Little Acorn

Happy Birthday, Big Girl!

Just a family celebration for Vivian this year. We started out the day with a waffle brunch. With strawberries and whipped cream, of course.

Here Vivian is working hard to show everybody that she's two. She kept saying "I'm a big girl! I'm TWO!".

Halfway through the day, Vivian got her first big girl haircut. She was extremely patient and she even interacted with our fabulous stylist a bit. The new 'do is taking some getting used to for me, and I still don't know if I should have just kept toughing it out and not gone for the bangs. Vivi does look adorable though, and with her super fine and wispy hair that is still filling in at the temples, I do think bangs were probably the right choice, right? She looks like a kid all of a sudden. Where's my baby gone?

After a nap, Vivian was ready for CAKE! She was an expert at blowing out candles. We had to do a few retakes because Vivi blew them out before they were even fully lit, and I wanted a classic "blowing out the candles" photo. No one minded - Vivian and Adeline took turns blowing them out again and again and then it was time to eat!

My tiny bit of crafting for this birthday was the hat. Vivi has a book about birthdays and she was really into the classic cone hats, so I thought I'd make her a special one for her big day. Nothing fancy, just card stock, fake flowers, glue and a bit of elastic. I expected her to wear it for approximately four seconds, but she kept it on for a lot of the day.

We had other birthday fun planned but the pool was out as Vivian is working through her second back-to-back ear infection and the forest fires are making the air quality terrible and the weather extremely hot and humid, so we just stayed in and Vivi and Adeline had a lot of silly sister fun together. Those two can sure make each other laugh!

Happy Birthday to my littlest big girl!

 

The Sweater

I didn't do much crafting for our second wee one, as I just didn't ever think there really would be a second, and I didn't know if we were waiting for a little sister or a little brother. Then once we found out about our girl, it was all so very "maybe" until the last minute when it was "now now NOW". But I did knit a couple of little sweaters, and I'm so happy that Vivian is still squeezing into this one. The weather has been GORGEOUS here lately, and the sweater isn't really needed, but she looks so adorable in it and she's happy to wear it since it has short sleeves - Vivian isn't a fan of long sleeves these days.

Seeing this really makes me itchy to get knitting again and make Vivi something that will fit her in the fall. I'm picturing the same sweater but in a gently variegated freshly-fallen-leaves palette. This is the "In Threes" baby cardigan pattern I found on Ravelry. I never buy patterns, but I was in such a frazzled state when I was looking for a project that I wanted something that I didn't have to think about and that was guaranteed to turn out right without any brain power from me. This pattern is perfect - easy, seamless, sleeveless (knitting sleeves is my least favourite part of any sweater project) and so very sweet. My front edges roll, which bugs me unendingly, but I don't think that's a flaw in the pattern. I think it's because I used some leftover acrylic-blend yarn from Adeline's rainbow blanket so I couldn't block it properly and it's also stretched pretty tight over Vivi's adorable toddler belly, which both contribute to the rolling, I'm sure. At the time I was getting started, I just wanted to get knitting and used the first yarn I came to that I had enough of, as I needed something to busy my hands and mind while we waited to finally bring home our one and complete our family.

Here's Vivian wearing the sweater last summer right after we got home from Vietnam...

Oh my has she grown! Well, not so much in the hair department, but everywhere else...I don't know why she's looking so serious in the pictures I took this afternoon and so gleeful in this picture from last June. Last June Vivi was crying pretty well every minute she wasn't touching her Mama when we were out in the garden and now being outside is Vivian's ultimate happy place and she loves to just explore and play as I putter around.

 

I sat down to make my grocery list...

... and instead started drawing some ideas for a new squirrely valentine. I took a break for the last couple of years, but those are still the posts I get the most hits on (over four thousand a day recently when it was featured on a Japanese paper cut site) so I should probably give the people what they want and do another valentine pattern. I really  love papercutting. The doodling and designing and then that soothing meditative work as you slice into the paper again and again with that wickedly sharp blade.

If you want to see the previous patterns the links are here for 2008 and here for 2009.

Watch for updates and hopefully a pattern by no later than the 1st of February. Now that I've said it, I have to do it, right?

Sunglasses recommended

Fifty out of seventy squares are completed for Adeline's all-the-colours blanket. If I was a math person I'd figure out what percentage that is. It's way more than half, is all I know, and that feels pretty good. One percentage I can figure out is how many ends I've woven in and besides the ones that were crocheted over, the answer would be ZERO PERCENT. Yikes.




It's bright, happy, warm, LOUD and joyful - just like Adeline.

She's going to love it!

