to do a bunch of baking or make a lot of food because she'll still just be on the bottle and the most important thing is to spend the day as a family, remembering how lucky we are to have each other for this Christmas and all the special days to come.

3) My packing piles are getting HUGE. I'm putting everything I want to take into the piles and then I will edit as I put things in the suitcase. I'm willing to spend the entire 3 weeks in the same outfit if it means I can cram in more small cute clothes for the small cute person...

4) Her room is very close to being finished. David is just finishing painting the new shelves and then I can put things on them. We have no art work/mobile/mirror, but that can wait until we get back.

5) We do have bedding though. I made the duvet cover last night in record time. I was looking through my fabric and found what I wanted to use, but it was mostly vintage tablecloths which all have stains, which means I would have to strategically cut them and make the cover patchwork style. It didn't take me more than a few minutes of thinking before I knew now wasn't the time. After we're back I'll work on that one, but last night I just took out the Alexander Henry Calico Cats and their matching backing fabric, cut 2 lengths (luck was with me and the width I needed was exactly the width of the fabric), seamed them up and added velcro. Voila! A puffy happy colourful duvet. I don't know if she'll even sleep under it for awhile though as she has some cozy sleep sacks which are safer and will stay on, but I do look forward to cuddling up with it while we rock in the rocking chair.

6) I don't think I obsess about safety enough sometimes. Then I obsess about not thinking about it. Then I obsess about thinking about not thinking about it when I should be thinking about other things. I mean we've got the basics - a rocking awesome car seat, a gate at the top of the stairs, locked up poisons, etc, but some people get so INTO the safety and baby proofing. Am I a bad Mom because I think everything will be okay and I don't think of the world as out to get my baby?

7) I've found a little time to make a few small things for the small person, including some small softies, soother clips and a wrist rattle. With the wrist rattle I did make sure that those bells weren't going anywhere. They are in their own triple stitched bag inside of the triple stitched outer part. And the bells are small enough anyway that they wouldn't cause choking and would likely be swallowed and passed.
With the soother clips I know they are possibly (only a very small possibility though as I made them very short) a choking hazard so she'll only have them when she is awake and supervised. I don't know if Lam will want or need a soother, but she is going to be going through so much of an upheaval in her world and everything is going to be strange and possibly frightening for her, so if she will take comfort in a soother I certainly wouldn't deny her that.

8) It's not too late to get the log-in information for our private travel blog - just send an email using the link below tea-drinking Lisa over in the left sidebar. 

9) Did I mention it was only 8  more sleeps? Last night I had the first of those dreams - the one where I've forgotten I have a baby until I hear her crying and then I can't find her, then I can't find a bottle to feed her, etc. I know it's a very typical new Mom dream. The funny part - in the dream I realized that the baby could talk in full sentences (she told me when she grows some hair she wants it long with layers) and I thought "Well at least now we can ask her what name she wants!". David and I have a list of 5 that we're taking to Vietnam with us to see which one suits her, but it WOULD be easier if we could just ask her what she wants.

10) My list is as long as my arm today, so I'd better get busy, but I thought you all deserved an update!

Finished!

You guys gave me such great feedback on my WIP's and wanted me to finish the quilt, so how could I disappoint you? Plus having to be in Vietnam in 2 weeks is pretty motivating. I thought I was fairly efficient and hardworking before we got this news, but now I am in super speed mode and am getting a lot done. Last night while watching some much needed television I finished hand sewing the binding on the quilt.I love hand sewing, so it was a fun evening. I agonized so much over what to use for the binding, but once I decided it needed to be finished TODAY I just got to it and stopped thinking so much. I think this is the way I need to operate until we go - less thinking, more doing. This was my very first quilt and I'm really happy with how it turned out! It's meant to be a floor quilt for playing on, but since baby Lam has no bedding yet and I just don't like anything I see in the stores, she may be sleeping under this for awhile until I make something different.

*WIP

* That's "works in progress" for those of you who might not know that.