A Dolly

I had so much fun getting into my studio to make this custom doll in a so-Valentiney pink/red/green colour scheme. It was ordered for a little one who is currently in China and who will be joining her forever family soon. I just love all the amazing stories that my dolls would have to tell if we couId get them all together for a reunion someday. I really need to find more time. Okay. That's not true. There's no way to find more time...I just need to make better choices about how to use the little bit of free time I have in a week. But sometimes bad television, random web surfing, Pinterest, knitting and sitting on the sofa with the lights dimmed so I can't see the mess is just so tempting.

Bunny Hat

The world welcomed a brand new baby cousin for Adeline in January and of course what better excuse is there for me to knit my very favourite thing in the world - a super cute baby hat. Not just any hat, but a bunny hat, using the same pattern from "Itty Bitty Hats" that I used for Adeline's 2 years ago although this one I made with a much chunkier yarn, which made it a very fast project. It was about this time in 2010 that we were waiting anxiously to be invited back to Vietnam and my nerves were being (oh so slightly) calmed by knitting hat after hat for my baby girl. Adeline has outgrown all those baby hats now and certainly would have stretched this one all out of shape, so one of our balls had to model...

Adeline was excited that I was making a hat for "Baby Cousin Annie" and wanted to help. Every little while she would ask me if I needed any yarn unrolled and would take some off the ball for me. A few times Adeline stood in front of me and I put my hands over hers and talked her through making the stitches while she concentrated carefully on what she was doing. There were a lot of happy wishes knit into this wee hat.

Adeline wanted me to find her bunny hat when I told her that's what I was making for the baby, and she's been wearing it stretched tight over her ever growing head for the last few days. My sweet little bunny needs a bunny hat, so without even letting my needles get cold I've cast on for a "big girl" bunny hat.

In the shop...

Actually this lovely girl was a custom order, so she's already come and gone from my etsy shop, but her face was too sweet not to share and I just get all smooshy feeling when I look at that bluebird fabric.

 

 

 

 

The brown-eyed girl in her oh-so-seventies bold orange, yellow and teal floral dress has also just arrived in the shop. I don't do a lot of pre-planning when I start a doll, just grab a fabric I feel like working with and choose a skin colour and it all grows from there. I don't use a pattern or template for the faces and just draw them on freehand and then embroider them, which makes every expression unique. I think this little brown-pig-tailed dolly looks the most like I did as a girl of all the dolls I've ever made. 

 

 

 

Happy Birthday to Mylan

A lot of Adeline's little friends have either just turned two or will be two by the summer, and this week it was time for her friend Mylan to have her big day. Her Mom knows I'm handy with a sewing machine so she asked me to make a banner to celebrate the day and to be used for years to come. I can't say this was my favourite project (it was easy, but repetitive,and took way way longer than I thought it would, especially since I decided that the letters had to be hand sewn) but it was a labour of love, so I didn't mind.

I think the banner looks lovely in our side garden and I'm thinking I definitely have to make one for Adeline now. I should start soon though as with all the other things I've got going on in the next couple of months I know I'll be scrambling at the end to get things ready for my girls big birthday!

And doesn't my garden look good in this picture? It's cropped strategically so you can't see the really weedy patch to the left, and my prized peonies aren't blooming yet, but I'm really pleased that a full season of neglect last year hasn't seemed to have done any harm. This year much more is already being done in the garden as Adeline loves being out there and helping is her favourite thing. She's decided that when she helps outside she's a "Helper Robot" or a "Garden Robot" and it's sweet to hear her proclaim "Helper Robot did it!!!" every time she adds something to the compost bucket or pulls a weed.

A Couple of New Girls

...coming soon to my etsy shop...

I've had SUCH a good response to my handmade dolls. It's making me really squishy happy that people are appreciating the work I do and love my wee girls as much as I do. Now if only I could find more hours in the day, as I seem to be selling them as fast as I can make them - except for the lonely redheaded girl who just can't seem to find someone to love. I have a few requests for more Asian dolls and lots of interest in boy dolls, so that's what's up next!

 

 

Busy Busy

In my Etsy shop...

My photo-shoot assistant is in a lot of the pictures...mostly just as a blur as she grabs dollies and tries to run off with them. Adeline is always so excited when new dolls appear and then she absolutely doesn't get why I want the dolls to sit still and have their picture taken. Adeline knows that dolls are for PLAYING.

 

A Doll With a Cause

Right before the plague struck us all down (we're feeling a little better, thanks) I was contacted about donating a softie to be auctioned off at a fundraising gala in support of a project to help disadvantaged and disabled children in Vietnam. Of course I said yes, and I got straight to work on a sweet dolly, who will attend the gala and go home at the end of the night with the highest bidder. You can read all about the project here and there are links there to donate as well. Adeline has a couple of friends who were born in that province of Vietnam, so it's close to my heart, as are all the children of that amazing country.

I finally felt well enough yesterday to put the finishing touches on the doll and will pack her up for mailing tomorrow. I'll have to do it while Adeline is sleeping though. As soon as she saw it she said "Mama, please. My doll. My TWO doll. Yay." and then went and got her dolly and made it and the new doll hug. I tried to get Adeline to pose with the new doll, but she'd have none of it - she just wanted to play!

My plan is to make some dolly friends for my etsy shop in the next couple of weeks. We'll see. Plans are pretty hard to make these days when you just don't know what tomorrow will bring.

Merry Christmas Eve Eve!

Presents bought and wrapped?  YES!

Went a wee bit overboard after promising to make it a modest haul for our small person's first Christmas? YES!

All presents needing assembling have been assembled, including Adeline's wee trampoline which only went together with the awesome power of cursing and brute force?  YES!

Tree purchased from the boy scouts in a west coast winter storm of gale force winds and driving rain? YES!

Tree trimmed all around the bottom by a small and very dedicated helper? YES!

 

Toddler pulling all the ornaments off the tree? NO! Adeline gently touches each ornament and says "wow" or "'mazing" (amazing) but doesn't try and take them off

Crazy cat pulling all the ornaments off the tree? YES!

 

 

Adeline having a bad hair day every single day with a combination of desperately needing a haircut, crazy wispy winter flyaways, constant snot and a bad habit of running her fingers through her hair while eating? YES!

Picture taken with Santa? YES! And it's a classic screaming baby Santa photo (but our scanner is a pain)

Outside lights up? YES!

Adeline's stocking made and ready for Santa to fill? YES! (this is what I really thought I'd be doing on Christmas Eve)

 

 

Nana arrived and making life SUPER FUN for Adeline? YES

Adeline super super snotty and cutting all 4 eye teeth and a molar? YES!

David still getting over a bad case of bronchitis? YES!

Christmas baking done? MOSTLY!

Christmas food prepared?  NOT QUITE!

Do I have to go to the stores again? NO! NO! NO!

House clean? NOT EVEN CLOSE! (that's tomorrow morning's job while Adeline and her Nana go out for breakfast)

Only one pocket left on the advent calendar? YES!

Dreaming of a white Christmas? NO! Why set myself up for disappointment.

Dreaming about Santa? YES! At least I am...

 

 

 

Four Friends

I've been as busy as an elf down in my studio lately, making some new dolls. I had a request from two of my friends to make soft dolls with asian features for their lovely daughters, and I was really happy for the inspiration. I decided to make four dolls this time - two to send to their new homes with Adeline's friends, one for Adeline to keep, and one which will make her way out into the world via etsy. The pattern is my own and like most of my projects the materials are a mix of recycled/upcycled vintage linens, clothing, fabric and trim from the thrift stores and new materials when necessary.

We don't know which friend will be going home with which little girl yet, but I think they're all sweet and have a lot of personality.

Adeline LOVES the dolls and every time she spots them she begs to hold them. I know she thinks that they are ALL for her and she can't understand why I don't just give them to her. It is very sweet to watch her hug all four of the friends, but they are destined for the arms of others.

We do know that this strawberry-frocked dolly will be going to live with Adeline's friend Mylan. I know she'll have a LOT of fun at Mylan's house.

I wanted to make dolls with asian features, without using the stereotypical closed or slanting eyes that you see on many dolls, which turned out to be a bit of a challenge. I wanted them to be classic ragdolls, but to match the little girls they would be loved by, and after some experimenting I'm pleased with their simple faces. I definitely will be making more in the new year for my etsy shop...after a search for simple soft dolls of various ethnic backgrounds, I realized that there really is a need out there that my dollies can fill. And I must admit that I've REALLY enjoyed having some creative time - I've missed it. Now I have a few Christmas projects on my list, starting with a stocking for Adeline's first Christmas at home!

Happy

Today when we put Adeline's coat on for a very uneventful trip to the grocery store she got VERY excited and kept saying "Happy!" "Happy!". Yesterday she went to an awesomely fun birthday party (a "happy" in Adelinese) and she was sure that putting on our coats today meant that she was off to another party. Adeline's small friend Jenna turned two last week and Saturday was her day to celebrate with a big party. We were supposed to be out of town this weekend but a last minute change of plans meant that we could attend Jenna's big bash. Adeline always takes a little time to warm up, but once she was ready to party she enjoyed playing with Jenna's toys, having her first bites of chocolate cake and even trying out the bouncy castle once the big kids took a break. After the party she was in a super giddy and fun mood right until bedtime and she kept yelling out "Happy!" which was our cue to sing the Happy Birthday song one more time. 