I like calling them "works in progress" rather than half finished attempts at craftiness languishing in the pile 'o shame because of 1) pure laziness or 2) some unforeseen disaster. I was doing a big tidy up of my studio in anticipation of moving it downstairs so that the room off the kitchen can become a playroom and I found a lot of WIP's. Here's just a sampling...

#1 Crocheted Baby Blocks

 

Project started: end of May 2009, when I was so very sick

Reason for stall: too lazy to go to the foam shop

Likelihood of finishing: I even have all the ends woven in, so I think it's pretty likely these will get finished

#2 Baby Beret/Tam/Slouchy Hat

Project started: Thanksgiving weekend

Reason for stall: I think I'm going to run out of yarn and that makes me anxious

Likelihood of finishing: I like knitting small gauge in the round, the yarn is pretty and a baby in a slouchy hat (possibly with a pom pom) is too cute, so I think this is the most likely of these projects to get finished quickly

#3 Booties?

Project started: no idea...If I had to guess I would say Autumn of 08

Reason for stall: lost in pile of other stuff

Likelihood of finishing: After I took the picture I did find the soles and lining for these, so if I can come up with the pattern I was using I suppose I could finish them...but I probably won't

#4 Jumper Dress

Project started: July 2009

Reason for stall: we didn't know if the small person was going to be a boy or a girl, so I thought I should wait before making too much girl stuff

Likelihood of finishing: I'm intimidated by this project for some reason, but I suppose I'll give it a try at some point

#5 Play/Floor Quilt

Project started: August 2009

Reason for stall: I don't know what fabric to use for the binding and the vintage linen I used for part of it got all stretchy and weird so it's not very square anymore which bothers me

Likelihood of finishing: It's too big a project to just leave, so I'm going to have to just pick something and finish the binding and live with the less-than-square aspects of it

#6 Crib Blanket

Project started: October 2009

Reason for stall: I lost my crochet hook down the heat vent, am discouraged by the amount of ends I have to weave in, I didn't buy enough of the teal yarn and it's turning out way crunchier than I'd hoped (I went with acrylic for practicality and it's just awful)

Likelihood of finishing: The colours are perfect for our girl's room, but once I lost my hook I lost all enthusiasm for this project. It will end up at least a dolly blanket, but I may not finish the crib sized one

There are more, but I just have to leave it at that. All creative people have WIP's right? I probably have an average amount, yes? How many do you have? What's your oldest WIP? I will definitely absolutely probably finish up some of these soon, I hope. Or maybe I'll just start some new projects. The WIP's are patient...

knitknitknitknitknit

Fresh off the needles this morning is this "Kaia Babydoll" knit from the pattern at Crafty Wee Wifey.

It was an easy, quick and mindless knit, and I love the lack of seaming. It took exactly 2 balls of Baby Cashmerino, which is a satisfyingly soft and squishy yarn to work with. The lace part at the bottom got nixed after my first attempt ended with me having to frog back 3 rows. Lesson: lace and television don't mix. I think it's one of those patterns that I'll make again and again, but there are definitely changes I'd like to make. In all the pictures that accompany the pattern the neckline definitely rolls and I can't say I like that. Mine is rolling a bit too, but I'm hoping once it's blocked it will straighten out. Why am I so delusional about things like that? It's not like I didn't notice the roll...I just thought mine wouldn't do that, which is just plain denial of the facts. Next time I'll work a few more rows of garter stitch or maybe moss stitch (my all time favourite) which will hopefully stop the rolling. I think I'll also try it in a smaller gauge as the bottom is just too loosely knit and drapey for my taste. I'd also like to try it with the whole skirt portion in a lace pattern, but with the increases every 5 rows, this might prove too tricky for me. All in all I'm happy enough with it, and of course once our small person is wearing it, no one will notice if the neckline rolls or if I forgot one of the increases.
Next I'm looking for a pattern for a 3-6 month sized shrug/bolero/short fitted cardigan, hopefully in a really easy lace pattern. And while I'm wishing I'd like it to be knit top down, with no seams. Is that too much to wish for? Or it could be a crochet pattern, but then I'll have to learn how to crochet more than granny squares. In Vietnam the ceremony at the government office where Vietnam's Lam becomes our daughter forever is called the "Giving and Receiving Ceremony" and of course we want her to be dressed beautifully to start her new life with us. These are clothes we will keep forever and hopefully someday they will be special to her too, so it feels really important to us to choose just the right thing. In my fantasies she is in beautiful handmade clothing from top to bottom, but although I have a rich imagination, I DO know my limitations, and sewing fancy baby clothes isn't within my skill set. I wish it was possible and I feel a touch guilty about having store bought clothes for such a momentous occasion, but I know I'm setting myself up for disappointment if I try and make her a special occasion dress. We have bought her a really lovely little jumper dress and blouse, and because it will be winter and cold in Northern Vietnam she needs to have at least a sweater to go over it for the ceremony, and that I know I can manage. Now just to find the right pattern...