I managed to find time last week to make a little present for the birthday girl. Since Adeline was busy napping, here is her baby and Zephyr posing with the gift I made for Jenna - a patchwork baby blanket with an ultra soft fake shearling on the back. I've been in my studio quite a bit lately, but this wee blankie is the first project I've finished, but I'll have more to show soon. I've got a crazy huge challenging list of Christmas projects lined up and so far I'm really enjoying working on them.

 

 

Adeline really does know when she's dressed up and you can tell she loves it. I picked out a couple of party outfits and let Adeline choose what she wanted to wear, and of course she picked the brightest, boldest one. I think if I want her to wear the classic black dress I'm going to have to make that choice, as on her own our girl will always pick something more colourful. Adeline even agreed to a jaunty side ponytail and a big pink bow and kept both of them in for many hours. It's so sweet to see Adeline checking herself out in the mirror when she's looking fancy. You can just tell that she feels good.

 

Happy Halloween!

Pumpkin carving - Adeline was amazed when we took the top off the pumpkin and she saw what was inside. She seemed surprised that a pumpkin was more than what it seemed and she said "hiding!" and spent a long time taking the pumpkin guts out and then putting them back and putting the top back on over and over.

David's soon to be traditional Halloween Bark (it gets its own post later this week)

Getting dressed up - Adeline's kitty collar says "Jinx" because when we were discussing baby names last year David lobbied hard for Jinx and a lot of other names more suited to pets or old west ladies of ill-repute. I hope he was messing with me.

Partying with her friend Natalie at Tai's house. Potato chips were declared DELICIOUS.

On our walk home from the party we stopped to trick-or-treat at our neighbour's house - luckily Adeline is willing to share with her family! Adeline really had a fun day and I've already been thinking about costume ideas for next year! Hope everyone's day was spooktacular!

And now on to Christmas! Yaaaaaaaayyyyy!

Green Vest

I was right - the green vest is WAY cuter on a live human baby. You can see the post here from last August where I blogged about making this vest. At the time the newel post did a fine job standing in for our small person while I was attempting to knit away my anxiousness as we waited to find out who our little one was (or indeed if there was even a little one out there for us) but it's just so much better now that I've got Adeline to model! David thinks sweater vests are dorky, even on children, but I think they're totally awesome, and will be knitting more. This one is already a wee bit tight, but it's so cozy and Adeline likes to pat herself when she's wearing it, so she must like it!

I made something!

And Adeline wore it!

 

Isn't it sweet on my girl? The fabric is from the gigantic linen skirt (GIGANTIC) I thrifted a few years ago. That skirt was a very large size, nearly floor length and had a million gathers, so it's the skirt that keeps on giving. I have projects all over the house in this flower sprigged red linen, now including a sweet little dress for my girl.

In fact, "Sweet Little Dress" is the name of the pattern I used and it can be purchased on Etsy. Honestly though, I really didn't need this pattern as I was planning to use a similar style from-the-store top to draft my own, but it was nice to have everything already done for me so that it was a non-thinking, mindless, absolutely satisfying project. And the pocket? That was my creative addition to the dress. Everything is better with a cute pocket. It took me three evenings of David putting Adeline to bed, so maybe an hour and a half to two hours altogether. Adeline isn't walking yet so dresses aren't that practical, so I think I'm going to shorten the pattern and make a few blouses next. I think if I make them tunic length now they will fit for a very long time.

 

And are you Wolfgang's Mom who sent Adeline these amazing, beautiful hangers and the other presents including a needlebook for me all made with impossibly tiny and precise stitches and a ton of charm? If you are, then I am SO SORRY that I lost your email and haven't thanked you for your generosity. We really did love receiving the gifts and I save the hangers for only Adeline's most special clothing. Once again - so sorry and THANK YOU!

The Cutest Little Jailbird!

Now that the weather is cooling off Adeline is getting to wear some of her Mama's hand knits. This is probably the sweater I love the most - I loved every minute of making it and I love how cute it is on my sweet and sassy girl. I knit it last summer, before I knew who our Small Person was going to be or even if our Small Person was a boy or a girl. I certainly had no idea then that the World's Cutest Baby was going to be coming into our lives, but I knew that whoever he or she was, we would need to keep the chill off with some handmade sweaters!

I blogged about making the sweater here and the free pattern can be found here. It's the "Little Coffee Bean Sweater" from The Brown Stitch and this is a seriously awesome and well written pattern. No seaming! Stripes without a million ends to weave in! Cuteness for miles! I'm going to have to make Adeline a bigger version as she's likely to be out of this one before the winter is through.