So Helpful (Sew Helpful?)

Musette's job is to make sure that nothing is left uncovered in fur in this house. She's very good at it, and she takes her work seriously. And if something is soft and in a sunny spot it's sure to make it to the top of her list of "Places I Need to Sleep". I left my current project draped over the sewing machine and returned not long after to find her extremely pleased with the renovation I had made to the work table. She thought it looked just right for a long cat nap. After she posed so nicely for photos I did let her stay there for a little while. I just couldn't be that mean.

A Gnome Hat

In red, of course.  Okay, I am SERIOUSLY in love with everything about this hat.
I enjoyed every minute of the approximately 3 hours it took me to make, including the knitting, sewing up, fabricating that ludicrously large tassel and braiding the straps.
And cute? It squeezes my heart when I think about it - that's how cute it is. The giant cable. The floppy tail. That huge tassel. It all just works for me. I wish I could point you towards the pattern, but I photocopied the instructions out of a library book a few years ago and of course have no idea what the book was. If anyone knows, I'd love to find out and give credit where credit is due to the designer of this awesome hat.
 
Yes, I have been doing all sorts of other things besides knitting, but you wouldn't know it from my posts lately. I've even been working on a large sewing project that may or may not be my first patchwork quilt - hopefully I'll share news of my triumph with you soon.

Yay for Steph!

Lovely Steph, who you may know from her blog Lovestitches proposed a trade when I lamented that the brown vest I had knit was too small for our small person. Soon after, a package arrived in the mail (all the way from New Zealand, where I still can't believe it's spring and not autumn) which contained this wonderful, squishy and jingly hand stitched wool felt ball. It's just perfect for a baby. Sometimes she sells them in her Etsy shop and I feel very lucky to have one! The brown vest is on it's way to the southern hemisphere (I'm going to blame Canada Post for its tardiness, but really I procrastinated on taking it to the Post Office) and I hope that it is keeping a brand new human warm soon!

This is my first trade, and you know what? I'm ALL ABOUT IT now. I love all things handmade, and even though I make a lot of things, I probably don't make exactly what you make, so if you are interested in trading something handmade for something I make (a bib? a hat? a baby vest? a softie of any sort?) just send me an email and we'll see if we can arrange something. Trades = big fun. And isn't it great to get something in the mail that isn't a bill?

Cable Baby Hat

 
A so-very-soft cable hat in Patons Bamboo Silk using the 10 cable baby hat pattern from Hey Julie.
My only modification was to make a longer folded brim. The cables make it a nice stretchy hat, so I think the folded brim makes for a hat that can be worn for longer. Nothing sillier on a baby than a too short hat perched on their wee noggin! I made a similar one in different colours as a gift last week (but I forgot to photograph it), but this one is for our very own small person, whoever he or she may be.

A Forest Spirit

Hide and seek?

Come out, come out wherever you are!

That's a great hiding place!

Now that I've found you, we can smell the roses together and then we'll share some crackers and cheese, tell each other stories and take a nap in the shade.

This little forest spirit of undetermined animal origin is a gift for Angus, my brand new...cousin once removed? Second cousin to the small person? I'm not exactly sure of the relation, but he's the handsome new baby boy of my cousin and soon he'll be snuggling this wee softie.