A Blanket for Adeline's New Friend

As we all know Motherhood = Very Little Crafting Time, but when I found out that our friends would be heading to China in September to adopt their beautiful daughter, I knew that I just had to make something special to welcome her home. We finally met up for Dim Sum today and they got their present, so now I can post the pictures of what I was working on. I decided on a cotton and minky blanket which I hope will keep Adeline's soon-to-be New Friend warm and cozy as she snuggles with her Mom and Dad. When I gave this blanket to Adeline to take the picture her face lit up with huge grins and she kept signing "please please please" over and over again. She rubbed the soft pink side against her face, pointed out the birds and the flowers in the pattern and then decided that it was just right for a rousing game of peek-a-boo. It was very hard to take the blanket away from Adeline as she was really loving it. I've made her some flannel and cotton blankets, a quilt and a duvet cover, but nothing as soft and squishy as minky, so I think I need to remedy that and make a cozy blanket for Adeline as well. Autumn is nearly here and a blanket for cuddling is a necessity!

 

 

Much cuter than the newel post...

Remember way back when the only model I had for my baby projects was the newel post? The Cupcake Hat was sweet on the newel post, but on Adeline? A total sugar rush! 

Oh, okay. One more picture! I just love when Adeline laughs so hard that it takes over her whole body! This is what she looks like when that happens...

I think David was barking like a big dog ("a-rrrooof, a-rrrooof") to get her belly laughing like this. It's not hard to get her laughing lately. That seems to be her new thing - finding everything HILARIOUS. Sometimes she'll just be playing quietly and will start giggling like a crazy girl. She's obviously finding something super funny, but I can never figure out what!

Happy Easter!

Our tropical little bunny is very displeased with the chilly Canadian spring. This is the face we see whenever we take our girl outside, even if she's bundled up and topped with a hand knit hat. It might be toasty for us, but Adeline is used to the heat and humidity of Vietnam and is finding this all very much NOT to her liking. This goes hand in hand with how we finally figured out how to make sure she doesn't wake herself (and us) up frequently - blast the heat in her room until it's a sweaty and sweltering 30 degrees. If it's way too hot for me, she's happy as can be and has nice long naps in the morning and afternoon and then sleeps for two five hour stretches at night with a quick bottle and cuddle in the middle. We've even managed to move bedtime to eight! Getting some regular naps and unbroken sleep at night is making it a very happy Easter for all!

I hope all of you have the happiest of Easter days. There may not be any chocolate bunnies to bite the ears off of this year, but it doesn't mean we aren't celebrating. Easter is a time of new beginnings and new hope. A time of rejoicing in the world coming back to life after a cold dark winter. It couldn't be a more appropriate first family holiday for us.

Adeline had a little lamb...

...with fleece as white as snow.

 

And everywhere that Adeline went...

 

...that lamb was sure to go

 

Which means that this little lamb had better pack his bags for his big trip across the ocean and around the world, because he will be getting some cuddling from Adeline NEXT WEEK when we make our long journey to bring her home!

Yes, FINALLY!!!

Learn from my mistakes

To be discussed: A patchwork pillow destined for the playroom with a hand embroidered panel of birds and cherry blossoms in the centre

At first glance: Looks pretty good

On closer inspection: Why would anyone choose to use 2 completely different colours of blue in that embroidery?

The lesson: When you buy your crafting materials in thrift stores, very often you will run out of said materials right in the middle of a project. Improvising is often in order, and often turns out lovely creative results that were better than your original plan. But not this time, when the perfect shade of blue to finish the embroidery was nowhere to be found in the entire city. There are also 2 different pinks in the cherry blossoms, but that's less noticeable.

Will I learn this lesson: Not likely

And another thing: Even if you're being cheap and don't want to use any more of the pink fabric with tiny birds on it than you absolutely have to, the back of the cushion should be the same colour as the front or it just doesn't look right. I used a vintage sheet with a white background and flowers with all the colours that are found in the patchwork for the back and I think the white peeking out just looks wrong.

Will the intended audience of playroom goers notice any of these things: Extremely unlikely

Spring is just around the corner

I know some of you are still digging out from winter storms, but I mowed the lawn and pulled weeds without even a sweater a few days ago, so I can no longer deny that winter is on it's way out. As well as gardening I've also been spending a lot of time in my studio and have several projects on the go all at once. I'm having a lot of trouble focusing lately as my mind is far, far away, but I dropped everything a couple of days ago to make this little lamb and I worked on it like I had a MISSION until it was done. Once I had it in my mind I just couldn't rest until I had made a lamb for Adeline. I think I'll put this softie away for our girl's first Easter basket.