Brown

A brown vest with mismatched buttons, knit for the small person, but unfortunately too wee in the end. Oh well, it will either be a doll sweater or it will find a brand new baby that needs a toasty vest. It was supposed to be about a 4 to 6 month size, but it ended up measuring more in the newborn range. Yes, gauge issues and a lack of a swatch can definitely be blamed. I admit it - for small projects I almost never swatch. I work a couple of inches and then I measure and rip it out if I have to. This time I measured and I KNEW it was probably too small, but I kept knitting anyway. I was hoping for some sort of last minute miracle at the blocking stage, but it didn't happen. I used this pattern, and it turned out super cute and once again there was almost no seaming - just the one shoulder. That was enough though. I think my seamed shoulder is lumpier than it should be and I'm probably going to go for buttons on both shoulders for my next one to make it a zero-seaming pattern. Yes, I've already started another, with chunkier yarn and bigger needles. Once again, no swatch was made, so it will be a surprise what size it will end up. You would think I'd learn, wouldn't you?

Jailbird Sweater

Okay, some of you may say it looks like a zebra sweater to you, but I totally get a classic prison stripes vibe when I look at this black and white short sleeved baby sweater and hat I knit last week.
I suppose if the Small Person HAS to get a tattoo a classic "Mom" is the one I'd want him to get...

The pattern is the Little Coffee Bean Sweater and it was a JOY to knit from start to finish. A top down raglan with NO SEAMING. Oh how I hate seaming. Oh how all my seaming always looks lumpy and weird. We won't discuss the many couple of projects I've got tucked away, all knit but languishing in a box because I just can't face the sewing up. Top down seamless raglan anything is a friend to me. This is now my go-to pattern for baby cardigans.
Ahhhh, I just love stripes. These ones are just two colours and only two rows each so the yarn is just carried up the side, which means it also doesn't have a million ends to weave in. I'm kinda in love with the jailbird sweater. Thanks to Elizabeth at the Brown Stitch for the free pattern! I'm also really grooving on her Concetta Cardigan and might need to take a break from knitting tiny things, buy the pattern and make something Lisa-sized.

Katie Jump Rope

I haven't even taken it out of it's wrapping yet, but I'm very excited about it! As I said, I don't buy much new fabric, but the Katie Jump Rope was just too good to pass up. Aren't the colours gorgeous?

Do you have to have had your growing brain warped by the palette of the seventies to appreciate it? I'm finding myself really drawn to orange and brown lately, which just has to be a childhood flashback. And orange, red and brown argyle? Swoon.

I'm loving it SO much. I ordered some pre-cut squares and strips of the Katie Jump Rope collection from this etsy seller with the idea that I will make a small quilt for the small person. It was a great transaction and my package came super fast. I'm having some nice fantasies about how FUN it's going to be to work with these fabrics and how super nifty my finished quilt is going to be, but I haven't really realized yet that I actually don't know how to make a quilt. I bought the already cut pieces (even though it feels like cheating) as that's the part I'm not sure about. Straight lines aren't really my friends, and while I can sew a straight seam, cutting out straight, on-grain pieces kind of intimidates me. I can learn quilting from books and the internet, right?

The Last of the Bibs (I promise)

 
Those are the last of the bib photos. Yes, I did photograph all sixteen, but even I'm not so cruel that I'd make you look at all of them!

Still More Bibs

 
Most of these bibs were made with recycled/upcycled/reclaimed bed linens as are a lot of my projects. I buy very little fabric new, mostly for thrifty reasons, but also for environmental. These are some of my favourite vintage sheets that show up in project after project of mine. That red/white/blue floral up top is almost gone and I'm hoarding what I have left for just the right thing. I search out the old 100 percent cotton sheets as they're such a great quality to sew with and the colours and patterns are often so bold and bright.

More Bibs

Can you tell that red is one of my favourite colours to work with? Red and blue. Red and orange. Red and pink. Red and yellow. Everything goes with red, right? Well, not purple, but then you'll never see me make anything purple. I'm not a friend to purple.