Now I think I need to modify the pattern to make a kitty...and a bunny...and maybe a bear and a puppy too.

Another Jumper

I know some of you think of jumpers as something knit out of wool and worn to keep you warm (a sweater in other words), but I've always called this sort of sleeveless dress meant to be worn over a shirt a jumper and as I child I remember wearing a lot of them. And what's a pinafore? I always thought a pinafore was to be worn over top of another dress - sort of like an apron - but maybe I'm wrong. Okay, I digress - back to my jumper. After my first success with pattern following I decided to take the plunge and cut into one of my favourite fabrics and make another jumper in a larger size and once again it turned out just right and with absolutely no cursing at all! You can't really see it in the photo, but the fabric is corduroy and when I saw it at the store I got way over excited. I should have bought the whole bolt some more of it. I'm not one for mother and daughter matching outfits but I'm seriously coveting something for myself made out of this. I'm sure I've blogged about my deep love for all things corduroy before, right? And corduroy with bluebirds on it? Too good. I agonized over whether or not the jumper should have a pocket or an applique or both, but in the end I left it as is. It's not too late to add either of those things if I change my mind. I've already decided on my next pattern following adventure. I'm going to start with one of the sleeveless options from this pattern and if that goes well I'll be (insert dramatic music here) making the one with sleeves.
After my middle school trauma around set in sleeves I really thought I'd never attempt it again, but I'm feeling ready. It's just fabric, right? If it doesn't work the first time I can take out the stitches and try again and if I don't want to try again I don't have to, that's one of the perks of no longer being an 8th grader. This one has a zipper up the back and although that is causing me a small amount of anxiety, I'm way less intimidated by zippers than I am by buttonholes, so I think it will all be okay.

Some Blankies

Nothing too special here, just some simple cotton and flannel blankies, but I do love the fabrics. The cherries are just classic and I couldn't resist the lanterns as the colours made me happy.

Blankets are really hard to photograph. I draped these all over the house and couldn't get them to look right, so I ended up just plopping them on the coffee table and snapping a photo.

I think I really need a clothes line. Yes, for drying clothes, but also for the far more important jobs of photographing quilts and clothing.

A Triumph

I know this just looks like a jumper to you, but to me, it's a triumph. You see, this is the first item of clothing I have made from a pattern since being so frustrated by my attempts to make a blouse in my 8th grade sewing class. Ever since that traumatic experience I have had the belief that I can't make clothing and that patterns are written in an incomprehensible, non-English language that is designed to mystify me personally and that any attempt at clothing making will only end up in tears and stomping around dramatically. BUT I DID IT. Even though the directions WERE confusing, I just thought about the pictures and how I might construct it and then the written instructions made sense (sort of) and I pushed on with the mantra "It can always be ripped out and tried again". BUT I DID IT - an article of clothing, INCLUDING BUTTONHOLES AND FACINGS, from a pattern, made by me, using one of my favourite thrift store fabric finds, without using the seam ripper even once. Granted, it's probably the easiest pattern in the world, but I think this is a breakthrough moment. I'm feeling quite proud of myself and am planning jumper #2 to be made with some tiny waled corduroy with birds on it that I've been saving for just the right project. Then who knows what I'll get up to? Puffy sleeves and peter pan collars, we shall have a re-match...

A Project

I don't quite know what to call this little project. It's a square...embroidery and patchwork, soft pink minky on the back, some ribbon tags. It's not nearly big enough to be a blanket...it's just a wee square of about 12 inches...to hold in your hands and fiddle with.

This post was also supposed to be about all the hope in our hearts and how we had good news that our adoption process is moving forward and that we hoped to have new travel dates soon to go get our daughter. All that is true - we have had forward movement and the next step is to receive a date to travel and we believe that any question of IF has been resolved and that we're only waiting on WHEN. But this morning we found out that once again just as we thought we were getting close to the finish line they up and moved it a few miles down the road. Yes, the rules have changed AGAIN, which means another delay, of how long we don't know. The relevant government offices in Adeline's country are closed until about the 22nd for the new year's holiday, so it will be at least after that until we hear any news at all. We do still believe that it will happen, but every day Adeline is growing older without us... We first met her when she was 3 months old, and if we have her home before she is 8 months old, we will consider ourselves very lucky.

I'm feeling frustrated today. And angry. There's nothing we can do but wait, but it's just so hard some days.  

This is the bird feeder that my Mom got Adeline and us for Christmas. It's been very busy lately. As much as I want to freeze time until we can go bring our girl home, this feeder is inundated with birds of all sorts lately, which is a sure sign that we are marching towards spring. The feeder is right outside our kitchen window and I hope that Adeline will be as fascinated as the cats and I are. That's why I embroidered sparrows for her square - I look forward to all of us sitting having our breakfast together and watching the birds.

Flower Hat

Can't...stop...knitting...hats

But when the pattern is as cute as this, who can resist? And I rounded up a box of odd balls of yarn that needs to be put to good use, and what better use than a hat that looks like a large blossom has been dropped onto the head of your small one?

Like the bunny hat this on is from the book "Itty Bitty Hats". This is totally the book I wish I'd written. Fun and whimsical but never cheesy, lovely photography and really easy to follow instructions. My library doesn't have "Itty Bitty Nursery" or "Itty Bitty Toys" but I know I'd love those books too. Yes, I'm too cheap frugal to buy craft books and have to rely on my library to get me my fix. This awesome hat is the "Upside Down Daisy" and I worked it in a toddler size with a butter coloured soft organic cotton for the hat and a dusty pink cotton for the flower. Pink and yellow might just be my new favourite colour combination.

It's an addiction, I know, but no intervention is necessary. No baby can ever have enough hats and there are new babies being born every single day, all of them with chilly noggins.

Colour Therapy

If January around here was a colour it would have to be grey. Sometimes we get some cold, crisp, bright and sunny weather in February, but it can't be counted on. What you can count on here is lots more dark, damp, moss-and-mushroom-growing weather until spring finally ambles in in March or April. Until that happens I will have to surround myself with lots of eye-popping colours and patterns to compensate.

I finished up this square of patchwork into a thin, summerweight blanket by just backing it with some dark brown flannel. Your basic right-sides-together-stitch-and-flip and then I top-stitched around the edge and around a few random squares to keep the flannel in place. These colours just didn't say warm and cozy quilt to me. I picture this more as a picnic-on-the-grass-with-stuffed-monkeys blanket or a lets-make-a-fort blanket. 

 

I guess Musette will have to be invited to the picnics and fort building as she's still convinced that this is her very own blanket and she finds it and makes herself at home no matter where I leave it.

This dolly and David were about the same colour...

I've been away from the computer taking care of my poor sweet husband who has been hit with a virus of epic proportions. David never gets sick and this one knocked him down and dragged him around the block a few times. He's finally back to work, just in time for me to start feeling pretty iffy... Hopefully I'll be able to use the power of positive thought to kick this bug to the curb, but at least if I get sick I know that David is the BEST at taking care of sick folk.

So although I planned all sorts of projects for this week, I really did very little but keep David company on the sofa, listen to him complain his complex feelings about being sick, and bring him crackers and tea. I did gussy up this crazy haired dolly to make her both sweeter and baby friendlier by taking off her button eyes and embroidering them instead and adding a couple of different textures of lace to add to the tactile experience. I've also been doing some knitting and will have a project to show you by the end of the week. Yes, it's another small-person sized hat. I just can't stop!!! No baby shall ever have a chilly head as long as I have a box of scrap yarn to use up.

A Project...

...which Musette is convinced is for her. Everywhere I leave this, she finds it and lays on it, usually after digging it up into a cozy little nest. I was sure I was safe leaving it on the teetery ironing board in the kitchen overnight, but no.

 

I'm not sure what it is yet. So far it's a 36 X 36 square of patchwork in a very nostalgic (for me, anyway) palette of browns, oranges yellows and blues. It might get bigger, but then again it might be just the right size. I'm not sure if I'll quilt it or make it into a thinner summer weight blanket. Or maybe it's a picnic cloth. Or maybe it's something completely different. Not sure yet, but I did really enjoy the orderliness of lining it all up and sewing it together. Musette doesn't care what I think it might be - she's happy with it right now and thinks it's a fabulous cat mat.

David says...

...that if I want people who are reading my blog to cry, then I should show them this hat

 

I really hope you don't cry, but there is something particularly heartbreaking about this hat with no small, warm, good smelling head to wear it. This sweet-like-sugar bunny hat is from the book "Itty Bitty Hats" and I whipped it up over the last two days. I wasn't planning to make any more small person sized hats, but I found a tiny ball of  Patons Silk Bamboo during my studio clean up and really wanted to make something with it just so that I could have the pleasure of feeling that deliciously soft yarn slide through my fingers. After looking at many patterns, this wee hat was the only thing I wanted to knit.

In my heart I believe that Adeline will be wearing it at Easter time.

Keeping Busy

Here's the completed doll blanket that I was working on. It was very hard to photograph because it's been so dark and dreary lately. We've had nothing but ark building weather, the sun hasn't shone since Christmas and the lamps in the living room have to be on all day. I'm quite impressed with the scalloped edging I managed to finish the blanket with as I just started crocheting without a pattern and it turned out just the way I had imagined, which NEVER happens. It's waiting for Adeline in her room with the soft dolly that Santa brought and my rocking chair from when I was a little girl. I'm still keeping myself very busy in an effort to distract myself. Here's a partial list of some of the things I've done that really didn't need doing, but kept me off the sofa...

- Re-arranged the deck furniture. In January. While wearing mittens.

- Finally organized all our wrapping paper/ribbons/bows/tags/cards/gift bags.

- Cooked a complete turkey dinner. Just for David and I. On a Tuesday.

- Laminated stuff. A lot of stuff.

- Tried to take pictures of the cats, but it was nearly dark and they weren't in the mood to pose.

- Re-arranged my freezers.

- Cleaned out the super high cupboard over the fridge.

- Spent a full afternoon looking up recipes for pasta with squash, pine nuts and sage and then decided in the end just to wing it.

- Raked very wet leaves. In January. While wearing mittens.

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...

Any ideas?

David is very excited about Lam. VERY. Daddy to a little girl is the role he was born to play. He is ALL ABOUT pink and tea parties and dollies. He's working hard to get the house ready for her and he is also a willing and happy shopper, so we've been filling her closet with cuteness and trying to ward off baby-stuff-itis, but it's hard. To be honest though, when it comes to clothes, mostly what we buy comes down to me to decide. He knows that Lam is going to be cute no matter what she wears and he says he doesn't trust himself to match colours (I don't know why since the man had a great sense of style when we met which somehow disappeared over the years). Anyway, there's not much he wants to see his baby wearing...except he has declared that Lam MUST have a shirt with this on it ...

 

Yes. Sweet baby Lam must have a "Know Your Pork Parts" onesie. When he found the vintage brochure from the Alberta Pork Producers down in his basement o' stuff he just knew that it would make the most rockin' awesome baby gear ever. David is a big fan of pork and this is one of his favourite places to eat, so it makes sense, I guess. I admit, it's a great graphic and you'd certainly never see anything like it at the Gap. Anyway, to get back to the part where I need help... I scanned the image and worked on it in photoshop to erase all the fold marks, but now that I've got the image, I don't know how to make it be on a shirt.  We've used the inkjet t-shirt transfers before, but I found that they're stiff and after just one wash they're starting to look trashed already. If that's the only option though I will do it. David doesn't make many requests, so I really feel like I need to make this happen for him. I don't have the knowledge/skill/equipment to silkscreen (oh, gocco...I never even had one, but I miss it so). I could do the pig as a freezer paper stencil, but the "parts" is the whole point. I'd like something that looks fairly professional, but am out of ideas. Anyone have a good plan for me?

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...

That baby sure has a lot of hats...

Can't...stop...knitting...baby hats...

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.

Green Vest

Ah, much better. 5 mm needles and worsted weight yarn knit up into a 4 to 6 month size baby vest. Once again I used this pattern - Pebble, from The Thrifty Knitter. Since I did both shoulders with the buttons it had no seaming, which you know I'm a fan of. Next time (oh yes, there will be a next time) I think I'll try the 3 needle bind-off instead of the seamed shoulder and maybe moss stitch instead of the garter and I may size it up (using the powers of mathematics and maybe even a gauge swatch) into something appropriate for the 6 to 12 month set. The brown vest was knit as written in the pattern with DK weight yarn and it ended up barely a newborn size for me, so I'm happy that the second attempt came out to a size that's going to be just right for the small person who should be 4 to 6 months old when we arrive in Vietnam to complete the adoption. The newel post does a decent job modeling the wee knitwear, but I just know this vest is going to be way cuter on a baby. I just love a sweater vest. Good looking AND practical. I wear them a lot in the cooler months. They keep me warm but keep my arms free for action. I think they look good on anyone - babies, children, women and especially men. I have yet to convince David that he would be ultra-sexy in a dork-tastic kind of way in a sweater vest.

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.

Baby Hat #2

I can't say I'm loving how the striping turned out on this hat, but it was a nice small monotonous heat-wave-and-no-air-conditioning friendly knitting project for this week. It's sock yarn from my collection (no, I don't knit socks, but I do have a LOT of sock yarn - don't ask) and tiny needles. I just cast on 144 stitches (after measuring my gauge on my one and only handknit sock) and then I knit in the round until I though it was tall enough. I never did any decreases, just finished off the top with a 3-needle bind off and added some tassel-y thingamabobs on the corners and declared it a baby hat.

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?